NESS COUNTY– The Ness County Attorney says that a deputy who fatally shot a man in August outside a home in Ramson is immune from prosecution under Kansas law.

On Friday, the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) presented its findings to the Ness County Attorney’s Office following a formal investigation into an Officer Involved Shooting occurring the morning of August 8, according to a statement from Ness County Attorney Jacob Gayer.

At approximately 8:36 a.m. August 8, a call was routed, in the E911 system, to Trego County dispatch. The caller informed Trego County dispatchers he was in Ransom Kansas and was wanting to self-harm. 

Trego County advised Ness County Dispatch. Ness County Sheriff, Brandon Mitchell, was able to establish a line of communication with the then unknown caller which resulted in Deputies locating the individual at a private residence in the city of Ransom, Kansas. 

Deputies of the Ness County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and were able to establish a perimeter around the home.

At approximately 9:49 a.m. a man later identified as Jesse L. Nicholls, 46, of Ransom, exited the residence in possession of a black semiautomatic handgun. Sheriff Mitchell, initially, was able to obtain compliance from Nicholls who placed the handgun on the ground but still within his reach. 

Negotiations to surrender to law enforcement continued by Sheriff Mitchell but ultimately the subject returned to the handgun, retrieving the firearm, and cycling a round into the chamber of the weapon.

Nicholls charged towards Deputies before discharging, towards officers, a single round. A member of the Ness County Sheriff’s Office returned fire striking Nicholls who dropped the firearm. 

Medical personnel and members of the Sheriff’s Office began immediate life saving measures ultimately proving unsuccessful.&nbsp; Nicholls died of hiss injuries sustained in the incident. 

The Kansas Bureau of Investigations was requested to conduct an investigation into the Officer Involved Shooting. 

“After reviewing the reports from the KBI, the body worn cameras and taking into consideration the information available to the deputy at the time, Ness County Attorney Jacob Gayer ruled, in his professional opinion, the deputy was entitled under current Kansas law to use deadly force for the purposes of selfdefense. 

"First, the deputy had a sincere and honest belief that their life was in danger and that it was necessary to use deadly force to defend themself. Secondly, a reasonable person in the deputy’s circumstances could have reasonably perceived the use of deadly force was necessary."

"Charges are not appropriate against the deputy in the death of Jesse L. Nicholls, on August 8."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691576725429.png" alt="-KBI on the scene in Ness City August 8-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-KBI on the scene in Ness City August 8-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>NESS COUNTY– The Ness County Attorney says that a deputy who fatally shot a man in August outside a home in Ramson is immune from prosecution under Kansas law.On Friday, the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) presented its findings to the Ness County Attorney’s Office following a formal investigation into an Officer Involved Shooting occurring the morning of August 8, according to a statement from Ness County Attorney Jacob Gayer.At approximately 8:36 a.m. August 8, a call was routed, in the E911 system, to Trego County dispatch. The caller informed Trego County dispatchers he was in Ransom Kansas and was wanting to self-harm. Trego County advised Ness County Dispatch. Ness County Sheriff, Brandon Mitchell, was able to establish a line of communication with the then unknown caller which resulted in Deputies locating the individual at a private residence in the city of Ransom, Kansas. Deputies of the Ness County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and were able to establish a perimeter around the home.At approximately 9:49 a.m. a man later identified as Jesse L. Nicholls, 46, of Ransom, exited the residence in possession of a black semiautomatic handgun. Sheriff Mitchell, initially, was able to obtain compliance from Nicholls who placed the handgun on the ground but still within his reach. Negotiations to surrender to law enforcement continued by Sheriff Mitchell but ultimately the subject returned to the handgun, retrieving the firearm, and cycling a round into the chamber of the weapon.Nicholls charged towards Deputies before discharging, towards officers, a single round. A member of the Ness County Sheriff’s Office returned fire striking Nicholls who dropped the firearm. Medical personnel and members of the Sheriff’s Office began immediate life saving measures ultimately proving unsuccessful.&nbsp; Nicholls died of hiss injuries sustained in the incident. The Kansas Bureau of Investigations was requested to conduct an investigation into the Officer Involved Shooting. “After reviewing the reports from the KBI, the body worn cameras and taking into consideration the information available to the deputy at the time, Ness County Attorney Jacob Gayer ruled, in his professional opinion, the deputy was entitled under current Kansas law to use deadly force for the purposes of selfdefense. "First, the deputy had a sincere and honest belief that their life was in danger and that it was necessary to use deadly force to defend themself. Secondly, a reasonable person in the deputy’s circumstances could have reasonably perceived the use of deadly force was necessary.""Charges are not appropriate against the deputy in the death of Jesse L. Nicholls, on August 8."

Prosecutor declines to file charges in fatal Kan. officer shooting

MARION (AP) —Police officers who raided a small Kansas newspaper's offices last month didn't follow the requirements of the search warrant to only seize computers that had been directly involved in suspected identity theft, according to the newspaper's lawyer.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-first-amendment-f8f375dbf48b93fc15c12893b8b49f37">Authorities released</a>&nbsp;data to the newspaper last week showing police spent 1 hour and 20 minutes fruitlessly searching one computer for signs it was used to look up the driving record of a local restaurant owner and the status of her driver's license on the Kansas Department of Revenue's site. No evidence was found. But the&nbsp;<a href="http://marionrecord.com/">Marion County Record</a>&nbsp;'s attorney Bernie Rhodes said Tuesday that police seized that computer and then took all the other computers in the newsroom along with two reporters' cell phones without checking to see if any of those devices were involved.

“So it’s a complete and total sham, which is, in my view, simply more evidence that this so-called search was just a pretense to intimidate the newspaper,” Rhodes said.

The Record's publisher, Eric Meyer, whose home was also searched on Aug. 11 along with the home of a city council member, has said he thinks the the search was motivated by the newspaper's investigation of Police Chief Gideon Cody's background with the Kansas City Police Department before he was hired in Marion earlier this year.

Cody didn't respond to email questions from The Associated Press on Tuesday. He defended the search initially, but hasn't said much publicly since the Kansas Bureau of Investigation took over the case. He said in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">affidavits</a>&nbsp;used to obtain the search warrants that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.

Police had said in court documents that investigators believed the newspaper may have acted illegally to obtain personal information about a local restaurant owner. But a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Revenue has said the search a reporter did after they received some information from a tipster was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-ce9a8b98f05e2c4faef14e7ad6948316">legal</a>.

The KBI hasn't offered updates on its investigation or when it might turn over its findings to the local prosecutor in the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Video of the raid</a>&nbsp;on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later.

The raids have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">sharply criticized</a>&nbsp;nationally because of the implications for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">press protections</a>&nbsp;outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But now Rhodes said he believes there were also violations of the Fourth Amendment's restrictions on unreasonable searches.

In the search warrant, the judge directed police to “conduct a preview search of all located digital communications devices and digital storage media to exclude from seizure those which have not been involved in the identity theft.”

Rhodes said the data reviewed by his forensic expert shows that didn't happen. Rhodes is still gathering evidence for the lawsuit he plans to file on the newspaper's behalf, but one of the Record's reporters already filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-reporter-lawsuit-12f03fbd2821630b6d531d6b743047c9">her own lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against police.

Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey didn't immediately respond to questions Tuesday about the search warrants. But a few days after the raids,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-police-raid-51993acb6d3769184d28f81dbee66c43">he said</a>, there wasn't enough evidence to justify the searches so he ordered authorities to return everything they seized.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marionks.net/city-council">City Council</a>&nbsp;was holding another meeting Tuesday afternoon, but didn't plan to discuss the raids at all other than to hear public comments about it. Mayor David Mayfield the city's attorney advised him not to talk about the KBI's criminal investigation.

“When the investigation is completed by them, the council will then decide if any action needs to be taken,” Mayfield said in a text message to The Associated Press.

Mayfield said he believes that if there was anything wrong with the searches then the judge should have never approved the warrants, but once they were approved he believes police acted properly.

“It’s my understanding that the police served a valid search warrant that was issued,” he said.

