MCPHERSON COUNTY —Workers continue to make progress on the site of the weekend train derailment in McPherson County.

Monday night, Union Pacific completed removal of all of the derailed cars from the right-of-way, and staged them off the site for removal, according to&nbsp;spokesperson Robynn Tyvser.

Crews continue to clean up the site around CHS refinery in McPherson. Union Pacific expects to have the rail line open for business sometime Tuesday, according to Tyvser.

MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Union Pacific officials believe that a broken wheel likely caused this weekend's derailment that spilled denatured alcohol inside a Kansas refinery.

Railroad spokeswoman Kristen South said crews continued to clean up the site of the derailment inside the CHS refinery in McPherson on Monday — one day after 13 cars came off the tracks.

Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash. But South said the McPherson fire department and staff at the refinery were able to quickly contain the spill.

“There is no reason to have cause for concern,” McPherson Fire Chief TJ Wyssmann said. “The product did get into a tributary and we quickly, with some assistance, got the tributary (contained) ... So we stopped that product from getting into Wolf Creek or further from the actual site of the incident.”

By Monday evening, five of the 13 cars that derailed had been cleared from the site, and the railroad's hazardous materials team worked to clean up the alcohol.

South said Union Pacific will report what it found about the broken wheel to the Federal Railroad Administration. She said none of the trackside detectors in the area near the derailment identified any problems beforehand.

Railroad safety has been in the spotlight ever since last month's fiery derailment outside East Palestine, Ohio. The major freight railroads have announced a number of steps they are taking to strengthen the network of detectors alongside tracks they use to spot mechanical problems before they can cause a derailment. But federal regulators have said the railroads need to do more than they have announced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678726069453.png" alt="Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash.-KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash.-KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —Workers continue to make progress on the site of the weekend train derailment in McPherson County.Monday night, Union Pacific completed removal of all of the derailed cars from the right-of-way, and staged them off the site for removal, according to&nbsp;spokesperson Robynn Tyvser.Crews continue to clean up the site around CHS refinery in McPherson. Union Pacific expects to have the rail line open for business sometime Tuesday, according to Tyvser.-------------MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Union Pacific officials believe that a broken wheel likely caused this weekend's derailment that spilled denatured alcohol inside a Kansas refinery.Railroad spokeswoman Kristen South said crews continued to clean up the site of the derailment inside the CHS refinery in McPherson on Monday — one day after 13 cars came off the tracks.Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash. But South said the McPherson fire department and staff at the refinery were able to quickly contain the spill.“There is no reason to have cause for concern,” McPherson Fire Chief TJ Wyssmann said. “The product did get into a tributary and we quickly, with some assistance, got the tributary (contained) ... So we stopped that product from getting into Wolf Creek or further from the actual site of the incident.”By Monday evening, five of the 13 cars that derailed had been cleared from the site, and the railroad's hazardous materials team worked to clean up the alcohol.South said Union Pacific will report what it found about the broken wheel to the Federal Railroad Administration. She said none of the trackside detectors in the area near the derailment identified any problems beforehand.Railroad safety has been in the spotlight ever since last month's fiery derailment outside East Palestine, Ohio. The major freight railroads have announced a number of steps they are taking to strengthen the network of detectors alongside tracks they use to spot mechanical problems before they can cause a derailment. But federal regulators have said the railroads need to do more than they have announced.

All of rail cars moved from site of Kansas derailment

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on multiple allegations after an incident involving a woman and her child.

Just before 11a.m. Monday, police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 3700 block of SW 29th Street in Topeka, according to city spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

 Upon arrival, officers determined that a man later identified as Konner E. Almaraz, 20, of Topeka, had kidnapped a woman.

An infant was involved in the incident, but not kidnapped. Police investigators quickly located the woman and the baby and they were safe.

During the course of the investigation, police located Almaraz&nbsp; in the 3100 block of SW Gainsboro Road.

Almaraz barricaded himself inside a home for about an hour. Police Crisis Negotiators were able to get him to leave the home, and he was taken into custody without incident and&nbsp;booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping, Criminal Restraint, Endangering a Child, Aggravated Domestic Battery, Battery, Intimidation of a Witness, Possession of Opioid, Criminal Damage to Property and Theft.&nbsp; 

Police have not released details on the relationship between Almaraz and the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678756854043.png" alt="Almaraz-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Almaraz-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on multiple allegations after an incident involving a woman and her child.Just before 11a.m. Monday, police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 3700 block of SW 29th Street in Topeka, according to city spokesperson Rosie Nichols. Upon arrival, officers determined that a man later identified as Konner E. Almaraz, 20, of Topeka, had kidnapped a woman.An infant was involved in the incident, but not kidnapped. Police investigators quickly located the woman and the baby and they were safe.During the course of the investigation, police located Almaraz&nbsp; in the 3100 block of SW Gainsboro Road.Almaraz barricaded himself inside a home for about an hour. Police Crisis Negotiators were able to get him to leave the home, and he was taken into custody without incident and&nbsp;booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping, Criminal Restraint, Endangering a Child, Aggravated Domestic Battery, Battery, Intimidation of a Witness, Possession of Opioid, Criminal Damage to Property and Theft.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the relationship between Almaraz and the victim.

Police locate Kansas woman, infant after alleged kidnapping

WASHINGTON (AP) —In 2016, Vice President Joe Biden warned against efforts to unravel banking regulations that Democrats had fought to implement following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">nation’s financial crisis</a>, just as the emerging Trump administration was determined to loosen those strict banking rules.

Biden argued that without the far-reaching 2010 banking overhaul known as Dodd-Frank, financial institutions would continue to gamble with consumers' cash and ultimately hurt the middle class.

