SEDGWICK COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying two suspects in connection to a robbery.

Just after 1p.m. Tuesday, the suspect captured on security camera footage robbed the Credit Union of America in the 200 block of S. Ridge Road, according to Wichita Police..If you have any information on this crime, contact Detectives at 316-268-4407, See Something Say Something Hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697625962394.png" alt="Image Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying two suspects in connection to a robbery.Just after 1p.m. Tuesday, the suspect captured on security camera footage robbed the Credit Union of America in the 200 block of S. Ridge Road, according to Wichita Police..If you have any information on this crime, contact Detectives at 316-268-4407, See Something Say Something Hotline at 316-519-2282, or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Police ask for help to ID suspects in Kan. credit union robbery

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution Wednesday to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was too early to craft an appropriate Security Council response to the crisis.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council needs to allow current diplomatic efforts, including by President Joe Biden, to unfold and to find out more facts on the ground first. She also criticized the measure for failing to underline Israel’s right to self-defense.

The resolution sponsored by Brazil had wide support and would have condemned all violence against civilians, including “the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas” against Israel. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favor and the U.S. against, with Russia and Britain abstaining.

Thomas-Greenfield said that Biden was in the region engaging in diplomacy hoping to protect civilians, secure the release of hostage and prevent the conflict from spreading. “We need to let that diplomacy play out,” she said.

She said the Security Council must speak out, but should be “informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives -- the council needs to get this right.”

The American ambassador criticized the resolution for not saying anything about Israel’s right to self-defense following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 12,000 wounded.

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward also criticized the resolution’s failure to mention Israel’s right to self-defense.

The voting and debate followed Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">huge explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital</a>&nbsp;packed with patients, relatives and Palestinians seeking shelter, in which the Hamas-run health ministry said 500 people died. Hamas said it was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad denied any involvement.

Council members rejected two proposed Russian amendments to the resolution, which failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes. One called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” and the other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and “civilian objects” in Gaza, which include hospitals and schools.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the Brazil resolution, which called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid, wouldn’t have helped to avoid Tuesday’s explosion at the Gaza hospital. “It is only a cease-fire that will help to do this," he said.

He told council members who abstained or opposed the Russian amendments – the U.S. voted against both – that they will have to “bear responsibility” for what happens now to people in their own countries, the region, “and the people who are living under this deadly threat.”

Nebenzia accused the United States of “hypocrisy” and “double standards,” saying the Americans didn’t want a solution in the Security Council.

Brazil’s U.N. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, the current council president, called the defeated resolution “robust and balanced.” stressing that it also called for the immediate release of all hostages, protection of civilians in Gaza from forced relocation, and “the ethical necessity” to provide them with food, fuel, water and medicine.

“Sadly, very sadly, the council was yet again unable to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said. “Council paralysis in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe is not in the interest of the international community.”

France, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the Security Council, and many other council members also expressed regret and disappointment at the U.S. veto.

The divided Security Council has been even more polarized since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the votes on the Brazil resolution reflected the divisions.

Immediately after Tuesday's votes and speeches, the council started an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion at the Gaza hospital. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China called for the emergency session.

The council's actions took place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading, including Biden’s lightning trip to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths noted in a video briefing from Doha, Quatar, that Tuesday's massive explosion deprived Gaza of a hospital that cared for more than 45,000 patients a year.

After the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas backed out of a meeting with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and King Abdullah II of Jordan, leading the Jordanians to cancel the meeting,

The 22-member Arab Group at the United Nations expressed “outrage” at the hospital deaths and called for an immediate cease-fire to avoid further Palestinian casualties and the opening of a corridor to safely deliver aid to millions in Gaza.

Egypt’s U.N. ambassador, Osama Mahmoud, told reporters that a summit will take place Saturday in Cairo as scheduled with regional leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.

Mahmoud said the summit will address the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how to achieve a cease-fire, and whether “any serious attempt to have a political horizon” exists to tackle the issues blocking an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland told the emergency council meeting, “I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole.”

After a century of conflict and half a century of Israeli occupation, he said the international community has “failed collectively” to help Israel and the Palestinians reach a political settlement. And he warned that events following the Hamas attacks “have served to re-ignite grievances and re-animate alliances across the region.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697659524198.png" alt="-U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield" />
 <figcaption>-U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution Wednesday to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was too early to craft an appropriate Security Council response to the crisis.U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council needs to allow current diplomatic efforts, including by President Joe Biden, to unfold and to find out more facts on the ground first. She also criticized the measure for failing to underline Israel’s right to self-defense.The resolution sponsored by Brazil had wide support and would have condemned all violence against civilians, including “the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas” against Israel. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favor and the U.S. against, with Russia and Britain abstaining.Thomas-Greenfield said that Biden was in the region engaging in diplomacy hoping to protect civilians, secure the release of hostage and prevent the conflict from spreading. “We need to let that diplomacy play out,” she said.She said the Security Council must speak out, but should be “informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives -- the council needs to get this right.”The American ambassador criticized the resolution for not saying anything about Israel’s right to self-defense following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry says nearly 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 12,000 wounded.Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward also criticized the resolution’s failure to mention Israel’s right to self-defense.The voting and debate followed Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">huge explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital</a>&nbsp;packed with patients, relatives and Palestinians seeking shelter, in which the Hamas-run health ministry said 500 people died. Hamas said it was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad denied any involvement.Council members rejected two proposed Russian amendments to the resolution, which failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes. One called for a “humanitarian cease-fire” and the other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and “civilian objects” in Gaza, which include hospitals and schools.Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the Brazil resolution, which called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver aid, wouldn’t have helped to avoid Tuesday’s explosion at the Gaza hospital. “It is only a cease-fire that will help to do this," he said.He told council members who abstained or opposed the Russian amendments – the U.S. voted against both – that they will have to “bear responsibility” for what happens now to people in their own countries, the region, “and the people who are living under this deadly threat.”Nebenzia accused the United States of “hypocrisy” and “double standards,” saying the Americans didn’t want a solution in the Security Council.Brazil’s U.N. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, the current council president, called the defeated resolution “robust and balanced.” stressing that it also called for the immediate release of all hostages, protection of civilians in Gaza from forced relocation, and “the ethical necessity” to provide them with food, fuel, water and medicine.“Sadly, very sadly, the council was yet again unable to adopt a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said. “Council paralysis in the face of a humanitarian catastrophe is not in the interest of the international community.”France, China, the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the Security Council, and many other council members also expressed regret and disappointment at the U.S. veto.The divided Security Council has been even more polarized since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and the votes on the Brazil resolution reflected the divisions.Immediately after Tuesday's votes and speeches, the council started an emergency meeting to discuss the explosion at the Gaza hospital. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China called for the emergency session.The council's actions took place amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading, including Biden’s lightning trip to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths noted in a video briefing from Doha, Quatar, that Tuesday's massive explosion deprived Gaza of a hospital that cared for more than 45,000 patients a year.After the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas backed out of a meeting with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and King Abdullah II of Jordan, leading the Jordanians to cancel the meeting,The 22-member Arab Group at the United Nations expressed “outrage” at the hospital deaths and called for an immediate cease-fire to avoid further Palestinian casualties and the opening of a corridor to safely deliver aid to millions in Gaza.Egypt’s U.N. ambassador, Osama Mahmoud, told reporters that a summit will take place Saturday in Cairo as scheduled with regional leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The five permanent Security Council nations are also invited, he said.Mahmoud said the summit will address the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how to achieve a cease-fire, and whether “any serious attempt to have a political horizon” exists to tackle the issues blocking an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.U.N. Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland told the emergency council meeting, “I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole.”After a century of conflict and half a century of Israeli occupation, he said the international community has “failed collectively” to help Israel and the Palestinians reach a political settlement. And he warned that events following the Hamas attacks “have served to re-ignite grievances and re-animate alliances across the region.”