But Mayfield said he really doesn't know everything that happened because when Cody told him he was investigating a City Council member “I told him I did not want to know any details.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692219843330.png" alt="-Police had said in court documents that investigators believed the newspaper may have acted illegally to obtain personal information about a local restaurant owner.-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Police had said in court documents that investigators believed the newspaper may have acted illegally to obtain personal information about a local restaurant owner.-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MARION (AP) —Police officers who raided a small Kansas newspaper's offices last month didn't follow the requirements of the search warrant to only seize computers that had been directly involved in suspected identity theft, according to the newspaper's lawyer.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-first-amendment-f8f375dbf48b93fc15c12893b8b49f37">Authorities released</a>&nbsp;data to the newspaper last week showing police spent 1 hour and 20 minutes fruitlessly searching one computer for signs it was used to look up the driving record of a local restaurant owner and the status of her driver's license on the Kansas Department of Revenue's site. No evidence was found. But the&nbsp;<a href="http://marionrecord.com/">Marion County Record</a>&nbsp;'s attorney Bernie Rhodes said Tuesday that police seized that computer and then took all the other computers in the newsroom along with two reporters' cell phones without checking to see if any of those devices were involved.“So it’s a complete and total sham, which is, in my view, simply more evidence that this so-called search was just a pretense to intimidate the newspaper,” Rhodes said.The Record's publisher, Eric Meyer, whose home was also searched on Aug. 11 along with the home of a city council member, has said he thinks the the search was motivated by the newspaper's investigation of Police Chief Gideon Cody's background with the Kansas City Police Department before he was hired in Marion earlier this year.Cody didn't respond to email questions from The Associated Press on Tuesday. He defended the search initially, but hasn't said much publicly since the Kansas Bureau of Investigation took over the case. He said in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">affidavits</a>&nbsp;used to obtain the search warrants that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.Police had said in court documents that investigators believed the newspaper may have acted illegally to obtain personal information about a local restaurant owner. But a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Revenue has said the search a reporter did after they received some information from a tipster was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-ce9a8b98f05e2c4faef14e7ad6948316">legal</a>.The KBI hasn't offered updates on its investigation or when it might turn over its findings to the local prosecutor in the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Video of the raid</a>&nbsp;on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later.The raids have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">sharply criticized</a>&nbsp;nationally because of the implications for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">press protections</a>&nbsp;outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But now Rhodes said he believes there were also violations of the Fourth Amendment's restrictions on unreasonable searches.In the search warrant, the judge directed police to “conduct a preview search of all located digital communications devices and digital storage media to exclude from seizure those which have not been involved in the identity theft.”Rhodes said the data reviewed by his forensic expert shows that didn't happen. Rhodes is still gathering evidence for the lawsuit he plans to file on the newspaper's behalf, but one of the Record's reporters already filed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-reporter-lawsuit-12f03fbd2821630b6d531d6b743047c9">her own lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against police.Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey didn't immediately respond to questions Tuesday about the search warrants. But a few days after the raids,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-police-raid-51993acb6d3769184d28f81dbee66c43">he said</a>, there wasn't enough evidence to justify the searches so he ordered authorities to return everything they seized.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marionks.net/city-council">City Council</a>&nbsp;was holding another meeting Tuesday afternoon, but didn't plan to discuss the raids at all other than to hear public comments about it. Mayor David Mayfield the city's attorney advised him not to talk about the KBI's criminal investigation.“When the investigation is completed by them, the council will then decide if any action needs to be taken,” Mayfield said in a text message to The Associated Press.Mayfield said he believes that if there was anything wrong with the searches then the judge should have never approved the warrants, but once they were approved he believes police acted properly.“It’s my understanding that the police served a valid search warrant that was issued,” he said.But Mayfield said he really doesn't know everything that happened because when Cody told him he was investigating a City Council member “I told him I did not want to know any details.”

Lawyer: Police didn't follow warrant in Kan. newspaper office search

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two juveniles for an alleged threat to a Kansas middle school.

Just after noon Tuesday,&nbsp;the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from an individual&nbsp;at&nbsp;Washburn Rural Middle School,&nbsp;5620 SW 61st St, Topeka, that referenced a bomb and bringing a gun to school, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Multiple&nbsp;law enforcement officers and K9 units from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Shawnee County&nbsp;Sheriff’s Office and Topeka Police Department&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;responded.

Through investigation, it was determined that&nbsp;two&nbsp;12-year-old boys were responsible for the call and&nbsp;the&nbsp;statements made to an emergency dispatcher.&nbsp;

Investigators&nbsp;were able to determine&nbsp;that there was&nbsp;no active threat to Washburn Rural students or the&nbsp;general&nbsp;public. 

This&nbsp;matter will continue to be investigated&nbsp;by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office&nbsp;and then forwarded&nbsp;to the Shawnee County District Attorney&nbsp;for review.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693964332604.png" alt="Investigators were able to determine that there was no active threat to Washburn Rural students or the general public.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Investigators were able to determine that there was no active threat to Washburn Rural students or the general public.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two juveniles for an alleged threat to a Kansas middle school.Just after noon Tuesday,&nbsp;the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from an individual&nbsp;at&nbsp;Washburn Rural Middle School,&nbsp;5620 SW 61st St, Topeka, that referenced a bomb and bringing a gun to school, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Multiple&nbsp;law enforcement officers and K9 units from&nbsp;the&nbsp;Shawnee County&nbsp;Sheriff’s Office and Topeka Police Department&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;responded.Through investigation, it was determined that&nbsp;two&nbsp;12-year-old boys were responsible for the call and&nbsp;the&nbsp;statements made to an emergency dispatcher.&nbsp;Investigators&nbsp;were able to determine&nbsp;that there was&nbsp;no active threat to Washburn Rural students or the&nbsp;general&nbsp;public. This&nbsp;matter will continue to be investigated&nbsp;by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office&nbsp;and then forwarded&nbsp;to the Shawnee County District Attorney&nbsp;for review.

Sheriff: 12-year-olds called in bomb, gun threat at Kan. middle school

TOPEKA&nbsp;– On Tuesday, Governor&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;welcomed U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona to Topeka to kick off his “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar.” Governor&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;and Secretary Cardona toured the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC) to learn more about how Kansas public schools are preparing students for the modern workforce.&nbsp;

“I was pleased to welcome Secretary Cardona to Kansas to showcase how the Sunflower State continues to prioritize our students, families, and teachers,”&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“We’ve fully funded public schools for five years in a row – making it possible for more students to engage in the kind of hands-on learning that will prepare them for future success.”&nbsp;

The tour was led by Topeka USD 501 Superintendent Tiffany Anderson, TCALC Principal Dustin Dick, and Zack Buffington, a Topeka West High School. They were joined by Randy Watson, Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education.&nbsp;

Created through business partnerships, TCALC is a high school program designed for juniors and seniors to explore professions in a hands-on learning environment and prepare for high-demand careers after graduation. Students are mentored by employers and exposed directly to careers they are interested in pursuing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The tour related to an announcement Governor&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;made in July that Kansas has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. Through the Policy Academy, Kansas will develop a strategy to expand apprenticeship opportunities to youth ages 16 and older to help them build the skills needed for the modern workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693927678460.png" alt="The tour related to an announcement Governor Kelly made in July that Kansas has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The tour related to an announcement Governor Kelly made in July that Kansas has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– On Tuesday, Governor&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;welcomed U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona to Topeka to kick off his “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar.” Governor&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;and Secretary Cardona toured the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers (TCALC) to learn more about how Kansas public schools are preparing students for the modern workforce.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EdBusTour23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EdBusTour23</a> — Let’s do this! <a href="https://t.co/5ID7NZPP78">pic.twitter.com/5ID7NZPP78</a>&mdash; Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecCardona/status/1699062994385383783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I was pleased to welcome Secretary Cardona to Kansas to showcase how the Sunflower State continues to prioritize our students, families, and teachers,”&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Laura&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“We’ve fully funded public schools for five years in a row – making it possible for more students to engage in the kind of hands-on learning that will prepare them for future success.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693927651794.png" alt="Randy Watson, Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education, Gov. Kelly and&nbsp; Secretary Cardona-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Randy Watson, Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education, Gov. Kelly and&nbsp; Secretary Cardona-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The tour was led by Topeka USD 501 Superintendent Tiffany Anderson, TCALC Principal Dustin Dick, and Zack Buffington, a Topeka West High School. They were joined by Randy Watson, Commissioner of the Kansas Department of Education.&nbsp;Created through business partnerships, TCALC is a high school program designed for juniors and seniors to explore professions in a hands-on learning environment and prepare for high-demand careers after graduation. Students are mentored by employers and exposed directly to careers they are interested in pursuing.&nbsp;&nbsp;The tour related to an announcement Governor&nbsp;Kelly&nbsp;made in July that Kansas has been selected to participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. Through the Policy Academy, Kansas will develop a strategy to expand apprenticeship opportunities to youth ages 16 and older to help them build the skills needed for the modern workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎥Back to School Bus Tour: U.S. Ed Secretary visits Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement and fire investigators continue to work intentionally set house fires in Topeka. After four arson fire arrests in August, officials reported two more arson fires so far this week.