“We can’t go back to the days when financial companies take massive risks with the knowledge that a taxpayer bailout is around the corner when they fail,” Biden said in a speech at Georgetown University in the waning days of the Obama administration.

Now there's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">a banking crisis on his watch as president</a>, and Biden is moving aggressively to assure the public that it is contained,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signature-bank-fdic-barney-frank-silicon-valley-6ad86262d9945675a42d735b66ace4f2">bank executives will be fired</a>, deposits are safe and taxpayers aren't on the hook — measures also designed to calm jittery financial markets.

As he contemplates an announcement for a second term, Biden's ability to avert a contagion among financial institutions will test his contention that his administration represents competence and stability in contrast to the the chaos of the Donald Trump years.

His call for additional regulation, though, is likely to run into stiff resistance in the Republican-controlled House and even among some moderate Democratic lawmakers who joined Republicans to loosen some rules in a 2018 law — not to mention criticism from the still-forming 2024 Republican field that has already labeled his actions a bailout by just another name.

Privately, Biden has been adamant that the government's intervention would not be like that of 2008, when Congress authorized billions in taxpayer cash to rescue financial institutions that were deemed too big to fail. That's according to a senior White House official, who was not authorized to describe private discussion by name.

But administration officials believe that this time they had to act substantively despite bad decision-making by bank executives, given the economic risks and the potential impact on customers who did nothing wrong.

Unlike in 2008, Biden was insistent that bank executives had to pay a price, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

“The management of these banks will be fired,” Biden declared Monday. If an institution is taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., “the people running the bank should not work there anymore.”

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

On Monday, Biden also stressed that taxpayers will not bear the cost of his administration's penalties on the two failed banks, instead tapping into an insurance fund that is paid for by bank fees. And while customers and small businesses who stashed their money with the penalized banks would be protected, Biden emphasized that investors would not.

“They knowingly took a risk and when the risk didn’t pay off, investors lose their money,” Biden said. “That’s how capitalism works.”

California Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, said that Biden, like others, cannot ignore the lessons of the 2008 financial collapse and that having endured it firsthand, the president was well aware of the stakes. In conversations over the weekend, the White House assured her he was on top of it.

“I think that his main concern was how to, No. 1, take care of the depositors and avoid contagion so that we would not basically, seriously, disrupt the banking system in this country," Waters said.

Regulators put Silicon Valley Bank under FDIC control on Friday afternoon after panicked depositors rushed to withdraw all their funds within a matter of hours. That's a bank run. Top administration officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed that they were monitoring the situation, as reports of companies struggling to figure out how to manage their finances amid the two banks' shutdown rippled throughout the media and threatened regional banks around the country.

By Sunday night, Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC announced that all Silicon Valley Bank clients would be able to access their money, as would depositors from Signature Bank in New York, which similarly failed and would be taken over by state regulators. As administration officials were working behind the scenes, Biden was regularly briefed by his chief of staff, Jeff Zients, National Economic Council director Lael Brainard and Yellen throughout the weekend, according to the White House.

Biden also spoke with outside economists, although the White House declined to identify them.

Administration officials also worked to brief lawmakers over the weekend, although several Republicans were left off a call for senators with Treasury and FDIC officials on Sunday night. After Republicans protested publicly, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pointed out to Treasury that GOP senators were excluded, the administration quickly convened a separate briefing for Senate Republicans on Monday afternoon.

There, several GOP senators conveyed their concerns to administration officials that Silicon Valley executives were being rescued in a way that could ultimately harm community banks in their home states, according to a person with knowledge of the call who was granted anonymity to discuss a private conversation. That would be because these banks would be assessed new fees to replenish the insurance fund that the administration tapped to aid the two failed banks' depositors.

Indeed, the political specter of the word “bailout” will linger over the White House for some time.

Republicans angling for the 2024 presidential nomination are already arguing that customers will ultimately bear the costs of the government's actions even if taxpayer funds weren't directly used. Some economists believe more fees levied on banks will just get passed onto consumers, such as increased rates for loans.

“Joe Biden is pretending this isn’t a bailout. It is," former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said, arguing that depositors at other banks now are “forced to subsidize Silicon Valley Bank’s mismanagement” and that bank customers will ultimately be responsible for the costs if the insurance fund is drained.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee who is eyeing a presidential bid, also criticized what he called a “culture of government intervention,” arguing that it incentivizes banks to continue risky behavior if they know federal agencies will ultimately rescue them.

White House and other administration officials are insisting their actions are not a bailout. But Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff said while he agrees that the government is rightly protecting the two banks' depositors, the money spent to make them whole is “certainly a bailout.”

