SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 1:30p.m. June 3, police&nbsp;responded to an armed robbery in the 1100 block of E 47th Street S in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 Upon arrival, the victim, an employee of a local business reported that an unknown suspect came into the store, displayed a black semi-auto handgun, and demanded money from the register and two packs of cigarettes. 

The victim said that the suspect came and left in a white early 2000s model quad cab dully pickup.

With little information about the suspect, officers from the East Community Policing unit searched the surrounding area for evidence. The officers followed up on several leads and were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle. 

During the investigation, officers located the vehicle at a local business and arrested 34-year-old Michael Galloway without incident.&nbsp; He remains jailed <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740554">on a requested charge</a> of aggravated robbery&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687194221729.png" alt="Galloway-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Galloway-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.Just after 1:30p.m. June 3, police&nbsp;responded to an armed robbery in the 1100 block of E 47th Street S in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687194319014.png" alt="Galloway as seen on security cameras June 3-Wichita PD" />
 <figcaption>Galloway as seen on security cameras June 3-Wichita PD</figcaption>
 </figure> Upon arrival, the victim, an employee of a local business reported that an unknown suspect came into the store, displayed a black semi-auto handgun, and demanded money from the register and two packs of cigarettes. The victim said that the suspect came and left in a white early 2000s model quad cab dully pickup.With little information about the suspect, officers from the East Community Policing unit searched the surrounding area for evidence. The officers followed up on several leads and were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle. During the investigation, officers located the vehicle at a local business and arrested 34-year-old Michael Galloway without incident.&nbsp; He remains jailed <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740554">on a requested charge</a> of aggravated robbery&nbsp;

Kan. armed robbery suspect demanded cash, cigarettes

TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) announced that the investigation into around 100 suspicious letters sent to legislators and public officials has now expanded beyond Kansas, so the FBI will now be the agency leading the investigation, according to a media release from the KBI.

The KBI will continue to work with all law enforcement partners to bring these incidents to appropriate resolution.

“Our focus remains on ensuring the safety of Kansans, and holding those responsible for these crimes accountable, said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “The KBI is so appreciative of the incredible coordination and outstanding response by countless federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as by fire departments, and hazmat teams to this unprecedented event.”

Since the first letters were handled and reported by officials, the KBI had over 60 special agents, forensic scientists and employees devoted to safely collecting or screening evidence, or managing and tracking response to the incidents. Additionally, 17 hazmat teams and 12 bomb squads responded across the state.

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials.

As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.

A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969061366.jpeg" alt="photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>photo -Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) announced that the investigation into around 100 suspicious letters sent to legislators and public officials has now expanded beyond Kansas, so the FBI will now be the agency leading the investigation, according to a media release from the KBI.The KBI will continue to work with all law enforcement partners to bring these incidents to appropriate resolution.“Our focus remains on ensuring the safety of Kansans, and holding those responsible for these crimes accountable, said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “The KBI is so appreciative of the incredible coordination and outstanding response by countless federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as by fire departments, and hazmat teams to this unprecedented event.”Since the first letters were handled and reported by officials, the KBI had over 60 special agents, forensic scientists and employees devoted to safely collecting or screening evidence, or managing and tracking response to the incidents. Additionally, 17 hazmat teams and 12 bomb squads responded across the state.-----------TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners, updated findings on the white powder found in letters sent to Kansas legislators and public officials.As of Sunday evening June 18, approximately 100 letters containing suspicious white powder have been received across the state of Kansas.A small sample of the letters containing powder was sent to a laboratory that specializes in testing biological samples. Preliminary tests have returned from this lab indicating the substance is presumptively negative for common biological agents of concern. Further and more complete testing will be conducted on this sample, as well as on additional letters that have been collected, in an effort to determine the components of the substance.

KBI: Investigation of suspicious letters expands beyond Kansas

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights in Missouri will move forward after a judge on Tuesday broke&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/fbe60ab843041b3509c5275e8a703207">a standoff between two Republican officials</a>&nbsp;that had halted the process.

Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Judgment_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=19&amp;di=2823114">ordered</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Andrew Bailey to approve fellow Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick's estimated $51,000 price tag on the proposal within 24 hours.

Bailey had refused to approve the price estimate, arguing that if the proposal were to succeed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-abortion-ballot-measure-trial-983ee235dbba4184f2140fe45fc14624">it could cost the state as much as a million times more</a>&nbsp;than that figure because of lost Medicaid funding or lost revenue that wouldn’t be collected from people who otherwise would be born.

But Beetem said Bailey has “no authority to substitute his own judgment for that of the Auditor.”

“There is an absolute absence of authority to conclude the Attorney General is permitted to send the Auditor’s fiscal note summary back to revision simply because he disagrees with the Auditor’s estimated cost or savings of a proposed measure,” Beetem wrote in his ruling.

A spokesperson said the attorney general's office will appeal.

If approved by voters, the proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-voters-election-0d2fdde552c2478b283937a6fab78cfc">would enshrine in the constitution</a>&nbsp;the individual right to make decisions about abortion, childbirth and birth control.

Missouri's Republican-led Legislature and Republican governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">banned nearly all abortions</a>&nbsp;after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. The state now allows exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape or incest.

In Missouri, the auditor is required to calculate how much taxpayer money it could cost to implement ballot measures. The attorney general then reviews and approves the cost estimate in an administrative step that historically has been uneventful.

Fitzpatrick’s office in March found that the proposal would have no known impact on state funds and an estimated cost of at least $51,000 annually in reduced local tax revenues, although “opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.”

Bailey said that cost estimate was so low it would bias voters and told Fitzpatrick to change it.

Fitzpatrick refused, arguing that a multibillion-dollar projection for the initiative petition would be inaccurate, despite Fitzpatrick’s personal opposition to abortion.

“As much as I would prefer to be able to say this IP would result in a loss to the state of Missouri of $12.5 billion in federal funds, it wouldn’t,” Fitzpatrick wrote in an April 21 letter to Bailey. “To submit a fiscal note summary that I know contains inaccurate information would violate my duty as State Auditor to produce an accurate fiscal note summary.”

The standoff had blocked the secretary of state from allowing the pro-abortion rights campaign to start collecting signatures from voters. The campaign would need to collect signatures from 8% of legal voters in six of the state’s eight congressional districts in order to get the proposal on the 2024 ballot.

In his ruling, Beetem wrote that Bailey's refusal to approve the cost estimate meant that the abortion rights campaign lost out on 50 days of gathering voter signatures.

“His illegal actions have obstructed the statutorily prescribed timeline twice over, showing a depth of antipathy towards our right to direct democracy in an attempt to prevent Missourians from voting for their reproductive freedom," said Tony Rothert, director of integrated advocacy at the ACLU of Missouri. which represented a plaintiff from the campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681466878038.png" alt="Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights in Missouri will move forward after a judge on Tuesday broke&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/fbe60ab843041b3509c5275e8a703207">a standoff between two Republican officials</a>&nbsp;that had halted the process.Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Judgment_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=19&amp;di=2823114">ordered</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Andrew Bailey to approve fellow Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick's estimated $51,000 price tag on the proposal within 24 hours.Bailey had refused to approve the price estimate, arguing that if the proposal were to succeed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-abortion-ballot-measure-trial-983ee235dbba4184f2140fe45fc14624">it could cost the state as much as a million times more</a>&nbsp;than that figure because of lost Medicaid funding or lost revenue that wouldn’t be collected from people who otherwise would be born.But Beetem said Bailey has “no authority to substitute his own judgment for that of the Auditor.”“There is an absolute absence of authority to conclude the Attorney General is permitted to send the Auditor’s fiscal note summary back to revision simply because he disagrees with the Auditor’s estimated cost or savings of a proposed measure,” Beetem wrote in his ruling.A spokesperson said the attorney general's office will appeal.If approved by voters, the proposal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-voters-election-0d2fdde552c2478b283937a6fab78cfc">would enshrine in the constitution</a>&nbsp;the individual right to make decisions about abortion, childbirth and birth control.Missouri's Republican-led Legislature and Republican governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">banned nearly all abortions</a>&nbsp;after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. The state now allows exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape or incest.In Missouri, the auditor is required to calculate how much taxpayer money it could cost to implement ballot measures. The attorney general then reviews and approves the cost estimate in an administrative step that historically has been uneventful.Fitzpatrick’s office in March found that the proposal would have no known impact on state funds and an estimated cost of at least $51,000 annually in reduced local tax revenues, although “opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.”Bailey said that cost estimate was so low it would bias voters and told Fitzpatrick to change it.Fitzpatrick refused, arguing that a multibillion-dollar projection for the initiative petition would be inaccurate, despite Fitzpatrick’s personal opposition to abortion.“As much as I would prefer to be able to say this IP would result in a loss to the state of Missouri of $12.5 billion in federal funds, it wouldn’t,” Fitzpatrick wrote in an April 21 letter to Bailey. “To submit a fiscal note summary that I know contains inaccurate information would violate my duty as State Auditor to produce an accurate fiscal note summary.”The standoff had blocked the secretary of state from allowing the pro-abortion rights campaign to start collecting signatures from voters. The campaign would need to collect signatures from 8% of legal voters in six of the state’s eight congressional districts in order to get the proposal on the 2024 ballot.In his ruling, Beetem wrote that Bailey's refusal to approve the cost estimate meant that the abortion rights campaign lost out on 50 days of gathering voter signatures.“His illegal actions have obstructed the statutorily prescribed timeline twice over, showing a depth of antipathy towards our right to direct democracy in an attempt to prevent Missourians from voting for their reproductive freedom," said Tony Rothert, director of integrated advocacy at the ACLU of Missouri. which represented a plaintiff from the campaign.___