US vetoes UN resolution condemning violence against civilians in Israel

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Natalee Holloway was beaten to death on a beach in Aruba and her body pushed out to sea after refusing the advances of the chief suspect in the 2005 killing, who admitted to the murder before pleading guilty Wednesday to extorting money from the missing teen’s mother.

Although Joran van der Sloot isn’t charged in Holloway’s death, his confession may finally resolve a case that has captivated the public’s attention for nearly two decades, spawning extensive news coverage, books, movies and podcasts.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Alabama. “Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is a killer.”

Natalee Holloway went missing during a high school graduation trip with classmates. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/timeline-peru-sloot-natalee-holloway-extradition-165b7745e8210488316da1be6d30d855">was last seen</a>&nbsp;on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen and student at an international school on the Caribbean island where he grew up. He was questioned in the disappearance but never prosecuted. A judge declared Holloway dead, but her body was never found.

Van der Sloot, now 36, pleaded guilty to the extortion and fraud charges in exchange for a 20-year sentence. That prison term will run concurrently with a 28-year sentence he's serving in Peru for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-crime-peru-alabama-birmingham-b61a4dfc829e429a942854d33b86cde5">killing Stephany Flores</a>&nbsp;in 2010.

U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said the details of his confession factored into her sentencing decision.

“You have brutally murdered — in separate instances years apart — two young women who refused your sexual advances,” she said.

Shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, van der Sloot told the crowded courtroom he hoped the confession provides closure.

“I would like the chance to apologize to the Holloway family, my own family,” he said, later adding, “I am no longer the person I was back then.”

The judge said the plea deal required van der Sloot to provide all the information he knew about Natalie Holloway’s disappearance, allow her parents to hear in “real time” his discussion with law enforcement, and take a polygraph test.

After the hearing, Beth Holloway told reporters she was “absolutely confident” that they finally got the truth from van der Sloot after years of lies.

Court documents offer a transcript of his confession.

In an interview conducted by his attorney, he says he and Holloway were lying on the beach kissing. She started to resist, but he kept touching her, so she kneed him between the legs. He stood up and kicked her “extremely hard” in the face while she was still lying down.

At that point, he said, she was “unconscious, possibly even uh, even dead, but definitely unconscious.” He said he picked up a nearby cinderblock and brought it down on her face.

Frightened and unsure what to do, he said he dragged her body until he was knee-deep in the waves, then pushed her out to sea.

The Holloway family has long sought answers about the disappearance, and van der Sloot has given different accounts over the years, at one point saying Holloway was buried in gravel under the foundation of a house but later admitting that was untrue.

Five years after the killing, an FBI sting recorded the extortion attempt in which van der Sloot asked for $250,000 from Beth Holloway to reveal the location of her daughter’s remains. He agreed to accept $25,000 to disclose the location, and asked for the other $225,000 once the remains were recovered.

Van der Sloot chose “greed over Beth Holloway’s grief,” prosecutor Lloyd Peeples told the judge Wednesday.

Van der Sloot moved from Aruba to Peru before he could be arrested in the extortion case. The government of Peru agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natalee-holloway-van-der-sloot-arraignment-c69b0d1606980df065b954e94da9ac01">temporarily extradite</a>&nbsp;him to face trial on the extortion charge, and he will return to Peruvian custody after his case is concluded.

While giving her impact statement Wednesday, Beth Holloway turned to stare directly at her daughter's killer, sitting just a few feet away in court.

“You look like hell, Joran,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697654645147.png" alt="FBI image" />
 <figcaption>FBI image</figcaption>
 </figure>BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Natalee Holloway was beaten to death on a beach in Aruba and her body pushed out to sea after refusing the advances of the chief suspect in the 2005 killing, who admitted to the murder before pleading guilty Wednesday to extorting money from the missing teen’s mother.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697655838625.png" alt="Joran van der Sloot-Shelby Co. Alabama Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Joran van der Sloot-Shelby Co. Alabama Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Although Joran van der Sloot isn’t charged in Holloway’s death, his confession may finally resolve a case that has captivated the public’s attention for nearly two decades, spawning extensive news coverage, books, movies and podcasts.“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Alabama. “Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter’s murder. He is a killer.”Natalee Holloway went missing during a high school graduation trip with classmates. She&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/timeline-peru-sloot-natalee-holloway-extradition-165b7745e8210488316da1be6d30d855">was last seen</a>&nbsp;on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen and student at an international school on the Caribbean island where he grew up. He was questioned in the disappearance but never prosecuted. A judge declared Holloway dead, but her body was never found.Van der Sloot, now 36, pleaded guilty to the extortion and fraud charges in exchange for a 20-year sentence. That prison term will run concurrently with a 28-year sentence he's serving in Peru for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-crime-peru-alabama-birmingham-b61a4dfc829e429a942854d33b86cde5">killing Stephany Flores</a>&nbsp;in 2010.U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said the details of his confession factored into her sentencing decision.“You have brutally murdered — in separate instances years apart — two young women who refused your sexual advances,” she said.Shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform, van der Sloot told the crowded courtroom he hoped the confession provides closure.“I would like the chance to apologize to the Holloway family, my own family,” he said, later adding, “I am no longer the person I was back then.”The judge said the plea deal required van der Sloot to provide all the information he knew about Natalie Holloway’s disappearance, allow her parents to hear in “real time” his discussion with law enforcement, and take a polygraph test.After the hearing, Beth Holloway told reporters she was “absolutely confident” that they finally got the truth from van der Sloot after years of lies.Court documents offer a transcript of his confession.In an interview conducted by his attorney, he says he and Holloway were lying on the beach kissing. She started to resist, but he kept touching her, so she kneed him between the legs. He stood up and kicked her “extremely hard” in the face while she was still lying down.At that point, he said, she was “unconscious, possibly even uh, even dead, but definitely unconscious.” He said he picked up a nearby cinderblock and brought it down on her face.Frightened and unsure what to do, he said he dragged her body until he was knee-deep in the waves, then pushed her out to sea.The Holloway family has long sought answers about the disappearance, and van der Sloot has given different accounts over the years, at one point saying Holloway was buried in gravel under the foundation of a house but later admitting that was untrue.Five years after the killing, an FBI sting recorded the extortion attempt in which van der Sloot asked for $250,000 from Beth Holloway to reveal the location of her daughter’s remains. He agreed to accept $25,000 to disclose the location, and asked for the other $225,000 once the remains were recovered.Van der Sloot chose “greed over Beth Holloway’s grief,” prosecutor Lloyd Peeples told the judge Wednesday.Van der Sloot moved from Aruba to Peru before he could be arrested in the extortion case. The government of Peru agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/natalee-holloway-van-der-sloot-arraignment-c69b0d1606980df065b954e94da9ac01">temporarily extradite</a>&nbsp;him to face trial on the extortion charge, and he will return to Peruvian custody after his case is concluded.While giving her impact statement Wednesday, Beth Holloway turned to stare directly at her daughter's killer, sitting just a few feet away in court.“You look like hell, Joran,” she said.

