By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

A downed power line is responsible for starting the&nbsp;400-acre grassfire west of Manhattan on Wednesday, according to&nbsp; Riley County Fire District #1.

RILEY COUNTY - Just after 3:30 p.m., Riley County Volunteer Fire Crews were called out to the 2500 block of Hidden Valley Road on the report of a grass fire.

Steep terrain, dry conditions and wind gusting upwards of 45 mph have made containing and extinguishing the fire more challenging.

Riley County Fire called in assistance from Manhattan Fire Department and Fort Riley Fire Department as mutual aid.

More than 25 firefighters responded to the fire, and as of 6:00 pm, the fire was approximately 70% contained.

Cause of the fire and extent of damage is to be determined.

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostA downed power line is responsible for starting the&nbsp;400-acre grassfire west of Manhattan on Wednesday, according to&nbsp; Riley County Fire District #1.---------RILEY COUNTY - Just after 3:30 p.m., Riley County Volunteer Fire Crews were called out to the 2500 block of Hidden Valley Road on the report of a grass fire.<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d19650.529069103177!2d-96.69172777555166!3d39.21562445222344!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x87bdc9599442807b%3A0xaef7dcfc2030e5ba!2s2500%20Hidden%20Valley%20Trl%2C%20Manhattan%2C%20KS%2066503!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1678921744423!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>Steep terrain, dry conditions and wind gusting upwards of 45 mph have made containing and extinguishing the fire more challenging.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678921870568.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Riley County Fire called in assistance from Manhattan Fire Department and Fort Riley Fire Department as mutual aid.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678922120781.jpeg" alt="Riley County Fire Brush truck refilling with water" />
 <figcaption>Riley County Fire Brush truck refilling with water</figcaption>
 </figure>More than 25 firefighters responded to the fire, and as of 6:00 pm, the fire was approximately 70% contained.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678922201334.jpeg" alt="Firefighters lighting backfire to stop Hidden Valley Fire" />
 <figcaption>Firefighters lighting backfire to stop Hidden Valley Fire</figcaption>
 </figure>Cause of the fire and extent of damage is to be determined.

Officials determine cause of 400 acre-fire west of Manhattan

WASHINGTON (AP) — A week after the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-yellen">Janet Yellen</a>&nbsp;told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that the nation's banking system “remains sound” and Americans "can feel confident” about their deposits.

Yellen is the first Biden administration official to face lawmakers over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">the decision to protect uninsured money</a>&nbsp;at two failed regional banks, a move that some Republicans have criticized as a bank “bailout.”

“The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the U.S. banking system, Yellen said in testimony before the committee. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them."

In less than a week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, based in Santa Clara, California, failed after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. Then, regulators convened over the weekend and announced that New York-based Signature Bank also failed. They ensured all depositors, including those holding uninsured funds exceeding $250,000, were protected by federal deposit insurance.

The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-collapse-justice-sec-cc9b1f724d87e79b94592d730d24dcb7">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;into the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

Thursday's hearing, meant to address President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-debt-limit-deficit-republicans-56ed3a1b2ed906f89bc84edc435d3e7d">budget proposal</a>, comes after the sudden collapse of the nation’s 16th-biggest bank and go-to financial institution for tech entrepreneurs. While Yellen prepared to talk about spending proposals, the hearing inevitably turned to the government's decision-making process to intervene in the bank failure.

“Nerves are certainly frayed at this moment,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the committee. “One of the most important steps the Congress can take now is make sure there are no questions about the full faith and credit of the United States,” he said, referring to raising the debt ceiling.

Mike Crapo of Idaho, the committee's top Republican, said, “I’m concerned about the precedent of guaranteeing all deposits,” calling the federal rescue action a “moral hazard."

Yellen said on CBS' “Face the Nation” last Sunday that a bailout was not on the table, stating, “we’re not going to do that again," referring to the U.S. government's response to the 2008 financial crisis, which led to massive government rescue policies to large U.S. banks.

Yellen, a former Federal Reserve chair and past president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve during the 2008 financial crisis, was a leading figure in the resolution this past weekend, which was engineered to prevent a wider systemic problem in the banking sector.

"This week’s actions demonstrate our resolute commitment to ensure that depositors’ savings remain safe,” she said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A week after the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/janet-yellen">Janet Yellen</a>&nbsp;told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that the nation's banking system “remains sound” and Americans "can feel confident” about their deposits.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecYellen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecYellen</a>: &quot;This week the government took decisive and forceful actions to stabilize and strengthen public confidence in our financial system.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/9zYIEuLLg8">pic.twitter.com/9zYIEuLLg8</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636377651806892032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Yellen is the first Biden administration official to face lawmakers over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-deposits-fdic-8011ea377d8f9941032790ce1d704c5a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">the decision to protect uninsured money</a>&nbsp;at two failed regional banks, a move that some Republicans have criticized as a bank “bailout.”“The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the U.S. banking system, Yellen said in testimony before the committee. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them."In less than a week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">Silicon Valley Bank</a>, based in Santa Clara, California, failed after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. Then, regulators convened over the weekend and announced that New York-based Signature Bank also failed. They ensured all depositors, including those holding uninsured funds exceeding $250,000, were protected by federal deposit insurance.The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-collapse-justice-sec-cc9b1f724d87e79b94592d730d24dcb7">launched investigations</a>&nbsp;into the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.Thursday's hearing, meant to address President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-budget-debt-limit-deficit-republicans-56ed3a1b2ed906f89bc84edc435d3e7d">budget proposal</a>, comes after the sudden collapse of the nation’s 16th-biggest bank and go-to financial institution for tech entrepreneurs. While Yellen prepared to talk about spending proposals, the hearing inevitably turned to the government's decision-making process to intervene in the bank failure.“Nerves are certainly frayed at this moment,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the committee. “One of the most important steps the Congress can take now is make sure there are no questions about the full faith and credit of the United States,” he said, referring to raising the debt ceiling.Mike Crapo of Idaho, the committee's top Republican, said, “I’m concerned about the precedent of guaranteeing all deposits,” calling the federal rescue action a “moral hazard."Yellen said on CBS' “Face the Nation” last Sunday that a bailout was not on the table, stating, “we’re not going to do that again," referring to the U.S. government's response to the 2008 financial crisis, which led to massive government rescue policies to large U.S. banks.Yellen, a former Federal Reserve chair and past president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve during the 2008 financial crisis, was a leading figure in the resolution this past weekend, which was engineered to prevent a wider systemic problem in the banking sector."This week’s actions demonstrate our resolute commitment to ensure that depositors’ savings remain safe,” she said.

🎥 Treasury Sec. tells Congress US banking system 'remains sound'

SEWARD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a double murder at a southwest Kansas home have identified the victims as 57-year-old Valentin Rey and 50-year-old Rosalia Rey. They are the suspect&nbsp; Hector Rey's parents, according to the Liberal Police Department.

