By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A former Missouri House speaker who was forced to resign in disgrace in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mec.mo.gov/Scanned/CasedocsPDF/CMTS1746.pdf">has been fined $47,000 by the Missouri Ethics Commission</a>&nbsp;for allegedly misusing campaign funds.

John Diehl, a Republican from Town and Country, signed a consent decree with the ethics commission released Tuesday acknowledging probable cause that he violated state campaign finance laws.

While he was fined $47,000, Diehl will only have to pay roughly $10,000 if he doesn’t violate campaign finance law again in the next two years.

The four counts in the consent decree include a $6,730 credit card payment for non-campaign expenses and three counts of failure to properly disclose and report campaign expenses.

Diehl was arguably the state’s most powerful politician in 2015 when the Kansas City Star revealed he’d been sending&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article20822424.html">sexually inappropriate messages to a 19-year-old House intern</a>. While he initially refused to step down, he eventually resigned when it became clear he’d&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/some-in-gop-broke-ranks-to-oppose-diehl-after-texting-scandal-emerged/article_2f5c45af-a646-52ec-b051-46168f204d59.html">lost the support of key members of his party</a>.

After his political career ended, he laid low for years before reemerging in 2018 to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article217972975.html">advocate for a company he co-owned</a>&nbsp;that was hoping to mine cobalt in the Bootheel.

He later became embroiled in controversy in Independence, when the FBI began&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article244137032.html">scrutinizing a contract to demolish the power plant in Missouri City owned by Independence Power &amp; Light</a>.

Diehl was attorney for the company that won the contract despite bidding twice as much as the other company seeking the job.

A<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243106501.html">&nbsp;federal grand jury had issued subpoenas</a>&nbsp;to Independence to obtain a number of records related to the two utility deals, including minutes to private meetings held by the Independence City Council where the transactions were discussed. Additionally, numerous city officials were interviewed by federal law enforcement.

A Kansas City businessman named Joseph Campbell who was connected to the utility contract testified under oath that the FBI questioned him about Diehl, whom he accused of trying to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2022-01-18/medical-marijuana-and-utility-contracts-records-show-continued-fbi-interest-in-independence-deals">create a fake attorney-client relationship</a>&nbsp;in order to keep from having to hand over certain documents the government had requested through a subpoena.

Through an attorney, Diehl denied the accusation.

No criminal charges have been filed in connection to the Independence contracts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684961110116.png" alt="John Diehl during his time in the Missouri House of Representatives (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>John Diehl during his time in the Missouri House of Representatives (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A former Missouri House speaker who was forced to resign in disgrace in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mec.mo.gov/Scanned/CasedocsPDF/CMTS1746.pdf">has been fined $47,000 by the Missouri Ethics Commission</a>&nbsp;for allegedly misusing campaign funds.John Diehl, a Republican from Town and Country, signed a consent decree with the ethics commission released Tuesday acknowledging probable cause that he violated state campaign finance laws.While he was fined $47,000, Diehl will only have to pay roughly $10,000 if he doesn’t violate campaign finance law again in the next two years.The four counts in the consent decree include a $6,730 credit card payment for non-campaign expenses and three counts of failure to properly disclose and report campaign expenses.Diehl was arguably the state’s most powerful politician in 2015 when the Kansas City Star revealed he’d been sending&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article20822424.html">sexually inappropriate messages to a 19-year-old House intern</a>. While he initially refused to step down, he eventually resigned when it became clear he’d&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/some-in-gop-broke-ranks-to-oppose-diehl-after-texting-scandal-emerged/article_2f5c45af-a646-52ec-b051-46168f204d59.html">lost the support of key members of his party</a>.After his political career ended, he laid low for years before reemerging in 2018 to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article217972975.html">advocate for a company he co-owned</a>&nbsp;that was hoping to mine cobalt in the Bootheel.He later became embroiled in controversy in Independence, when the FBI began&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article244137032.html">scrutinizing a contract to demolish the power plant in Missouri City owned by Independence Power &amp; Light</a>.Diehl was attorney for the company that won the contract despite bidding twice as much as the other company seeking the job.A<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243106501.html">&nbsp;federal grand jury had issued subpoenas</a>&nbsp;to Independence to obtain a number of records related to the two utility deals, including minutes to private meetings held by the Independence City Council where the transactions were discussed. Additionally, numerous city officials were interviewed by federal law enforcement.A Kansas City businessman named Joseph Campbell who was connected to the utility contract testified under oath that the FBI questioned him about Diehl, whom he accused of trying to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2022-01-18/medical-marijuana-and-utility-contracts-records-show-continued-fbi-interest-in-independence-deals">create a fake attorney-client relationship</a>&nbsp;in order to keep from having to hand over certain documents the government had requested through a subpoena.Through an attorney, Diehl denied the accusation.No criminal charges have been filed in connection to the Independence contracts.

Missouri ex-House speaker fined for alleged campaign finance violations

NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ‘70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping "What's Love Got to Do With It," has died at 83.

Turner died Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.

Few stars traveled so far — she was born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on a 260,000 square foot estate on Lake Zurich — and overcame so much. Physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by her 20-year relationship with Ike Turner, she became a superstar on her own in her 40s, at a time when most of her peers were on their way down, and remained a top concert draw for years after.

With admirers ranging from Beyoncé to Mick Jagger, Turner was one of the world's most successful entertainers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favorites: "Proud Mary," "Nutbush City Limits," "River Deep, Mountain High," and the hits she had in the '80s, among them "What's Love Got to Do with It," "We Don't Need Another Hero" and a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."

Her trademarks were her growling contralto, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with Ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021) and was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2005, with Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey among those praising her. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell.

Until she left her husband and revealed their back story, she was known as the voracious on-stage foil of the steady-going Ike, the leading lady of the “Ike and Tina Turner Revue.” Ike was billed first and ran the show, choosing the material, the arrangements, the backing singers. They toured constantly for years, in part because Ike was often short on money and unwilling to miss a concert. Tina Turner was forced to go on with bronchitis, with pneumonia, with a collapsed right lung.

Other times, the cause of her misfortunes was Ike himself.

As she recounted in her memoir, “I, Tina,” Ike began hitting her not long after they met, in the mid-1950s, and only grew more vicious. Provoked by anything and anyone, he would throw hot coffee in her face, choke her, or beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with her mouth full of blood.

Terrified both of being with Ike and of being without him, she credited her emerging Buddhist faith in the mid-1970s with giving her a sense of strength and self-worth and she finally left in early July, 1976. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue was scheduled to open a tour marking the country’s bicentennial when Tina snuck out of their Dallas hotel room, with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents, while Ike slept. She hurried across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck, and found another hotel to stay.

“I looked at him (Ike) and thought, ‘You just beat me for the last time, you sucker,’” she recalled in her memoir.

Turner was among the first celebrities to speak candidly about domestic abuse, becoming a heroine to battered women and a symbol of resilience to all. Ike Turner did not deny mistreating her, although he tried to blame Tina for their troubles. When he died, in 2007, a representative for his ex-wife said simply: “Tina is aware that Ike passed away.”

Little of this was apparent to the many Ike and Tina fans. The Turners were a hot act for much of the 1960s and into the ’70s, evolving from bluesy ballads such as “A Fool in Love” and “It’s Going to Work Out Fine” to flashy covers of “Proud Mary” and “Come Together” and other rock songs that brought them crossover success.

