SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in his daughter's murder made his first court appearance Wednesday.

51-year-old Thomas Gatewood of Wichita was charged with&nbsp;with 1st Degree Murder, Abuse of a Child,  Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Intimidation of a Witness/ Victim, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On May 8, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The&nbsp;Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office.

On Tuesday, a warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughter. 

Wichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.

Gatewood being held on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court July 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687976261144.png" alt="Gatewood-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gatewood-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in his daughter's murder made his first court appearance Wednesday.51-year-old Thomas Gatewood of Wichita was charged with&nbsp;with 1st Degree Murder, Abuse of a Child, Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Intimidation of a Witness/ Victim, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On May 8, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Oliver in Wichita after report of an&nbsp;unresponsive 8-year-old girl, according to Officer&nbsp; Kris Gupilan. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. The&nbsp;Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit and Homicide detectives investigated the incident and presented a case to the District Attorney’s office.On Tuesday, a warrant was issued for Gatewood's arrest for the murder of his 8-year-old daughter. Wichita Police Officers utilized FLOCK technology and Thomas was quickly located and taken into custody within hours of the warrant being issued.Gatewood being held on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court July 12.

Kansas man charged in 8-year-old daughter's murder

WEBSTER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. Wednesday in Webster County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Hyundia Elantra driven by Alixandria N. Woods, 27, Seymour, was southbound on U.S. 60 just west of Diggins.&nbsp;

The driver failed to yield to 2016 Ford Fusion driven by a 15-year-old Ozark boy. The Ford struck the side of the Hyundia.&nbsp;

Woods was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported to a funeral home in Seymour.&nbsp; EMS transported a passenger in the Ford Constance A. Dodge, 56, Ozark, to Cox South in Springfield. The teen driver was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

WEBSTER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. Wednesday in Webster County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Hyundia Elantra driven by Alixandria N. Woods, 27, Seymour, was southbound on U.S. 60 just west of Diggins.&nbsp;The driver failed to yield to 2016 Ford Fusion driven by a 15-year-old Ozark boy. The Ford struck the side of the Hyundia.&nbsp;Woods was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported to a funeral home in Seymour.&nbsp; EMS transported a passenger in the Ford Constance A. Dodge, 56, Ozark, to Cox South in Springfield. The teen driver was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman dies after crash with 15-year-old driver

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Human remains have likely been recovered from the wreckage of the submersible that imploded on a voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.

The announcement came hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan, collected from the seafloor more than 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) below the surface of the North Atlantic, had arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland. Twisted chunks of the submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier.

Recovering and scrutinizing the wreckage is a key part of the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-implosion-90b9c54c3887c99099170a5afded15bc">why the Titan imploded</a>&nbsp;last week, killing all five people on board. The multiday search and eventual recovery of debris from the 22-foot (6.7-meter) vessel captured the world's attention.

"There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again,” Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.

The “presumed remains” will be brought to the United States, where medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis, and the Coast Guard has convened an investigation of the implosion at the highest level, Neubauer said, noting that the Marine Board of Investigation will analyze and test evidence, including pieces of debris, at a port in the U.S.

He said the evidence will provide “critical insights" into the cause of the implosion.

Debris from the Titan, which is believed to have imploded on June 18 as it made its descent, was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic on the ocean floor. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation, in conjunction with several other government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

Authorities have not disclosed details of the debris recovery, which could have followed several approaches, according to Carl Hartsfield, who directs a lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that designs and operates autonomous underwater vehicles and has been serving as a consultant to the Coast Guard.

“If the pieces are small, you can collect them together and put them in a basket or some kind of collection device," Hartsfield said Monday. Bigger pieces could be retrieved with a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, such as the one brought to the wreckage site by the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic to search the ocean floor. For extremely big pieces a heavy lift can be used to pull the pieces up with a tow line, he said. Representatives for Horizon Arctic did not respond to requests for comment.

Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said on Wednesday that it is “still on mission” and cannot comment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">on the investigation</a>, said company spokesperson Jeff Mahoney.

“They have been working around the clock now for 10 days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation,” Mahoney said.

Analyzing the physical material of recovered debris could reveal important clues about what happened to the Titan, and there could be electronic data recorded by the submersible’s instruments, Hartsfield said.

"So the question is, is there any data available? And I really don’t know the answer to that question,” he said Monday.

OceanGate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-titanic-submersible-passengers-6616175a166cda894a83d7ebe21a6aa4">killed in the implosion</a>&nbsp;along with two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the U.S. but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. The OceanGate company in Everett, Washington, closed when the Titan was found. The Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, is based in Canada.

The operator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-tourist-sub-passengers-cost-ee2a6358b36e48326b3977090fd9311b">charged passengers $250,000</a>&nbsp;each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations. The Coast Guard also wants to use the investigation to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titan-submersible-investigation-91bde867ef100c769f1dbe293f2b3020">improve safety of submersibles.</a>

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says it has likely recovered human remains from the wreckage of the Titan submersible and is bringing the evidence back to the United States. The submersible imploded last week, killing all five people on board. The vessel was on a voyage see the wreck of the Titanic.

The return of the Titan debris to port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday is a key piece of the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-implosion-90b9c54c3887c99099170a5afded15bc">why the submersible imploded</a>. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier.

The U.S. Coast Guard said late Wednesday it had recovered debris and evidence from the sea floor and that included what it described as presumed human remains.

“I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths,” U.S. Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement. “The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again.”

The Canadian ship Horizon Arctic carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to search the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck for pieces of the submersible. Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said on Wednesday that it has completed offshore operations.

Pelagic Research Services' team is “still on mission” and cannot comment on the ongoing Titan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">investigation</a>, which involves several government agencies in the U.S. and Canada, said Jeff Mahoney, a spokesperson for the company.

“They have been working around the clock now for ten days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation, and are anxious to finish the mission and return to their loved ones,” Mahoney said.

Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic on the ocean floor, the Coast Guard said last week. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation into why the submersible imploded during its June 18 descent. Officials announced on June 22 that the submersible had imploded and all five people on board were dead.

The Coast Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation into the implosion. That is the highest level of investigation conducted by the Coast Guard.

One of the experts the Coast Guard consulted with during the search said analyzing the physical material of recovered debris could reveal important clues about what happened to the Titan. And there could be electronic data, said Carl Hartsfield of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

“Certainly all the instruments on any deep sea vehicle, they record data. They pass up data. So the question is, is there any data available? And I really don’t know the answer to that question,” he said Monday.

Representatives for Horizon Arctic did not respond to requests for comment.

Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush was k&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-titanic-submersible-passengers-6616175a166cda894a83d7ebe21a6aa4">illed in the implosion</a>&nbsp;along with two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Representatives for the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which are both involved in the investigation, also declined to comment. The National Transportation Safety Board has said the Coast Guard has declared the loss of the Titan submersible to be a “major marine casualty” and the Coast Guard will lead the investigation.

“We are not able to provide any additional information at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” said Liam MacDonald, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization, the U.N.’s maritime agency, has said any investigative reports from the disaster would be submitted for review. Member states of the IMO can also propose changes such as stronger regulations of submersibles.

Currently, the IMO has voluntary safety guidelines for tourist submersibles which include requirements they be inspected, have emergency response plans, and have a certified pilot on board among other requirements. Any safety proposals would not likely be considered by the IMO until its next Maritime Safety Committee which begins in May 2024.

OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the U.S. but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. The OceanGate company in Everett, Washington closed when the Titan was found. Meanwhile, the Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, was from Canada.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687279790385.png" alt="Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet underwater and roughly 1,600 feet&nbsp; from the Titanic on the ocean floor-photo courtesy Oceangate" />
 <figcaption>Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet underwater and roughly 1,600 feet&nbsp; from the Titanic on the ocean floor-photo courtesy Oceangate</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Human remains have likely been recovered from the wreckage of the submersible that imploded on a voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.The announcement came hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan, collected from the seafloor more than 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) below the surface of the North Atlantic, had arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland. Twisted chunks of the submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier.Recovering and scrutinizing the wreckage is a key part of the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-implosion-90b9c54c3887c99099170a5afded15bc">why the Titan imploded</a>&nbsp;last week, killing all five people on board. The multiday search and eventual recovery of debris from the 22-foot (6.7-meter) vessel captured the world's attention."There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the Titan and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again,” Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.The “presumed remains” will be brought to the United States, where medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis, and the Coast Guard has convened an investigation of the implosion at the highest level, Neubauer said, noting that the Marine Board of Investigation will analyze and test evidence, including pieces of debris, at a port in the U.S.He said the evidence will provide “critical insights" into the cause of the implosion.Debris from the Titan, which is believed to have imploded on June 18 as it made its descent, was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic on the ocean floor. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation, in conjunction with several other government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.Authorities have not disclosed details of the debris recovery, which could have followed several approaches, according to Carl Hartsfield, who directs a lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that designs and operates autonomous underwater vehicles and has been serving as a consultant to the Coast Guard.“If the pieces are small, you can collect them together and put them in a basket or some kind of collection device," Hartsfield said Monday. Bigger pieces could be retrieved with a remote-operated vehicle, or ROV, such as the one brought to the wreckage site by the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic to search the ocean floor. For extremely big pieces a heavy lift can be used to pull the pieces up with a tow line, he said. Representatives for Horizon Arctic did not respond to requests for comment.Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said on Wednesday that it is “still on mission” and cannot comment&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">on the investigation</a>, said company spokesperson Jeff Mahoney.“They have been working around the clock now for 10 days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation,” Mahoney said.Analyzing the physical material of recovered debris could reveal important clues about what happened to the Titan, and there could be electronic data recorded by the submersible’s instruments, Hartsfield said."So the question is, is there any data available? And I really don’t know the answer to that question,” he said Monday.OceanGate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-titanic-submersible-passengers-6616175a166cda894a83d7ebe21a6aa4">killed in the implosion</a>&nbsp;along with two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the U.S. but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. The OceanGate company in Everett, Washington, closed when the Titan was found. The Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, is based in Canada.The operator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-tourist-sub-passengers-cost-ee2a6358b36e48326b3977090fd9311b">charged passengers $250,000</a>&nbsp;each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations. The Coast Guard also wants to use the investigation to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titan-submersible-investigation-91bde867ef100c769f1dbe293f2b3020">improve safety of submersibles.</a>----------------PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says it has likely recovered human remains from the wreckage of the Titan submersible and is bringing the evidence back to the United States. The submersible imploded last week, killing all five people on board. The vessel was on a voyage see the wreck of the Titanic.The return of the Titan debris to port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday is a key piece of the investigation into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-implosion-90b9c54c3887c99099170a5afded15bc">why the submersible imploded</a>. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier.The U.S. Coast Guard said late Wednesday it had recovered debris and evidence from the sea floor and that included what it described as presumed human remains.“I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths,” U.S. Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement. “The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights into the cause of this tragedy. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that led to the catastrophic loss of the TITAN and help ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again.”The Canadian ship Horizon Arctic carried a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, to search the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck for pieces of the submersible. Pelagic Research Services, a company with offices in Massachusetts and New York that owns the ROV, said on Wednesday that it has completed offshore operations.Pelagic Research Services' team is “still on mission” and cannot comment on the ongoing Titan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">investigation</a>, which involves several government agencies in the U.S. and Canada, said Jeff Mahoney, a spokesperson for the company.“They have been working around the clock now for ten days, through the physical and mental challenges of this operation, and are anxious to finish the mission and return to their loved ones,” Mahoney said.Debris from the Titan was located about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) underwater and roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic on the ocean floor, the Coast Guard said last week. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation into why the submersible imploded during its June 18 descent. Officials announced on June 22 that the submersible had imploded and all five people on board were dead.The Coast Guard has convened a Marine Board of Investigation into the implosion. That is the highest level of investigation conducted by the Coast Guard.One of the experts the Coast Guard consulted with during the search said analyzing the physical material of recovered debris could reveal important clues about what happened to the Titan. And there could be electronic data, said Carl Hartsfield of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.“Certainly all the instruments on any deep sea vehicle, they record data. They pass up data. So the question is, is there any data available? And I really don’t know the answer to that question,” he said Monday.Representatives for Horizon Arctic did not respond to requests for comment.Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush was k&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-titanic-submersible-passengers-6616175a166cda894a83d7ebe21a6aa4">illed in the implosion</a>&nbsp;along with two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.Representatives for the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which are both involved in the investigation, also declined to comment. The National Transportation Safety Board has said the Coast Guard has declared the loss of the Titan submersible to be a “major marine casualty” and the Coast Guard will lead the investigation.“We are not able to provide any additional information at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” said Liam MacDonald, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization, the U.N.’s maritime agency, has said any investigative reports from the disaster would be submitted for review. Member states of the IMO can also propose changes such as stronger regulations of submersibles.Currently, the IMO has voluntary safety guidelines for tourist submersibles which include requirements they be inspected, have emergency response plans, and have a certified pilot on board among other requirements. Any safety proposals would not likely be considered by the IMO until its next Maritime Safety Committee which begins in May 2024.OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan, is based in the U.S. but the submersible was registered in the Bahamas. The OceanGate company in Everett, Washington closed when the Titan was found. Meanwhile, the Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, was from Canada.The operator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-tourist-sub-passengers-cost-ee2a6358b36e48326b3977090fd9311b">charged passengers $250,000</a>&nbsp;each to participate in the voyage. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations. The Coast Guard also wants to use the investigation to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titan-submersible-investigation-91bde867ef100c769f1dbe293f2b3020">improve safety of submersibles.</a>

US Coast Guard: Human remains found in wreckage of Titanic sub

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Hundreds of thousands of summer travelers suffered through another day of delayed and canceled flights Wednesday, a troubling glimpse into what could happen over the long July 4 holiday weekend as airlines struggle to keep up with surging numbers of passengers.

By early evening on the East Coast, nearly 5,800 U.S. flights had been delayed and 1,000 more were canceled, according to FlightAware.

United Airlines, which depends on the airport in Newark, New Jersey, canceled the most flights among U.S. airlines for a fifth straight day.

“We’re beginning to see improvement across our operation,” United said in a statement Wednesday night. “As our operation improves in the days ahead, we will be on track to restore our operation for the holiday weekend.”

The worst disruptions continued to be along the East Coast, which has been pummeled by thunderstorms this week. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily held up Boston-bound flights on Wednesday. It stopped flights to all three major airports in the New York City area and two near Washington, D.C., at times Tuesday.

Huge crowds, bad weather, inability of some airline crews to reach their scheduling offices — even a Delta jet that made a belly landing in Charlotte, North Carolina — all contributed to the mess.

