NEW YORK (AP) — The proportion of U.S. kindergartners exempted from school vaccination requirements has hit its highest level ever, 3%, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

More parents are questioning routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, an effect of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-governor-hutchinson-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-09cadd2e75ddd5a4c0758b2cb1b6cbfd">the political schism</a>&nbsp;that emerged during the pandemic around COVID-19 vaccines, experts say.

Even though more kids were given exemptions, the national vaccination rate held steady: 93% of kindergarteners got their required shots for the 2022-2023 school year, the same as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-children-measles-acba3eb975fdfcd41732ed87511387f2">the year before</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7245a2.htm?s_cid=mm7245a2_w">in a report</a>&nbsp;Thursday. The rate was 95% in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The bad news is that it’s gone down since the pandemic and still hasn’t rebounded,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist. “The good news is that the vast majority of parents are still vaccinating their kids according to the recommended schedule.”

All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/years-4-6.html">a number of diseases</a>, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.

All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevents them from receiving certain vaccines. And most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/states-with-religious-and-philosophical-exemptions-from-school-immunization-requirements">also permit exemptions</a>&nbsp;for religious or other nonmedical reasons.

In the last decade, the percentage of kindergarteners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to 3% last year.

Last year, more than 115,000 kindergartners were exempt from at least one vaccine, the CDC estimated.

Ten states — all in the West or Midwest — reported that more than 5% of kindergartners were exempted from at least one kind of required vaccine. Idaho had the highest percentage, with 12% of kindergartners receiving at least one exemption. In contrast, 0.1% had exemptions in New York.

The rates can be influenced by state laws or policies can make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated.

“Sometimes these jumps in exemptions can be very local, and it may not reflect a whole state,” said O’Leary, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases.

Hawaii saw the largest jump, with the exemption rate rising to 6.4%, nearly double the year before.

Officials there said it’s not due to any law or policy change. Rather, “we have observed that there has been misinformation/disinformation impacting people’s decision to vaccinate or not via social media platforms,” officials at the state’s health department said in a statement.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-religion-health-education-government-and-politics-6d9ce916908bbdacce4e7a7840a57a87">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-maine-coronavirus-pandemic-67b7dd0f9f93615928efbbc9c46baf5e">Maine</a>&nbsp;saw significant declines, which CDC officials attributed to recent policy changes that made it harder to get exemptions.

Health officials say attaining 95% vaccination coverage is important to prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases, especially of measles, which is extremely contagious.

The U.S. has seen measles outbreaks begin when travelers infected elsewhere came to communities with low vaccination rates. That happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2561e6a7023dccec900420578d758526">in 2019</a>&nbsp;when about 1,300 measles cases were reported — the most in the U.S. in nearly 30 years. Most of the cases were in were in Orthodox Jewish communities with low vaccination rates.

One apparent paradox in the report: The national vaccination rate held steady even as exemptions increased. How could that be?

CDC officials say it’s because there are actually three groups of children in the vaccination statistics. One is those who get all the shots. A second is those who get exemptions. The third are children who didn't seek exemptions but also didn’t get all their shots and paperwork completed at the time the data was collected.

“Last year, those kids in that third group probably decreased,” offsetting the increase in the exemption group, the CDC’s Shannon Stokley said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671049425198.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The proportion of U.S. kindergartners exempted from school vaccination requirements has hit its highest level ever, 3%, U.S. health officials said Thursday.More parents are questioning routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, an effect of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-governor-hutchinson-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-09cadd2e75ddd5a4c0758b2cb1b6cbfd">the political schism</a>&nbsp;that emerged during the pandemic around COVID-19 vaccines, experts say.Even though more kids were given exemptions, the national vaccination rate held steady: 93% of kindergarteners got their required shots for the 2022-2023 school year, the same as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-children-measles-acba3eb975fdfcd41732ed87511387f2">the year before</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7245a2.htm?s_cid=mm7245a2_w">in a report</a>&nbsp;Thursday. The rate was 95% in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.“The bad news is that it’s gone down since the pandemic and still hasn’t rebounded,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist. “The good news is that the vast majority of parents are still vaccinating their kids according to the recommended schedule.”All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/years-4-6.html">a number of diseases</a>, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevents them from receiving certain vaccines. And most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/states-with-religious-and-philosophical-exemptions-from-school-immunization-requirements">also permit exemptions</a>&nbsp;for religious or other nonmedical reasons.In the last decade, the percentage of kindergarteners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to 3% last year.Last year, more than 115,000 kindergartners were exempt from at least one vaccine, the CDC estimated.The rates vary across the country.Ten states — all in the West or Midwest — reported that more than 5% of kindergartners were exempted from at least one kind of required vaccine. Idaho had the highest percentage, with 12% of kindergartners receiving at least one exemption. In contrast, 0.1% had exemptions in New York.The rates can be influenced by state laws or policies can make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated.“Sometimes these jumps in exemptions can be very local, and it may not reflect a whole state,” said O’Leary, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases.Hawaii saw the largest jump, with the exemption rate rising to 6.4%, nearly double the year before.Officials there said it’s not due to any law or policy change. Rather, “we have observed that there has been misinformation/disinformation impacting people’s decision to vaccinate or not via social media platforms,” officials at the state’s health department said in a statement.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-religion-health-education-government-and-politics-6d9ce916908bbdacce4e7a7840a57a87">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-maine-coronavirus-pandemic-67b7dd0f9f93615928efbbc9c46baf5e">Maine</a>&nbsp;saw significant declines, which CDC officials attributed to recent policy changes that made it harder to get exemptions.Health officials say attaining 95% vaccination coverage is important to prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases, especially of measles, which is extremely contagious.The U.S. has seen measles outbreaks begin when travelers infected elsewhere came to communities with low vaccination rates. That happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2561e6a7023dccec900420578d758526">in 2019</a>&nbsp;when about 1,300 measles cases were reported — the most in the U.S. in nearly 30 years. Most of the cases were in were in Orthodox Jewish communities with low vaccination rates.One apparent paradox in the report: The national vaccination rate held steady even as exemptions increased. How could that be?CDC officials say it’s because there are actually three groups of children in the vaccination statistics. One is those who get all the shots. A second is those who get exemptions. The third are children who didn't seek exemptions but also didn’t get all their shots and paperwork completed at the time the data was collected.“Last year, those kids in that third group probably decreased,” offsetting the increase in the exemption group, the CDC’s Shannon Stokley said.

U.S. childhood vaccination exemptions reach their highest level ever

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit-and-run are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver who struck and killed 30-year-old John Paul Scheidecker on July 30.

Just before 4 a.m. on that Sunday, deputies were dispatched to an accident in the area of NE 120th Street between A Highway and Fishing River Road, according to the Clay County Sheriff's office.

Scheidecker’s family is offering the reward through Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers. 

Anyone with information about the incident can remain anonymous and be eligible for the cash reward by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477) or reporting it online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;CX=659cd5.

Deputies were dispatched to the area of NE 120th Street between A Highway and Fishing River Road at 3:54 a.m. July 30, where they found Scheidecker’s body. Scheidecker had pulled over and was outside his vehicle when he was hit.

The suspect vehicle did not stop. Investigators have pursued a variety of leads of but still need more information to identify a suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692979085058.png" alt="Clay County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Clay County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal hit-and-run are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver who struck and killed 30-year-old John Paul Scheidecker on July 30.Just before 4 a.m. on that Sunday, deputies were dispatched to an accident in the area of NE 120th Street between A Highway and Fishing River Road, according to the Clay County Sheriff's office.Scheidecker’s family is offering the reward through Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information about the incident can remain anonymous and be eligible for the cash reward by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477) or reporting it online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;CX=659cd5.Deputies were dispatched to the area of NE 120th Street between A Highway and Fishing River Road at 3:54 a.m. July 30, where they found Scheidecker’s body. Scheidecker had pulled over and was outside his vehicle when he was hit.The suspect vehicle did not stop. Investigators have pursued a variety of leads of but still need more information to identify a suspect.