Just before 1 a.m. Monday, crews responded to a house fire in the 900 block of Maple Street in Liberal, according to a media release.

Officers found Rosalia inside the door. She was unconscious. EMS transported her to Southwest Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Once the fire was extinguished, the fire department found Valentin who was also dead inside.

Just before 6a.m. Monday, law enforcement learned of a suspect in the crime later identified as 22-year-old Hector Jesus Rey. was driving a Kia Optima southbound on U.S. 83 ten miles north of Hamlin, Texas.&nbsp; According to police, the suspect was threatening "suicide by cop."

Officers conducted a "high risk felony stop" on the vehicle after it traveled south of the Hamlin city limits.&nbsp; Rey hesitated at first but finally exited the car and was taken into custody. He remains in the Jones County Jail in connection with the death of his parents. Authorities have not released details on when Rey would be returned to Kansas or possible charges in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678801340555.png" alt="Hector Rey-photo Jones County, Texas" />
 <figcaption>Hector Rey-photo Jones County, Texas</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a double murder at a southwest Kansas home have identified the victims as 57-year-old Valentin Rey and 50-year-old Rosalia Rey. They are the suspect&nbsp; Hector Rey's parents, according to the Liberal Police Department.Just before 1 a.m. Monday, crews responded to a house fire in the 900 block of Maple Street in Liberal, according to a media release.Officers found Rosalia inside the door. She was unconscious. EMS transported her to Southwest Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Once the fire was extinguished, the fire department found Valentin who was also dead inside.Just before 6a.m. Monday, law enforcement learned of a suspect in the crime later identified as 22-year-old Hector Jesus Rey. was driving a Kia Optima southbound on U.S. 83 ten miles north of Hamlin, Texas.&nbsp; According to police, the suspect was threatening "suicide by cop."Officers conducted a "high risk felony stop" on the vehicle after it traveled south of the Hamlin city limits.&nbsp; Rey hesitated at first but finally exited the car and was taken into custody. He remains in the Jones County Jail in connection with the death of his parents. Authorities have not released details on when Rey would be returned to Kansas or possible charges in the case.

Victims in fatal Kansas house fire were suspect's parents

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone</a>&nbsp;and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.

(click the video below to watch courtesy U.S. European Command)

The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.

The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.

Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.

Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.

U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.

While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders</a>&nbsp;spoke Wednesday about the encounter over the Black Sea, underscoring its seriousness.

The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.

The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.

Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.

Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”

Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.

“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”

The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.

Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.

There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.

The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.

U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.

Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678968513854.png" alt="This photo taken from video released on Thursday, March 16, 2023, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea. (US Department of Defense via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This photo taken from video released on Thursday, March 16, 2023, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, over the Black Sea, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea. (US Department of Defense via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon on Thursday released footage of what it said was a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone</a>&nbsp;and clipping the drone's propeller in international airspace over the Black Sea.(click the video below to watch courtesy U.S. European Command)<div><iframe src="https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/876667" width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" allowtransparency allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The 42-second video shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding its optical instruments and driving it out of the area.On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian fighter that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone’s propeller, damaging one blade, according to the U.S. military.The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after what it described as the Russian fighter making an unsafe intercept of the unmanned aerial vehicle.The video excerpt released by the Pentagon does not show events before or after the apparent fuel-dumping confrontation.Russia said its warplanes didn’t strike the drone and claimed the unmanned aerial vehicle went down after making a sharp maneuver over the sea.Asked Thursday if Russia would try to recover the drone debris, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision was up to the military. “If they consider it necessary to do so in the Black Sea for the benefit of our interests and our security, they will do it,” he said.Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Wednesday that Moscow would try to recover the drone fragments.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Austin: &quot;I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu. As I&#39;ve said repeatedly, it&#39;s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LPqwdCiPnP">pic.twitter.com/LPqwdCiPnP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636073165540544512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. officials have expressed confidence that nothing of military value would remain from the drone even if Russia managed to retrieve the wreckage.While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has raised concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and illegally annexed.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders</a>&nbsp;spoke Wednesday about the encounter over the Black Sea, underscoring its seriousness.The calls between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian General Staff, were the first since October.The Russian Defense Ministry said in its report of the call with Austin that Shoigu accused the U.S. of provoking the incident by ignoring flight restrictions the Kremlin had imposed because of its military operations in Ukraine.The Kremlin argues that by providing weapons to Ukraine and sharing intelligence information with Kyiv, the U.S. and its allies have effectively become engaged in the war, which is now in its 13th month.Russia also blamed “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation,” the Defense Ministry said.Such U.S. actions “are fraught with escalation of the situation in the Black Sea area,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow “will respond in kind to all provocations.”Sergei Aksenov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, said he thinks Russia should act even more forcefully to put an end the U.S. surveillance flights in the area.“I personally think that our response in such situations should be tougher,” Aksenov said on his messaging app channel. “We realize that attempted attacks on Crimea have been launched with Americans’ guidance. In fact, they are a warring party.”The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot (20-meter) wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.Ryder said the incident occurred at 7:03 a.m. Central European time (0603 GMT; 2:03 a.m. EST) over international waters, and well clear of Ukraine, after the Russian jets had flown in the vicinity of the drone for 30 to 40 minutes.There did not appear to be any communications between the aircraft before the collision, Ryder added.The U.S. has not recovered the crashed drone, U.S. Air Forces-Europe said in a statement, and neither has Russia, Ryder said. Russian officials said Wednesday that they would try to salvage fragments of the MQ-9 from the Black Sea.U.S. officials have left open the possibility of trying to recover portions of the downed $32 million drone, which they said crashed into waters that were 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 meters) deep.Other U.S. officials said the U.S. does not have military ships in the region likely won't attempt to recover the wreckage.___

🎥 Video shows Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on U.S. drone

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 19-year-old&nbsp; Khristopher A. L. Brown of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;&nbsp;responded to the 1300 block SE 8th for a hit-and-run accident, according Eubanks. Officers located Brown, who was suffering from a gunshot wound. 

First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Detectives were notified and traffic was shut down along 8th and 10th street between SE Locust and SE Lime.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678875079561.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW&nbsp; TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW&nbsp; TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide in Topeka have identified the victim as 19-year-old&nbsp; Khristopher A. L. Brown of Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;&nbsp;responded to the 1300 block SE 8th for a hit-and-run accident, according Eubanks. Officers located Brown, who was suffering from a gunshot wound. First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene.&nbsp; Detectives were notified and traffic was shut down along 8th and 10th street between SE Locust and SE Lime.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

Homicide: Victim who died of gunshot at crash was Kan. teen

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas raised questions Wednesday about a Christian group's effort to overturn federal regulators' decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;for ending pregnancies.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard more than four hours of debate over the Alliance Defending Freedom's request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">revoke or suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA and its authority in deciding which drugs to permit on the market.

Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible,” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide and leaving open the question of whether access to the standard regimen for medication abortions might soon be curtailed throughout the country.

Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, was approved in 2000 and is used to end pregnancies until their 10th week. It has been increasingly prescribed since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade.</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;has become the latest high-stakes legal battle over access to abortion since the question of its legality was returned to the states.

Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, saved some of his most pointed questions for attorneys representing the alliance, which filed the case in Amarillo in anticipation of getting a favorable ruling.

“Explain to me why this court has that sweeping authority?” Kacsmaryk asked, in reference to the group's request to pull mifepristone from the market.

The judge also questioned whether the group had the legal standing to obtain a pretrial ruling, grilling both sides on U.S. Supreme Court cases that set out when such extraordinary relief is allowed.

Still, the judge also posed questions suggesting he was considering how he might draft a preliminary injunction in the plaintiffs' favor, at one point asking the alliance's lawyers if the issue of standing had been clearly addressed by appellate courts. At another point, he told them that their outline for the order of their arguments “tracks the elements for an injunction nicely.”

Lawyers representing the FDA argued that pulling mifepristone would disrupt reproductive care for women across the U.S.

“An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country” said Julie Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA.

Harris and her colleagues also questioned whether the alliance — which filed its case on behalf of several anti-abortion doctors — had standing to bring the lawsuit, given that none of the plaintiffs could show the type of harm typically needed for such a legal action.

One of the chief arguments leveled against the FDA in the lawsuit is that the agency misused its authority when it originally approved the abortion pill.

The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it has been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases."

“The plain text is clear it applies to illnesses,” argued Erik Baptist, the alliance's lead attorney. “Mifepristone is used to end pregnancies, and pregnancy isn’t an illness.”

The FDA rejected the group’s argument on multiple accounts. First, attorneys said FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.

Second, government attorneys said the terms of mifepristone’s use were replaced more than a decade ago by subsequent FDA programs passed by Congress, rendering the argument irrelevant.

Finally, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone.

Legal experts have long been deeply skeptical of many of the arguments made by the alliance. And there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling an FDA drug approval decision.

At one point, Kacsmaryk asked the alliance's attorneys about the possibility of suspending mifepristone's approval, without withdrawing it completely.

“Any relief you grant must be complete” and apply nationwide, Baptist said. “The harms of these abortion drugs know no bounds.”

Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, joined the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.

A ruling could come any time. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by the Justice Department, which would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.

Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”

Ultimately, courthouse officials allowed 20 members of the media and 20 members of the general public to attend the hearing.

If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.

If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-texas-judge-christian-kacsmaryk-3cfb483f1b9266df2e0cc31cc892d605">conservative federal judge in Texas</a>&nbsp;heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-abortion-pill-challenge-d7ef9bb29b8720e51b0b103f59c862d2">could threaten</a>&nbsp;the most common form of abortion in the U.S.

Lawyers for the group Alliance Defending Freedom asked Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during the hearing in Amarillo, Texas, to issue an immediate order that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">revoke or suspend the drug mifepristone's approval</a>. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA, which approved mifepristone in combination with a second pill as a safe and effective method for ending pregnancy in 2000.

During a 90-minute presentation to the court, alliance attorney Erik Baptist told the judge that removing mifepristone from the market “would restore proper policing power to the states” — a reference to last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and left it to states to decide on the legality of abortion.

Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">the most common method of abortion</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. and has been increasingly prescribed since Roe was overturned.

Acknowledging the significance of the case, Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump, asked Baptist if he could cite a prior example of a court removing an FDA-approved drug after many years on the market.

Baptist acknowledged that there are no prior examples, but he blamed the drug's longevity on the FDA's “stonewalling” of his group's prior requests to remove the drug. The group petitioned the FDA in 2002 and in 2019 seeking to curb access to the pill.

Lawyers for the FDA are expected to argue that pulling mifepristone would upend reproductive care for U.S. women and undermine the government’s scientific oversight of prescription drugs.

Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, will join the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.

A ruling could come any time after arguments conclude. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the FDA, who would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.

One of the alliance’s chief arguments against the FDA is that it misused its authorities when it originally approved the pill.

The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it’s been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases.”

The alliance, which was also involved in the lawsuit that led the Supreme Court to overturn Roe, argues that pregnancy is not a disease and therefore mifepristone should not have been considered for accelerated approval.

“The contrast between these illnesses and the FDA jamming pregnancy into ... the FDA regulations could not be more stark,” Baptist told Kacsmaryk.

But the FDA says the group’s argument is flawed on multiple counts. First, FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.

Second, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone, including requiring physicians to be certified before prescribing it.

The hearing is the first in the case and is being closely watched by groups on both sides of the abortion issue in light of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe.</a>. Removing mifepristone from the market would curb access to abortion even in states where it’s legal.

