OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas felon on new charges after a high-speed chase.

On Thursday, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit attempted to initiate a traffic stop near just before the Waverly exit on Interstate 35&nbsp; for an alleged traffic violation. The driver later identified as 42-year-old Kansas felon Terrance of Shawnee failed to stop, and a pursuit began.

The pursuit traveled mainly through rural areas of Coffey and into Anderson County. The vehicle pursuit ended when the suspect traveled down a dead end road. The driver then eluded law enforcement on foot before being located.

Wade was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Flee or attempting to elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer; use of a deadly weapon, Interference with law enforcement, a&nbsp;Jackson County, Missouri warrant, Shawnee County, and Kansas probation violation felony warrant. He has previous drug convictions in Wyandotte County, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Coffey County Sheriff's Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Garnett Police Department, Garnett Rural Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Emergency Management, and Kansas Highway Patrol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681469136829.png" alt="Wade has previous drug convictions, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections-photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Wade has previous drug convictions, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections-photo from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a wanted Kansas felon on new charges after a high-speed chase.On Thursday, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit attempted to initiate a traffic stop near just before the Waverly exit on Interstate 35&nbsp; for an alleged traffic violation. The driver later identified as 42-year-old Kansas felon Terrance of Shawnee failed to stop, and a pursuit began.The pursuit traveled mainly through rural areas of Coffey and into Anderson County. The vehicle pursuit ended when the suspect traveled down a dead end road. The driver then eluded law enforcement on foot before being located.Wade was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Flee or attempting to elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer; use of a deadly weapon, Interference with law enforcement, a&nbsp;Jackson County, Missouri warrant, Shawnee County, and Kansas probation violation felony warrant. He has previous drug convictions in Wyandotte County, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681488138774.png" alt="Wade-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Wade-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Coffey County Sheriff's Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Garnett Police Department, Garnett Rural Fire Department, Anderson County EMS, Anderson County Emergency Management, and Kansas Highway Patrol.

Wanted Kansas felon captured after 3-county chase

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it was temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge.

In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court put a five-day pause on the fast-moving case so the justices can decide whether lower court rulings restricting the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug, mifepristone, should be allowed to take effect in the short term.

The justices are being asked at this point only to determine what parts of an April 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, as modified by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pill-appeal-fe13d36218f1fb43590aff29b5ba4e9c">an appellate ruling Wednesday</a>, can be in force while the case continues. The order expires late Wednesday, suggesting the court will decide that issue by then.

The court finds itself immersed in a new fight involving abortion less than a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">conservative justices reversed Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

President Joe Biden's administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the pill, asked the justices to intervene.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday evening that the administration continues “to stand by FDA’s evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and we will continue to support the FDA’s independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs.”

She added, “The stakes of this fight could not be higher in the face of ongoing attacks on women’s health, and we will continue to fight to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade.”

A lawyer for the anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations suing over mifepristone said the court's action Friday was “standard operating procedure” and urged the justices to allow the appeals court-ordered changes to take effect by the middle of next week.

The type of order issued by the court Friday, an administrative stay, ordinarily is not an indication of what the justices will do going forward. It was signed by Alito because he handles emergency filings from Texas. Alito also is the author of last year’s opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

The Justice Department and Danco both warned of “regulatory chaos” and harm to women if the high court doesn't block the lower-court rulings that had the effect of tightening FDA rules under which the drug, mifepristone, can be prescribed and dispensed.

The new limits would have taken effect Saturday if the court hadn't acted.

"This application concerns unprecedented lower court orders countermanding FDA’s scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone," Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, wrote Friday, less than two days after the appellate ruling.

The Biden administration and Danco now want a more lasting order that would keep the current rules in place as long as the legal fight over mifepristone continues. As a fallback, they asked the court to take up the issue, hear arguments and decide by early summer a legal challenge to mifepristone that anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations filed last year.

The court rarely acts so quickly to grant full review of cases before at least one appeals court has thoroughly examined the legal issues involved.

A ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Wednesday would prevent the pill, used in the most common abortion method, from being mailed or prescribed without an in-person visit to a doctor. It also would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone for use beyond the seventh week of pregnancy. The FDA says it’s safe through 10 weeks.

Still, the appeals court did not entirely withdraw FDA approval of mifepristone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-telehealth-mifepristone-9ba8f3ce130fae246e1d87ce428b74a0">while the fight over it continues</a>. The 5th circuit narrowed an April 7 ruling by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, whose far-reaching and virtually unprecedented order would have blocked FDA approval of the pill. He gave the administration a week to appeal.

“To the government’s knowledge, this is the first time any court has abrogated FDA’s conditions on a drug’s approval based on a disagreement with the agency’s judgment about safety — much less done so after those conditions have been in effect for years,” Prelogar wrote.

Erin Hawley, a lawyer for the challengers, said in a statement that the FDA has put politics ahead of health concerns in its actions on medication abortion.

“The 5th Circuit rightly required the agency to prioritize women’s health by restoring critical safeguards, and we’ll urge the Supreme Court to keep that accountability in place,” said Hawley, a senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that also argued to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.

Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington on Thursday clarified his own order from last week to make clear that the FDA is not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market.

It’s unclear how the FDA can comply with court orders in both cases, a situation that Prelogar described Friday as untenable.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, in a statement Friday night, said the April 7 ruling out of Texas poses “an existential threat to the FDA’s authority to review and approve a wide range of drugs. If it stands, no medicine approved by the FDA would be safe from these attacks.”

Use of medication abortion jumped significantly after the FDA's 2016 rule expansion, according to data gathered by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. In 2017, medication abortion accounted for 39% percent of abortions, but by 2020 it had increased to become the most common method, accounting for 53% of all abortions.

Experts have said the use of medication abortion has increased since the court overturned Roe.

When the drug was initially approved, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug, misoprostol, and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences of the drug.

If the appeals court’s action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.

At the core of the Texas lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.

Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years. While less drastic than completely overturning the drug’s approval, the latest ruling still represents a stark challenge to the FDA’s authority overseeing how prescription drugs are used in the U.S. The ruling late Wednesday overturned multiple decisions made by FDA regulators after years of scientific review.

Common side effects with mifepristone include cramping, bleeding, nausea, headache and diarrhea. In rare cases, women can experience excess bleeding that requires surgery to stop.

Still, in loosening restrictions on mifepristone, FDA regulators cited “exceedingly low rates of serious adverse events.”

More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used the drug as of June 2022, according to the FDA. In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it was temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge.In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court put a five-day pause on the fast-moving case so the justices can decide whether lower court rulings restricting the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug, mifepristone, should be allowed to take effect in the short term.The justices are being asked at this point only to determine what parts of an April 7 ruling by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas, as modified by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pill-appeal-fe13d36218f1fb43590aff29b5ba4e9c">an appellate ruling Wednesday</a>, can be in force while the case continues. The order expires late Wednesday, suggesting the court will decide that issue by then.The court finds itself immersed in a new fight involving abortion less than a year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">conservative justices reversed Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.President Joe Biden's administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the pill, asked the justices to intervene.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday evening that the administration continues “to stand by FDA’s evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and we will continue to support the FDA’s independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs.”She added, “The stakes of this fight could not be higher in the face of ongoing attacks on women’s health, and we will continue to fight to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade.”A lawyer for the anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations suing over mifepristone said the court's action Friday was “standard operating procedure” and urged the justices to allow the appeals court-ordered changes to take effect by the middle of next week.The type of order issued by the court Friday, an administrative stay, ordinarily is not an indication of what the justices will do going forward. It was signed by Alito because he handles emergency filings from Texas. Alito also is the author of last year’s opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.The Justice Department and Danco both warned of “regulatory chaos” and harm to women if the high court doesn't block the lower-court rulings that had the effect of tightening FDA rules under which the drug, mifepristone, can be prescribed and dispensed.The new limits would have taken effect Saturday if the court hadn't acted."This application concerns unprecedented lower court orders countermanding FDA’s scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone," Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, wrote Friday, less than two days after the appellate ruling.The Biden administration and Danco now want a more lasting order that would keep the current rules in place as long as the legal fight over mifepristone continues. As a fallback, they asked the court to take up the issue, hear arguments and decide by early summer a legal challenge to mifepristone that anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations filed last year.The court rarely acts so quickly to grant full review of cases before at least one appeals court has thoroughly examined the legal issues involved.A ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Wednesday would prevent the pill, used in the most common abortion method, from being mailed or prescribed without an in-person visit to a doctor. It also would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone for use beyond the seventh week of pregnancy. The FDA says it’s safe through 10 weeks.Still, the appeals court did not entirely withdraw FDA approval of mifepristone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-telehealth-mifepristone-9ba8f3ce130fae246e1d87ce428b74a0">while the fight over it continues</a>. The 5th circuit narrowed an April 7 ruling by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk</a>, whose far-reaching and virtually unprecedented order would have blocked FDA approval of the pill. He gave the administration a week to appeal.“To the government’s knowledge, this is the first time any court has abrogated FDA’s conditions on a drug’s approval based on a disagreement with the agency’s judgment about safety — much less done so after those conditions have been in effect for years,” Prelogar wrote.Erin Hawley, a lawyer for the challengers, said in a statement that the FDA has put politics ahead of health concerns in its actions on medication abortion.“The 5th Circuit rightly required the agency to prioritize women’s health by restoring critical safeguards, and we’ll urge the Supreme Court to keep that accountability in place,” said Hawley, a senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that also argued to overturn Roe v. Wade.Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington on Thursday clarified his own order from last week to make clear that the FDA is not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market.It’s unclear how the FDA can comply with court orders in both cases, a situation that Prelogar described Friday as untenable.Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, in a statement Friday night, said the April 7 ruling out of Texas poses “an existential threat to the FDA’s authority to review and approve a wide range of drugs. If it stands, no medicine approved by the FDA would be safe from these attacks.”Use of medication abortion jumped significantly after the FDA's 2016 rule expansion, according to data gathered by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. In 2017, medication abortion accounted for 39% percent of abortions, but by 2020 it had increased to become the most common method, accounting for 53% of all abortions.Experts have said the use of medication abortion has increased since the court overturned Roe.When the drug was initially approved, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug, misoprostol, and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences of the drug.If the appeals court’s action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.At the core of the Texas lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years. While less drastic than completely overturning the drug’s approval, the latest ruling still represents a stark challenge to the FDA’s authority overseeing how prescription drugs are used in the U.S. The ruling late Wednesday overturned multiple decisions made by FDA regulators after years of scientific review.Common side effects with mifepristone include cramping, bleeding, nausea, headache and diarrhea. In rare cases, women can experience excess bleeding that requires surgery to stop.Still, in loosening restrictions on mifepristone, FDA regulators cited “exceedingly low rates of serious adverse events.”More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used the drug as of June 2022, according to the FDA. In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.-------------

