WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;celebrated his 81st birthday on Monday by joking repeatedly about his advanced age, even as the White House strongly defended his stamina and batted away polling — and one prominent Democrat — suggesting that the issue could cost him votes in next year’s election.

(click below to watch the President's birthday comments)

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president’s age should not be a primary focus.

“Our perspective is, it’s not about age, it’s about the president’s experience,” she said while highlighting that Biden had successfully championed through Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-violence-biden-covid-health-d604eede16665ee38b8113aa897a321d" target="_blank">several major pieces of legislation</a>&nbsp;— including a sweeping public works package and initiative on public health and combating climate change — and visited active war zones not controlled by the U.S. military in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-biden-f00af220669457d5ba07127c7e57a27b" target="_blank">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce" target="_blank">Israel</a>.

“What we say is we have to judge him by what he’s done, not by his numbers,” Jean-Pierre said. “I would put the president’s stamina, the president’s wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people, against anyone. Anyone, any day of the week.”

“By the way, it’s my birthday today,” Biden told a crowd on the White House South Lawn as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-turkey-pardon-liberty-bell-thanksgiving-014375a236ba6a5995f6ed3d32c540c3" target="_blank">pardoned</a>&nbsp;Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell.

“I just want you to know, it’s difficult turning 60,” the president added with a chuckle. “Difficult.”&nbsp;On Instagram the President wrote, "Thanks for the birthday well-wishes today, everyone. Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles!"

Noting that the pre-Thanksgiving pardoning ceremony dated back 76 years, Biden also said, “I want you to know I wasn’t there — for the first one.”

The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-2024-campaign-oldest-president-voters-92d4f3daee6e12cb1cd6f119c7f6053a" target="_blank">for months has used humor to try to defuse the issue</a>&nbsp;— even as polls suggest it’s no laughing matter. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e" target="_blank">August poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 77% of U.S. adults, including 69% of Democrats, viewed Biden as too old to be effective for four more years.

As he seeks a second term, Biden could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-biden-rematch-labor-day-c84d0905fd5d238e088618c5ed41c2e7" target="_blank">headed for a rematch</a>&nbsp;with former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>, who is 77 and was the oldest person elected to a first term until Biden was. Trump has himself&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-age-biden-trump-gaffes-flubs-c46427d30471f79ee695d3e76f4d17f4" target="_blank">made some recent, notable gaffes</a>. Yet the same AP-NROC poll found that 51% of adults — and just 28% of Republicans — said Trump was too old for a second term.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700577671457.png" alt="On Instagram the President wrote, "Thanks for the birthday well-wishes today, everyone. Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles!"" />
 <figcaption>On Instagram the President wrote, "Thanks for the birthday well-wishes today, everyone. Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles!"</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;celebrated his 81st birthday on Monday by joking repeatedly about his advanced age, even as the White House strongly defended his stamina and batted away polling — and one prominent Democrat — suggesting that the issue could cost him votes in next year’s election.(click below to watch the President's birthday comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPOTUS%2Fvideos%2F1077715389929484%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=232" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president’s age should not be a primary focus.“Our perspective is, it’s not about age, it’s about the president’s experience,” she said while highlighting that Biden had successfully championed through Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-violence-biden-covid-health-d604eede16665ee38b8113aa897a321d" target="_blank">several major pieces of legislation</a>&nbsp;— including a sweeping public works package and initiative on public health and combating climate change — and visited active war zones not controlled by the U.S. military in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-biden-f00af220669457d5ba07127c7e57a27b" target="_blank">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce" target="_blank">Israel</a>.“What we say is we have to judge him by what he’s done, not by his numbers,” Jean-Pierre said. “I would put the president’s stamina, the president’s wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people, against anyone. Anyone, any day of the week.”Biden, for his part, went for humor.“By the way, it’s my birthday today,” Biden told a crowd on the White House South Lawn as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-turkey-pardon-liberty-bell-thanksgiving-014375a236ba6a5995f6ed3d32c540c3" target="_blank">pardoned</a>&nbsp;Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell.“I just want you to know, it’s difficult turning 60,” the president added with a chuckle. “Difficult.”&nbsp;On Instagram the President wrote, "Thanks for the birthday well-wishes today, everyone. Turns out on your 146th birthday, you run out of space for candles!"Noting that the pre-Thanksgiving pardoning ceremony dated back 76 years, Biden also said, “I want you to know I wasn’t there — for the first one.”The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-2024-campaign-oldest-president-voters-92d4f3daee6e12cb1cd6f119c7f6053a" target="_blank">for months has used humor to try to defuse the issue</a>&nbsp;— even as polls suggest it’s no laughing matter. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e" target="_blank">August poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 77% of U.S. adults, including 69% of Democrats, viewed Biden as too old to be effective for four more years.As he seeks a second term, Biden could be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-trump-biden-rematch-labor-day-c84d0905fd5d238e088618c5ed41c2e7" target="_blank">headed for a rematch</a>&nbsp;with former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>, who is 77 and was the oldest person elected to a first term until Biden was. Trump has himself&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-age-biden-trump-gaffes-flubs-c46427d30471f79ee695d3e76f4d17f4" target="_blank">made some recent, notable gaffes</a>. Yet the same AP-NROC poll found that 51% of adults — and just 28% of Republicans — said Trump was too old for a second term.

Biden marks '146th birthday' with flaming cake

BAGHDAD (AP)— A strike hit a base housing U.S. troops in Iraq early Tuesday, causing “minor injuries to U.S. personnel and damage to infrastructure,” a U.S. military official in the country said.

The official said U.S. forces “responded in self-defense against those who carried out the strike” on al-Asad military base in western Iraq. A second defense official confirmed that a U.S. gunship was used in a retaliatory strike Tuesday after militants hit the base. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Also early Tuesday, a drone strike on a highway west of Baghdad targeted two pickup trucks linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah militia, killing one militia member and injuring at least three others, two militia officials said.

The militia officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the strike hit a convoy traveling from Anbar to Baghdad. Later on Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias, issued a statement announcing the death of one of its members in Iraq in what it said was a U.S. airstrike.

It was not immediately clear if the strike that killed the Kataeb Hezbollah member was the same one launched in retaliation to the attack on the al-Assad base.

The two incidents come as Iranian-backed militants have launched dozens of attacks on bases and facilities housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. While most of the more than five dozen attacks have been ineffective, at least 60 U.S. personnel have reported minor injuries. The militant groups have said that the strikes are in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

BAGHDAD (AP)— A strike hit a base housing U.S. troops in Iraq early Tuesday, causing “minor injuries to U.S. personnel and damage to infrastructure,” a U.S. military official in the country said.The official said U.S. forces “responded in self-defense against those who carried out the strike” on al-Asad military base in western Iraq. A second defense official confirmed that a U.S. gunship was used in a retaliatory strike Tuesday after militants hit the base. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.Also early Tuesday, a drone strike on a highway west of Baghdad targeted two pickup trucks linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah militia, killing one militia member and injuring at least three others, two militia officials said.The militia officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the strike hit a convoy traveling from Anbar to Baghdad. Later on Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias, issued a statement announcing the death of one of its members in Iraq in what it said was a U.S. airstrike.It was not immediately clear if the strike that killed the Kataeb Hezbollah member was the same one launched in retaliation to the attack on the al-Assad base.The two incidents come as Iranian-backed militants have launched dozens of attacks on bases and facilities housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. While most of the more than five dozen attacks have been ineffective, at least 60 U.S. personnel have reported minor injuries. The militant groups have said that the strikes are in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Injuries reported after strike hits base with U.S. troops 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authoriites investigating a homicide that occurred in the 2000 Block of N. 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 32-year-old Darrius Fant of Kansas City, Kansas, according to police detectives.