Lawyers for the FDA have pointed out that serious side effects with mifepristone are rare, and the agency has repeatedly affirmed the drug’s safety by reviewing subsequent studies and data. Pulling the drug more than 20 years after approval would be “extraordinary and unprecedented,” the government stated in its legal response.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678911159638.png" alt="Lindsay London holds protest sign in front of federal court building in support of access to abortion medication outside the Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Amarillo, Texas. A conservative federal judge heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that could threaten the most common form of abortion in the U.S. (AP Photo/David Erickson)" />
 <figcaption>Lindsay London holds protest sign in front of federal court building in support of access to abortion medication outside the Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Amarillo, Texas. A conservative federal judge heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that could threaten the most common form of abortion in the U.S. (AP Photo/David Erickson)</figcaption>
 </figure>AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas raised questions Wednesday about a Christian group's effort to overturn federal regulators' decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">most common method</a>&nbsp;for ending pregnancies.Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard more than four hours of debate over the Alliance Defending Freedom's request to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">revoke or suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval</a>&nbsp;of mifepristone. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA and its authority in deciding which drugs to permit on the market.Kacsmaryk said he would rule “as soon as possible,” without giving any clear indication of how he might decide and leaving open the question of whether access to the standard regimen for medication abortions might soon be curtailed throughout the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt=" About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, was approved in 2000 and is used to end pregnancies until their 10th week. It has been increasingly prescribed since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturning Roe v. Wade.</a>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">Texas lawsuit</a>&nbsp;has become the latest high-stakes legal battle over access to abortion since the question of its legality was returned to the states.Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, saved some of his most pointed questions for attorneys representing the alliance, which filed the case in Amarillo in anticipation of getting a favorable ruling.“Explain to me why this court has that sweeping authority?” Kacsmaryk asked, in reference to the group's request to pull mifepristone from the market.The judge also questioned whether the group had the legal standing to obtain a pretrial ruling, grilling both sides on U.S. Supreme Court cases that set out when such extraordinary relief is allowed.Still, the judge also posed questions suggesting he was considering how he might draft a preliminary injunction in the plaintiffs' favor, at one point asking the alliance's lawyers if the issue of standing had been clearly addressed by appellate courts. At another point, he told them that their outline for the order of their arguments “tracks the elements for an injunction nicely.”Lawyers representing the FDA argued that pulling mifepristone would disrupt reproductive care for women across the U.S.“An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country” said Julie Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA.Harris and her colleagues also questioned whether the alliance — which filed its case on behalf of several anti-abortion doctors — had standing to bring the lawsuit, given that none of the plaintiffs could show the type of harm typically needed for such a legal action.One of the chief arguments leveled against the FDA in the lawsuit is that the agency misused its authority when it originally approved the abortion pill.The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it has been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases."“The plain text is clear it applies to illnesses,” argued Erik Baptist, the alliance's lead attorney. “Mifepristone is used to end pregnancies, and pregnancy isn’t an illness.”The FDA rejected the group’s argument on multiple accounts. First, attorneys said FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.Second, government attorneys said the terms of mifepristone’s use were replaced more than a decade ago by subsequent FDA programs passed by Congress, rendering the argument irrelevant.Finally, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone.Legal experts have long been deeply skeptical of many of the arguments made by the alliance. And there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling an FDA drug approval decision.At one point, Kacsmaryk asked the alliance's attorneys about the possibility of suspending mifepristone's approval, without withdrawing it completely.“Any relief you grant must be complete” and apply nationwide, Baptist said. “The harms of these abortion drugs know no bounds.”Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, joined the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.A ruling could come any time. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by the Justice Department, which would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”Ultimately, courthouse officials allowed 20 members of the media and 20 members of the general public to attend the hearing.If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.___AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-texas-judge-christian-kacsmaryk-3cfb483f1b9266df2e0cc31cc892d605">conservative federal judge in Texas</a>&nbsp;heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-abortion-pill-challenge-d7ef9bb29b8720e51b0b103f59c862d2">could threaten</a>&nbsp;the most common form of abortion in the U.S.Lawyers for the group Alliance Defending Freedom asked Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk during the hearing in Amarillo, Texas, to issue an immediate order that would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-lawsuits-71b8e54b97b016bf2cc0d9380d478991">revoke or suspend the drug mifepristone's approval</a>. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA, which approved mifepristone in combination with a second pill as a safe and effective method for ending pregnancy in 2000.During a 90-minute presentation to the court, alliance attorney Erik Baptist told the judge that removing mifepristone from the market “would restore proper policing power to the states” — a reference to last summer's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and left it to states to decide on the legality of abortion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582813176978.jpeg" alt=" Mifepristone, commonly called the abortion pill, is the most common form of abortion in Kansas.&nbsp; photo by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Mifepristone, commonly called the abortion pill, is the most common form of abortion in Kansas.&nbsp; photo by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-science-health-2d52ebf9efc6ef06f03e788fecd13013">the most common method of abortion</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. and has been increasingly prescribed since Roe was overturned.Acknowledging the significance of the case, Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump, asked Baptist if he could cite a prior example of a court removing an FDA-approved drug after many years on the market.Baptist acknowledged that there are no prior examples, but he blamed the drug's longevity on the FDA's “stonewalling” of his group's prior requests to remove the drug. The group petitioned the FDA in 2002 and in 2019 seeking to curb access to the pill.Lawyers for the FDA are expected to argue that pulling mifepristone would upend reproductive care for U.S. women and undermine the government’s scientific oversight of prescription drugs.Kacsmaryk gave each side two hours to make their arguments — with time for rebuttal — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-food-and-drug-administration-donald-trump-texas-medication-bdd99c39613c71f62d10dfc2f2d1bf07">high-stakes case</a>. Mifepristone’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, will join the FDA in arguing to keep the pill available.A ruling could come any time after arguments conclude. A decision against the drug would be swiftly appealed by U.S. Department of Justice attorneys representing the FDA, who would also likely seek an emergency stay to stop it from taking effect while the case proceeds.One of the alliance’s chief arguments against the FDA is that it misused its authorities when it originally approved the pill.The FDA reviewed the drug under its so-called accelerated approval program, which was created in the early 1990s to speed access to the first HIV drugs. Since then, it’s been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases.”The alliance, which was also involved in the lawsuit that led the Supreme Court to overturn Roe, argues that pregnancy is not a disease and therefore mifepristone should not have been considered for accelerated approval.“The contrast between these illnesses and the FDA jamming pregnancy into ... the FDA regulations could not be more stark,” Baptist told Kacsmaryk.But the FDA says the group’s argument is flawed on multiple counts. First, FDA regulations make clear that pregnancy is considered a “medical condition” that can be serious and life-threatening in some cases.Second, while the FDA reviewed the drug under its accelerated approval regime, it didn’t expedite the drug’s review. In fact, approval only came after four years of deliberation. Instead, the FDA used regulatory powers under the accelerated program to add extra safety restrictions to mifepristone, including requiring physicians to be certified before prescribing it.The hearing is the first in the case and is being closely watched by groups on both sides of the abortion issue in light of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">reversal of Roe.</a>. Removing mifepristone from the market would curb access to abortion even in states where it’s legal.Members of the Women’s March advocacy group rallied outside the courthouse, including one dressed as a kangaroo to decry the proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”If Kacsmaryk rules against the FDA, it’s unclear how quickly access to mifepristone could be curtailed or how the process would work. The FDA has its own procedures for revoking drug approvals that involve public hearings and scientific deliberations, which can take months or years.If mifepristone is sidelined, clinics and doctors that prescribe the combination say they would switch to using only misoprostol, the other drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">used in the two-drug combination</a>. That single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies but is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.In addition to challenging mifepristone's approval process, the lawsuit takes aim at several later FDA decisions that loosened restrictions on the pill, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-medication-a6634601a37fb048aecdd9f030e0863a">eliminating a requirement</a>&nbsp;that women pick it up in person.Lawyers for the FDA have pointed out that serious side effects with mifepristone are rare, and the agency has repeatedly affirmed the drug’s safety by reviewing subsequent studies and data. Pulling the drug more than 20 years after approval would be “extraordinary and unprecedented,” the government stated in its legal response.

Judge open to blocking medication abortion pills nationwide

SHAWNEE COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10p.m. Wednesday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Buick Lucerne driven by Eduardo Ramirez, 49, Topeka, was eastbound on 46th Street just west of Kansas 4.

