KANSAS CITY (AP) —When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.

Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.

With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.

A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.

An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers.

Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact figures or responded in cases or other measures. Rhode Island said it got rid of 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of over $93 million in supplies.

“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”

The AP sent inquiries about PPE stockpiles to all 50 states over the past several months. About half responded.

States emphasize that they distributed far more gear than they discarded and have gone to great lengths to donate the leftovers. Washington state sent hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands last year, yet ended up throwing out millions more items after they expired.

Many states are keeping at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining protective gear. Some even plan to update their stockpiles.

But others say the vagaries of the pandemic and the PPE supply left no choice but to acquire the items, and now to throw them out, however reluctantly. Expiration dates are set to ensure the protection works as intended, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the fair market value of expired supplies at zero dollars.

“Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the first place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank, who runs the South Carolina health department’s COVID-19 coordination office. The state has discarded over 650,000 expired masks.

When the virus struck, demand skyrocketed for N95 masks, gloves and gowns. The U.S government’s Strategic National Stockpile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24176954-strategic-national-stockpile_inspector-generals-report_102023">was underequipped</a>, and states plunged into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-wa-state-wire-ar-state-wire-ia-state-wire-virus-outbreak-bba8c890271ed9651d7682e81ce2c5e4">global bidding wars</a>.

The AP found in 2020 that states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-massachusetts-cb8c50c43781d81957ef8a1e61869ca7">spent over $7 billion</a>&nbsp;in a few months on PPE, ventilators and some other high-demand medical devices in a seller’s market. Ultimately, the federal government paid for many of the supplies.

“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.

Ohio distributed more than 227 million pieces of protective equipment during the pandemic. But as the supply crunch and the health crisis eased, demand faded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_surgical_and_isolation_gowns.pdf">especially for gowns</a>.

Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system -- has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association.

Given the glut, stockpiled items are selling for bargain prices, if at all. Vermont got $82.50 for 105,000 boot covers and 29 cents apiece for thousands of safety goggles.

Striking a balance between preparedness and surpluses is “a major dilemma” for governments, said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. And while politicians vowed in 2020 never to be caught off guard again, “memories are short, budgets are tight,” Amey noted.

In Wisconsin, a legislative committee axed from the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/budget/2023_25_biennial_budget/302_budget_papers/435_health_services_public_health_personal_protective_equipment_stockpile.pdf">$17.2 million that would have funded</a>&nbsp;a warehouse with an ongoing 60-day supply of PPE for two years.

The state Department of Health Services said it is now “demobilizing the warehouse” and trying to donate the supplies. Already, Wisconsin has tossed nearly 1.7 million masks and almost 1 million gowns.

Minnesota’s Department of Health was allocated some money this year for retaining and restocking PPE and is strategizing. For now, emergency response official Deb Radi says the agency expects to dispose of a few expiring gowns.

The Health Industry Distributors Association recommends that product distributors maintain a 60-to-90-day supply to guard against demand spikes. But the group says it’s probably unnecessary for everyone in the system — from manufacturers to doctors’ offices — to have such a large cushion.

Missouri’s health department has maintained a 90-day supply, keeping even expired materials on the presumption that the federal government will OK their use in an emergency. That happened during COVID-19.

“If you don’t make the investment – and perhaps the investment that is never used – then you may not be prepared to assist the public when it’s needed,” Missouri health director Paula Nickelson said.

Pennsylvania officials, by contrast, are aiming for a 15-day stockpile after frank conversations about what they can afford not only to keep, but to keep replacing as items expire, said Andy Pickett, the Health Department’s emergency preparedness and response director.

And Nevada can't give its aging PPE away fast enough.

Department of Administration Director Jack Robb said the state is endeavoring to shed the supplies safely and without wasting money but already has discarded some.

But Robb said officials “made the best decisions that they could” when confronted with a disease that has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide, including some of his close friends.

“And I hope we never see anything like that again in our lifetime,” he said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.Three years later, as the grips of the pandemic have loosened, many states are now trying to deal with an excess of protective gear, ditching their supplies in droves.With expiration dates passing and few requests to tap into its stockpile, Ohio auctioned off 393,000 gowns for just $2,451 and ended up throwing away another 7.2 million, along with expired masks, gloves and other materials. The now expiring supplies had cost about $29 million in federal money.A similar reckoning is happening around the country. Items are aging, and as a deadline to allocate federal COVID-19 cash approaches next year, states must decide how much to invest in maintaining warehouses and supply stockpiles.An Associated Press investigation found that at least 15 states, from Alaska to Vermont, have tossed some of their trove of PPE because of expiration, surpluses and a lack of willing takers.Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact figures or responded in cases or other measures. Rhode Island said it got rid of 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of over $93 million in supplies.“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”The AP sent inquiries about PPE stockpiles to all 50 states over the past several months. About half responded.States emphasize that they distributed far more gear than they discarded and have gone to great lengths to donate the leftovers. Washington state sent hundreds of thousands of supplies to the Marshall Islands last year, yet ended up throwing out millions more items after they expired.Many states are keeping at least a portion, and sometimes all, of their remaining protective gear. Some even plan to update their stockpiles.But others say the vagaries of the pandemic and the PPE supply left no choice but to acquire the items, and now to throw them out, however reluctantly. Expiration dates are set to ensure the protection works as intended, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the fair market value of expired supplies at zero dollars.“Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the first place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank, who runs the South Carolina health department’s COVID-19 coordination office. The state has discarded over 650,000 expired masks.When the virus struck, demand skyrocketed for N95 masks, gloves and gowns. The U.S government’s Strategic National Stockpile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24176954-strategic-national-stockpile_inspector-generals-report_102023">was underequipped</a>, and states plunged into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-wa-state-wire-ar-state-wire-ia-state-wire-virus-outbreak-bba8c890271ed9651d7682e81ce2c5e4">global bidding wars</a>.The AP found in 2020 that states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-massachusetts-cb8c50c43781d81957ef8a1e61869ca7">spent over $7 billion</a>&nbsp;in a few months on PPE, ventilators and some other high-demand medical devices in a seller’s market. Ultimately, the federal government paid for many of the supplies.“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.Ohio distributed more than 227 million pieces of protective equipment during the pandemic. But as the supply crunch and the health crisis eased, demand faded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/executive_briefings/ebot_surgical_and_isolation_gowns.pdf">especially for gowns</a>.Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system -- has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association.Given the glut, stockpiled items are selling for bargain prices, if at all. Vermont got $82.50 for 105,000 boot covers and 29 cents apiece for thousands of safety goggles.Striking a balance between preparedness and surpluses is “a major dilemma” for governments, said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group. And while politicians vowed in 2020 never to be caught off guard again, “memories are short, budgets are tight,” Amey noted.In Wisconsin, a legislative committee axed from the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/budget/2023_25_biennial_budget/302_budget_papers/435_health_services_public_health_personal_protective_equipment_stockpile.pdf">$17.2 million that would have funded</a>&nbsp;a warehouse with an ongoing 60-day supply of PPE for two years.The state Department of Health Services said it is now “demobilizing the warehouse” and trying to donate the supplies. Already, Wisconsin has tossed nearly 1.7 million masks and almost 1 million gowns.Minnesota’s Department of Health was allocated some money this year for retaining and restocking PPE and is strategizing. For now, emergency response official Deb Radi says the agency expects to dispose of a few expiring gowns.The Health Industry Distributors Association recommends that product distributors maintain a 60-to-90-day supply to guard against demand spikes. But the group says it’s probably unnecessary for everyone in the system — from manufacturers to doctors’ offices — to have such a large cushion.Missouri’s health department has maintained a 90-day supply, keeping even expired materials on the presumption that the federal government will OK their use in an emergency. That happened during COVID-19.“If you don’t make the investment – and perhaps the investment that is never used – then you may not be prepared to assist the public when it’s needed,” Missouri health director Paula Nickelson said.Pennsylvania officials, by contrast, are aiming for a 15-day stockpile after frank conversations about what they can afford not only to keep, but to keep replacing as items expire, said Andy Pickett, the Health Department’s emergency preparedness and response director.And Nevada can't give its aging PPE away fast enough.Department of Administration Director Jack Robb said the state is endeavoring to shed the supplies safely and without wasting money but already has discarded some.But Robb said officials “made the best decisions that they could” when confronted with a disease that has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide, including some of his close friends.“And I hope we never see anything like that again in our lifetime,” he said.