Just after&nbsp; 10 a.m., Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 3110 SW 30th Terrrace in Topeka, according to Fire Department Spokesperson Rosie Nichols. 

Firefightgers found a small fire in the basement and were quickly able to extinguish it. All occupants self-evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire department and no injuries reported. 

Just after 3 a.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a second fire at the home. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the house. Firefighters began attacking the fire from the outside of the house. No occupants were found in the house.&nbsp;

A preliminary investigation determined the fire was intentionally set, according to Nicnols. The total estimated loss from this incident is $80,000, with $75,000 associated with structural loss and $5,000 associated with content loss.

The fire spread to an adjacent single-family home at 3120 SW 30th Terrace. Two occupants were able escape unharmed.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 2625 SE California Avenue in Topeka. First arriving fire crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the one-and-a-half story house.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crews performed a primary search and found no occupants.

An investigation determined this fire was also intentionally set. The total estimated loss from this incident is $22,000, all of which is associated with structural loss.

Investigators found no working smoke detectors located within these homes.&nbsp; Police have not reported any suspect details or an arrest for the fires.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693942757788.png" alt="Crews on the scene at 3110 SW 30th Terrrace in Topeka-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene at 3110 SW 30th Terrrace in Topeka-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement and fire investigators continue to work intentionally set house fires in Topeka. After four arson fire arrests in August, officials reported two more arson fires so far this week.Just after&nbsp; 10 a.m., Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 3110 SW 30th Terrrace in Topeka, according to Fire Department Spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Firefightgers found a small fire in the basement and were quickly able to extinguish it. All occupants self-evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire department and no injuries reported. Just after 3 a.m. Tuesday, crews responded to a second fire at the home. When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the house. Firefighters began attacking the fire from the outside of the house. No occupants were found in the house.&nbsp;A preliminary investigation determined the fire was intentionally set, according to Nicnols. The total estimated loss from this incident is $80,000, with $75,000 associated with structural loss and $5,000 associated with content loss.The fire spread to an adjacent single-family home at 3120 SW 30th Terrace. Two occupants were able escape unharmed.Just after 11:30 p.m. Monday, crews responded to a house fire at 2625 SE California Avenue in Topeka. First arriving fire crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the one-and-a-half story house.&nbsp;&nbsp;Crews performed a primary search and found no occupants.An investigation determined this fire was also intentionally set. The total estimated loss from this incident is $22,000, all of which is associated with structural loss.Investigators found no working smoke detectors located within these homes.&nbsp; Police have not reported any suspect details or an arrest for the fires.

Two more arson fires at homes in Topeka

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for orchestrating his far-right extremist group’s attack on the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of presidential power after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.</a>

Tarrio’s sentence is the longest so far among more than 1,100 Capitol riot cases, topping the 18-year sentences that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-jan-6-proud-boys-prison-sentence-58173200af1664716cbaec8ed2c2a145">one-time Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean</a>&nbsp;each received after juries convicted them of seditious conspiracy and other charges.

It comes as the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-indictment-1a5ae1a0ea35492e1e347e28867a7d3f">prepares to put Trump on trial</a>&nbsp;at the same courthouse in Washington on charges that the then-president illegally schemed to cling to power that he knew had been stripped away by voters.

The Tarrio case — and hundreds of others like it — function as a vivid reminder of the violent chaos fueled by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s lies around the election</a>&nbsp;and the extent to which his false claims helped inspire right-wing extremists who ultimately stormed the Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.

Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a “national embarrassment,” and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear. His voice cracked as he expressed remorse for letting down his family and vowed that he is done with politics.

“I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal,” Tarrio said.

“Please show me mercy,” he said, adding, “I ask you that you not take my 40s from me.”

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, said Tarrio was motivated by "revolutionary zeal" to lead the conspiracy that resulted in “200 men, amped up for battle, encircling the Capitol.” Noting that Tarrio had not previously shown any public remorse for his crimes, the judge said a stiff punishment was necessary to deter future political violence.

"It can't happen again. It can’t happen again,” the judge repeated.

Standing before the judge in orange jail garb, Tarrio lowered his head after the sentence was read, then squared his shoulders and put his hands before his back.

Prosecutors had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-proud-boys-sentencing-aa8fd5e8acbc5d173e6e462974014bc7">sought 33 years behind bars</a>&nbsp;for Tarrio, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent.

Prosecutor Conor Mulroe told the judge that the Proud Boys came dangerously close to succeeding in their plot to stop the transfer of presidential power — and noted that “it didn’t take rifles or explosives.”

“There was a very real possibility we were going to wake up on Jan. 7 in a full-blown constitutional crisis,” Mulroe said, with “300 million Americans having no idea who the next president would be or how it would be decided.”

The prosecutor urged the judge to ensure that “consequences are abundantly clear to anyone who might be unhappy with the results of 2024, 2028, 2032 or any future election for as long as this case is remembered.”

Tarrio wasn’t in Washington, D.C, when Proud Boys members joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">thousands of Trump supporters</a>, who smashed windows, beat police officers and poured into the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers met to certify Biden’s victory. But prosecutors say the 39-year-old Miami resident organized and led the Proud Boys’ assault from afar, inspiring followers with his charisma and penchant for propaganda.

Tarrio had been arrested two days before the Capitol riot on charges that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-race-and-ethnicity-district-of-columbia-4ec2c696a58253b95ef76e5c18aa5ada">defaced a Black Lives Matter banner</a>&nbsp;during an earlier rally in the nation’s capital, and he had complied with a judge’s order to leave the city after his arrest.

The judge agreed with prosecutors that the Proud Boys’ crimes could be punished as “terrorism” — increasing the recommended sentence under federal guidelines. But he ultimately sentenced the Proud Boys to prison terms shorter than what prosecutors were seeking.

The backbone of the government’s case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Jan. 6 that prosecutors say showed how the extremists saw themselves as revolutionaries and celebrated the Capitol attack, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-lawmakers-trauma-04e29724aa6017180259385642c1b990">sent lawmakers running into hiding</a>.

As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media, “Do what must be done.” In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded, “Do it again.”

“Make no mistake,” Tarrio wrote in another message. “We did this.”

Tarrio’s lawyers denied the Proud Boys had any plan to attack the Capitol or stop the certification of Biden’s victory. They argued that prosecutors used Tarrio as a scapegoat for Trump, who spoke at the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-media-e79eb5164613d6718e9f4502eb471f27">urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”</a>