They opened for the Rolling Stones in 1966 and 1969, and were seen performing a lustful version of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in the 1970 Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave Oscar-nominated performances as Ike and Tina in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” based on “I, Tina,” but she would say that reliving her years with Ike was so painful she couldn’t bring herself to watch the movie).

Ike and Tina’s reworking of “Proud Mary,” originally a tight, mid-tempo hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival, helped define their assertive, sexual image. Against a background of funky guitar and Ike’s crooning baritone, Tina began with a few spoken words about how some people wanted to hear songs that were “nice and easy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684954528952.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ‘70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping "What's Love Got to Do With It," has died at 83.Turner died Tuesday, after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.Few stars traveled so far — she was born Anna Mae Bullock in a segregated Tennessee hospital and spent her latter years on a 260,000 square foot estate on Lake Zurich — and overcame so much. Physically battered, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by her 20-year relationship with Ike Turner, she became a superstar on her own in her 40s, at a time when most of her peers were on their way down, and remained a top concert draw for years after.With admirers ranging from Beyoncé to Mick Jagger, Turner was one of the world's most successful entertainers, known for a core of pop, rock and rhythm and blues favorites: "Proud Mary," "Nutbush City Limits," "River Deep, Mountain High," and the hits she had in the '80s, among them "What's Love Got to Do with It," "We Don't Need Another Hero" and a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."Her trademarks were her growling contralto, her bold smile and strong cheekbones, her palette of wigs and the muscular, quick-stepping legs she did not shy from showing off. She sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 12 Grammys, was voted along with Ike into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 (and on her own in 2021) and was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2005, with Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey among those praising her. Her life became the basis for a film, a Broadway musical and an HBO documentary in 2021 that she called her public farewell.Until she left her husband and revealed their back story, she was known as the voracious on-stage foil of the steady-going Ike, the leading lady of the “Ike and Tina Turner Revue.” Ike was billed first and ran the show, choosing the material, the arrangements, the backing singers. They toured constantly for years, in part because Ike was often short on money and unwilling to miss a concert. Tina Turner was forced to go on with bronchitis, with pneumonia, with a collapsed right lung.Other times, the cause of her misfortunes was Ike himself.As she recounted in her memoir, “I, Tina,” Ike began hitting her not long after they met, in the mid-1950s, and only grew more vicious. Provoked by anything and anyone, he would throw hot coffee in her face, choke her, or beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with her mouth full of blood.Terrified both of being with Ike and of being without him, she credited her emerging Buddhist faith in the mid-1970s with giving her a sense of strength and self-worth and she finally left in early July, 1976. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue was scheduled to open a tour marking the country’s bicentennial when Tina snuck out of their Dallas hotel room, with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents, while Ike slept. She hurried across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck, and found another hotel to stay.“I looked at him (Ike) and thought, ‘You just beat me for the last time, you sucker,’” she recalled in her memoir.Turner was among the first celebrities to speak candidly about domestic abuse, becoming a heroine to battered women and a symbol of resilience to all. Ike Turner did not deny mistreating her, although he tried to blame Tina for their troubles. When he died, in 2007, a representative for his ex-wife said simply: “Tina is aware that Ike passed away.”Little of this was apparent to the many Ike and Tina fans. The Turners were a hot act for much of the 1960s and into the ’70s, evolving from bluesy ballads such as “A Fool in Love” and “It’s Going to Work Out Fine” to flashy covers of “Proud Mary” and “Come Together” and other rock songs that brought them crossover success.They opened for the Rolling Stones in 1966 and 1969, and were seen performing a lustful version of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in the 1970 Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave Oscar-nominated performances as Ike and Tina in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” based on “I, Tina,” but she would say that reliving her years with Ike was so painful she couldn’t bring herself to watch the movie).Ike and Tina’s reworking of “Proud Mary,” originally a tight, mid-tempo hit for Creedence Clearwater Revival, helped define their assertive, sexual image. Against a background of funky guitar and Ike’s crooning baritone, Tina began with a few spoken words about how some people wanted to hear songs that were “nice and easy.”___

Tina Turner, rock superstar, dead at 83

The KBI canceled the Silver Alert for missing George A Teagarden. Hwas located safe in Overland Park, Kansas.

LINN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Linn County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing man from La Cygne, Kansas, according to a media release.

The whereabouts of 80-year-old George A. Teagarden are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

George left his residence in La Cygne around 5 p.m. It is believed he headed East on Kansas Highway 152. He was driving a red 2015 Chevrolet Colorado pickup with Kansas tag 626HWP. The front license plate reads, “EAT BEEF.”

George sometimes experiences confusion. He was last seen wearing a peach colored short-sleeve shirt, a vest, jeans, brown and black cowboy boots, a grey or straw cowboy hat, and glasses.

George is a white male, approximately 5-foot-9 in. tall, weighing around 185 pounds. He has blue eyes and grey hair.

If you see George Teagarden, or his vehicle, please immediately contact 911. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the&nbsp;Linn County Sheriff’s Office at 913-795-2665.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684976503319.png" alt="Teagarden-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Teagarden-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The KBI canceled the Silver Alert for missing George A Teagarden. Hwas located safe in Overland Park, Kansas.----------LINN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Linn County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing man from La Cygne, Kansas, according to a media release.The whereabouts of 80-year-old George A. Teagarden are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.George left his residence in La Cygne around 5 p.m. It is believed he headed East on Kansas Highway 152. He was driving a red 2015 Chevrolet Colorado pickup with Kansas tag 626HWP. The front license plate reads, “EAT BEEF.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684976541585.png" alt="Photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>George sometimes experiences confusion. He was last seen wearing a peach colored short-sleeve shirt, a vest, jeans, brown and black cowboy boots, a grey or straw cowboy hat, and glasses.George is a white male, approximately 5-foot-9 in. tall, weighing around 185 pounds. He has blue eyes and grey hair.If you see George Teagarden, or his vehicle, please immediately contact 911. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the&nbsp;Linn County Sheriff’s Office at 913-795-2665.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled; missing Kansas man found safe

Manhattan–&nbsp;Officials with the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;(USDA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)&nbsp;Science and Technology Directorate&nbsp;(S&amp;T) celebrated the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the&nbsp;National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility&nbsp;(NBAF) on Wednesday morning.

(click below to watch the ribbon cutting)

This is the first U.S. laboratory with biosafety level-4 containment capable of housing large livestock.&nbsp;

DHS S&amp;T and USDA have collaborated on the requirements for this next-generation science facility since 2006. DHS S&amp;T led NBAF’s design and construction, and USDA will own and operate the facility to protect the U.S. against transboundary and emerging animal diseases as well as zoonotic diseases capable of transferring from livestock to people.&nbsp;

The ceremony included remarks from many community, state and national leaders, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. &nbsp;

“This new, innovative facility will give USDA scientists access to cutting-edge, safe and secure technology so they can continue to lead the world in animal health research, training and diagnostics to protect our food supply, agricultural economy and public health,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “America’s farmers, ranchers and consumers count on our researchers and diagnosticians to understand, monitor for and develop solutions to combat a variety of high-consequence animal pathogens, and a facility of this magnitude positions us to respond.”&nbsp;

NBAF will replace DHS’ Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), which is a biosafety level-3 facility in New York that is more than 68 years old. Manhattan, Kansas was selected as NBAF’s site in 2009. With more than 400 employees, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will share NBAF’s operational responsibilities. These two agencies currently conduct research, training and diagnostic programs alongside DHS scientists at PIADC. &nbsp;