The driver failed to negotiate the curve. The car traveled into the northbound ditch, vaulted over a private drive, up the embankment and rolled.

&nbsp;EMS transported Ramirez to Stormont Vail where he was pronounced deceased. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just after 10p.m. Wednesday in Shawnee County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Buick Lucerne driven by Eduardo Ramirez, 49, Topeka, was eastbound on 46th Street just west of Kansas 4.The driver failed to negotiate the curve. The car traveled into the northbound ditch, vaulted over a private drive, up the embankment and rolled.&nbsp;EMS transported Ramirez to Stormont Vail where he was pronounced deceased. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after car rollover crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged theft and have two suspects in custody.

Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Wichita Police Department Patrol East Community Policing Team along with Larceny Detectives were working a special assignment on the east side of Wichita in reference to recent high-dollar thefts around Kellogg and Rock Road, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Asset Protection with Ulta Beauty, 8141 E Kellogg in Wichita, contacted officers about $6,000 worth of cologne that was just stolen from the store.

Officers were able to determine that a black 2021 Dodge Charger was involved and informed other officers of the current location of the vehicle. Officers with Patrol West attempted to stop the vehicle as it was stopping at a residence in the 500 block of South Eisenhower.

Two suspects identified later as&nbsp; 20-year-old Gia Leininger and 29-year-old Jacob Villarreal were seen running from the vehicle and into a residence.

A search warrant for the residence was applied for and granted. Officers located the cologne as well as several items from other high-end thefts, including clothing that still had anti-theft alarms attached to it.

Leininger and Villarreal are being held on requested Felony Theft charges, according to Ditch.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678902473247.png" alt="Villarreal-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Villarreal-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged theft and have two suspects in custody.Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Wichita Police Department Patrol East Community Policing Team along with Larceny Detectives were working a special assignment on the east side of Wichita in reference to recent high-dollar thefts around Kellogg and Rock Road, according to Officer Chad Ditch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678918214511.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Asset Protection with Ulta Beauty, 8141 E Kellogg in Wichita, contacted officers about $6,000 worth of cologne that was just stolen from the store.Officers were able to determine that a black 2021 Dodge Charger was involved and informed other officers of the current location of the vehicle. Officers with Patrol West attempted to stop the vehicle as it was stopping at a residence in the 500 block of South Eisenhower.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678918252077.png" alt="photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Two suspects identified later as&nbsp; 20-year-old Gia Leininger and 29-year-old Jacob Villarreal were seen running from the vehicle and into a residence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678902446065.png" alt="Leininger-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Leininger-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A search warrant for the residence was applied for and granted. Officers located the cologne as well as several items from other high-end thefts, including clothing that still had anti-theft alarms attached to it.Leininger and Villarreal are being held on requested Felony Theft charges, according to Ditch.&nbsp;

Police: Suspects took $6,000 worth of cologne from Kan. store 

JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Honda ATV driven by Don W. Zink, 72, Warrensburg, was southbound on private property at&nbsp;53 NE Highway V in Warrensburg.

The ATV struck a tree and caught fire. Zink was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Sweeey-Phillips and. Holdren Funeral Home.

JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Honda ATV driven by Don W. Zink, 72, Warrensburg, was southbound on private property at&nbsp;53 NE Highway V in Warrensburg.The ATV struck a tree and caught fire. Zink was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Sweeey-Phillips and. Holdren Funeral Home.

Missouri man dies after ATV crash and fire

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA —A&nbsp; Kansas felon with a history of drug crimes is back in jail for allegedly threatened another man with hedge trimmers.

Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 300 block of W. Crawford Street in Salina for a belated report of trespassing, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

When they arrived, they found Cole Marlow, 37, of Salina, wielding a pair of black and yellow hedge trimmers in the parking lot at 302 W. Crawford Street.

 Marlow was walking toward the 600 block of S. Ninth Street and yelling at a 22-year-old Salina man. Marlow allegedly was wildly swinging the hedge trimmers and advancing toward the other man.

The 22-year-old man told police that he had been on his porch and had a verbal exchange with Marlow, who was holding the hedge trimmers. Marlow allegedly began aggressively swinging the hedge trimmers and moving toward the other man, who was concerned that Marlow would attack him or his family. It was at that point that officers arrived.

Police also learned that Marlow allegedly trespassed in a yard in the 500 block of S. 10th Street. Marlow, who has four previous convictions for drugs, for intimidation of a witness, criminal damage, forgery and felony obstruction, was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges of Aggravated assault, Criminal trespassing and Pedestrian under the influence in the roadway. He completed in state post prison release February 27, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678883977811.jpeg" alt="Cole Marlow. Photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Cole Marlow. Photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA —A&nbsp; Kansas felon with a history of drug crimes is back in jail for allegedly threatened another man with hedge trimmers.Just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 300 block of W. Crawford Street in Salina for a belated report of trespassing, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.When they arrived, they found Cole Marlow, 37, of Salina, wielding a pair of black and yellow hedge trimmers in the parking lot at 302 W. Crawford Street. Marlow was walking toward the 600 block of S. Ninth Street and yelling at a 22-year-old Salina man. Marlow allegedly was wildly swinging the hedge trimmers and advancing toward the other man.The 22-year-old man told police that he had been on his porch and had a verbal exchange with Marlow, who was holding the hedge trimmers. Marlow allegedly began aggressively swinging the hedge trimmers and moving toward the other man, who was concerned that Marlow would attack him or his family. It was at that point that officers arrived.Police also learned that Marlow allegedly trespassed in a yard in the 500 block of S. 10th Street. Marlow, who has four previous convictions for drugs, for intimidation of a witness, criminal damage, forgery and felony obstruction, was arrested on&nbsp; requested charges of Aggravated assault, Criminal trespassing and Pedestrian under the influence in the roadway. He completed in state post prison release February 27, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon accused of threatening man with hedge trimmers

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Almost a year after a Missouri teen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-accidents-missouri-8d1dbb7541cfb7b0dc5c3496fcde48d7">fell to his death</a>, a 400-foot amusement ride was being dismantled this week in central Florida’s tourism corridor.

A gigantic crane hovered Wednesday beside the towering ride in Orlando’s International Drive tourism district where 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell in March 2022. A fence encircled the ride and blocked off parts of the nearby sidewalk and road. The ride's dismantling was expected to take several days.

Sampson, who lives in the St. Louis area, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-orlando-st-louis-missouri-b96485f8c95ad58e6b8150201143b02d">autopsy</a>&nbsp;showed that Tyre Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kilograms).

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">An initial report</a>&nbsp;by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in the teen not being properly secured. The report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident.

Tyre Sampson’s family has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-florida-eac97f3e314c9e230e192d94628f52cd">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the owner, manufacturer and landlord of the ride, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.