Tarrio is the final Proud Boys leader convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-united-states-government-violence-proud-boys-0eedce46cf5375f3417f4a9c968a8e62">seditious conspiracy</a>&nbsp;to receive his punishment. Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614042711157.png" alt="Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a “national embarrassment,” and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear.-photo courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a “national embarrassment,” and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear.-photo courtesy CSPAN&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for orchestrating his far-right extremist group’s attack on the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of presidential power after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.</a>Tarrio’s sentence is the longest so far among more than 1,100 Capitol riot cases, topping the 18-year sentences that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-seditious-conspiracy-sentencing-b3ed4556a3dec577539c4181639f666c">Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-jan-6-proud-boys-prison-sentence-58173200af1664716cbaec8ed2c2a145">one-time Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean</a>&nbsp;each received after juries convicted them of seditious conspiracy and other charges.It comes as the Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-indictment-1a5ae1a0ea35492e1e347e28867a7d3f">prepares to put Trump on trial</a>&nbsp;at the same courthouse in Washington on charges that the then-president illegally schemed to cling to power that he knew had been stripped away by voters.The Tarrio case — and hundreds of others like it — function as a vivid reminder of the violent chaos fueled by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s lies around the election</a>&nbsp;and the extent to which his false claims helped inspire right-wing extremists who ultimately stormed the Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.Rising to speak before the sentence was handed down, Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a “national embarrassment,” and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear. His voice cracked as he expressed remorse for letting down his family and vowed that he is done with politics.“I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal,” Tarrio said.“Please show me mercy,” he said, adding, “I ask you that you not take my 40s from me.”U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, said Tarrio was motivated by "revolutionary zeal" to lead the conspiracy that resulted in “200 men, amped up for battle, encircling the Capitol.” Noting that Tarrio had not previously shown any public remorse for his crimes, the judge said a stiff punishment was necessary to deter future political violence."It can't happen again. It can’t happen again,” the judge repeated.Standing before the judge in orange jail garb, Tarrio lowered his head after the sentence was read, then squared his shoulders and put his hands before his back.Prosecutors had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/enrique-tarrio-capitol-riot-proud-boys-sentencing-aa8fd5e8acbc5d173e6e462974014bc7">sought 33 years behind bars</a>&nbsp;for Tarrio, describing him as the ringleader of a plot to use violence to shatter the cornerstone of American democracy and overturn the election victory by Joe Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, the Republican incumbent.Prosecutor Conor Mulroe told the judge that the Proud Boys came dangerously close to succeeding in their plot to stop the transfer of presidential power — and noted that “it didn’t take rifles or explosives.”“There was a very real possibility we were going to wake up on Jan. 7 in a full-blown constitutional crisis,” Mulroe said, with “300 million Americans having no idea who the next president would be or how it would be decided.”The prosecutor urged the judge to ensure that “consequences are abundantly clear to anyone who might be unhappy with the results of 2024, 2028, 2032 or any future election for as long as this case is remembered.”Tarrio wasn’t in Washington, D.C, when Proud Boys members joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">thousands of Trump supporters</a>, who smashed windows, beat police officers and poured into the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers met to certify Biden’s victory. But prosecutors say the 39-year-old Miami resident organized and led the Proud Boys’ assault from afar, inspiring followers with his charisma and penchant for propaganda.Tarrio had been arrested two days before the Capitol riot on charges that he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-race-and-ethnicity-district-of-columbia-4ec2c696a58253b95ef76e5c18aa5ada">defaced a Black Lives Matter banner</a>&nbsp;during an earlier rally in the nation’s capital, and he had complied with a judge’s order to leave the city after his arrest.The judge agreed with prosecutors that the Proud Boys’ crimes could be punished as “terrorism” — increasing the recommended sentence under federal guidelines. But he ultimately sentenced the Proud Boys to prison terms shorter than what prosecutors were seeking.The backbone of the government’s case was hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Jan. 6 that prosecutors say showed how the extremists saw themselves as revolutionaries and celebrated the Capitol attack, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-lawmakers-trauma-04e29724aa6017180259385642c1b990">sent lawmakers running into hiding</a>.As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media, “Do what must be done.” In a Proud Boys encrypted group chat later that day someone asked what they should do next. Tarrio responded, “Do it again.”“Make no mistake,” Tarrio wrote in another message. “We did this.”Tarrio’s lawyers denied the Proud Boys had any plan to attack the Capitol or stop the certification of Biden’s victory. They argued that prosecutors used Tarrio as a scapegoat for Trump, who spoke at the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-capitol-siege-media-e79eb5164613d6718e9f4502eb471f27">urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”</a>Tarrio is the final Proud Boys leader convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-united-states-government-violence-proud-boys-0eedce46cf5375f3417f4a9c968a8e62">seditious conspiracy</a>&nbsp;to receive his punishment. Three fellow Proud Boys found guilty by a Washington jury of the rarely used sedition charge were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 18 years.

Proud Boys’ leader apologizes before sentenced for Jan. 6 conspiracy

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a weekend arrest.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 2, a sheriff's deputy came in contact with Wendell Akins, 63, Ellinwood who was stopped at 250 N. Main Street in Hoisington, according Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Akins had an outstanding felony warrant issued by the Barton County District Court. The warrant was for felony DUI, failing to stop at an injury accident and driving while suspended. During the course of the arrest, the deputy located a bag containing suspected methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.

Akins was transported to the Barton County jail without incident and booked on the warrant which has a $40,000 bond as well as requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Those charges have a $10,000 bond, according to Bellendir.

Akins&nbsp;has numerous previous convictions for DUI and for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693929217022.jpeg" alt="Akins has numerous previous convictions for DUI and for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Akins has numerous previous convictions for DUI and for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a weekend arrest.Just after 10:30 p.m. Sept. 2, a sheriff's deputy came in contact with Wendell Akins, 63, Ellinwood who was stopped at 250 N. Main Street in Hoisington, according Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.Akins had an outstanding felony warrant issued by the Barton County District Court. The warrant was for felony DUI, failing to stop at an injury accident and driving while suspended. During the course of the arrest, the deputy located a bag containing suspected methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.Akins was transported to the Barton County jail without incident and booked on the warrant which has a $40,000 bond as well as requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Those charges have a $10,000 bond, according to Bellendir.Akins&nbsp;has numerous previous convictions for DUI and for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kan. felon with multiple DUI convictions was transporting meth

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a collision that fatally injured 56-year-old Sue Towles of Wichita.

Just before 9p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of South Oliver for a vehicle vs. bicyclist collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Towles unconscious and not breathing. EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed Towles was riding her bicycle southbound on Oliver in Wichita on the curb lane when a southbound&nbsp;1997 Pontiac Bonneville driven by a 58-year-old man from Wichita struck her.

The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with authorities. The investigation of the circumstances of the collision is ongoing, according to Rebolledo.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a collision that fatally injured 56-year-old Sue Towles of Wichita.Just before 9p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of South Oliver for a vehicle vs. bicyclist collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located Towles unconscious and not breathing. EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed Towles was riding her bicycle southbound on Oliver in Wichita on the curb lane when a southbound&nbsp;1997 Pontiac Bonneville driven by a 58-year-old man from Wichita struck her.The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with authorities. The investigation of the circumstances of the collision is ongoing, according to Rebolledo.

Police: Kansas bicyclist dies after struck by car

WASHINGTON (AP) — The attending physician to Congress said Thursday that he had cleared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to continue with his planned schedule after evaluating an incident in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">McConnell appeared to freeze up</a>&nbsp;at an event in Kentucky.

But the health episode — his second in public this summer — has fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation about his ability to remain as leader. The famously guarded McConnell called several of his deputies in leadership after the Wednesday health episode. But the longest-serving Senate party leader is still revealing little about his health condition, even to his closest colleagues.

McConnell, 81, appeared to freeze up and remained silent for about 30 seconds during a news conference Wednesday, almost a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">a similar incident in Washington</a>. In March, McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-concussion-hospital-release-b72a2b49260926d84a12cf94c1cfb944">suffered a concussion and broke a rib</a>&nbsp;after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel.

The Kentucky Republican's office released a statement from Dr. Brian Monahan saying that he had consulted with McConnell and his neurology team and cleared the senator to continue with his schedule. He did not say if he had examined McConnell personally, and he did not provide any additional details or a diagnosis.

"After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned," the short statement read. “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”

McConnell’s office has only said that he was feeling “momentarily lightheaded" when he froze up on Wednesday. An aide eventually came to his assistance and repeated questions for him, and he gave brief answers before leaving the room. The episode was strikingly similar to the incident in July, when he froze mid-sentence for around 20 seconds before fellow Republicans and an aide came to his assistance and led him back to his office. He then returned to the news conference and answered additional questions.

President Joe Biden said he spoke to McConnell on Thursday and the senator “was his old self on the telephone.”

“It’s not at all unusual to have a response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a severe concussion,” the president said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It’s part of the recovery, and so I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self.”

The Senate is scheduled to convene next week after the month-long August break, and there are certain to be questions from McConnell's colleagues about his health, which has visibly declined since the concussion in March. His speaking has been more halting, and he has walked more slowly and carefully.

The lack of information from McConnell and his doctors has prompted more questions on Capitol Hill about whether he will run for reelection in 2026 and who may succeed him as GOP leader. But the discussion has remained behind closed doors, for now, with most fellow Republican senators publicly supportive.

“I talked to Sen. McConnell yesterday and he seemed to be doing fine,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday after an event in his home state. “I don’t know what the underlying issue is, but we all wish him well. We know he’s had a fall, and a concussion, and I think this may be part of the recovery process from that. But I served with him for a long time now, he’s been my mentor, and basically everything I’ve learned about the United States Senate I’ve learned from him.”

Cornyn added that he expects McConnell “will continue as long as he can and wants to.”

As McConnell’s former top deputy, Cornyn is one of several senators who could be in the running to replace him. Speculation has also centered around South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who is currently McConnell’s No. 2, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is the No. 3 Republican and the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

McConnell called all three men on Wednesday after the episode, along with West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who also serve on McConnell’s leadership team.

In the calls, McConnell gave the senators reassurances about his health. A spokeswoman for Cornyn, Natalie Yezbick, said McConnell “shared that he was doing well.” A spokesman for Thune, Ryan Wrasse, said McConnell “sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits.”