Reward offered in deadly KC-area hit-and-run

Fire destroyed the home belonging to Robert and Tammy Smith at the northwest corner of the K-18 - Sage Road intersection in Dickinson County early Friday morning. According to Paul Froelich Fire Chief for Dickinson County Rural Fire District One, they both the escaped the burning house. Two dogs also escaped but one dog died.&nbsp;

Froelich estimated the damage at approximately $250,000. Cause of the blaze which was reported about 1:30 a.m. is being listed as undetermined due to the hot nature of the fire.

Froelich noted that the occupants escaped with only the clothing they were wearing. Churches and the Red Cross are providing assistance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699627451638.jpeg" alt="Photo Dickinson Co. Fire Chief Paul Froelich" />
 <figcaption>Photo Dickinson Co. Fire Chief Paul Froelich</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey TerrillJC PostFire destroyed the home belonging to Robert and Tammy Smith at the northwest corner of the K-18 - Sage Road intersection in Dickinson County early Friday morning. According to Paul Froelich Fire Chief for Dickinson County Rural Fire District One, they both the escaped the burning house. Two dogs also escaped but one dog died.&nbsp;Froelich estimated the damage at approximately $250,000. Cause of the blaze which was reported about 1:30 a.m. is being listed as undetermined due to the hot nature of the fire.Froelich noted that the occupants escaped with only the clothing they were wearing. Churches and the Red Cross are providing assistance.

$250,000 fire damage at rural Kansas home

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday ordered the removal of the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-us-bishops-lgbtq-women-pope-francis-81a602274dd604b7cc532425a289b00c">conservative prelate</a>&nbsp;active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polarization within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.

A one-line statement from the Vatican said Francis had “relieved” Bishop Joseph Strickland of the pastoral governance of Tyler and appointed the bishop of Austin as the temporary administrator.

Strickland, 65, has emerged as a leading critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier this year of “undermining the deposit of faith.” He has been particularly critical of Francis’ recent meeting on the future of the Catholic Church during which hot-button issues were discussed, including ways to better welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.

Earlier this year, the Vatican sent in investigators to look into his governance of the diocese, amid reports that priests and laypeople in Tyler had complained and that he was making unorthodox claims.

The Vatican never released the findings and Strickland had insisted he wouldn’t resign voluntarily, saying in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve as bishop in 2012 by the late Pope Benedict XVI and couldn’t abdicate that responsibility.

The conservative website LifeSiteNews, which said it interviewed Strickland on Saturday, quoted him as saying one of the reasons given for his ouster was his refusal to implement Francis' 2021 restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.

Francis' crackdown on the old liturgy has become a rallying cry for traditionalist Catholics opposed to the pontiff's progressive bent. Strickland told LifeSite he refused to implement the restrictions “because I can’t starve out part of my flock.”

He said he stood by his decision, would do it again and "I feel very much at peace in the Lord and the truth that he died for.”

His firing sparked an immediate outcry among some conservatives and traditionalists who had held up Strickland as a leading point of Catholic reference to counter Francis’ progressive reforms. Michael J. Matt, editor of the traditionalist newspaper The Remnant, wrote that with the firing, Francis was “actively trying to bury fidelity to the Church of Jesus Christ.”

“This is total war,” Matt wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Francis is a clear and present danger not only to Catholics the world over but also to the whole world itself.”

The two Vatican investigators sent into investigate Strickland — Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, N.J., and the retired bishop of Tucson, Ariz., Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas — “conducted an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the diocese,” said the head of the church in Texas, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.

After their investigation, a recommendation was made to Francis that “the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible,” DiNardo said in a statement Saturday.

The Vatican asked Strickland to resign Thursday, but he declined, prompting Francis to remove him from office two days later, DiNardo's statement said.

It is rare for the pope to remove a bishop from office. Bishops are required to offer to resign when they reach 75. When the Vatican uncovers issues with governance or other problems that require a bishop to leave office before then, the Vatican usually seeks to pressure him to offer to resign for the good of his diocese and the church.

That was the case when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-knoxville-bishop-abuse-allegation-priest-b948a9ff8794e791af97906a2abd9302">another U.S. bishop was forced out</a>&nbsp;earlier this year following a Vatican investigation. Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tenn., resigned voluntarily, albeit under pressure, following allegations he mishandled sex abuse allegations and his priests complained about his leadership and behavior.

But with Strickland, the Vatican statement made clear that he had not offered to resign and that Francis had instead "relieved" him from his job.

Francis has not been shy about his concerns about the right wing in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, which has been split between progressives and conservatives who long found support in the doctrinaire papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on issues of abortion and same-sex marriage.

In comments to Portuguese Jesuits in August,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-conservatives-abortion-us-bbfc346c117bd9ae68a1963478bea6b3">Francis blasted</a>&nbsp;the “backwardness” of these conservative bishops, saying they had replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.

Strickland had been associated with the most extreme of these bishops, including the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce Francis critic who in 2018 called for the pope to resign.

Strickland backed Vigano's conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, and on Saturday Vigano wrote that Strickland's ouster showed a “cowardly form of authoritarianism” by Francis. “This affair will reveal who stands with the true Church of Christ and who chooses to stand with His declared enemies,” Vigano wrote on X.

Most recently, Strickland had criticized Francis’ monthlong closed-door debate on making the church more welcoming and responsive to the needs of Catholics today. The meeting debated a host of previously taboo issues, including women in governance roles and welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, but in the end, its final document didn’t veer from established doctrine.

Ahead of the meeting, Strickland said it was a “travesty” that such things were even on the table for discussion.

”Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatics those who disagree with the changes being proposed,” Strickland wrote in a public letter in August. “Instead, those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ’s Church, and they are indeed the true schismatics.”

In a statement Saturday, the diocese of Tyler announced Strickland's removal but said the church's work would continue in Tyler.

“Our mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to foster an authentic Christian community, and to serve the needs of all people with compassion and love,” it said.

In a social media post sent a few hours before the Vatican’s noon announcement, Strickland wrote a prayer about Christ being the “way, the truth and the life, yesterday, today and forever.” He had changed the handle from his previous @bishopoftyler to @BishStrickland.

The incoming temporary administrator for Tyler, Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez, said he would be travelling to the diocese over the coming weeks to be on hand for the priests, staff and lay faithful “to assess their needs.”

He asked for prayers for his work and the people of Tyler “during this time of transition.”

NEW YORK (AP) —In the United States, the national conference of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-bishops-lgbtq-transgender-health-care-d840600deab56a681e02d16463322892">Catholic bishops rejects</a>&nbsp;the concept of gender transition, leaving many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-united-states-gender-identity-marquette-368a622737d78df1f1f254a1e8e68aaf">transgender Catholics</a>&nbsp;feeling excluded.

Last week, the Vatican made public a sharply contrasting statement, saying it’s permissible, under certain circumstances, for trans people to be baptized as Catholics and serve as godparents.

“It is a major step for trans inclusion … it is big and good news,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of Maryland-based New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater LGBTQ acceptance in the church.

The document was signed Oct. 21 by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was posted Wednesday on that office's website.

If it did not cause scandal or “disorientation” among other Catholics, a transgender person “may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful,” the document said.

Similarly, the document said trans adults — even if they had undergone gender-transition surgery — could serve as godfathers or godmothers under certain conditions.

DeBernardo said this seemed to be a reversal of a 2015 Vatican decision to bar a trans man in Spain from becoming a godparent.