After 18-years suspect admits he killed Natalee Holloway on Aruba 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-republicans-0f759a46f63aa9daf9e6939e45799329">Jim Jordan</a>&nbsp;failed again Wednesday on a crucial second ballot to become House speaker, the hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump losing even more GOP colleagues who refused to give him the the gavel.

Next steps were highly uncertain as a bipartisan group of lawmakers floated an extraordinary plan — to give the interim speaker-pro-tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., more power to reopen the House and temporarily conduct routine business.

What was clear was that Jordan's path to become House speaker was almost certainly lost. He was opposed by two more than the 20 Republican detractors he lost in first round voting the day before.

The House gaveled in with angry, frustrated GOP lawmakers looking at other options. And as the rollcall was underway, a few new detractors emerged to oppose Jordan who did not seem to be picking up new votes beyond one lawmaker who was absent the day before.

Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-vote-guide-jordan-410d2f46378a7ab2fee9d6534fd2ef76">morning vote</a>, Jordan made an unexpected plea for party unity, the combative Judiciary Committee chairman telling his colleagues on social media, “We must stop attacking each other and come together.”

A surprisingly large and politically diverse group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-f2b2bf9dc834742bde93d5fc918d9940">20 Republicans had rejected Jordan's nomination</a>&nbsp;the day before, many resenting the hardball tactics seeking to enforce support, and viewing the Ohio congressman as too extreme for the powerful position of House speaker, second in line to the presidency.

The House has hit a standstill, stuck while Jordan worked to shore up backing from Republican colleagues for the job to replace the ousted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy</a>. Republicans are exhausted by the infighting since McCarthy's sudden removal by hard-liners, who are now within reach of a central seat of U.S. power.

The vote for House speaker, once a formality in Congress, has devolved into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-jordan-scalise-mccarthy-election-votes-explainer-db85c1d80dcc36f296245851ad1278ab">another bitter showdown for the gavel</a>.

With Republicans in majority control 221-212, Jordan must pick up most of his GOP foes to win. Tuesday's tally, with 200 Republicans including all GOP members of the Missouri and Kansas delegations voting for Jordan and 212 for the Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, left no candidate with a clear majority, as the 20 Republicans voted for someone else. .

In nominating Jordan, veteran Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said it was time to end the upheaval that he had warned against with McCarthy’s sudden ouster.

“We have a chance today to end that chaos, end that uncertainty,” Cole said.

He said that Jordan was “not a shrinking violet” but someone who could lead the House.

Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar noted that Jeffries continues to win more votes and is the best choice to move the country forward.

“The country cannot afford more delays and more chaos,” Aguilar said.

Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">giving greater power</a>&nbsp;to McHenry or another temporary speaker. The House had never ousted its speaker before McCarthy.

The novel concept of boosting the interim speaker's role was gaining favor with a pair of surprising high-profile Republicans: Former GOP speakers Newt Gingrich and John Boehner.

Gingrich said while he likes Jordan, he has “no faith” the nominee can get much beyond the 200 votes he won in the first vote.

“We can’t sit around and suck our thumbs and hope the world will wait until the House Republicans get their act together,” Gingrich told Fox News' Sean Hannity on his show.

Boehner reposted Gingrich's views saying, “I agree,” on social media.

The two men have deep experience with the subject. Both were chased to early retirement by threats of ouster from right-flank insurgents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">like those who toppled McCarthy</a>.

“The Republicans are unable to function right now,” said Jeffries. He said talks would “accelerate” between Democrats and Republicans on alternative plans.

“Jim Jordan will be a great speaker,” Trump had said Tuesday said outside a courthouse in Manhattan, where he is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-trial-net-worth-new-york-067501b1d742d4dccba2521ac3262fdb">business fraud charges</a>. "I think he’s going to have the votes soon, if not today, over the next day or two."

Flexing their independence, the holdouts are a mix of pragmatists — ranging from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from districts where voters back home prefer President Joe Biden to Trump.

Some Republicans resent being pressured by Jordan’s allies and say they are being threatened with primary opponents if they don’t support him as speaker. Others are simply upset at the way the whole process has dragged out.

One holdout, Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, said Tuesday that Jordan’s role in the runup to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6, 2021, attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol and his refusal to admit that Biden, a Democrat, won the 2020 election remained an issue.

Jordan has been a top Trump ally, particularly during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the Jan. 6 Capitol attack</a>&nbsp;by the former president’s backers who were trying to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden. Days later, Trump awarded Jordan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jim-jordan-impeachments-capitol-siege-eeadab127460dd5170e79608f654aca6">a Medal of Freedom</a>.

The political climb has been steep for Jordan, the combative Judiciary Committee chairman and a founding member of the right-flank Freedom Caucus. He is known more as a chaos agent than a skilled legislator, raising questions about how he would lead. Congress faces daunting challenges, risking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">a federal shutdown</a>&nbsp;at home if it fails to fund the government and fielding Biden's requests for aid to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/a">Israel</a>&nbsp;in the wars abroad.