As part of the dedication program, Dr. Simon Liu, USDA Agricultural Research Service Administrator, led a moderated conversation with Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary; Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics; and Julie Brewer, DHS S&amp;T Executive Director of Innovation &amp; Collaboration.&nbsp;

“NBAF is a strategic national asset that will help USDA stay proactive in leading efforts to protect public health and address new and emerging diseases,” said Jacobs-Young. “This new, modernized facility is a critical down payment in ensuring our country has the tools we need to keep the American people and our agricultural animals safe.”&nbsp;

The ceremony highlighted the state and local community's support. City of Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl, Kansas State University President Dr. Richard Linton, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, and former U.S. Senator Pat Roberts gave remarks during the ceremony. &nbsp;

“NBAF’s Midwest location offers researchers and diagnosticians closer proximity to develop key partnerships with the animal health industry and several academic institutions,” said NBAF Director Dr. Alfonso Clavijo. “NBAF will create opportunities between scientists and animal health companies to enhance and expedite the transition of new veterinary countermeasures from research to market to protect the nation’s agriculture if needed.”&nbsp;

Adjacent to Kansas State University and on the Western edge of the largest concentration of animal health companies in the nation, the 48-acre NBAF campus includes more than 700,000 square feet of total building space. The main building, at 500,000 square feet, includes containment laboratories, animal holding facilities, office spaces, facility support areas and required safety systems — such as redundant HEPA air filtration and waste decontamination systems. &nbsp;

At NBAF, ARS will primarily focus on research to understand high-consequence and emerging animal diseases and develop countermeasures, such as vaccines and antivirals. APHIS will focus on prevention, surveillance, diagnosis and response to these diseases, including the expertise to manage two vaccine banks and train state and federal veterinarians to recognize livestock diseases.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684944398162.png" alt="The ceremony included remarks from many community, state and national leaders, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.-photo by Becky Goff&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The ceremony included remarks from many community, state and national leaders, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.-photo by Becky Goff&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Manhattan–&nbsp;Officials with the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;(USDA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)&nbsp;Science and Technology Directorate&nbsp;(S&amp;T) celebrated the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the&nbsp;National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility&nbsp;(NBAF) on Wednesday morning.(click below to watch the ribbon cutting)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Noz_CYtSvgI?start=197" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>This is the first U.S. laboratory with biosafety level-4 containment capable of housing large livestock.&nbsp;DHS S&amp;T and USDA have collaborated on the requirements for this next-generation science facility since 2006. DHS S&amp;T led NBAF’s design and construction, and USDA will own and operate the facility to protect the U.S. against transboundary and emerging animal diseases as well as zoonotic diseases capable of transferring from livestock to people.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Honored to see Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/PatRoberts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatRoberts</a> &amp; former <a href="https://twitter.com/KState?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KState</a> Pres Wefald&#39;s vision come to life w/ the grand opening of the state-of-the-art NBAF facility in Manhattan, KS. Food security is national security. NBAF will lead the way in animal health &amp; protect the U.S. from food supply threats <a href="https://t.co/EjenyF2KSd">pic.twitter.com/EjenyF2KSd</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1661429000466513926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is a big day for Kansas: we cut the ribbon on the new National Bio and Agro-Defense facility <a href="https://twitter.com/KState?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KState</a>! This one-of-a-kind lab represents a giant step forward for our Ag industry and will put us on the frontlines of making the entire country safer and healthier. <a href="https://t.co/K4drL9KdCx">pic.twitter.com/K4drL9KdCx</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1661429695798292480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The ceremony included remarks from many community, state and national leaders, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. &nbsp;“This new, innovative facility will give USDA scientists access to cutting-edge, safe and secure technology so they can continue to lead the world in animal health research, training and diagnostics to protect our food supply, agricultural economy and public health,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “America’s farmers, ranchers and consumers count on our researchers and diagnosticians to understand, monitor for and develop solutions to combat a variety of high-consequence animal pathogens, and a facility of this magnitude positions us to respond.”&nbsp;NBAF will replace DHS’ Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), which is a biosafety level-3 facility in New York that is more than 68 years old. Manhattan, Kansas was selected as NBAF’s site in 2009. With more than 400 employees, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will share NBAF’s operational responsibilities. These two agencies currently conduct research, training and diagnostic programs alongside DHS scientists at PIADC. &nbsp;As part of the dedication program, Dr. Simon Liu, USDA Agricultural Research Service Administrator, led a moderated conversation with Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary; Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics; and Julie Brewer, DHS S&amp;T Executive Director of Innovation &amp; Collaboration.&nbsp;“NBAF is a strategic national asset that will help USDA stay proactive in leading efforts to protect public health and address new and emerging diseases,” said Jacobs-Young. “This new, modernized facility is a critical down payment in ensuring our country has the tools we need to keep the American people and our agricultural animals safe.”&nbsp;The ceremony highlighted the state and local community's support. City of Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl, Kansas State University President Dr. Richard Linton, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, and former U.S. Senator Pat Roberts gave remarks during the ceremony. &nbsp;“NBAF’s Midwest location offers researchers and diagnosticians closer proximity to develop key partnerships with the animal health industry and several academic institutions,” said NBAF Director Dr. Alfonso Clavijo. “NBAF will create opportunities between scientists and animal health companies to enhance and expedite the transition of new veterinary countermeasures from research to market to protect the nation’s agriculture if needed.”&nbsp;Adjacent to Kansas State University and on the Western edge of the largest concentration of animal health companies in the nation, the 48-acre NBAF campus includes more than 700,000 square feet of total building space. The main building, at 500,000 square feet, includes containment laboratories, animal holding facilities, office spaces, facility support areas and required safety systems — such as redundant HEPA air filtration and waste decontamination systems. &nbsp;At NBAF, ARS will primarily focus on research to understand high-consequence and emerging animal diseases and develop countermeasures, such as vaccines and antivirals. APHIS will focus on prevention, surveillance, diagnosis and response to these diseases, including the expertise to manage two vaccine banks and train state and federal veterinarians to recognize livestock diseases.

🎥 Ribbon cutting celebrates National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 212&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from May 17, to May 24, for a total of 946,413 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 278 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;4 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on May 17, for a total of 10,225 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 212&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from May 17, to May 24, for a total of 946,413 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 278 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;4 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on May 17, for a total of 10,225 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684946520433.png" alt="May 24, 2023 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 24, 2023 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE: COVID cases continue to decline; 4 more deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor tapped by President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to become a U.S. district judge in Kansas has withdrawn from consideration, citing the nearly two-year wait for action on his nomination.

Jabari Wamble is Biden's second judicial nominee to withdraw this month. Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-judicial-nomination-withdraw-delaney-democrats-ceeca0f9ac4c0aa376c5fa7c8caf8290">Michael Delaney backed out of consideration</a>&nbsp;for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week in a rare judicial defeat for the Democratic president. Delaney did not have enough support in the Senate Judiciary Committee to send his candidacy on to the full Senate for confirmation.

Wamble wrote to Biden that he had been "humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination” but said he was withdrawing from consideration for appointment to the U.S. District Court for Kansas.

“My path to this nomination began more than 18 months ago and after careful thought and consideration I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United States Attorney's Office in the District of Kansas,” he wrote in a letter dated Tuesday.