During his papacy, Pope Francis has frequently expressed an interest in making the Catholic Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-gay-rights-ap-interview-1359756ae22f27f87c1d4d6b9c8ce212">more welcoming to LGBTQ people</a>, even though doctrines rejecting same-sex marriage and sexual activity remain firmly in place.

A small but growing number of U.S. parishes have formed LGBTQ support groups and welcome transgender people on their own terms. Yet several Catholic dioceses have issued guidelines targeting trans people with restrictions and refusing to recognize their gender identity.

The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who has advocated for years for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church, welcomed the new document.

“In many dioceses and parishes, including in the US, transgender Catholics have been severely restricted from participating in the life of the church, not because of any canon law, but stemming from the decisions of bishops, priests and pastoral associates,” he said via email.

“So the Vatican’s statement is a clear recognition not only of their personhood, but of their place in their own church,” he said. “I hope that it helps the Catholic church treat them less as problems and more as people.”

According to the Vatican, the document was a response to a letter submitted in July by a Brazilian bishop asking about LGBTQ people’s possible participation in baptisms and weddings.

DeBernardo said the document “proves that the Catholic Church can — and does — change its mind about certain practices and policies," and he suggested that some diocesan anti-trans policies might now have to be rescinded. But he expressed disappointment that the document maintained a ban on same-sex couples serving as godparents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603292366279.png" alt="Pope Francis image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Pope Francis image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday ordered the removal of the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-us-bishops-lgbtq-women-pope-francis-81a602274dd604b7cc532425a289b00c">conservative prelate</a>&nbsp;active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polarization within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.A one-line statement from the Vatican said Francis had “relieved” Bishop Joseph Strickland of the pastoral governance of Tyler and appointed the bishop of Austin as the temporary administrator.Strickland, 65, has emerged as a leading critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier this year of “undermining the deposit of faith.” He has been particularly critical of Francis’ recent meeting on the future of the Catholic Church during which hot-button issues were discussed, including ways to better welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics.Earlier this year, the Vatican sent in investigators to look into his governance of the diocese, amid reports that priests and laypeople in Tyler had complained and that he was making unorthodox claims.The Vatican never released the findings and Strickland had insisted he wouldn’t resign voluntarily, saying in media interviews that he was given a mandate to serve as bishop in 2012 by the late Pope Benedict XVI and couldn’t abdicate that responsibility.The conservative website LifeSiteNews, which said it interviewed Strickland on Saturday, quoted him as saying one of the reasons given for his ouster was his refusal to implement Francis' 2021 restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass.Francis' crackdown on the old liturgy has become a rallying cry for traditionalist Catholics opposed to the pontiff's progressive bent. Strickland told LifeSite he refused to implement the restrictions “because I can’t starve out part of my flock.”He said he stood by his decision, would do it again and "I feel very much at peace in the Lord and the truth that he died for.”His firing sparked an immediate outcry among some conservatives and traditionalists who had held up Strickland as a leading point of Catholic reference to counter Francis’ progressive reforms. Michael J. Matt, editor of the traditionalist newspaper The Remnant, wrote that with the firing, Francis was “actively trying to bury fidelity to the Church of Jesus Christ.”“This is total war,” Matt wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Francis is a clear and present danger not only to Catholics the world over but also to the whole world itself.”The two Vatican investigators sent into investigate Strickland — Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, N.J., and the retired bishop of Tucson, Ariz., Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas — “conducted an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership of the diocese,” said the head of the church in Texas, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.After their investigation, a recommendation was made to Francis that “the continuation in office of Bishop Strickland was not feasible,” DiNardo said in a statement Saturday.The Vatican asked Strickland to resign Thursday, but he declined, prompting Francis to remove him from office two days later, DiNardo's statement said.It is rare for the pope to remove a bishop from office. Bishops are required to offer to resign when they reach 75. When the Vatican uncovers issues with governance or other problems that require a bishop to leave office before then, the Vatican usually seeks to pressure him to offer to resign for the good of his diocese and the church.That was the case when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-knoxville-bishop-abuse-allegation-priest-b948a9ff8794e791af97906a2abd9302">another U.S. bishop was forced out</a>&nbsp;earlier this year following a Vatican investigation. Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tenn., resigned voluntarily, albeit under pressure, following allegations he mishandled sex abuse allegations and his priests complained about his leadership and behavior.But with Strickland, the Vatican statement made clear that he had not offered to resign and that Francis had instead "relieved" him from his job.Francis has not been shy about his concerns about the right wing in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, which has been split between progressives and conservatives who long found support in the doctrinaire papacies of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, particularly on issues of abortion and same-sex marriage.In comments to Portuguese Jesuits in August,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-vatican-conservatives-abortion-us-bbfc346c117bd9ae68a1963478bea6b3">Francis blasted</a>&nbsp;the “backwardness” of these conservative bishops, saying they had replaced faith with ideology and that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.Strickland had been associated with the most extreme of these bishops, including the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce Francis critic who in 2018 called for the pope to resign.Strickland backed Vigano's conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, and on Saturday Vigano wrote that Strickland's ouster showed a “cowardly form of authoritarianism” by Francis. “This affair will reveal who stands with the true Church of Christ and who chooses to stand with His declared enemies,” Vigano wrote on X.Most recently, Strickland had criticized Francis’ monthlong closed-door debate on making the church more welcoming and responsive to the needs of Catholics today. The meeting debated a host of previously taboo issues, including women in governance roles and welcoming LGBTQ+ Catholics, but in the end, its final document didn’t veer from established doctrine.Ahead of the meeting, Strickland said it was a “travesty” that such things were even on the table for discussion.”Regrettably, it may be that some will label as schismatics those who disagree with the changes being proposed,” Strickland wrote in a public letter in August. “Instead, those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ’s Church, and they are indeed the true schismatics.”In a statement Saturday, the diocese of Tyler announced Strickland's removal but said the church's work would continue in Tyler.“Our mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to foster an authentic Christian community, and to serve the needs of all people with compassion and love,” it said.In a social media post sent a few hours before the Vatican’s noon announcement, Strickland wrote a prayer about Christ being the “way, the truth and the life, yesterday, today and forever.” He had changed the handle from his previous @bishopoftyler to @BishStrickland.The incoming temporary administrator for Tyler, Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez, said he would be travelling to the diocese over the coming weeks to be on hand for the priests, staff and lay faithful “to assess their needs.”He asked for prayers for his work and the people of Tyler “during this time of transition.”----------------NEW YORK (AP) —In the United States, the national conference of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-bishops-lgbtq-transgender-health-care-d840600deab56a681e02d16463322892">Catholic bishops rejects</a>&nbsp;the concept of gender transition, leaving many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-united-states-gender-identity-marquette-368a622737d78df1f1f254a1e8e68aaf">transgender Catholics</a>&nbsp;feeling excluded. Last week, the Vatican made public a sharply contrasting statement, saying it’s permissible, under certain circumstances, for trans people to be baptized as Catholics and serve as godparents.“It is a major step for trans inclusion … it is big and good news,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of Maryland-based New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater LGBTQ acceptance in the church.The document was signed Oct. 21 by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was posted Wednesday on that office's website.If it did not cause scandal or “disorientation” among other Catholics, a transgender person “may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful,” the document said.Similarly, the document said trans adults — even if they had undergone gender-transition surgery — could serve as godfathers or godmothers under certain conditions.DeBernardo said this seemed to be a reversal of a 2015 Vatican decision to bar a trans man in Spain from becoming a godparent.During his papacy, Pope Francis has frequently expressed an interest in making the Catholic Church&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-gay-rights-ap-interview-1359756ae22f27f87c1d4d6b9c8ce212">more welcoming to LGBTQ people</a>, even though doctrines rejecting same-sex marriage and sexual activity remain firmly in place.A small but growing number of U.S. parishes have formed LGBTQ support groups and welcome transgender people on their own terms. Yet several Catholic dioceses have issued guidelines targeting trans people with restrictions and refusing to recognize their gender identity.The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who has advocated for years for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church, welcomed the new document.“In many dioceses and parishes, including in the US, transgender Catholics have been severely restricted from participating in the life of the church, not because of any canon law, but stemming from the decisions of bishops, priests and pastoral associates,” he said via email.“So the Vatican’s statement is a clear recognition not only of their personhood, but of their place in their own church,” he said. “I hope that it helps the Catholic church treat them less as problems and more as people.”According to the Vatican, the document was a response to a letter submitted in July by a Brazilian bishop asking about LGBTQ people’s possible participation in baptisms and weddings.DeBernardo said the document “proves that the Catholic Church can — and does — change its mind about certain practices and policies," and he suggested that some diocesan anti-trans policies might now have to be rescinded. But he expressed disappointment that the document maintained a ban on same-sex couples serving as godparents.