Tons of pandemic gear trashed as stockpiles expire

NEW YORK (AP) —Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from being an ex-con and hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army. But it all came to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prigozhin-wagner-2c77567908c73e538f9f1c76ae406f8f">sudden end</a>&nbsp;when the private plane carrying him and others mysteriously exploded over Russia.

Prigozhin's Aug. 23 death put an exclamation point on what had already been an eventful year for the brutal mercenary leader. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group/">Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;troops brought Russia a rare victory in its grinding war in Ukraine, capturing the city of Bakhmut. But internal friction with Russian military leaders later burst into the open, with Prigozhin briefly mounting an armed rebellion — the most severe challenge yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule.

The rebellion was called off and a deal was struck in less than 24 hours. However, just two months later, Prigozhin joined the list of those who have run afoul of the Kremlin and died unexpectedly.

He was just one of a number of noteworthy people who died in 2023.

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Serving under two presidents, Kissinger's shadow loomed large in the foreign policy arena, prompting both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kissinger-death-global-reaction-4e98e88ae257d21603924651c75a383d">admiration and criticism</a>&nbsp;from around the globe. And he continued his involvement in global affairs even in his final months.

Another political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. She was the closest adviser to her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, during his one term in the White House and then across four decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rosalynn-carter-obit-death-reaction-6d13e96cc89924a08895b200c10090c2">global humanitarian work.</a>

Others from the world of politics who died this year include: former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi; former U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley and James Abourezk; former British treasury chief Nigel Lawson; former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf; former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari; former New Mexico governor and American ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson; former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver; and former Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Turner's powerful voice and stage presence brought her fame across multiple decades, first with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960's and 70's. But after leaving their marriage, she found fame again in the 1980's with her hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

Others in the world of arts and entertainment who died this year include: actors Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree and Tom Sizemore; musicians Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee and Tony Bennett; civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; TV producer Norman Lear; author Cormac McCarthy; filmmaker William Friedkin; TV hosts Bob Barker and Jerry Springer; poet Louise Glück; guitarist Jeff Beck; fashion designer Mary Quant; wrestler The Iron Sheik; composer Kaija Saariaho; and “Sesame Street” co-creator Lloyd Morrisett.

Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-maurice-white-music-donny-hathaway-be0a0851b3be1911db96ef70fc1ea7da">Fred White</a>, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind &amp; Fire. Jan. 1.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-utah-salt-lake-city-business-73a4acfe37d0d8a074350a64c510f3c1">Ken Block</a>, 55. A motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes. Jan. 2. Snowmobiling accident.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apollo7-astronaut-walter-cunningham-dead-46da4bf601bf562aa2940c86e87f5731">Walter Cunningham</a>, 90. The last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program. Jan. 3.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-books-and-literature-fiction-celebrity-london-6d6453a2cdf7bfd07a7b4c53a97bc227">Fay Weldon</a>, 91. A British author known for her sharp wit and acerbic observations about women’s experiences and sexual politics in novels including “The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil.” Jan. 4.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-arizona-russell-pearce-immigration-law-enforcement-ac686b12b5fd6b0a80a7ce99962808f2">Russell Pearce</a>, 75. A Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 anti-immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law. Jan. 5.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-simic-obituary-poet-3c3114c0f390d2a50b5a0e1883211bca">Charles Simic</a>, 84. The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who awed critics and readers with his singular art of lyricism and economy, tragic insight and disruptive humor. Jan. 9.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diamond-and-silk-dead-lynette-hardaway-7ba302111687a71e7686dad3b0f57a43">Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway</a>, 51. An ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk. Jan. 8.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-beck-dies-6fafc82a3f8fe8e27d6f6e39a215e28d">Jeff Beck</a>, 78. A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Jan. 10.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-greece-athens-denmark-george-papandreou-7e29c313a579e9e10939c16abe577307">Constantine</a>, 82. The former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal in sailing and spent decades in exile after becoming entangled in his country’s volatile politics in the 1960s. Jan. 10.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-new-york-city-germany-sweden-santa-barbara-347bdc48b38a42ba832fe8b036061b80">Tatjana Patitz</a>, 56. She was one of an elite group of supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video. Jan. 11.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">Lisa Marie Presley</a>, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy. Jan. 12.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-evel-knievel-las-vegas-reno-bdc7c49dc0ebf815d99fb0a61b77bfb3">Robbie Knievel</a>, 60. An American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following in the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father Evel Knievel. Jan. 13.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-hong-kong-television-music-75bbb851952d0ff4c4474b4635fbeb77">Ray Cordeiro</a>, 98. He interviewed music acts including the Beatles during a six-decade career on Hong Kong radio that earned him the title of the world’s longest-working disc jockey. Jan. 13.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lloyd-morrisett-sesame-street-obit-4b908914021d5a0e1236eeeb26553937">Lloyd Morrisett</a>, 93. The co-creator of the beloved children’s TV series “Sesame Street,” which has used empathy and fuzzy monsters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world. Jan. 15.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-gina-lollobrigida-rome-movies-35ab673787e5ce2c2c6f5fdf96bb0f59">Gina Lollobrigida</a>, 95. An Italian film legend who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies. Jan. 16.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-retirements-4c5c7810be36ca9f3a75b2315eeb9294">Chris Ford</a>, 74. A member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, a longtime NBA coach and the player credited with scoring the league’s first 3-point basket. Jan. 17.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-crosby-dies-obit-3a1142b65616fa95c34c837a94f2c69f">David Crosby</a>, 81. The brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young. Sept. 18.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/television-tv-emily-hudson-penny-marshall-cindy-williams-5a9237089972dc449e2046702e82d7bd">Cindy Williams</a>, 75. She was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley on the beloved sitcom “Laverne &amp; Shirley.” Jan. 25.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-sports-television-magic-johnson-537ff2cc8e99eeece7c14e11dff9c170">Billy Packer</a>, 82. An Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS. Jan. 26.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-london-john-mills-movies-ef7ab57394ec9ce1f713ced13b3fa60f">Sylvia Syms</a>, 89. She starred in classic British films including “Ice Cold in Alex” and “Victim.” Jan. 27.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barrett-strong-obit-f7864cec55c3fca0cacbd880bd99a5df">Barrett Strong</a>, 81. One of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Jan. 28.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-tom-verlaine-patti-smith-new-york-city-c98c59898a4aafc2c51ed960b4419350">Tom Verlaine</a>, 73. The guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band Television who influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and Talking Heads. Jan. 28.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hull-dies-78205480b86961baee2a5d517d7e6910">Bobby Hull</a>, 84. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final. Jan. 30.