The White House on Wednesday did not offer an explanation for Wamble's withdrawal. But one official familiar with Wamble’s confirmation process said he was expected to receive a “not qualified” designation from the American Bar Association, which rates candidates for federal judgeships.

The ABA has not issued a formal rating for Wamble. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a process that is not public.

Biden is proud to have nominated Wamble, said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates, who called him “a deeply qualified attorney who has served with distinction as a prosecutor at the state and federal level in Kansas, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, and who has dedicated his life to serving the people of Kansas.”

Wamble initially was nominated for a circuit court vacancy earlier in the Biden administration, but the nomination expired before he could be confirmed by the Senate. He later was nominated for the district court seat in Kansas.

Politico was first to report Wamble's withdrawal.

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who specializes in the federal judiciary, said he was “puzzled” by the withdrawal. Tobias said Wamble seems well qualified after more than a decade of experience as an assistant U.S. attorney, often a route to becoming a federal judge.

“Lots of people go on the federal bench in Democratic and Republican administrations with similar qualifications to Wamble, so it's mystifying to me,” Tobias said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684941211964.png" alt="Jabari Wamble is a 2002 graduate of KU-photo University of Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Jabari Wamble is a 2002 graduate of KU-photo University of Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor tapped by President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to become a U.S. district judge in Kansas has withdrawn from consideration, citing the nearly two-year wait for action on his nomination.Jabari Wamble is Biden's second judicial nominee to withdraw this month. Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-judicial-nomination-withdraw-delaney-democrats-ceeca0f9ac4c0aa376c5fa7c8caf8290">Michael Delaney backed out of consideration</a>&nbsp;for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week in a rare judicial defeat for the Democratic president. Delaney did not have enough support in the Senate Judiciary Committee to send his candidacy on to the full Senate for confirmation.Wamble wrote to Biden that he had been "humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination” but said he was withdrawing from consideration for appointment to the U.S. District Court for Kansas.“My path to this nomination began more than 18 months ago and after careful thought and consideration I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United States Attorney's Office in the District of Kansas,” he wrote in a letter dated Tuesday.The White House on Wednesday did not offer an explanation for Wamble's withdrawal. But one official familiar with Wamble’s confirmation process said he was expected to receive a “not qualified” designation from the American Bar Association, which rates candidates for federal judgeships.The ABA has not issued a formal rating for Wamble. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a process that is not public.Biden is proud to have nominated Wamble, said White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates, who called him “a deeply qualified attorney who has served with distinction as a prosecutor at the state and federal level in Kansas, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, and who has dedicated his life to serving the people of Kansas.”Wamble initially was nominated for a circuit court vacancy earlier in the Biden administration, but the nomination expired before he could be confirmed by the Senate. He later was nominated for the district court seat in Kansas.Politico was first to report Wamble's withdrawal.Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who specializes in the federal judiciary, said he was “puzzled” by the withdrawal. Tobias said Wamble seems well qualified after more than a decade of experience as an assistant U.S. attorney, often a route to becoming a federal judge.“Lots of people go on the federal bench in Democratic and Republican administrations with similar qualifications to Wamble, so it's mystifying to me,” Tobias said.

Biden judicial nominee, KU grad withdraws from consideration

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man who died in a county jail.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Tim Morse released the name of the man who died in the Jackson County Jail early Tuesday morning as 70-year-old Mark William Hull, of Topeka.&nbsp; Hull was arrested May 2, on a Jackson County District Court warrant for failure to appear on drug charges, according to Morse.

Whether a person who is incarcerated in a correctional facility dies of foul play or natural causes in Kansas, the K.B.I. is in charge of investigating the cause of death.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684936009312.png" alt="Hull photo from an April arrest in Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Hull photo from an April arrest in Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man who died in a county jail.On Wednesday, Sheriff Tim Morse released the name of the man who died in the Jackson County Jail early Tuesday morning as 70-year-old Mark William Hull, of Topeka.&nbsp; Hull was arrested May 2, on a Jackson County District Court warrant for failure to appear on drug charges, according to Morse.Whether a person who is incarcerated in a correctional facility dies of foul play or natural causes in Kansas, the K.B.I. is in charge of investigating the cause of death.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff IDs 70-year-old Kan. man who died in county jail

U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates wheat production will fall 20% compared with last year

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Month after month without enough rain has made Kansas the epicenter of a stubborn drought covering parts of the Great Plains.&nbsp;

While the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/17/severe-drought-triggers-assistance-in-nearly-all-of-kansas-half-of-missouri/">drought that plagued almost the entire western half of the U.S. last year</a>&nbsp;has relented, it has only gotten worse in Kansas. The state is experiencing the most severe drought in the country and its worst in a decade.&nbsp;

If rains don’t come soon, more than one-quarter of the state’s wheat fields could be in such dismal conditions farmers don’t even harvest them, according to Kansas Wheat.

“I never like to say too little too late,” said Steve McCloud, who lives in Harvey County and serves on the Kansas Farm Bureau board, “but we’re about there.”

Almost 60% of Kansas is experiencing “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx">U.S. Drought Monitor</a>. Only 13% of the state, concentrated in the northeast, is completely without drought.&nbsp;

There’s reason to be hopeful. Matthew Sittel, an assistant climatologist for Kansas, noted parts of the state are expected to get a couple of inches of rain in the next few days. But it will take awhile to recover from months on end of startlingly dry conditions.&nbsp;

“We can safely say it’s the worst drought situation in a decade,” Sittel said.

Drought started creeping into Kansas in the fall of 2021. First, a few isolated counties had mild drought. It started to build in the southwest, and by spring, 10% of the state was in extreme or exceptional drought.

The drought hit its peak earlier this month, with more than two-thirds of the state in the most severe levels of drought. It has since relented slightly.

Marsha Boswell, a spokeswoman for Kansas Wheat, was well aware of the damage from this drought before&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kswheat.com/news/abandoned-fields-and-low-yields-underscore-wheat-tour-2023">touring wheat fields across the state last week</a>. She was in southwest Kansas a few weeks ago and said some wheat never emerged from the ground.&nbsp;

But as she drove around the state with the Wheat Quality Council to look at how winter wheat was faring, she was struck by how far into eastern Kansas, which typically gets more rain, the drought reached and the number of fields being abandoned.&nbsp;

Tour participants took measurements to estimate this year’s wheat production. They projected Kansas farmers would wind up with 178 million bushels of wheat.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/crop0523.pdf">U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated</a>&nbsp;Kansas would produce closer to 191 million bushels, still a far cry from last year’s harvest of 244 million bushels.&nbsp;

While the number of winter wheat bushels harvested nationally this year is expected to grow 2% compared with last year, Kansas’ production could drop by close to 20%, according to the USDA.