“The government swore after the financial crisis it was not going to bail out uninsured depositors and it was not going to bail out money funds," Rogoff said. "It basically, as I understand it, is guaranteeing everything. So that’s certainly a bailout.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678567122405.png" alt="-Regulators put Silicon Valley Bank under FDIC control on Friday-The bank's branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image" />
 <figcaption>-Regulators put Silicon Valley Bank under FDIC control on Friday-The bank's branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —In 2016, Vice President Joe Biden warned against efforts to unravel banking regulations that Democrats had fought to implement following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">nation’s financial crisis</a>, just as the emerging Trump administration was determined to loosen those strict banking rules.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FDIC will bail out Silicon Valley billionaires, forcing community bankers in Kansas to pay for the abysmal failures of a woke California bank. What kind of precedent is that? Why do we even have a limit on FDIC insurance if we simply ignore it when times get tough?&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1635359949080637441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden argued that without the far-reaching 2010 banking overhaul known as Dodd-Frank, financial institutions would continue to gamble with consumers' cash and ultimately hurt the middle class.“We can’t go back to the days when financial companies take massive risks with the knowledge that a taxpayer bailout is around the corner when they fail,” Biden said in a speech at Georgetown University in the waning days of the Obama administration.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let me be clear. I will vote NO on any bill to bailout Silicon Valley Bank.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1635374515550302208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Now there's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/banks-federal-reserve-silicon-valley-lending-rescue-a04875a164165b50e971ff4576bf4e27">a banking crisis on his watch as president</a>, and Biden is moving aggressively to assure the public that it is contained,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/signature-bank-fdic-barney-frank-silicon-valley-6ad86262d9945675a42d735b66ace4f2">bank executives will be fired</a>, deposits are safe and taxpayers aren't on the hook — measures also designed to calm jittery financial markets.As he contemplates an announcement for a second term, Biden's ability to avert a contagion among financial institutions will test his contention that his administration represents competence and stability in contrast to the the chaos of the Donald Trump years.His call for additional regulation, though, is likely to run into stiff resistance in the Republican-controlled House and even among some moderate Democratic lawmakers who joined Republicans to loosen some rules in a 2018 law — not to mention criticism from the still-forming 2024 Republican field that has already labeled his actions a bailout by just another name.Privately, Biden has been adamant that the government's intervention would not be like that of 2008, when Congress authorized billions in taxpayer cash to rescue financial institutions that were deemed too big to fail. That's according to a senior White House official, who was not authorized to describe private discussion by name.But administration officials believe that this time they had to act substantively despite bad decision-making by bank executives, given the economic risks and the potential impact on customers who did nothing wrong.Unlike in 2008, Biden was insistent that bank executives had to pay a price, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.“The management of these banks will be fired,” Biden declared Monday. If an institution is taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., “the people running the bank should not work there anymore.”(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F241554121562075%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=4" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Monday, Biden also stressed that taxpayers will not bear the cost of his administration's penalties on the two failed banks, instead tapping into an insurance fund that is paid for by bank fees. And while customers and small businesses who stashed their money with the penalized banks would be protected, Biden emphasized that investors would not.“They knowingly took a risk and when the risk didn’t pay off, investors lose their money,” Biden said. “That’s how capitalism works.”California Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, said that Biden, like others, cannot ignore the lessons of the 2008 financial collapse and that having endured it firsthand, the president was well aware of the stakes. In conversations over the weekend, the White House assured her he was on top of it.“I think that his main concern was how to, No. 1, take care of the depositors and avoid contagion so that we would not basically, seriously, disrupt the banking system in this country," Waters said.Regulators put Silicon Valley Bank under FDIC control on Friday afternoon after panicked depositors rushed to withdraw all their funds within a matter of hours. That's a bank run. Top administration officials including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed that they were monitoring the situation, as reports of companies struggling to figure out how to manage their finances amid the two banks' shutdown rippled throughout the media and threatened regional banks around the country.By Sunday night, Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC announced that all Silicon Valley Bank clients would be able to access their money, as would depositors from Signature Bank in New York, which similarly failed and would be taken over by state regulators. As administration officials were working behind the scenes, Biden was regularly briefed by his chief of staff, Jeff Zients, National Economic Council director Lael Brainard and Yellen throughout the weekend, according to the White House.Biden also spoke with outside economists, although the White House declined to identify them.Administration officials also worked to brief lawmakers over the weekend, although several Republicans were left off a call for senators with Treasury and FDIC officials on Sunday night. After Republicans protested publicly, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pointed out to Treasury that GOP senators were excluded, the administration quickly convened a separate briefing for Senate Republicans on Monday afternoon.There, several GOP senators conveyed their concerns to administration officials that Silicon Valley executives were being rescued in a way that could ultimately harm community banks in their home states, according to a person with knowledge of the call who was granted anonymity to discuss a private conversation. That would be because these banks would be assessed new fees to replenish the insurance fund that the administration tapped to aid the two failed banks' depositors.Indeed, the political specter of the word “bailout” will linger over the White House for some time.Republicans angling for the 2024 presidential nomination are already arguing that customers will ultimately bear the costs of the government's actions even if taxpayer funds weren't directly used. Some economists believe more fees levied on banks will just get passed onto consumers, such as increased rates for loans.“Joe Biden is pretending this isn’t a bailout. It is," former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said, arguing that depositors at other banks now are “forced to subsidize Silicon Valley Bank’s mismanagement” and that bank customers will ultimately be responsible for the costs if the insurance fund is drained.Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee who is eyeing a presidential bid, also criticized what he called a “culture of government intervention,” arguing that it incentivizes banks to continue risky behavior if they know federal agencies will ultimately rescue them.White House and other administration officials are insisting their actions are not a bailout. But Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff said while he agrees that the government is rightly protecting the two banks' depositors, the money spent to make them whole is “certainly a bailout.”“The government swore after the financial crisis it was not going to bail out uninsured depositors and it was not going to bail out money funds," Rogoff said. "It basically, as I understand it, is guaranteeing everything. So that’s certainly a bailout.”

Marshall: FDIC response to bank chaos will impact Kan. bankers

SYRIA—Authorities are investigating an attack U.S. Forces in Syria. Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, two rockets landed near coalition forces at Mission Support site Green Village in Northeast Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

No U.S. or Coalition troops were killed or injured. There was no damage to coalition infrastructure or equipment.

U.S. Forces found rocket debris at the point of impact. There were no claims of responsibility late Monday, according to the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp; &nbsp;The U.S. reported similar attacks in October, November and February.

SYRIA—Authorities are investigating an attack U.S. Forces in Syria. Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, two rockets landed near coalition forces at Mission Support site Green Village in Northeast Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.No U.S. or Coalition troops were killed or injured. There was no damage to coalition infrastructure or equipment.U.S. Forces found rocket debris at the point of impact. There were no claims of responsibility late Monday, according to the U.S. Central Command.&nbsp; &nbsp;The U.S. reported similar attacks in October, November and February.