Shortly after midnight Saturday, police were dispatched to a shots fired call, according to a media release from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department

First responders found Fant who had been struck by gunfire in a parking lot and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A second&nbsp; man was also found struck by gunfire. He was transported to an area hospital and he remains in critical condition.

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Police have not released the names of the victims or reported an arrest.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authoriites investigating a homicide that occurred in the 2000 Block of N. 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas have identified the victim as 32-year-old Darrius Fant of Kansas City, Kansas, according to police detectives.Shortly after midnight Saturday, police were dispatched to a shots fired call, according to a media release from the Kansas City, Kansas Police DepartmentFirst responders found Fant who had been struck by gunfire in a parking lot and was pronounced deceased at the scene.A second&nbsp; man was also found struck by gunfire. He was transported to an area hospital and he remains in critical condition.This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Police have not released the names of the victims or reported an arrest.

Police ID man who died after Kan. parking lot shooting

By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending.

JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7117257057619087360/">said</a>&nbsp;the retail giant has been hiring “throughout the year” and plans to serve customers with the workers it has. And Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, which tracks employment trends, reported that so far, this year has had the fewest announcements of large-scale seasonal hiring plans since 2013.

“Hiring is a really good indication of retailers’ sentiment of the expectation of holiday (sales) and when they’re kind of ho-hum about increasing the numbers, that really does demonstrate their number one concern for less than gangbuster sales,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group, a market research company.

The careful approach to hiring reflects the mixed messages in the economy. The labor market has remained resilient with an unemployment rate below 4% for the 21st straight month, inflation has fallen and wages have risen. Since 2021, inflation-adjusted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEDGC96">consumer spending</a>&nbsp;on retail goods has remained fairly high. But the personal savings rate has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT">fallen</a>&nbsp;since May and credit card delinquency rates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/news/research/2023/20231107#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%E2%80%94The%20Federal%20Reserve,of%202023%2C%20to%20%2417.29%20trillion.">are up</a>.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/borrowers-weigh-personal-professional-options-as-student-loan-payments-resume/">Economists</a>, as well as retailers, have signaled that they are worried about the effects of the return of student loan payments on the health of the economy, since consumer spending&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">represents</a>&nbsp;so much of the U.S.’s economic activity. The Fed’s long campaign to raise interest rates, although paused at the moment, has also affected consumers.

Adrian Mitchell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Macy’s Inc.,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=kxbMP5Rp">said</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter earnings call in August that Macy’s is thinking about “consumers’ ability to pay debt using their disposable income.”

“This is about credit card balances, this is about student loans, which we know is going to come into focus in the next month or two, auto loans, mortgages,” he said. “So we just believe the customer is coming under pressure because of these new realities that they have to continue to deal with as we get through the back half of this year and move into next year.”

Cohen said retailers are basically trying to protect their margins. “The retailer this year is basically saying we’re going to do what we have to do to get the volume, but we’re also going to protect the margin and what that means is hire and have less than what we need, but we are better off than having more than what we need,” he said. “And that’s the same for merchandise … Instead of chasing one sale by buying more merchandise, I’m better off as a retailer, saying, ‘OK, I’ve sold out. Maybe you should buy something else and this way I don’t have to discount it all that much.’ ”

More customers — 79% compared to 74% last year — said that they will either look for cheaper alternatives this holiday shopping season or not make the purchases at all, according to a Nov. 6 McKinsey&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/us-holiday-shopping-2023-consumer-caution-and-retailer-resilience">report</a>. A smaller percentage of customers said they were willing to “splurge” on gifts this year and fewer people plan to shop at traditional stores.

Still, holiday sales are expected to grow, just less than the past three years. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/2023-holiday-reach-record-spending-levels#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20The%20National%20Retail%20Federation,returning%20to%20pre%2Dpandemic%20levels.">National Retail Federation estimates</a>&nbsp;that retail sales during November and December will increase 3 to 4%, down from a 5.4% increase last year. But what people are buying may be different. “Service spending growth is strong and is growing faster than goods spending,” said the NRF’s Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.

The NRF also pointed out that online sales are expected to increase between 7% and 9%, an increase reflected in Amazon’s plans to fill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-hiring-seasonal-holiday-employees">250,000</a>&nbsp;positions, 100,000 more than the past two&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/2022/10/amazon-is-hiring-150-000-employees-to-help-deliver-great-holiday-experiences">years</a>. UPS plans to hire 100,000 people, as it did in 2022. FedEx would not disclose a specific number.

Overall, the retail industry appears to be healthy with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USTRADE">employment</a>&nbsp;having remained steady since January though softer than last year. Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said, “We have recovered more than the number of jobs that were lost in the pandemic when millions of people lost their jobs.”

Gould said one explanation for the hiring this year may be that employers, particularly in retail, are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-businesses-hoarding-workers-even-economy-cools-2023-08-04/">more likely to keep staff on</a>&nbsp;in this tighter labor market because it has been harder to attract and retain employees.