Kansas wheat tour participants anticipated close to one-quarter of wheat crops could be abandoned, Boswell said.&nbsp;

“You also have to remember there’s still three to six weeks before harvest gets going … so this is pretty much the best-case scenario,” Boswell said.&nbsp;

In addition to wheat, the drought has taken its toll on grazing lands, food supplies and drinking water for livestock.&nbsp;

McCloud said he’ll consider himself fortunate if harvests one-third of the brome grass he normally feeds his cattle.&nbsp;

McCloud said he thinks he’ll be able to get enough feed to get by without selling off cattle.&nbsp;

“But if we are continuing in these severe drought conditions by early to mid fall, I’m gonna have to scratch my head a little bit,” he said.&nbsp;

Shawn Tiffany, president of the Kansas Livestock Association, farms and raises cattle in Morris, McPherson and Lyon counties.&nbsp;

He said unless rains come soon, some of his stock ponds may run out of water. His wheat crop is poor enough that it will be more valuable as roughage for his cattle than waiting for the grain harvest.&nbsp;

The drought means cattle ranchers are more reliant on hay because they don’t have enough grazing crops for their cows. But at the same time, he said, the hay supply is constrained.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I’ve paid the highest prices for hay in my career for the last nine months,” he said.&nbsp;

Tiffany operates a finishing feedyard, meaning other ranchers bring their cattle to him for the final few months before the animals are killed and taken to meatpackers.&nbsp;

He said he hasn’t been forced to reduce his supply, but some ranchers he works with have, so there is less business coming his way.&nbsp;

Tiffany said it will take ranchers awhile to build back their herds, even after the drought breaks. But agriculture is always a risky business.

“There’s an old joke in Kansas — you’re never more than 30 days away from a flood or a drought,” Tiffany said. “It’s just that that flood continues to be 30 days out on the horizon.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684861752582.png" alt="A severe drought plaguing Kansas spells trouble for the winter wheat harvest. (Kansas Wheat/submitted)" />
 <figcaption>A severe drought plaguing Kansas spells trouble for the winter wheat harvest. (Kansas Wheat/submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates wheat production will fall 20% compared with last year</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Month after month without enough rain has made Kansas the epicenter of a stubborn drought covering parts of the Great Plains.&nbsp;While the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/17/severe-drought-triggers-assistance-in-nearly-all-of-kansas-half-of-missouri/">drought that plagued almost the entire western half of the U.S. last year</a>&nbsp;has relented, it has only gotten worse in Kansas. The state is experiencing the most severe drought in the country and its worst in a decade.&nbsp;If rains don’t come soon, more than one-quarter of the state’s wheat fields could be in such dismal conditions farmers don’t even harvest them, according to Kansas Wheat.“I never like to say too little too late,” said Steve McCloud, who lives in Harvey County and serves on the Kansas Farm Bureau board, “but we’re about there.”Almost 60% of Kansas is experiencing “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx">U.S. Drought Monitor</a>. Only 13% of the state, concentrated in the northeast, is completely without drought.&nbsp;There’s reason to be hopeful. Matthew Sittel, an assistant climatologist for Kansas, noted parts of the state are expected to get a couple of inches of rain in the next few days. But it will take awhile to recover from months on end of startlingly dry conditions.&nbsp;“We can safely say it’s the worst drought situation in a decade,” Sittel said.Drought started creeping into Kansas in the fall of 2021. First, a few isolated counties had mild drought. It started to build in the southwest, and by spring, 10% of the state was in extreme or exceptional drought.The drought hit its peak earlier this month, with more than two-thirds of the state in the most severe levels of drought. It has since relented slightly.<h2>Crop failures&nbsp;</h2>Marsha Boswell, a spokeswoman for Kansas Wheat, was well aware of the damage from this drought before&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kswheat.com/news/abandoned-fields-and-low-yields-underscore-wheat-tour-2023">touring wheat fields across the state last week</a>. She was in southwest Kansas a few weeks ago and said some wheat never emerged from the ground.&nbsp;But as she drove around the state with the Wheat Quality Council to look at how winter wheat was faring, she was struck by how far into eastern Kansas, which typically gets more rain, the drought reached and the number of fields being abandoned.&nbsp;Tour participants took measurements to estimate this year’s wheat production. They projected Kansas farmers would wind up with 178 million bushels of wheat.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/crop0523.pdf">U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated</a>&nbsp;Kansas would produce closer to 191 million bushels, still a far cry from last year’s harvest of 244 million bushels.&nbsp;While the number of winter wheat bushels harvested nationally this year is expected to grow 2% compared with last year, Kansas’ production could drop by close to 20%, according to the USDA.Kansas wheat tour participants anticipated close to one-quarter of wheat crops could be abandoned, Boswell said.&nbsp;“You also have to remember there’s still three to six weeks before harvest gets going … so this is pretty much the best-case scenario,” Boswell said.&nbsp;<h2>Raising cattle in a drought&nbsp;</h2>In addition to wheat, the drought has taken its toll on grazing lands, food supplies and drinking water for livestock.&nbsp;McCloud said he’ll consider himself fortunate if harvests one-third of the brome grass he normally feeds his cattle.&nbsp;McCloud said he thinks he’ll be able to get enough feed to get by without selling off cattle.&nbsp;“But if we are continuing in these severe drought conditions by early to mid fall, I’m gonna have to scratch my head a little bit,” he said.&nbsp;Shawn Tiffany, president of the Kansas Livestock Association, farms and raises cattle in Morris, McPherson and Lyon counties.&nbsp;He said unless rains come soon, some of his stock ponds may run out of water. His wheat crop is poor enough that it will be more valuable as roughage for his cattle than waiting for the grain harvest.&nbsp;The drought means cattle ranchers are more reliant on hay because they don’t have enough grazing crops for their cows. But at the same time, he said, the hay supply is constrained.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I’ve paid the highest prices for hay in my career for the last nine months,” he said.&nbsp;Tiffany operates a finishing feedyard, meaning other ranchers bring their cattle to him for the final few months before the animals are killed and taken to meatpackers.&nbsp;He said he hasn’t been forced to reduce his supply, but some ranchers he works with have, so there is less business coming his way.&nbsp;Tiffany said it will take ranchers awhile to build back their herds, even after the drought breaks. But agriculture is always a risky business.“There’s an old joke in Kansas — you’re never more than 30 days away from a flood or a drought,” Tiffany said. “It’s just that that flood continues to be 30 days out on the horizon.”

With only weeks until wheat harvest, drought still plagues Kansas

GREENE COUNTY –One person died in an accident just after midnight Wednesday in Greene County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by James J. Brackney, 53, Springfield, was northbound on Farm Road 141 three miles north of Springfield.

The motorcycle struck a deer in the road and ejected both occupants.

EMS transported Brackney to Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The passenger Brandi A. Brackney, 46, Springfield, was transported to Cox South. They were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

GREENE COUNTY –One person died in an accident just after midnight Wednesday in Greene County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by James J. Brackney, 53, Springfield, was northbound on Farm Road 141 three miles north of Springfield.The motorcycle struck a deer in the road and ejected both occupants.EMS transported Brackney to Mercy Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The passenger Brandi A. Brackney, 46, Springfield, was transported to Cox South. They were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dead, woman injured after motorcycle strikes deer

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that left a teen dead.

Just after 12:30p.m., police responded to report of gunshots near&nbsp;E. 82nd Place and Forest Avenue, according to a media release.

First responders found a teen in the parking lot of an apartment complex who had been shot.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported the boy to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Anyone with information that could assist the police in their investigation is asked to call the KCPD’s Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043. You can also anonymously call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information that is submitted to the TIPS Hotline and leads to an arrest in this case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684873499072.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that left a teen dead.Just after 12:30p.m., police responded to report of gunshots near&nbsp;E. 82nd Place and Forest Avenue, according to a media release.First responders found a teen in the parking lot of an apartment complex who had been shot.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported the boy to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.Anyone with information that could assist the police in their investigation is asked to call the KCPD’s Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043. You can also anonymously call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information that is submitted to the TIPS Hotline and leads to an arrest in this case.