Another rocket attack targets US base in Syria

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday after police fired tear gas into the home, and arrested the man when he came outside.

The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the shooting happened after the officers went into the convenience store to arrest 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County on multiple outstanding warrants. Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mitchell said the officers were shot in an altercation inside the store. Authorities wouldn't say if either officer returned fire.

Simpson left the store, and authorities weren't initially sure where he went. By early Monday, police surrounded a home along Highway 19 not far from the shooting site. TV video at midday showed a police robot being used to pull off the front screen door, then a drone was sent in.

The patrol confirmed Monday afternoon that Simpson was taken into custody after a police tactical team fired tear gas into a house, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Robert Koerber, who was Hermann’s mayor when Griffith was hired seven years ago, told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-man-sought-after-one-hermann-mo-policeman-killed-another-injured/article_78c79bd3-ba93-5ce6-a7c3-b3f26cf0a920.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_stltoday">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;that Griffith was a natural as a police officer, someone people trusted.

“He was one of my favorite officers because he had such an easy and effective style,” Koerber said. “He seemed to take a personal interest in people. He was interested in whatever your problem was.”

Online Missouri court records show Simpson has a long history of criminal charges involving drugs, weapons offenses, assault and property damage. A St. Louis County judge issued a warrant for Simpson's arrest in August when he failed to show up in court in a drug possession case.

Hermann is town known for its annual German festivals is the county seat of Gasconade County. The local school district canceled classes Monday as a precaution.

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday after police fired tear gas into the home, and arrested the man when he came outside.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678723793658.png" alt="Simpson-photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Simpson-photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the shooting happened after the officers went into the convenience store to arrest 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County on multiple outstanding warrants. Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mitchell said the officers were shot in an altercation inside the store. Authorities wouldn't say if either officer returned fire.Simpson left the store, and authorities weren't initially sure where he went. By early Monday, police surrounded a home along Highway 19 not far from the shooting site. TV video at midday showed a police robot being used to pull off the front screen door, then a drone was sent in.The patrol confirmed Monday afternoon that Simpson was taken into custody after a police tactical team fired tear gas into a house, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.Robert Koerber, who was Hermann’s mayor when Griffith was hired seven years ago, told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-man-sought-after-one-hermann-mo-policeman-killed-another-injured/article_78c79bd3-ba93-5ce6-a7c3-b3f26cf0a920.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_stltoday">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;that Griffith was a natural as a police officer, someone people trusted.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678710817088.png" alt="Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“He was one of my favorite officers because he had such an easy and effective style,” Koerber said. “He seemed to take a personal interest in people. He was interested in whatever your problem was.”Online Missouri court records show Simpson has a long history of criminal charges involving drugs, weapons offenses, assault and property damage. A St. Louis County judge issued a warrant for Simpson's arrest in August when he failed to show up in court in a drug possession case.Hermann is town known for its annual German festivals is the county seat of Gasconade County. The local school district canceled classes Monday as a precaution.

Police detail how they forced alleged Mo. cop killer from home

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two large banks that cater to the tech industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">collapsed after a bank run</a>, government agencies are taking emergency measures to backstop the financial system, and President Joe Biden is reassuring Americans that the money they have in banks is safe.

It's all eerily reminiscent of the financial meltdown that began with the bursting of the housing bubble 15 years ago. Yet the initial pace this time around seems even faster.

Over the last three days, the U.S. seized the two financial institutions after a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California. It was the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual went under in 2008.

How did we get here? And will the steps the government unveiled over the weekend be enough?

Here are some questions and answers about what has happened and why it matters:

Silicon Valley Bank had already been hit hard by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-snap-inc-amazoncom-business-5012d95678b50f699498cb11b5f3913d">rough patch for technology companies</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive plan to increase interest rates to combat inflation compounded its problems.

The bank held billions of dollars worth of Treasuries and other bonds, which is typical for most banks as they are considered safe investments. However, the value of previously issued bonds has begun to fall because they pay lower interest rates than comparable bonds issued in today’s higher interest rate environment.

That's usually not an issue either because bonds are considered long term investments and banks are not required to book declining values until they are sold. Such bonds are not sold for a loss unless there is an emergency and the bank needs cash.

Silicon Valley, the bank that collapsed Friday, had an emergency. Its customers were largely startups and other tech-centric companies that needed more cash over the past year, so they began withdrawing their deposits. That forced the bank to sell a chunk of its bonds at a steep loss, and the pace of those withdrawals accelerated as word spread, effectively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">rendering Silicon Valley Bank insolvent</a>.

The Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-yellen-deposits-failure-94f2185742981daf337c4691bbb9ec1e">guarantee all deposits</a>&nbsp;at Silicon Valley Bank, as well as at New York's Signature Bank, which was seized on Sunday. Critically, they agreed to guarantee all deposits, above and beyond the limit on insured deposits of $250,000.

Many of Silicon Valley's startup tech customers and venture capitalists had far more than $250,000 at the bank. As a result, as much as 90% of Silicon Valley's deposits were uninsured. Without the government's decision to backstop them all, many companies would have lost funds needed to meet payroll, pay bills, and keep the lights on.

The goal of the expanded guarantees is to avert bank runs — where customers rush to remove their money — by establishing the Fed’s commitment to protecting the deposits of businesses and individuals and calming nerves after a harrowing few days.

Also late Sunday, the Federal Reserve initiated a broad emergency lending program intended to shore up confidence in the nation’s financial system.

Banks will be allowed to borrow money straight from the Fed in order to cover any potential rush of customer withdrawals without being forced into the type of money-losing bond sales that would threaten their financial stability. Such fire sales are what caused Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.

If all works as planned, the emergency lending program may not actually have to lend much money. Rather, it will reassure the public that the Fed will cover their deposits and that it is willing to lend big to do so. There is no cap on the amount that banks can borrow, other than their ability to provide collateral.