Mo. judge orders end to GOP officials' standoff over proposed abortion rights ballot measure

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka have identified the victim as 30-year-old Anthony Marshall III of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

Just before 11:30p..m. Sunday police responded to 4100 Block of Southwest of Twilight in Topeka, according to Lt. Stanley.

First responders found Marshall III with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting was one of several in Topeka over the holiday weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 10p.m. Sunday police responded to report of a disturbance in the 3100 Block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Stanley. First responders found a shooting victim who was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Just after 1:30.a.m. on Monday, police responded to the 1300 Block&nbsp; of Western Avenue in Topeka on reports of multiple gunshots in the area.

Officers found one person with a&nbsp;non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Stanley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police have released no additional details including information on a suspect in the homicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687170616581.png" alt="One died and two were wounded in Topeka over the weekend -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>One died and two were wounded in Topeka over the weekend -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in Topeka have identified the victim as 30-year-old Anthony Marshall III of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.Just before 11:30p..m. Sunday police responded to 4100 Block of Southwest of Twilight in Topeka, according to Lt. Stanley.First responders found Marshall III with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.The shooting was one of several in Topeka over the holiday weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 10p.m. Sunday police responded to report of a disturbance in the 3100 Block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Stanley. First responders found a shooting victim who was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Just after 1:30.a.m. on Monday, police responded to the 1300 Block&nbsp; of Western Avenue in Topeka on reports of multiple gunshots in the area.Officers found one person with a&nbsp;non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Stanley.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police have released no additional details including information on a suspect in the homicide.

Police ID victim in Father's Day homicide in Kansas

Legislation directs social services, mental health departments to collaborate on solutions to clients being boarded in medical and mental health facilities ‘without medical justification’

By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

On an early June day, five foster children were being housed by SSM Health at hospitals in the St. Louis area not because they were sick, but because there was no other place for them to live. They had each been in the hospital an average of 56 days.

There were 23 adult clients of the Department of Mental Health — people with a developmental disability or behavioral issue — being boarded by SSM. Each had been hospitalized an average of 193 days.

And there were 10 adults over age 65 or considered fragile, also mental health clients, boarded in SSM hospitals for no medical reason, who had been there an average of 403 days each.

SSM is not the only hospital system housing children and adults who have no other place to go after receiving treatment.&nbsp;All of Missouri’s hospital systems have served this function at one point or another in the last year, and the number of children in limbo has been growing.

Of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/2023/apr-2023.pdf">13,183 foster children</a>&nbsp;in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division at the end of April, 52 were housed in medical facilities and 258 were housed in mental health facilities. At the end of April 2022, there were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/cd-management-report-202204.pdf">72 foster children</a>&nbsp;in medical facilities and 92 in mental health facilities.

The Department of Mental Health also has difficulty finding residential support providers. It&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.missourinet.com/2023/06/06/highlights-of-missouri-legislatures-proposed-budget-for-department-of-mental-health/">has 704 clients who are developmentally disabled</a>&nbsp;waiting for a residential placement, with the more than three dozen housed in hospitals considered among the most critical for placement.

“Unfortunately, right now, hospitals are a place where both residential facilities and in some cases, therapeutic foster families&nbsp; — or you know, or families in general — will bring their children because they don’t feel adept at caring for the child,” said Michelle Schafer, regional vice president for behavioral health at SSM. “There are usually significant behavioral components to the situation.”

Foster children living in hospitals or other temporary locations for long periods isn’t just a Missouri problem. Many states are finding it difficult to recruit foster parents, especially in rural areas,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/rural-foster-home-shortage-nevada-temporary-housing-casino-hotels/">KFF Health News reported</a>&nbsp;this week.

But inappropriate placements are just one of the multiple issues for the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/05/missouri-caseworkers-drowning-as-childrens-division-plagued-by-staff-shortages/">struggling Children’s Division</a>&nbsp;in the Department of Social Services. The first step to rollback years of cuts, remedy low pay&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/19/this-job-is-impossible-high-turnover-low-morale-plague-missouri-child-welfare-agency/">leading to high turnover</a>&nbsp;and reduce massive caseloads came this year when lawmakers funded a $13.7 million plan to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/26/missouri-child-welfare-agency-pitches-plan-to-rebuild-overburdened-foster-care-system/">rebuild the division</a>.&nbsp;

For the Department of Mental Health, one of the biggest issues is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/22/missourians-with-developmental-disabilities-languish-in-hospitals-jails-shelters/">community providers are struggling with staffing issues</a>.

Many are working to regain staff lost during the COVID-19 pandemic or lured away by rising wages in less demanding jobs.

“We lost about 50% of our residential beds, because we had a workforce shortage, which then sort of turned this cycle into a situation where we had a lot of kids, and we had no place for them to go,” Schafer said.

During the legislative session that ended in May, lawmakers added a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-budget-negotiations-conclude-with-i-70-expansion-child-care-funding-intact/">modest amount to the budget</a>&nbsp;for community service providers supporting people with developmental disabilities. The extra money will allow those providers to boost pay by about $1 an hour, to just over $16 an hour.&nbsp;

They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB402&amp;year=2023&amp;code=R">also passed legislation</a>, sponsored by Sen. Elaine Gannon, directing the Mental Health and Social Services departments to study and report on the impact of hospitalizing foster children and Department of Mental Health clients “without medical justification because appropriate post discharge placement options are unavailable,” and how to end it.

The bill also includes a number of other provisions, such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/19/missouri-bill-tightens-licensing-rules-in-wake-of-gop-lawmakers-medical-fraud-conviction/">changes to professional licensing</a>&nbsp;and changes to where the mental health department must treat people facing criminal charges who are not competent to stand trial.

Gannon doesn’t remember who first convinced her to file a bill addressing foster children being housed in hospitals, she said.

But she remembers thinking it couldn’t be true.

“This doesn’t happen,” Gannon recalled thinking. “They don’t leave somebody in a hospital for six months, a year or even a month because they don’t have anywhere to send them. I can’t really believe that. Well, let me tell you, it’s the truth, and it is happening, and it’s happening everywhere.”

If signed by Gov. Mike Parson, the legislation that passed this year would formalize work already being done in consultation with providers, clients, schools and the courts, thanks to a conversation Gannon had with Schafer after a hearing in 2022.

Schafer had followed Gannon back to her office.&nbsp;

“She comes in and sits down, and all of a sudden, I’m hearing all these issues in the mental health area, and the foster care system, and all the problems they’re having, this patient boarding, everything,” Gannon said. “And I’m just kind of sitting there overwhelmed.”

The problem, she recalls thinking, was too important to wait for the legislation.

“The biggest complaint was that there was a lack of communication,” Gannon said. “Nobody wanted anybody else telling them what to do. Or how to do their job. And nothing was getting done.”