“It’s possible that employers over the last few months and over the last year are holding on to workers because they don’t want to have that business of trying to find workers when they need them. And so it’s possible that you’re not seeing that same pickup because they’re already staffed up to some extent in some of those jobs,” she said. “… It’s too early to tell really.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700515582767.png" alt="Retailers, worried that shoppers are cutting back their holiday spending this year, are hiring fewer seasonal workers. -photo courtesy Oak Park Mall in Overland Park" />
 <figcaption>Retailers, worried that shoppers are cutting back their holiday spending this year, are hiring fewer seasonal workers. -photo courtesy Oak Park Mall in Overland Park</figcaption>
 </figure>By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending.JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7117257057619087360/">said</a>&nbsp;the retail giant has been hiring “throughout the year” and plans to serve customers with the workers it has. And Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, which tracks employment trends, reported that so far, this year has had the fewest announcements of large-scale seasonal hiring plans since 2013.“Hiring is a really good indication of retailers’ sentiment of the expectation of holiday (sales) and when they’re kind of ho-hum about increasing the numbers, that really does demonstrate their number one concern for less than gangbuster sales,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group, a market research company.The careful approach to hiring reflects the mixed messages in the economy. The labor market has remained resilient with an unemployment rate below 4% for the 21st straight month, inflation has fallen and wages have risen. Since 2021, inflation-adjusted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEDGC96">consumer spending</a>&nbsp;on retail goods has remained fairly high. But the personal savings rate has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT">fallen</a>&nbsp;since May and credit card delinquency rates&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/news/research/2023/20231107#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%E2%80%94The%20Federal%20Reserve,of%202023%2C%20to%20%2417.29%20trillion.">are up</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/borrowers-weigh-personal-professional-options-as-student-loan-payments-resume/">Economists</a>, as well as retailers, have signaled that they are worried about the effects of the return of student loan payments on the health of the economy, since consumer spending&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">represents</a>&nbsp;so much of the U.S.’s economic activity. The Fed’s long campaign to raise interest rates, although paused at the moment, has also affected consumers.Adrian Mitchell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Macy’s Inc.,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=kxbMP5Rp">said</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter earnings call in August that Macy’s is thinking about “consumers’ ability to pay debt using their disposable income.”“This is about credit card balances, this is about student loans, which we know is going to come into focus in the next month or two, auto loans, mortgages,” he said. “So we just believe the customer is coming under pressure because of these new realities that they have to continue to deal with as we get through the back half of this year and move into next year.”Cohen said retailers are basically trying to protect their margins. “The retailer this year is basically saying we’re going to do what we have to do to get the volume, but we’re also going to protect the margin and what that means is hire and have less than what we need, but we are better off than having more than what we need,” he said. “And that’s the same for merchandise … Instead of chasing one sale by buying more merchandise, I’m better off as a retailer, saying, ‘OK, I’ve sold out. Maybe you should buy something else and this way I don’t have to discount it all that much.’ ”<h2>Sales growth slow but steady</h2>More customers — 79% compared to 74% last year — said that they will either look for cheaper alternatives this holiday shopping season or not make the purchases at all, according to a Nov. 6 McKinsey&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/us-holiday-shopping-2023-consumer-caution-and-retailer-resilience">report</a>. A smaller percentage of customers said they were willing to “splurge” on gifts this year and fewer people plan to shop at traditional stores.Still, holiday sales are expected to grow, just less than the past three years. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/2023-holiday-reach-record-spending-levels#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20The%20National%20Retail%20Federation,returning%20to%20pre%2Dpandemic%20levels.">National Retail Federation estimates</a>&nbsp;that retail sales during November and December will increase 3 to 4%, down from a 5.4% increase last year. But what people are buying may be different. “Service spending growth is strong and is growing faster than goods spending,” said the NRF’s Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.The NRF also pointed out that online sales are expected to increase between 7% and 9%, an increase reflected in Amazon’s plans to fill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-hiring-seasonal-holiday-employees">250,000</a>&nbsp;positions, 100,000 more than the past two&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/2022/10/amazon-is-hiring-150-000-employees-to-help-deliver-great-holiday-experiences">years</a>. UPS plans to hire 100,000 people, as it did in 2022. FedEx would not disclose a specific number.<h2>Retail recovery</h2>Overall, the retail industry appears to be healthy with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USTRADE">employment</a>&nbsp;having remained steady since January though softer than last year. Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said, “We have recovered more than the number of jobs that were lost in the pandemic when millions of people lost their jobs.”Gould said one explanation for the hiring this year may be that employers, particularly in retail, are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-businesses-hoarding-workers-even-economy-cools-2023-08-04/">more likely to keep staff on</a>&nbsp;in this tighter labor market because it has been harder to attract and retain employees.“It’s possible that employers over the last few months and over the last year are holding on to workers because they don’t want to have that business of trying to find workers when they need them. And so it’s possible that you’re not seeing that same pickup because they’re already staffed up to some extent in some of those jobs,” she said. “… It’s too early to tell really.”

Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent dog attack last week that killed a Kansas City-area teen.

On November, police&nbsp;responded to a home in the 9300 block of E. 77th Street in Raytown, according to a media release.

Two American Bully mixed breeds had attacked 15-year-old Makai Williams. First responders located Williams, who was suffering from severe injuries.&nbsp; He was transported for treatment and died November 17.

The dogs were impounded from the home. Police have not reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent dog attack last week that killed a Kansas City-area teen.On November, police&nbsp;responded to a home in the 9300 block of E. 77th Street in Raytown, according to a media release.Two American Bully mixed breeds had attacked 15-year-old Makai Williams. First responders located Williams, who was suffering from severe injuries.&nbsp; He was transported for treatment and died November 17.The dogs were impounded from the home. Police have not reported an arrest.

15-year-old KC-area boy mauled by dogs has died

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Tuesday in Phelps County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 GMC Sierra driven by Kasey M. Cloud, 27, Decatur, Illinois, was westbound on Interstate 44 in Rolla.&nbsp;

The driver lost control the pickup. It struck a concrete barrier, traveled off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled.

One passenger was ejected. Cloud was partially ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger identified as Ricky L. Dunn, 30, a 3-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy all of&nbsp;Decatur, Illinois, to Phelps Health. The adults were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

PHELPS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 1a.m. Tuesday in Phelps County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 GMC Sierra driven by Kasey M. Cloud, 27, Decatur, Illinois, was westbound on Interstate 44 in Rolla.&nbsp;The driver lost control the pickup. It struck a concrete barrier, traveled off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled.One passenger was ejected. Cloud was partially ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger identified as Ricky L. Dunn, 30, a 3-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy all of&nbsp;Decatur, Illinois, to Phelps Health. The adults were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

Driver dead, man and 2 children injured after crash on Mo. highway

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 on Monday night.

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

Inmate who escaped satellite camp at Kan. penitentiary still missing

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City International Airport is in the midst of the first Thanksgiving in new terminal. 

The forecast anticipates 405,000 or more travelers. Passengers are urged to arrive at least 2 hours before departure. Drivers picking up passengers asked to learn layout before coming to the airport

If you are picking up Thanksgiving travelers, do not come to the terminal until they are at the arrivals curb. Use Cell Phone Waiting Lot if youare early. Use two lanes to enter. Do not sit or park at the curb. 

<a href="https://flykc.com/getting-to-and-from">Click here to see</a> how to videos and more on drop off and pick up at the new Kansas City International Airport.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700527243954.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Kansas City International Airport is in the midst of the first Thanksgiving in new terminal. The forecast anticipates 405,000 or more travelers. Passengers are urged to arrive at least 2 hours before departure. Drivers picking up passengers asked to learn layout before coming to the airport<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700527555581.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>If you are picking up Thanksgiving travelers, do not come to the terminal until they are at the arrivals curb. Use Cell Phone Waiting Lot if youare early. Use two lanes to enter. Do not sit or park at the curb. <a href="https://flykc.com/getting-to-and-from">Click here to see</a> how to videos and more on drop off and pick up at the new Kansas City International Airport.

KCI offers advice for using the new airport terminal this holiday season

WASHINGTON —The Department of Defense&nbsp; announced on Monday an additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs, according to a statement from the agency.

This announcement is the Biden Administration's fifty-first tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory and fight for its freedom from Russia's ongoing war of aggression.&nbsp;

This package utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) that remained after the PDA revaluation process.&nbsp;The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $100 million, include:

The United States remains committed to working with the coalition the United States has built of some 50 Allies and partners who are providing Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to defend itself now and deter Russian aggression well into the future. Our allies and partners have stepped up to provide approximately $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Under the leadership of the United States, this global coalition has enabled Ukraine's courageous forces to successfully defend Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, win critical battles that repelled Russian forces, and take back more than half of the territory seized by Russian invaders.

Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people in dozens of states across the country. It is critical that Congress take action to support Ukraine by passing the President's supplemental funding request.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698356993512.png" alt="Pallets of ammunition are loaded onto an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules at Ramstein Air Base, Germany&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Capt. Emma Quirk" />
 <figcaption>Pallets of ammunition are loaded onto an 86th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules at Ramstein Air Base, Germany&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Capt. Emma Quirk</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Department of Defense&nbsp; announced on Monday an additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs, according to a statement from the agency.This announcement is the Biden Administration's fifty-first tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory and fight for its freedom from Russia's ongoing war of aggression.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I was honored to meet with President <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUa</a> in Kyiv today to reaffirm the United States’ steadfast support for Ukraine. We, along with our allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraine’s urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements. <a href="https://t.co/Odv6ClgcrP">pic.twitter.com/Odv6ClgcrP</a>&mdash; Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1726587659815182765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This package utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) that remained after the PDA revaluation process.&nbsp;The capabilities in this package, valued at up to $100 million, include:<ul>
 <li>Stinger anti-aircraft missiles;</li><li>One High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and additional ammunition;</li><li>155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;</li><li>Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;</li><li>Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;</li><li>More than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition;</li><li>Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing;</li><li>Cold weather gear; and</li><li>Spare parts, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment.</li>
 </ul>The United States remains committed to working with the coalition the United States has built of some 50 Allies and partners who are providing Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to defend itself now and deter Russian aggression well into the future. Our allies and partners have stepped up to provide approximately $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Under the leadership of the United States, this global coalition has enabled Ukraine's courageous forces to successfully defend Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, win critical battles that repelled Russian forces, and take back more than half of the territory seized by Russian invaders.Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people in dozens of states across the country. It is critical that Congress take action to support Ukraine by passing the President's supplemental funding request.

Biden sending $100 million in new military assistance to Ukraine

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crimes.

Just after 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop at K-268 Highway and Berryton Road, near Lyndon, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. The driver of the vehicle, Theresa A. Dent, 41, of Pomona, Kansas was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Interference with law enforcement, Driving while license suspended and an Arrest warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700241829067.png" alt="Dent-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Dent-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged drug crimes.Just after 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop at K-268 Highway and Berryton Road, near Lyndon, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. The driver of the vehicle, Theresa A. Dent, 41, of Pomona, Kansas was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Interference with law enforcement, Driving while license suspended and an Arrest warrant.

Sheriff: Kansas woman accused of selling meth

COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas refinery has agreed to pay more than $23 million for violating the federal Clean Air Act and breaching a 2012 settlement for earlier pollution problems, the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.

The federal agencies said the violations by Coffeyville Resources Refining and Marketing and its affiliated companies, collectively known as CRRM, resulted in illegal emissions from 2015 to 2017 that included an estimated 2,300 excess tons (2,000 metric tons) of sulfur dioxide from its oil refinery in Coffeyville in southeastern Kansas.

But CRRM’s efforts to come into compliance with federal requirements since the investigation began have already eliminated more than 39,000 tons (35,000 metric tons) per year of carbon dioxide emissions that can contribute to climate change, the agencies said in a joint news release. That's equivalent to using nearly 4 million fewer gallons of gasoline per year, they said.

The EPA also estimated that a waste gas recovery system required by Monday's court-enforceable settlement, known as a consent decree, will further reduce yearly emissions of greenhouse gases by nearly 13,000 tons (12,000 metric tons), equivalent to using 1.3 million fewer gallons of gasoline annually. It will also reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, which can make breathing more difficult, and nitrogen oxide, which contributes to smog formation.

“The emissions reductions achieved under this settlement will result in healthier air for a community disproportionately affected by air pollution,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim said in the statement.

CRRM did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The agreement also requires the company to spend at least $1 million on an environmentally beneficial project to be approved by the state.

COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas refinery has agreed to pay more than $23 million for violating the federal Clean Air Act and breaching a 2012 settlement for earlier pollution problems, the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.The federal agencies said the violations by Coffeyville Resources Refining and Marketing and its affiliated companies, collectively known as CRRM, resulted in illegal emissions from 2015 to 2017 that included an estimated 2,300 excess tons (2,000 metric tons) of sulfur dioxide from its oil refinery in Coffeyville in southeastern Kansas.But CRRM’s efforts to come into compliance with federal requirements since the investigation began have already eliminated more than 39,000 tons (35,000 metric tons) per year of carbon dioxide emissions that can contribute to climate change, the agencies said in a joint news release. That's equivalent to using nearly 4 million fewer gallons of gasoline per year, they said.The EPA also estimated that a waste gas recovery system required by Monday's court-enforceable settlement, known as a consent decree, will further reduce yearly emissions of greenhouse gases by nearly 13,000 tons (12,000 metric tons), equivalent to using 1.3 million fewer gallons of gasoline annually. It will also reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, which can make breathing more difficult, and nitrogen oxide, which contributes to smog formation.“The emissions reductions achieved under this settlement will result in healthier air for a community disproportionately affected by air pollution,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim said in the statement.CRRM did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.The agreement also requires the company to spend at least $1 million on an environmentally beneficial project to be approved by the state.

Kan. oil refinery agrees to $23 million in penalties for violating air pollution law

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman is going to prison in connection with the death of a man who fell from the hood of a stolen car.

On Friday, a judge sentenced 37-year-old Ashley Corley of Hutchinson&nbsp; to nearly 18-years in prison for the incident involving a stolen vehicle that took the life of 41-year-old Rigoberto Rivas, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

In October of 2022, police responded to 9th Street North and St. Paul in Wichita where they found Rivas in the street. He had head injuries and died at a local hospital, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;

Investigators learned that Rivas and Corley were seen running toward a gray car parked on the curb at 9th Street. Corley allegedly entered the vehicle and drove away at a high rate of speed with Rivas on the hood. The car swerved and Rivas fell from the car.

A follow-up investigation led officers to believe the car was stolen.

Police investigators arrested Corley in Hutchison, transported her back to Wichita and booked her into the Sedgwick County Jail

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666176519210.png" alt="Corley-photo Sedgwick County." />
 <figcaption>Corley-photo Sedgwick County.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas woman is going to prison in connection with the death of a man who fell from the hood of a stolen car.On Friday, a judge sentenced 37-year-old Ashley Corley of Hutchinson&nbsp; to nearly 18-years in prison for the incident involving a stolen vehicle that took the life of 41-year-old Rigoberto Rivas, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.In October of 2022, police responded to 9th Street North and St. Paul in Wichita where they found Rivas in the street. He had head injuries and died at a local hospital, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;Investigators learned that Rivas and Corley were seen running toward a gray car parked on the curb at 9th Street. Corley allegedly entered the vehicle and drove away at a high rate of speed with Rivas on the hood. The car swerved and Rivas fell from the car.A follow-up investigation led officers to believe the car was stolen.Police investigators arrested Corley in Hutchison, transported her back to Wichita and booked her into the Sedgwick County Jail

Kan. woman sentenced for death of man who fell from hood of a car

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating&nbsp; a drive-by shooting that sent a child to the hospital are asking the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;Anthony Rocky Guerrero III.

Just after 8:30p.m.&nbsp; Sunday. the Shawnee County Communications Center received multiple phone calls in reference to gunshots near the 6700 Block of SW Greencastle Drive, according to Sheriff's Lieutenant Scott Wanamaker.

Moments later. the communications center received an address where a 9-year-old victim had been struck by the gunfire.

The boy was inside the residence and was struck in his left leg. EMS transported the body to a local hospital for treatment. There were 3 adults and 5 juveniles in the home at the time of the shooting, according to Wanamaker.