And it could be just the storm before the storm: The FAA predicted that Thursday would be the heaviest travel day over the July 4 holiday period. On top of that, some airline planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buttigieg-airlines-5g-wireless-service-d24dbc4a1295538d51ee7da345cb6303">may be unable to fly in bad weather</a>&nbsp;starting this weekend because of possible interference with 5G wireless service.

Travel has picked up steadily every year since bottoming out during the pandemic. For the past week, about 2.6 million people a day on average have been flying in the United States, about 2% more than in the same period during pre-pandemic 2019, according to Transportation Security Administration figures.

The number of air travelers could set a pandemic-era record over the holiday weekend. The FAA expects Thursday to be the busiest, with more than 52,500 total flights.

People whose travel plans were disrupted took to social media to vent against the airlines. Some swore they would never fly again on whichever airline had done them wrong.

Tia Hudson was back at Newark Liberty International Airport for the fourth straight day, trying to catch a United Airlines flight home to Louisiana.

“My flight has been canceled like five times now. I slept at the airport two nights, I booked two hotels, I spent over $700 since I’ve been here and they said they’re not going to reimburse me because it’s weather-related,” she said. “It’s not weather-related. It’s a shortage of pilots and attendants.”

Hudson missed her mother’s wedding and caused her mother to skip her own honeymoon to pick up Tia at the airport near Dallas – only for the flight to be canceled.

“I just want to get away from this airport, but they say nobody is leaving until Saturday,” she said.

At Logan Airport in Boston, pharmaceutical company manager Rui Loureiro had to scrap plans to spend the rest of the week meeting clients on the West Coast when his flight to San Francisco was canceled. United told him the soonest he could get on another flight was Friday, and didn't offer to pay for a hotel room. He plans to fly home to Portugal instead – or at least give it a try.

“I am a little bit stressed, disappointed,” Loureiro said. “People were waiting for me. We had things arranged to do. Now I have to go back and rebook everything and come again another time.”

By early Wednesday evening, Chicago-based United had canceled more than 550 flights — one-fifth of its schedule — and 1,200 others were late. The airline vowed to reduce cancellations — and added it reduced the backlog of stranded bags in Newark by 30% since Tuesday. New York-based JetBlue canceled nearly one in 10 flights.

If large numbers of passengers are stranded or delayed this weekend, expect federal officials and the airlines to blame each other for the mess.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes the FAA, has been beating up on the airlines for more than a year. He has accused them of failing to live up to reasonable standards of customer service and suggested that they are scheduling more flights than they can handle.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby blamed a shortage of federal air traffic controllers for massive disruptions last weekend at its Newark hub.

“We estimate that over 150,000 customers on United alone were impacted this weekend because of FAA staffing issues and their ability to manage traffic,” Kirby wrote in a memo to employees on Monday night.

The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents United's cabin crews, said United was contributing to the situation. The union said employees were waiting three hours or longer when calling a crew-scheduling center for assignments because of “limited telephone lines and personnel.”

However, the FAA signaled earlier this year that it could struggle to keep flights moving in New York, the busiest airspace in the nation. Facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers at a key facility on Long Island, the FAA persuaded airlines to trim their summer schedules to avoid overloading the system.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, where American and Southwest are based, took the airlines’ side in a series of tweets about delays at the New York City area's three big airports.

“Staffing at FAA’s air traffic facilities in NY is at 54%,” Cruz tweeted. “Yet (the Transportation Department) is blaming weather for delays. Nonsense.”

A Transportation Department spokesperson said the agency is working with airlines to fix things, but the combination of high traffic and bad weather reduces the rate at which planes can take off and land safely, leading to delays and canceled flights.

The FAA is training about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-congress-spending-summer-travel-8b9c7cb54933fe0e5c591dab27e20b2a">3,000 new air traffic controllers</a>, but most of them won’t be ready anytime soon. Last week, the Transportation Department’s inspector general said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/39530">a report</a>&nbsp;that the FAA has made only “limited efforts” to adequately staff critical air traffic control centers and lacks a plan to tackle the problem.

Last week, Buttigieg issued a new warning to airlines, telling them that planes that aren't outfitted with new radio altimeters — devices that measure the height of a plane above the ground — won’t be allowed to operate in limited visibility starting this Saturday because of potential interference from new 5G wireless service.

American, United, Southwest, Alaska and Frontier say all of their planes have been retrofitted, but Delta Air Lines still has about 190 planes waiting to be updated because its supplier doesn't have enough altimeters. Delta said it will schedule those planes to avoid landing where the weather might be bad to limit disruptions.

Smaller airlines that operate regional flights could also be affected by the radio interference issue, as could flights operated to the United States by foreign carriers.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Hundreds of thousands of summer travelers suffered through another day of delayed and canceled flights Wednesday, a troubling glimpse into what could happen over the long July 4 holiday weekend as airlines struggle to keep up with surging numbers of passengers.By early evening on the East Coast, nearly 5,800 U.S. flights had been delayed and 1,000 more were canceled, according to FlightAware.United Airlines, which depends on the airport in Newark, New Jersey, canceled the most flights among U.S. airlines for a fifth straight day.“We’re beginning to see improvement across our operation,” United said in a statement Wednesday night. “As our operation improves in the days ahead, we will be on track to restore our operation for the holiday weekend.”The worst disruptions continued to be along the East Coast, which has been pummeled by thunderstorms this week. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily held up Boston-bound flights on Wednesday. It stopped flights to all three major airports in the New York City area and two near Washington, D.C., at times Tuesday.Huge crowds, bad weather, inability of some airline crews to reach their scheduling offices — even a Delta jet that made a belly landing in Charlotte, North Carolina — all contributed to the mess.And it could be just the storm before the storm: The FAA predicted that Thursday would be the heaviest travel day over the July 4 holiday period. On top of that, some airline planes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buttigieg-airlines-5g-wireless-service-d24dbc4a1295538d51ee7da345cb6303">may be unable to fly in bad weather</a>&nbsp;starting this weekend because of possible interference with 5G wireless service.Travel has picked up steadily every year since bottoming out during the pandemic. For the past week, about 2.6 million people a day on average have been flying in the United States, about 2% more than in the same period during pre-pandemic 2019, according to Transportation Security Administration figures.The number of air travelers could set a pandemic-era record over the holiday weekend. The FAA expects Thursday to be the busiest, with more than 52,500 total flights.People whose travel plans were disrupted took to social media to vent against the airlines. Some swore they would never fly again on whichever airline had done them wrong.Tia Hudson was back at Newark Liberty International Airport for the fourth straight day, trying to catch a United Airlines flight home to Louisiana.“My flight has been canceled like five times now. I slept at the airport two nights, I booked two hotels, I spent over $700 since I’ve been here and they said they’re not going to reimburse me because it’s weather-related,” she said. “It’s not weather-related. It’s a shortage of pilots and attendants.”Hudson missed her mother’s wedding and caused her mother to skip her own honeymoon to pick up Tia at the airport near Dallas – only for the flight to be canceled.On top of that, Hudson's bags were lost.“I just want to get away from this airport, but they say nobody is leaving until Saturday,” she said.At Logan Airport in Boston, pharmaceutical company manager Rui Loureiro had to scrap plans to spend the rest of the week meeting clients on the West Coast when his flight to San Francisco was canceled. United told him the soonest he could get on another flight was Friday, and didn't offer to pay for a hotel room. He plans to fly home to Portugal instead – or at least give it a try.“I am a little bit stressed, disappointed,” Loureiro said. “People were waiting for me. We had things arranged to do. Now I have to go back and rebook everything and come again another time.”By early Wednesday evening, Chicago-based United had canceled more than 550 flights — one-fifth of its schedule — and 1,200 others were late. The airline vowed to reduce cancellations — and added it reduced the backlog of stranded bags in Newark by 30% since Tuesday. New York-based JetBlue canceled nearly one in 10 flights.If large numbers of passengers are stranded or delayed this weekend, expect federal officials and the airlines to blame each other for the mess.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose department includes the FAA, has been beating up on the airlines for more than a year. He has accused them of failing to live up to reasonable standards of customer service and suggested that they are scheduling more flights than they can handle.The airlines are punching back.United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby blamed a shortage of federal air traffic controllers for massive disruptions last weekend at its Newark hub.“We estimate that over 150,000 customers on United alone were impacted this weekend because of FAA staffing issues and their ability to manage traffic,” Kirby wrote in a memo to employees on Monday night.The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents United's cabin crews, said United was contributing to the situation. The union said employees were waiting three hours or longer when calling a crew-scheduling center for assignments because of “limited telephone lines and personnel.”However, the FAA signaled earlier this year that it could struggle to keep flights moving in New York, the busiest airspace in the nation. Facing a severe shortage of air traffic controllers at a key facility on Long Island, the FAA persuaded airlines to trim their summer schedules to avoid overloading the system.Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, where American and Southwest are based, took the airlines’ side in a series of tweets about delays at the New York City area's three big airports.“Staffing at FAA’s air traffic facilities in NY is at 54%,” Cruz tweeted. “Yet (the Transportation Department) is blaming weather for delays. Nonsense.”A Transportation Department spokesperson said the agency is working with airlines to fix things, but the combination of high traffic and bad weather reduces the rate at which planes can take off and land safely, leading to delays and canceled flights.The FAA is training about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-congress-spending-summer-travel-8b9c7cb54933fe0e5c591dab27e20b2a">3,000 new air traffic controllers</a>, but most of them won’t be ready anytime soon. Last week, the Transportation Department’s inspector general said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/39530">a report</a>&nbsp;that the FAA has made only “limited efforts” to adequately staff critical air traffic control centers and lacks a plan to tackle the problem.Last week, Buttigieg issued a new warning to airlines, telling them that planes that aren't outfitted with new radio altimeters — devices that measure the height of a plane above the ground — won’t be allowed to operate in limited visibility starting this Saturday because of potential interference from new 5G wireless service.American, United, Southwest, Alaska and Frontier say all of their planes have been retrofitted, but Delta Air Lines still has about 190 planes waiting to be updated because its supplier doesn't have enough altimeters. Delta said it will schedule those planes to avoid landing where the weather might be bad to limit disruptions.Smaller airlines that operate regional flights could also be affected by the radio interference issue, as could flights operated to the United States by foreign carriers.