Pope sparks outrage after firing Anti-LGBTQ Bishop

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;a homicide that left one man dead deceased and another injured.

Just after 9p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the 500 block of North Marion Street in Olathe, according to Sergeant John Mancayo.

First responders found a 26-year-old man with an apparent stab wound. Officers conducted life-saving measures on the man, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene.

Officers also found a 28-year-old man who sustained a non-life-threatening stab wound. That man was transported to an area hospital for further treatment.

Police took a 22-year-old suspect into custody. There is no active threat to the community.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;a homicide that left one man dead deceased and another injured.Just after 9p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to an armed disturbance in the 500 block of North Marion Street in Olathe, according to Sergeant John Mancayo.First responders found a 26-year-old man with an apparent stab wound. Officers conducted life-saving measures on the man, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene.Officers also found a 28-year-old man who sustained a non-life-threatening stab wound. That man was transported to an area hospital for further treatment.Police took a 22-year-old suspect into custody. There is no active threat to the community.&nbsp;

Kansas man arrested for knife fight that left 1 dead, 1 injured

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting continue asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

On October 11, police responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

 First responders found 18-year-old s Ra’Juan Spicer,suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.&nbsp;

Police are attempting to locate Reginald Rucker-Plakio, 17, of Topeka, in reference to the homicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699048664862.png" alt="Rucker-Plakio-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Rucker-Plakio-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting continue asking the public for help to locate a suspect.On October 11, police responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of SW Clay Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. First responders found 18-year-old s Ra’Juan Spicer,suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.&nbsp;Police are attempting to locate Reginald Rucker-Plakio, 17, of Topeka, in reference to the homicide.

Homicide: Search continues for Kan. teen for deadly shooting

KANSAS CITY (AP) — As a Jewish student, Eden Roth always has felt safe and welcome at Tulane University, where more than 40% of the students are Jewish. That has been tested by the aftermath of last month's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Hamas incursion into Israel.</a>

Graffiti appeared on the New Orleans campus with the message “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/river-sea-israel-gaza-hamas-protests-d7abbd756f481fe50b6fa5c0b907cd49">from the river to the sea</a>,” a rallying cry for pro-Palestinian activists. Then came a clash between dueling demonstrations, where a melee led to three arrests and left a Jewish student with a broken nose.

“I think that the shift of experience with Jews on campus was extremely shocking,” said Roth, who was in Israel last summer for a study-abroad program. “A lot of students come to Tulane because of the Jewish population — feeling like they’re supported, like a majority rather than a minority. And I think that’s definitely shifted.”

Tulane isn’t alone. On other campuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">long-simmering tensions</a>&nbsp;are erupting in violence and shattering the sense of safety that makes colleges hubs of free discourse. Students on both sides are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-colleges-biden-israel-hamas-57e32457f9113a168cc21d16fa008a79">witnessing acts of hate</a>, leaving many fearing for their safety even as they walk to classrooms.

Threats and clashes have sometimes come from within, including at Cornell, where a student is accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cornell-university-antisemitic-threats-jewish-students-a99394389d7a742412fa171eb8b57160">posting online threats against Jewish students</a>. A University of Massachusetts student was arrested after allegedly punching a Jewish student and spitting on an Israeli flag at a demonstration. At Stanford, an Arab Muslim student was hit by a car in a case being investigated as a hate crime.

The unease is felt acutely at Tulane, where 43% of students are Jewish, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hillel.org/top-60-jewish-colleges/">highest percentage</a>&nbsp;among colleges that are not explicitly Jewish.

“To see it on Tulane’s campus is definitely scary,” said Jacob Starr, a Jewish student from Massachusetts.

Within the student Jewish community, there is a range of perspectives on the conflict. The latest war began with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">an attack on Oct. 7</a>&nbsp;by Hamas militants who targeted towns, farming communities and a music festival near the Gaza border, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel has responded with weeks of attacks in Gaza, which have killed more than 10,800 people, according to the Hamas-run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>&nbsp;— most of them Palestinian civilians.

Emma Sackheim, a Jewish student from Los Angeles who attends Tulane's law school, said she grew up as a supporter of the Jewish state but now considers herself an opponent of Zionism. Sackheim says she knows students who oppose Israel’s policies “but don’t feel comfortable to publicly say anything.”

“I was standing on the Palestinian side,” she said when asked about the Oct. 26 demonstration, which took place along a public New Orleans street that runs through campus.

Still, she said Tulane is where she feels most comfortable as a Jew. "I know that I have so many options of community,” she said.

On campuses around the U.S., students on both sides say they have been subjected to taunts and rhetoric that oppose their very existence since the invasion and the subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-humanitarian-pauses-b8fc613ffd8b9351c0dc37b90b6e10dd">Israeli assault on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in northern Gaza.

They see it in campus rallies, on anonymous message boards frequented by college students, and on graffiti scrawled on dorms and buildings. In one case under police investigation as a possible hate crime, “Free Palestine” was found written this week on a window of Boston University's Hillel center.

Colleges have been scrambling to restore a sense of security for Jewish and Arab students — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">stressing messages of inclusion</a>&nbsp;for diverse student bodies. But untangling what’s protected as political speech and what crosses into threatening language can be a daunting task.

Tulane's president, Michael Fitts, has described an increased police presence and other security measures on campus. In messages to the campus community, he has lamented the loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives and said the university was reaching out to Jewish and Muslim student groups and religious organizations.

He has faced criticism from people on both sides seeking more forceful statements.

Islam Elrabieey, for example, seeks condemnation of Israel's actions.

“To condemn Hamas is a good thing,” said Elrabieey, a native of Egypt and a visiting scholar in Tulane’s Middle East and North African Studies program. “But at the same time, if you didn’t condemn Israel for committing war crimes, this is a double standard.”

As places that encourage intellectual debate, it isn’t surprising that colleges have seen heated conflict, said Jonathan Fansmith, a senior vice president for the American Council on Education, an association of university presidents. But when different factions disagree about what crosses the line between free speech and abuse, it puts colleges in a difficult place, he said.

“Everyone should be incredibly sympathetic to Jewish students who feel under threat, and the alarming rise in antisemitic actions is something college universities take very seriously,” Fansmith said. “But they have a requirement, a responsibility under the law as well, to balance the free speech rights of people who may disagree, who may have critiques that they find disagreeable or dislike. And finding that line is very, very difficult.”

After&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">facing criticism</a>&nbsp;for trying to remain too neutral on the war, Harvard University's president on Thursday condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea,” saying it has historical meanings that, to many, imply the eradication of Jews from Israel. Pro-Palestinian activists around the world chanted the phrase in the aftermath of the Hamas raid.