Unlike its more byzantine efforts to rescue the banking system during the financial crisis of 2007-08, the Fed's approach this time is relatively straightforward. It has set up a new lending facility with the bureaucratic moniker, “Bank Term Funding Program.”

The program will provide loans to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions for up to a year. The banks are being asked to post Treasuries and other government-backed bonds as collateral.

The Fed is being generous in its terms: It will charge a relatively low interest rate — just 0.1 percentage points higher than market rates — and it will lend against the face value of the bonds, rather than the market value. Lending against the face value of bonds is a key provision that will allow banks to borrow more money because the value of those bonds, at least on paper, has fallen as interest rates have moved higher.

As of the end of last year U.S. banks held Treasuries and other securities with about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">$620 billion of unrealized losses</a>, according to the FDIC. That means they would take huge losses if forced to sell those securities to cover a rush of withdrawals.

HOW DID THE BANKS END UP WITH SUCH BIG LOSSES?

Ironically, a big chunk of that $620 billion in unrealized losses can be tied to the Federal Reserve's own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-inflation-rates-economy-debt-89c49a1032527f2d2f1d6d674bafe187">interest-rate policies over the past year</a>.

In its fight to cool the economy and bring down inflation, the Fed has rapidly pushed up its benchmark interest rate from nearly zero to about 4.6%. That has indirectly lifted the yield, or interest paid, on a range of government bonds, particularly two-year Treasuries, which topped 5% until the end of last week.

When new bonds arrive with higher interest rates, it makes existing bonds with lower yields much less valuable if they must be sold. Banks are not forced to recognize such losses on their books until they sell those assets, which Silicon Valley was forced to do.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES?

They're very important. Legally, the FDIC is required to pursue the cheapest route when winding down a bank. In the case of Silicon Valley or Signature, that would have meant sticking to rules on the books, meaning that only the first $250,000 in depositors' accounts would be covered.

Going beyond the $250,000 cap required a decision that the failure of the two banks posed a “systemic risk." The Fed's six-member board unanimously reached that conclusion. The FDIC and the Treasury Secretary went along with the decision as well.

WILL THESE PROGRAMS SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS?

The U.S. says that guaranteeing the deposits won't require any taxpayer funds. Instead, any losses from the FDIC's insurance fund would be replenished by a levying an additional fee on banks.

Yet Krishna Guha, an analyst with the investment bank Evercore ISI, said that political opponents will argue that the higher FDIC fees will “ultimately fall on small banks and Main Street business.” That, in theory, could cost consumers and businesses in the long run.

Guha and other analysts say that the government's response is expansive and should stabilize the banking system, though share prices for medium-sized banks, similar to Silicon Valley and Signature, plunged Monday.

“We think the double-barreled bazooka should be enough to quell potential runs at other regional banks and restore relative stability in the days ahead,” Guha wrote in a note to clients.

Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said the Fed's lending program means banks should be able to "ride out the storm.”