That is when she decided to bring department and division directors together with hospital representatives, as well as advocates for children and people with developmental disabilities or behavior disorders. And although she has been a legislator since 2013, Gannon wasn’t sure exactly who to invite.

“I said ‘I want all the top people in this,” Gannon said. “‘I don’t want the person that’s three under the top person or even one under the top person. I want the top people. You know who they are. I do not know who they are.’ I said ‘You get a list.’”

The first meeting, in April 2022, brought together Robert Knodell, director of Social Services, Val Huhn, director of the Department of Mental Health, Darrell Missey, director of the Children’s Division, Brian Kinkade, vice president of children’s health and Medicaid advocacy at the Missouri Hospital Association, and about a dozen others.&nbsp;

Given the name Children’s Behavioral Health Committee, also referred to as the Children’s Mental Health Collaborative, it now meets monthly and has at times 30 or more participants. Schafer said the emphasis has been on collaboration and keeping the focus on who is being served rather than finding blame.

“What we’ve decided to do instead is come together in what is truly a crisis and say, ‘You know, we’re all going to recognize that it is a failed system, that deinstitutionalization is failing right now. And we’re all going to lean in and be committed to doing our part to make it better,’” Schafer said.

Kinkade, director of social services under Gov. Jay Nixon, said finding placements for foster children after treatment, especially for high-needs children, has always been difficult.&nbsp;

At the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/1704-childrens-services-management-report.pdf">end of April 2017</a>, about the time Kinkade left the department, there were 33 foster children in medical facilities and 53 in mental health facilities. The numbers were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/1904-childrens-services-management-report.pdf">virtually the same</a>&nbsp;in April 2019. The numbers started creeping up a year later, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.&nbsp;

“The pandemic really kicked it into high gear in terms of being a major issue,” Kinkade said.

Hospitals are not designed or staffed to provide housing for foster children and adults with developmental disabilities or behavior issues that do not need treatment for acute conditions, Kinkade said.&nbsp;

“Equally important, and what we need to remain mindful of, is that that’s not a good setting either for the child or the young adult who’s in that situation,” Kinkade said. “They need social supports, they need connections to communities, that a hospital just can’t provide.”

The majority of children in foster care are removed from their homes because of neglect tied to behavioral health issues, explained Mary Chant, chief executive of Missouri Coalition for Children during a hearing this year on House legislation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2691&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">identical to Gannon’s bill</a>.

She said in the hearing that the state has lost about half its residential placements for high needs foster children during the past three years.

“The reality of the situation is if we look at our entire continuum of care for children and youth, we’ve got issues and capacity at every point in time,” Chant said in an interview with The Independent.

Children in foster care and adults with behavioral and developmental issues living in hospitals is just a symptom of a bigger issue, Kinkade said, and the solutions have to be bigger as well.

“The way this problem presents itself, in the most stark and dramatic fashion, is in these boarding situations,” he said. “But in many ways, those boarding situations are reflecting kind of a general lack of capacity in the systems of care that treat these folks with developmental disabilities and with emotional or behavioral health problems.”

Missouri puts children into foster care at nearly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-7H8vNhd9zxkpWzLOewiS8qLCkeUJmTt/view">twice the national average rate</a>, according to the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. And part of the process of rebuilding the division is focusing on preventing removal in the first place.

“If you put services on the front end to prevent those things from getting to a place where a child had to be removed, that’s a much better expenditure of money,” Children’s Division Director Darryl Missey said during a January budget hearing.&nbsp;

Each child in foster care costs the state around $25,000 per year. Traditional foster families receive a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dssmanuals.mo.gov/child-welfare-manual/section-4-chapter-12-financial-considerations-subsection-8-payments-for-children/">maintenance stipend of $450 to $630 a month</a>, and the state pays up to $1800 a month for families fostering children with “elevated needs.”

Gannon’s legislation directs the committee to make three reports with the first due Dec. 1. The committee would continue working through 2024, with a second interim report in the summer and a final report due at the end of that year.

Whatever solution it offers is almost certain to cost money. And not a small amount.&nbsp;

Increasing the wages of direct care workers in residential programs serving people with developmental disabilities by $1 an hour cost $171 million. That is only a fraction of the $910 million in new funding&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/media/pdf/2022-hcbs-rate-study-stakeholder-meeting-presentation-111022">called for by a market study</a>&nbsp;on workforce needs.

Support for rebuilding the program and recognition that provider rates need to be increased are signs that lawmakers are taking the issues seriously, said Erica Signars, a special assistant professional in the Department of Social Services.

“We’re in a good place because we’ve got folks’ attention,” Signers said. “We’ve got good support by the legislature and others to kind of help us identify some solutions to solve the issues that we’re seeing today.”

The committee is considering statutory and administrative changes to make interagency communication and cooperation — identified as a major factor in some cases — easier. The point, Chant said, is to break down jurisdictional barriers where people disclaim authority, leaving people in limbo.

“Those things may be true, but none of those things help us figure anything out,” Chant said. “Our first question has to be: What is it that the child’s family needs? And what do we need to do to get them that?”

The committee is also looking at how services are funded, how they are delivered, and how to support better use of residential facilities, Schafer said. It is examining models for delivering residential support services to children with behavioral or developmental needs, and what can be adapted to the current problem, she said.

With everyone at the table agreeing Missouri’s systems are in crisis, the first step was to get past blame, Schafer said.