After shooting at the residence the two suspects fled the area on foot, entered a silver passenger car in the 6800 Block SW Rockpost Road and fled the scene.&nbsp;

Anyone with information on&nbsp;Guerrero asked to contact the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office at (785)251-2200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700520416350.png" alt="Anthony Rocky Guerrero III-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Anthony Rocky Guerrero III-photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating&nbsp; a drive-by shooting that sent a child to the hospital are asking the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;Anthony Rocky Guerrero III.Just after 8:30p.m.&nbsp; Sunday. the Shawnee County Communications Center received multiple phone calls in reference to gunshots near the 6700 Block of SW Greencastle Drive, according to Sheriff's Lieutenant Scott Wanamaker.Moments later. the communications center received an address where a 9-year-old victim had been struck by the gunfire.The boy was inside the residence and was struck in his left leg. EMS transported the body to a local hospital for treatment. There were 3 adults and 5 juveniles in the home at the time of the shooting, according to Wanamaker.After shooting at the residence the two suspects fled the area on foot, entered a silver passenger car in the 6800 Block SW Rockpost Road and fled the scene.&nbsp;Anyone with information on&nbsp;Guerrero asked to contact the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office at (785)251-2200.

Suspect wanted for Kansas shooting that injured 9-year-old

By NATE KING&nbsp;Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY — Seven people escaped after a fire at a home in central Kansas.

Just after 9:33 a.m. on Sunday,&nbsp; firefighters responded to a fire at a home located in the mobile home establishment on the northwest side of the 100 block of Borgmeyer Lane. Assaria.

Before the fire broke out, the home was occupied by the 54-year-old homeowner, his 51-year-old wife, 28-year-old son, and the homeowner's four grandchildren. 

According to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander, everyone was able to escape the home and no one was injured as a result of the fire.&nbsp;

Initial damage estimates exceed $30,000, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;

"The owner said they were having ongoing electrical issues prior to when someone noticed the fire," Melander said. "Nearby homes were evacuated due to the active fire."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700498751258.jpeg" alt="The home was deemed a total loss with more than $30,000 worth of damage. photo Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>The home was deemed a total loss with more than $30,000 worth of damage. photo Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING&nbsp;Salina PostSALINE COUNTY — Seven people escaped after a fire at a home in central Kansas.Just after 9:33 a.m. on Sunday,&nbsp; firefighters responded to a fire at a home located in the mobile home establishment on the northwest side of the 100 block of Borgmeyer Lane. Assaria.Before the fire broke out, the home was occupied by the 54-year-old homeowner, his 51-year-old wife, 28-year-old son, and the homeowner's four grandchildren. According to Saline County Undersheriff Brent Melander, everyone was able to escape the home and no one was injured as a result of the fire.&nbsp;Initial damage estimates exceed $30,000, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.&nbsp;"The owner said they were having ongoing electrical issues prior to when someone noticed the fire," Melander said. "Nearby homes were evacuated due to the active fire."

3 adults, 4 children escape central Kansas mobile home fire

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Transportation is gearing up for another busy holiday travel season. On Monday, Secretary&nbsp;Pete Buttigieg shared updates from the department on progress made to empower airline passengers.

<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to view</a> the airline customer service dashboard

The skies will be extremely busy this Thanksgiving period – eclipsing last year. The Federal Aviation Administration is expecting 49,600 flights on Wednesday, according to Administrator Mike Whitaker.

The FAA will be working around the clock to make sure passengers get to their destinations safely.

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Transportation is gearing up for another busy holiday travel season. On Monday, Secretary&nbsp;Pete Buttigieg shared updates from the department on progress made to empower airline passengers.<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to view</a> the airline customer service dashboard<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We&#39;re gearing up for another busy holiday travel season. Tune in as I share updates from our department on progress we&#39;ve made to empower airline passengers. <a href="https://t.co/ZJrIB6PQJw">https://t.co/ZJrIB6PQJw</a>&mdash; Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1726607009259167786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The skies will be extremely busy this Thanksgiving period – eclipsing last year. The Federal Aviation Administration is expecting 49,600 flights on Wednesday, according to Administrator Mike Whitaker.The FAA will be working around the clock to make sure passengers get to their destinations safely.

🎥U.S. DOT:  Know your rights before you fly this holiday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberty and Bell can spread their wings without fear.

The two Thanksgiving turkeys played their part Monday in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey">annual holiday tradition</a>&nbsp;at the White House: a president sparing them from becoming someone's dinner.

“I hereby pardon Liberty and Bell. Congratulations, birds,” Biden said after one of the National Thanksgiving Turkeys was placed on a table near him.

The event, held on the South Lawn this year instead of the smaller Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was an especially busy opening day.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the oldest president in U.S. history, also celebrated turning 81 on Monday. In the afternoon, his wife, first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill Biden</a>, was accepting the delivery of an 18.5-foot (5.6-meter) Fraser fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina, as the official White House Christmas tree.

Biden joked about his age, saying, “this is the 76th anniversary of this event. I want you to know I wasn't there for the first one.” The Democrat's age has become an issue as he seeks reelection next year.

Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that the pardons are a “great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor.”

Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel near the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.

“They were raised like all of our turkeys, protected, of course, from weather extremes and predators, free to walk about with constant access to water and feed,” Lykken said at Sunday's event as Liberty and Bell strutted around the Willard's newly renovated Crystal Room on plastic sheeting laid over the carpet. Young children in the crowd of onlookers — many of them employees and guests of the Jennie-O company — yelled “gobble, gobble” at them.

The male turkeys, both about 20 weeks old and about 42 pounds (19 kilograms), were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota — Jennie-O is headquartered there — as part of the “presidential flock,” Lykken said. They listened to music and other sounds to prepare them for Monday's hoopla at the White House.

“They listened to all kinds of music to get ready for the crowds and people along the way. I can confirm they are, in fact, Swifties, and they do enjoy some Prince,” Lykken said, meaning that Liberty and Bell are fans of Taylor Swift. “I think they’re absolutely ready for prime time.”

The tradition dates to 1947 when the National Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman.

Back then, and even earlier, the gobbler was given for the first family's holiday consumption. But by the late 1980s, the tradition had evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which the birds are pardoned, given a second chance at life after they are spared from ending up on a family's Thanksgiving table.

In 1989, as animal rights activists picketed nearby, President George H.W. Bush said, "But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy -- he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”

After Biden pardons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-holidays-obituaries-christmas-c98e1ce25e97dbe097f2ed37d9c7a4c2">his third pair of turkeys</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Liberty and Bell will be returned to their home state to be cared for by the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences.

“You can imagine the wonderful care they're going to get from students and veterinarians and professors, etc., and so they will hopefully have a chance, maybe, to go see a hockey game or spend time with Goldy the gopher,” Lykken said, referring to the university's mascot.

A little over 200 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving, Lykken said.

Biden will eat his Thanksgiving turkey with family on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, continuing a long family tradition. On Sunday, he and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-thanksgiving-troops-military-norfolk-naval-station-4453eee2e8194cf767d47b1b7e12c563">served an early Thanksgiving meal</a>&nbsp;to hundreds of service members at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberty and Bell are ready for their presidential pardons.

The two Thanksgiving turkeys were due at the White House on Monday to play their part in what has become an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey" target="_blank">annual holiday tradition</a>: a president sparing them from becoming someone’s dinner.