Airline travel nightmare: Could get worse as holiday approaches

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City-area woman faces felony charges for the fatal vehicular crash that killed a motorcycle driver on Saturday evening in Lee's Summit, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Carly A. Rudolph, 22, Blue Springs, faces Involuntary Manslaughter 2nd Degree.

According to court records, about 6 p.m. on Saturday, officers and emergency crews responded to a crash involving a motorcycle in the area of NE Todd George Parkway and NE Leinweber Road. 

The driver of the motorcycle suffered life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased at a hospital and was identified as Christopher M. Silvers of Lee's Summit, Missouri.

Rudolph admitted to an officer she had been consuming alcohol and had smoked from a THC cartridge.A witness told police the defendant's vehicle was traveling very fast and didn't appear to slow dow or stop before it entered an intersection and struck the motorcycle. This case remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687792817980.png" alt="Rudolph-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Rudolph-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City-area woman faces felony charges for the fatal vehicular crash that killed a motorcycle driver on Saturday evening in Lee's Summit, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Carly A. Rudolph, 22, Blue Springs, faces Involuntary Manslaughter 2nd Degree.According to court records, about 6 p.m. on Saturday, officers and emergency crews responded to a crash involving a motorcycle in the area of NE Todd George Parkway and NE Leinweber Road. The driver of the motorcycle suffered life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased at a hospital and was identified as Christopher M. Silvers of Lee's Summit, Missouri.Rudolph admitted to an officer she had been consuming alcohol and had smoked from a THC cartridge.A witness told police the defendant's vehicle was traveling very fast and didn't appear to slow dow or stop before it entered an intersection and struck the motorcycle. This case remains under investigation.

Court record: KC-area woman admitted drinking before deadly crash

BUFFALO, Mo. (AP) — A second man has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of a woman who was kept in a cage and dismembered in southwest Missouri in 2021.

Timothy Norton was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in Dallas County court to first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Cassie Rainwater. As part of his plea agreement, charges of kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse were dropped.

Another man, James Phelps,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-cage-dismembered-plea-sentence-dc8d19ed44b79dcc3b1204bb11793960">entered an Alford plea</a>&nbsp;earlier this year in the same case and was also sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

The two men were arrested in September 2021 after the FBI received a tip about photos showing Rainwater in a cage on Phelps' property near Lebanon, Missouri. Additional photos showed Rainwater dismembered and disemboweled. Some of her remains were found in a deep freezer, authorities said.

Norton&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2023/06/27/timothy-norton-enters-guilty-plea-death-cassidy-rainwater-dallas-county/">told KYTV</a>&nbsp;after his sentencing that he deserved to die. He said he and Phelps believed Rainwater had stolen from them and wanted their items back, and things went “sideways” at Phelps' home.

Rainwater was reported missing in August 2021 by a woman who said she was last seen with Phelps. Phelps told investigators that Rainwater was staying with him, but she had left for Colorado, according to court records.

Phelps’ house later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-kidnapping-missouri-arson-5552c41ab88e9dac352f2143ac8aec71">burned to the ground</a>&nbsp;in what investigators determined was arson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637236044276.png" alt="Norton-photo Dallas Co." />
 <figcaption>Norton-photo Dallas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUFFALO, Mo. (AP) — A second man has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of a woman who was kept in a cage and dismembered in southwest Missouri in 2021.Timothy Norton was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in Dallas County court to first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Cassie Rainwater. As part of his plea agreement, charges of kidnapping and abandonment of a corpse were dropped.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637236063305.png" alt="Phelps-photo Dallas Co." />
 <figcaption>Phelps-photo Dallas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Another man, James Phelps,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/woman-cage-dismembered-plea-sentence-dc8d19ed44b79dcc3b1204bb11793960">entered an Alford plea</a>&nbsp;earlier this year in the same case and was also sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.The two men were arrested in September 2021 after the FBI received a tip about photos showing Rainwater in a cage on Phelps' property near Lebanon, Missouri. Additional photos showed Rainwater dismembered and disemboweled. Some of her remains were found in a deep freezer, authorities said.Norton&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2023/06/27/timothy-norton-enters-guilty-plea-death-cassidy-rainwater-dallas-county/">told KYTV</a>&nbsp;after his sentencing that he deserved to die. He said he and Phelps believed Rainwater had stolen from them and wanted their items back, and things went “sideways” at Phelps' home.Rainwater was reported missing in August 2021 by a woman who said she was last seen with Phelps. Phelps told investigators that Rainwater was staying with him, but she had left for Colorado, according to court records.Phelps’ house later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-kidnapping-missouri-arson-5552c41ab88e9dac352f2143ac8aec71">burned to the ground</a>&nbsp;in what investigators determined was arson.