“Blame has no place in this,” she said. “It is literally all collaboration and partnership as we are committed to do this work, and up to it including having legislative support.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687282369565.png" alt=" Sen. Elaine Gannon (photo courtesy of Senate Communications)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Elaine Gannon (photo courtesy of Senate Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Legislation directs social services, mental health departments to collaborate on solutions to clients being boarded in medical and mental health facilities ‘without medical justification’</h2>By RUDI KELLER&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>On an early June day, five foster children were being housed by SSM Health at hospitals in the St. Louis area not because they were sick, but because there was no other place for them to live. They had each been in the hospital an average of 56 days.There were 23 adult clients of the Department of Mental Health — people with a developmental disability or behavioral issue — being boarded by SSM. Each had been hospitalized an average of 193 days.And there were 10 adults over age 65 or considered fragile, also mental health clients, boarded in SSM hospitals for no medical reason, who had been there an average of 403 days each.SSM is not the only hospital system housing children and adults who have no other place to go after receiving treatment.&nbsp;All of Missouri’s hospital systems have served this function at one point or another in the last year, and the number of children in limbo has been growing.Of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/2023/apr-2023.pdf">13,183 foster children</a>&nbsp;in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division at the end of April, 52 were housed in medical facilities and 258 were housed in mental health facilities. At the end of April 2022, there were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/cd-management-report-202204.pdf">72 foster children</a>&nbsp;in medical facilities and 92 in mental health facilities.The Department of Mental Health also has difficulty finding residential support providers. It&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.missourinet.com/2023/06/06/highlights-of-missouri-legislatures-proposed-budget-for-department-of-mental-health/">has 704 clients who are developmentally disabled</a>&nbsp;waiting for a residential placement, with the more than three dozen housed in hospitals considered among the most critical for placement.“Unfortunately, right now, hospitals are a place where both residential facilities and in some cases, therapeutic foster families&nbsp; — or you know, or families in general — will bring their children because they don’t feel adept at caring for the child,” said Michelle Schafer, regional vice president for behavioral health at SSM. “There are usually significant behavioral components to the situation.”<h2>‘It’s happening everywhere’</h2>Foster children living in hospitals or other temporary locations for long periods isn’t just a Missouri problem. Many states are finding it difficult to recruit foster parents, especially in rural areas,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/rural-foster-home-shortage-nevada-temporary-housing-casino-hotels/">KFF Health News reported</a>&nbsp;this week.But inappropriate placements are just one of the multiple issues for the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/05/missouri-caseworkers-drowning-as-childrens-division-plagued-by-staff-shortages/">struggling Children’s Division</a>&nbsp;in the Department of Social Services. The first step to rollback years of cuts, remedy low pay&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/19/this-job-is-impossible-high-turnover-low-morale-plague-missouri-child-welfare-agency/">leading to high turnover</a>&nbsp;and reduce massive caseloads came this year when lawmakers funded a $13.7 million plan to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/26/missouri-child-welfare-agency-pitches-plan-to-rebuild-overburdened-foster-care-system/">rebuild the division</a>.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687282498601.png" alt=" Community Opportunities clients David, left, and Megan, enjoy a moment with community skills teacher Kristin Nobus, right, during March at the agency’s day program in Troy. Community Opportunities has clients waiting for support and would hire 10 additional staff if it could find applicants. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Community Opportunities clients David, left, and Megan, enjoy a moment with community skills teacher Kristin Nobus, right, during March at the agency’s day program in Troy. Community Opportunities has clients waiting for support and would hire 10 additional staff if it could find applicants. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>For the Department of Mental Health, one of the biggest issues is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/22/missourians-with-developmental-disabilities-languish-in-hospitals-jails-shelters/">community providers are struggling with staffing issues</a>.Many are working to regain staff lost during the COVID-19 pandemic or lured away by rising wages in less demanding jobs.“We lost about 50% of our residential beds, because we had a workforce shortage, which then sort of turned this cycle into a situation where we had a lot of kids, and we had no place for them to go,” Schafer said.During the legislative session that ended in May, lawmakers added a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-budget-negotiations-conclude-with-i-70-expansion-child-care-funding-intact/">modest amount to the budget</a>&nbsp;for community service providers supporting people with developmental disabilities. The extra money will allow those providers to boost pay by about $1 an hour, to just over $16 an hour.&nbsp;They&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB402&amp;year=2023&amp;code=R">also passed legislation</a>, sponsored by Sen. Elaine Gannon, directing the Mental Health and Social Services departments to study and report on the impact of hospitalizing foster children and Department of Mental Health clients “without medical justification because appropriate post discharge placement options are unavailable,” and how to end it.The bill also includes a number of other provisions, such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/19/missouri-bill-tightens-licensing-rules-in-wake-of-gop-lawmakers-medical-fraud-conviction/">changes to professional licensing</a>&nbsp;and changes to where the mental health department must treat people facing criminal charges who are not competent to stand trial.Gannon doesn’t remember who first convinced her to file a bill addressing foster children being housed in hospitals, she said.But she remembers thinking it couldn’t be true.“This doesn’t happen,” Gannon recalled thinking. “They don’t leave somebody in a hospital for six months, a year or even a month because they don’t have anywhere to send them. I can’t really believe that. Well, let me tell you, it’s the truth, and it is happening, and it’s happening everywhere.”<h2>‘All the top people’</h2>If signed by Gov. Mike Parson, the legislation that passed this year would formalize work already being done in consultation with providers, clients, schools and the courts, thanks to a conversation Gannon had with Schafer after a hearing in 2022.Schafer had followed Gannon back to her office.&nbsp;“She comes in and sits down, and all of a sudden, I’m hearing all these issues in the mental health area, and the foster care system, and all the problems they’re having, this patient boarding, everything,” Gannon said. “And I’m just kind of sitting there overwhelmed.”The problem, she recalls thinking, was too important to wait for the legislation.“The biggest complaint was that there was a lack of communication,” Gannon said. “Nobody wanted anybody else telling them what to do. Or how to do their job. And nothing was getting done.”That is when she decided to bring department and division directors together with hospital representatives, as well as advocates for children and people with developmental disabilities or behavior disorders. And although she has been a legislator since 2013, Gannon wasn’t sure exactly who to invite.But she knew that Schafer did.“I said ‘I want all the top people in this,” Gannon said. “‘I don’t want the person that’s three under the top person or even one under the top person. I want the top people. You know who they are. I do not know who they are.’ I said ‘You get a list.’”And she made Schafer the chair.The first meeting, in April 2022, brought together Robert Knodell, director of Social Services, Val Huhn, director of the Department of Mental Health, Darrell Missey, director of the Children’s Division, Brian Kinkade, vice president of children’s health and Medicaid advocacy at the Missouri Hospital Association, and about a dozen others.&nbsp;Given the name Children’s Behavioral Health Committee, also referred to as the Children’s Mental Health Collaborative, it now meets monthly and has at times 30 or more participants. Schafer said the emphasis has been on collaboration and keeping the focus on who is being served rather than finding blame.“What we’ve decided to do instead is come together in what is truly a crisis and say, ‘You know, we’re all going to recognize that it is a failed system, that deinstitutionalization is failing right now. And we’re all going to lean in and be committed to doing our part to make it better,’” Schafer said.<h2>What a hospital can’t provide</h2>Kinkade, director of social services under Gov. Jay Nixon, said finding placements for foster children after treatment, especially for high-needs children, has always been difficult.&nbsp;At the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/1704-childrens-services-management-report.pdf">end of April 2017</a>, about the time Kinkade left the department, there were 33 foster children in medical facilities and 53 in mental health facilities. The numbers were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/csmr/1904-childrens-services-management-report.pdf">virtually the same</a>&nbsp;in April 2019. The numbers started creeping up a year later, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.&nbsp;“The pandemic really kicked it into high gear in terms of being a major issue,” Kinkade said.Hospitals are not designed or staffed to provide housing for foster children and adults with developmental disabilities or behavior issues that do not need treatment for acute conditions, Kinkade said.&nbsp;“Equally important, and what we need to remain mindful of, is that that’s not a good setting either for the child or the young adult who’s in that situation,” Kinkade said. “They need social supports, they need connections to communities, that a hospital just can’t provide.”The majority of children in foster care are removed from their homes because of neglect tied to behavioral health issues, explained Mary Chant, chief executive of Missouri Coalition for Children during a hearing this year on House legislation&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2691&amp;year=2022&amp;code=R">identical to Gannon’s bill</a>.She said in the hearing that the state has lost about half its residential placements for high needs foster children during the past three years.“The reality of the situation is if we look at our entire continuum of care for children and youth, we’ve got issues and capacity at every point in time,” Chant said in an interview with The Independent.<h2>Solutions floated</h2>Children in foster care and adults with behavioral and developmental issues living in hospitals is just a symptom of a bigger issue, Kinkade said, and the solutions have to be bigger as well.“The way this problem presents itself, in the most stark and dramatic fashion, is in these boarding situations,” he said. “But in many ways, those boarding situations are reflecting kind of a general lack of capacity in the systems of care that treat these folks with developmental disabilities and with emotional or behavioral health problems.”Missouri puts children into foster care at nearly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-7H8vNhd9zxkpWzLOewiS8qLCkeUJmTt/view">twice the national average rate</a>, according to the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform. And part of the process of rebuilding the division is focusing on preventing removal in the first place.“If you put services on the front end to prevent those things from getting to a place where a child had to be removed, that’s a much better expenditure of money,” Children’s Division Director Darryl Missey said during a January budget hearing.&nbsp;Each child in foster care costs the state around $25,000 per year. Traditional foster families receive a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dssmanuals.mo.gov/child-welfare-manual/section-4-chapter-12-financial-considerations-subsection-8-payments-for-children/">maintenance stipend of $450 to $630 a month</a>, and the state pays up to $1800 a month for families fostering children with “elevated needs.”Gannon’s legislation directs the committee to make three reports with the first due Dec. 1. The committee would continue working through 2024, with a second interim report in the summer and a final report due at the end of that year.Whatever solution it offers is almost certain to cost money. And not a small amount.&nbsp;Increasing the wages of direct care workers in residential programs serving people with developmental disabilities by $1 an hour cost $171 million. That is only a fraction of the $910 million in new funding&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/media/pdf/2022-hcbs-rate-study-stakeholder-meeting-presentation-111022">called for by a market study</a>&nbsp;on workforce needs.Support for rebuilding the program and recognition that provider rates need to be increased are signs that lawmakers are taking the issues seriously, said Erica Signars, a special assistant professional in the Department of Social Services.“We’re in a good place because we’ve got folks’ attention,” Signers said. “We’ve got good support by the legislature and others to kind of help us identify some solutions to solve the issues that we’re seeing today.”The committee is considering statutory and administrative changes to make interagency communication and cooperation — identified as a major factor in some cases — easier. The point, Chant said, is to break down jurisdictional barriers where people disclaim authority, leaving people in limbo.“Those things may be true, but none of those things help us figure anything out,” Chant said. “Our first question has to be: What is it that the child’s family needs? And what do we need to do to get them that?”The committee is also looking at how services are funded, how they are delivered, and how to support better use of residential facilities, Schafer said. It is examining models for delivering residential support services to children with behavioral or developmental needs, and what can be adapted to the current problem, she said.With everyone at the table agreeing Missouri’s systems are in crisis, the first step was to get past blame, Schafer said.“Blame has no place in this,” she said. “It is literally all collaboration and partnership as we are committed to do this work, and up to it including having legislative support.”