Yet Ashworth also added a note of caution: “Rationally, this should be enough to stop any contagion from spreading and taking down more banks ... but contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678567122405.png" alt="Silicon Vally Bank branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Silicon Vally Bank branch in Santa Clara, California -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Two large banks that cater to the tech industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">collapsed after a bank run</a>, government agencies are taking emergency measures to backstop the financial system, and President Joe Biden is reassuring Americans that the money they have in banks is safe.It's all eerily reminiscent of the financial meltdown that began with the bursting of the housing bubble 15 years ago. Yet the initial pace this time around seems even faster.Over the last three days, the U.S. seized the two financial institutions after a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California. It was the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual went under in 2008.How did we get here? And will the steps the government unveiled over the weekend be enough?Here are some questions and answers about what has happened and why it matters:WHY DID SILICON VALLEY BANK FAIL?Silicon Valley Bank had already been hit hard by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-snap-inc-amazoncom-business-5012d95678b50f699498cb11b5f3913d">rough patch for technology companies</a>&nbsp;in recent months and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive plan to increase interest rates to combat inflation compounded its problems.The bank held billions of dollars worth of Treasuries and other bonds, which is typical for most banks as they are considered safe investments. However, the value of previously issued bonds has begun to fall because they pay lower interest rates than comparable bonds issued in today’s higher interest rate environment.That's usually not an issue either because bonds are considered long term investments and banks are not required to book declining values until they are sold. Such bonds are not sold for a loss unless there is an emergency and the bank needs cash.Silicon Valley, the bank that collapsed Friday, had an emergency. Its customers were largely startups and other tech-centric companies that needed more cash over the past year, so they began withdrawing their deposits. That forced the bank to sell a chunk of its bonds at a steep loss, and the pace of those withdrawals accelerated as word spread, effectively&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-fed-bonds-rates-banks-inflation-a24b28b3caeede91c76cd120aa9b7966">rendering Silicon Valley Bank insolvent</a>.WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT DO SUNDAY?The Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury Department, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-bailout-yellen-deposits-failure-94f2185742981daf337c4691bbb9ec1e">guarantee all deposits</a>&nbsp;at Silicon Valley Bank, as well as at New York's Signature Bank, which was seized on Sunday. Critically, they agreed to guarantee all deposits, above and beyond the limit on insured deposits of $250,000.Many of Silicon Valley's startup tech customers and venture capitalists had far more than $250,000 at the bank. As a result, as much as 90% of Silicon Valley's deposits were uninsured. Without the government's decision to backstop them all, many companies would have lost funds needed to meet payroll, pay bills, and keep the lights on.The goal of the expanded guarantees is to avert bank runs — where customers rush to remove their money — by establishing the Fed’s commitment to protecting the deposits of businesses and individuals and calming nerves after a harrowing few days.Also late Sunday, the Federal Reserve initiated a broad emergency lending program intended to shore up confidence in the nation’s financial system.Banks will be allowed to borrow money straight from the Fed in order to cover any potential rush of customer withdrawals without being forced into the type of money-losing bond sales that would threaten their financial stability. Such fire sales are what caused Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.If all works as planned, the emergency lending program may not actually have to lend much money. Rather, it will reassure the public that the Fed will cover their deposits and that it is willing to lend big to do so. There is no cap on the amount that banks can borrow, other than their ability to provide collateral.HOW IS THE PROGRAM INTENDED TO WORK?Unlike its more byzantine efforts to rescue the banking system during the financial crisis of 2007-08, the Fed's approach this time is relatively straightforward. It has set up a new lending facility with the bureaucratic moniker, “Bank Term Funding Program.”The program will provide loans to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions for up to a year. The banks are being asked to post Treasuries and other government-backed bonds as collateral.The Fed is being generous in its terms: It will charge a relatively low interest rate — just 0.1 percentage points higher than market rates — and it will lend against the face value of the bonds, rather than the market value. Lending against the face value of bonds is a key provision that will allow banks to borrow more money because the value of those bonds, at least on paper, has fallen as interest rates have moved higher.As of the end of last year U.S. banks held Treasuries and other securities with about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-uk-bailout-hsbc-sale-4d2da0e9c6f39c0fd8faf321a2b295cf">$620 billion of unrealized losses</a>, according to the FDIC. That means they would take huge losses if forced to sell those securities to cover a rush of withdrawals.HOW DID THE BANKS END UP WITH SUCH BIG LOSSES?Ironically, a big chunk of that $620 billion in unrealized losses can be tied to the Federal Reserve's own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-powell-inflation-rates-economy-debt-89c49a1032527f2d2f1d6d674bafe187">interest-rate policies over the past year</a>.In its fight to cool the economy and bring down inflation, the Fed has rapidly pushed up its benchmark interest rate from nearly zero to about 4.6%. That has indirectly lifted the yield, or interest paid, on a range of government bonds, particularly two-year Treasuries, which topped 5% until the end of last week.When new bonds arrive with higher interest rates, it makes existing bonds with lower yields much less valuable if they must be sold. Banks are not forced to recognize such losses on their books until they sell those assets, which Silicon Valley was forced to do.HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES?They're very important. Legally, the FDIC is required to pursue the cheapest route when winding down a bank. In the case of Silicon Valley or Signature, that would have meant sticking to rules on the books, meaning that only the first $250,000 in depositors' accounts would be covered.Going beyond the $250,000 cap required a decision that the failure of the two banks posed a “systemic risk." The Fed's six-member board unanimously reached that conclusion. The FDIC and the Treasury Secretary went along with the decision as well.WILL THESE PROGRAMS SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS?The U.S. says that guaranteeing the deposits won't require any taxpayer funds. Instead, any losses from the FDIC's insurance fund would be replenished by a levying an additional fee on banks.Yet Krishna Guha, an analyst with the investment bank Evercore ISI, said that political opponents will argue that the higher FDIC fees will “ultimately fall on small banks and Main Street business.” That, in theory, could cost consumers and businesses in the long run.WILL IT ALL WORK?Guha and other analysts say that the government's response is expansive and should stabilize the banking system, though share prices for medium-sized banks, similar to Silicon Valley and Signature, plunged Monday.“We think the double-barreled bazooka should be enough to quell potential runs at other regional banks and restore relative stability in the days ahead,” Guha wrote in a note to clients.Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said the Fed's lending program means banks should be able to "ride out the storm.”“These are strong moves,” he said.Yet Ashworth also added a note of caution: “Rationally, this should be enough to stop any contagion from spreading and taking down more banks ... but contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work.”

After two historic US bank failures, here’s what comes next

MANHATTAN—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.

Just before 3:30 p.m. Monday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire at 1127 Yuma Street, according to&nbsp;Deputy Chief Ryan Almes,

 Upon arrival, fire companies found the home with smoke and fire showing from a window. Firefighters made entry into the home and contained the fire within 10 minutes. 

&nbsp;Two dogs were outside of the residence when companies arrived, another dog was rescued by firefighters, and two dogs were found deceased inside the home.&nbsp; The residents were not home at the time of the fire. The building is a one-story, single-family residence. Loss is estimated at $8000 to contents and $25,000 to the structure.&nbsp;The residents are able to remain in the home due to damage being limited to a single bedroom that had the door closed during the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The owner is listed as Gerald and Diane Haug of Manhattan. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678753696958.png" alt="Photo Manhattan Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Manhattan Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN—Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Manhattan.Just before 3:30 p.m. Monday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire at 1127 Yuma Street, according to&nbsp;Deputy Chief Ryan Almes, Upon arrival, fire companies found the home with smoke and fire showing from a window. Firefighters made entry into the home and contained the fire within 10 minutes. &nbsp;Two dogs were outside of the residence when companies arrived, another dog was rescued by firefighters, and two dogs were found deceased inside the home.&nbsp; The residents were not home at the time of the fire. The building is a one-story, single-family residence. Loss is estimated at $8000 to contents and $25,000 to the structure.&nbsp;The residents are able to remain in the home due to damage being limited to a single bedroom that had the door closed during the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;The owner is listed as Gerald and Diane Haug of Manhattan. The fire's cause is under investigation at this time.