Police: Teen dead after shooting at KC apartment complex

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting that critically injured a 19-year-old from Wichita and continue the search for a suspect. Police have recovered the vehicle.

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1000 block of E 1st Street N, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located a woman with two gunshot wounds to her upper body. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and with life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that the victim was trying to break up a physical altercation between an acquaintance of hers and the&nbsp; suspect identified as 19-year-old La’Niha Banks in a parking lot. 

After the victim managed to stop the fight, she started to drive away, but the Banks produced a handgun and started to shoot into the occupied vehicle.

During the investigation, detectives were able to confirm Banks as the suspect. She was last seen fleeing in a red 2014 Buick Lacrosse with a paper 60-day tag. The police have located the car.

&nbsp;Banks is wanted on requested charges of aggravated battery, five counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and one count of attempted murder. She is considered armed and dangerous. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684684649459.png" alt="Banks-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Banks-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting that critically injured a 19-year-old from Wichita and continue the search for a suspect. Police have recovered the vehicle.Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1000 block of E 1st Street N, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located a woman with two gunshot wounds to her upper body. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition and with life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that the victim was trying to break up a physical altercation between an acquaintance of hers and the&nbsp; suspect identified as 19-year-old La’Niha Banks in a parking lot. After the victim managed to stop the fight, she started to drive away, but the Banks produced a handgun and started to shoot into the occupied vehicle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684688157483.png" alt="Police reported Tuesday they had recovered Banks' car -photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Police reported Tuesday they had recovered Banks' car -photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>During the investigation, detectives were able to confirm Banks as the suspect. She was last seen fleeing in a red 2014 Buick Lacrosse with a paper 60-day tag. The police have located the car.&nbsp;Banks is wanted on requested charges of aggravated battery, five counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and one count of attempted murder. She is considered armed and dangerous.

Police: Search continues for armed, dangerous Kan. woman

NEW YORK (AP) — Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work," Target said in a statement Tuesday. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior."

Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Designs by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abprallen.co.uk/">Abprallen</a>, a London-based company that designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories, have also created backlash.

The Pride merchandise has been on sale since early May. Pride month is held in June.

Target confirmed that it has moved its Pride merchandise from the front of the stores to the back in some Southern stores after confrontations and backlash from shoppers in those areas.

Target’s Pride month collection has also been the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-target-swimsuits-transgender-pride-collection-892500330955?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=APFactCheck&amp;utm_source=Twitter">several misleading videos</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits designed for kids or in kids’ sizes.

The moves come as beer brand Bud Light is still grappling with a backlash from customers angered by its attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Target%20declined%20to%20confirm%20which%20items%20it%20was%20removing%20but%20among%20the%20ones%20that%20garnered%20attention%20were%20adult%20women%E2%80%99s%20swimsuits%20that%20can%20be%20used%20to%20tuck%20%E2%80%9Cmale%20genitalia.%E2%80%9D%20A%20group%20of%20designs%20by%20British%20designer%20Eric%20Cullen%20whose%20T-shirts%20referred%20to%20Satan%20also%20were%20targets%20of%20intense%20outcry.%20The%20merchandise%20hit%20stores%20and%20online%20in%20early%20May.%20Target%20confirmed%20that%20it%20had%20already%20relocated%20its%20section%20of%20Pride%20merchandise%20from%20the%20front%20of%20the%20stores%20to%20the%20back%20in%20some%20Southern%20stores%20after%20confrontations%20and%20backlash%20from%20shoppers%20in%20those%20areas.">broaden its customer base</a>&nbsp;by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light's parent company said it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-beer-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-d489fb60d04ebd02486f80169cfc4474">triple its marketing</a>&nbsp;spending in the U.S. this summer as it tries to restore sales it lost after the brand partnered with the transgender influencer.

Target and other retailers including Walmart and H&amp;M have been expanding their LGBTQ+ displays to celebrate Pride month for roughly a decade. This year transgender issues — including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports — have been a divisive topic in state legislatures and the backlash has turned hostile.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634846135017.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work," Target said in a statement Tuesday. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior."Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were “tuck friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts. Designs by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abprallen.co.uk/">Abprallen</a>, a London-based company that designs and sells occult- and satanic-themed LGBTQ+ clothing and accessories, have also created backlash.The Pride merchandise has been on sale since early May. Pride month is held in June.Target confirmed that it has moved its Pride merchandise from the front of the stores to the back in some Southern stores after confrontations and backlash from shoppers in those areas.Target’s Pride month collection has also been the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-target-swimsuits-transgender-pride-collection-892500330955?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=APFactCheck&amp;utm_source=Twitter">several misleading videos</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling “tuck-friendly” bathing suits designed for kids or in kids’ sizes.The moves come as beer brand Bud Light is still grappling with a backlash from customers angered by its attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Target%20declined%20to%20confirm%20which%20items%20it%20was%20removing%20but%20among%20the%20ones%20that%20garnered%20attention%20were%20adult%20women%E2%80%99s%20swimsuits%20that%20can%20be%20used%20to%20tuck%20%E2%80%9Cmale%20genitalia.%E2%80%9D%20A%20group%20of%20designs%20by%20British%20designer%20Eric%20Cullen%20whose%20T-shirts%20referred%20to%20Satan%20also%20were%20targets%20of%20intense%20outcry.%20The%20merchandise%20hit%20stores%20and%20online%20in%20early%20May.%20Target%20confirmed%20that%20it%20had%20already%20relocated%20its%20section%20of%20Pride%20merchandise%20from%20the%20front%20of%20the%20stores%20to%20the%20back%20in%20some%20Southern%20stores%20after%20confrontations%20and%20backlash%20from%20shoppers%20in%20those%20areas.">broaden its customer base</a>&nbsp;by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light's parent company said it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-beer-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-d489fb60d04ebd02486f80169cfc4474">triple its marketing</a>&nbsp;spending in the U.S. this summer as it tries to restore sales it lost after the brand partnered with the transgender influencer.Target and other retailers including Walmart and H&amp;M have been expanding their LGBTQ+ displays to celebrate Pride month for roughly a decade. This year transgender issues — including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports — have been a divisive topic in state legislatures and the backlash has turned hostile.______

Target removes some LGBTQ+ merchandise ahead of June Pride month after threats

MILLER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Miller County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by James D. Gillispie, 76, Bellville, Illinois, was westbound on MO 42 at Castle Road.

The motorcycle traveled off the right side of the road, struck a driveway entrance, overturned and the occupants were ejected.

EMS transported Gillispie to Lake Regional Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; MU air transported the passenger Mary V. Gillispie, 68, Belleville, Illinois, to University Hospital. They were wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

MILLER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Miller County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by James D. Gillispie, 76, Bellville, Illinois, was westbound on MO 42 at Castle Road.The motorcycle traveled off the right side of the road, struck a driveway entrance, overturned and the occupants were ejected.EMS transported Gillispie to Lake Regional Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; MU air transported the passenger Mary V. Gillispie, 68, Belleville, Illinois, to University Hospital. They were wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

Man dead after motorcycle crash on Missouri highway

DALLAS COUNTY, Texas —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a triple- shooting and believe the teen suspect could be in the Kansas City-area.

On Monday, police reported that just before 9:30p.m. Jan. 13, officers responded to a shooting call at the City of Rowlett Twin Star Park, 6417 Fairfield Drive in Rowlett, Texas, approximately 19 miles northeast of Dallas, according to a media release.