NEW YORK (AP) —Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from being an ex-con and hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army. But it all came to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prigozhin-wagner-2c77567908c73e538f9f1c76ae406f8f">sudden end</a>&nbsp;when the private plane carrying him and others mysteriously exploded over Russia.Prigozhin's Aug. 23 death put an exclamation point on what had already been an eventful year for the brutal mercenary leader. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wagner-group/">Wagner Group</a>&nbsp;troops brought Russia a rare victory in its grinding war in Ukraine, capturing the city of Bakhmut. But internal friction with Russian military leaders later burst into the open, with Prigozhin briefly mounting an armed rebellion — the most severe challenge yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule.The rebellion was called off and a deal was struck in less than 24 hours. However, just two months later, Prigozhin joined the list of those who have run afoul of the Kremlin and died unexpectedly.He was just one of a number of noteworthy people who died in 2023.The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Serving under two presidents, Kissinger's shadow loomed large in the foreign policy arena, prompting both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kissinger-death-global-reaction-4e98e88ae257d21603924651c75a383d">admiration and criticism</a>&nbsp;from around the globe. And he continued his involvement in global affairs even in his final months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700318605509.png" alt="FILE - The former first lady Rosalynn Carter speaks to the press at conference at The Carter Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the 96-year-old former first lady, is in hospice care at home, the Carter Center says. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - The former first lady Rosalynn Carter speaks to the press at conference at The Carter Center on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Atlanta. Rosalynn Carter, the 96-year-old former first lady, is in hospice care at home, the Carter Center says. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>Another political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. She was the closest adviser to her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, during his one term in the White House and then across four decades of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rosalynn-carter-obit-death-reaction-6d13e96cc89924a08895b200c10090c2">global humanitarian work.</a>Others from the world of politics who died this year include: former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi; former U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley and James Abourezk; former British treasury chief Nigel Lawson; former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf; former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari; former New Mexico governor and American ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson; former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver; and former Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684954528952.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Turner's powerful voice and stage presence brought her fame across multiple decades, first with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, in the 1960's and 70's. But after leaving their marriage, she found fame again in the 1980's with her hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697402588728.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Others in the world of arts and entertainment who died this year include: actors Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree and Tom Sizemore; musicians Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee and Tony Bennett; civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; TV producer Norman Lear; author Cormac McCarthy; filmmaker William Friedkin; TV hosts Bob Barker and Jerry Springer; poet Louise Glück; guitarist Jeff Beck; fashion designer Mary Quant; wrestler The Iron Sheik; composer Kaija Saariaho; and “Sesame Street” co-creator Lloyd Morrisett.Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-maurice-white-music-donny-hathaway-be0a0851b3be1911db96ef70fc1ea7da">Fred White</a>, 67. A drummer who backed up his brothers Maurice and Verdine White in the Grammy-winning ensemble Earth, Wind &amp; Fire. Jan. 1.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-utah-salt-lake-city-business-73a4acfe37d0d8a074350a64c510f3c1">Ken Block</a>, 55. A motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes. Jan. 2. Snowmobiling accident.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apollo7-astronaut-walter-cunningham-dead-46da4bf601bf562aa2940c86e87f5731">Walter Cunningham</a>, 90. The last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program. Jan. 3.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-books-and-literature-fiction-celebrity-london-6d6453a2cdf7bfd07a7b4c53a97bc227">Fay Weldon</a>, 91. A British author known for her sharp wit and acerbic observations about women’s experiences and sexual politics in novels including “The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil.” Jan. 4.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-arizona-russell-pearce-immigration-law-enforcement-ac686b12b5fd6b0a80a7ce99962808f2">Russell Pearce</a>, 75. A Republican lawmaker who was the driving force behind Arizona’s landmark 2010 anti-immigration legislation known as the “show me your papers” law. Jan. 5.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charles-simic-obituary-poet-3c3114c0f390d2a50b5a0e1883211bca">Charles Simic</a>, 84. The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who awed critics and readers with his singular art of lyricism and economy, tragic insight and disruptive humor. Jan. 9.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diamond-and-silk-dead-lynette-hardaway-7ba302111687a71e7686dad3b0f57a43">Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway</a>, 51. An ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and one half of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk. Jan. 8.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeff-beck-dies-6fafc82a3f8fe8e27d6f6e39a215e28d">Jeff Beck</a>, 78. A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Jan. 10.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-greece-athens-denmark-george-papandreou-7e29c313a579e9e10939c16abe577307">Constantine</a>, 82. The former and last king of Greece, who won an Olympic gold medal in sailing and spent decades in exile after becoming entangled in his country’s volatile politics in the 1960s. Jan. 10.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-new-york-city-germany-sweden-santa-barbara-347bdc48b38a42ba832fe8b036061b80">Tatjana Patitz</a>, 56. She was one of an elite group of supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video. Jan. 11.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lisa-marie-presley-dies-9fc02552f6f31e270647897a2e4104e9">Lisa Marie Presley</a>, 54. The only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy. Jan. 12.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-accidents-evel-knievel-las-vegas-reno-bdc7c49dc0ebf815d99fb0a61b77bfb3">Robbie Knievel</a>, 60. An American stunt performer who set records with daredevil motorcycle jumps following in the tire tracks of his thrill-seeking father Evel Knievel. Jan. 13.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-hong-kong-television-music-75bbb851952d0ff4c4474b4635fbeb77">Ray Cordeiro</a>, 98. He interviewed music acts including the Beatles during a six-decade career on Hong Kong radio that earned him the title of the world’s longest-working disc jockey. Jan. 13.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lloyd-morrisett-sesame-street-obit-4b908914021d5a0e1236eeeb26553937">Lloyd Morrisett</a>, 93. The co-creator of the beloved children’s TV series “Sesame Street,” which has used empathy and fuzzy monsters like Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world. Jan. 15.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-gina-lollobrigida-rome-movies-35ab673787e5ce2c2c6f5fdf96bb0f59">Gina Lollobrigida</a>, 95. An Italian film legend who achieved international stardom during the 1950s and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world” after the title of one of her movies. Jan. 16.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-retirements-4c5c7810be36ca9f3a75b2315eeb9294">Chris Ford</a>, 74. A member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team, a longtime NBA coach and the player credited with scoring the league’s first 3-point basket. Jan. 17.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-crosby-dies-obit-3a1142b65616fa95c34c837a94f2c69f">David Crosby</a>, 81. The brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; Young. Sept. 18.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/television-tv-emily-hudson-penny-marshall-cindy-williams-5a9237089972dc449e2046702e82d7bd">Cindy Williams</a>, 75. She was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 1980s for her role as Shirley on the beloved sitcom “Laverne &amp; Shirley.” Jan. 25.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-sports-television-magic-johnson-537ff2cc8e99eeece7c14e11dff9c170">Billy Packer</a>, 82. An Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS. Jan. 26.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-london-john-mills-movies-ef7ab57394ec9ce1f713ced13b3fa60f">Sylvia Syms</a>, 89. She starred in classic British films including “Ice Cold in Alex” and “Victim.” Jan. 27.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barrett-strong-obit-f7864cec55c3fca0cacbd880bd99a5df">Barrett Strong</a>, 81. One of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Jan. 28.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-celebrity-tom-verlaine-patti-smith-new-york-city-c98c59898a4aafc2c51ed960b4419350">Tom Verlaine</a>, 73. The guitarist and co-founder of the seminal proto-punk band Television who influenced many bands while playing at ultra-cool downtown New York music venue CBGB alongside the Ramones, Patti Smith and Talking Heads. Jan. 28.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bobby-hull-dies-78205480b86961baee2a5d517d7e6910">Bobby Hull</a>, 84. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final. Jan. 30.