High court temporarily restores broad availability of abortion pill

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas on Wednesday became the second state to restrict social media use by children, as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved legislation requiring minors to get their parents’ permission to create a new account.

The bill signed by the Republican governor requires social media companies to contract with third-party vendors to perform age verification checks on new users. The law will apply to new accounts created starting in September.

“While social media can be a great tool and a wonderful resource, it can have a massive negative impact on our kids,” Sanders said before signing the legislation.

The proposal is similar to a first-in-the-nation law that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed last month. Utah’s law takes effect in March 2024. Several other states are considering similar measures, touted by supporters as a way to protect children. California last year enacted a law requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first by barring them from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.

Sanders last month announced the state had filed lawsuits against TikTok and Facebook parent Meta, claiming the social media companies misled consumers about the safety of children on their platforms and the protection of users’ private data.

The legislation has drawn criticism from opponents who said restrictions could raise new privacy concerns and exacerbate the mental health crisis among young people. Experts have also questioned how and if the restrictions could be enforced.

“The governor and the legislators who voted for this bill must not understand the harm it will cause to the privacy and free speech rights of the people they represent, because if they did, I don’t think they could pass it in good conscience,” Jason Kelley, acting director of activism for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement.

The restrictions would only apply to social media platforms that generate more than $100 million in annual revenue. It also wouldn’t apply to certain platforms, including LinkedIn, Google and YouTube.

Social media companies that knowingly violate the age verification requirement could face a $2,500 fine for each violation under the new law. The law also prohibits third party vendors from retaining identifying information of users after they’ve been granted access to the social media site.

Republican Sen. Tyler Dees, the Arkansas bill’s sponsor, said the new law “sends a clear message that we want to partner with parents and empower them to protect our children.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas on Wednesday became the second state to restrict social media use by children, as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved legislation requiring minors to get their parents’ permission to create a new account.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For years, social media companies have gotten away with exploiting kids for profit. Not anymore. I signed a new law today requiring social media companies to verify the age of all new Arkansas users — and if an account holder is under 18, they’ll need parental permission. <a href="https://t.co/k0WO8438wM">pic.twitter.com/k0WO8438wM</a>&mdash; Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahHuckabee/status/1646320020702601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The bill signed by the Republican governor requires social media companies to contract with third-party vendors to perform age verification checks on new users. The law will apply to new accounts created starting in September.“While social media can be a great tool and a wonderful resource, it can have a massive negative impact on our kids,” Sanders said before signing the legislation.The proposal is similar to a first-in-the-nation law that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed last month. Utah’s law takes effect in March 2024. Several other states are considering similar measures, touted by supporters as a way to protect children. California last year enacted a law requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first by barring them from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.Sanders last month announced the state had filed lawsuits against TikTok and Facebook parent Meta, claiming the social media companies misled consumers about the safety of children on their platforms and the protection of users’ private data.The legislation has drawn criticism from opponents who said restrictions could raise new privacy concerns and exacerbate the mental health crisis among young people. Experts have also questioned how and if the restrictions could be enforced.“The governor and the legislators who voted for this bill must not understand the harm it will cause to the privacy and free speech rights of the people they represent, because if they did, I don’t think they could pass it in good conscience,” Jason Kelley, acting director of activism for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement.The restrictions would only apply to social media platforms that generate more than $100 million in annual revenue. It also wouldn’t apply to certain platforms, including LinkedIn, Google and YouTube.Social media companies that knowingly violate the age verification requirement could face a $2,500 fine for each violation under the new law. The law also prohibits third party vendors from retaining identifying information of users after they’ve been granted access to the social media site.Republican Sen. Tyler Dees, the Arkansas bill’s sponsor, said the new law “sends a clear message that we want to partner with parents and empower them to protect our children.”

Another state will require parents OK for kids on social media

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Last year it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde</a>. Now it's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-school-shooting-covenant-school-5da45b469ccb6c9533bbddf20c1bfe16">Nashville</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisville-bank-shooting-9826ea39f24ff9dcf3cb5390c04be47b">Louisville</a>. For the second year in a row, the National Rifle Association is holding its annual convention within days of mass shootings that shook the nation.

The three-day gathering kicked off Friday with thousands of the organization’s most active members at Indianapolis’ convention center attracting a bevy of top Republican presidential candidates — enough that it could help shape the early part of next year’s GOP primary race.

It illustrates the stark reality that such shootings have become enough of the fabric of American life that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-nra-convention-212dfd1b57474f1ab208d4a72521a010">the NRA can no longer schedule around them</a>. Nor does it really want to: The convention falls on the second anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fedex-indianapolis-mass-shooting-e92ad3117c56357b3b2c71a2903e68a8">mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;that killed nine people.

In brief remarks, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre didn’t mention the recent mass shootings.

“Gun-hating politicians should never go to bed unafraid of what this association and all of our millions of members can do to their political careers,” LaPierre said.

But Randy Conner, a pistol and rifle instructor for the NRA from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, expressed the sentiment of many attendees when he said in an interview that blaming firearms for mass shootings is misguided: “A gun is not dangerous until somebody picks it up,” he said.

“No one wants to see the violence you see in schools and stuff today,” Conner said. “But I don’t think taking the guns away from ordinary citizens is going to change any of that at all.”

Former President Donald Trump will be speaking at the gathering, his first public appearance since being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,his%20first%20White%20House%20campaign.">arrested and arraigned in New York last week</a>&nbsp;on felony charges stemming from a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. His Secret Service protection means attendees can't have guns at the convention.

Also speaking Friday was Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-republican-2024-election-ffc7babf74068ab6071a19e897e780b9">considering his own 2024 White House bid</a>&nbsp;— the first time they have addressed the same campaign event on the same day since their estrangement following the Jan. 6, 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">insurrection at the U.S. Capitol</a>.

Pence, who was met by scattered boos before his NRA speech, has skipped a number of conservative gatherings in recent years, including the Conservative Political Action Conference as well as the Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition’s annual gathering after he was booed and heckled there in 2021.

The former vice president noted shootings at a Louisville, Kentucky, bank that killed five people this week and at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27 that killed three 9-year-olds and three staff members. But he said, “We don’t need gun control. We need crime control.”

“We don’t need lectures about the liberties of law-abiding citizens," Pence said. “We need solutions to protect our kids.”

Instead of fewer guns, Pence called for more institutions for the mentally ill and federal funding for armed school officers. He also called for a federal death penalty statute with expedited appeal to punish the perpetrators of mass shootings more quickly.

“To Joe Biden and the gun control extremists, I say: Give up on your pipe dreams of gun confiscation. Stop endangering our lives with gun bans," Pence said.