“We think that’s a great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor,” Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The event, set for the South Lawn this year instead of the Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was shaping up to be an especially busy opening day.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>, the oldest president in U.S. history, also was celebrating his 81st birthday on Monday. In the afternoon, his wife, first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden" target="_blank">Jill Biden</a>, was accepting the delivery of an 18-and-a-half foot Fraser fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina, as the official White House Christmas tree.

Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel close to the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.

“They were raised like all of our turkeys, protected, of course, from weather extremes and predators, free to walk about with constant access to water and feed,” Lykken said Sunday, as Liberty and Bell strutted around the Willard’s newly renovated Crystal Room on plastic sheeting laid over the carpet. Young children in the crowd of onlookers — many of them employees and guests of the Jennie-O company — yelled “gobble, gobble” at them.

The male turkeys, both about 20 weeks old and about 42 pounds, were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota — Jennie-O is headquartered there — as part of the “presidential flock,” Lykken said. They listened to music and other sounds to prepare them for Monday’s hoopla at the White House.

Back then, and even earlier, the gobbler was given for the first family’s holiday consumption. But by the late 1980s, the tradition had evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which the birds are pardoned, given a second chance at life after they are spared from ending up on a family’s Thanksgiving table.

In 1989, as animal rights activists picketed nearby, President George H.W. Bush said, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy -- he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”

After Biden pardons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-holidays-obituaries-christmas-c98e1ce25e97dbe097f2ed37d9c7a4c2" target="_blank">his third pair of turkeys</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Liberty and Bell will be returned to their home state to be cared for by the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences.

“You can imagine the wonderful care they’re going to get from students and veterinarians and professors, etc., and so they will hopefully have a chance, maybe, to go see a hockey game or spend time with Goldy the gopher,” Lykken said, referring to the university’s mascot.

Biden will eat his Thanksgiving turkey with family on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, continuing a long family tradition. On Sunday, he and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-thanksgiving-troops-military-norfolk-naval-station-4453eee2e8194cf767d47b1b7e12c563" target="_blank">served an early Thanksgiving meal</a>&nbsp;to hundreds of service members from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn69/" target="_blank">USS Dwight D. Eisenhower</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/" target="_blank">USS Gerald R. Ford</a>&nbsp;at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia, the largest installation of its kind in the world, along with their families.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-side-dish-recipes-d188ab4d289ac8d8f66804623d194838">Nontraditional flavors boost one-note Thanksgiving squash, kale and mashed potatoes</a>

Markus Platzer, the Willard’s general manager, said the hotel’s role in introducing the turkeys is the “highlight of the year.” The Willard has been involved for more than 15 years, he said, calling the turkeys “very special guests of ours.”

“There are so many bad things going on globally that this is something where everybody, you know, brings a smile into the face of the people, at least for a few minutes,” Platzer said Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberty and Bell can spread their wings without fear.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Join me on the South Lawn as I pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey and wish American families a safe and healthy holiday. <a href="https://t.co/fntz6rUMCM">https://t.co/fntz6rUMCM</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1726641864579662297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two Thanksgiving turkeys played their part Monday in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey">annual holiday tradition</a>&nbsp;at the White House: a president sparing them from becoming someone's dinner.“I hereby pardon Liberty and Bell. Congratulations, birds,” Biden said after one of the National Thanksgiving Turkeys was placed on a table near him.The event, held on the South Lawn this year instead of the smaller Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was an especially busy opening day.President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, the oldest president in U.S. history, also celebrated turning 81 on Monday. In the afternoon, his wife, first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill Biden</a>, was accepting the delivery of an 18.5-foot (5.6-meter) Fraser fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina, as the official White House Christmas tree.Biden joked about his age, saying, “this is the 76th anniversary of this event. I want you to know I wasn't there for the first one.” The Democrat's age has become an issue as he seeks reelection next year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Introducing Liberty and Bell, the 2023 National Thanksgiving Turkeys! <a href="https://t.co/Pwwn7GHZla">pic.twitter.com/Pwwn7GHZla</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1726655944229110118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that the pardons are a “great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor.”Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel near the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.“They were raised like all of our turkeys, protected, of course, from weather extremes and predators, free to walk about with constant access to water and feed,” Lykken said at Sunday's event as Liberty and Bell strutted around the Willard's newly renovated Crystal Room on plastic sheeting laid over the carpet. Young children in the crowd of onlookers — many of them employees and guests of the Jennie-O company — yelled “gobble, gobble” at them.The male turkeys, both about 20 weeks old and about 42 pounds (19 kilograms), were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota — Jennie-O is headquartered there — as part of the “presidential flock,” Lykken said. They listened to music and other sounds to prepare them for Monday's hoopla at the White House.“They listened to all kinds of music to get ready for the crowds and people along the way. I can confirm they are, in fact, Swifties, and they do enjoy some Prince,” Lykken said, meaning that Liberty and Bell are fans of Taylor Swift. “I think they’re absolutely ready for prime time.”The tradition dates to 1947 when the National Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman.Back then, and even earlier, the gobbler was given for the first family's holiday consumption. But by the late 1980s, the tradition had evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which the birds are pardoned, given a second chance at life after they are spared from ending up on a family's Thanksgiving table.In 1989, as animal rights activists picketed nearby, President George H.W. Bush said, "But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy -- he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”After Biden pardons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-holidays-obituaries-christmas-c98e1ce25e97dbe097f2ed37d9c7a4c2">his third pair of turkeys</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Liberty and Bell will be returned to their home state to be cared for by the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences.“You can imagine the wonderful care they're going to get from students and veterinarians and professors, etc., and so they will hopefully have a chance, maybe, to go see a hockey game or spend time with Goldy the gopher,” Lykken said, referring to the university's mascot.A little over 200 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving, Lykken said.Biden will eat his Thanksgiving turkey with family on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, continuing a long family tradition. On Sunday, he and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-thanksgiving-troops-military-norfolk-naval-station-4453eee2e8194cf767d47b1b7e12c563">served an early Thanksgiving meal</a>&nbsp;to hundreds of service members at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberty and Bell are ready for their presidential pardons.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700479774610.png" alt="On Sunday President Biden and first lady Jill Biden serve food at a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>On Sunday President Biden and first lady Jill Biden serve food at a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The two Thanksgiving turkeys were due at the White House on Monday to play their part in what has become an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey" target="_blank">annual holiday tradition</a>: a president sparing them from becoming someone’s dinner.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden and first lady Jill Biden serve food at a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. <a href="https://t.co/DvdFbofjaY">pic.twitter.com/DvdFbofjaY</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1726369806293643667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We think that’s a great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor,” Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, said in an interview with The Associated Press.The event, set for the South Lawn this year instead of the Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was shaping up to be an especially busy opening day.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jill and I were honored to join American service members and their families this weekend in Norfolk. These incredible men and women are the backbone, the sinew, the spine of America. And as their president, I&#39;ll never stop working to equip and care for them as they deserve. <a href="https://t.co/x61z8EmbzE">pic.twitter.com/x61z8EmbzE</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1726610119209701492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>, the oldest president in U.S. history, also was celebrating his 81st birthday on Monday. In the afternoon, his wife, first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden" target="_blank">Jill Biden</a>, was accepting the delivery of an 18-and-a-half foot Fraser fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina, as the official White House Christmas tree.Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel close to the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade.“They were raised like all of our turkeys, protected, of course, from weather extremes and predators, free to walk about with constant access to water and feed,” Lykken said Sunday, as Liberty and Bell strutted around the Willard’s newly renovated Crystal Room on plastic sheeting laid over the carpet. Young children in the crowd of onlookers — many of them employees and guests of the Jennie-O company — yelled “gobble, gobble” at them.The male turkeys, both about 20 weeks old and about 42 pounds, were hatched in July in Willmar, Minnesota — Jennie-O is headquartered there — as part of the “presidential flock,” Lykken said. They listened to music and other sounds to prepare them for Monday’s hoopla at the White House.“They listened to all kinds of music to get ready for the crowds and people along the way. I can confirm they are, in fact, Swifties, and they do enjoy some Prince,” Lykken said, meaning that Liberty and Bell are fans of Taylor Swift. “I think they’re absolutely ready for prime time.”The tradition dates to 1947 when the National Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman.Back then, and even earlier, the gobbler was given for the first family’s holiday consumption. But by the late 1980s, the tradition had evolved into an often humorous ceremony in which the birds are pardoned, given a second chance at life after they are spared from ending up on a family’s Thanksgiving table.In 1989, as animal rights activists picketed nearby, President George H.W. Bush said, “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy -- he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”After Biden pardons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-holidays-obituaries-christmas-c98e1ce25e97dbe097f2ed37d9c7a4c2" target="_blank">his third pair of turkeys</a>&nbsp;on Monday, Liberty and Bell will be returned to their home state to be cared for by the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences.“You can imagine the wonderful care they’re going to get from students and veterinarians and professors, etc., and so they will hopefully have a chance, maybe, to go see a hockey game or spend time with Goldy the gopher,” Lykken said, referring to the university’s mascot.A little over 200 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving, Lykken said.Biden will eat his Thanksgiving turkey with family on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, continuing a long family tradition. On Sunday, he and the first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-thanksgiving-troops-military-norfolk-naval-station-4453eee2e8194cf767d47b1b7e12c563" target="_blank">served an early Thanksgiving meal</a>&nbsp;to hundreds of service members from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn69/" target="_blank">USS Dwight D. Eisenhower</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/" target="_blank">USS Gerald R. Ford</a>&nbsp;at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia, the largest installation of its kind in the world, along with their families.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-side-dish-recipes-d188ab4d289ac8d8f66804623d194838">Nontraditional flavors boost one-note Thanksgiving squash, kale and mashed potatoes</a>Markus Platzer, the Willard’s general manager, said the hotel’s role in introducing the turkeys is the “highlight of the year.” The Willard has been involved for more than 15 years, he said, calling the turkeys “very special guests of ours.”“There are so many bad things going on globally that this is something where everybody, you know, brings a smile into the face of the people, at least for a few minutes,” Platzer said Sunday.