Truly a crisis’: Missouri hospitals house children in foster care with no place to go

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman for alleged theft.

Just before 8p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had a report of an individual driving a beige Toyota allegedly opening mailboxes in southern Jackson County near Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. 

A short time later, Sheriff's Deputies located a vehicle matching the description near 126th and Q. Road.

 Deputies determined the vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Corolla had been reported stolen out of Omaha, Nebraska. The driver was identified as 28-year-old Tehya Rose Wright, of Mason City, Iowa. 

 Wright was arrested by deputies and remains in the Jackson County Jail on requested theft charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687225951388.png" alt="Wright-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Wright-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman for alleged theft.Just before 8p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office had a report of an individual driving a beige Toyota allegedly opening mailboxes in southern Jackson County near Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. A short time later, Sheriff's Deputies located a vehicle matching the description near 126th and Q. Road. Deputies determined the vehicle, a 2007 Toyota Corolla had been reported stolen out of Omaha, Nebraska. The driver was identified as 28-year-old Tehya Rose Wright, of Mason City, Iowa. Wright was arrested by deputies and remains in the Jackson County Jail on requested theft charges.

Suspect in stolen car was opening mailboxes in Kansas

CAMDEN COUNTY —A man drowned just after 8p.m. Saturday&nbsp; at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 30-year-old Kendall Henderson of Chicago, Illinois, dove off the side of the dock at the twenty mile mark of the main channel.&nbsp;

As he began to swim away, he began to struggle, went below the surface of the water and did not resurface.

A dive team recovered Henderson's body and he was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home.

CAMDEN COUNTY —A man drowned just after 8p.m. Saturday&nbsp; at Lake of the Ozarks.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 30-year-old Kendall Henderson of Chicago, Illinois, dove off the side of the dock at the twenty mile mark of the main channel.&nbsp;As he began to swim away, he began to struggle, went below the surface of the water and did not resurface.A dive team recovered Henderson's body and he was transported to Hedges Scott Funeral Home.

Swimmer drowns at Lake of the Ozarks

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;has been charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon and has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, according to&nbsp;a letter filed in U.S. District Court&nbsp;in Delaware.

As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. It is somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time the charges are filed in court, though it is not totally unheard of.

The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks or distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.

Christopher Clark, a lawyer for the younger Biden, said in a statement that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved.

“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life," Clark said. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

The news comes as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances. It also comes days after a 37-count indictment came down against former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents on his Florida estate, another case with even more dramatic political implications.

Joe Biden has also faced questions about his son’s business dealings and drug addiction.

The gun charge states that Hunter Biden possessed a handgun, a Colt Cobra 38 special, despite knowing he was a drug user for 11 days in October 2018. The count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department says Hunter Biden has reached a pretrial agreement on that charge. Full details were not immediately available.

The White House had no immediate comment on the case.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">President Joe Biden’s son Hunter</a>&nbsp;has been charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon and has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, according to&nbsp;a letter filed in U.S. District Court&nbsp;in Delaware.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687268829862.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. It is somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time the charges are filed in court, though it is not totally unheard of.The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks or distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.Christopher Clark, a lawyer for the younger Biden, said in a statement that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved.“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life," Clark said. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”The news comes as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances. It also comes days after a 37-count indictment came down against former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents on his Florida estate, another case with even more dramatic political implications.Joe Biden has also faced questions about his son’s business dealings and drug addiction.The gun charge states that Hunter Biden possessed a handgun, a Colt Cobra 38 special, despite knowing he was a drug user for 11 days in October 2018. The count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department says Hunter Biden has reached a pretrial agreement on that charge. Full details were not immediately available.The White House had no immediate comment on the case.

President Biden's son reaches plea deal on tax, gun charges

WASHINGTON— China’s main diplomat for the Western Hemisphere says U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China “marks a new beginning” as their nations seek to repair damaged relations. 

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall criticized Blinken's visit. On social media, Marshall wrote, "&nbsp;Did we forget communist China had a spy balloon in our backyard just 4 months ago?"

"Sec. Blinken’s trip to China for the Big Guy to ‘ease tensions’ is an embarrassment. Since when did America go to her bullies to ask them to play nice?&nbsp; Peace through STRENGTH."

Blinken met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and says they agreed to “stabilize” deteriorated ties. But Blinken left Beijing with his biggest ask rebuffed: Blinken says China is not ready to resume military-to-military contacts, something the U.S. considers crucial.

 Chinese diplomat Yang Tao blames the issue squarely on U.S. sanctions, which Blinken says revolve entirely around threats to American security. Yet Blinken and Xi pronounce themselves satisfied with progress made during two days of talks, without pointing to specific areas of agreement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687169037256.png" alt="U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday, June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday, June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON— China’s main diplomat for the Western Hemisphere says U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China “marks a new beginning” as their nations seek to repair damaged relations. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall criticized Blinken's visit. On social media, Marshall wrote, "&nbsp;Did we forget communist China had a spy balloon in our backyard just 4 months ago?""Sec. Blinken’s trip to China for the Big Guy to ‘ease tensions’ is an embarrassment. Since when did America go to her bullies to ask them to play nice?&nbsp; Peace through STRENGTH."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Had a candid, substantive, and constructive conversation with People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping in Beijing today. We discussed a range of important issues, including the need to manage our relationship responsibly. <a href="https://t.co/Q8kuMm6kly">pic.twitter.com/Q8kuMm6kly</a>&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1670802364075212801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Blinken met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping and says they agreed to “stabilize” deteriorated ties. But Blinken left Beijing with his biggest ask rebuffed: Blinken says China is not ready to resume military-to-military contacts, something the U.S. considers crucial. Chinese diplomat Yang Tao blames the issue squarely on U.S. sanctions, which Blinken says revolve entirely around threats to American security. Yet Blinken and Xi pronounce themselves satisfied with progress made during two days of talks, without pointing to specific areas of agreement.

Kan. U.S. Senator: Sec. of State trip to China an embarrassment

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Enforcement of a Kansas abortion law based in junk science has been indefinitely delayed, in what abortion providers call a temporary relief for a “dangerous and misleading” practice.

On Tuesday, Kansas abortion providers reached an agreement with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach to not enforce a new law on “abortion reversal” until the resolution of their original motion for temporary injunction. A&nbsp;hearing is set for August.

Kobach said the temporary halt was the most effective way to proceed with the lawsuit.

“The portions of the act that existed prior to 2023 remain in full effect,” Kobach said. “The new portions are only temporarily delayed during the first phase of litigation. The parties have agreed that this is the most efficient way to proceed.”

The agreement comes after&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/KS_WRTK-Act-Complaint.pdf">a June 6 lawsuit</a>&nbsp;combating the “abortion reversal” law, filed in the Johnson County District Court. Other restrictions challenged in the lawsuit include a 30-minute wait time between meeting with an abortion provider and receiving abortion care, and bureaucratic requirements on font size, typeface and color for abortion form-related communications. The plaintiffs, including Hodes and Nauser of the landmark 2019 abortion case and Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, asked the court to block&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2264/">the law</a>&nbsp;before it takes effect July 1.

“This development offers our providers temporary relief from a new law that would force them to lie to patients with dangerous and misleading information about ‘abortion pill reversal, ’ “said Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “But the long-term work continues to ensure providers always have open and honest conversations with patients and that patients have the information to give accurate and informed consent.”&nbsp;

The law requires abortion providers statewide to tell patients the effects of mifepristone, the first of two pills used in medication abortion, is reversible.&nbsp;

Supporters of the “reversal” method point to a debunked study to claim pregnancy can be preserved if the pregnant person takes progesterone within a certain time frame after taking the first abortion pill. Other studies have shown the process has significant health risks, including hemorrhaging.&nbsp;The legislation passed in late April, following a Republican push to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.&nbsp;

Danielle Underwood, spokeswoman for the anti-abortion organization Kansans for Life, said the organization supports Kobach’s efforts to litigate.