2 dogs die in Kansas house fire

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678726069453.png" alt="Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash.-KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash.-KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Union Pacific officials believe that a broken wheel likely caused this weekend's derailment that spilled denatured alcohol inside a Kansas refinery.Railroad spokeswoman Kristen South said crews continued to clean up the site of the derailment inside the CHS refinery in McPherson on Monday — one day after 13 cars came off the tracks.Two of the derailed cars leaked alcohol into a ditch after the Sunday morning crash. But South said the McPherson fire department and staff at the refinery were able to quickly contain the spill.“There is no reason to have cause for concern,” McPherson Fire Chief TJ Wyssmann said. “The product did get into a tributary and we quickly, with some assistance, got the tributary (contained) ... So we stopped that product from getting into Wolf Creek or further from the actual site of the incident.”By Monday evening, five of the 13 cars that derailed had been cleared from the site, and the railroad's hazardous materials team worked to clean up the alcohol.South said Union Pacific will report what it found about the broken wheel to the Federal Railroad Administration. She said none of the trackside detectors in the area near the derailment identified any problems beforehand.Railroad safety has been in the spotlight ever since last month's fiery derailment outside East Palestine, Ohio. The major freight railroads have announced a number of steps they are taking to strengthen the network of detectors alongside tracks they use to spot mechanical problems before they can cause a derailment. But federal regulators have said the railroads need to do more than they have announced.

Railroad: Broken wheel likely caused Kansas derailment

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of abusing babies at a day care where she worked has admitted she committed the crime.

On Thursday, Rachel Beth Schrader, 24, pled guilty to four counts of abuse of a child under the age of 6, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

&nbsp;According to court records, surveillance video captured Schrader abusing babies more than 170 times, including by shaking and slapping them. 

The affidavit describes her kicking a child square in the chest in one instance, causing him to fall backward and smack his head. In a police interview, Schrader acknowledged “losing her patience” on March 26, 2022 but said that was the only time.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624041740593.png" alt="Schrader photo Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Schrader photo Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of abusing babies at a day care where she worked has admitted she committed the crime.On Thursday, Rachel Beth Schrader, 24, pled guilty to four counts of abuse of a child under the age of 6, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;According to court records, surveillance video captured Schrader abusing babies more than 170 times, including by shaking and slapping them. The affidavit describes her kicking a child square in the chest in one instance, causing him to fall backward and smack his head. In a police interview, Schrader acknowledged “losing her patience” on March 26, 2022 but said that was the only time.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sentencing is scheduled for May 3, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. daycare worker caught on video abusing kids enters plea

PAWNEE COUNTY— A jury in Pawnee County on Friday found 39-year-old Justin W. Hammond of Larned guilty on four counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child; sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age, and one count of Indecent Liberties with a Child; lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, according to County Attorney Doug McNett.

The crimes occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.

Hammond testified on his own behalf during the five day trial. The jury deliberated four hours Friday evening before returning the verdict.&nbsp;

Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman advised Hammond of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and remanded the defendant into the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Hammond faces a presumptive prison sentence between 59 months and 247 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598462828879.png" alt="Hammond-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hammond-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY— A jury in Pawnee County on Friday found 39-year-old Justin W. Hammond of Larned guilty on four counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberty with a Child; sexual intercourse with a child 14 or 15 years of age, and one count of Indecent Liberties with a Child; lewd fondling of child 14 or 15 years of age, according to County Attorney Doug McNett.The crimes occurred in Pawnee County between July 8, and December 15, 2018. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation following a referral by the Pawnee County Sheriff.Hammond testified on his own behalf during the five day trial. The jury deliberated four hours Friday evening before returning the verdict.&nbsp;Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman advised Hammond of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and remanded the defendant into the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Hammond faces a presumptive prison sentence between 59 months and 247 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history.

Jury: Kansas man guilty of sex crimes involving teen

WICHITA —Steven Dettelbach, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined Director of Bureau of Justice Assistance Director Karhlton Moore and Senator JerryMoran to announce construction of a new ATF Forensics Laboratory on the gourds of Wichita State University's Innovation Campus. 

“The future of fighting violent crime in this country is going to come straight through Wichita," according to a statement from Dettelbach.

"A new laboratory has been paid for, is being designed and will be built," U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said. "What takes place there is ballistics," Moran said. "The shell casings that come out of a crime scene, new technologies now allow the detection and analysis of DNA from those casings, so a whole new opportunity for ATF to provide better information to solve crimes."

"Also, there's something called correlation, which is the computer programming that can put the evidence together and do the analysis to figure out what gun or person it comes from, they're going to do correlation as the second center of that in the country."

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is pleased that giving law enforcement everywhere these tools will allow them to better catch the bad guys, while leaving responsible gun owners alone.

"The better we can be in law enforcement at finding out who the bad guy is that pulled the trigger, the less impetus there will be for laws that overreach into regular citizens lives," Kobach said. 

"In my view, let's make law enforcement as effective as possible. That will address the violent crimes we see all across the country. Let's not just pass more laws that restrict the freedoms of ordinary people. Let's catch the bad guys faster and more efficiently and that will be better for all of us."

The leads created by NIBIN matching are used to help solve homicides, attempted homicides, robberies and other shooting incidents.

The lab is expected to create 100 new jobs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678743215374.png" alt="The new lab will support ATF's capabilities across the nation-photo courtesy Senator Moran who attended the announcement on Monday" />
 <figcaption>The new lab will support ATF's capabilities across the nation-photo courtesy Senator Moran who attended the announcement on Monday</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —Steven Dettelbach, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined Director of Bureau of Justice Assistance Director Karhlton Moore and Senator JerryMoran to announce construction of a new ATF Forensics Laboratory on the gourds of Wichita State University's Innovation Campus. “The future of fighting violent crime in this country is going to come straight through Wichita," according to a statement from Dettelbach. "A new laboratory has been paid for, is being designed and will be built," U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran said. "What takes place there is ballistics," Moran said. "The shell casings that come out of a crime scene, new technologies now allow the detection and analysis of DNA from those casings, so a whole new opportunity for ATF to provide better information to solve crimes.""Also, there's something called correlation, which is the computer programming that can put the evidence together and do the analysis to figure out what gun or person it comes from, they're going to do correlation as the second center of that in the country." Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is pleased that giving law enforcement everywhere these tools will allow them to better catch the bad guys, while leaving responsible gun owners alone. "The better we can be in law enforcement at finding out who the bad guy is that pulled the trigger, the less impetus there will be for laws that overreach into regular citizens lives," Kobach said. "In my view, let's make law enforcement as effective as possible. That will address the violent crimes we see all across the country. Let's not just pass more laws that restrict the freedoms of ordinary people. Let's catch the bad guys faster and more efficiently and that will be better for all of us." The leads created by NIBIN matching are used to help solve homicides, attempted homicides, robberies and other shooting incidents.The lab is expected to create 100 new jobs.