Two GOP Trump critics — former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asa-hutchinson-president-2024-election-3a55855b1914d6e61338d1c8576a817f">announced his 2024 campaign</a>&nbsp;after news of the former president's indictment broke, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who may launch his own White House bid — are also speaking.

Offering video messages are former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-running-for-president-f28052019e8ac3846cd125b3d9614d4f">began her 2024 campaign in February</a>; South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exploratory-committee-president-tim-scott-2024-b129664cb44862100e43e2930e75efb3">presidential exploratory committee</a>&nbsp;this week, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-florida-trump-president-2024-election-00b8335b1a2dd4d08fb216e4b609f6a3">top rival to Trump</a>&nbsp;even though he’s yet to jump into the race.

Pain over the Louisville and Nashville shooting rampages has crossed party lines. Kentucky Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-covid-kentucky-steve-beshear-e6dd4d00c92502d4814451d6e9995ed8">Andy Beshear</a>&nbsp;talked about having a friend killed in the Louisville shooting, while Republican Tennessee Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-health-covid-6e6d211ca65d625eef90d91ee8f4567d">Bill Lee</a>&nbsp;said he had friends killed during the Nashville school attack.

The NRA convention's tone was as defiant as last year, when the group held its convention in Houston just three days after the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school across Texas in the town of Uvalde.

Further overlapping with recent tragedy, Pence and some of the other speakers plan to follow up their NRA speeches by traveling to Nashville to meet with top GOP donors gathered there.

“Every significant national Republican, every Republican that’s thrown their hat in the ring to run for president, is showing up this weekend to pledge their undying loyalty to the NRA and the gun lobby,” said Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who championed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">bipartisan legislation</a>&nbsp;that passed last year and imposed some new federal gun restrictions after the Uvalde shooting. “Our kids are being hunted, and the NRA’s business model is to give aid to the hunters.”

Indeed, support for gun rights among Republican voters remains higher than for voters overall. Some 56% of voters in last fall’s midterm elections said they want to see stricter nationwide gun laws, compared with just 28% of Republicans, according to AP VoteCast, a wide-ranging survey of the electorate.

About half of Republicans said gun laws should be left as they are.

Also on display Friday was the resurgence of the NRA and the key role it is poised to play in next year's presidential race — in a stark departure from 2020. Back then, the organization was trying to regroup and saw its membership and political spending decline following serious legal and financial turmoil — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nra-bankruptcy-dismissed-a281b888b64d391374f24539a820d60f">a failed bankruptcy effort</a>, a class action lawsuit and a fraud investigation.

Trump, meanwhile, has a contradictory history on guns. The NRA was a key backer of his 2016 campaign, spending some $30 million to support a candidate who sometimes mentioned carrying his own gun and vowed to eliminate gun-free zones in schools and on military bases. Trump also pledged to establish a national right to carry.

But, as the country reeled from a series of mass shootings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-las-vegas-6c1af80fb290472c89fb930e223505af">Trump’s administration banned bump stocks</a>, which were used in a 2017 attack on a Las Vegas country music concert that killed 60 people. After the Parkland school shooting in Florida the following year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-donald-trump-violence-gun-politics-politics-75db363bc4fb4779b92d4582f5d5bb70">Trump urged congressional Republicans to expand background checks</a>&nbsp;and proposed seizing guns from mentally ill people.

He also suggested raising the minimum age to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21, and suggested he was open to a conversation about reviving assault weapons bans. After later meeting with the NRA, however, Trump abandoned his push, instead focusing on arming teachers and making schools more secure.

Donna Alberts, who traveled around 600 miles (965 kilometers) from Greenbriar, Arkansas, for the convention, said nothing could sway her vote for Trump in 2024.

“He’s a good man," Alberts said, “and he does what he says he’s going to do, and he loves this country.”

Gun rights advocates continue to celebrate&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Americans%20have%20a%20right%20to%20carry%20firearms%20in%20public%20for%20self-defense">a Supreme Court decision last June</a>&nbsp;that said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense</a>. That opened the door to a wave of challenges to firearm restrictions across the country by changing the test that lower courts had long used for evaluating challenges to firearm restrictions.

Amid upheaval in the wake of the ruling, courts have declared unconstitutional laws including federal measures designed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and defendants under felony indictment, as well as a ban on possessing guns with the serial number removed. Courts are also considering challenges to state bans on AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles.

Attempting to counter gun rights advocates has been an ascendant gun safety movement that has poured tens of millions of dollars into political campaigns. That includes Moms Demand Action, which was among a coalition of groups that derided Friday’s speeches as “a cattle call of far-right" presidential candidates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681497492227.png" alt="The NRA calls the convention “one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country, featuring our nation’s top Second Amendment leaders.-image courtesy NRA" />
 <figcaption>The NRA calls the convention “one of the most politically significant and popular events in the country, featuring our nation’s top Second Amendment leaders.-image courtesy NRA</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Last year it was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde</a>. Now it's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-school-shooting-covenant-school-5da45b469ccb6c9533bbddf20c1bfe16">Nashville</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisville-bank-shooting-9826ea39f24ff9dcf3cb5390c04be47b">Louisville</a>. For the second year in a row, the National Rifle Association is holding its annual convention within days of mass shootings that shook the nation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former Vice President and Indiana Governor closes out his speech STRONG at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NRAConvention?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NRAConvention</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ge7f1H8l3A">pic.twitter.com/Ge7f1H8l3A</a>&mdash; NRA (@NRA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1646949679492374564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The three-day gathering kicked off Friday with thousands of the organization’s most active members at Indianapolis’ convention center attracting a bevy of top Republican presidential candidates — enough that it could help shape the early part of next year’s GOP primary race.It illustrates the stark reality that such shootings have become enough of the fabric of American life that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-nra-convention-212dfd1b57474f1ab208d4a72521a010">the NRA can no longer schedule around them</a>. Nor does it really want to: The convention falls on the second anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fedex-indianapolis-mass-shooting-e92ad3117c56357b3b2c71a2903e68a8">mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;that killed nine people.In brief remarks, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre didn’t mention the recent mass shootings.“Gun-hating politicians should never go to bed unafraid of what this association and all of our millions of members can do to their political careers,” LaPierre said.But Randy Conner, a pistol and rifle instructor for the NRA from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, expressed the sentiment of many attendees when he said in an interview that blaming firearms for mass shootings is misguided: “A gun is not dangerous until somebody picks it up,” he said.“No one wants to see the violence you see in schools and stuff today,” Conner said. “But I don’t think taking the guns away from ordinary citizens is going to change any of that at all.”Former President Donald Trump will be speaking at the gathering, his first public appearance since being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A,his%20first%20White%20House%20campaign.">arrested and arraigned in New York last week</a>&nbsp;on felony charges stemming from a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. His Secret Service protection means attendees can't have guns at the convention.Also speaking Friday was Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-republican-2024-election-ffc7babf74068ab6071a19e897e780b9">considering his own 2024 White House bid</a>&nbsp;— the first time they have addressed the same campaign event on the same day since their estrangement following the Jan. 6, 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">insurrection at the U.S. Capitol</a>.Pence, who was met by scattered boos before his NRA speech, has skipped a number of conservative gatherings in recent years, including the Conservative Political Action Conference as well as the Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition’s annual gathering after he was booed and heckled there in 2021.The former vice president noted shootings at a Louisville, Kentucky, bank that killed five people this week and at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27 that killed three 9-year-olds and three staff members. But he said, “We don’t need gun control. We need crime control.”“We don’t need lectures about the liberties of law-abiding citizens," Pence said. “We need solutions to protect our kids.”Instead of fewer guns, Pence called for more institutions for the mentally ill and federal funding for armed school officers. He also called for a federal death penalty statute with expedited appeal to punish the perpetrators of mass shootings more quickly.“To Joe Biden and the gun control extremists, I say: Give up on your pipe dreams of gun confiscation. Stop endangering our lives with gun bans," Pence said.Two GOP Trump critics — former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asa-hutchinson-president-2024-election-3a55855b1914d6e61338d1c8576a817f">announced his 2024 campaign</a>&nbsp;after news of the former president's indictment broke, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who may launch his own White House bid — are also speaking.Offering video messages are former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-running-for-president-f28052019e8ac3846cd125b3d9614d4f">began her 2024 campaign in February</a>; South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/exploratory-committee-president-tim-scott-2024-b129664cb44862100e43e2930e75efb3">presidential exploratory committee</a>&nbsp;this week, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seen as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-florida-trump-president-2024-election-00b8335b1a2dd4d08fb216e4b609f6a3">top rival to Trump</a>&nbsp;even though he’s yet to jump into the race.Pain over the Louisville and Nashville shooting rampages has crossed party lines. Kentucky Democratic Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-covid-kentucky-steve-beshear-e6dd4d00c92502d4814451d6e9995ed8">Andy Beshear</a>&nbsp;talked about having a friend killed in the Louisville shooting, while Republican Tennessee Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-health-covid-6e6d211ca65d625eef90d91ee8f4567d">Bill Lee</a>&nbsp;said he had friends killed during the Nashville school attack.The NRA convention's tone was as defiant as last year, when the group held its convention in Houston just three days after the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school across Texas in the town of Uvalde.Further overlapping with recent tragedy, Pence and some of the other speakers plan to follow up their NRA speeches by traveling to Nashville to meet with top GOP donors gathered there.“Every significant national Republican, every Republican that’s thrown their hat in the ring to run for president, is showing up this weekend to pledge their undying loyalty to the NRA and the gun lobby,” said Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who championed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-gun-violence-bill-c21249287f976c2c164d8753205c2e6d">bipartisan legislation</a>&nbsp;that passed last year and imposed some new federal gun restrictions after the Uvalde shooting. “Our kids are being hunted, and the NRA’s business model is to give aid to the hunters.”Indeed, support for gun rights among Republican voters remains higher than for voters overall. Some 56% of voters in last fall’s midterm elections said they want to see stricter nationwide gun laws, compared with just 28% of Republicans, according to AP VoteCast, a wide-ranging survey of the electorate.About half of Republicans said gun laws should be left as they are.Also on display Friday was the resurgence of the NRA and the key role it is poised to play in next year's presidential race — in a stark departure from 2020. Back then, the organization was trying to regroup and saw its membership and political spending decline following serious legal and financial turmoil — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nra-bankruptcy-dismissed-a281b888b64d391374f24539a820d60f">a failed bankruptcy effort</a>, a class action lawsuit and a fraud investigation.Trump, meanwhile, has a contradictory history on guns. The NRA was a key backer of his 2016 campaign, spending some $30 million to support a candidate who sometimes mentioned carrying his own gun and vowed to eliminate gun-free zones in schools and on military bases. Trump also pledged to establish a national right to carry.But, as the country reeled from a series of mass shootings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-las-vegas-6c1af80fb290472c89fb930e223505af">Trump’s administration banned bump stocks</a>, which were used in a 2017 attack on a Las Vegas country music concert that killed 60 people. After the Parkland school shooting in Florida the following year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-donald-trump-violence-gun-politics-politics-75db363bc4fb4779b92d4582f5d5bb70">Trump urged congressional Republicans to expand background checks</a>&nbsp;and proposed seizing guns from mentally ill people.He also suggested raising the minimum age to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21, and suggested he was open to a conversation about reviving assault weapons bans. After later meeting with the NRA, however, Trump abandoned his push, instead focusing on arming teachers and making schools more secure.Donna Alberts, who traveled around 600 miles (965 kilometers) from Greenbriar, Arkansas, for the convention, said nothing could sway her vote for Trump in 2024.“He’s a good man," Alberts said, “and he does what he says he’s going to do, and he loves this country.”Gun rights advocates continue to celebrate&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Americans%20have%20a%20right%20to%20carry%20firearms%20in%20public%20for%20self-defense">a Supreme Court decision last June</a>&nbsp;that said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense</a>. That opened the door to a wave of challenges to firearm restrictions across the country by changing the test that lower courts had long used for evaluating challenges to firearm restrictions.Amid upheaval in the wake of the ruling, courts have declared unconstitutional laws including federal measures designed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and defendants under felony indictment, as well as a ban on possessing guns with the serial number removed. Courts are also considering challenges to state bans on AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles.Attempting to counter gun rights advocates has been an ascendant gun safety movement that has poured tens of millions of dollars into political campaigns. That includes Moms Demand Action, which was among a coalition of groups that derided Friday’s speeches as “a cattle call of far-right" presidential candidates.___