2nd man sentenced in death of Mo. woman who was caged, dismembered

MIAMI COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly shooting at a Kansas State Park campground has been charged in the case.

On Tuesday, 53-year-old Brian Scott Meysenburg was charged in Miami County District Court on one count of Murder in the Second Degree, according to Undersheriff Matthew Kelly.&nbsp; His bond has been set at $1,000,000.

On June 20, emergency personnel were dispatched to the Pintail Point campground at the Hillsdale State Park near Paola for a report of a stabbing and a shooting, according to the Miami County Sheriff's office.

 One person suffered a fatal gunshot wound. The victim has been identified as&nbsp;43-year-old Bryan Hendrickson from Edgerton. Deputies also found one person with a non-life-threatening stab wound. That individual was transported to an area hospital for treatment and released, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies took Brian Meysenburg, 53, Overland Park, into custody and booked him into the Miami County Jail on a requested charge of second-degree murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687477164803.png" alt="Meysenburg-photo Miami County" />
 <figcaption>Meysenburg-photo Miami County</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly shooting at a Kansas State Park campground has been charged in the case.On Tuesday, 53-year-old Brian Scott Meysenburg was charged in Miami County District Court on one count of Murder in the Second Degree, according to Undersheriff Matthew Kelly.&nbsp; His bond has been set at $1,000,000.On June 20, emergency personnel were dispatched to the Pintail Point campground at the Hillsdale State Park near Paola for a report of a stabbing and a shooting, according to the Miami County Sheriff's office. One person suffered a fatal gunshot wound. The victim has been identified as&nbsp;43-year-old Bryan Hendrickson from Edgerton. Deputies also found one person with a non-life-threatening stab wound. That individual was transported to an area hospital for treatment and released, according to the sheriff's office.Deputies took Brian Meysenburg, 53, Overland Park, into custody and booked him into the Miami County Jail on a requested charge of second-degree murder.

Suspect charged in deadly Kansas park camp ground attack

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects&nbsp;&nbsp;in connection to three suspected fentanyl-related overdose cases&nbsp; in Riley County, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

&nbsp;Ronald Ince, 59, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Ince remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. He has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Nathan Reeves, 37, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Reeves remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. Reeves’s and Ince’s arrests stem from an investigation into the death of a 36-year-old woman in August 2021.

Caziah Self, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into the overdose of a 31-year-old man in August of 2022. Self was issued a total bond of $250,000 for this charge. He was also arrested on two Manhattan Municipal Court warrants for failure to appear and theft. Self was also found to be in possession of two guns and a large number of pills suspected to contain fentanyl at the time of his arrest adding additional charges of drug possession with the intent to distribute, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. These additional charges hold a bond of $500,000. Self remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $751,750.

Daron Jones, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges that include two counts each of distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into two separate overdoses of the same 21-year-old man in August and October of 2022. Jones remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $250,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687987134211.png" alt="Ince has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Ince has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects&nbsp;&nbsp;in connection to three suspected fentanyl-related overdose cases&nbsp; in Riley County, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.&nbsp;Ronald Ince, 59, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Ince remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. He has a previous conviction for heroin distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of CorrectionsNathan Reeves, 37, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction. Reeves remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $500,000. Reeves’s and Ince’s arrests stem from an investigation into the death of a 36-year-old woman in August 2021.Caziah Self, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into the overdose of a 31-year-old man in August of 2022. Self was issued a total bond of $250,000 for this charge. He was also arrested on two Manhattan Municipal Court warrants for failure to appear and theft. Self was also found to be in possession of two guns and a large number of pills suspected to contain fentanyl at the time of his arrest adding additional charges of drug possession with the intent to distribute, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. These additional charges hold a bond of $500,000. Self remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $751,750.Daron Jones, 21, of Manhattan was arrested on requested charges that include two counts each of distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery, and use of a communication facility for a drug transaction stemming from an investigation into two separate overdoses of the same 21-year-old man in August and October of 2022. Jones remains confined in the Riley County Jail with a total bond of $250,000.

4 Kansas men arrested in 3 fentanyl-related overdose cases

REYNOLDS COUNTY —A man drowned just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday on a river in Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 24-year-old Emigdio F. Cuevas, St. Louis, was swimming at Johnson's Shut on the Black River.&nbsp;&nbsp; He began to struggle and was unable to resurface. He was pronounced deceased&nbsp; by a physician from the Iron County Medical Center and transported to the Reynolds County Coroner's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cuevas was not wearing a life jacket, according to the MSHP.

REYNOLDS COUNTY —A man drowned just before 4:30p.m. Tuesday on a river in Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 24-year-old Emigdio F. Cuevas, St. Louis, was swimming at Johnson's Shut on the Black River.&nbsp;&nbsp; He began to struggle and was unable to resurface. He was pronounced deceased&nbsp; by a physician from the Iron County Medical Center and transported to the Reynolds County Coroner's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cuevas was not wearing a life jacket, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man drowns swimming in river

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than $200 billion may have been stolen from two large COVID-19 relief initiatives, according to new estimates from a federal watchdog investigating federally funded programs that helped small businesses survive the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">worst public health crisis in more than a hundred years.</a>

<a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-23-09-covid-19-pandemic-eidl-ppp-loan-fraud-landscape">The numbers issued Tuesday</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Small Business Administration inspector general are much greater than the office's previous projections and underscore how vulnerable the Paycheck Protection and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs were to fraudsters, particularly during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

The inspector general's report said “at least 17 percent of all COVID-EIDL and PPP funds were disbursed to potentially fraudulent actors.” The fraud estimate for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is more than $136 billion, which represents 33 percent of the total money spent on that program, according to the report. The Paycheck Protection fraud estimate is $64 billion, the inspector general said.

In comments attached to the report, a senior SBA official disputed the new numbers. Bailey DeVries, SBA's acting associate administrator for capital access, said the inspector general's “approach contains serious flaws that significantly overestimate fraud and unintentionally mislead the public to believe that the work we did together had no significant impact in protecting against fraud.”

The SBA inspector general had previously estimated fraud in the COVID-19 disaster loan program at $86 billion and the Paycheck Protection program at $20 billion.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-fraud-waste-billions-small-business-labor-fb1d9a9eb24857efbe4611344311ae78">The Associated Press reported June 13 that scammers and swindlers potentially swiped about $280 billion in COVID-19 emergency aid</a>; an additional $123 billion was wasted or misspent. The bulk of the potential losses are from the two SBA programs and another to provide unemployment benefits to workers suddenly unemployed by the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. The three initiatives were begun during the Trump administration and inherited by President Joe Biden. Combined, the loss estimated by AP represents 10% of the $4.2 trillion the U.S. government has so far disbursed in COVID relief aid.

The federal government has now reported $276 billion in potential fraud, a figure that aligns with the AP’s analysis.

Gene Sperling, a senior White House official overseeing pandemic relief spending, said in a interview Tuesday that 86% of the fraud, or potential fraud, in the emergency loan programs happened during the first nine months of the pandemic when President Donald Trump was in office.

“$200 billion is a very big number, but this, again, should be remembered as potential fraud,” Sperling said. “We think the amount of likely or actual fraud is significantly less, significantly under $100 billion, perhaps around $40 billion."

But he added, "whichever it is, it’s unacceptably high.”