Legislation is pending in the Florida Legislature aimed at preventing similar accidents. The Tyre Sampson Act would prevent Florida’s smaller attractions operators from making unauthorized adjustments to a ride’s restraint systems and require operators to submit more detailed safety and operational documentation to the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648251123999.png" alt="--An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV" />
 <figcaption>--An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually</a>&nbsp;to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death- photo courtesy WFTV</figcaption>
 </figure>ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Almost a year after a Missouri teen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-accidents-missouri-8d1dbb7541cfb7b0dc5c3496fcde48d7">fell to his death</a>, a 400-foot amusement ride was being dismantled this week in central Florida’s tourism corridor.A gigantic crane hovered Wednesday beside the towering ride in Orlando’s International Drive tourism district where 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell in March 2022. A fence encircled the ride and blocked off parts of the nearby sidewalk and road. The ride's dismantling was expected to take several days.Sampson, who lives in the St. Louis area, was visiting Orlando during spring break when he died from the fall.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-orlando-st-louis-missouri-b96485f8c95ad58e6b8150201143b02d">autopsy</a>&nbsp;showed that Tyre Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kilograms).<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170">An initial report</a>&nbsp;by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in the teen not being properly secured. The report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the accident.Tyre Sampson’s family has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-lawsuits-florida-eac97f3e314c9e230e192d94628f52cd">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the owner, manufacturer and landlord of the ride, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.Legislation is pending in the Florida Legislature aimed at preventing similar accidents. The Tyre Sampson Act would prevent Florida’s smaller attractions operators from making unauthorized adjustments to a ride’s restraint systems and require operators to submit more detailed safety and operational documentation to the state.

Workers dismantle amusement park ride where teen fell to death

MANHATTAN–&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities have made three arrests in connection to the March 6 shooting at the Sunset Zoo parking lot in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.

Edgar Torres, 17, Christian Soto, 18, and Carlos Rodiguez, 23, all of Manhattan, were each arrested Wednesday on requested aggravated robbery charges.

They investigation led police to believe the three robbed two other men aged 17 and 20, at gunpoint. During the robbery, Rodiguez was shot in the neck by the 17-year-old victim. All parties involved, except for Rodiguez, had left the scene when officers arrived. He was transported to Via Christi and later to Stormont Vail for further treatment and was released last week.

Soto and Rodiguez are being held in the Riley County Jail with $80,000 bonds each. Torres has been transported to the North Central Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility in Junction City.

Police are still seeking information on the person in the picture released on March 13. The person has yet to be identified and we are asking anyone with information to please call us at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;He was seen by multiple witnesses running from the area of Sunset Zoo shortly after the shooting and we'd like to speak with him about his possible involvement in the incident.

Our investigation into this incident is still ongoing and we will provide updates when they become available.

We would like to thank the community for their continued cooperation and assistance in this case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678733301954.jpeg" alt="Police are still seeking information on another suspect in connection with the crime. Police have yet to identify him." />
 <figcaption>Police are still seeking information on another suspect in connection with the crime. Police have yet to identify him.</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN–&nbsp;Law enforcement authorities have made three arrests in connection to the March 6 shooting at the Sunset Zoo parking lot in Manhattan, according to a media release from the Riley County Police Department.Edgar Torres, 17, Christian Soto, 18, and Carlos Rodiguez, 23, all of Manhattan, were each arrested Wednesday on requested aggravated robbery charges.They investigation led police to believe the three robbed two other men aged 17 and 20, at gunpoint. During the robbery, Rodiguez was shot in the neck by the 17-year-old victim. All parties involved, except for Rodiguez, had left the scene when officers arrived. He was transported to Via Christi and later to Stormont Vail for further treatment and was released last week.Soto and Rodiguez are being held in the Riley County Jail with $80,000 bonds each. Torres has been transported to the North Central Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility in Junction City.Police are still seeking information on the person in the picture released on March 13. The person has yet to be identified and we are asking anyone with information to please call us at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;He was seen by multiple witnesses running from the area of Sunset Zoo shortly after the shooting and we'd like to speak with him about his possible involvement in the incident.Our investigation into this incident is still ongoing and we will provide updates when they become available.We would like to thank the community for their continued cooperation and assistance in this case.

3 arrested for Kansas zoo parking lot shooting

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-state-representative-calls-rainbow-drawings-proof-of-indoctrination-at-leavenworth-school/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas House passed a wide-ranging bill funneling state funding to unregulated private schools after holdups due to bipartisan concern about the proposal’s effects.

The vote was initially divided, 60 for and 64 against, with Republicans breaking rank to vote with the 40-member Democratic bloc during the Wednesday House meeting. One Democrat voted in favor of the program. Following the first vote, leaders issued a call of the House, locking the doors and calling up members to see whether members would change their votes.

Rep.&nbsp; Kenneth Collins, a Mulberry Republican, changed his vote fairly quickly.&nbsp;After about an hour’s delay,&nbsp; Reps. Samantha Poetter-Parshall and Robyn Essex switched their votes and Rep. Bill Sutton returned to the House to vote, making the final vote 64 for and 61 against. The legislation now passes to the Senate.&nbsp;

“I do not trust a government that destroys an institution and creates havoc, then looks for for more victims under the guise of fixing the problem they caused,” said Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican and one of the “no” votes. “In this bill, the government holds the purse strings, not the parent.”&nbsp;

The proposal, known as the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb83/">&nbsp;Sunflower Education Equity Act</a>, has been revised several times since the beginning of the legislative session.&nbsp;

In its current form, the education proposal is bundled with funding provisions that would set aside $592.7 million from the State General Fund for special education in fiscal year 2024, as well as create a special education task force and increase teacher salaries.&nbsp;

But critics of the bill have taken issue with the Sunflower Education Equity Act portion, which would use state money to fund unregulated private schools not subject to government oversight.

The proposal legislation specifies that government agencies couldn’t control or supervise any of these schools or home schools. Immediate family members couldn’t charge or collect payment for tuition for students, but parents would be able to charge tuition and collect fees for schools they operated, including home schools, as long as their own child isn’t a student.

Parents could use the account money for tuition expenses, uniforms, textbooks or other items. The bill stipulates that the context or religious nature of a product or service wouldn’t be considered when determining payment, meaning state dollars could be used to purchase Bibles and religious objects.

The state would begin making payments to private school students in the 2023 to 2024 school year, creating special savings accounts monitored by the state treasurer. Each eligible private school recipient could draw $5,000 annually from the state.