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, another McConnell ally, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that she had spoken to him Thursday. “Leader Mitch McConnell called me this afternoon to discuss the resumption of Senate business next week,” she wrote. “He is fully prepared to continue leading our caucus when the Senate resumes session on Tuesday.”

Longtime McConnell friend and adviser Scott Jennings says he spent much of August with McConnell in Kentucky and noted that the GOP leader has kept a robust schedule, speaking frequently to the public and press. McConnell had just given a 20-minute speech with no issues when he froze up on Wednesday in response to a reporter's question about whether he would run for re-election in 2026.

Jennings said McConnell is "relatively private person when it comes to personal matters like that” and always has been. He pushed back on critics who say McConnell is too old to serve in his position.

“Two things are being conflated, his age and his recovery from this concussion,” Jennings said.

Still, many of his colleagues want more information. After McConnell's first public freeze-up in July, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said the job of leader calls for more transparency than it would for others.

“We should find out, you know, fairly soon what happened and how serious it is,” Cramer said then. “But I don’t have to tell you, Mitch is also, as an individual, a pretty private guy. So we’ll see.”

McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1984 and as GOP leader in 2007. He became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate at the beginning of the year.

He had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, McConnell also tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693945010291.png" alt="U.S. Capitol Attending Physician on Senator Mitch McConnell: "There is no evidence that you have seizure disorder or that you have experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease." -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Capitol Attending Physician on Senator Mitch McConnell: "There is no evidence that you have seizure disorder or that you have experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease." -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The attending physician to Congress said Thursday that he had cleared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to continue with his planned schedule after evaluating an incident in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">McConnell appeared to freeze up</a>&nbsp;at an event in Kentucky.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senator Mitch McConnell: &quot;One particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week. But I assure you August was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the Commonwealth.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/g5jegvZml6">https://t.co/g5jegvZml6</a> <a href="https://t.co/9UYKmC42Ry">pic.twitter.com/9UYKmC42Ry</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1699147978009895162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But the health episode — his second in public this summer — has fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation about his ability to remain as leader. The famously guarded McConnell called several of his deputies in leadership after the Wednesday health episode. But the longest-serving Senate party leader is still revealing little about his health condition, even to his closest colleagues.McConnell, 81, appeared to freeze up and remained silent for about 30 seconds during a news conference Wednesday, almost a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">a similar incident in Washington</a>. In March, McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-concussion-hospital-release-b72a2b49260926d84a12cf94c1cfb944">suffered a concussion and broke a rib</a>&nbsp;after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to have a health issue while speaking during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol. About 12 minutes later, the Minority Leader returned to the press conference and, when asked about what happened, said, &quot;I&#39;m fine.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EU7zDzGT0m">pic.twitter.com/EU7zDzGT0m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1684278322098761728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kentucky Republican's office released a statement from Dr. Brian Monahan saying that he had consulted with McConnell and his neurology team and cleared the senator to continue with his schedule. He did not say if he had examined McConnell personally, and he did not provide any additional details or a diagnosis."After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned," the short statement read. “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”McConnell’s office has only said that he was feeling “momentarily lightheaded" when he froze up on Wednesday. An aide eventually came to his assistance and repeated questions for him, and he gave brief answers before leaving the room. The episode was strikingly similar to the incident in July, when he froze mid-sentence for around 20 seconds before fellow Republicans and an aide came to his assistance and led him back to his office. He then returned to the news conference and answered additional questions.President Joe Biden said he spoke to McConnell on Thursday and the senator “was his old self on the telephone.”“It’s not at all unusual to have a response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a severe concussion,” the president said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It’s part of the recovery, and so I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self.”The Senate is scheduled to convene next week after the month-long August break, and there are certain to be questions from McConnell's colleagues about his health, which has visibly declined since the concussion in March. His speaking has been more halting, and he has walked more slowly and carefully.The lack of information from McConnell and his doctors has prompted more questions on Capitol Hill about whether he will run for reelection in 2026 and who may succeed him as GOP leader. But the discussion has remained behind closed doors, for now, with most fellow Republican senators publicly supportive.“I talked to Sen. McConnell yesterday and he seemed to be doing fine,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday after an event in his home state. “I don’t know what the underlying issue is, but we all wish him well. We know he’s had a fall, and a concussion, and I think this may be part of the recovery process from that. But I served with him for a long time now, he’s been my mentor, and basically everything I’ve learned about the United States Senate I’ve learned from him.”Cornyn added that he expects McConnell “will continue as long as he can and wants to.”As McConnell’s former top deputy, Cornyn is one of several senators who could be in the running to replace him. Speculation has also centered around South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who is currently McConnell’s No. 2, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is the No. 3 Republican and the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.McConnell called all three men on Wednesday after the episode, along with West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who also serve on McConnell’s leadership team.In the calls, McConnell gave the senators reassurances about his health. A spokeswoman for Cornyn, Natalie Yezbick, said McConnell “shared that he was doing well.” A spokesman for Thune, Ryan Wrasse, said McConnell “sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits.”Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, another McConnell ally, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that she had spoken to him Thursday. “Leader Mitch McConnell called me this afternoon to discuss the resumption of Senate business next week,” she wrote. “He is fully prepared to continue leading our caucus when the Senate resumes session on Tuesday.”Longtime McConnell friend and adviser Scott Jennings says he spent much of August with McConnell in Kentucky and noted that the GOP leader has kept a robust schedule, speaking frequently to the public and press. McConnell had just given a 20-minute speech with no issues when he froze up on Wednesday in response to a reporter's question about whether he would run for re-election in 2026.Jennings said McConnell is "relatively private person when it comes to personal matters like that” and always has been. He pushed back on critics who say McConnell is too old to serve in his position.“Two things are being conflated, his age and his recovery from this concussion,” Jennings said.Still, many of his colleagues want more information. After McConnell's first public freeze-up in July, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said the job of leader calls for more transparency than it would for others.“We should find out, you know, fairly soon what happened and how serious it is,” Cramer said then. “But I don’t have to tell you, Mitch is also, as an individual, a pretty private guy. So we’ll see.”McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1984 and as GOP leader in 2007. He became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate at the beginning of the year.He had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, McConnell also tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.

🎥 Doctor: 81-year-old Senate GOP leader can continue working

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at Wilson Lake have identified the victim as 52-year-old Andrew M. Jauch of Colorado, according to a media release.

On Tuesday morning, divers recovered his body. Through investigation it was learned that the boat Jauch was riding in had broken down and that Jauch had jumped into the water to cool off. Due to windy conditions, Jauch was separated from the boat.

The other occupants attempted to assist him, but their efforts were also hampered by the windy conditions.

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a possible drowning at Wilson Lake, according to a statement from the Russell County Sheriff's Office.

Just before 4p.m. Monday, a male subject went missing while swimming in the lake.  The Kansas Department of Wild life and Parks, Army Corp of Engineers, Russell County Rural Fire, Kansas Highway Patrol and Russell County EMS all&nbsp; responded to assist the Sheriff's Office with the search. 

The sheriff's office will released additional details after family has been notified.

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at Wilson Lake have identified the victim as 52-year-old Andrew M. Jauch of Colorado, according to a media release.On Tuesday morning, divers recovered his body. Through investigation it was learned that the boat Jauch was riding in had broken down and that Jauch had jumped into the water to cool off. Due to windy conditions, Jauch was separated from the boat.The other occupants attempted to assist him, but their efforts were also hampered by the windy conditions.-------------RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a possible drowning at Wilson Lake, according to a statement from the Russell County Sheriff's Office.Just before 4p.m. Monday, a male subject went missing while swimming in the lake. The Kansas Department of Wild life and Parks, Army Corp of Engineers, Russell County Rural Fire, Kansas Highway Patrol and Russell County EMS all&nbsp; responded to assist the Sheriff's Office with the search. The sheriff's office will released additional details after family has been notified.

Sheriff IDs man who drowned at Kansas lake

KHP objects to federal judge’s draft injunction, including 4 years of trooper scrutiny

TOPEKA — U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil proposed unprecedented court oversight of the Kansas Highway Patrol to break the law enforcement agency’s affinity for unconstitutional searches of vehicles and perpetuation of what the judge likened to a war on motorists traveling in Kansas.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and KHP submitted to the federal court written briefs arguing for and against remedies contemplated by the judge.

In July, Vratil released a list of her ideas for interdiction of KHP’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to gain entry by troopers or drug dogs into vehicles stopped along Kansas roads in the quest to find illegal drugs. Her decision finding KHP acted unconstitutionally during traffic stops came at conclusion of a trial initiated by lawsuits filed by ACLU of Kansas.