The year in review: Influential people who died in 2023

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim and are still working to notify family, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Ofice

An employee at Rocky Hollow Park found the body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.

Charges have been filed against a suspect in the homicide of the man whose body was located at Rocky Hollow Park on Dec. 22. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.

She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703285918610.png" alt="Photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim and are still working to notify family, according to the Clay County Sheriff's OficeAn employee at Rocky Hollow Park found the body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703802024415.png" alt="Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Charges have been filed against a suspect in the homicide of the man whose body was located at Rocky Hollow Park on Dec. 22. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

Kansas woman accused in man's murder still missing

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-gaza-israel-palestine-yemen-treasury-department-16cfb3b70904eb2cc6d0c2670e3bc37c">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship.

The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.

“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said.

In another statement, CENTCOM said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.” The attackers fired small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANZGHOU, getting to within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of the vessel, and attempted to it, CENTCOM said.

A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and GRAVELY responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said, and no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported.

The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct.7.

On Saturday, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their</a>&nbsp;“reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.

JERUSALEM —At approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) Saturday, the container ship Maersk Hangzhou reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated container ship requested assistance, and the USS&nbsp; Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Laboon (DDG 58)&nbsp; responded to the ship. The vessel is reportedly seaworthy and there are no reported injuries.

While responding, the USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships.

This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for “many more months," pushing back against persistent international cease-fire calls after mounting civilian deaths, hunger and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.

Netanyahu thanked the Biden administration for its continued backing, including approval for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">a new emergency weapons sale</a>, the second this month, and prevention of a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking an immediate cease-fire. Israel argues that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, a stance shared by the Biden administration, which at the same time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">urged Israel to do more</a>&nbsp;to avoid harm to Palestinian civilians.

In new fighting, Israeli warplanes struck the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij in the center of the territory Saturday as ground forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Khan Younis.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday that more than 21,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">unprecedented air and ground offensive</a>&nbsp;since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;on southern Israel. The ministry, which does not distinguish between the deaths of civilians and combatants, said 165 Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours. It has said about 70% of those killed have been women and children.

The number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza combat rose to 170, after the military announced two more deaths Saturday.

The war has displaced some 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, sending swells of people seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. Palestinians are left with a sense that nowhere is safe in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">tiny enclave</a>.

With Israeli forces expanding their ground offensive this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-29-2023-d36675194a22db54970f38c1c2ed3937">tens of thousands more Palestinians streamed</a>&nbsp;into the already crowded city of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza.

Thousands of tents and makeshift shacks have sprung up on Rafah’s outskirts next to U.N. warehouses. Displaced people arrived in Rafah on foot or on trucks and carts piled high with mattresses. Those who did not find space in overwhelmed shelters pitched tents on roadsides.

“We don't have water. We don’t have enough food,” Nour Daher, a displaced woman, said Saturday from the sprawling tent camp. “The kids wake up in the morning wanting to eat, wanting to drink. It took us one hour to find water for them. We couldn’t bring them flour. Even when we wanted to take them to toilets, it took us one hour to walk.”

In the Nuseirat camp, resident Mustafa Abu Wawee said a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people.

“The (Israeli) occupation is doing everything to force people to leave,” he said over the phone while helping to search for four people missing under the rubble. “They want to break our spirit and will, but they will fail. We are here to stay.”

The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he approved a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed for 155 mm shells Israel bought previously.

It marked the second time this month that the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel. Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9 to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.

Both moves have come as President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$106 billion aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-israel-gaza-aid-sanders-a760c44986e5381b146d370cada95b52">contingent on concrete steps</a>&nbsp;by Netanyahu’s government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.

Blinken, who has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East during the war, was expected back in Israel and other countries in the region in January. U.S. officials have urged Israel to start shifting from high intensity combat to more targeted operations, but said they were not imposing a deadline.

“As the chief of staff said this week, the war will continue many more months,” he told a televised news conference Saturday. "My policy is clear. We will continue to fight until we have achieved all the objectives of the war, first and foremost the annihilation of Hamas and the release of all the hostages.”

More than 120 hostages remain in Gaza, after militants seized more than 240 in the Oct. 7 assault that also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Netanyahu is also at odds with the Biden administration over who should run Gaza after the war. He has rejected the U.S.-backed idea that a unified Palestinian government should run both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to eventual statehood. Instead, he has insisted on open-ended Israeli security control in Gaza, without saying what would come next.

Families of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend, including Saturday.

Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire — along the lines of an exchange during a weeklong truce in November.

Hamas insists the war must end before it will discuss hostage releases. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, reiterated that position Saturday, but also told The Associated Press that “we have not given any final answer so far” to the Egyptian proposal.

Asked about reports of possible progress toward a deal, Netanyahu said Saturday that “we see a possibility, maybe, for movement” but that he did not want to raise “exaggerated expectations.”

More than a week after a U.N. Security Council resolution called for the unhindered delivery of aid at scale across besieged Gaza, conditions have only worsened, U.N. agencies warned.

Aid officials said the aid entering Gaza remains woefully inadequate. Distributing goods is hampered by long delays at two border crossings, ongoing fighting, Israeli airstrikes, repeated cuts in internet and phone services and a breakdown of law and order that makes it difficult to secure aid convoys, they said.

Nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-21-2023-7d9718b32bf0d308c44c7c9e3c4e0deb">quarter of the population</a>&nbsp;is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies — sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to U.N. daily reports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/houthi-gaza-israel-palestine-yemen-treasury-department-16cfb3b70904eb2cc6d0c2670e3bc37c">Yemen’s Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship.The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added.“This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said.In another statement, CENTCOM said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.” The attackers fired small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANZGHOU, getting to within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of the vessel, and attempted to it, CENTCOM said.A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and GRAVELY responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said, and no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported.The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct.7.On Saturday, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-shipping-houthi-attacks-drones-missiles-1acc4ca5ebcaf6fee932a2061d451f59">Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their</a>&nbsp;“reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.----------JERUSALEM —At approximately 8:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) Saturday, the container ship Maersk Hangzhou reported that they were struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned/operated container ship requested assistance, and the USS&nbsp; Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Laboon (DDG 58)&nbsp; responded to the ship. The vessel is reportedly seaworthy and there are no reported injuries.While responding, the USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the ships.This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for “many more months," pushing back against persistent international cease-fire calls after mounting civilian deaths, hunger and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.Netanyahu thanked the Biden administration for its continued backing, including approval for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">a new emergency weapons sale</a>, the second this month, and prevention of a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking an immediate cease-fire. Israel argues that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, a stance shared by the Biden administration, which at the same time&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">urged Israel to do more</a>&nbsp;to avoid harm to Palestinian civilians.In new fighting, Israeli warplanes struck the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij in the center of the territory Saturday as ground forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Khan Younis.The Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday that more than 21,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">unprecedented air and ground offensive</a>&nbsp;since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;on southern Israel. The ministry, which does not distinguish between the deaths of civilians and combatants, said 165 Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours. It has said about 70% of those killed have been women and children.The number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza combat rose to 170, after the military announced two more deaths Saturday.The war has displaced some 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, sending swells of people seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. Palestinians are left with a sense that nowhere is safe in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-90e02d26420b8fe3157f73c256f9ed6a">tiny enclave</a>.With Israeli forces expanding their ground offensive this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-29-2023-d36675194a22db54970f38c1c2ed3937">tens of thousands more Palestinians streamed</a>&nbsp;into the already crowded city of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza.Thousands of tents and makeshift shacks have sprung up on Rafah’s outskirts next to U.N. warehouses. Displaced people arrived in Rafah on foot or on trucks and carts piled high with mattresses. Those who did not find space in overwhelmed shelters pitched tents on roadsides.“We don't have water. We don’t have enough food,” Nour Daher, a displaced woman, said Saturday from the sprawling tent camp. “The kids wake up in the morning wanting to eat, wanting to drink. It took us one hour to find water for them. We couldn’t bring them flour. Even when we wanted to take them to toilets, it took us one hour to walk.”In the Nuseirat camp, resident Mustafa Abu Wawee said a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people.“The (Israeli) occupation is doing everything to force people to leave,” he said over the phone while helping to search for four people missing under the rubble. “They want to break our spirit and will, but they will fail. We are here to stay.”MORE U.S. WEAPONS FOR ISRAELThe State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he approved a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed for 155 mm shells Israel bought previously.It marked the second time this month that the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel. Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9 to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.Both moves have come as President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$106 billion aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-israel-gaza-aid-sanders-a760c44986e5381b146d370cada95b52">contingent on concrete steps</a>&nbsp;by Netanyahu’s government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.THE WAR'S TIMELINEBlinken, who has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East during the war, was expected back in Israel and other countries in the region in January. U.S. officials have urged Israel to start shifting from high intensity combat to more targeted operations, but said they were not imposing a deadline.Netanyahu said Israel needs more time.“As the chief of staff said this week, the war will continue many more months,” he told a televised news conference Saturday. "My policy is clear. We will continue to fight until we have achieved all the objectives of the war, first and foremost the annihilation of Hamas and the release of all the hostages.”More than 120 hostages remain in Gaza, after militants seized more than 240 in the Oct. 7 assault that also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.Netanyahu is also at odds with the Biden administration over who should run Gaza after the war. He has rejected the U.S.-backed idea that a unified Palestinian government should run both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to eventual statehood. Instead, he has insisted on open-ended Israeli security control in Gaza, without saying what would come next.TRADING FOR HOSTAGESFamilies of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend, including Saturday.Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire — along the lines of an exchange during a weeklong truce in November.Hamas insists the war must end before it will discuss hostage releases. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, reiterated that position Saturday, but also told The Associated Press that “we have not given any final answer so far” to the Egyptian proposal.Asked about reports of possible progress toward a deal, Netanyahu said Saturday that “we see a possibility, maybe, for movement” but that he did not want to raise “exaggerated expectations.”DIFFICULTIES IN DELIVERING AIDMore than a week after a U.N. Security Council resolution called for the unhindered delivery of aid at scale across besieged Gaza, conditions have only worsened, U.N. agencies warned.Aid officials said the aid entering Gaza remains woefully inadequate. Distributing goods is hampered by long delays at two border crossings, ongoing fighting, Israeli airstrikes, repeated cuts in internet and phone services and a breakdown of law and order that makes it difficult to secure aid convoys, they said.Nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-21-2023-7d9718b32bf0d308c44c7c9e3c4e0deb">quarter of the population</a>&nbsp;is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies — sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to U.N. daily reports.___

U.S. warship sinks 3 terrorist boats during attack in Red Sea

JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas man has been charged in connection with a shooting during during a welfare check.

Gary Wheeler, 66, Shawnee is charged with attempted capital murder and discharging a gun into an occupied dwelling after a&nbsp;standoff in the 6300 block&nbsp;of Albervan December 21, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

On the night of the incident, Wheeler's neighbor reported they heard gunshots. Shawnee Police responded to check the Wheeler's welfare&nbsp; after he was reportedly making claims he was going to hurt himself and others.&nbsp;

When officers arrived, Wheeler fired additional shots as officers approached his residence. Police took him into custody without incident. He’s being held on a $1 million bond. He is due in court Jan. 4, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703601146423.png" alt="Wheeler-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Wheeler-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas man has been charged in connection with a shooting during during a welfare check.Gary Wheeler, 66, Shawnee is charged with attempted capital murder and discharging a gun into an occupied dwelling after a&nbsp;standoff in the 6300 block&nbsp;of Albervan December 21, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.On the night of the incident, Wheeler's neighbor reported they heard gunshots. Shawnee Police responded to check the Wheeler's welfare&nbsp; after he was reportedly making claims he was going to hurt himself and others.&nbsp;When officers arrived, Wheeler fired additional shots as officers approached his residence. Police took him into custody without incident. He’s being held on a $1 million bond. He is due in court Jan. 4, according to online jail records.

Kansas man charged for firing shots at police during standoff

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are using a unique new tool to stop criminals.&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of Lenexa police dayshift sergeants were out patrolling earlier this month when they tried to make a traffic stop that turned out to be a stolen car. 

The driver attempted to elude but he was no match for the Grappler Police Bumper. 

The driver was safely taken into custody and&nbsp; charged by the Johnson County District Attorneys Office with the stolen car, felony fleeing, possession of meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

"More great work by our officers to combat crime in our community, and doing so safely and effectively using the latest tools and resources."