“We appreciate the Attorney General’s efforts to vigorously fight back against this unprecedented attack on a woman’s right to make an informed decision before undergoing an abortion,” Underwood said.

Under the law, physicians who refuse to talk to their patients about “abortion reversal” on more than one occasion could face up to a year of jail time.&nbsp;Health care facilities that prescribe or administer mifepristone would be fined $10,000 if they refuse to put up a mandatory notice.

Defendants in the case include Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, Johnson County District Attorney Stephen Howe, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, along with Susan Gile and Ronald Varner, officials from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687294518449.png" alt=" The "abortion reversal" law is one of several pieces of anti-abortion legislation passed by Kansas' GOP-dominated Legislature in recent months. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The "abortion reversal" law is one of several pieces of anti-abortion legislation passed by Kansas' GOP-dominated Legislature in recent months. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Enforcement of a Kansas abortion law based in junk science has been indefinitely delayed, in what abortion providers call a temporary relief for a “dangerous and misleading” practice.On Tuesday, Kansas abortion providers reached an agreement with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach to not enforce a new law on “abortion reversal” until the resolution of their original motion for temporary injunction. A&nbsp;hearing is set for August.Kobach said the temporary halt was the most effective way to proceed with the lawsuit.“The portions of the act that existed prior to 2023 remain in full effect,” Kobach said. “The new portions are only temporarily delayed during the first phase of litigation. The parties have agreed that this is the most efficient way to proceed.”The agreement comes after&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/KS_WRTK-Act-Complaint.pdf">a June 6 lawsuit</a>&nbsp;combating the “abortion reversal” law, filed in the Johnson County District Court. Other restrictions challenged in the lawsuit include a 30-minute wait time between meeting with an abortion provider and receiving abortion care, and bureaucratic requirements on font size, typeface and color for abortion form-related communications. The plaintiffs, including Hodes and Nauser of the landmark 2019 abortion case and Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, asked the court to block&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2264/">the law</a>&nbsp;before it takes effect July 1.“This development offers our providers temporary relief from a new law that would force them to lie to patients with dangerous and misleading information about ‘abortion pill reversal, ’ “said Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “But the long-term work continues to ensure providers always have open and honest conversations with patients and that patients have the information to give accurate and informed consent.”&nbsp;The law requires abortion providers statewide to tell patients the effects of mifepristone, the first of two pills used in medication abortion, is reversible.&nbsp;Supporters of the “reversal” method point to a debunked study to claim pregnancy can be preserved if the pregnant person takes progesterone within a certain time frame after taking the first abortion pill. Other studies have shown the process has significant health risks, including hemorrhaging.&nbsp;The legislation passed in late April, following a Republican push to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.&nbsp;Danielle Underwood, spokeswoman for the anti-abortion organization Kansans for Life, said the organization supports Kobach’s efforts to litigate.“We appreciate the Attorney General’s efforts to vigorously fight back against this unprecedented attack on a woman’s right to make an informed decision before undergoing an abortion,” Underwood said.Under the law, physicians who refuse to talk to their patients about “abortion reversal” on more than one occasion could face up to a year of jail time.&nbsp;Health care facilities that prescribe or administer mifepristone would be fined $10,000 if they refuse to put up a mandatory notice.Defendants in the case include Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, Johnson County District Attorney Stephen Howe, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, along with Susan Gile and Ronald Varner, officials from the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

Enforcement of Kan. 'abortion reversal’ law delayed after agreement with AG

BOSTON (AP) — In early June, sporadic but serious service disruptions plagued Microsoft's flagship office suite — including the Outlook email and OneDrive file-sharing apps — and cloud computing platform. A shadowy hacktivist group claimed responsibility, saying it flooded the sites with junk traffic in distributed denial-of-service attacks.

Initially reticent to name the cause, Microsoft has now disclosed that DDoS attacks by the murky upstart were indeed to blame.

But the software giant has offered few details — and did not immediately comment on how many customers were affected and whether the impact was global. A spokeswoman confirmed that the group that calls itself Anonymous Sudan was behind the attacks. It claimed responsibility on its Telegram social media channel at the time. Some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blogs/spiderlabs-blog/anonymous-sudan-religious-hacktivists-or-russian-front-group/">security researchers</a>&nbsp;believe the group to be Russian.

Microsoft’s explanation in a&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2023/06/microsoft-response-to-layer-7-distributed-denial-of-service-ddos-attacks/">blog post Friday evening</a>&nbsp;followed a request by The Associated Press two days earlier. Slim on details, the post said the attacks “temporarily impacted availability” of some services. It said the attackers were focused on “disruption and publicity” and likely used rented cloud infrastructure and virtual private networks to bombard Microsoft servers from so-called botnets of zombie computers around the globe.

Microsoft said there was no evidence any customer data was accessed or compromised.

While DDoS attacks are mainly a nuisance — making websites unreachable without penetrating them — security experts say they can disrupt the work of millions if they successfully interrupt the services of a software service giant like Microsoft on which so much global commerce depends.

It's not clear if that's what happened here.

“We really have no way to measure the impact if Microsoft doesn’t provide that info,” said Jake Williams, a prominent cybersecurity researcher and a former National Security Agency offensive hacker. Williams said he was not aware of Outlook previously being attacked at this scale.

“We know some resources were inaccessible for some, but not others. This often happens with DDoS of globally distributed systems,” Williams added. He said Microsoft's apparent unwillingness to provide an objective measure of customer impact “probably speaks to the magnitude.”

Microsoft dubbed the attackers Storm-1359, using a&nbsp;<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/intelligence/microsoft-threat-actor-naming?view=o365-worldwide">designator it assigns to groups</a>&nbsp;whose affiliation it has not yet established. Cybersecurity sleuthing tends to take time — and even then can be a challenge if the adversary is skilled.

Pro-Russian hacking groups including Killnet — which the cybersecurity firm Mandiant says is Kremlin-affiliated — have been bombarding government and other websites of Ukraine's allies with DDoS attacks.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-atlanta-680cf93f7eb0300127448c35299ad66e">In October</a>, some U.S. airport sites were hit. Analyst Alexander Leslie of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said it's unlikely Anonymous Sudan is located as it claims in Sudan, an African country. The group works closely with Killnet and other pro-Kremlin groups to spread pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation, he said.

Edward Amoroso, NYU professor and CEO of TAG Cyber, said the Microsoft incident highlights how DDoS attacks remain “a significant risk that we all just agree to avoid talking about. It’s not controversial to call this an unsolved problem.”

He said Microsoft's difficulties fending of this particular attack suggest “a single point of failure.” The best defense against these attacks is to distribute a service massively, on a content distribution network for example.

Indeed, the techniques the attackers used are not old, said U.K. security researcher Kevin Beaumont. “One dates back to&nbsp;<a>2009</a>,” he said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/outlook-microsoft-outage-down-ee5430f6a4636b297c64f0c0b695cfc3">Serious impacts</a>&nbsp;from the Microsoft 365 office suite interruptions were reported on Monday June 5, peaking at 18,000 outage and problem reports on the tracker Downdetector shortly after 11 a.m. Eastern time.

On Twitter that day,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MSFT365Status/status/1665744417783775232?s=20">Microsoft said</a>&nbsp;Outlook, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business were affected.

Attacks continued through the week, with Microsoft confirming on June 9 that its Azure&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/azuresupport/status/1667206178210816002?s=46">cloud computing platform</a>&nbsp;had been affected.

On June 8, the computer security news site BleepingComputer.com&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BleepinComputer/status/1666873449908776961?s=20">reported</a>&nbsp;that cloud-based OneDrive file-hosting was down globally for a time.