NRA convention draws top GOP 2024 hopefuls after shootings

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-access-to-care-business-ca0fad2cc4af777044c1e61b5ec5372e">illegally as children</a>&nbsp;will be able to apply for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-access-to-care-business-ca0fad2cc4af777044c1e61b5ec5372e">health insurance exchanges</a>.

The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs.

“They’re American in every way except for on paper,” Biden said in a video released on his Twitter page. “We need to give Dreamers the opportunities and support they deserve.”

The action is likely to generate significant pushback from conservative leaders of states that have been reluctant to expand Medicaid and critical of the Biden administration's response to migrants who enter the U.S. illegally. While the federal government provides funding and guidelines for Medicaid, the program is administered by the states.

Then-President Barack Obama launched the 2012 DACA initiative to shield from deportation immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents as children and to allow them to work legally in the country. However, the immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” were still ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance programs because they did not meet the definition for having “lawful presence” in the U.S. Biden's Department of Health and Human Services will aim to change that by the end of the month.

The White House action comes as the DACA program is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">legal peril</a>&nbsp;and the number of people eligible is shrinking.

An estimated 580,000 people were still enrolled in DACA at the end of last year, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. That number is down from previous years. Court orders currently prevent the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from processing new applications. The DACA program has been mired in legal challenges for years, while Congress has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-asylum-trump-biden-gang-of-eight-3d8007e72928665b66d8648be0e3e31f">unable to reach consensus</a>&nbsp;on broader immigration reforms.

DACA recipients can work legally and must pay taxes, but they don’t have full legal status and are denied many benefits, including access to federally funded health insurance, available to U.S. citizens and foreigners living in the U.S.

Paloma Bouhid, 26, a DACA recipient originally from Brazil and small business owner in Orlando, Florida, where she grew up, said the announcement was a “huge sigh of relief.” Bouhid said she began her business in 2021 after losing her job with the Walt Disney company in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but being self-employed meant she had to pay $500 a month for private insurance following a health scare last year.

“This past year I have really been scrambling to just get all of my doctors appointments in,” Bouhid said. “Any doctor’s visits due, everything that I possibly can, because prior to today’s announcement, I really couldn’t afford to keep it any more than the year I have had it.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people signed up for Medicaid, the program that provides health care coverage for the poorest Americans. And the government increased federal subsidies to drive down the cost of insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. As of last year, just 8% of Americans were without health insurance, according to Health and Human Services.

But immigrants living in the U.S. without documentation are far more likely than others to not have health insurance. More than a third of DACA recipients are estimated to be without health care coverage, HHS said. About half of the roughly 20 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without documentation are uninsured, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/health-coverage-and-care-of-immigrants/amp/">research from the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>.

Providing more people with insurance could have a positive impact on the entire health care system because it would give more people access to routine checkups and avoid emergency visits, said Jamila Michener, associate professor of government and policy at Cornell University.

“Having sizeable groups of people who live, work, go to school and make their home in the U.S. but cannot access vital health benefits is bad for everyone," Michener said in an email. “It makes preventive care less accessible thus driving up the cost of emergency care.”

Jose Muñoz, national communications manager for immigration advocacy organization United We Dream, said the announcement was a “major victory.” He said that until today, hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from DACA have been obligated to pay higher quantities for private insurance if their employers did not offer insurance or they were self-employed, or go uninsured.

“When you are thinking about going to the doctor for an annual checkup or like when you’re sick, those are a part of life and it is such a human need,” Muñoz said. “Unfortunately for far too many people, especially for undocumented people, getting affordable health insurance is often inaccessible.”

Jose Magaña-Salgado, founder of the Masa consulting group and a DACA recipient, said that growing up he witnessed his cousin, who was undocumented, be put in hospice and pass away after being diagnosed with cancer because she did not have insurance to help her pay for treatment. Magaña-Salgado has spent years advocating for health insurance for his fellow recipients and all immigrants.

“I went for several years without health insurance wondering if a medical bill was going to send me to bankruptcy or, even worse, lead to passing away early,” Magaña-Salgado said.