At Tulane, Roth said some Jewish students have been rattled enough to make them think twice about visiting the Mintz Center, the headquarters for the Tulane Hillel organization.

“I don’t feel completely safe, but I feel like we have no other choice but to embrace who we are in these times,” Roth said in an interview at the building. “I know a lot of my friends are nervous to wear their Star of David necklaces, to wear a kippah or even come into this building. But I think it’s critical that we do not let fear consume us.”

Lea Jackson, a freshman from New Jersey who describes herself as a modern Orthodox Jew, said she is concerned supporters of a Palestinian state are nervous expressing their views because of the large numbers of Jewish students on campus.

The Hamas raid may have made some people more reluctant to speak even as others become more outspoken, said Jackson, who said she recently spent a “gap year” in Israel and has friends and family there.

“But it’s a lot harder to have a civil conversation,” Jackson said, “when emotions and tension are so high and so many people are so personally connected to this.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699356430721.png" alt="-Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vandalism report Monday night at the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, 1116 Indiana Street, in Lawrence, Kansas, according to a media release from Lawrence Police." />
 <figcaption>-Law enforcement authorities are investigating a vandalism report Monday night at the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, 1116 Indiana Street, in Lawrence, Kansas, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — As a Jewish student, Eden Roth always has felt safe and welcome at Tulane University, where more than 40% of the students are Jewish. That has been tested by the aftermath of last month's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Hamas incursion into Israel.</a>Graffiti appeared on the New Orleans campus with the message “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/river-sea-israel-gaza-hamas-protests-d7abbd756f481fe50b6fa5c0b907cd49">from the river to the sea</a>,” a rallying cry for pro-Palestinian activists. Then came a clash between dueling demonstrations, where a melee led to three arrests and left a Jewish student with a broken nose.“I think that the shift of experience with Jews on campus was extremely shocking,” said Roth, who was in Israel last summer for a study-abroad program. “A lot of students come to Tulane because of the Jewish population — feeling like they’re supported, like a majority rather than a minority. And I think that’s definitely shifted.”Tulane isn’t alone. On other campuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">long-simmering tensions</a>&nbsp;are erupting in violence and shattering the sense of safety that makes colleges hubs of free discourse. Students on both sides are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/antisemitism-islamophobia-colleges-biden-israel-hamas-57e32457f9113a168cc21d16fa008a79">witnessing acts of hate</a>, leaving many fearing for their safety even as they walk to classrooms.Threats and clashes have sometimes come from within, including at Cornell, where a student is accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cornell-university-antisemitic-threats-jewish-students-a99394389d7a742412fa171eb8b57160">posting online threats against Jewish students</a>. A University of Massachusetts student was arrested after allegedly punching a Jewish student and spitting on an Israeli flag at a demonstration. At Stanford, an Arab Muslim student was hit by a car in a case being investigated as a hate crime.The unease is felt acutely at Tulane, where 43% of students are Jewish, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hillel.org/top-60-jewish-colleges/">highest percentage</a>&nbsp;among colleges that are not explicitly Jewish.“To see it on Tulane’s campus is definitely scary,” said Jacob Starr, a Jewish student from Massachusetts.Within the student Jewish community, there is a range of perspectives on the conflict. The latest war began with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">an attack on Oct. 7</a>&nbsp;by Hamas militants who targeted towns, farming communities and a music festival near the Gaza border, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel has responded with weeks of attacks in Gaza, which have killed more than 10,800 people, according to the Hamas-run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>&nbsp;— most of them Palestinian civilians.Emma Sackheim, a Jewish student from Los Angeles who attends Tulane's law school, said she grew up as a supporter of the Jewish state but now considers herself an opponent of Zionism. Sackheim says she knows students who oppose Israel’s policies “but don’t feel comfortable to publicly say anything.”“I was standing on the Palestinian side,” she said when asked about the Oct. 26 demonstration, which took place along a public New Orleans street that runs through campus.Still, she said Tulane is where she feels most comfortable as a Jew. "I know that I have so many options of community,” she said.On campuses around the U.S., students on both sides say they have been subjected to taunts and rhetoric that oppose their very existence since the invasion and the subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-humanitarian-pauses-b8fc613ffd8b9351c0dc37b90b6e10dd">Israeli assault on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in northern Gaza.They see it in campus rallies, on anonymous message boards frequented by college students, and on graffiti scrawled on dorms and buildings. In one case under police investigation as a possible hate crime, “Free Palestine” was found written this week on a window of Boston University's Hillel center.Colleges have been scrambling to restore a sense of security for Jewish and Arab students — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">stressing messages of inclusion</a>&nbsp;for diverse student bodies. But untangling what’s protected as political speech and what crosses into threatening language can be a daunting task.Tulane's president, Michael Fitts, has described an increased police presence and other security measures on campus. In messages to the campus community, he has lamented the loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives and said the university was reaching out to Jewish and Muslim student groups and religious organizations.He has faced criticism from people on both sides seeking more forceful statements.Islam Elrabieey, for example, seeks condemnation of Israel's actions.“To condemn Hamas is a good thing,” said Elrabieey, a native of Egypt and a visiting scholar in Tulane’s Middle East and North African Studies program. “But at the same time, if you didn’t condemn Israel for committing war crimes, this is a double standard.”As places that encourage intellectual debate, it isn’t surprising that colleges have seen heated conflict, said Jonathan Fansmith, a senior vice president for the American Council on Education, an association of university presidents. But when different factions disagree about what crosses the line between free speech and abuse, it puts colleges in a difficult place, he said.“Everyone should be incredibly sympathetic to Jewish students who feel under threat, and the alarming rise in antisemitic actions is something college universities take very seriously,” Fansmith said. “But they have a requirement, a responsibility under the law as well, to balance the free speech rights of people who may disagree, who may have critiques that they find disagreeable or dislike. And finding that line is very, very difficult.”After&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-college-free-speech-543aff623d5f54ad6529fe598ae48271">facing criticism</a>&nbsp;for trying to remain too neutral on the war, Harvard University's president on Thursday condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea,” saying it has historical meanings that, to many, imply the eradication of Jews from Israel. Pro-Palestinian activists around the world chanted the phrase in the aftermath of the Hamas raid.At Tulane, Roth said some Jewish students have been rattled enough to make them think twice about visiting the Mintz Center, the headquarters for the Tulane Hillel organization.“I don’t feel completely safe, but I feel like we have no other choice but to embrace who we are in these times,” Roth said in an interview at the building. “I know a lot of my friends are nervous to wear their Star of David necklaces, to wear a kippah or even come into this building. But I think it’s critical that we do not let fear consume us.”Lea Jackson, a freshman from New Jersey who describes herself as a modern Orthodox Jew, said she is concerned supporters of a Palestinian state are nervous expressing their views because of the large numbers of Jewish students on campus.The Hamas raid may have made some people more reluctant to speak even as others become more outspoken, said Jackson, who said she recently spent a “gap year” in Israel and has friends and family there.“But it’s a lot harder to have a civil conversation,” Jackson said, “when emotions and tension are so high and so many people are so personally connected to this.”___

Clashes over Israel-Hamas shatter students' sense of safety on US college campuses

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been charged in connection with a fatal Nov. 3, shooting in the area of 12th and White in Kansas City and other crimes, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Keith D. Adkins, 32, Grandview, faces felony charges of Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Resisting Arrest, two counts of Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree and five counts of Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to the 6000 block of E. 13th Street on a reported shooting. 

Upon arrival, officers found a juvenile victim in the street near a Kia Sportage that had collided with a pole. 

The victim was transported to the hospital and died later; his death was ruled a homicide by the Jackson County Medical Examiner. 

A second victim was located behind a nearby residence. Video surveillance from the area showed the driver, later identified as Adkins, in a black Silverado leaning out of the driver's window and firing two shots at the Kia, which soon collided with the pole. 