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are using a unique new tool to stop criminals.&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of Lenexa police dayshift sergeants were out patrolling earlier this month when they tried to make a traffic stop that turned out to be a stolen car. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Desk jockeys? No way! Our supervisors still get out there and do great police work! A couple of our dayshift sergeants were out patrolling recently when they tried to make a traffic stop that turned out to be a stolen car. The driver attempted to elude but he was no match for the… <a href="https://t.co/gDpdjOxv0T">pic.twitter.com/gDpdjOxv0T</a>&mdash; Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/LenexaPolice/status/1737544082115764410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The driver attempted to elude but he was no match for the Grappler Police Bumper. The driver was safely taken into custody and&nbsp; charged by the Johnson County District Attorneys Office with the stolen car, felony fleeing, possession of meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia. "More great work by our officers to combat crime in our community, and doing so safely and effectively using the latest tools and resources."

🎥Kan. police  video shows new tool stopping stolen car suspect

BAGHDAD (AP) — Three overnight airstrikes on eastern Syria near a strategic border crossing with Iraq killed six Iran-backed militants Saturday, two members of Iraqi militia groups told The Associated Press.

The strikes on the border region of Boukamal came hours after an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militants known as the Islamic Resistance claimed an attack on a U.S. military base in northern Iraq's city of Irbil.

The group has conducted over a hundred attacks on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-orders-strike-on-iranian-aligned-group-after-3-us-troops-injured-in-drone-attack-in-iraq-0000018ca42cda5ba79ee5bc274e0000">U.S. positions in Iraq</a>&nbsp;and eastern Syria since the onset of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7.

Four of the militants killed were from Lebanon's powerful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hezbollah">Hezbollah</a>&nbsp;group, while the other two were Syrian, the militia group members said. Another two were injured, they added. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not cleared to speak with journalists.

Meanwhile, an activist collective that covers news in the area, Deir Ezzor 24, said the airstrikes hit two militant posts and a weapons warehouse that it says was recently stocked with rocket launchers and munitions.

Britain-backed opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that in addition to the weapons warehouse, the strikes targeted a militants' convoy that had arrived in Syria from Iraq and a location where a militia affiliated with Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was training.

The monitoring group reported that the strikes killed nine people — three Syrians and six people from other nationalities.

A U.S. official said the United States did not carry out the strikes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

Washington has confirmed previous strikes on Iran-backed militia positions following the surge of attacks over the past two months.

President Joe Biden last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kataib-hezbollah-drone-strike-us-military-injured-b4b4480e2cae6e7ad26e88eb625ab397">ordered the U.S. military to carry out strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iranian-backed Iraqi groups following a rocket attack that wounded three U.S. troops.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">The spike in tension has put Baghdad in a delicate situation</a>. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has tried to ease the strain between the militant groups that helped him reach power and the U.S. where Iraq's foreign reserves are housed.

The Boukamal region in Deir el-Zour, Syria, located along the Iraqi border, has been a strategic area for Iran-backed militants since it was taken back from the extremist Islamic State group in 2019. U.S. coalition forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-israel-government-d1fec7d8c997214ed3ae291c041a2e18">conducted strikes targeting convoys there</a>&nbsp;before the recent spike in tensions.

Later, Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes over areas south of the city of Aleppo caused damage, but no casualties were reported. Pro-government radio station Sham FM said the strikes were near Aleppo's airport but did not damage it.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said just one of six Israeli missiles landed near the airport and that the rest landed in areas where Iran-backed militants and weapons warehouses were present. It said the strikes killed or wounded seven people, without giving further details.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years.

It does not usually acknowledge such airstrikes. When it has, however, it said it was targeting Iran-backed groups there that supported Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Three overnight airstrikes on eastern Syria near a strategic border crossing with Iraq killed six Iran-backed militants Saturday, two members of Iraqi militia groups told The Associated Press.The strikes on the border region of Boukamal came hours after an umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militants known as the Islamic Resistance claimed an attack on a U.S. military base in northern Iraq's city of Irbil.The group has conducted over a hundred attacks on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/biden-orders-strike-on-iranian-aligned-group-after-3-us-troops-injured-in-drone-attack-in-iraq-0000018ca42cda5ba79ee5bc274e0000">U.S. positions in Iraq</a>&nbsp;and eastern Syria since the onset of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7.Four of the militants killed were from Lebanon's powerful&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hezbollah">Hezbollah</a>&nbsp;group, while the other two were Syrian, the militia group members said. Another two were injured, they added. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not cleared to speak with journalists.Meanwhile, an activist collective that covers news in the area, Deir Ezzor 24, said the airstrikes hit two militant posts and a weapons warehouse that it says was recently stocked with rocket launchers and munitions.Britain-backed opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that in addition to the weapons warehouse, the strikes targeted a militants' convoy that had arrived in Syria from Iraq and a location where a militia affiliated with Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was training.The monitoring group reported that the strikes killed nine people — three Syrians and six people from other nationalities.A U.S. official said the United States did not carry out the strikes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.Washington has confirmed previous strikes on Iran-backed militia positions following the surge of attacks over the past two months.President Joe Biden last week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kataib-hezbollah-drone-strike-us-military-injured-b4b4480e2cae6e7ad26e88eb625ab397">ordered the U.S. military to carry out strikes</a>&nbsp;on Iranian-backed Iraqi groups following a rocket attack that wounded three U.S. troops.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-us-gaza-israel-hamas-0b99659922bf1174f86e390808e5bfde">The spike in tension has put Baghdad in a delicate situation</a>. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has tried to ease the strain between the militant groups that helped him reach power and the U.S. where Iraq's foreign reserves are housed.The Boukamal region in Deir el-Zour, Syria, located along the Iraqi border, has been a strategic area for Iran-backed militants since it was taken back from the extremist Islamic State group in 2019. U.S. coalition forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-politics-israel-government-d1fec7d8c997214ed3ae291c041a2e18">conducted strikes targeting convoys there</a>&nbsp;before the recent spike in tensions.Later, Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes over areas south of the city of Aleppo caused damage, but no casualties were reported. Pro-government radio station Sham FM said the strikes were near Aleppo's airport but did not damage it.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said just one of six Israeli missiles landed near the airport and that the rest landed in areas where Iran-backed militants and weapons warehouses were present. It said the strikes killed or wounded seven people, without giving further details.Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years.It does not usually acknowledge such airstrikes. When it has, however, it said it was targeting Iran-backed groups there that supported Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.—-

U.S. denies participation in air raids that killed Iran-backed militants

LYON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Saturday in Lyon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Freightliner semi driven by Raul&nbsp;Romero-Ruiz, 43,&nbsp; Distrito Federal, Mexico\, was southbound on Interstate 35 just south of Burlingame Road..

 Vehicle one moved into the left lane to let a vehicle merge onto the interstate. A pedestrian identified as Dylan Edward&nbsp;Moellenberndt, 29, Admire,&nbsp;entered the roadway from the left and walked into the left lane. 

The semi struck&nbsp;Moellenberndt. He was pronouncd dead at athe scene and was transported to&nbsp;Charter Funeral Home. Romero-Ruiz and a passenger in the semi were not injured.

LYON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Saturday in Lyon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Freightliner semi driven by Raul&nbsp;Romero-Ruiz, 43,&nbsp; Distrito Federal, Mexico\, was southbound on Interstate 35 just south of Burlingame Road.. Vehicle one moved into the left lane to let a vehicle merge onto the interstate. A pedestrian identified as Dylan Edward&nbsp;Moellenberndt, 29, Admire,&nbsp;entered the roadway from the left and walked into the left lane. The semi struck&nbsp;Moellenberndt. He was pronouncd dead at athe scene and was transported to&nbsp;Charter Funeral Home. Romero-Ruiz and a passenger in the semi were not injured.