While there’s bipartisan support to enact some sort of protections for the immigrants, negotiations have often broken down over in debates about border security and whether an expansion of protections might induce others to try to enter the U.S. without permission. Biden, a Democrat, has repeatedly called on Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Other classes of immigrants — including asylum seekers and people with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrants-temporary-protected-status-775e2b0ae18d32478db1124efb88a4be">temporary protected status</a>&nbsp;— are already eligible to purchase insurance through the marketplaces of the ACA, Obama’s 2010 health care law, often called “Obamacare.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592490581956.png" alt="The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-access-to-care-business-ca0fad2cc4af777044c1e61b5ec5372e">illegally as children</a>&nbsp;will be able to apply for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-access-to-care-business-ca0fad2cc4af777044c1e61b5ec5372e">health insurance exchanges</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, my Administration is announcing our plan to expand health coverage for Dreamers, the thousands of young people brought to the U.S. as kids. We’re not done fighting for their pathway to citizenship, but we&#39;re getting them the opportunities they deserve in the meantime. <a href="https://t.co/4eqNMMNxtt">pic.twitter.com/4eqNMMNxtt</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1646514773042032640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs.“They’re American in every way except for on paper,” Biden said in a video released on his Twitter page. “We need to give Dreamers the opportunities and support they deserve.”The action is likely to generate significant pushback from conservative leaders of states that have been reluctant to expand Medicaid and critical of the Biden administration's response to migrants who enter the U.S. illegally. While the federal government provides funding and guidelines for Medicaid, the program is administered by the states.Then-President Barack Obama launched the 2012 DACA initiative to shield from deportation immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents as children and to allow them to work legally in the country. However, the immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” were still ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance programs because they did not meet the definition for having “lawful presence” in the U.S. Biden's Department of Health and Human Services will aim to change that by the end of the month.The White House action comes as the DACA program is in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">legal peril</a>&nbsp;and the number of people eligible is shrinking.An estimated 580,000 people were still enrolled in DACA at the end of last year, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. That number is down from previous years. Court orders currently prevent the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from processing new applications. The DACA program has been mired in legal challenges for years, while Congress has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-asylum-trump-biden-gang-of-eight-3d8007e72928665b66d8648be0e3e31f">unable to reach consensus</a>&nbsp;on broader immigration reforms.DACA recipients can work legally and must pay taxes, but they don’t have full legal status and are denied many benefits, including access to federally funded health insurance, available to U.S. citizens and foreigners living in the U.S.Paloma Bouhid, 26, a DACA recipient originally from Brazil and small business owner in Orlando, Florida, where she grew up, said the announcement was a “huge sigh of relief.” Bouhid said she began her business in 2021 after losing her job with the Walt Disney company in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but being self-employed meant she had to pay $500 a month for private insurance following a health scare last year.“This past year I have really been scrambling to just get all of my doctors appointments in,” Bouhid said. “Any doctor’s visits due, everything that I possibly can, because prior to today’s announcement, I really couldn’t afford to keep it any more than the year I have had it.”During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people signed up for Medicaid, the program that provides health care coverage for the poorest Americans. And the government increased federal subsidies to drive down the cost of insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. As of last year, just 8% of Americans were without health insurance, according to Health and Human Services.But immigrants living in the U.S. without documentation are far more likely than others to not have health insurance. More than a third of DACA recipients are estimated to be without health care coverage, HHS said. About half of the roughly 20 million immigrants who are living in the U.S. without documentation are uninsured, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/health-coverage-and-care-of-immigrants/amp/">research from the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>.Providing more people with insurance could have a positive impact on the entire health care system because it would give more people access to routine checkups and avoid emergency visits, said Jamila Michener, associate professor of government and policy at Cornell University.“Having sizeable groups of people who live, work, go to school and make their home in the U.S. but cannot access vital health benefits is bad for everyone," Michener said in an email. “It makes preventive care less accessible thus driving up the cost of emergency care.”Jose Muñoz, national communications manager for immigration advocacy organization United We Dream, said the announcement was a “major victory.” He said that until today, hundreds of thousands of people who benefit from DACA have been obligated to pay higher quantities for private insurance if their employers did not offer insurance or they were self-employed, or go uninsured.“When you are thinking about going to the doctor for an annual checkup or like when you’re sick, those are a part of life and it is such a human need,” Muñoz said. “Unfortunately for far too many people, especially for undocumented people, getting affordable health insurance is often inaccessible.”Jose Magaña-Salgado, founder of the Masa consulting group and a DACA recipient, said that growing up he witnessed his cousin, who was undocumented, be put in hospice and pass away after being diagnosed with cancer because she did not have insurance to help her pay for treatment. Magaña-Salgado has spent years advocating for health insurance for his fellow recipients and all immigrants.“I went for several years without health insurance wondering if a medical bill was going to send me to bankruptcy or, even worse, lead to passing away early,” Magaña-Salgado said.While there’s bipartisan support to enact some sort of protections for the immigrants, negotiations have often broken down over in debates about border security and whether an expansion of protections might induce others to try to enter the U.S. without permission. Biden, a Democrat, has repeatedly called on Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.Other classes of immigrants — including asylum seekers and people with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigrants-temporary-protected-status-775e2b0ae18d32478db1124efb88a4be">temporary protected status</a>&nbsp;— are already eligible to purchase insurance through the marketplaces of the ACA, Obama’s 2010 health care law, often called “Obamacare.”

🎥Biden to give DACA illegals healthcare not U.S. citizenship

LACLEDE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Laclede County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Aprilla Motorcycle driven by Mary P. Brackett, 41, Falcon, was westbound and a 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by Aaron R. Grimes, 21, Falcon was eastbound near 33898 Autumn Road fifteen miles southeast of Lebanon.

The vehicle collided head-on at the crest of a hill.

Brackett was air-lifted to Mercy in Springfield where she died.&nbsp; Grimes was properly restrained and not injured. Brackett was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

LACLEDE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Laclede County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Aprilla Motorcycle driven by Mary P. Brackett, 41, Falcon, was westbound and a 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by Aaron R. Grimes, 21, Falcon was eastbound near 33898 Autumn Road fifteen miles southeast of Lebanon.The vehicle collided head-on at the crest of a hill.Brackett was air-lifted to Mercy in Springfield where she died.&nbsp; Grimes was properly restrained and not injured. Brackett was wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman dies after pickup, motorcycle crash

WICHITA, KAN. – Twice in the last five days, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett has signed inquisitions from his Investigations Division requesting bank records. 

The records will assist investigators looking into two scams that have resulted in Wichita residents losing tens of thousands of dollars, according to a statement from Bennett's office.

In the first scam, a Wichita man in his late 70’s received a pop up warning on his computer that his bank account had been hacked. The scammer instructed the man to wire over 35-thousand dollars to another bank account to “keep his money from being stolen and to catch the hacker.” 

The money was wired and the scammer requested an additional 20-thousand dollars. But his Wichita bank blocked the wire transfer and it was then that the victim knew he had been scammed.

In the second scam, a Wichita woman in her mid-70’s received a pop up warning that her computer had been hacked. When she called the number on the screen, a woman who said she was with Microsoft answered and asked for authorization to log into her computer. The woman told the victim someone had withdrawn 20-thousand dollars to purchase pornography. The victim was told she could be charged with having pornography and money laundering.

The scammer convinced the woman to make several withdrawals from her Wichita bank, resulting in just under 140-thousand dollars.

According to the district attorney's office, there are some things to consider:

- Never call the number in the text, email, or pop up. Always look up the company if you are concerned. Call the number directly from the company website.

- If someone you have never met asks for cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it is a scam.

- Legitimate companies do not use pop up messages on computers to contact their customers. If you receive such a message, or telephone call, or cell phone text, it is a scam. Hang up the phone or just disregard the pop up message. 

WICHITA, KAN. – Twice in the last five days, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett has signed inquisitions from his Investigations Division requesting bank records. The records will assist investigators looking into two scams that have resulted in Wichita residents losing tens of thousands of dollars, according to a statement from Bennett's office.In the first scam, a Wichita man in his late 70’s received a pop up warning on his computer that his bank account had been hacked. The scammer instructed the man to wire over 35-thousand dollars to another bank account to “keep his money from being stolen and to catch the hacker.” The money was wired and the scammer requested an additional 20-thousand dollars. But his Wichita bank blocked the wire transfer and it was then that the victim knew he had been scammed.In the second scam, a Wichita woman in her mid-70’s received a pop up warning that her computer had been hacked. When she called the number on the screen, a woman who said she was with Microsoft answered and asked for authorization to log into her computer. The woman told the victim someone had withdrawn 20-thousand dollars to purchase pornography. The victim was told she could be charged with having pornography and money laundering.The scammer convinced the woman to make several withdrawals from her Wichita bank, resulting in just under 140-thousand dollars.In both scams, the money is gone.According to the district attorney's office, there are some things to consider:- Never call the number in the text, email, or pop up. Always look up the company if you are concerned. Call the number directly from the company website.- If someone you have never met asks for cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it is a scam.- Legitimate companies do not use pop up messages on computers to contact their customers. If you receive such a message, or telephone call, or cell phone text, it is a scam. Hang up the phone or just disregard the pop up message.

DA: 2 Kansans lost $175,000 in computer scams

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

ELLIS — Gov. Laura Kelly was at Ellis High School on Thursday to discuss the needs of rural public schools, including the need for more special education funding.

The Kansas Legislature has tied special education funding to a school voucher program that would divert money from public schools to private education.

Kansas law requires the state to pay 92 percent of what the federal government does not pay for special education.

The state is currently funding special education statewide at 72 percent of the cost beyond federal funding. This leaves local districts to pay for the shortfall from their general fund budgets.