Any nonpublic preschool, elementary, or high school that teaches reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science would be eligible for the program, if approved by program regulators.&nbsp;

In the first phase implementation of the program, eligibility would be limited to students attending or eligible to attend preschool and those who were enrolled and attending public school in grades K-12 during the previous school year.&nbsp;

Eligible students in this age range would include those who qualify for the national free or reduced lunch program or scored very low on state assessments for&nbsp; language arts or mathematics. The program would be opened for all K-12 students if fewer than 2,000 eligible students enrolled in the program during the first phase.&nbsp;

The fiscal effect of the program is unknown, leading to concerns about the long-term financial impact the program will have statewide.&nbsp;

“Public dollars belong in public schools,” Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said in a statement with other opponents of the proposal.

In an joint issued statement, Kansas House Republican leaders Dan Hawkins, Chris Croft, Blake Carpenter and Kristey Williams said the bill would help improve education statewide and address a widespread teacher shortage.

“The Sunflower Education Equity Act is a broad legislative compromise which includes critical policy requests from both political parties,” the statement read. “This important middle ground truly embodies a good faith effort to listen to both sides and meet in the middle for the kids, teachers, and schools in our state.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/P3151469-1024x768.jpg" alt="Speaker of the House Rep. Dan Hawkins rallied Republican representatives to vote in favor of a controverisal education proposal during a House meeting. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Speaker of the House Rep. Dan Hawkins rallied Republican representatives to vote in favor of a controverisal education proposal during a House meeting. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-state-representative-calls-rainbow-drawings-proof-of-indoctrination-at-leavenworth-school/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas House passed a wide-ranging bill funneling state funding to unregulated private schools after holdups due to bipartisan concern about the proposal’s effects.The vote was initially divided, 60 for and 64 against, with Republicans breaking rank to vote with the 40-member Democratic bloc during the Wednesday House meeting. One Democrat voted in favor of the program. Following the first vote, leaders issued a call of the House, locking the doors and calling up members to see whether members would change their votes.Rep.&nbsp; Kenneth Collins, a Mulberry Republican, changed his vote fairly quickly.&nbsp;After about an hour’s delay,&nbsp; Reps. Samantha Poetter-Parshall and Robyn Essex switched their votes and Rep. Bill Sutton returned to the House to vote, making the final vote 64 for and 61 against. The legislation now passes to the Senate.&nbsp;“I do not trust a government that destroys an institution and creates havoc, then looks for for more victims under the guise of fixing the problem they caused,” said Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican and one of the “no” votes. “In this bill, the government holds the purse strings, not the parent.”&nbsp;The proposal, known as the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb83/">&nbsp;Sunflower Education Equity Act</a>, has been revised several times since the beginning of the legislative session.&nbsp;In its current form, the education proposal is bundled with funding provisions that would set aside $592.7 million from the State General Fund for special education in fiscal year 2024, as well as create a special education task force and increase teacher salaries.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/P3151450-scaled.jpg" alt="-Rep. Kristey Williams, the driving force behind the education bill, counts votes during a Wednesday House session. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>-Rep. Kristey Williams, the driving force behind the education bill, counts votes during a Wednesday House session. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>But critics of the bill have taken issue with the Sunflower Education Equity Act portion, which would use state money to fund unregulated private schools not subject to government oversight.The proposal legislation specifies that government agencies couldn’t control or supervise any of these schools or home schools. Immediate family members couldn’t charge or collect payment for tuition for students, but parents would be able to charge tuition and collect fees for schools they operated, including home schools, as long as their own child isn’t a student.Parents could use the account money for tuition expenses, uniforms, textbooks or other items. The bill stipulates that the context or religious nature of a product or service wouldn’t be considered when determining payment, meaning state dollars could be used to purchase Bibles and religious objects.The state would begin making payments to private school students in the 2023 to 2024 school year, creating special savings accounts monitored by the state treasurer. Each eligible private school recipient could draw $5,000 annually from the state.Any nonpublic preschool, elementary, or high school that teaches reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science would be eligible for the program, if approved by program regulators.&nbsp;In the first phase implementation of the program, eligibility would be limited to students attending or eligible to attend preschool and those who were enrolled and attending public school in grades K-12 during the previous school year.&nbsp;Eligible students in this age range would include those who qualify for the national free or reduced lunch program or scored very low on state assessments for&nbsp; language arts or mathematics. The program would be opened for all K-12 students if fewer than 2,000 eligible students enrolled in the program during the first phase.&nbsp;The fiscal effect of the program is unknown, leading to concerns about the long-term financial impact the program will have statewide.&nbsp;“Public dollars belong in public schools,” Rep. Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, said in a statement with other opponents of the proposal.In an joint issued statement, Kansas House Republican leaders Dan Hawkins, Chris Croft, Blake Carpenter and Kristey Williams said the bill would help improve education statewide and address a widespread teacher shortage.“The Sunflower Education Equity Act is a broad legislative compromise which includes critical policy requests from both political parties,” the statement read. “This important middle ground truly embodies a good faith effort to listen to both sides and meet in the middle for the kids, teachers, and schools in our state.”

Kan. House approves ed proposal to fund unregulated private schools

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia wants to recover the fragments of a U.S. surveillance drone that American forces brought down in the Black Sea after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">encounter with a Russian fighter jet</a>, a Russian security official said Wednesday.&nbsp;

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed in televised remarks that Tuesday's incident was “another confirmation” of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. He said Russia planned to search for the drone's debris.

“I don’t know if we can recover them or not, but we will certainly have to do that, and we will deal with it,” Patrushev said. “I certainly hope for success.”&nbsp;The downed $32 million U.S. drone, which contains sensitive technology, has not been recovered. However, U.S. officials said Russia has already sent ships to the area and attempted to recover pieces of the drone.

&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">destruction of a U.S. drone</a>&nbsp;over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the drone was flying in international airspace and over international waters when a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of the MQ-Reaper drone.&nbsp;Each Reaper costs about $32 million.

U.S. officials accused Russia of attempting to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle, although its presence over the Black Sea was not an uncommon occurrence.

“It is also not uncommon for the Russians to try to intercept them,” Kirby said, adding that such an encounter “does increase the risk of miscalculations, misunderstandings.”

Kirby said the drone had not yet been recovered and it was unclear whether it would be, but the U.S. “took steps to protect the information and to protect, to minimize any effort by anybody else to exploit that drone for useful content.”

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia has the technological capability to recover the drone’s fragments from deep in the Black Sea.

Earlier Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that Russian jets didn’t use their weapons or impact the U.S. drone.

Peskov described U.S.-Russia relations as being at their lowest point but added that “Russia has never rejected a constructive dialogue, and it’s not rejecting it now.”

At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the intercept by the Russian jet was part of a “pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace.” He said Russia must operate its aircraft in a safe manner.

“Make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows,” Austin said in opening remarks before a virtual meeting of a U.S.-led effort to coordinate Western military support for Ukraine.

While encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft are not unusual — before the invasion of Ukraine, NATO planes were involved in an annual average of 400 intercepts with Russian planes — the war has heightened the significance and potential hazards of such incidents.