Detectives tracked the truck and observed Adkins and female passenger.

The next day detectives located the black Silverado, which had been reported stolen. 

Later on Nov. 4, Adkins and the woman were identified as the driver and passenger in another stolen vehicle, a Hyundai. 

Officers pursued the stolen auto on Nov. 5, 2023. The Hyundai proceeded at high rates of speed and ignoring traffic controls, until it struck another vehicle. Adkins exited the vehicle and fled on foot until he was taken into custody. He is being held on&nbsp;a bond of $500,000 cash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699452356540.png" alt="Adkins-photo Jackson CO." />
 <figcaption>Adkins-photo Jackson CO.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been charged in connection with a fatal Nov. 3, shooting in the area of 12th and White in Kansas City and other crimes, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Keith D. Adkins, 32, Grandview, faces felony charges of Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Resisting Arrest, two counts of Tampering with a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree and five counts of Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, Kansas City Police Department officers were dispatched to the 6000 block of E. 13th Street on a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers found a juvenile victim in the street near a Kia Sportage that had collided with a pole. The victim was transported to the hospital and died later; his death was ruled a homicide by the Jackson County Medical Examiner. A second victim was located behind a nearby residence. Video surveillance from the area showed the driver, later identified as Adkins, in a black Silverado leaning out of the driver's window and firing two shots at the Kia, which soon collided with the pole. Detectives tracked the truck and observed Adkins and female passenger.The next day detectives located the black Silverado, which had been reported stolen. Later on Nov. 4, Adkins and the woman were identified as the driver and passenger in another stolen vehicle, a Hyundai. Officers pursued the stolen auto on Nov. 5, 2023. The Hyundai proceeded at high rates of speed and ignoring traffic controls, until it struck another vehicle. Adkins exited the vehicle and fled on foot until he was taken into custody. He is being held on&nbsp;a bond of $500,000 cash.

KC-area man accused of deadly drive-by killing of juvenile

KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to using a GPS tracking device to surveil another man who was shot to death in a grocery store parking lot, according to the United State's attorney.

Dontay Campbell, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of cyberstalking resulting in death.

By pleading guilty today, Campbell admitted that he aided and abetted his co-conspirators in the use of a GPS tracking device to surveil Dontayus Wiles, and that he did so with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate Wiles. Campbell also admitted that their conduct resulted in the shooting death of Wiles.

Conspirators placed a GPS tracking device on Wiles’s red Chevrolet Tahoe. On March 16, 2019, Campbell and two co-conspirators surveilled Wiles as he and his wife drove to Happy Foods grocery store, located at 4019 E. 31st Street, Kansas City, Mo. When Wiles and his wife left the grocery store and walked back to the Tahoe, through the parking lot crowded with people, including children, Campbell and a co-conspirator pulled up next to the Tahoe in a Chrysler Sebring. Campbell’s co-conspirator exited the Sebring and shot at Wiles several times with a Ruger .40-caliber handgun that belonged to Campbell. During the shooting spree, Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to remove the GPS tracker from Wiles’s vehicle.

Campbell and the co-conspirator then ran back to the Sebring, briefly drove around the parking lot, and parked again near Wiles’s Tahoe. Campbell’s co-conspirator again fired multiple shots into Wiles’s Tahoe while Campbell again tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the GPS tracker. Campbell and his co-conspirator then sped out of the parking lot in the Sebring.

Wiles died from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators recovered 17 expended .40-caliber shell casings near Wiles’s vehicle, all of which were determined to be fired by the same weapon. Investigators also recovered the GPS tracker underneath the vehicle and determined that the tracker had been purchased and activated in February 2019.

KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court this week to using a GPS tracking device to surveil another man who was shot to death in a grocery store parking lot, according to the United State's attorney.Dontay Campbell, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of cyberstalking resulting in death.By pleading guilty today, Campbell admitted that he aided and abetted his co-conspirators in the use of a GPS tracking device to surveil Dontayus Wiles, and that he did so with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate Wiles. Campbell also admitted that their conduct resulted in the shooting death of Wiles.Conspirators placed a GPS tracking device on Wiles’s red Chevrolet Tahoe. On March 16, 2019, Campbell and two co-conspirators surveilled Wiles as he and his wife drove to Happy Foods grocery store, located at 4019 E. 31st Street, Kansas City, Mo. When Wiles and his wife left the grocery store and walked back to the Tahoe, through the parking lot crowded with people, including children, Campbell and a co-conspirator pulled up next to the Tahoe in a Chrysler Sebring. Campbell’s co-conspirator exited the Sebring and shot at Wiles several times with a Ruger .40-caliber handgun that belonged to Campbell. During the shooting spree, Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to remove the GPS tracker from Wiles’s vehicle.Campbell and the co-conspirator then ran back to the Sebring, briefly drove around the parking lot, and parked again near Wiles’s Tahoe. Campbell’s co-conspirator again fired multiple shots into Wiles’s Tahoe while Campbell again tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the GPS tracker. Campbell and his co-conspirator then sped out of the parking lot in the Sebring.Wiles died from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators recovered 17 expended .40-caliber shell casings near Wiles’s vehicle, all of which were determined to be fired by the same weapon. Investigators also recovered the GPS tracker underneath the vehicle and determined that the tracker had been purchased and activated in February 2019.

KC man admits using GPS tracking device to commit murder

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Friday in. Johnson County.

A USD 233 school bus and motorcycle were involved in a crash at North Ridgeview Road and East Pineview Street, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

First responders found the motorcyclist with serious injuries. Life-saving measures were conducted by police and medical personnel. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on scene. 

The driver of the bus, a 56-year-old woman,&nbsp; remained on scene and was cooperating. The school bus was transporting children at the time of the crash. No one on the bus was injured. Police did not release the name of the man who died.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699718779017.png" alt="Investigators on the scene late Friday -photo courtesy KMBC TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators on the scene late Friday -photo courtesy KMBC TV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Friday in. Johnson County.A USD 233 school bus and motorcycle were involved in a crash at North Ridgeview Road and East Pineview Street, according to Olathe Police Sergeant John Moncayo.First responders found the motorcyclist with serious injuries. Life-saving measures were conducted by police and medical personnel. The motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on scene. The driver of the bus, a 56-year-old woman,&nbsp; remained on scene and was cooperating. The school bus was transporting children at the time of the crash. No one on the bus was injured. Police did not release the name of the man who died.

Students on Kan. school bus involved in fatal motorcycle crash

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;— As opioid overdoses in Kansas show no sign of slowing down, officials have unrolled new funding to tackle school-level prevention initiatives and stock more homes with emergency overdose treatments.&nbsp;

The Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board has given a substance abuse treatment organization $594,519 for use in three projects throughout the state.

The organization, DCCA, will use the funds to implement a&nbsp;Douglas County school-based prevention program, distribute naloxone in Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties and increase men’s residential and outpatient treatment services. Naloxone&nbsp;is medication that can be used to quickly reduce or reverse the effects of an&nbsp;opioid overdose.

&nbsp;“This is a wonderful way for us to expand our prevention resources and address substance use disorders,” DCCCA Chief Community Based Services Officer Chrissy Mayer said. “These projects will engage community partners across the state to help create healthy environments for those we serve.”

The initiative will bring 400 naloxone kits to addiction recovery group homes, as well as install a&nbsp;naloxone vending machine in Wyandotte County. The other project will focus on Wichita, expanding DCCCA’s service list for men’s treatment.

Funds come from the state’s settlements with pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical distributors and related companies. The settlements have resulted in approximately $340 million over the next 18 years for preventing and treating opioid addiction. Sunflower Foundation, a statewide health philanthropy based in Topeka, administers the grant program.