The SBA inspector general, Hannibal “Mike” Ware, said in a statement Tuesday that the report "utilizes investigative casework, prior (inspector general) reporting, and cutting-edge data analysis to identify multiple fraud schemes used to potentially steal over $200 billion from American taxpayers and exploit programs meant to help those in need.”

Ware, in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, said these latest fraud figures won’t be the last ones issued by his office.

“We will continue to assess fraud until we’re finished with the investigations on these things,” Ware said. That could be a long while. His office has a backlog of more than 90,000 actionable leads into pandemic relief fraud, which amounts to nearly a century's worth of work.

<a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-protecting-integrity-pandemic-relief-programs">SBA issued its own report Tuesday detailing anti-fraud measures it has adopted.</a>&nbsp;The agency’s administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, said in an emailed statement that the report outlines “the effective measures added to fight fraud and hold bad actors responsible.”

SBA previously told The Associated Press the federal government has not developed an accepted system for assessing fraud in federal programs. Previous analyses, the agency said, have pointed to “potential fraud” or “fraud indicators” in a manner that conveys those numbers as a true fraud estimate when they are not. For the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, the agency said it's “working estimate” found $28 billion in likely fraud.

Fraud in pandemic unemployment assistance programs stands at $76 billion, according to congressional testimony from the Labor Department's inspector general, Larry Turner. That’s a conservative estimate. An additional $115 billion mistakenly went to people who should not have received the benefits, according to his testimony.

The Biden administration put in place stricter rules to stem pandemic fraud, including use of a “Do Not Pay” database. Biden also recently proposed a $1.6 billion plan to boost law enforcement efforts to go after pandemic relief fraudsters.

Bob Westbrooks, a former executive director of the federal Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, said in an interview the $200 billion number is “unacceptable, unprecedented and unfathomable.” Westbrooks published a book last week, “Left Holding the Bag: A Watchdog’s Account of How Washington Fumbled its COVID Test.”

“The swift distribution of funds and program integrity are not mutually exclusive,” Westbrooks said Tuesday. “The government can walk and chew gum at the same time. They should have put basic fraud controls in place to verify people’s identity and to make sure targeted relief was getting into the right hands.”

The fraudulent payouts have consequences, said John Griffin, a finance professor at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business,.

Griffin and colleagues said i&nbsp;<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4487877">n a new paper</a>&nbsp;that pandemic relief fraud inflated house prices.

The study found that people who fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection loans were more likely to buy a house than people who got legitimate loans, and housing prices increased 5.7 percentage points on average in ZIP codes with high amounts of fraud during the pandemic, even after controlling for other factors that affect home prices such as land supply, prior house price growth and the ability to telework. For a $400,000 house, that would add $22,800.

The study also found increases in consumer spending in ZIP codes where people received high amounts of fraudulent funds, which may have fueled inflation more broadly, Griffin said Tuesday.

“If you paid too much for your house because fraudsters pumped up the house prices in your ZIP code and then your house price ends up going down, you could be the victim of an unintended consequence of fraud,” he said in an interview. “It’s another reason why we should care about fraud.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588075781384.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — More than $200 billion may have been stolen from two large COVID-19 relief initiatives, according to new estimates from a federal watchdog investigating federally funded programs that helped small businesses survive the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">worst public health crisis in more than a hundred years.</a><a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-23-09-covid-19-pandemic-eidl-ppp-loan-fraud-landscape">The numbers issued Tuesday</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Small Business Administration inspector general are much greater than the office's previous projections and underscore how vulnerable the Paycheck Protection and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs were to fraudsters, particularly during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.The inspector general's report said “at least 17 percent of all COVID-EIDL and PPP funds were disbursed to potentially fraudulent actors.” The fraud estimate for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is more than $136 billion, which represents 33 percent of the total money spent on that program, according to the report. The Paycheck Protection fraud estimate is $64 billion, the inspector general said.In comments attached to the report, a senior SBA official disputed the new numbers. Bailey DeVries, SBA's acting associate administrator for capital access, said the inspector general's “approach contains serious flaws that significantly overestimate fraud and unintentionally mislead the public to believe that the work we did together had no significant impact in protecting against fraud.”The SBA inspector general had previously estimated fraud in the COVID-19 disaster loan program at $86 billion and the Paycheck Protection program at $20 billion.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemic-fraud-waste-billions-small-business-labor-fb1d9a9eb24857efbe4611344311ae78">The Associated Press reported June 13 that scammers and swindlers potentially swiped about $280 billion in COVID-19 emergency aid</a>; an additional $123 billion was wasted or misspent. The bulk of the potential losses are from the two SBA programs and another to provide unemployment benefits to workers suddenly unemployed by the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. The three initiatives were begun during the Trump administration and inherited by President Joe Biden. Combined, the loss estimated by AP represents 10% of the $4.2 trillion the U.S. government has so far disbursed in COVID relief aid.The federal government has now reported $276 billion in potential fraud, a figure that aligns with the AP’s analysis.Gene Sperling, a senior White House official overseeing pandemic relief spending, said in a interview Tuesday that 86% of the fraud, or potential fraud, in the emergency loan programs happened during the first nine months of the pandemic when President Donald Trump was in office.“$200 billion is a very big number, but this, again, should be remembered as potential fraud,” Sperling said. “We think the amount of likely or actual fraud is significantly less, significantly under $100 billion, perhaps around $40 billion."But he added, "whichever it is, it’s unacceptably high.”The SBA inspector general, Hannibal “Mike” Ware, said in a statement Tuesday that the report "utilizes investigative casework, prior (inspector general) reporting, and cutting-edge data analysis to identify multiple fraud schemes used to potentially steal over $200 billion from American taxpayers and exploit programs meant to help those in need.”Ware, in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, said these latest fraud figures won’t be the last ones issued by his office.“We will continue to assess fraud until we’re finished with the investigations on these things,” Ware said. That could be a long while. His office has a backlog of more than 90,000 actionable leads into pandemic relief fraud, which amounts to nearly a century's worth of work.<a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-protecting-integrity-pandemic-relief-programs">SBA issued its own report Tuesday detailing anti-fraud measures it has adopted.</a>&nbsp;The agency’s administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, said in an emailed statement that the report outlines “the effective measures added to fight fraud and hold bad actors responsible.”SBA previously told The Associated Press the federal government has not developed an accepted system for assessing fraud in federal programs. Previous analyses, the agency said, have pointed to “potential fraud” or “fraud indicators” in a manner that conveys those numbers as a true fraud estimate when they are not. For the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, the agency said it's “working estimate” found $28 billion in likely fraud.Fraud in pandemic unemployment assistance programs stands at $76 billion, according to congressional testimony from the Labor Department's inspector general, Larry Turner. That’s a conservative estimate. An additional $115 billion mistakenly went to people who should not have received the benefits, according to his testimony.The Biden administration put in place stricter rules to stem pandemic fraud, including use of a “Do Not Pay” database. Biden also recently proposed a $1.6 billion plan to boost law enforcement efforts to go after pandemic relief fraudsters.Bob Westbrooks, a former executive director of the federal Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, said in an interview the $200 billion number is “unacceptable, unprecedented and unfathomable.” Westbrooks published a book last week, “Left Holding the Bag: A Watchdog’s Account of How Washington Fumbled its COVID Test.”“The swift distribution of funds and program integrity are not mutually exclusive,” Westbrooks said Tuesday. “The government can walk and chew gum at the same time. They should have put basic fraud controls in place to verify people’s identity and to make sure targeted relief was getting into the right hands.”The fraudulent payouts have consequences, said John Griffin, a finance professor at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business,.Griffin and colleagues said i&nbsp;<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4487877">n a new paper</a>&nbsp;that pandemic relief fraud inflated house prices.The study found that people who fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection loans were more likely to buy a house than people who got legitimate loans, and housing prices increased 5.7 percentage points on average in ZIP codes with high amounts of fraud during the pandemic, even after controlling for other factors that affect home prices such as land supply, prior house price growth and the ability to telework. For a $400,000 house, that would add $22,800.The study also found increases in consumer spending in ZIP codes where people received high amounts of fraudulent funds, which may have fueled inflation more broadly, Griffin said Tuesday.“If you paid too much for your house because fraudsters pumped up the house prices in your ZIP code and then your house price ends up going down, you could be the victim of an unintended consequence of fraud,” he said in an interview. “It’s another reason why we should care about fraud.”