“The last thing that we want, certainly the last thing that anybody should want, is for this war in Ukraine to escalate to become something between the United States and Russia, to have this actually ... expand beyond that,” Kirby said, speaking Wednesday on CNN.

The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted Wednesday that the drone incident was "a signal from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone, with drawing other parties in.”

Separately, the U.K. defense ministry said British and German air force fighter jets were scrambled Tuesday to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace. The U.K. and Germany are conducting joint air policing missions in Estonia as part of NATO’s bolstering of its eastern flank.

The defense ministry said the Typhoon jets responded after a Russian air-to-air refueling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The Russian plane did not enter the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member.

On the ground in Ukraine, the fighting ground on. At least three civilians were killed and another 23 wounded in the country by Russian strikes over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine's presidential office said Wednesday morning.

In eastern Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk province, where much of the heaviest fighting has been concentrated, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a total of 14 cities and villages were shelled. That included Kramatorsk, a city where some of Ukraine's military forces are based.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-advance-stalls-ukraine-war-bakhmut-4fc52f849e404265a74509e7e14795f8">In embattled Bakhmut</a>, where Russian forces have pressed a months-long assault to capture the city, Ukrainian forces have successfully fought for northern parts of the city, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.

“There are certain and significant successes of the armed forces of Ukraine who were able to achieve something in the north of the city,” Maliar told Ukrainian television. “Bakhmut is the epicenter (of fighting in the Donestk region), the Russian occupiers are tryng to encircle and seize the city.”

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed and another was wounded in Vovchansk, a city near the border with Russia that is regularly shelled. Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces also hit a civilian area of Kharkiv itself, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

“There is no military or infrastructure facility in the vicinity of the place of the strike,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. “Only residential buildings and urban infrastructure.”

Speaking on Ukrainian television, Terekhov said a boarding school, where only employees were present, had been damaged, as well as an apartment building. No casualties were immediately reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678906088937.png" alt="During a news conference Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said the U.S. knows where the drone landed in the Black Sea" />
 <figcaption>During a news conference Wednesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said the U.S. knows where the drone landed in the Black Sea</figcaption>
 </figure>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia wants to recover the fragments of a U.S. surveillance drone that American forces brought down in the Black Sea after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-kramatorsk-peace-plan-fde09a8ea4d9b692637ad8f76cd05f3a">encounter with a Russian fighter jet</a>, a Russian security official said Wednesday.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> Austin: &quot;I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu. As I&#39;ve said repeatedly, it&#39;s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LPqwdCiPnP">pic.twitter.com/LPqwdCiPnP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1636073165540544512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, claimed in televised remarks that Tuesday's incident was “another confirmation” of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. He said Russia planned to search for the drone's debris.“I don’t know if we can recover them or not, but we will certainly have to do that, and we will deal with it,” Patrushev said. “I certainly hope for success.”&nbsp;The downed $32 million U.S. drone, which contains sensitive technology, has not been recovered. However, U.S. officials said Russia has already sent ships to the area and attempted to recover pieces of the drone.&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-drone-pentagon-9f4b3e8fdd719c0fa91a0683228b9e51">destruction of a U.S. drone</a>&nbsp;over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October.U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the drone was flying in international airspace and over international waters when a Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of the MQ-Reaper drone.&nbsp;Each Reaper costs about $32 million.U.S. officials accused Russia of attempting to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle, although its presence over the Black Sea was not an uncommon occurrence.“It is also not uncommon for the Russians to try to intercept them,” Kirby said, adding that such an encounter “does increase the risk of miscalculations, misunderstandings.”Kirby said the drone had not yet been recovered and it was unclear whether it would be, but the U.S. “took steps to protect the information and to protect, to minimize any effort by anybody else to exploit that drone for useful content.”Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia has the technological capability to recover the drone’s fragments from deep in the Black Sea.Earlier Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that Russian jets didn’t use their weapons or impact the U.S. drone.Peskov described U.S.-Russia relations as being at their lowest point but added that “Russia has never rejected a constructive dialogue, and it’s not rejecting it now.”At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the intercept by the Russian jet was part of a “pattern of aggressive, risky and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace.” He said Russia must operate its aircraft in a safe manner.“Make no mistake, the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows,” Austin said in opening remarks before a virtual meeting of a U.S.-led effort to coordinate Western military support for Ukraine.While encounters between Russian and NATO aircraft are not unusual — before the invasion of Ukraine, NATO planes were involved in an annual average of 400 intercepts with Russian planes — the war has heightened the significance and potential hazards of such incidents.“The last thing that we want, certainly the last thing that anybody should want, is for this war in Ukraine to escalate to become something between the United States and Russia, to have this actually ... expand beyond that,” Kirby said, speaking Wednesday on CNN.The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted Wednesday that the drone incident was "a signal from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that he is ready to expand the conflict zone, with drawing other parties in.”Separately, the U.K. defense ministry said British and German air force fighter jets were scrambled Tuesday to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace. The U.K. and Germany are conducting joint air policing missions in Estonia as part of NATO’s bolstering of its eastern flank.The defense ministry said the Typhoon jets responded after a Russian air-to-air refueling aircraft failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The Russian plane did not enter the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member.On the ground in Ukraine, the fighting ground on. At least three civilians were killed and another 23 wounded in the country by Russian strikes over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine's presidential office said Wednesday morning.In eastern Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk province, where much of the heaviest fighting has been concentrated, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a total of 14 cities and villages were shelled. That included Kramatorsk, a city where some of Ukraine's military forces are based.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-advance-stalls-ukraine-war-bakhmut-4fc52f849e404265a74509e7e14795f8">In embattled Bakhmut</a>, where Russian forces have pressed a months-long assault to capture the city, Ukrainian forces have successfully fought for northern parts of the city, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.“There are certain and significant successes of the armed forces of Ukraine who were able to achieve something in the north of the city,” Maliar told Ukrainian television. “Bakhmut is the epicenter (of fighting in the Donestk region), the Russian occupiers are tryng to encircle and seize the city.”In the northeastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed and another was wounded in Vovchansk, a city near the border with Russia that is regularly shelled. Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces also hit a civilian area of Kharkiv itself, Ukraine’s second-largest city.“There is no military or infrastructure facility in the vicinity of the place of the strike,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. “Only residential buildings and urban infrastructure.”Speaking on Ukrainian television, Terekhov said a boarding school, where only employees were present, had been damaged, as well as an apartment building. No casualties were immediately reported.In the south, Russian forces shelled the city of Kherson seven times in the last 24 hours, hitting an infrastructure facility and residential buildings and wounding four people. In Dnipropetrovsk province, Russian forces shelled Nikopol and Marhanets, towns located across a river from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.