She made made it clear in her written decision she was driven to thwart KHP’s infringement of rights against unreasonable searches and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She proposed KHP be placed under the watchful eye of a special court master for as many as four years.

“Even though the law requires that consent be knowing, intelligent and voluntary, troopers don’t generally let such niceties stand in their way,” Vratil said. “For drivers who are not initially forthcoming with consent, troopers are trained to conclude the traffic stop, somehow signal that the driver is free to go, then immediately re-engage the driver in friendly, casual conversation to keep the driver at the scene and enable the trooper to develop reasonable suspicion or take another stab at getting consent.”

“If the driver persists in refusing to consent, the trooper has a fallback position. Search the vehicle anyway and claim that he had reasonable suspicion all along,” the judge said in her opinion. “The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”

Stakes are high for civil rights activists, the law enforcement community and drivers in Kansas, especially people with out-of-state license plates on Interstate 70 headed to or returning from recreational marijuana states of Missouri and Colorado who have been targeted by KHP.

Vratil asked both sides in the dispute to submit briefs in response to her consideration of traffic-stop reporting mandates, retention of audio and video evidence of stops, clearance from a supervisor for searches, mandatory retraining of troopers and appointment of a special master to conduct compliance reviews of KHP.

The judge said she was inclined to require KHP personnel to affirmatively inform drivers of their right to refuse a law enforcement search and to terminate consent at any time. Vratil found objectionable the training of troopers to avoid telling drivers they were free to go at conclusion of the initial stop. KHP exploited the population’s lack of knowledge about their constitutional right to end a voluntary detention, the judge said.

ACLU of Kansas filed lawsuits against KHP that outlined cases in which motorists were victimized by the two-step maneuver. The organization’s court filings contended the agency ignored established judicial precedent regarding vehicle searches and disregarded constitutional rights of motorists by failing to secure reasonable suspicion before invading vehicles without owners’ consent.

KHP troopers were taught to end the initial traffic stop with benign statements such as “have a good day,” walk a couple of paces toward a patrol car and turn back to engage in a secondary conversation to fish for probable cause enabling a vehicle search, the ACLU said.

Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU in Kansas, said the judge’s proposed remedies illustrated the federal court wouldn’t “tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”

Brett said ACLU endorsed the judge’s roster of KHP procedural changes and initiation of a plan to bring accountability to the agency’s handling of traffic stops. ACLU lawyers did recommend Vratil appoint a court monitor rather than a special master to provide oversight of KHP.

She said failure to impose precise standards on KHP would place Kansas motorists at risk of “exposure to future constitutional violations constitutes irreparable harm sufficient to justify injunctive relief.”

In the ACLU’s brief, attorneys argued KHP’s leadership remained hostile to the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Vasquez v. Lewis. In that 2016 decision, the appellate court denied qualified immunity to KHP troopers who had unconstitutionally detained an out-of-state motorist. The federal court said it was “time to stop the practice of detention of motorists for nothing more than an out-of-state license plate.”

A lawyer with the Kansas attorney general’s office, which is representing KHP, said in a written brief there was no good reason for the judge to order years of micromanagement at the statewide policing agency.

Stanley Parker, an assistant attorney general working on behalf of KHP Superintendent Erik Smith, said the judge’s plan for an injunction against KHP wasn’t needed. Parker said the U.S. legal system contained well-established safeguards for rejecting improperly obtained evidence and afforded people opportunity through lawsuits to seek monetary damages for unconstitutional searches by law enforcement.

“The fact that these plaintiffs experienced distress, humiliation, anger and other non-monetary harm does not mean that available legal remedies are inadequate, nor does it mean that such harm is irreparable,” Parker said.

Vratil’s draft injunction wasn’t narrowly tailored to address constitutional violations identified by the court and would hinder KHP’s law enforcement mission, Parker said.

Parker argued it would be unjust for Vratil to issue an injunction establishing a court-appointed observer and said procedural changes envisioned by the judge would be a financial and administrative burden.

It would be impractical, Parker said, to expect troopers to inform a supervisor and receive approval from a superior before engaging in vehicle searches. He said this would inappropriately lengthen detention of motorists at traffic stops.

He said it wasn’t reasonable to require troopers to submit documentation of stops by the end of their shift and to mandate supervisors review those reports in 12 hours. He suggested troopers submit documentation within 48 hours after end of a shift and supervisors be given 72 hours to review reports.

Parker also objected to Vratil’s notion of requiring KHP personnel to be transparent about the right of motorists to decline a search or withdraw consent for a search. He said it would be an undue burden on troopers to document in writing what they determined to be consent given for each search.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693923500580.png" alt=" Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith inherited a lawsuit challenging the agency’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to trigger trooper or canine searches of vehicles. A U.S. District Court judge ruled the KHP policy violated constitutional rights of motorists. KHP and the ACLU of Kansas offered insight into the judge’s proposed strategy for bringing KHP into constitutional compliance. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith inherited a lawsuit challenging the agency’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to trigger trooper or canine searches of vehicles. A U.S. District Court judge ruled the KHP policy violated constitutional rights of motorists. KHP and the ACLU of Kansas offered insight into the judge’s proposed strategy for bringing KHP into constitutional compliance. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KHP objects to federal judge’s draft injunction, including 4 years of trooper scrutiny</h2>BY: TIM CARPENTERTOPEKA — U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil proposed unprecedented court oversight of the Kansas Highway Patrol to break the law enforcement agency’s affinity for unconstitutional searches of vehicles and perpetuation of what the judge likened to a war on motorists traveling in Kansas.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and KHP submitted to the federal court written briefs arguing for and against remedies contemplated by the judge.In July, Vratil released a list of her ideas for interdiction of KHP’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to gain entry by troopers or drug dogs into vehicles stopped along Kansas roads in the quest to find illegal drugs. Her decision finding KHP acted unconstitutionally during traffic stops came at conclusion of a trial initiated by lawsuits filed by ACLU of Kansas.She made made it clear in her written decision she was driven to thwart KHP’s infringement of rights against unreasonable searches and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She proposed KHP be placed under the watchful eye of a special court master for as many as four years.“Even though the law requires that consent be knowing, intelligent and voluntary, troopers don’t generally let such niceties stand in their way,” Vratil said. “For drivers who are not initially forthcoming with consent, troopers are trained to conclude the traffic stop, somehow signal that the driver is free to go, then immediately re-engage the driver in friendly, casual conversation to keep the driver at the scene and enable the trooper to develop reasonable suspicion or take another stab at getting consent.”“If the driver persists in refusing to consent, the trooper has a fallback position. Search the vehicle anyway and claim that he had reasonable suspicion all along,” the judge said in her opinion. “The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”Stakes are high for civil rights activists, the law enforcement community and drivers in Kansas, especially people with out-of-state license plates on Interstate 70 headed to or returning from recreational marijuana states of Missouri and Colorado who have been targeted by KHP.Vratil asked both sides in the dispute to submit briefs in response to her consideration of traffic-stop reporting mandates, retention of audio and video evidence of stops, clearance from a supervisor for searches, mandatory retraining of troopers and appointment of a special master to conduct compliance reviews of KHP.The judge said she was inclined to require KHP personnel to affirmatively inform drivers of their right to refuse a law enforcement search and to terminate consent at any time. Vratil found objectionable the training of troopers to avoid telling drivers they were free to go at conclusion of the initial stop. KHP exploited the population’s lack of knowledge about their constitutional right to end a voluntary detention, the judge said.<h2>The ACLU’s perspective</h2>ACLU of Kansas filed lawsuits against KHP that outlined cases in which motorists were victimized by the two-step maneuver. The organization’s court filings contended the agency ignored established judicial precedent regarding vehicle searches and disregarded constitutional rights of motorists by failing to secure reasonable suspicion before invading vehicles without owners’ consent.KHP troopers were taught to end the initial traffic stop with benign statements such as “have a good day,” walk a couple of paces toward a patrol car and turn back to engage in a secondary conversation to fish for probable cause enabling a vehicle search, the ACLU said.Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU in Kansas, said the judge’s proposed remedies illustrated the federal court wouldn’t “tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”Brett said ACLU endorsed the judge’s roster of KHP procedural changes and initiation of a plan to bring accountability to the agency’s handling of traffic stops. ACLU lawyers did recommend Vratil appoint a court monitor rather than a special master to provide oversight of KHP.She said failure to impose precise standards on KHP would place Kansas motorists at risk of “exposure to future constitutional violations constitutes irreparable harm sufficient to justify injunctive relief.”In the ACLU’s brief, attorneys argued KHP’s leadership remained hostile to the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Vasquez v. Lewis. In that 2016 decision, the appellate court denied qualified immunity to KHP troopers who had unconstitutionally detained an out-of-state motorist. The federal court said it was “time to stop the practice of detention of motorists for nothing more than an out-of-state license plate.”<h2>KHP’s rebuttal argument</h2>A lawyer with the Kansas attorney general’s office, which is representing KHP, said in a written brief there was no good reason for the judge to order years of micromanagement at the statewide policing agency.Stanley Parker, an assistant attorney general working on behalf of KHP Superintendent Erik Smith, said the judge’s plan for an injunction against KHP wasn’t needed. Parker said the U.S. legal system contained well-established safeguards for rejecting improperly obtained evidence and afforded people opportunity through lawsuits to seek monetary damages for unconstitutional searches by law enforcement.“The fact that these plaintiffs experienced distress, humiliation, anger and other non-monetary harm does not mean that available legal remedies are inadequate, nor does it mean that such harm is irreparable,” Parker said.Vratil’s draft injunction wasn’t narrowly tailored to address constitutional violations identified by the court and would hinder KHP’s law enforcement mission, Parker said.Parker argued it would be unjust for Vratil to issue an injunction establishing a court-appointed observer and said procedural changes envisioned by the judge would be a financial and administrative burden.It would be impractical, Parker said, to expect troopers to inform a supervisor and receive approval from a superior before engaging in vehicle searches. He said this would inappropriately lengthen detention of motorists at traffic stops.He said it wasn’t reasonable to require troopers to submit documentation of stops by the end of their shift and to mandate supervisors review those reports in 12 hours. He suggested troopers submit documentation within 48 hours after end of a shift and supervisors be given 72 hours to review reports.Parker also objected to Vratil’s notion of requiring KHP personnel to be transparent about the right of motorists to decline a search or withdraw consent for a search. He said it would be an undue burden on troopers to document in writing what they determined to be consent given for each search.