Report: More than $200 billion in COVID-19 aid may have been stolen

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating after a toddler was left in a hot car in Johnson County.

Just after 3p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a child left alone in a car at a church in the 15300 block of W. 87th Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.

At the scene, the child had already been removed from the car when officers arrived. The boy was taken inside while waiting for EMS to arrive.

An ambulance then took the 22-month-old to the hospital. He was reported in critical condition.

A preliminary investigation determined boy was left alone inside the car for about two and a half hours. The car was not running and the windows were up, according to the release.

The parents are cooperating with the investigation, according to police.

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating after a toddler was left in a hot car in Johnson County.Just after 3p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a child left alone in a car at a church in the 15300 block of W. 87th Street in Lenexa, according to a media release.At the scene, the child had already been removed from the car when officers arrived. The boy was taken inside while waiting for EMS to arrive.An ambulance then took the 22-month-old to the hospital. He was reported in critical condition.A preliminary investigation determined boy was left alone inside the car for about two and a half hours. The car was not running and the windows were up, according to the release.The parents are cooperating with the investigation, according to police.

Toddler hospitalized after left in hot car at Kansas church

CHASE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a pursuit in Chase County.

Just after 8p.m. on Monday, sheriff's deputies attempted to pull a driver over after he was clocked going 80 mph in a 45 mph zone on Highway 50 near Strong City, according to a media release.

The driver, later identified as 64-year-old&nbsp; Richard Harrington of Kansas City, Mo., refused to pull over and drove faster to outrun deputies.&nbsp; Harrington doubled back on county roads to end up on eastbound Highway 50. Herrington finally stopped just east of the Kansas Turnpike exit where he was arrested.

Soon after the stop, deputies learned that Harrington may have been under the influence and was in possession of illegal drugs. He was&nbsp;booked into the Chase Co. Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; Felony Flee and Elude, DUI, transporting an open container, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic violation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687901260896.png" alt="Harrington-photo Chase Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Harrington-photo Chase Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>CHASE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a pursuit in Chase County.Just after 8p.m. on Monday, sheriff's deputies attempted to pull a driver over after he was clocked going 80 mph in a 45 mph zone on Highway 50 near Strong City, according to a media release.The driver, later identified as 64-year-old&nbsp; Richard Harrington of Kansas City, Mo., refused to pull over and drove faster to outrun deputies.&nbsp; Harrington doubled back on county roads to end up on eastbound Highway 50. Herrington finally stopped just east of the Kansas Turnpike exit where he was arrested.Soon after the stop, deputies learned that Harrington may have been under the influence and was in possession of illegal drugs. He was&nbsp;booked into the Chase Co. Jail on requested charges of&nbsp; Felony Flee and Elude, DUI, transporting an open container, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic violation.

Kan. man jailed after caught driving 80mph in a 45mph zone

By ASHLEY MURRAY <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 — Democratic U.S. senators want more details about who will be affected by new work requirements for government food assistance that were a Republican demand under a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.penncapital-star.com/dc-bureau/new-work-requirements-for-some-snap-recipients-included-in-debt-limit-deal/">deal</a>&nbsp;to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

Led by Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the lawmakers sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SNAP-demographics_FINAL.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;Monday to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting four specific pieces of information:

“We remain concerned about the changes to eligibility and increases to work requirements overall. By their own admission, the individuals who proposed these new work requirements and changes to eligibility did so as an exercise to reduce both the overall cost of SNAP and the number of individuals enrolled,” the members wrote.

“We are pleased at reports suggesting that this attempt to push more Americans into poverty failed, but as it stands, there are still information gaps on how the eligibility changes will impact food security for Americans by age, race, ethnicity, or gender,” they continued.

The letter is signed by Fetterman, chair of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

All Democratic members of the subcommittee joined the letter. They include Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.

The lawmakers requested that Vilsack respond by July 10.

The USDA did not respond to a request for comment.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act — the deal to raise the country’s borrowing limit, or debt ceiling — expands work requirements for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, raising the previous cutoff age of 49.

The additional requirements for this population include mandates to work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.

The deal brokered by the White House and GOP House leadership included concessions from both sides.

Biden, who for months called changes in SNAP work requirements a nonstarter, agreed to the expansion but with exemptions for SNAP recipients in that category who are veterans, homeless or are under 24 and aging out of the foster care system. Some exemptions had already applied to this special population of adults — for example, for those who are physically or mentally unable to work.

GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his negotiators originally proposed a version with none of the additional exceptions.

The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that the original plan would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.

The GOP had also wanted to expand work requirements for recipients of Medicaid, the government-sponsored health care program for low-income individuals and other special populations.

The welfare changes all together would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next 10 years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>.

In the deal that finally made it into law, the SNAP adjustments and changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program will cost the government $2.1 billion over the next decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-would-fiscal-responsibility-act-save">analysis</a>&nbsp;of the Congressional Budget Office score of the law.

The administration, as of late May when the deal was agreed upon, did not have an estimate of how many people would be affected by the expanded work requirements.

Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget and a negotiator for the deal, said on May 31 that the number of adults ages 49 to 55 who will be subject to the new rules may break even with the number who will now be exempt because of veteran status, homelessness or foster care considerations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <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 — Democratic U.S. senators want more details about who will be affected by new work requirements for government food assistance that were a Republican demand under a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.penncapital-star.com/dc-bureau/new-work-requirements-for-some-snap-recipients-included-in-debt-limit-deal/">deal</a>&nbsp;to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.Led by Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the lawmakers sent a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SNAP-demographics_FINAL.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;Monday to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting four specific pieces of information:<ul>
 <li>The net change in enrollment for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture implements the changes.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Whether and when USDA will release state-level assessments of the changes.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>The breakdown of net changes to national SNAP enrollment figures by certain demographic categories.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>The USDA’s plan to communicate the eligibility changes to affected populations.</li>
 </ul>“We remain concerned about the changes to eligibility and increases to work requirements overall. By their own admission, the individuals who proposed these new work requirements and changes to eligibility did so as an exercise to reduce both the overall cost of SNAP and the number of individuals enrolled,” the members wrote.“We are pleased at reports suggesting that this attempt to push more Americans into poverty failed, but as it stands, there are still information gaps on how the eligibility changes will impact food security for Americans by age, race, ethnicity, or gender,” they continued.The letter is signed by Fetterman, chair of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.All Democratic members of the subcommittee joined the letter. They include Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia.The lawmakers requested that Vilsack respond by July 10.The USDA did not respond to a request for comment.<h2>Changes in work requirements</h2>The Fiscal Responsibility Act — the deal to raise the country’s borrowing limit, or debt ceiling — expands work requirements for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, raising the previous cutoff age of 49.The additional requirements for this population include mandates to work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.The changes will sunset in 2030.The deal brokered by the White House and GOP House leadership included concessions from both sides.Biden, who for months called changes in SNAP work requirements a nonstarter, agreed to the expansion but with exemptions for SNAP recipients in that category who are veterans, homeless or are under 24 and aging out of the foster care system. Some exemptions had already applied to this special population of adults — for example, for those who are physically or mentally unable to work.GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his negotiators originally proposed a version with none of the additional exceptions.The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that the original plan would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.The GOP had also wanted to expand work requirements for recipients of Medicaid, the government-sponsored health care program for low-income individuals and other special populations.The welfare changes all together would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next 10 years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>.In the deal that finally made it into law, the SNAP adjustments and changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program will cost the government $2.1 billion over the next decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/how-much-would-fiscal-responsibility-act-save">analysis</a>&nbsp;of the Congressional Budget Office score of the law.The administration, as of late May when the deal was agreed upon, did not have an estimate of how many people would be affected by the expanded work requirements.Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget and a negotiator for the deal, said on May 31 that the number of adults ages 49 to 55 who will be subject to the new rules may break even with the number who will now be exempt because of veteran status, homelessness or foster care considerations.