First elected in 2006, Jordan has few bills to his name from his time in office. He also faces questions about his past. Some years ago, Jordan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6fb5bfff7db9439883907efce5c119fb">denied allegations</a>&nbsp;from former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about claims they were inappropriately groped by an Ohio doctor. Jordan has said he was never aware of any abuse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697646116539.png" alt="View of the House during the vote count on Wednesday-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>View of the House during the vote count on Wednesday-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-republicans-0f759a46f63aa9daf9e6939e45799329">Jim Jordan</a>&nbsp;failed again Wednesday on a crucial second ballot to become House speaker, the hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump losing even more GOP colleagues who refused to give him the the gavel.Next steps were highly uncertain as a bipartisan group of lawmakers floated an extraordinary plan — to give the interim speaker-pro-tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., more power to reopen the House and temporarily conduct routine business.What was clear was that Jordan's path to become House speaker was almost certainly lost. He was opposed by two more than the 20 Republican detractors he lost in first round voting the day before.The House gaveled in with angry, frustrated GOP lawmakers looking at other options. And as the rollcall was underway, a few new detractors emerged to oppose Jordan who did not seem to be picking up new votes beyond one lawmaker who was absent the day before.Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-vote-guide-jordan-410d2f46378a7ab2fee9d6534fd2ef76">morning vote</a>, Jordan made an unexpected plea for party unity, the combative Judiciary Committee chairman telling his colleagues on social media, “We must stop attacking each other and come together.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697645753911.png" alt="Rep. Jim Jordan (front row middle) watches the vote count) photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Jim Jordan (front row middle) watches the vote count) photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>A surprisingly large and politically diverse group of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-f2b2bf9dc834742bde93d5fc918d9940">20 Republicans had rejected Jordan's nomination</a>&nbsp;the day before, many resenting the hardball tactics seeking to enforce support, and viewing the Ohio congressman as too extreme for the powerful position of House speaker, second in line to the presidency.The House has hit a standstill, stuck while Jordan worked to shore up backing from Republican colleagues for the job to replace the ousted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy</a>. Republicans are exhausted by the infighting since McCarthy's sudden removal by hard-liners, who are now within reach of a central seat of U.S. power.The vote for House speaker, once a formality in Congress, has devolved into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-jordan-scalise-mccarthy-election-votes-explainer-db85c1d80dcc36f296245851ad1278ab">another bitter showdown for the gavel</a>.With Republicans in majority control 221-212, Jordan must pick up most of his GOP foes to win. Tuesday's tally, with 200 Republicans including all GOP members of the Missouri and Kansas delegations voting for Jordan and 212 for the Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, left no candidate with a clear majority, as the 20 Republicans voted for someone else. .In nominating Jordan, veteran Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said it was time to end the upheaval that he had warned against with McCarthy’s sudden ouster.“We have a chance today to end that chaos, end that uncertainty,” Cole said.He said that Jordan was “not a shrinking violet” but someone who could lead the House.Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar noted that Jeffries continues to win more votes and is the best choice to move the country forward.“The country cannot afford more delays and more chaos,” Aguilar said.Bipartisan groups of lawmakers have been floating ways to operate the House by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">giving greater power</a>&nbsp;to McHenry or another temporary speaker. The House had never ousted its speaker before McCarthy.The novel concept of boosting the interim speaker's role was gaining favor with a pair of surprising high-profile Republicans: Former GOP speakers Newt Gingrich and John Boehner.Gingrich said while he likes Jordan, he has “no faith” the nominee can get much beyond the 200 votes he won in the first vote.“We can’t sit around and suck our thumbs and hope the world will wait until the House Republicans get their act together,” Gingrich told Fox News' Sean Hannity on his show.Boehner reposted Gingrich's views saying, “I agree,” on social media.The two men have deep experience with the subject. Both were chased to early retirement by threats of ouster from right-flank insurgents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">like those who toppled McCarthy</a>.“The Republicans are unable to function right now,” said Jeffries. He said talks would “accelerate” between Democrats and Republicans on alternative plans.“Jim Jordan will be a great speaker,” Trump had said Tuesday said outside a courthouse in Manhattan, where he is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-trial-net-worth-new-york-067501b1d742d4dccba2521ac3262fdb">business fraud charges</a>. "I think he’s going to have the votes soon, if not today, over the next day or two."Flexing their independence, the holdouts are a mix of pragmatists — ranging from seasoned legislators and committee chairs worried about governing, to newer lawmakers from districts where voters back home prefer President Joe Biden to Trump.Some Republicans resent being pressured by Jordan’s allies and say they are being threatened with primary opponents if they don’t support him as speaker. Others are simply upset at the way the whole process has dragged out.One holdout, Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, said Tuesday that Jordan’s role in the runup to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6, 2021, attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol and his refusal to admit that Biden, a Democrat, won the 2020 election remained an issue.Jordan has been a top Trump ally, particularly during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the Jan. 6 Capitol attack</a>&nbsp;by the former president’s backers who were trying to overturn the 2020 election he lost to Biden. Days later, Trump awarded Jordan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jim-jordan-impeachments-capitol-siege-eeadab127460dd5170e79608f654aca6">a Medal of Freedom</a>.The political climb has been steep for Jordan, the combative Judiciary Committee chairman and a founding member of the right-flank Freedom Caucus. He is known more as a chaos agent than a skilled legislator, raising questions about how he would lead. Congress faces daunting challenges, risking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">a federal shutdown</a>&nbsp;at home if it fails to fund the government and fielding Biden's requests for aid to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/a">Israel</a>&nbsp;in the wars abroad.First elected in 2006, Jordan has few bills to his name from his time in office. He also faces questions about his past. Some years ago, Jordan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-6fb5bfff7db9439883907efce5c119fb">denied allegations</a>&nbsp;from former wrestlers during his time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University who accused him of knowing about claims they were inappropriately groped by an Ohio doctor. Jordan has said he was never aware of any abuse.

House in chaos; still no Speaker: Mo. GOP lawmakers vote Jordan again

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a crash.

Just after 11p.m.&nbsp; October 16, a sheriff's deputy responded to single-car non-injury accident in the 6900 block of SW 93rd Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp; During the investigation, the deputy found illegal narcotics.

The driver, Lauren M. Croucher, 24, of Emporia, was arrested, booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697579560825.png" alt="Croucher-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Croucher-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a crash.Just after 11p.m.&nbsp; October 16, a sheriff's deputy responded to single-car non-injury accident in the 6900 block of SW 93rd Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.&nbsp; During the investigation, the deputy found illegal narcotics.The driver, Lauren M. Croucher, 24, of Emporia, was arrested, booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession

Kan. deputy found meth during investigation of car crash

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined his Senate Republican colleagues to demand that the Biden Administration freeze and rescind the $6 billion in assets that Joe Biden sent to Iran last month, just weeks before Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It has since been widely<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25" target="_blank">&nbsp;reported</a>&nbsp;that Iran helped plan Hamas’ the attacks on Israel that left 30 American citizens dead and dozens more unaccounted for.

“The White House has to make a choice.&nbsp;You cannot be pro-Israel and pro-Iran, you have to make that decision. There's no way that you can support both of these people.”

“I have a hunch that the moment the Biden administration unfroze this $6 billion was the sentinel moment when the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard told Hamas, ‘let's go forward with this plan.’”

“Joe Biden is the most pro-Iranian president we've ever had. Think about it, it goes way beyond this $6 billion we're talking about. Under this administration, the Iranian reserves have went from $6 billion to $60 billion. So they have $60 billion in reserve, well, how come?”

“Since the moment Joe Biden got in office, he turned his head to the sanctions that we've had. The Iranian ghost armada has grown from 60 ships to 300 ships, taking Iranian or Russian oil, and selling that to China, now to the tune of a billion dollars a week. So Joe Biden is allowing Iran to make a billion dollars a week now to fund terrorism.”

“Let's think about Joe Biden's relationship with Iran for just a second here. From even the time he's campaigning he all but guaranteed that Iran would be able to develop nuclear weapons. And for all practical purposes, they have them. They've enriched uranium up to 60%, they can put that uranium in series and quickly have an atomic bomb. Think about the consequences of that.”

“So Iran not only funds the terrorists, they feed the terrorists, they arm the terrorists, they plan the terrorist attacks, just like they planned this attack as well. They coordinate all these terrorist attacks.”

“Joe Biden is in bed with Iran for all practical purposes, he empowers them. So he says he's pro-Israel, but his actions say he's pro-Iran, and you have to choose one or the other.”&nbsp;

“Our number one priority should be to get American hostages and American citizens back home safely.”&nbsp;

“We need to disavow our relationship with Iran and condemn them.&nbsp;Why won't this White House step up and condemn Iran yet?&nbsp;Have we heard anything yet from this White House condemning what Iran has done?”