Microsoft said at the time that desktop OneDrive clients were not affected, BleepingComputer reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674062921987.jpeg" alt="Microsoft Visitor Center in Redmond, Wash. / AP Photo, Ted S. Warren" />
 <figcaption>Microsoft Visitor Center in Redmond, Wash. / AP Photo, Ted S. Warren</figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — In early June, sporadic but serious service disruptions plagued Microsoft's flagship office suite — including the Outlook email and OneDrive file-sharing apps — and cloud computing platform. A shadowy hacktivist group claimed responsibility, saying it flooded the sites with junk traffic in distributed denial-of-service attacks.Initially reticent to name the cause, Microsoft has now disclosed that DDoS attacks by the murky upstart were indeed to blame.But the software giant has offered few details — and did not immediately comment on how many customers were affected and whether the impact was global. A spokeswoman confirmed that the group that calls itself Anonymous Sudan was behind the attacks. It claimed responsibility on its Telegram social media channel at the time. Some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blogs/spiderlabs-blog/anonymous-sudan-religious-hacktivists-or-russian-front-group/">security researchers</a>&nbsp;believe the group to be Russian.Microsoft’s explanation in a&nbsp;<a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2023/06/microsoft-response-to-layer-7-distributed-denial-of-service-ddos-attacks/">blog post Friday evening</a>&nbsp;followed a request by The Associated Press two days earlier. Slim on details, the post said the attacks “temporarily impacted availability” of some services. It said the attackers were focused on “disruption and publicity” and likely used rented cloud infrastructure and virtual private networks to bombard Microsoft servers from so-called botnets of zombie computers around the globe.Microsoft said there was no evidence any customer data was accessed or compromised.While DDoS attacks are mainly a nuisance — making websites unreachable without penetrating them — security experts say they can disrupt the work of millions if they successfully interrupt the services of a software service giant like Microsoft on which so much global commerce depends.It's not clear if that's what happened here.“We really have no way to measure the impact if Microsoft doesn’t provide that info,” said Jake Williams, a prominent cybersecurity researcher and a former National Security Agency offensive hacker. Williams said he was not aware of Outlook previously being attacked at this scale.“We know some resources were inaccessible for some, but not others. This often happens with DDoS of globally distributed systems,” Williams added. He said Microsoft's apparent unwillingness to provide an objective measure of customer impact “probably speaks to the magnitude.”Microsoft dubbed the attackers Storm-1359, using a&nbsp;<a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/intelligence/microsoft-threat-actor-naming?view=o365-worldwide">designator it assigns to groups</a>&nbsp;whose affiliation it has not yet established. Cybersecurity sleuthing tends to take time — and even then can be a challenge if the adversary is skilled.Pro-Russian hacking groups including Killnet — which the cybersecurity firm Mandiant says is Kremlin-affiliated — have been bombarding government and other websites of Ukraine's allies with DDoS attacks.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-atlanta-680cf93f7eb0300127448c35299ad66e">In October</a>, some U.S. airport sites were hit. Analyst Alexander Leslie of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said it's unlikely Anonymous Sudan is located as it claims in Sudan, an African country. The group works closely with Killnet and other pro-Kremlin groups to spread pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation, he said.Edward Amoroso, NYU professor and CEO of TAG Cyber, said the Microsoft incident highlights how DDoS attacks remain “a significant risk that we all just agree to avoid talking about. It’s not controversial to call this an unsolved problem.”He said Microsoft's difficulties fending of this particular attack suggest “a single point of failure.” The best defense against these attacks is to distribute a service massively, on a content distribution network for example.Indeed, the techniques the attackers used are not old, said U.K. security researcher Kevin Beaumont. “One dates back to&nbsp;<a>2009</a>,” he said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/outlook-microsoft-outage-down-ee5430f6a4636b297c64f0c0b695cfc3">Serious impacts</a>&nbsp;from the Microsoft 365 office suite interruptions were reported on Monday June 5, peaking at 18,000 outage and problem reports on the tracker Downdetector shortly after 11 a.m. Eastern time.On Twitter that day,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MSFT365Status/status/1665744417783775232?s=20">Microsoft said</a>&nbsp;Outlook, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business were affected.Attacks continued through the week, with Microsoft confirming on June 9 that its Azure&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/azuresupport/status/1667206178210816002?s=46">cloud computing platform</a>&nbsp;had been affected.On June 8, the computer security news site BleepingComputer.com&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BleepinComputer/status/1666873449908776961?s=20">reported</a>&nbsp;that cloud-based OneDrive file-hosting was down globally for a time.Microsoft said at the time that desktop OneDrive clients were not affected, BleepingComputer reported.

Microsoft: Disruptions to Outlook, cloud platform were cyberattacks

KANSAS CITY —A juvenile injured in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City has died.

The juvenile identified Monday as&nbsp; 16-year-old Alexander Robinson was walking in the construction zone next to the #2 lane of southbound Interstate 29, according to Officer Corey Lisle.&nbsp;

Just past the bridge that crosses over NW 72nd Street, a southbound semi&nbsp; struck Robinson who died on Sunday, according to Lisle.

 The semi-truck failed to stop and left the scene and continues southbound. EMS transported the Robinson to a local hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details as they continue to investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686838013146.png" alt="Image KC Scout just after 9:30p.m. Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Image KC Scout just after 9:30p.m. Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A juvenile injured in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City has died.The juvenile identified Monday as&nbsp; 16-year-old Alexander Robinson was walking in the construction zone next to the #2 lane of southbound Interstate 29, according to Officer Corey Lisle.&nbsp;Just past the bridge that crosses over NW 72nd Street, a southbound semi&nbsp; struck Robinson who died on Sunday, according to Lisle. The semi-truck failed to stop and left the scene and continues southbound. EMS transported the Robinson to a local hospital in critical condition.&nbsp; Police have released no additional details as they continue to investigate.

Teen struck by semi while walking in KC construction zone has died

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans outlined&nbsp; how they would cut $130 billion from the dozen annual government funding bills — a total that is significantly lower than the level both parties agreed to in the debt limit deal just two weeks ago.

The spending levels likely set up a stalemate later this year between the GOP House and Democratic Senate that could lead to a partial government shutdown.

Contentious policy riders added by Republicans — such as a ban on funding for the teaching or promotion of critical race theory and a proposal that would eliminate pharmacies’ ability to dispense the abortion pill after receiving a prescription — likely won’t make it into the final versions of spending bills, though they will add hurdles to the process.

Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, a Texas Republican, said during the markup that Congress has “no choice but to reduce spending where we can.”

Granger also contended that the debt limit agreement set a ceiling, not a floor, on government spending.

“The allocations before us reflect the change members on my side of the aisle want to see by returning spending to responsible levels,” Granger said.

“They also fulfill our commitment to focus our limited resources on the core responsibilities of the federal government — national security, veterans, and border security are our priorities,” Granger added.

Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the committee’s ranking member, said the change in spending levels shows Republicans “have no desire to govern in anything resembling a serious manner.”

“These Republican allocations, secretly leaked to the press before they were shared with members of this committee, are a complete affront, an abrogation of the deal your speaker just reached with the president of the United States,” DeLauro said.

“These allocations are either an attempt to appease the same reckless faction that would rather have us default than uphold our constitutional duty, or they are evidence that the same Republican members who voted for the debt deal no longer support it,” she added.

The committee, in a sign of significant tension, abruptly adjourned Wednesday evening before voting to adopt&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/documents/FY24%20House%20Subcommittee%20Allocations%206.13.23_0.pdf">the spending levels.&nbsp;</a>

The funding levels apply to the discretionary spending in the dozen annual appropriations bills, which include about one-third of all federal spending.

The allocations would reduce funding across broad swaths of the federal government, with the more substantial cuts hitting the Financial Services, Interior-Environment and State-Foreign Operations bills. That means funding for everything from national parks to housing to climate initiatives could be affected.

Republicans aren’t proposing spending cuts for the Defense, Homeland Security or Military Construction-VA spending bills.

The total funding level is lower than<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline">&nbsp;the spending agreement Speaker Kevin McCarthy brokered during debt limit negotiations&nbsp;</a>with the Biden administration.

That decision is expected to inflict headaches later in the year when the Republican House and Democratically controlled Senate negotiate conferenced bills that can pass both chambers.

That bipartisan spending agreement set defense discretionary spending at $886 billion and approved $704 billion for nondefense accounts during the fiscal year set to begin Oct. 1.

But conservative Republicans have pressed for what McCarthy promised them behind closed doors in order to secure the speaker’s gavel in January — last year’s spending levels.

The White House signaled Tuesday it’s not open to renegotiating the debt limit agreement.

“We made a deal, and we will uphold our end of this deal. And so they need to uphold theirs. And so I’ll just leave it there,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Senate Majority Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Tuesday he doesn’t expect the spending levels will “have much support in the Senate among Democrats or Republicans.”