🎥Biden pardons Thanksgiving turkeys, jokes about his 81st birthday

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita Police Officers are&nbsp;investigating the drowning of a man possibly in his thirties whose body was found in the Arkansas River in Wichita on Saturday afternoon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

On Monday, police said they will have to wait for the autopsy report before a cause of death and proper identification can be determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700496562453.png" alt="First responders near the Arkansas River Saturday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders near the Arkansas River Saturday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Wichita Police Officers are&nbsp;investigating the drowning of a man possibly in his thirties whose body was found in the Arkansas River in Wichita on Saturday afternoon, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.On Monday, police said they will have to wait for the autopsy report before a cause of death and proper identification can be determined.

Police working to ID body of man found in Kansas river

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a drive-by shooting that sent a child to the hospital.

Moments later. the communications center received an address where a 9-year-old victim had been struck by the gunfire. 

After shooting at the residence the two suspects fled the area on foot, entered a silver passenger car in the 6800 Block SW Rockpost Road and fled the scene.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a drive-by shooting that sent a child to the hospital.Just after 8:30p.m.&nbsp; Sunday. the Shawnee County Communications Center received multiple phone calls in reference to gunshots near the 6700 Block of SW Greencastle Drive, according to Sheriff's Lieutenant Scott Wanamaker.Moments later. the communications center received an address where a 9-year-old victim had been struck by the gunfire. The boy was inside the residence and was struck in his left leg. EMS transported the body to a local hospital for treatment. There were 3 adults and 5 juveniles in the home at the time of the shooting, according to Wanamaker.After shooting at the residence the two suspects fled the area on foot, entered a silver passenger car in the 6800 Block SW Rockpost Road and fled the scene.

9-year-old in a Kan. home wounded in drive-by shooting

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles in the U.S. because bearings can fail, causing the engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks. Also affected are certain 2015 to 2020 Acura TLX cars and some 2016 to 2020 Acura MDX SUVs.

Honda says in&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCAK-23V751-1498.pdf">documents posted Friday</a>&nbsp;by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that connecting rod bearings in the engine can wear and seize due to a manufacturing error, damaging the engines. The engines could run improperly or stall while being driven, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury.

The automaker says in documents that it has 1,450 warranty claims due to the problem but no reports of injuries.

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles in the U.S. because bearings can fail, causing the engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash.The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks. Also affected are certain 2015 to 2020 Acura TLX cars and some 2016 to 2020 Acura MDX SUVs.Honda says in&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCAK-23V751-1498.pdf">documents posted Friday</a>&nbsp;by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that connecting rod bearings in the engine can wear and seize due to a manufacturing error, damaging the engines. The engines could run improperly or stall while being driven, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury.The automaker says in documents that it has 1,450 warranty claims due to the problem but no reports of injuries.

Honda recalls nearly 250,000 cars, SUVs and pickup truck

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office K9 during an arrest.

According to <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=239249">online jail records, </a>police booked 24-year-old Kaylon Kirwood Thursday into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of inflict harm, disability or death to dog,&nbsp;aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, battery of a law enforcement officer, violation of a protection order aggravated robbery, domestic battery and intimidation of a witness.&nbsp; He could make a court appearance in the case this week.

Just before noon on Thursday, the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a 24-year-old robbery suspect later identified as Kaylon Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.

Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.

Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.

Just after 2:30p.m. the Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.

A necropsy will be performed on the K9 officer to determine the cause of death. Wichita Police are in charge of the investigation and will present the case to the district attorney's office, according Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700237992193.png" alt="Kaylon Kirkwood" />
 <figcaption>Kaylon Kirkwood</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations including killing a Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office K9 during an arrest.According to <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=239249">online jail records, </a>police booked 24-year-old Kaylon Kirwood Thursday into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of inflict harm, disability or death to dog,&nbsp;aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, battery of a law enforcement officer, violation of a protection order aggravated robbery, domestic battery and intimidation of a witness.&nbsp; He could make a court appearance in the case this week.Just before noon on Thursday, the Wichita Police Domestic intervention and Violence Reduction team was in the area of Pawnee and Rock attempting to locate a 24-year-old robbery suspect later identified as Kaylon Kirkwood according to Wichita Police Lt.&nbsp;Lieutenant Aaron Moses.Just after noon, police located Kirkwood but he fled into a creek and barricaded himself in a storm drain and refused to come out.Sheriff's deputies and police used extended leashes and sent K9 officers into the drain.&nbsp; There was an altercation between the Kirkwood and&nbsp; Sedgwick County Sheriff K9 Bane. The dog was pronounced deceased on scene, according to Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700174387964.png" alt="PSD Bane was 8 years old and has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>PSD Bane was 8 years old and has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 1 year.-photo Sedgwick Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 2:30p.m. the Kirkwood was finally taken into custody and transported for treatment of minor injuries from the K9. After Kirwood was released, police booked him into the Sedgwick County Detention Center.A necropsy will be performed on the K9 officer to determine the cause of death. Wichita Police are in charge of the investigation and will present the case to the district attorney's office, according Sheriff's Lt. Nathan Gibbs.