Kyle Carlin is the director of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative, which covers Ellis, Hays, Victoria and La Crosse.

"The current gap is $1 million, but that is with us making some tough decisions about not spending money as much as we should," Carlin said of the local co=op's budget. ... "We could be better if we were funded better."

Carlin said it is more difficult for smaller school districts to make up these budget deficits.

Ellis is underfunded by $85,000, which would be the equivalent of a teacher and an aide, Carlin said. Ellis is facing budget cuts, which could include laying off teachers next year, because of declining enrollment.

Kelly put money in her beginning-of-the-year budget to phase in full funding for the state's portion of special education within five years.

She said the federal government also is not fully funding its portion of special education. The federal government is supposed to be funding 20 percent of special education costs and it is averaging about 12 percent, Carlin said.

John Befort, Ellis' Washington Elementary School principal, said more children, including his own son, are qualifying for special education. Those services often last through K-12 education.

Befort also expressed frustration after attending a recent legislative coffee about the lack of response on education from local legislators, none of whom joined the roundtable Thursday.

Adequate infrastructure and housing in rural communities also are needed to maintain enrollments, members of the roundtable said.

Travis Kohlrus, parent, said a housing addition was built about 20 years ago in Ellis. Initially, that resulted in increases in enrollment. The children of those families have aged out of the school system and enrollment is declining again.

Randy Honas, school board president, said the cost of infrastructure is huge for small communities.

"You don't get the tax revenue returned quickly enough for any developer or any community to expend enough money to get the infrastructure there," Honas said.

Kelly said the state is investing in moderate-income housing to provide homes for workers in new industries in Kansas.

Honas also expressed frustration that Ellis did not receive any state aid to supplement its recent bond issue. The state calculates valuations by county, so Hays' property is used to determine aid for Ellis. The Ellis school district has a much lower property valuation than Hays.

Kelly also discussed strategies to recruit and train new teachers in Kansas to meet teacher shortages. One of the programs allows paraeducators to train to be teachers while continuing to work in schools. The program does not require an unpaid practicum.&nbsp;

The state is recognizing teaching licenses from surrounding states as well as making it easier for military spouses to teach here.

State officials also are trying to devise ways to allow teachers who have reached their KPERS retirement maximum to continue to teach without hurting the stability of the retirement system.

Disclosure: Travis Kohlrus serves on the Eagle Communications board of directors. Hays Post is owned and operated by Eagle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681416849644.jpeg" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly, center, discusses rural school issues with local stakeholders Thursday at Ellis High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly, center, discusses rural school issues with local stakeholders Thursday at Ellis High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostELLIS — Gov. Laura Kelly was at Ellis High School on Thursday to discuss the needs of rural public schools, including the need for more special education funding.The Kansas Legislature has tied special education funding to a school voucher program that would divert money from public schools to private education.Kansas law requires the state to pay 92 percent of what the federal government does not pay for special education.The state is currently funding special education statewide at 72 percent of the cost beyond federal funding. This leaves local districts to pay for the shortfall from their general fund budgets.Kyle Carlin is the director of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative, which covers Ellis, Hays, Victoria and La Crosse."The current gap is $1 million, but that is with us making some tough decisions about not spending money as much as we should," Carlin said of the local co=op's budget. ... "We could be better if we were funded better."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681417066728.jpeg" alt="Liam Crawford, Ellis High School senior, hands flowers to Gov. Laura Kelly as he greets her Thursday at EHS. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Liam Crawford, Ellis High School senior, hands flowers to Gov. Laura Kelly as he greets her Thursday at EHS. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Carlin said it is more difficult for smaller school districts to make up these budget deficits.Ellis is underfunded by $85,000, which would be the equivalent of a teacher and an aide, Carlin said. Ellis is facing budget cuts, which could include laying off teachers next year, because of declining enrollment.Kelly put money in her beginning-of-the-year budget to phase in full funding for the state's portion of special education within five years.She said the federal government also is not fully funding its portion of special education. The federal government is supposed to be funding 20 percent of special education costs and it is averaging about 12 percent, Carlin said.John Befort, Ellis' Washington Elementary School principal, said more children, including his own son, are qualifying for special education. Those services often last through K-12 education.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681418022016.jpeg" alt="Janice Wilson, left, Ellis superintendent; Gov. Laura Kelly, center; and Liam Crawford, right, Ellis High School senior, tour EHS on Thursday prior to an education roundtable with Gov. Kelly. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Janice Wilson, left, Ellis superintendent; Gov. Laura Kelly, center; and Liam Crawford, right, Ellis High School senior, tour EHS on Thursday prior to an education roundtable with Gov. Kelly. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Befort also expressed frustration after attending a recent legislative coffee about the lack of response on education from local legislators, none of whom joined the roundtable Thursday.Adequate infrastructure and housing in rural communities also are needed to maintain enrollments, members of the roundtable said.Travis Kohlrus, parent, said a housing addition was built about 20 years ago in Ellis. Initially, that resulted in increases in enrollment. The children of those families have aged out of the school system and enrollment is declining again.Randy Honas, school board president, said the cost of infrastructure is huge for small communities."You don't get the tax revenue returned quickly enough for any developer or any community to expend enough money to get the infrastructure there," Honas said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681418377596.jpeg" alt="Gov. Kelly on a tour of Ellis High School with EHS senior Liam&nbsp;Crawford. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Kelly on a tour of Ellis High School with EHS senior Liam&nbsp;Crawford. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly said the state is investing in moderate-income housing to provide homes for workers in new industries in Kansas.Honas also expressed frustration that Ellis did not receive any state aid to supplement its recent bond issue. The state calculates valuations by county, so Hays' property is used to determine aid for Ellis. The Ellis school district has a much lower property valuation than Hays.Kelly also discussed strategies to recruit and train new teachers in Kansas to meet teacher shortages. One of the programs allows paraeducators to train to be teachers while continuing to work in schools. The program does not require an unpaid practicum.&nbsp;The state is recognizing teaching licenses from surrounding states as well as making it easier for military spouses to teach here.State officials also are trying to devise ways to allow teachers who have reached their KPERS retirement maximum to continue to teach without hurting the stability of the retirement system.Disclosure: Travis Kohlrus serves on the Eagle Communications board of directors. Hays Post is owned and operated by Eagle.

Gov. Kelly makes case for funding special ed during school visit

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas residents who live near wind farms could eventually get a break from the nearly constant blinking of the red lights on wind turbines under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Laura Kelly.

Starting July 1, developers of new projects will be required to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for light mitigation technology. The technology turns off the lights except when aircraft are near — a rare occurrence in rural Kansas.

The developers would have two years to install the technology.

Beginning July 1, 2026, existing developments would have to apply to the FAA within six months of signing a new power offtake agreement, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/business/energy-resource/2023/04/13/new-wind-farm-law-in-kansas-requires-light-mitigation-technology-laura-kelly-bill-signing/70100104007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>. Because that could take several years, the law allows counties to use bonds to help pay for the expensive technology earlier.

System installation costs about $2 million, with $100,000 in annual costs for a typical wind farm.

Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican from Wheaton, who has wind farms near her home, has said she and thousands of Kansans see red blinking lights every three seconds, 24 hours a day.

Kansas has about about 4,000 turbines now, with plans to add another 6,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646924351746.png" alt="&nbsp;Photo by Jill Hummels for the Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Photo by Jill Hummels for the Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas residents who live near wind farms could eventually get a break from the nearly constant blinking of the red lights on wind turbines under a bill signed Thursday by Gov. Laura Kelly.Starting July 1, developers of new projects will be required to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for light mitigation technology. The technology turns off the lights except when aircraft are near — a rare occurrence in rural Kansas.The developers would have two years to install the technology.Beginning July 1, 2026, existing developments would have to apply to the FAA within six months of signing a new power offtake agreement, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/business/energy-resource/2023/04/13/new-wind-farm-law-in-kansas-requires-light-mitigation-technology-laura-kelly-bill-signing/70100104007/">Topeka Capital-Journal reported</a>. Because that could take several years, the law allows counties to use bonds to help pay for the expensive technology earlier.System installation costs about $2 million, with $100,000 in annual costs for a typical wind farm.Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican from Wheaton, who has wind farms near her home, has said she and thousands of Kansans see red blinking lights every three seconds, 24 hours a day.Kansas has about about 4,000 turbines now, with plans to add another 6,000.

New Kansas law will reduce blinking lights on wind turbines

SEDGWICK COUNTY – A Kansas woman was sentenced in connection with the death of her boyfriend's 20-month old son.

A Sedgwick County judge sentenced 26-year-old Xjohnna Hannah of Wichita, to 12 months of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

 The sentence carries an underlying sentence of seven months in prison with 12 months post release.