Here’s a look at the broad plans by House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for spending during fiscal 2024:

Agriculture:&nbsp;Republicans proposed $17.8 billion in discretionary spending for the bill that funds the Agriculture Department as well as the Food and Drug Administration. That’s a decrease from the $25.48 billion Congress approved for the current fiscal year.

Commerce-Justice-Science:&nbsp;The House bill for fiscal 2024 would provide $58.7 billion for the departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. That’s a decrease from $83.85 billion in current funding.

Defense:&nbsp;House Republicans plan to give the Pentagon $826.4 billion during the upcoming fiscal year, an increase from $797.7 billion.

Energy-Water:&nbsp;The $52.4 billion in funding would mark a decrease from the enacted level of $54.65 billion. The bill funds the Energy Department as well as more than a dozen agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Denali Commission, Great Lakes Authority, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority.

Financial Services and General Government:&nbsp;GOP lawmakers on the spending panel approved $11.3 billion for fiscal 2024, a major decrease from the current funding level of $27.7 billion.

The measure provides funds for the Treasury Department and the federal judiciary as well as dozens of other offices, including the Executive Office of the President, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, National Archives and Records Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

By JENNIFER SHUTT&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans outlined&nbsp; how they would cut $130 billion from the dozen annual government funding bills — a total that is significantly lower than the level both parties agreed to in the debt limit deal just two weeks ago.The spending levels likely set up a stalemate later this year between the GOP House and Democratic Senate that could lead to a partial government shutdown.Contentious policy riders added by Republicans — such as a ban on funding for the teaching or promotion of critical race theory and a proposal that would eliminate pharmacies’ ability to dispense the abortion pill after receiving a prescription — likely won’t make it into the final versions of spending bills, though they will add hurdles to the process.Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, a Texas Republican, said during the markup that Congress has “no choice but to reduce spending where we can.”Granger also contended that the debt limit agreement set a ceiling, not a floor, on government spending.“The allocations before us reflect the change members on my side of the aisle want to see by returning spending to responsible levels,” Granger said.“They also fulfill our commitment to focus our limited resources on the core responsibilities of the federal government — national security, veterans, and border security are our priorities,” Granger added.Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the committee’s ranking member, said the change in spending levels shows Republicans “have no desire to govern in anything resembling a serious manner.”“These Republican allocations, secretly leaked to the press before they were shared with members of this committee, are a complete affront, an abrogation of the deal your speaker just reached with the president of the United States,” DeLauro said.“These allocations are either an attempt to appease the same reckless faction that would rather have us default than uphold our constitutional duty, or they are evidence that the same Republican members who voted for the debt deal no longer support it,” she added.The committee, in a sign of significant tension, abruptly adjourned Wednesday evening before voting to adopt&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/documents/FY24%20House%20Subcommittee%20Allocations%206.13.23_0.pdf">the spending levels.&nbsp;</a><h2>No reductions for defense</h2>The funding levels apply to the discretionary spending in the dozen annual appropriations bills, which include about one-third of all federal spending.The allocations would reduce funding across broad swaths of the federal government, with the more substantial cuts hitting the Financial Services, Interior-Environment and State-Foreign Operations bills. That means funding for everything from national parks to housing to climate initiatives could be affected.Republicans aren’t proposing spending cuts for the Defense, Homeland Security or Military Construction-VA spending bills.The total funding level is lower than<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline">&nbsp;the spending agreement Speaker Kevin McCarthy brokered during debt limit negotiations&nbsp;</a>with the Biden administration.That decision is expected to inflict headaches later in the year when the Republican House and Democratically controlled Senate negotiate conferenced bills that can pass both chambers.That bipartisan spending agreement set defense discretionary spending at $886 billion and approved $704 billion for nondefense accounts during the fiscal year set to begin Oct. 1.But conservative Republicans have pressed for what McCarthy promised them behind closed doors in order to secure the speaker’s gavel in January — last year’s spending levels.The White House signaled Tuesday it’s not open to renegotiating the debt limit agreement.“We made a deal, and we will uphold our end of this deal. And so they need to uphold theirs. And so I’ll just leave it there,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.Senate Majority Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Tuesday he doesn’t expect the spending levels will “have much support in the Senate among Democrats or Republicans.”Here’s a look at the broad plans by House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for spending during fiscal 2024:Agriculture:&nbsp;Republicans proposed $17.8 billion in discretionary spending for the bill that funds the Agriculture Department as well as the Food and Drug Administration. That’s a decrease from the $25.48 billion Congress approved for the current fiscal year.Commerce-Justice-Science:&nbsp;The House bill for fiscal 2024 would provide $58.7 billion for the departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. That’s a decrease from $83.85 billion in current funding.Defense:&nbsp;House Republicans plan to give the Pentagon $826.4 billion during the upcoming fiscal year, an increase from $797.7 billion.Energy-Water:&nbsp;The $52.4 billion in funding would mark a decrease from the enacted level of $54.65 billion. The bill funds the Energy Department as well as more than a dozen agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Denali Commission, Great Lakes Authority, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority.Financial Services and General Government:&nbsp;GOP lawmakers on the spending panel approved $11.3 billion for fiscal 2024, a major decrease from the current funding level of $27.7 billion.The measure provides funds for the Treasury Department and the federal judiciary as well as dozens of other offices, including the Executive Office of the President, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, National Archives and Records Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.Homeland Security:&nbsp;The annual funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection, totals $62.8 billion in discretionary spending. That’s an increase from $60.7 billion in current funding.Interior-Environment:&nbsp;House Republicans plan to appropriate $25.4 billion for the annual funding bill for the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Service, Indian Health Services, Smithsonian Institution and a couple dozen other federal programs. The proposed funding level would mark a big decrease from the current spending level of $40.45 billion.Labor-Health and Human Services-Education:&nbsp;House Republicans proposed a cut to the funding level for the largest nondefense spending bill. The party’s allocation sets a $147.1 billion topline for the bill, compared to its current level of $209.9 billion in base discretionary funding. The measure includes funding for the departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Labor.The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, National Labor Relations Board and Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission are among the smaller agencies funded within the bill.Legislative Branch:&nbsp;The bill that funds congressional operations — including the U.S. Capitol Police, the Government Accountability Office, the Library of Congress and more — would get $6.8 billion under the House GOP proposal. That’s a decrease from the current funding level of $6.9 billion.Military Construction-VA:&nbsp;House GOP appropriators will direct $155.7 billion in discretionary spending to the bill that covers the costs of the Veterans Affairs Department as well as military construction projects. The proposed spending level is an overall increase from the enacted level of $135.2 billion in discretionary funding.State-Foreign Operations:&nbsp;The spending bill for the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, Peace Corps and several other programs would get $41.4 billion, a decrease from the $61.76 billion current funding level.Transportation-HUD:&nbsp;Republicans on the Appropriations Committee approved spending $65.2 billion to fund the Housing and Urban Development and Transportation departments during the upcoming fiscal year. That represents a decrease from the current funding level of $90.96 billion.The bill funds other smaller federal agencies as well, including the Federal Maritime Commission, National Transportation Safety Board and United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.<h2>Battles ahead</h2>The House Appropriations Committee will include more details about how much Republicans want to spend on specific departments, agencies and programs that make up each bill as the legislation moves through committee in the weeks ahead.The legislation will likely change when the committee debates the bills and during House floor debate.The Senate Appropriations Committee is taking a different approach to its fiscal 2024 funding process than colleagues across the Capitol.Chair Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, plan to release and debate bipartisan bills later this month.“We have to show there is a bipartisan vision to strengthen our nation’s competitiveness and security by investing in American leadership across the board and across the world — and a bipartisan will to get it done,” Murray and Collins said in a joint statement released in May. “We are determined to show that commitment exists through the Senate appropriations process.”After the House and Senate each debate their dozen appropriations bills, they’ll head to conference later this year.If Republicans and Democrats from both chambers agree on spending levels and policy during those closed-door meetings, the final bills will head back to the floors for votes before heading to President Joe Biden for his signature.If they cannot agree by Oct. 1, they’ll need to pass a short-term funding patch or begin a partial government shutdown.Congress needs to pass all of the spending bills before 2024, or a new provision from the debt limit deal will implement a 1% across the board cut until they become law.