 Officers arrived and found two adults and one 14-year-old girl shot at the city park. All three victims are from the same family. Rowlett Fire Rescue transported them by ambulance to a local hospital where they were treated for gunshot wounds.

The Rowlett Police Criminal Investigations Division began their investigation and it was determined that this was not a random act of violence but rather both parties were meeting at the city park after two of the juveniles had been involved in a school fight three days prior. 

The shooting suspect identified as 16-year-old Kenn’taevien Charvez Butler of Rowlett, Texas, is described as a tan-skinned, black male with dark hair, and black eyes, approximately 5-10 and 170 pounds.

&nbsp;Butler is currently wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony in the 2nd degree.&nbsp;

He&nbsp;&nbsp;may be in Kansas City area.&nbsp;The North Texas Crime Commission is offering up to $5,000.00 for information leading to his arrest and indictment for this felony offense

Any information can be sent to lead Detective Eric Shing at desk: (972) 412-6212, cell: (469) 853-3328, or eshing@rowlett.com. Tips may be made anonymous to the North Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-TIPS (8477) or P3tips.com, available 24/7. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684872712102.png" alt="Butler-photo Rowlett Police" />
 <figcaption>Butler-photo Rowlett Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS COUNTY, Texas —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a triple- shooting and believe the teen suspect could be in the Kansas City-area.On Monday, police reported that just before 9:30p.m. Jan. 13, officers responded to a shooting call at the City of Rowlett Twin Star Park, 6417 Fairfield Drive in Rowlett, Texas, approximately 19 miles northeast of Dallas, according to a media release. Officers arrived and found two adults and one 14-year-old girl shot at the city park. All three victims are from the same family. Rowlett Fire Rescue transported them by ambulance to a local hospital where they were treated for gunshot wounds.The Rowlett Police Criminal Investigations Division began their investigation and it was determined that this was not a random act of violence but rather both parties were meeting at the city park after two of the juveniles had been involved in a school fight three days prior. The shooting suspect identified as 16-year-old Kenn’taevien Charvez Butler of Rowlett, Texas, is described as a tan-skinned, black male with dark hair, and black eyes, approximately 5-10 and 170 pounds.&nbsp;Butler is currently wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony in the 2nd degree.&nbsp;He&nbsp;&nbsp;may be in Kansas City area.&nbsp;The North Texas Crime Commission is offering up to $5,000.00 for information leading to his arrest and indictment for this felony offenseAny information can be sent to lead Detective Eric Shing at desk: (972) 412-6212, cell: (469) 853-3328, or eshing@rowlett.com. Tips may be made anonymous to the North Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-TIPS (8477) or P3tips.com, available 24/7.

16-year-old accused in triple shooting is possibly in Kansas City

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged brief of privacy and asking for assistance in identifying a suspect, according to Overland Park Police.

The suspect as shown from security cameras is wanted for questioning in connection with a fitting room, breach of privacy investigation at a retail store in the 12200 block of Blue Valley Parkway on April 21st 2023 at approximately 5:30pm.&nbsp; He used a selfie stick or similar device to take photos of a young woman in the dressing room.

Investigators said someone spotted the suspect, and he left the store immediately.

The suspect was last seen driving a red 2016 or newer Honda Civic.

If you are able to identify the suspect please contact the Lead Detective at 913-344-8742 or the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684871844631.png" alt="Photos Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged brief of privacy and asking for assistance in identifying a suspect, according to Overland Park Police.The suspect as shown from security cameras is wanted for questioning in connection with a fitting room, breach of privacy investigation at a retail store in the 12200 block of Blue Valley Parkway on April 21st 2023 at approximately 5:30pm.&nbsp; He used a selfie stick or similar device to take photos of a young woman in the dressing room.Investigators said someone spotted the suspect, and he left the store immediately.The suspect was last seen driving a red 2016 or newer Honda Civic. If you are able to identify the suspect please contact the Lead Detective at 913-344-8742 or the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-474-TIPS.

Police: Man accused of taking fitting room pics of woman at Kan. store

WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) — A 28-year-old woman from Kansas has died after falling into a creek in Glacier National Park and being swept into a gorge, park officials said.

The woman fell from a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek on Monday afternoon, spokesperson Gina Kerzman said.

Bystanders waded into the creek and pulled the woman out. They performed CPR and called 911. Emergency responders declared her dead at the scene, park officials said.

Her name and hometown have not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684887440830.png" alt="Glacier National Park-photo courtesy National Park Service" />
 <figcaption>Glacier National Park-photo courtesy National Park Service</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) — A 28-year-old woman from Kansas has died after falling into a creek in Glacier National Park and being swept into a gorge, park officials said.The woman fell from a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek on Monday afternoon, spokesperson Gina Kerzman said.Bystanders waded into the creek and pulled the woman out. They performed CPR and called 911. Emergency responders declared her dead at the scene, park officials said.Her name and hometown have not been released.

Kansas woman dies after falling into creek in Glacier National Park

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in connections with shots fired on Thursday at Lea McKeighan Park in Lee's Summit, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Antonio Harris, 25, faces charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, on Thursday evening Lee's Summit Police officers responded to Lea McKeighan Park on NE Chipman Road. Officers noticed several people running through the park and vehicles leaving at high rates of speed.

 Officers found numerous shell casings as well as spots of blood in the parking lot. Witnesses told police that a man with long dreads was observed holding a firearm and standing next to a red Corvette. 

Officers found a red Corvette at the hospital parking &nbsp;lot. It had a bullet hole in the driver's side door as well as blood inside. Surveillance video showed the defendant hanging around his Corvette in the park. It showed a confrontation among two men when gunfire breaks out.

 The video also shows Harris firing multiple gunshots through the parking lot, before he leaves with an injured man in the Corvette.

The shootings remain under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684587793218.png" alt="Harris-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Harris-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in connections with shots fired on Thursday at Lea McKeighan Park in Lee's Summit, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Antonio Harris, 25, faces charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, on Thursday evening Lee's Summit Police officers responded to Lea McKeighan Park on NE Chipman Road. Officers noticed several people running through the park and vehicles leaving at high rates of speed. Officers found numerous shell casings as well as spots of blood in the parking lot. Witnesses told police that a man with long dreads was observed holding a firearm and standing next to a red Corvette. Officers found a red Corvette at the hospital parking &nbsp;lot. It had a bullet hole in the driver's side door as well as blood inside. Surveillance video showed the defendant hanging around his Corvette in the park. It showed a confrontation among two men when gunfire breaks out. The video also shows Harris firing multiple gunshots through the parking lot, before he leaves with an injured man in the Corvette.The shootings remain under investigation.

Red Corvette with bullet hole, blood inside led to KC arrest

CHICAGO (AP) — More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state’s attorney general found in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23822110-illinois-ag-report-on-clergy-sexual-abuse">investigation released Tuesday,</a>&nbsp;revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23822110-illinois-ag-report-on-clergy-sexual-abuse">Click here to read</a> the full report

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, though he acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense.”

“It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse,” Raoul said, crediting the accusers for making the review possible. “These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-chicago-mn-state-wire-0a9997be667842ecb7dabe553cb989d2">review began in 2018 under Raoul's predecessor</a>, Lisa Madigan, who released a blistering report as she prepared to leave office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/343d656d7f034d58bcc4c0acceada7bc">Raoul continued</a>&nbsp;the investigation, and he said Tuesday that 25 staff members reviewed more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents and engaged in more than 600 confidential interactions with contacts.