Kansas man dead after struck by a  semi

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

Spiehs raises constitutional issues after banned from district property

TOPEKA — A critic of now-rescinded COVID-19 mask mandates filed a federal lawsuit against the Lawrence public school district superintendent and school board members to challenge constitutionality of his banishment from district property and a prohibition against his in-person commentary at district board meetings.

Stilwell attorney Linus Baker raised First and 14th amendment arguments in a filing in U.S. District Court on behalf of Justin Spiehs, an unsuccessful candidate for Douglas County Commission. Baker asserted in the court document Spiehs’ speech rights were violated because Lawrence school district officials opposed his political views. The attorney said Spiehs’ right to equal protection under the Constitution was violated because other people with similar views weren’t comparably punished by district officials.

“Those restrictions are not reasonable,” Baker said. “If the government opens a forum for discussion, it cannot undermine that discussion by excluding otherwise relevant speech.”

Spiehs, who resides in Johnson County, filed a separate lawsuit alleging freedom of speech infractions against the Lawrence City Commission in November.

In both cases, Spiehs urged the federal court to award him unspecified damages as well as issue orders providing him the right to speak freely at school or city meetings in Lawrence.

Spiehs began to draw attention to himself in Lawrence and Topeka while objecting to public health orders associated with emergence of the pandemic and rapidly escalating infections and fatalities. The death of 10,200 Kansans has been linked to COVID-19.

Spiehs regularly picketed Lawrence school district headquarters. In 2021, he was banned from the district’s property. He delivered obscenity-laced testimony about the pandemic during a meeting of the Kansas Legislature at the Capitol. He was arrested in Lawrence on suspicion of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening people with a sign post during a vaccine clinic for children. He was convicted of two misdemeanors and placed on probation for one year.

He was forbidden from offering in-person public comment at Lawrence school board meetings, but allowed to address the board in writing or through a video or telephone conferencing system. In 2022, he was denied access to the Webex communication system for 90 days after violating school board rules.

Baker described his client as&nbsp;a community activist willing to speak about matters “government does not like to hear in ways that might be considered shocking, rudely truthful, earthy or even crass.”

In terms of the school district lawsuit, Lawrence Superintendent Anthony Lewis wasn’t available to comment Wednesday. The lawsuit says Lewis affirmed in a Dec. 6 email that Spiehs remained banned from Lawrence school district property.

Lewis indicated the exclusion was tied to issuance by Lawrence police of a “no trespass” directive against Spiehs in October 2021. Spiehs came to attention of police by declining to wear a mask at a Lawrence High School event. His lawyer said masks exacerbated Spiehs’ medical condition. Spiehs has a doctorate in human development and a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy.

“A remnant of the masking psychosis from the COVID-19 paranoia is on full display in this lawsuit,” Baker said. “As a result of Dr. Spiehs’ protests and that one-time occurrence, the defendant Lewis has diagnosed Dr.&nbsp;Spiehs with a critical-analysis leprosy — one that must be forever quarantined.”

Baker said Lewis decided “from his&nbsp;righteous governmental altar, and with the full approval of the government board members, that Dr. Spiehs shalt not step foot on USD 497 property ever again.” The decision should be viewed as a retaliatory campaign to deter Spiehs from making comments in public considered negative or embarrassing to school district staff or students, he said.

Baker claimed there was no school board policy in 2021 or 2022 limiting the scope of a person’s remarks at school board meetings.

“The&nbsp;government defendants cannot prohibit future expressive activity by Dr. Spiehs as a result of some purported past unlawful conduct,” Baker said. “This is raw retaliatory censorship.”

In the lawsuit against the Lawrence City Commission, Baker said Spiehs was repeatedly removed from the commission’s public comment sessions based on determinations by the mayor that his statements weren’t germane to city business. In one exchange, Spiehs called the mayor a Nazi.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703887746326.png" alt=" Justin Spiehs filed a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional violations by the Lawrence public school superintendent and school board members for banning him from district property and limiting his speech rights at school board meetings. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Justin Spiehs filed a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional violations by the Lawrence public school superintendent and school board members for banning him from district property and limiting his speech rights at school board meetings. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Spiehs raises constitutional issues after banned from district property</h2>TOPEKA — A critic of now-rescinded COVID-19 mask mandates filed a federal lawsuit against the Lawrence public school district superintendent and school board members to challenge constitutionality of his banishment from district property and a prohibition against his in-person commentary at district board meetings.Stilwell attorney Linus Baker raised First and 14th amendment arguments in a filing in U.S. District Court on behalf of Justin Spiehs, an unsuccessful candidate for Douglas County Commission. Baker asserted in the court document Spiehs’ speech rights were violated because Lawrence school district officials opposed his political views. The attorney said Spiehs’ right to equal protection under the Constitution was violated because other people with similar views weren’t comparably punished by district officials.“Those restrictions are not reasonable,” Baker said. “If the government opens a forum for discussion, it cannot undermine that discussion by excluding otherwise relevant speech.”Spiehs, who resides in Johnson County, filed a separate lawsuit alleging freedom of speech infractions against the Lawrence City Commission in November.In both cases, Spiehs urged the federal court to award him unspecified damages as well as issue orders providing him the right to speak freely at school or city meetings in Lawrence.Spiehs began to draw attention to himself in Lawrence and Topeka while objecting to public health orders associated with emergence of the pandemic and rapidly escalating infections and fatalities. The death of 10,200 Kansans has been linked to COVID-19.Spiehs regularly picketed Lawrence school district headquarters. In 2021, he was banned from the district’s property. He delivered obscenity-laced testimony about the pandemic during a meeting of the Kansas Legislature at the Capitol. He was arrested in Lawrence on suspicion of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening people with a sign post during a vaccine clinic for children. He was convicted of two misdemeanors and placed on probation for one year.He was forbidden from offering in-person public comment at Lawrence school board meetings, but allowed to address the board in writing or through a video or telephone conferencing system. In 2022, he was denied access to the Webex communication system for 90 days after violating school board rules.Baker described his client as&nbsp;a community activist willing to speak about matters “government does not like to hear in ways that might be considered shocking, rudely truthful, earthy or even crass.”In terms of the school district lawsuit, Lawrence Superintendent Anthony Lewis wasn’t available to comment Wednesday. The lawsuit says Lewis affirmed in a Dec. 6 email that Spiehs remained banned from Lawrence school district property.Lewis indicated the exclusion was tied to issuance by Lawrence police of a “no trespass” directive against Spiehs in October 2021. Spiehs came to attention of police by declining to wear a mask at a Lawrence High School event. His lawyer said masks exacerbated Spiehs’ medical condition. Spiehs has a doctorate in human development and a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy.“A remnant of the masking psychosis from the COVID-19 paranoia is on full display in this lawsuit,” Baker said. “As a result of Dr. Spiehs’ protests and that one-time occurrence, the defendant Lewis has diagnosed Dr.&nbsp;Spiehs with a critical-analysis leprosy — one that must be forever quarantined.”Baker said Lewis decided “from his&nbsp;righteous governmental altar, and with the full approval of the government board members, that Dr. Spiehs shalt not step foot on USD 497 property ever again.” The decision should be viewed as a retaliatory campaign to deter Spiehs from making comments in public considered negative or embarrassing to school district staff or students, he said.Baker claimed there was no school board policy in 2021 or 2022 limiting the scope of a person’s remarks at school board meetings.“The&nbsp;government defendants cannot prohibit future expressive activity by Dr. Spiehs as a result of some purported past unlawful conduct,” Baker said. “This is raw retaliatory censorship.”In the lawsuit against the Lawrence City Commission, Baker said Spiehs was repeatedly removed from the commission’s public comment sessions based on determinations by the mayor that his statements weren’t germane to city business. In one exchange, Spiehs called the mayor a Nazi.