Dems want more specifics on SNAP changes resulting from debt deal

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man charged in a rural Kansas murder and captured after a CrimeStopper tip is going to prison.

&nbsp;A jury this week found 32-year-old Saul Valenciana guilty of first-degree murder, burglary and theft in the November 2022 death of 41-year-old Brent Boone, according to the Sedgwick County district attorney's office

Valenciiana's co-defendant Tehya Kay Turner,&nbsp; 19, Haysville, remains jailed on the same charges and will face trial soon.

In November, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances.

Boone had last been seen on November 24 at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as Valenciana and Turner.

It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

On November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located a suspect vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.

Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located and it was later confirmed to be Boone.

Police took Turner into custody Dec. 2. On December 15, following a CrimeStoppers tip, police located a vehicle associated with Valenciana and learned he was inside a residence in the 1600 block of S. Parkwood in Wichita.

Police units established a perimeter, made contact with him via phone, and began negotiations for his surrender. Police with the help of a SWAT team eventually took him&nbsp;into custody without incident. His sentencing is scheduled for August 8, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671195110870.png" alt="Valenciana-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Valenciana-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man charged in a rural Kansas murder and captured after a CrimeStopper tip is going to prison.&nbsp;A jury this week found 32-year-old Saul Valenciana guilty of first-degree murder, burglary and theft in the November 2022 death of 41-year-old Brent Boone, according to the Sedgwick County district attorney's officeValenciiana's co-defendant Tehya Kay Turner,&nbsp; 19, Haysville, remains jailed on the same charges and will face trial soon.In November, police were contacted by a 69-year-old man who reported 41-year-old Brent Boone, of Wichita, missing under unusual circumstances.Boone had last been seen on November 24 at his residence in the 1300 block of N. Pershing in Wichita before leaving in a vehicle with two individuals – identified as Valenciana and Turner.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670173983028.png" alt="-Turner-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>-Turner-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>It is believed that an altercation occurred inside the car, during which Boone was killed, according to Officer Chad Ditch.On November 30, follow-up investigation led officers to a crime scene in the 9300 block of S. Pattie in Haysville, where they began processing evidence. Police located a suspect vehicle on December 1, near 21st and Ridge, abandoned, according to Ditch.Further investigation led officers to a rural area Southwest of Clearwater, one mile west of N Clearwater Road and 140th Ave N, where a body was located and it was later confirmed to be Boone.Police took Turner into custody Dec. 2. On December 15, following a CrimeStoppers tip, police located a vehicle associated with Valenciana and learned he was inside a residence in the 1600 block of S. Parkwood in Wichita.Police units established a perimeter, made contact with him via phone, and began negotiations for his surrender. Police with the help of a SWAT team eventually took him&nbsp;into custody without incident. His sentencing is scheduled for August 8, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. man caught after CrimeStoppers tip is guilty of murder

WASHINGTON —The Defense Department announced an additional security assistance package of up to $500 million aimed at providing key capabilities to support Ukraine's counteroffensive operations and defend against Russia's war of aggression, according to a media release from the Defense Department.

(click below to watch the White House announcement on the package)

The package includes additional armored vehicles, antiarmor systems and critical munitions for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems among other items.&nbsp;

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder underscored the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine in announcing the latest round of aid. &nbsp;

"As we have since the beginning of Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, the U.S. will continue to work with our allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," he said. &nbsp;

The Biden administration has committed more than $40.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion in February 2022.

The latest round of assistance marks the 41st drawdown of equipment from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. It comes amid a period of upheaval within Russia's borders following an armed revolt by Wagner Group mercenaries.

President Joe Biden said on Monday the U.S. remains focused on coordinating with allies and supporting Ukraine as his national security team monitors the fallout from the weekend's events.&nbsp;

Biden said he would stay in "constant contact" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and affirmed the United States' continued commitment to supporting Ukraine. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687903092268.png" alt=" U.S. Air Force airmen assigned to the 721st Aerial Port Squadron load pallets of ammunition on a 60K Tunner to be transferred to a C-130 Hercules on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 7, 2022. Air Mobility Command's global air mobility support system is critical to the Defense Departments ability to rapidly fulfill Ukraine’s priority security assistance requests.&nbsp;Photo By:&nbsp;Air Force Capt. Emma Quirk&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption> U.S. Air Force airmen assigned to the 721st Aerial Port Squadron load pallets of ammunition on a 60K Tunner to be transferred to a C-130 Hercules on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 7, 2022. Air Mobility Command's global air mobility support system is critical to the Defense Departments ability to rapidly fulfill Ukraine’s priority security assistance requests.&nbsp;Photo By:&nbsp;Air Force Capt. Emma Quirk&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The Defense Department announced an additional security assistance package of up to $500 million aimed at providing key capabilities to support Ukraine's counteroffensive operations and defend against Russia's war of aggression, according to a media release from the Defense Department.(click below to watch the White House announcement on the package)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F807523504300114%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=189" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The package includes additional armored vehicles, antiarmor systems and critical munitions for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems among other items.&nbsp;Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder underscored the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine in announcing the latest round of aid. &nbsp;"As we have since the beginning of Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, the U.S. will continue to work with our allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements," he said. &nbsp;The Biden administration has committed more than $40.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion in February 2022.The latest round of assistance marks the 41st drawdown of equipment from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. It comes amid a period of upheaval within Russia's borders following an armed revolt by Wagner Group mercenaries.President Joe Biden said on Monday the U.S. remains focused on coordinating with allies and supporting Ukraine as his national security team monitors the fallout from the weekend's events.&nbsp;Biden said he would stay in "constant contact" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and affirmed the United States' continued commitment to supporting Ukraine. &nbsp;Ryder reiterated today that the U.S. will remain focused on providing Ukraine with the assistance needed to defend itself from Russia's ongoing aggression. &nbsp;"As it relates to Ukraine, the war there continues; Russia's illegal occupation continues. And, so, we are not going to lose sight of that fact," Ryder said. "And we're going to continue to work closely with them [the Ukrainians] to provide them with the kinds of capabilities that they need to execute the operation that they planned and that they're conducting."