On February 9, Hannah pled guilty to aggravated endangering a child in connection with the death of Lasiah Williams. The toddler was the son of Hannah's boyfriend, 26-year-old Kentrell Willingham, who lived in the 2500 block of N. Chautauqua in Wichita.

A judge sentenced&nbsp; Willingham to just over 5-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. He&nbsp;was originally charged with with first-degree murder, an alternative count of first-degree murder, child abuse and aggravated child endangerment.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Hannah, not the boy's mother was also originally charged with one count of 1st degree murder, abuse of a child and aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.

On July 30, 2022 police responded to a child abuse report at a Wichita area hospital, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;

When officers arrived at the hospital, they were told a family member and guardian of 1-year-old Lasiah Williams brought him to the hospital unresponsive. Doctors pronounced the boy deceased.

Investigators learned Lasisah had been with his father, Kentrell Willingham, and his girlfriend Hannah,&nbsp;for a few days. A family member of the child met Willingham in the 1600 hundred block of South Oliver to exchange custody.

The family member left with Lasiah and a short time later would realize the child was unresponsive. The family member and Lasiah’s legal guardian immediately drove to the hospital where the boy was pronounced deceased.

On March 20th, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Willingham to 66 months in prison

Autopsy failed to explain the cause of the child's death. The exam found several bruises over the child's body, but no "notable internal injuries" that would have explained the death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659123012533.png" alt="-Hannah-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>-Hannah-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY – A Kansas woman was sentenced in connection with the death of her boyfriend's 20-month old son.A Sedgwick County judge sentenced 26-year-old Xjohnna Hannah of Wichita, to 12 months of probation, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The sentence carries an underlying sentence of seven months in prison with 12 months post release.On February 9, Hannah pled guilty to aggravated endangering a child in connection with the death of Lasiah Williams. The toddler was the son of Hannah's boyfriend, 26-year-old Kentrell Willingham, who lived in the 2500 block of N. Chautauqua in Wichita.A judge sentenced&nbsp; Willingham to just over 5-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office. He&nbsp;was originally charged with with first-degree murder, an alternative count of first-degree murder, child abuse and aggravated child endangerment.&nbsp; &nbsp;Hannah, not the boy's mother was also originally charged with one count of 1st degree murder, abuse of a child and aggravated endangering a child, according to the District Attorney's office.On July 30, 2022 police responded to a child abuse report at a Wichita area hospital, according to Officer Chad Ditch.&nbsp;When officers arrived at the hospital, they were told a family member and guardian of 1-year-old Lasiah Williams brought him to the hospital unresponsive. Doctors pronounced the boy deceased.Investigators learned Lasisah had been with his father, Kentrell Willingham, and his girlfriend Hannah,&nbsp;for a few days. A family member of the child met Willingham in the 1600 hundred block of South Oliver to exchange custody.The family member left with Lasiah and a short time later would realize the child was unresponsive. The family member and Lasiah’s legal guardian immediately drove to the hospital where the boy was pronounced deceased.On March 20th, Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Willingham to 66 months in prisonAutopsy failed to explain the cause of the child's death. The exam found several bruises over the child's body, but no "notable internal injuries" that would have explained the death.

Kan. woman gets probation in death of boyfriend's toddler son

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday allowed a roughly $6 billion legal settlement to go forward that will cancel student loans for hundreds of thousands of borrowers who say they were misled by their schools.

The justices did not comment in rejecting an emergency plea from Everglades College, Lincoln Educational Services Corp. and American National University. The schools had argued that they were unfairly included on a list of more than 150 institutions, most of them for-profit, linked with alleged misconduct. Lincoln and American are for-profit institutions; Everglades is a not-for-profit.

The justices’ action comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">high court is weighing what to do with the Biden administration’s plan to wipe away $400 billion in student debt</a>&nbsp;held by more than 40 million people. A decision on that plan is expected by late June.

The legal challenges have some similarities but the administration is relying on different laws in the two programs.

The class-action settlement was approved late last year by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-education-0cabfb66daddbea9e804cb2860531775">complaints that the 150-plus schools had made false recruiting claims and left many students unable to find jobs</a>.

The Justice Department has already begun implementing the agreement and said in court that roughly 3,800 borrowers who are part of the settlement attended the three schools.

Lower courts had previously denied the schools’ efforts to halt the settlement while they appeal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday allowed a roughly $6 billion legal settlement to go forward that will cancel student loans for hundreds of thousands of borrowers who say they were misled by their schools.The justices did not comment in rejecting an emergency plea from Everglades College, Lincoln Educational Services Corp. and American National University. The schools had argued that they were unfairly included on a list of more than 150 institutions, most of them for-profit, linked with alleged misconduct. Lincoln and American are for-profit institutions; Everglades is a not-for-profit.The justices’ action comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">high court is weighing what to do with the Biden administration’s plan to wipe away $400 billion in student debt</a>&nbsp;held by more than 40 million people. A decision on that plan is expected by late June.The legal challenges have some similarities but the administration is relying on different laws in the two programs.The class-action settlement was approved late last year by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco in response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-education-0cabfb66daddbea9e804cb2860531775">complaints that the 150-plus schools had made false recruiting claims and left many students unable to find jobs</a>.The Justice Department has already begun implementing the agreement and said in court that roughly 3,800 borrowers who are part of the settlement attended the three schools.Lower courts had previously denied the schools’ efforts to halt the settlement while they appeal.

Supreme Court issues ruling in first of student debt relief cases

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a Kansas home are asking the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;Jeffrey D. Arnold, 52, of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Arnold also commonly goes by the nickname, “Cheese.”

Just after 10 a.m. March 26, police responded to a shooting at a home in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks

Police found 38-year-old Deaundreya D. Caraway suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680199641904.png" alt="Jeffrey Arnold -photo Topeka PD" />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey Arnold -photo Topeka PD</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a Kansas home are asking the public for help to locate a suspect identified as&nbsp;Jeffrey D. Arnold, 52, of Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Arnold also commonly goes by the nickname, “Cheese.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680199619912.png" alt="Arnold-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Arnold-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 10 a.m. March 26, police responded to a shooting at a home in the&nbsp; 1500 Block of SE Quincy in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679948290709.png" alt="-Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>-Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Police found 38-year-old Deaundreya D. Caraway suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

After 2 weeks, suspect in murder of Kansas woman still at large

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Thursday that it will again go to the Supreme Court over abortion after a lower court ruling allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;to remain available in the U.S. but reimposed past restrictions on getting and using the drug.

At stake in the accelerating court battle that began in Texas is widespread access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ss%20than%20a%20year%20after%20the%20reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20resulted%20in%20more%20than%20a%20dozen%20states%20effectively%20banning%20abortion%20outright.">after the reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;prompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">ruling</a>&nbsp;preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another significant constraint of abortion access that could be felt even in states where abortion remains legal, some of which have already begun stockpiling mifepristone over worries that the drug will become unavailable.

The Justice Department said it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order to stop the lower court ruling from taking effect.

“We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, speaking from Dublin during a visit by President Joe Biden.

Abortion rights groups expressed both relief over FDA approval remaining in place and outrage over the appeals court reinstating restrictions. Whole Woman's Health, an abortion provider that operates six clinics in five states, said in a tweet it was continuing to offer mifepristone in clinics and through virtual services while reviewing the decision.

In the 2-1 decision, the judges put on hold changes made by the regulator since 2016 that relaxed the rules for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. Those included extending the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used from seven weeks to 10 and allowing it to be dispensed by mail, without any need to visit a doctor’s office.

The panel's decision came just days after the Justice Department appealed last week's far-reaching ruling out of Texas that blocked the FDA’s approval of the pill. The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that also argued to overturn Roe v. Wade, and is representing a group of anti-abortion doctors.

There is virtually no precedent for a lone judge overturning the regulator's medical decisions.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs indicated Thursday that they were content with the court's order and did not plan to seek an appeal that might restore the Texas court's full ruling.

“The 5th Circuit’s decision is a significant victory for the doctors we represent, women’s health, and every American who deserves an accountable federal government acting within the bounds of the law,” said Erin Hawley, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom.