As of Oct. 31, there were&nbsp;10,280 suspected overdoses documented so far this year, according to&nbsp;public health analyst DJ Gering.&nbsp;Naloxone was administered in approximately 1,614 of these cases, Gering said in a Nov. 3 presentation to board members.&nbsp;

“There’s not an area of Kansas that’s not really touched by an overdose,” Gering said.

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA&nbsp;— As opioid overdoses in Kansas show no sign of slowing down, officials have unrolled new funding to tackle school-level prevention initiatives and stock more homes with emergency overdose treatments.&nbsp;The Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board has given a substance abuse treatment organization $594,519 for use in three projects throughout the state.The organization, DCCA, will use the funds to implement a&nbsp;Douglas County school-based prevention program, distribute naloxone in Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties and increase men’s residential and outpatient treatment services. Naloxone&nbsp;is medication that can be used to quickly reduce or reverse the effects of an&nbsp;opioid overdose.&nbsp;“This is a wonderful way for us to expand our prevention resources and address substance use disorders,” DCCCA Chief Community Based Services Officer Chrissy Mayer said. “These projects will engage community partners across the state to help create healthy environments for those we serve.”The initiative will bring 400 naloxone kits to addiction recovery group homes, as well as install a&nbsp;naloxone vending machine in Wyandotte County. The other project will focus on Wichita, expanding DCCCA’s service list for men’s treatment.Funds come from the state’s settlements with pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical distributors and related companies. The settlements have resulted in approximately $340 million over the next 18 years for preventing and treating opioid addiction. Sunflower Foundation, a statewide health philanthropy based in Topeka, administers the grant program.As of Oct. 31, there were&nbsp;10,280 suspected overdoses documented so far this year, according to&nbsp;public health analyst DJ Gering.&nbsp;Naloxone was administered in approximately 1,614 of these cases, Gering said in a Nov. 3 presentation to board members.&nbsp;“There’s not an area of Kansas that’s not really touched by an overdose,” Gering said.

Kansas has seen more than 10,000 suspected overdoses this year

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed likely Tuesday to preserve a federal law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-915">Click here </a>to listen to the Oral argument

In their first guns case since last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expansion of gun rights</a>, the justices suggested that they will reverse a ruling from an appeals court in New Orleans that struck down the 1994 ban on firearms for people under court order to stay away from their spouses or partners.

The court’s decision could affect other cases in which other gun laws have been called into question, including in the high-profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-court-gun-charges-indictment-investigation-68b186294bb36071c02428834ec5f470">prosecution of Hunter Biden</a>. President Joe Biden’s son has been charged with buying a firearm while he was addicted to drugs, but his lawyers have indicated they will challenge the indictment.

Liberal and conservative justices sounded persuaded by arguments from the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer that the prohibition is in line with the longstanding practice of disarming dangerous people.

The case before the court involves a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi, who was accused of hitting his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.

The justices peppered Rahimi's lawyer, J. Matthew Wright, with skeptical questions that seemed to foretell the outcome.

“You don't have any doubt that your client is a dangerous person, do you?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked Wright. When Wright said it depends on what Roberts meant by dangerous, the chief justice shot back, "Well, it means someone who’s shooting, you know, at people. That’s a good start."

Justice Brett Kavanaugh voiced concern that a ruling for Rahimi could also jeopardize the background check system that the Democratic administration said has stopped more than 75,000 gun sales in the past 25 years based on domestic violence protective orders.

The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down the domestic violence law, following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision in June 2022. That high court ruling not only expanded Americans' gun rights under the Constitution but also changed the way courts are supposed to evaluate restrictions on firearms.

Justice Clarence Thomas'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf">opinion for the court</a>&nbsp;tossed out the balancing test judges had long used to decide whether gun laws were constitutional. Rather than consider whether a law enhances public safety, judges should only weigh whether it fits into the nation’s history of gun regulation, Thomas wrote for the six conservative justices on the nine-member court.

The Bruen decision has resulted in lower court rulings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">striking down</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen laws. Those include age restrictions; bans on homemade&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ghost-guns-biden-administration-lawsuit-46b871969dc6a7da35605c2ebc5385e5">ghost guns</a>, which don't have serial numbers; and prohibitions on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent felonies or using illegal drugs.

Justice Elena Kagan noted that “there seems to be a fair bit of division and a fair bit of confusion about what Bruen means and what Bruen requires in the lower courts.”

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, defending the domestic violence law, urged the justices to use this case to correct lower courts' “profound misreading” of the decision.

It was unclear how far the high court would go in this case, and some of the justices sounded interested in a limited ruling that might leave open other challenges to the same law. “Do we need to get into any of that?” Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Prelogar.

Rahimi, who lived near Fort Worth, Texas, hit his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and then fired a gun at a witness in December 2019, according to court papers. Later, Rahimi called the girlfriend and threatened to shoot her if she told anyone about the assault, the Justice Department wrote in its Supreme Court brief.

The girlfriend obtained a protective order against him in Tarrant County in February 2020.

Eleven months later, Rahimi was a suspect in shootings when police searched his apartment and found guns. He eventually pleaded guilty to violating federal law. The appeals court overturned that conviction when it struck down the law. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Biden administration's appeal.

Rahimi remains jailed in Texas, where he faces other criminal charges. In a letter he wrote from jail last summer, after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his case, Rahimi said he would “stay away from all firearms and weapons” once he's released. The New York Times first reported the existence of the letter.

Guns were used in 57% of killings of spouses, intimate partners, children or relatives in 2020, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy women a month, on average, are shot and killed by intimate partners, according to the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.

“Guns and domestic are a deadly combination,” Prelogar said in court Tuesday.

A decision in U.S. v. Rahimi, 22-915, is expected by early summer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is taking up a challenge to a federal law that prohibits people from having guns if they are under a court order to stay away from their spouse, partner or other family members. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in their first case about guns since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">last year’s decision</a>&nbsp;that called into question numerous gun control laws.

The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down the law following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision in June 2022. That high-court ruling not only expanded Americans' gun rights under the Constitution, but also changed the way courts are supposed to evaluate restrictions on firearms.

Justice Clarence&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf">Thomas' opinion</a>&nbsp;for the court tossed out the balancing test judges had long used to decide whether gun laws were constitutional. Rather than consider whether a law enhances public safety, judges should only weigh whether it fits into the nation’s history of gun regulation, Thomas wrote.

The Bruen decision has resulted in lower-court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">rulings striking down</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen laws. Those include age restrictions, bans on homemade “ghost guns” and prohibitions on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent felonies or using illegal drugs.

The court’s decision in the new case could have widespread ripple effects, including in the high-profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-court-gun-charges-indictment-investigation-68b186294bb36071c02428834ec5f470">prosecution of Hunter Biden</a>. The president’s son has been charged with buying a firearm while he was addicted to drugs, but his lawyers have indicated they will challenge the indictment as invalid following the Bruen decision.

The outcome probably will come down to the votes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. They were part of the six-justice conservative majority in Bruen, but Kavanaugh wrote separately, joined by Roberts, to underscore that not every gun restriction is unconstitutional.

The case before the court involves Zackey Rahimi, who lived near Fort Worth, Texas. Rahimi hit his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and then fired a gun at a witness in December 2019, according to court papers. Later, Rahimi called the girlfriend and threatened to shoot her if she told anyone about the assault, the Justice Department wrote in its Supreme Court brief.