ACLU seeks strict boundaries to end KHP’s unconstitutional vehicle searches

By NATE KING Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle accident that occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on N. Brookville Road in Saline County.&nbsp;

According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, Cadence Halfhill, 17, of Ellsworth was traveling southbound in the 2800 block of N. Brookville Road when the tire of her&nbsp; 1997 Ford Explorer dropped off the edge of the roadway causing her to swerve.&nbsp;

"She tried to come back onto the road but overcorrected and ended up swerving back to the right again," Soldan said. "The SUV rolled down through a ditch out into the pasture, taking out a fence and a tree."

Salina EMS transported her to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of an injured arm and a broken leg, according to Soldan.

&nbsp;The SUV was in a place where the vehicle couldn't be seen from the road so she had to crawl up to be seen by someone on the road. The driver of a passing vehicle saw Halfhill and stopped to call 9-1-1, according to Soldan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693935105827.jpeg" alt="Images Courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Images Courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle accident that occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on N. Brookville Road in Saline County.&nbsp;According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, Cadence Halfhill, 17, of Ellsworth was traveling southbound in the 2800 block of N. Brookville Road when the tire of her&nbsp; 1997 Ford Explorer dropped off the edge of the roadway causing her to swerve.&nbsp;"She tried to come back onto the road but overcorrected and ended up swerving back to the right again," Soldan said. "The SUV rolled down through a ditch out into the pasture, taking out a fence and a tree."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693935152231.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Salina EMS transported her to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of an injured arm and a broken leg, according to Soldan.&nbsp;The SUV was in a place where the vehicle couldn't be seen from the road so she had to crawl up to be seen by someone on the road. The driver of a passing vehicle saw Halfhill and stopped to call 9-1-1, according to Soldan.

Kan. teen rescued after crawling from ditch following SUV crash

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and Russia agreed Tuesday to extend their voluntary oil production cuts through the end of this year, trimming 1.3 million barrels of crude out of the global market and boosting energy prices.

The dual announcements from Riyadh and Moscow pushed benchmark Brent crude above $90 a barrel in trading Tuesday afternoon, a price unseen in the market since November.

The countries' moves could increase inflation and the cost for motorists at gasoline pumps. It also puts new pressure on Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, as President Joe Biden last year warned the kingdom there would be unspecified “consequences” for partnering with Russia on cuts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Moscow wages war on Ukraine</a>.

Saudi Arabia's announcement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, said the country still would monitor the market and could take further action if necessary.

“This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets,” the Saudi Press Agency report said, citing an unnamed Energy Ministry official.

State-run Russian news agency Tass quoted Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister and former energy minister, as saying Moscow would continue its 300,000 barrel a day cut.

The decision “is aimed at strengthening the precautionary measures taken by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">OPEC+ countries</a>&nbsp;in order to maintain stability and balance of oil markets,” Novak said.

Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday above $90 a barrel after the announcement. Brent had largely hovered between $75 and $85 a barrel since last October. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for America, traded over $87 a barrel.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Biden and U.S. lawmakers have criticized Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.

Bob McNally, the founder and president of the Washington-based Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House energy adviser, said Saudi Arabia and Russia had “demonstrated their unity and resolve to proactively manage" the risk of oil prices potentially dropping in tougher economic conditions with their announcement Tuesday.

“Barring a sharp economic downturn, these supply cuts will drive deep deficits into global oil balances and should propel crude oil prices well above $90 per barrel,” McNally said.

The average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the U.S. stands at $3.81, according to AAA, just under the all-time high for Labor Day of $3.83 in 2012. However, gasoline demand typically drops for U.S. motorists after the holiday so it remains unclear what immediate effect this could have on the American market, AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said.

“I’m more concerned about what the rest of hurricane season may hold,” Gross told The Associated Press. “A big storm along the Gulf coast could move prices dramatically here.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-hurricane-idalia-2136985ceea53f5deb600c43aeea1138">Hurricane Idalia</a>&nbsp;just plowed through Florida and U.S. forecasters said Tuesday that a new tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean could become a “major hurricane.”

Meanwhile, higher gasoline prices can increase transportation costs and ultimately push the prices of goods even higher at a time when the U.S. and much of the world is already raising interest rates to combat inflation.

“The impact these cuts will have on inflation and economic policy in the West is hard to predict, but higher oil prices will only increase the likelihood of more fiscal tightening, especially in the U.S., to curtail inflation,” said Jorge Leon, a senior vice president at Rystad Energy. “Western leaders, wary of an oil price spike, could explore import adjustments or open diplomatic discussions to help mitigate the impact and tame inflation.”

The Saudi reduction, which began in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">A series of production cuts over the past year</a>&nbsp;has failed to substantially boost prices amid weakened demand from China and tighter monetary policy aimed at combating inflation. But with international travel back up to nearly pre-pandemic levels, the demand for oil likely will continue to rise.

The Saudis are particularly keen to boost oil prices in order to fund Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to overhaul the kingdom’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil and to create jobs for a young population.

The plan includes several massive infrastructure projects, including the construction of a futuristic $500 billion city called Neom.

But Saudi Arabia also has to manage its relationship with Washington. Biden campaigned on a promise of making the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

In recent months, tensions eased slightly as Biden's administration sought a deal with Riyadh for it to diplomatically recognize Israel.

But those talks include Saudi Arabia pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges open the door to a possible weapons program.

Prince Mohammed already has said the kingdom would pursue an atomic bomb if Iran had one, potentially creating a nuclear arms race in the region as Tehran’s program continues to advance closer to weapons-grade levels. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a détente in recent months, though the region remains tense amid the wider tensions between Iran and the U.S.