“Finally, this is the third point we need to make. Let's talk about Hamas just for a second. In the same sense that the United States cannot tolerate nuclear warheads in Cuba,&nbsp;Israel cannot live with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined his Senate Republican colleagues to demand that the Biden Administration freeze and rescind the $6 billion in assets that Joe Biden sent to Iran last month, just weeks before Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israel. It has since been widely<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25" target="_blank">&nbsp;reported</a>&nbsp;that Iran helped plan Hamas’ the attacks on Israel that left 30 American citizens dead and dozens more unaccounted for.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden *says* he stands with Israel, but his actions say otherwise. Make no mistake, Joe Biden is the MOST pro-Iran president in our nation&#39;s history. <a href="https://t.co/JaZDIusphg">pic.twitter.com/JaZDIusphg</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1714351238903468442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“The White House has to make a choice.&nbsp;You cannot be pro-Israel and pro-Iran, you have to make that decision. There's no way that you can support both of these people.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Iran bankrolled Hamas and helped them plan the attacks on Israel as Joe Biden spent the past 2.5 years unleashing their revenue streams. Iran is the head of the snake who has been empowered by Joe Biden&#39;s leadership. If he won&#39;t revoke the $6B &amp; cut off Iran, we will. <a href="https://t.co/jfx1VYAZmJ">https://t.co/jfx1VYAZmJ</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1714609695304913147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I have a hunch that the moment the Biden administration unfroze this $6 billion was the sentinel moment when the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard told Hamas, ‘let's go forward with this plan.’”“Joe Biden is the most pro-Iranian president we've ever had. Think about it, it goes way beyond this $6 billion we're talking about. Under this administration, the Iranian reserves have went from $6 billion to $60 billion. So they have $60 billion in reserve, well, how come?”“Since the moment Joe Biden got in office, he turned his head to the sanctions that we've had. The Iranian ghost armada has grown from 60 ships to 300 ships, taking Iranian or Russian oil, and selling that to China, now to the tune of a billion dollars a week. So Joe Biden is allowing Iran to make a billion dollars a week now to fund terrorism.”“Let's think about Joe Biden's relationship with Iran for just a second here. From even the time he's campaigning he all but guaranteed that Iran would be able to develop nuclear weapons. And for all practical purposes, they have them. They've enriched uranium up to 60%, they can put that uranium in series and quickly have an atomic bomb. Think about the consequences of that.”“So Iran not only funds the terrorists, they feed the terrorists, they arm the terrorists, they plan the terrorist attacks, just like they planned this attack as well. They coordinate all these terrorist attacks.”“Joe Biden is in bed with Iran for all practical purposes, he empowers them. So he says he's pro-Israel, but his actions say he's pro-Iran, and you have to choose one or the other.”&nbsp;“Our number one priority should be to get American hostages and American citizens back home safely.”&nbsp;“We need to disavow our relationship with Iran and condemn them.&nbsp;Why won't this White House step up and condemn Iran yet?&nbsp;Have we heard anything yet from this White House condemning what Iran has done?”“Finally, this is the third point we need to make. Let's talk about Hamas just for a second. In the same sense that the United States cannot tolerate nuclear warheads in Cuba,&nbsp;Israel cannot live with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”

🎥 Kan. Senator: Biden is the most pro-Iran president in our history

KANSAS CITY —The iconic Western Auto sign in Kansas City is shining bright again after a quick fix this week. The T in the sign was out and sportscaster Al Michaels referred to it while on the air during the Chiefs Thursday night game Oct. 12.

On social media, Mayor Quinton Lucas joked, "Kansas City will take the power source from the ferris wheel and apply it to the T in the Wes ern Auto sign."

On Tuesday night Lucas thanked Midwest Sign Company for their efforts and "of course, legendary sportscaster Al Michaels."

KANSAS CITY —The iconic Western Auto sign in Kansas City is shining bright again after a quick fix this week. The T in the sign was out and sportscaster Al Michaels referred to it while on the air during the Chiefs Thursday night game Oct. 12.On social media, Mayor Quinton Lucas joked, "Kansas City will take the power source from the ferris wheel and apply it to the T in the Wes ern Auto sign."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Yeah, they put us on blast. Condo association--We need y&#39;all to fix before playoffs. <a href="https://t.co/sAE1odPSiY">https://t.co/sAE1odPSiY</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1712639821426950397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I appreciate our office’s communication with the condo owners’ association from the Western Auto Lofts. While there is some complication to fixing the “T” in the sign, we’re excited to work with them on a long-term solution for a Kansas City icon.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1714310944556515547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Shining bright! Thanks for the quick assist from our friends at Midwest Sign Company and, of course, legendary sportscaster Al Michaels. <a href="https://t.co/0smpcb39tj">pic.twitter.com/0smpcb39tj</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1714480415421915145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On Tuesday night Lucas thanked Midwest Sign Company for their efforts and "of course, legendary sportscaster Al Michaels."

 Kansas City’s Western Auto building sign gets repaired

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Child welfare officials investigated the family of a 5-year-old Kansas girl five times in the 13 months before she was raped and killed, but couldn't confirm allegations of neglect or drug use by her mother, and the family repeatedly declined offers of help, a report released Tuesday showed.

The report by the state Department of Children and Families said in one case, the agency confirmed that the mother wasn't properly supervising Zoey Felix, but the girl was placed with her father and because of that, “No safety concerns were identified.” After receiving allegations in late August of drug use and lack of utilities in the home, child welfare officials made seven failed attempts to reach the family over the next month.

On Oct. 2, Zoey died after fire crews couldn't resuscitate her at a gas station. Neighbors believe Zoey and her father had been camping in a grove of trees on a vacant lot nearby.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-a39c4aa86bd21287f981c4a09a58576d">Mickel Cherry,</a>&nbsp;a 25-year-old homeless man, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-a39c4aa86bd21287f981c4a09a58576d">charged</a>&nbsp;with first-degree murder, rape and capital murder, and could face the death penalty. Authorities haven't said how Zoey died.

“Zoey Felix’s death was an unacceptable tragedy," Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement accompanying the Department of Children and Families' two-page summary of its interactions with the girl's family.

Kelly said she plans to push for legislation next year that would expedite the release of information when a child dies of abuse or neglect. Her administration pushed for such a change in 2021, but a bill never passed.

Currently, DCF only releases a summary of its involvement initially and can't do so until attorneys vet the document. Typically, the full case reports aren’t released until after the prosecution is completed, which can take well over a year.

This has left an information vacuum in Zoey's case that was exacerbated Tuesday when a judge sealed the arrest affidavit that was used to support criminal charges against Cherry.

Judge Christopher Turner concluded that releasing the records would jeopardize the safety of witnesses or sources or “cause the destruction of evidence.”

Cherry’s attorney, Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, has declined to comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to phone messages, and his Facebook friends described him as chronically homeless.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-9816c6dd6f49dde6cfeb6fd435836eb0">Neighbors</a>&nbsp;said Zoey wandered their neighborhood dirty and hungry. Several reported calling child welfare to express concerns.

According to the summary from DCF, child welfare officials said they received the first tip about Zoey on Sept. 8, 2022, alleging poor conditions in the home and possible drug use in the presence of a child. The mother agreed to a drug screen and it came back negative, the agency said.

The agency also said in its summary that Zoey's mother was working with court services. By then, she had been charged with domestic battery against her husband and teenage daughter, court records show. The DCF summary said the agency offered help to the family, but they declined and the case was closed.