The two judges who voted to tighten restrictions, Kurt Engelhardt and Andrew Oldham, are both appointees of former President Donald Trump. The third judge, Catharina Haynes, is an appointee of former President George W. Bush. She said she would have put the lower court ruling on hold entirely for now to allow oral arguments in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="-About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>-About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Thursday that it will again go to the Supreme Court over abortion after a lower court ruling allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;to remain available in the U.S. but reimposed past restrictions on getting and using the drug.At stake in the accelerating court battle that began in Texas is widespread access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ss%20than%20a%20year%20after%20the%20reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20resulted%20in%20more%20than%20a%20dozen%20states%20effectively%20banning%20abortion%20outright.">after the reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;prompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">ruling</a>&nbsp;preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another significant constraint of abortion access that could be felt even in states where abortion remains legal, some of which have already begun stockpiling mifepristone over worries that the drug will become unavailable.The Justice Department said it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order to stop the lower court ruling from taking effect.“We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, speaking from Dublin during a visit by President Joe Biden.Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.Abortion rights groups expressed both relief over FDA approval remaining in place and outrage over the appeals court reinstating restrictions. Whole Woman's Health, an abortion provider that operates six clinics in five states, said in a tweet it was continuing to offer mifepristone in clinics and through virtual services while reviewing the decision.In the 2-1 decision, the judges put on hold changes made by the regulator since 2016 that relaxed the rules for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. Those included extending the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used from seven weeks to 10 and allowing it to be dispensed by mail, without any need to visit a doctor’s office.The panel's decision came just days after the Justice Department appealed last week's far-reaching ruling out of Texas that blocked the FDA’s approval of the pill. The lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that also argued to overturn Roe v. Wade, and is representing a group of anti-abortion doctors.There is virtually no precedent for a lone judge overturning the regulator's medical decisions.Attorneys for the plaintiffs indicated Thursday that they were content with the court's order and did not plan to seek an appeal that might restore the Texas court's full ruling.“The 5th Circuit’s decision is a significant victory for the doctors we represent, women’s health, and every American who deserves an accountable federal government acting within the bounds of the law,” said Erin Hawley, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom.The two judges who voted to tighten restrictions, Kurt Engelhardt and Andrew Oldham, are both appointees of former President Donald Trump. The third judge, Catharina Haynes, is an appointee of former President George W. Bush. She said she would have put the lower court ruling on hold entirely for now to allow oral arguments in the case.Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington state last week ordered the FDA not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market. The judge in that case clarified Thursday that his order requires the FDA to keep access the same as it was in January in those states, leaving the agency facing conflicting court orders.“This is just as much of a binding court order as whatever comes out of Texas,” said David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.The New Orleans appeals court judges in the majority in Wednesday's decision noted that the Biden administration and mifepristone’s manufacturer “warn us of significant public consequences” that would result if mifepristone were withdrawn entirely from the market under the lower court ruling.But the judges suggested FDA changes making mifepristone easier to obtain since 2016 were less consequential than its initial approval of the drug in 2000. It would be “difficult” to argue the changes were “so critical to the public given that the nation operated — and mifepristone was administered to millions of women — without them for 16 years” the judges wrote.When the drug was initially approved, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug, misoprostol, and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences of the drug.If the appeals court's action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.Democratic leaders in states where abortion remains legal since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-states-lawsuits-ac6dc09c0dd66a146d3ddfde061fc1a6">say they are preparing</a>&nbsp;in case mifepristone becomes restricted. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that her state would stockpile 150,000 doses of misoprostol.The White House also has contingency plans in place, but Jean-Pierre held off detailing them while legal action continued. Instead, she described a proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abortion-pills-ruling-mifepristone-texas-c1f4530d67858f6c95cef99282b8b209">new federal rule</a>&nbsp;to limit how law enforcement and state officials collect medical records if they investigate women who flee their home states to seek abortions elsewhere.At the core of the Texas lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years. While less drastic than completely overturning the drug's approval, the latest ruling still represents a stark challenge to the FDA’s authority overseeing how prescription drugs are used in the U.S. The panel overturned multiple decisions made by FDA regulators after years of scientific review.Common side effects with mifepristone include cramping, bleeding, nausea, headache and diarrhea. In rare cases, women can experience excess bleeding that requires surgery to stop.Still, in loosening restrictions on mifepristone, FDA regulators cited “exceedingly low rates of serious adverse events.”More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used the drug as of June 2022, according to the FDA. In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one-tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.___AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">the abortion pill mifepristone</a>&nbsp;can still be used for now but restored restrictions on the drug in a decision that the Justice Department said Thursday it would swiftly challenge at the Supreme Court.At stake in an accelerating legal battle that began in Texas is nationwide access to the most common method of abortion in the U.S., less than a year&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/ss%20than%20a%20year%20after%20the%20reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade%20resulted%20in%20more%20than%20a%20dozen%20states%20effectively%20banning%20abortion%20outright.">after the reversal of Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;prompted more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.In a ruling late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans temporarily narrowed a ruling by a lower court judge in Texas that had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-texas-ee181214988044c096757696cf2a5f67">completely blocked</a>&nbsp;the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. But a divided three-judge panel still reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be taken and said it could not be dispensed by mail.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23774813-5th-circuit-abortion-pill-stay-order">ruling</a>&nbsp;preventing the pill from being sent by mail amounts to another significant constraint of abortion access and was cheered by opponents of the drug. The Justice Department said it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order to put any action on hold.“We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, speaking from Dublin during a visit by President Joe Biden.Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago and is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol.Abortion rights groups expressed relief that the FDA approval would remain in place for now but criticized the court for reinstating restrictions on the drug. Whole Woman's Health, an abortion provider that operates six clinics in five states, said in a tweet it was continuing to offer mifepristone in clinics and through virtual services while reviewing the decision.In the 2-1 vote, the judges put on hold changes made by the regulator since 2016 that relaxed the rules for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. Those included extending the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used from seven weeks to 10 and allowing it to be dispensed by mail, without any need to visit a doctor’s office.The panel's decision came just days after the Justice Department swiftly appealed the far-reaching ruling by a federal judge in Texas that blocked the FDA’s approval of the pill in a lawsuit by the drug's opponents. There is virtually no precedent for a lone judge overturning the regulator's medical decisions.The lawsuit challenging the drug’s approval was brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which also argued for overturning Roe v. Wade and indicated it was content for now in the mifepristone case. Erin Hawley, an attorney for the group, said it had no plans to seek an appeal that might restore the Texas court's full ruling.“The 5th Circuit’s decision is a significant victory for the doctors we represent, women’s health, and every American who deserves an accountable federal government acting within the bounds of the law,” Hawley said.The two judges who voted to tighten restrictions, Kurt Engelhardt and Andrew Oldham, are both appointees of former President Donald Trump. The third judge, Catharina Haynes, is an appointee of former President George W. Bush. She said she would have put the lower court ruling on hold entirely for now to allow oral arguments in the case.Adding to the uncertainty, a separate federal judge in Washington last week ordered the FDA not to do anything that might block mifepristone’s availability in 17 Democrat-led states suing to keep it on the market. The judge in that case has not yet to responded to the Justice Department seeking additional clarity this week.The appeals court judges in the majority in Wednesday's decision noted that the Biden administration and mifepristone’s manufacturer “warn us of significant public consequences” that would result if mifepristone were withdrawn entirely from the market under the lower court ruling.But the judges suggested FDA changes making mifepristone easier to obtain since 2016 were less consequential than its initial approval of the drug in 2000. It would be “difficult” to argue the changes were “so critical to the public given that the nation operated — and mifepristone was administered to millions of women — without them for sixteen years” the judges wrote.When the drug was initially approved, the FDA limited its use to up to seven weeks of pregnancy. It also required three in-person office visits: the first to administer mifepristone, the next to administer the second drug, misoprostol, and the third to address any complications. It also required a doctor’s supervision and a reporting system for any serious consequences of the drug.If the appeals court's action stands, those would again be the terms under which mifepristone could be dispensed for now.Democratic leaders in states where abortion remains legal since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-mifepristone-states-lawsuits-ac6dc09c0dd66a146d3ddfde061fc1a6">say they are preparing</a>&nbsp;in case mifepristone becomes restricted. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that her state would stockpile 150,000 doses of misoprostol.The White House also has contingency plans in place, but Jean-Pierre held off detailing them while legal action continued. Instead, she described a proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-abortion-pills-ruling-mifepristone-texas-c1f4530d67858f6c95cef99282b8b209">new federal rule</a>&nbsp;to limit how law enforcement and state officials collect medical records if they investigate women who flee their home states to seek abortions elsewhere.Pharmaceutical executives this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pills-4b65ecc66d1b908019bdf3843a428d5a">also signed a letter</a>&nbsp;that condemned the Texas ruling and warned that FDA approval of other drugs could be at risk if U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s decision stands.At the core of the Texas lawsuit is the allegation that the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone was flawed because the agency did not adequately review safety risks.Mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years. While less drastic than completely overturning the drug's approval, the latest ruling still represents a stark challenge to the FDA’s authority overseeing how prescription drugs are used in the U.S. The panel overturned multiple decisions made by FDA regulators after years of scientific review.Common side effects with mifepristone include cramping, bleeding, nausea, headache and diarrhea. In rare cases, women can experience excess bleeding that requires surgery to stop.Still, in loosening restrictions on mifepristone, FDA regulators cited “exceedingly low rates of serious adverse events.”More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used the drug as of June 2022, according to the FDA. In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.