Critic of masks alleges ‘righteous governmental altar’ in lawsuit against Lawrence schools

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the 180th homicide in Kansas City, Missouri this. year.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Friday, police responded to report of gunfire in the 5200 Block of Lyon Avenue, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'. 

First responders found a man in the street near a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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

The homicide is the most ever in the city for a calendar year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703942352508.png" alt="KCPD crime scene investigation Friday night-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>KCPD crime scene investigation Friday night-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the 180th homicide in Kansas City, Missouri this. year.Just after 7:30 p.m. Friday, police responded to report of gunfire in the 5200 Block of Lyon Avenue, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'. First responders found a man in the street near a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded to process the scene to recover any evidence and speak to any potential witnesses.The homicide is the most ever in the city for a calendar year.

Grim milestone: KCPD investigates 180th homicide of the year

GREENE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Greene County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford F250 driven by Jeremy L. Moore, 40, Springfield, was eastbound on Farm Road 102 just north of Springfield.

The pickup traveled off the right side of the road at a bridge. The pickup struck the concrete support. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

GREENE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10:30p.m. Friday in Greene County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Ford F250 driven by Jeremy L. Moore, 40, Springfield, was eastbound on Farm Road 102 just north of Springfield.The pickup traveled off the right side of the road at a bridge. The pickup struck the concrete support. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dies after pickup strikes concrete bridge support

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY — The search continues for an inmate who escaped from a satellite camp at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, according to a statement from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Just after 4p.m. Nov. 10, authorities discovered&nbsp; 50-year-old James Thompson was missing.

Thompson is described as white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs approximately 202 pounds.

U.S. Marshals and the FBI were informed that he’s missing from the minimum security facility. 

Last week, a federal grand jury indicted James Thompson on one count of escape from custody.&nbsp;

Thompson was sentenced to 80 months in prison in the Northern District of Georgia for mail fraud.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699585891299.png" alt="Thompson-photo Bureau of Prisons" />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo Bureau of Prisons</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY — The search continues for an inmate who escaped from a satellite camp at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, according to a statement from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.Just after 4p.m. Nov. 10, authorities discovered&nbsp; 50-year-old James Thompson was missing.Thompson is described as white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs approximately 202 pounds.U.S. Marshals and the FBI were informed that he’s missing from the minimum security facility. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted James Thompson on one count of escape from custody.&nbsp;Thompson was sentenced to 80 months in prison in the Northern District of Georgia for mail fraud.

Inmate who escaped from Kan. penitentiary camp is still missing

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as Israel continues to prosecute its war against Hamas in Gaza under increasing international criticism.

The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had told Congress that he had made a second emergency determination covering a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed to make the 155 mm shells that Israel has already purchased function.

“Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer,” the department said.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces,” it said.

The emergency determination means the purchase will bypass the congressional review requirement for foreign military sales. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for lawmakers’ approval.

Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9, to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.

Both moves have come as President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$106 billion aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-israel-gaza-aid-sanders-a760c44986e5381b146d370cada95b52">contingent on concrete steps</a>&nbsp;by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.

The State Department sought to counter potential criticism of the sale on human rights grounds by saying it was in constant touch with Israel to emphasize the importance of minimizing civilian casualties, which have soared since Israel began its response to the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.

“We continue to strongly emphasize to the government of Israel that they must not only comply with international humanitarian law, but also take every feasible step to prevent harm to civilians,” it said.

“Hamas hides behind civilians and has embedded itself among the civilian population, but that does not lessen Israel’s responsibility and strategic imperative to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists as it conducts its military operations,” the department said. “This type of campaign can only be won by protecting civilians.”

Bypassing Congress with emergency determinations for arms sales is an unusual step that has in the past met resistance from lawmakers, who normally have a period of time to weigh in on proposed weapons transfers and, in some cases, block them.

In May 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an emergency determination for an $8.1 billion sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan after it became clear that the Trump administration would have trouble overcoming lawmakers’ concerns about the Saudi and UAE-led war in Yemen.

Pompeo came under heavy criticism for the move, which some believed may have violated the law because many of the weapons involved had yet to be built and could not be delivered urgently. But he was cleared of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702300715756.png" alt="Blinken with Israel President&nbsp;Isaac Herzog earlier this month-file photo" />
 <figcaption>Blinken with Israel President&nbsp;Isaac Herzog earlier this month-file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as Israel continues to prosecute its war against Hamas in Gaza under increasing international criticism.The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had told Congress that he had made a second emergency determination covering a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed to make the 155 mm shells that Israel has already purchased function.“Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer,” the department said.“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against the threats it faces,” it said.The emergency determination means the purchase will bypass the congressional review requirement for foreign military sales. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for lawmakers’ approval.Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9, to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.Both moves have come as President Joe Biden’s request for a nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$106 billion aid package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-israel-gaza-aid-sanders-a760c44986e5381b146d370cada95b52">contingent on concrete steps</a>&nbsp;by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.The State Department sought to counter potential criticism of the sale on human rights grounds by saying it was in constant touch with Israel to emphasize the importance of minimizing civilian casualties, which have soared since Israel began its response to the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.“We continue to strongly emphasize to the government of Israel that they must not only comply with international humanitarian law, but also take every feasible step to prevent harm to civilians,” it said.“Hamas hides behind civilians and has embedded itself among the civilian population, but that does not lessen Israel’s responsibility and strategic imperative to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists as it conducts its military operations,” the department said. “This type of campaign can only be won by protecting civilians.”Bypassing Congress with emergency determinations for arms sales is an unusual step that has in the past met resistance from lawmakers, who normally have a period of time to weigh in on proposed weapons transfers and, in some cases, block them.In May 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an emergency determination for an $8.1 billion sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan after it became clear that the Trump administration would have trouble overcoming lawmakers’ concerns about the Saudi and UAE-led war in Yemen.Pompeo came under heavy criticism for the move, which some believed may have violated the law because many of the weapons involved had yet to be built and could not be delivered urgently. But he was cleared of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation.At least four administrations have used the authority since 1979. President George H.W. Bush’s administration used it during the Gulf War to get arms quickly to Saudi Arabia.