Another complaint alleging an unsupervised child was lodged with the agency on Nov. 8, 2002. Just six days earlier, Zoey's mother had called to report that the then 4-year-old was missing, a police incident report shows. Zoey was found unharmed a short time later.

The DCF summary made no reference to Zoey's disappearance, and it was unclear whether that prompted the complaint. The summary said simply that the case was unsubstantiated and offers of help were denied.

Later that month, Zoey's mother was arrested after crashing her car near a north Topeka bar while driving drunk with Zoey in the front seat. A sworn statement from a Topeka police officer, which also was released Tuesday, said the mother was “having difficulty standing upright, attempting to walk away with a small child.”

He also wrote that in looking into her car, he saw two open bottles of vodka, one half-full and the other, three-quarters full. The officer said that in interviews, Zoey said her mother had been drinking from both bottles before and while driving.

The officer wrote that the mother was uncooperative and, “She was taken to the ground in order to be handcuffed.”

The DCF summary said welfare workers left Zoey in her father’s care; court records show he was living with a girlfriend at the time. Zoey's mother was jailed until March, when she pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and driving under the influence and was sentenced to probation.

Zoey's father was evicted from his apartment in May. Another tip the agency received that month alleged there were no operating utilities in the mother's home, but the agency found the home to be “livable," with utilities, food and no signs of drugs. Again, the family declined services.

Then on Aug. 29, another complaint alleged drug use and no utilities, prompting the seven failed attempts by the agency to contact the family in September.

But during that time, police went to the home twice, once even tracking down Zoey and talking to her. But officers were told by Zoey’s father that she wasn’t living there, city spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said.

The second time police responded, an officer stood outside as belongings were retrieved from the house, a police report said. Police reports do not explain where Zoey, her sister, her father and Cherry went after that, but neighbors said they were living in a makeshift camp.

Laura Howard, the top administrator for the Department for Children and Families, vowed to launch a thorough investigation.

“We will take every step necessary," she wrote in a statement.

DCF opened another investigation as a result of Zoey’s death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696600819324.png" alt="Zoey Felix -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Zoey Felix -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Child welfare officials investigated the family of a 5-year-old Kansas girl five times in the 13 months before she was raped and killed, but couldn't confirm allegations of neglect or drug use by her mother, and the family repeatedly declined offers of help, a report released Tuesday showed.The report by the state Department of Children and Families said in one case, the agency confirmed that the mother wasn't properly supervising Zoey Felix, but the girl was placed with her father and because of that, “No safety concerns were identified.” After receiving allegations in late August of drug use and lack of utilities in the home, child welfare officials made seven failed attempts to reach the family over the next month.On Oct. 2, Zoey died after fire crews couldn't resuscitate her at a gas station. Neighbors believe Zoey and her father had been camping in a grove of trees on a vacant lot nearby.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696342029742.png" alt="Cherry photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cherry photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-a39c4aa86bd21287f981c4a09a58576d">Mickel Cherry,</a>&nbsp;a 25-year-old homeless man, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-a39c4aa86bd21287f981c4a09a58576d">charged</a>&nbsp;with first-degree murder, rape and capital murder, and could face the death penalty. Authorities haven't said how Zoey died.“Zoey Felix’s death was an unacceptable tragedy," Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement accompanying the Department of Children and Families' two-page summary of its interactions with the girl's family.Kelly said she plans to push for legislation next year that would expedite the release of information when a child dies of abuse or neglect. Her administration pushed for such a change in 2021, but a bill never passed.Currently, DCF only releases a summary of its involvement initially and can't do so until attorneys vet the document. Typically, the full case reports aren’t released until after the prosecution is completed, which can take well over a year.This has left an information vacuum in Zoey's case that was exacerbated Tuesday when a judge sealed the arrest affidavit that was used to support criminal charges against Cherry.Judge Christopher Turner concluded that releasing the records would jeopardize the safety of witnesses or sources or “cause the destruction of evidence.”Cherry’s attorney, Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, has declined to comment. Cherry’s family didn’t respond to phone messages, and his Facebook friends described him as chronically homeless.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/girl-killed-topeka-kansas-9816c6dd6f49dde6cfeb6fd435836eb0">Neighbors</a>&nbsp;said Zoey wandered their neighborhood dirty and hungry. Several reported calling child welfare to express concerns.According to the summary from DCF, child welfare officials said they received the first tip about Zoey on Sept. 8, 2022, alleging poor conditions in the home and possible drug use in the presence of a child. The mother agreed to a drug screen and it came back negative, the agency said.The agency also said in its summary that Zoey's mother was working with court services. By then, she had been charged with domestic battery against her husband and teenage daughter, court records show. The DCF summary said the agency offered help to the family, but they declined and the case was closed.Another complaint alleging an unsupervised child was lodged with the agency on Nov. 8, 2002. Just six days earlier, Zoey's mother had called to report that the then 4-year-old was missing, a police incident report shows. Zoey was found unharmed a short time later.The DCF summary made no reference to Zoey's disappearance, and it was unclear whether that prompted the complaint. The summary said simply that the case was unsubstantiated and offers of help were denied.Later that month, Zoey's mother was arrested after crashing her car near a north Topeka bar while driving drunk with Zoey in the front seat. A sworn statement from a Topeka police officer, which also was released Tuesday, said the mother was “having difficulty standing upright, attempting to walk away with a small child.”He also wrote that in looking into her car, he saw two open bottles of vodka, one half-full and the other, three-quarters full. The officer said that in interviews, Zoey said her mother had been drinking from both bottles before and while driving.The officer wrote that the mother was uncooperative and, “She was taken to the ground in order to be handcuffed.”The DCF summary said welfare workers left Zoey in her father’s care; court records show he was living with a girlfriend at the time. Zoey's mother was jailed until March, when she pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and driving under the influence and was sentenced to probation.Zoey's father was evicted from his apartment in May. Another tip the agency received that month alleged there were no operating utilities in the mother's home, but the agency found the home to be “livable," with utilities, food and no signs of drugs. Again, the family declined services.Then on Aug. 29, another complaint alleged drug use and no utilities, prompting the seven failed attempts by the agency to contact the family in September.But during that time, police went to the home twice, once even tracking down Zoey and talking to her. But officers were told by Zoey’s father that she wasn’t living there, city spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said.The second time police responded, an officer stood outside as belongings were retrieved from the house, a police report said. Police reports do not explain where Zoey, her sister, her father and Cherry went after that, but neighbors said they were living in a makeshift camp.Laura Howard, the top administrator for the Department for Children and Families, vowed to launch a thorough investigation.“We will take every step necessary," she wrote in a statement.DCF opened another investigation as a result of Zoey’s death.

Report: Kan. agency investigated girl's family 5 times before her murder

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">former detective</a>&nbsp;in Missouri convicted in the death a Black man in 2019 is now jailed after losing an appeal of his conviction despite unusual support from the state's Republican attorney general.

Eric J. DeValkenaere had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during the appeal, but a judge revoked bond Tuesday and ordered a warrant for his arrest. DeValkenaere went to the Platte County jail himself Tuesday and surrendered, Maj. Erik Holland of the sheriff's office told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article280645500.html">Kansas City Star</a>. He will be held there until he is transferred to a Missouri prison.