Higher oil prices would also help Russian President Vladimir Putin fund his war on Ukraine. Western countries have used a price cap to try to cut into Moscow’s revenues. But those sanctions have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">Moscow be forced to sell its oil at a discount</a>&nbsp;to countries like China and India.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683569393523.png" alt="There was no immediate reaction in Washington, though U.S. lawmakers have criticized OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions." />
 <figcaption>There was no immediate reaction in Washington, though U.S. lawmakers have criticized OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and Russia agreed Tuesday to extend their voluntary oil production cuts through the end of this year, trimming 1.3 million barrels of crude out of the global market and boosting energy prices.The dual announcements from Riyadh and Moscow pushed benchmark Brent crude above $90 a barrel in trading Tuesday afternoon, a price unseen in the market since November.The countries' moves could increase inflation and the cost for motorists at gasoline pumps. It also puts new pressure on Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, as President Joe Biden last year warned the kingdom there would be unspecified “consequences” for partnering with Russia on cuts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Moscow wages war on Ukraine</a>.Saudi Arabia's announcement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, said the country still would monitor the market and could take further action if necessary.“This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets,” the Saudi Press Agency report said, citing an unnamed Energy Ministry official.State-run Russian news agency Tass quoted Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister and former energy minister, as saying Moscow would continue its 300,000 barrel a day cut.The decision “is aimed at strengthening the precautionary measures taken by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">OPEC+ countries</a>&nbsp;in order to maintain stability and balance of oil markets,” Novak said.Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday above $90 a barrel after the announcement. Brent had largely hovered between $75 and $85 a barrel since last October. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for America, traded over $87 a barrel.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Biden and U.S. lawmakers have criticized Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.Bob McNally, the founder and president of the Washington-based Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House energy adviser, said Saudi Arabia and Russia had “demonstrated their unity and resolve to proactively manage" the risk of oil prices potentially dropping in tougher economic conditions with their announcement Tuesday.“Barring a sharp economic downturn, these supply cuts will drive deep deficits into global oil balances and should propel crude oil prices well above $90 per barrel,” McNally said.The average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the U.S. stands at $3.81, according to AAA, just under the all-time high for Labor Day of $3.83 in 2012. However, gasoline demand typically drops for U.S. motorists after the holiday so it remains unclear what immediate effect this could have on the American market, AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said.“I’m more concerned about what the rest of hurricane season may hold,” Gross told The Associated Press. “A big storm along the Gulf coast could move prices dramatically here.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-hurricane-idalia-2136985ceea53f5deb600c43aeea1138">Hurricane Idalia</a>&nbsp;just plowed through Florida and U.S. forecasters said Tuesday that a new tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean could become a “major hurricane.”Meanwhile, higher gasoline prices can increase transportation costs and ultimately push the prices of goods even higher at a time when the U.S. and much of the world is already raising interest rates to combat inflation.“The impact these cuts will have on inflation and economic policy in the West is hard to predict, but higher oil prices will only increase the likelihood of more fiscal tightening, especially in the U.S., to curtail inflation,” said Jorge Leon, a senior vice president at Rystad Energy. “Western leaders, wary of an oil price spike, could explore import adjustments or open diplomatic discussions to help mitigate the impact and tame inflation.”The Saudi reduction, which began in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">A series of production cuts over the past year</a>&nbsp;has failed to substantially boost prices amid weakened demand from China and tighter monetary policy aimed at combating inflation. But with international travel back up to nearly pre-pandemic levels, the demand for oil likely will continue to rise.The Saudis are particularly keen to boost oil prices in order to fund Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to overhaul the kingdom’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil and to create jobs for a young population.The plan includes several massive infrastructure projects, including the construction of a futuristic $500 billion city called Neom.But Saudi Arabia also has to manage its relationship with Washington. Biden campaigned on a promise of making the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.In recent months, tensions eased slightly as Biden's administration sought a deal with Riyadh for it to diplomatically recognize Israel.But those talks include Saudi Arabia pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges open the door to a possible weapons program.Prince Mohammed already has said the kingdom would pursue an atomic bomb if Iran had one, potentially creating a nuclear arms race in the region as Tehran’s program continues to advance closer to weapons-grade levels. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a détente in recent months, though the region remains tense amid the wider tensions between Iran and the U.S.Higher oil prices would also help Russian President Vladimir Putin fund his war on Ukraine. Western countries have used a price cap to try to cut into Moscow’s revenues. But those sanctions have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">Moscow be forced to sell its oil at a discount</a>&nbsp;to countries like China and India.

Oil prices spike as Saudi Arabia extends oil cuts through end of year

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend drowning have identified the victim as 51-year-old Miguel Maurea-Hernandez of Olathe.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday, police were notified of a possible drowning at Lake Miola,&nbsp;299th Street and Hedge Lane Road in the city of Paola, according to Interim Police Chief Chad Corbin.

Miami County Fire and Rescue located Maurea-Hernandez just after 8p.m. and he was pronounced deceased.

Paola Fire, Osawatomie Fire and Rescue, Miami County Fire and EMS and the Miami County Sheriff's office assisted with the search, according to Corbin.

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend drowning have identified the victim as 51-year-old Miguel Maurea-Hernandez of Olathe.Just after 7p.m. Saturday, police were notified of a possible drowning at Lake Miola,&nbsp;299th Street and Hedge Lane Road in the city of Paola, according to Interim Police Chief Chad Corbin.Miami County Fire and Rescue located Maurea-Hernandez just after 8p.m. and he was pronounced deceased.Paola Fire, Osawatomie Fire and Rescue, Miami County Fire and EMS and the Miami County Sheriff's office assisted with the search, according to Corbin.

Police Chief IDs Kansas man who drowned in city lake

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">A short-term funding measure</a>&nbsp;to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609336667005.png" alt="The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">A short-term funding measure</a>&nbsp;to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the deal-making will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">The president and congressional leaders</a>, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a months-long funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. It's a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hardline conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown.“Honestly, it's a pretty big mess,” McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week.Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break:KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPENWhen Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-senate-house-default-b8c3566b0c9cb168d9706aa256e327f7">suspend the nation's debt</a>&nbsp;ceiling in June, it included provisions for topline spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans have advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement.Republicans have also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill.But Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights.Top lawmakers in both chambers are now turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement.The House Freedom Caucus has already released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-shutdown-freedom-caucus-mccarthy-8d2d2296cb1680dc1bf945d726da178f">a list of demands</a>&nbsp;it wants included in the continuing resolution. But they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate.The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill — but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past have threatened to oust him from the speakership.Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP.“The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns Tuesday will be “funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown.”It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration.“If we shut down, all of government shuts it down — investigations and everything else — it hurts the American public,” the speaker said on Fox News last week.IMPEACHMENT INQUIRYSince they gained the House majority, Republicans have launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye towards impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They have now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-impeachment-mccarthy-hannity-78e4c7efeb030b29e1576f868257179b">zeroed in on the president's son</a>, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma.The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-government-shutdown-56d9ccc7f090ea220a47e877e503179e">McCarthy has called impeachment</a>&nbsp;a “natural step forward” for the investigations.An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. It is not yet clear what that may look like, especially because the speaker does not appear to have the GOP votes lined up to support an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt.But Donald Trump, running once again to challenge Biden, is prodding them to move ahead quickly.“I don’t know how actually how a Republican could not do it," Trump said in an interview on Real America's Voice. “I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district you’re in.”UKRAINE AND DISASTER FUNDINGThe White House has requested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-invasion-biden-congress-funding-d392f9b1adbb9c44249dce1cccdc2d1e">more than $40 billion</a>&nbsp;in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home.The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans, especially as Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of the war.Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members.It is also not clear whether the White House's supplemental request for U.S. disaster funding, which also includes funds to bolster enforcement and curb drug trafficking at the southern U.S. border, will be tied to the Ukraine funding or a continuing budget resolution. The disaster funding enjoys wide support in the House, but could be tripped up if packaged with other funding proposals.LEGISLATION ON HOLDThe Senate is expected to spend most of September focused on funding the government and confirming Biden's nominees, meaning that major policy legislation will have to wait. But Schumer outlined some priorities for the remaining months of the year in the letter to his colleagues.Schumer said the Senate would work on legislation to lower the costs of drugs, address rail safety and provide disaster relief after floods in Vermont, fires in Hawaii and a hurricane in Florida.Senators will also continue to examine whether legislation is needed to address artificial intelligence. Schumer has convened what he is calling an “AI insight forum” on Sept. 13 in the Senate with tech industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla, as well as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.HEALTH CONCERNSSenate Republicans will return next week to renewed questions about the health of their leader, McConnell.McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he has frozen up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">he fell silent</a>&nbsp;for roughly 30 seconds as he answered a question from a reporter.Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/When%20the%20Senate%20returns%20next%20week,%20our%20focus%20will%20be%20on%20funding%20the%20government%20and%20preventing%20House%20Republican%20extremists%20from%20forcing%20a%20government%20shutdown.">said Thursday</a>&nbsp;that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell — the longest-serving party leader in Senate history — can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him.Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-fall-hospital-31a1358e1c25839b45bb699d83c75d58">Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly</a>&nbsp;wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing.And in the House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-scalise-blood-cancer-house-republican-leader-f98d35f1d09e8c8009e180068b191daa">Rep. Steve Scalise</a>, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment.Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as “very treatable.”