Eleven months later, Rahimi was a suspect in additional shootings when police searched his apartment and found guns. He eventually pleaded guilty to violating federal law. The appeals court overturned that conviction when it struck down the law. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Biden administration's appeal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;seemed likely Tuesday to preserve a federal law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2023/22-915">Click here </a>to listen to the Oral argumentIn their first guns case since last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">expansion of gun rights</a>, the justices suggested that they will reverse a ruling from an appeals court in New Orleans that struck down the 1994 ban on firearms for people under court order to stay away from their spouses or partners.The court’s decision could affect other cases in which other gun laws have been called into question, including in the high-profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-court-gun-charges-indictment-investigation-68b186294bb36071c02428834ec5f470">prosecution of Hunter Biden</a>. President Joe Biden’s son has been charged with buying a firearm while he was addicted to drugs, but his lawyers have indicated they will challenge the indictment.Liberal and conservative justices sounded persuaded by arguments from the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer that the prohibition is in line with the longstanding practice of disarming dangerous people.The case before the court involves a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi, who was accused of hitting his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.The justices peppered Rahimi's lawyer, J. Matthew Wright, with skeptical questions that seemed to foretell the outcome.“You don't have any doubt that your client is a dangerous person, do you?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked Wright. When Wright said it depends on what Roberts meant by dangerous, the chief justice shot back, "Well, it means someone who’s shooting, you know, at people. That’s a good start."Justice Brett Kavanaugh voiced concern that a ruling for Rahimi could also jeopardize the background check system that the Democratic administration said has stopped more than 75,000 gun sales in the past 25 years based on domestic violence protective orders.The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down the domestic violence law, following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision in June 2022. That high court ruling not only expanded Americans' gun rights under the Constitution but also changed the way courts are supposed to evaluate restrictions on firearms.Justice Clarence Thomas'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf">opinion for the court</a>&nbsp;tossed out the balancing test judges had long used to decide whether gun laws were constitutional. Rather than consider whether a law enhances public safety, judges should only weigh whether it fits into the nation’s history of gun regulation, Thomas wrote for the six conservative justices on the nine-member court.The Bruen decision has resulted in lower court rulings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">striking down</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen laws. Those include age restrictions; bans on homemade&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ghost-guns-biden-administration-lawsuit-46b871969dc6a7da35605c2ebc5385e5">ghost guns</a>, which don't have serial numbers; and prohibitions on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent felonies or using illegal drugs.Justice Elena Kagan noted that “there seems to be a fair bit of division and a fair bit of confusion about what Bruen means and what Bruen requires in the lower courts.”Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, defending the domestic violence law, urged the justices to use this case to correct lower courts' “profound misreading” of the decision.It was unclear how far the high court would go in this case, and some of the justices sounded interested in a limited ruling that might leave open other challenges to the same law. “Do we need to get into any of that?” Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Prelogar.Rahimi, who lived near Fort Worth, Texas, hit his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and then fired a gun at a witness in December 2019, according to court papers. Later, Rahimi called the girlfriend and threatened to shoot her if she told anyone about the assault, the Justice Department wrote in its Supreme Court brief.The girlfriend obtained a protective order against him in Tarrant County in February 2020.Eleven months later, Rahimi was a suspect in shootings when police searched his apartment and found guns. He eventually pleaded guilty to violating federal law. The appeals court overturned that conviction when it struck down the law. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Biden administration's appeal.Rahimi remains jailed in Texas, where he faces other criminal charges. In a letter he wrote from jail last summer, after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his case, Rahimi said he would “stay away from all firearms and weapons” once he's released. The New York Times first reported the existence of the letter.Guns were used in 57% of killings of spouses, intimate partners, children or relatives in 2020, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy women a month, on average, are shot and killed by intimate partners, according to the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.“Guns and domestic are a deadly combination,” Prelogar said in court Tuesday.A decision in U.S. v. Rahimi, 22-915, is expected by early summer.-----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;is taking up a challenge to a federal law that prohibits people from having guns if they are under a court order to stay away from their spouse, partner or other family members. The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in their first case about guns since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">last year’s decision</a>&nbsp;that called into question numerous gun control laws.The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down the law following the Supreme Court's Bruen decision in June 2022. That high-court ruling not only expanded Americans' gun rights under the Constitution, but also changed the way courts are supposed to evaluate restrictions on firearms.Justice Clarence&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf">Thomas' opinion</a>&nbsp;for the court tossed out the balancing test judges had long used to decide whether gun laws were constitutional. Rather than consider whether a law enhances public safety, judges should only weigh whether it fits into the nation’s history of gun regulation, Thomas wrote.The Bruen decision has resulted in lower-court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">rulings striking down</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen laws. Those include age restrictions, bans on homemade “ghost guns” and prohibitions on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent felonies or using illegal drugs.The court’s decision in the new case could have widespread ripple effects, including in the high-profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-court-gun-charges-indictment-investigation-68b186294bb36071c02428834ec5f470">prosecution of Hunter Biden</a>. The president’s son has been charged with buying a firearm while he was addicted to drugs, but his lawyers have indicated they will challenge the indictment as invalid following the Bruen decision.The outcome probably will come down to the votes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. They were part of the six-justice conservative majority in Bruen, but Kavanaugh wrote separately, joined by Roberts, to underscore that not every gun restriction is unconstitutional.The case before the court involves Zackey Rahimi, who lived near Fort Worth, Texas. Rahimi hit his girlfriend during an argument in a parking lot and then fired a gun at a witness in December 2019, according to court papers. Later, Rahimi called the girlfriend and threatened to shoot her if she told anyone about the assault, the Justice Department wrote in its Supreme Court brief.The girlfriend obtained a protective order against him in Tarrant County in February 2020.Eleven months later, Rahimi was a suspect in additional shootings when police searched his apartment and found guns. He eventually pleaded guilty to violating federal law. The appeals court overturned that conviction when it struck down the law. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the Biden administration's appeal.Rahimi remains jailed in Texas, where he faces other criminal charges. In a letter he wrote from jail last summer, after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his case, Rahimi said he would “stay away from all firearms and weapons” once he's released. The New York Times first reported the existence of the letter.Guns were used in 57% of killings of spouses, intimate partners, children or relatives in 2020, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventy women a month, on average, are shot and killed by intimate partners, according to the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.

🎧 Supreme Court deciding who can have 2nd amendment rights taken away

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the shooting at Independence Center Mall, 18891 East East 39th Street S in Indpendence, Missouri. According to a statement from police,&nbsp; the woman injured in the shooting remains hospitalized in critical condition.

All of the other victims have been treated and released from the hospital.  All of the involved individuals are over the age of 18.

Just before 2:30p.m. Friday police responded to a shooting call at the 39th Street entrance of the Mall.

First responders located four shooting victims. It appears those victims were shot inside the mall.&nbsp; Three persons of interest have been taken into custody regarding the incident.&nbsp;

Police released no additional details Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699652250717.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating the shooting at Independence Center Mall, 18891 East East 39th Street S in Indpendence, Missouri. According to a statement from police,&nbsp; the woman injured in the shooting remains hospitalized in critical condition.All of the other victims have been treated and released from the hospital. All of the involved individuals are over the age of 18.Just before 2:30p.m. Friday police responded to a shooting call at the 39th Street entrance of the Mall.First responders located four shooting victims. It appears those victims were shot inside the mall.&nbsp; Three persons of interest have been taken into custody regarding the incident.&nbsp;Police released no additional details Saturday.

Woman critically injured in KC-area shopping mall shooting 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City, Kansas.

Just before 9:30p.m. Friday , officers were dispatched to a home in the 2500 block of N.57th Street on a shooting, according to a media release.

First responders discovered a single victim, a man in his late 20s outside the home. He was pronounced deceased on scene. 

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp; This is the city’s 20th homicide of the year

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City, Kansas.Just before 9:30p.m. Friday , officers were dispatched to a home in the 2500 block of N.57th Street on a shooting, according to a media release.First responders discovered a single victim, a man in his late 20s outside the home. He was pronounced deceased on scene. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp; This is the city’s 20th homicide of the year