Suspect accused of killing Kansas sheriff's K9 during arrest

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorites are investigating a homicide that occurred in the 2000 Block of N. 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas.

First responders found a man who had been struck by gunfire in a parking lot and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A second&nbsp; man was also found struck by gunfire. He was transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorites are investigating a homicide that occurred in the 2000 Block of N. 18th Street in Kansas City, Kansas.Shortly after midnight Saturday, police were dispatched to a shots fired call, according to a media release from the Kansas City, Kansas Police DepartmentFirst responders found a man who had been struck by gunfire in a parking lot and was pronounced deceased at the scene.A second&nbsp; man was also found struck by gunfire. He was transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries.This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Police have not released the names of the victims or reported an arrest.

Police: 1 dead, another hospitalized after Kan. parking lot shooting

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

The Finney County Sheriff has issued a warrant for the arrest of 44-year-old Jose Cardenas-Rodriguez&nbsp; in connection with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

&nbsp;He's been known to live and work in the Garden City and Liberal or&nbsp; Dodge City.&nbsp;

Anyone with information on his whereabouts, please contact the Finney County Sheriff's Office at 620-272-3700 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 620-275-7807 or by texting GCTIP and your tip to Tip411 (847411)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700480197478.png" alt="Cardenas-Rodriguez-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Cardenas-Rodriguez-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.The Finney County Sheriff has issued a warrant for the arrest of 44-year-old Jose Cardenas-Rodriguez&nbsp; in connection with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child.&nbsp;He's been known to live and work in the Garden City and Liberal or&nbsp; Dodge City.&nbsp;Anyone with information on his whereabouts, please contact the Finney County Sheriff's Office at 620-272-3700 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 620-275-7807 or by texting GCTIP and your tip to Tip411 (847411)

Search continues for SW Kansas child sex crime suspect

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a crucial Red Sea shipping route Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said, raising fears that regional tensions heightened over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;were playing out on a new maritime front.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-israeli-houthi-gaza-war-3e48ff43f1225ccd98c9a56929fb8f57">Iran-backed Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel's campaign against Gaza's Hamas rulers.

“All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets,” the Houthis said.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.”

“The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs,” he added. “This is the beginning.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board.

The ship's Japanese operator, NYK Line, said the vessel had no cargo at the time of the hijacking. Its crewmembers are from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, NYK said.

Japan on Monday condemned the hijacking. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese government was doing its utmost for an early release of the crew through negotiations with Houthi rebels, while also communicating with Israel and cooperating with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran.

The Houthis said they were treating the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values,” but did not elaborate on what that meant.

Netanyahu's office condemned the seizure as an “Iranian act of terror." The Israeli military called the hijacking a “very grave incident of global consequence."

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a crucial Red Sea shipping route Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said, raising fears that regional tensions heightened over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;were playing out on a new maritime front.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-israeli-houthi-gaza-war-3e48ff43f1225ccd98c9a56929fb8f57">Iran-backed Houthi rebels</a>&nbsp;said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel's campaign against Gaza's Hamas rulers.“All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets,” the Houthis said.Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.”“The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs,” he added. “This is the beginning.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board.The ship's Japanese operator, NYK Line, said the vessel had no cargo at the time of the hijacking. Its crewmembers are from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, NYK said.Japan on Monday condemned the hijacking. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese government was doing its utmost for an early release of the crew through negotiations with Houthi rebels, while also communicating with Israel and cooperating with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran.The Houthis said they were treating the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values,” but did not elaborate on what that meant.Netanyahu's office condemned the seizure as an “Iranian act of terror." The Israeli military called the hijacking a “very grave incident of global consequence."Israeli officials insisted the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated. However, ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ship’s owners with Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel.Ungar told The Associated Press he was aware of the incident but couldn’t comment as he awaited details. A ship linked to him experienced an explosion in 2021 in the Gulf of Oman. Israeli media blamed it on Iran at the time.Authorities confirmed Monday that the captain and the first mate on the Galaxy Leader were Bulgarians.Bulgaria's top police officer, Zhivko Kotsev, told reporters that they were in touch with their families. “Nobody has sought contact with us up to this moment,” he said.International shipping often involves a series of management companies, flags and owners stretching across the globe in a single vessel.Two U.S. defense officials confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday afternoon local time. The rebels descended on the cargo ship by rappelling from a helicopter, the officials said, confirming details first reported by NBC News. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.The ship's seizure resembles others previously conducted by Iran, which has long armed the Houthis.Twice in the last month, U.S. warships have intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that were believed to be headed toward Israel or posing a threat to American vessels. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-navy-warship-missiles-intercepted-2f5fc9c8a3737f762b29d5c53ec08a5b">intercepted three land attack cruise missiles</a>&nbsp;and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces toward the northern Red Sea last month.On Nov. 15 the USS Thomas Hudner, another destroyer, was sailing toward the Bab-el-Mandeb strait when the crew saw a drone, reported to have originated in Yemen. The ship shot down the drone over the water. The officials said the crew took action to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel, and there were no casualties or damage to the ship.Satellite tracking data from&nbsp;<a href="http://marinetraffic.com/">MarineTraffic.com</a>&nbsp;analyzed by the AP showed the Galaxy Leader traveling in the Red Sea southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, more than a day ago. The vessel had been in Korfez, Turkey, and was on its way to Pipavav, India, at the time of the seizure reported by Israel.It had its Automatic Identification System tracker, or AIS, switched off, the data showed. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted or to smuggle contraband, which there was no immediate evidence to suggest was the case with the Galaxy Leader.The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf and the wider region, put the hijacking as having occurred some 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, near the coast of Eritrea. It later cited a security officer with the ship's company saying the vessel had been taken to Hodeida.The Red Sea, stretching from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, remains a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. That’s why the U.S. Navy has stationed multiple ships in the sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.Since 2019, a series of ships have come under attack at sea as Iran began breaking all the limits of its tattered nuclear deal with world powers. As Israel expands its devastating campaign against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip following the militant group's unprecedented attack on southern Israel, fears have grown that the military operations could escalate into a wider regional conflict.The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to target Israeli ships in the waters off Yemen. Such attacks both back its Iranian benefactors, as well as bolster the Houthis' position in Yemen as anger has grown against their rule in recent months as that country's civil war grinds on without resolution, said Gregory D. Johnsen, a Yemen expert with the Arabian Gulf States Institute in Washington.“The Houthis view the war between Israel and Hamas as an opportunity to mute some of this domestic criticism,” Johnsen wrote in an analysis earlier this month. “If they are attacking Israel, their local rivals will be less inclined to attack them.”___