The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse. It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged.

In a joint statement issued Friday ahead of Raoul’s announcement, the state’s Catholic dioceses said the attorney general’s investigation prompted a yearslong review of their policies and unspecified changes. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Monday called abuse “repugnant” but said the church in 1992 began overhauling its policies and programs and cooperated fully with the state’s review.

“My hope is that the release of this report will be an occasion for the attorney general to issue a rallying cry to all adults to join in the work of safeguarding children, lest this moment be a lost opportunity,” Cupich said. “I stand ready to continue to do my part.”

Much of the report is dedicated to individual accounts of sexual abuse and lists of clergy and religious brothers in each diocese accused of child sexual abuse. Some of those named have become infamous due to criminal proceedings or lawsuits, including Father Daniel McCormack, who was the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-abuse-by-clergy-lawsuits-chicago-sexual-abuse-947432acea3ced1e5bf13c3d0d4bed00">more than 100 abuse claims</a>&nbsp;in the decades before his 2006 arrest for abusing five boys in Chicago.

He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Even after McCormack's first arrest in 2005 for sexual abuse, the Chicago archdiocese did not remove him from the ministry since those charges were dropped for a lack of evidence, the report says. An archdiocese review board recommended McCormack's removal that year, but then-Cardinal Francis George declined.

According to the report, the mother of one of McCormack’s victims later said: “If Cardinal George (had) done the right thing, these other boys would not have been molested. (Instead), he just opened the door for (McCormack) to take advantage of other Black children.”

Many of the accounts contained in the report have remained private for decades. It includes the account of Bob Corcoran, who reported that Father Thomas Considine, who was a teacher at a high school in Elgin, repeatedly sexually abused Corcoran in the 1970s. Considine was removed from ministry in 1980 for undetermined reasons and died in 1988, the report states.

Corcoran told state investigators that he reported the abuse to the Rockford diocese in 2011 and that the church eventually determined his claims couldn't be proven or disproven. He asked that Raoul's office include his name in its final report and said the document's release provided a sense of relief.

“To see the light at the end of the tunnel, and there is no longer a freight train racing towards me, is freeing,” Corcoran said in a statement released by his attorneys. "We all need to do our part in bringing resolution to the most vulnerable – children like you and me.”

In a statement released Tuesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/639041db648c1f1214b957d126af6708">Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests</a>&nbsp;called the report “stunning” but emphasized that the numbers of victims and abusers cited by Raoul are likely undercounted. The group also called on state and local officials to conduct similar reviews.

“There is no questioning the facts of the report — until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them,” the group said.

Similar government-led investigations detailing reports of clergy sexual abuse and church leaders’ failure to hold perpetrators accountable have rocked archdioceses in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-pennsylvania-pa-state-wire-301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513">Pennsylvania</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-archdiocese-sex-abuse-report-7d5d3af098da59a1c9313a246566638c">Maryland</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684866400478.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state’s attorney general found in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23822110-illinois-ag-report-on-clergy-sexual-abuse">investigation released Tuesday,</a>&nbsp;revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23822110-illinois-ag-report-on-clergy-sexual-abuse">Click here to read</a> the full reportAttorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, though he acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers “will never see justice in a legal sense.”“It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse,” Raoul said, crediting the accusers for making the review possible. “These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-chicago-mn-state-wire-0a9997be667842ecb7dabe553cb989d2">review began in 2018 under Raoul's predecessor</a>, Lisa Madigan, who released a blistering report as she prepared to leave office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/343d656d7f034d58bcc4c0acceada7bc">Raoul continued</a>&nbsp;the investigation, and he said Tuesday that 25 staff members reviewed more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents and engaged in more than 600 confidential interactions with contacts.The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse. It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged.In a joint statement issued Friday ahead of Raoul’s announcement, the state’s Catholic dioceses said the attorney general’s investigation prompted a yearslong review of their policies and unspecified changes. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Monday called abuse “repugnant” but said the church in 1992 began overhauling its policies and programs and cooperated fully with the state’s review.“My hope is that the release of this report will be an occasion for the attorney general to issue a rallying cry to all adults to join in the work of safeguarding children, lest this moment be a lost opportunity,” Cupich said. “I stand ready to continue to do my part.”Much of the report is dedicated to individual accounts of sexual abuse and lists of clergy and religious brothers in each diocese accused of child sexual abuse. Some of those named have become infamous due to criminal proceedings or lawsuits, including Father Daniel McCormack, who was the subject of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sexual-abuse-by-clergy-lawsuits-chicago-sexual-abuse-947432acea3ced1e5bf13c3d0d4bed00">more than 100 abuse claims</a>&nbsp;in the decades before his 2006 arrest for abusing five boys in Chicago.He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.Even after McCormack's first arrest in 2005 for sexual abuse, the Chicago archdiocese did not remove him from the ministry since those charges were dropped for a lack of evidence, the report says. An archdiocese review board recommended McCormack's removal that year, but then-Cardinal Francis George declined.According to the report, the mother of one of McCormack’s victims later said: “If Cardinal George (had) done the right thing, these other boys would not have been molested. (Instead), he just opened the door for (McCormack) to take advantage of other Black children.”Many of the accounts contained in the report have remained private for decades. It includes the account of Bob Corcoran, who reported that Father Thomas Considine, who was a teacher at a high school in Elgin, repeatedly sexually abused Corcoran in the 1970s. Considine was removed from ministry in 1980 for undetermined reasons and died in 1988, the report states.Corcoran told state investigators that he reported the abuse to the Rockford diocese in 2011 and that the church eventually determined his claims couldn't be proven or disproven. He asked that Raoul's office include his name in its final report and said the document's release provided a sense of relief.“To see the light at the end of the tunnel, and there is no longer a freight train racing towards me, is freeing,” Corcoran said in a statement released by his attorneys. "We all need to do our part in bringing resolution to the most vulnerable – children like you and me.”In a statement released Tuesday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/639041db648c1f1214b957d126af6708">Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests</a>&nbsp;called the report “stunning” but emphasized that the numbers of victims and abusers cited by Raoul are likely undercounted. The group also called on state and local officials to conduct similar reviews.“There is no questioning the facts of the report — until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them,” the group said.Similar government-led investigations detailing reports of clergy sexual abuse and church leaders’ failure to hold perpetrators accountable have rocked archdioceses in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-pennsylvania-pa-state-wire-301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513">Pennsylvania</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-archdiocese-sex-abuse-report-7d5d3af098da59a1c9313a246566638c">Maryland</a>.The Catholic Conference of Illinois says 3.5 million Catholics make up approximately 27% of Illinois’ total population, and that the Church maintains 949 parishes and has 2,215 priests, 1,372 deacons, and 260 religious brothers.Accusers and activists for years have complained that abusers belonging to orders have often been able to avoid the scrutiny other clergy received because of their semi-autonomy from archdioceses. The new report, however, officially names some former clergy tied to such orders.Among those listed is Bruce Wellems, a former priest with the Claretians missionaries assigned for years to Hispanic neighborhoods in Chicago. His accuser says Wellems sexually abused him more than a dozen times starting in 1973 when they were neighbors in New Mexico. The accuser was in the second grade and Wellems was in high school. Wellems admitted in a 2014&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/state/2016/09/27/chicago-based-religious-order-sued/25310411007/">interview with The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;that he had inappropriately touched the boy, but he said he never again abused a child.