DeValkenaere’s lawyer declined comment to The Associated Press.

DeValkenaere, who is white, was found guilty in 2021 of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Lamb was parking a pickup truck in his Kansas City back yard when the officer shot him after reports Lamb was in a car chase with his girlfriend.

The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.

Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual legal move</a>, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in June asked the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial. In Missouri, the attorney general's office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.

A spokesperson on Tuesday said the attorney general's office is reviewing the appeals court decision.

Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.

Rumors had swirled this summer that Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere. That prompted Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to send the governor a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City’s Black community.

On Tuesday, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in an email that the governor is “assessing the situation," and no decision has been reached on whether to grant a pardon.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A white former detective in Missouri who shot and killed a Black man in 2019 has lost an appeal of his conviction despite unusual support from the state’s Republican attorney general, with judges on Tuesday ordering the ex-officer placed under arrest.

Eric J. DeValkenaere was found guilty in 2021 of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

 Lamb was parking a pickup truck in his Kansas City back yard when the officer shot him, after reports Lamb was in a car chase with his girlfriend. The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.

Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting, but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously that there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.

The former detective has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during the appeal, but the judges revoked his bond Tuesday and ordered a warrant for his arrest.

DeValkenaere’s lawyer declined to comment.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual legal move</a>, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in June asked the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial for him. In Missouri, the attorney general's office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.

Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe that any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.

Rumors had swirled this summer that Republican Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere. That prompted Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to send the governor a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City’s Black community.

On Tuesday, a Parson spokesperson said the governor is “assessing the situation.”

“Governor Parson will give the same thorough review to Mr. DeValkenaere’s case that he gives to all others that come across his desk,” Johnathan Shiflett said in an email. "No decision regarding a pardon has been made at this time."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697577882618.png" alt="Eric J. DeValkenaere is being held in Platte Co." />
 <figcaption>Eric J. DeValkenaere is being held in Platte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">former detective</a>&nbsp;in Missouri convicted in the death a Black man in 2019 is now jailed after losing an appeal of his conviction despite unusual support from the state's Republican attorney general.Eric J. DeValkenaere had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during the appeal, but a judge revoked bond Tuesday and ordered a warrant for his arrest. DeValkenaere went to the Platte County jail himself Tuesday and surrendered, Maj. Erik Holland of the sheriff's office told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article280645500.html">Kansas City Star</a>. He will be held there until he is transferred to a Missouri prison.DeValkenaere’s lawyer declined comment to The Associated Press.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592995037957.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>DeValkenaere, who is white, was found guilty in 2021 of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Lamb was parking a pickup truck in his Kansas City back yard when the officer shot him after reports Lamb was in a car chase with his girlfriend.The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual legal move</a>, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in June asked the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial. In Missouri, the attorney general's office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.A spokesperson on Tuesday said the attorney general's office is reviewing the appeals court decision.Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.Rumors had swirled this summer that Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere. That prompted Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to send the governor a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City’s Black community.On Tuesday, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in an email that the governor is “assessing the situation," and no decision has been reached on whether to grant a pardon.------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A white former detective in Missouri who shot and killed a Black man in 2019 has lost an appeal of his conviction despite unusual support from the state’s Republican attorney general, with judges on Tuesday ordering the ex-officer placed under arrest.Eric J. DeValkenaere was found guilty in 2021 of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Lamb was parking a pickup truck in his Kansas City back yard when the officer shot him, after reports Lamb was in a car chase with his girlfriend. The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting, but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously that there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced</a>&nbsp;to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.The former detective has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during the appeal, but the judges revoked his bond Tuesday and ordered a warrant for his arrest.DeValkenaere’s lawyer declined to comment.In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual legal move</a>, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in June asked the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial for him. In Missouri, the attorney general's office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.A spokesperson on Tuesday said the attorney general's office is reviewing the appeals court decision.Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe that any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.Rumors had swirled this summer that Republican Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere. That prompted Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to send the governor a letter urging him not to do so. Civil rights advocates warned that releasing the former detective could cause unrest in the city and damage an already tense relationship between police and Kansas City’s Black community.On Tuesday, a Parson spokesperson said the governor is “assessing the situation.”“Governor Parson will give the same thorough review to Mr. DeValkenaere’s case that he gives to all others that come across his desk,” Johnathan Shiflett said in an email. "No decision regarding a pardon has been made at this time."

Former KC  officer who killed Black man turns himself in after losing appeal

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City.

Just before 9 p.m., police were dispatched to a medical call at 65th and Paseo, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.

First responders located a woman lying on the sidewalk, suffering from apparent bodily trauma.&nbsp; Officers were unable to detect any signs of life.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; pronounced her deceased.

The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time. Police have not released her name.

Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.&nbsp;

Just after 3p.m. Tuesday, police located a man lying on the sidewalk at&nbsp; 44th and Montgall in Kansas City. The victim was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS transported the victim to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries, according to Carlisle.

Police have two suspects in custody in the afternoon homicide.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City.Just before 9 p.m., police were dispatched to a medical call at 65th and Paseo, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.First responders located a woman lying on the sidewalk, suffering from apparent bodily trauma.&nbsp; Officers were unable to detect any signs of life.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; pronounced her deceased.The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time. Police have not released her name.Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.&nbsp;Just after 3p.m. Tuesday, police located a man lying on the sidewalk at&nbsp; 44th and Montgall in Kansas City. The victim was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS transported the victim to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries, according to Carlisle.Police have two suspects in custody in the afternoon homicide.

Homicide: Woman found on sidewalk in Kansas City

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;vowed to show the world that the U.S. stands in solidarity with Israelis during his visit there Wednesday, and offered an assessment that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">deadly explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital</a>&nbsp;apparently was not carried out by the Israeli military.

“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But he said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren't sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.

Biden didn't offer details on why he believed the Israelis were not responsible for the blast, and the White House did not immediately explain his assessment.

“The entire world was rightfully outraged but this outrage should be directed not at Israel but at the terrorists,” Netanyahu said during a subsequent meeting with Biden and Israel's war cabinet.

Biden had been scheduled to visit Jordan to meet with Arab leaders after the stop in Israel, but the summit was called off after the hospital explosion. And his remarks spoke both of the horrors the Israelis had endured, but also the growing humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the hospital explosion. He stressed that “Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people. and it has brought them only suffering.”

Biden spoke of the need to find ways of “encouraging life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent, caught in the middle of this.”

But he also said Hamas had “slaughtered” Israelis in the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people. Biden described at length the horror of the killing of innocent Israelis, including children.

“Americans are grieving, they really are,” Biden said. “Americans are worried.”

“I want you to know you're not alone. We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people," Biden said during the larger meeting with Netanyahu and Israeli officials. "We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians."

Netanyahu thanked Biden for coming to Israel, telling him the visit was “deeply, deeply moving."

“I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”

Netanyahu said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” saying Israel was united in its resolve to defeat Hamas.

“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," he said.

Biden also planned to meet Israeli first responders and the families of victims and those being held hostage by Hamas. Netanyahu met Biden at Ben Gurion International Airport and the two embraced. It was almost exactly a month ago that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">sat together at the United Nations General Assembly</a>, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.

The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors appears to be dimming; Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks.

Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said.

Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday. No clear cause has been established for the blast.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">Protests swept through the region</a>&nbsp;after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.

Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.

Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”

Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion and Safadi said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. He said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve. Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to the Arab leaders by phone as he returned to Washington.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, said Tuesday that Biden was “capable of telling Israel, Enough is enough."

“You have to stop this carnage against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Let this stop. Let humanitarian assistance take place,” he said. "Do not displace two million Palestinians and push them in the direction of Jordan and then let’s begin a political horizon.”

There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>

Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip will test the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.

The visit to Israel coincides with rising humanitarian concerns in Gaza, where Israel has cut off the flow of food, fuel and water. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, bouncing back and forth between Arab and Israeli leadership ahead of Biden’s visit, spent seven and a half hours meeting Monday in Tel Aviv in an effort to broker some kind of aid agreement and emerged with a green light to develop a plan on how aid can enter Gaza and be distributed to civilians.

Although only a modest accomplishment on the surface, U.S. officials stressed that Blinken's talks led to a significant change in Israel’s position going in — that Gaza would remain cut off from fuel, electricity, water and other essential supplies.

U.S. officials said it has become clear that already limited Arab tolerance of Israel’s military operations would evaporate entirely if conditions in Gaza worsened.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623511291.png" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, Wednesday-photo office of Israel Prime Minister" />
 <figcaption>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, Wednesday-photo office of Israel Prime Minister</figcaption>
 </figure>TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;vowed to show the world that the U.S. stands in solidarity with Israelis during his visit there Wednesday, and offered an assessment that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">deadly explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital</a>&nbsp;apparently was not carried out by the Israeli military.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But he said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren't sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.Biden didn't offer details on why he believed the Israelis were not responsible for the blast, and the White House did not immediately explain his assessment.“The entire world was rightfully outraged but this outrage should be directed not at Israel but at the terrorists,” Netanyahu said during a subsequent meeting with Biden and Israel's war cabinet.Biden had been scheduled to visit Jordan to meet with Arab leaders after the stop in Israel, but the summit was called off after the hospital explosion. And his remarks spoke both of the horrors the Israelis had endured, but also the growing humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the hospital explosion. He stressed that “Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people. and it has brought them only suffering.”Biden spoke of the need to find ways of “encouraging life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent, caught in the middle of this.”But he also said Hamas had “slaughtered” Israelis in the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,400 people. Biden described at length the horror of the killing of innocent Israelis, including children.“Americans are grieving, they really are,” Biden said. “Americans are worried.”“I want you to know you're not alone. We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people," Biden said during the larger meeting with Netanyahu and Israeli officials. "We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians."Netanyahu thanked Biden for coming to Israel, telling him the visit was “deeply, deeply moving."“I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”Netanyahu said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” saying Israel was united in its resolve to defeat Hamas.“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," he said.Biden also planned to meet Israeli first responders and the families of victims and those being held hostage by Hamas. Netanyahu met Biden at Ben Gurion International Airport and the two embraced. It was almost exactly a month ago that they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">sat together at the United Nations General Assembly</a>, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623831480.png" alt="photo office of Israel Prime Minister" />
 <figcaption>photo office of Israel Prime Minister</figcaption>
 </figure>The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors appears to be dimming; Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said.Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday. No clear cause has been established for the blast.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">Protests swept through the region</a>&nbsp;after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion and Safadi said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. He said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve. Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to the Arab leaders by phone as he returned to Washington.Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, said Tuesday that Biden was “capable of telling Israel, Enough is enough."“You have to stop this carnage against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Let this stop. Let humanitarian assistance take place,” he said. "Do not displace two million Palestinians and push them in the direction of Jordan and then let’s begin a political horizon.”There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip will test the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.The visit to Israel coincides with rising humanitarian concerns in Gaza, where Israel has cut off the flow of food, fuel and water. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, bouncing back and forth between Arab and Israeli leadership ahead of Biden’s visit, spent seven and a half hours meeting Monday in Tel Aviv in an effort to broker some kind of aid agreement and emerged with a green light to develop a plan on how aid can enter Gaza and be distributed to civilians.Although only a modest accomplishment on the surface, U.S. officials stressed that Blinken's talks led to a significant change in Israel’s position going in — that Gaza would remain cut off from fuel, electricity, water and other essential supplies.U.S. officials said it has become clear that already limited Arab tolerance of Israel’s military operations would evaporate entirely if conditions in Gaza worsened.Their analysis projected that outright condemnation of Israel by Arab leaders would not only be a boon to Hamas but would likely encourage Iran to step up its anti-Israel activity, adding to fears that a regional conflagration might erupt, according to four officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration thinking.___TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden opened his visit to Israel on Wednesday vowing to show the world that the U.S. stands in solidarity with the Jewish people and offering an assessment that the deadly explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital appeared to have been carried out “by the other team” and not the Israeli military.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting, referring to Hamas militants. But Biden said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren't sure what caused the blast.The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike caused the destruction and hundreds of deaths. The Israeli military denied involvement and blamed a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group. However, that organization also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/israel-hamas-war-live-updates#0000018b-401a-d2c3-a9ff-721a1d610000">rejected responsibility.</a>Biden had been scheduled to visit Jordan after the stop in Israel, but meetings there with Arab leaders were called off after the hospital explosion. He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the explosion. But he also said it was not hyperbole to say Hamas had “slaughtered” Israelis in the Oct. 7 attack.“Americans are grieving, they really are,” Biden said. “Americans are worried.”Netanyahu thanked Biden for coming to Israel, telling him the visit was “deeply, deeply moving.”“I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”Netanyahu met Biden at Ben Gurion Airport and they embraced before speeding away for hours of meetings, where the U.S. president is expected to push for allowing critical humanitarian aid to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks on Oct. 7, which killed 1,400 Israelis.John Kirby, a White House national security spokesperson, told reporters aboard Air Force One that Biden “wants to get a sense from the Israelis on the situation on the ground” and will “ask some tough questions."“He'll be asking them as a friend,” Kirby added.The president also planned to meet Israeli first responders and the families of victims killed and hostages taken when Hamas made its incursion into Israel.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said.Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday. No clear cause has been established for the blast.Protests swept through the region after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II had planned to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion. Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to the Arab leaders by phone as he returned to Washington.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is "pushing the region to the brink.”There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip will test the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.The visit to Israel coincides with rising humanitarian concerns in Gaza, where Israel has cut off the flow of food, fuel and water. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, bouncing back and forth between Arab and Israeli leadership ahead of Biden’s visit, spent seven and a half hours meeting Monday in Tel Aviv in an effort to broker some kind of aid agreement and emerged with a green light to develop a plan on how aid can enter Gaza and be distributed to civilians.Although only a modest accomplishment on the surface, U.S. officials stressed that Blinken's talks led to a significant change in Israel’s position going in — that Gaza would remain cut off from fuel, electricity, water and other essential supplies.U.S. officials said it has become clear that already limited Arab tolerance of Israel’s military operations would evaporate entirely if conditions in Gaza worsened.Their analysis projected that outright condemnation of Israel by Arab leaders would not only be a boon to Hamas but would likely encourage Iran to step up its anti-Israel activity, adding to fears that a regional conflagration might erupt, according to four officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration thinking.