New ATF forensics lab in Kansas will help solve gun crimes

BUTLER COUNTY — Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate&nbsp; at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

On Monday, 35-year-old Marcos Issac Delarosa&nbsp;was found unresponsive in his housing unit, according to a media release from the facility. Staff began life-saving measures and continued after emergency medical services arrived.

&nbsp;Delarosa was serving a 116-month sentence on convictions in Ford County of three counts of possession of drugs, two counts of intent to sell drugs, and three counts of felony weapon possession, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

An independent autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678744315958.png" alt="Delarosa- KDOC photo from 2019" />
 <figcaption>Delarosa- KDOC photo from 2019</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY — Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate&nbsp; at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.On Monday, 35-year-old Marcos Issac Delarosa&nbsp;was found unresponsive in his housing unit, according to a media release from the facility. Staff began life-saving measures and continued after emergency medical services arrived.&nbsp;Delarosa was serving a 116-month sentence on convictions in Ford County of three counts of possession of drugs, two counts of intent to sell drugs, and three counts of felony weapon possession, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.An independent autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.

Inmate serving time for SW Kan. drug crimes dies in prison

HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday when the man came out of a home that had been surrounded by police.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has not released information about what led to the shooting. It wasn't clear if the officers returned fire. The patrol identified the suspect as 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County.

By early Tuesday, police surrounded a home along Highway 19 not far from the shooting site. TV video at midday showed a police robot being used to pull off the front screen door, then a drone was sent in.

The patrol confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the suspect was taken into custody after exiting the home. No other information was immediately released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678710817088.png" alt="Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith-photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith-photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>HERMANN, Mo. (AP) — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday when the man came out of a home that had been surrounded by police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678704628117.png" alt="Suspect Kenneth Lee Simpson -as seen on security camera" />
 <figcaption>Suspect Kenneth Lee Simpson -as seen on security camera</figcaption>
 </figure>The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and Officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol has not released information about what led to the shooting. It wasn't clear if the officers returned fire. The patrol identified the suspect as 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BLUE ALERT 2023-2 CANCELLED: SUSPECT HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY <a href="https://t.co/sHfochH1g3">pic.twitter.com/sHfochH1g3</a>&mdash; Missouri State Highway Patrol Alerts (@MSHPAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPAlerts/status/1635358273657516033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>By early Tuesday, police surrounded a home along Highway 19 not far from the shooting site. TV video at midday showed a police robot being used to pull off the front screen door, then a drone was sent in.The patrol confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the suspect was taken into custody after exiting the home. No other information was immediately released.Robert Koerber, who was Hermann’s mayor when Griffith was hired seven years ago, told the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-man-sought-after-one-hermann-mo-policeman-killed-another-injured/article_78c79bd3-ba93-5ce6-a7c3-b3f26cf0a920.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_stltoday">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;that Griffith was a natural as a police officer, someone people trusted.“He was one of my favorite officers because he had such an easy and effective style,” Koerber said. “He seemed to take a personal interest in people. He was interested in whatever your problem was.”Online Missouri court records show Simpson has a long history of criminal charges involving drugs, weapons offenses, assault and property damage. A St. Louis County judge issued a warrant for Simpson's arrest in August when he failed to show up in court in a drug possession case.Hermann is town known for its annual German festivals is the county seat of Gasconade County. The local school district canceled classes Monday as a precaution.___

Suspect caught in shooting that left Mo. officer dead, 1 hurt

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN - Riley County Police Department is asking for assistance from the community to identify a man, who was seen running from the area of Sunset Zoo following the <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/1461c288-08a6-43ec-825f-b95b692ba92f">March 6, 2023 shooting.</a>

RCPD officers would like to speak to the man in regards to his possible involvement in the <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/8ce86ab1-c043-4736-9e97-092b57786a8c">incident that injured a 23-year-old Manhattan man</a>.

Anyone with&nbsp;

any information about the identity of this person or the shooting please call us at (785) 537-2112 or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MHKCrimeStoppers?__cft__[0]=AZWsdb9X5ZAEMWvoBXmVfnc4Bu8oC-rQUog0zWJw2dliUod2WHWQQ0jaVEH4gkn1U9YwA7BGV5RovY3SWKITZTZjnUDdD52Kw0szvmmvq4_thxTH-mBuM32A60Yx_CcfakxjcupqLTTyRu7qn2_I7_6Xd1bjl1_a0H1cojEtXaW9dVLm792vpA_RcaVFgwxSMYk&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>&nbsp;at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678733301954.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN - Riley County Police Department is asking for assistance from the community to identify a man, who was seen running from the area of Sunset Zoo following the <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/1461c288-08a6-43ec-825f-b95b692ba92f">March 6, 2023 shooting.</a>RCPD officers would like to speak to the man in regards to his possible involvement in the <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/8ce86ab1-c043-4736-9e97-092b57786a8c">incident that injured a 23-year-old Manhattan man</a>.Anyone with&nbsp;

any information about the identity of this person or the shooting please call us at (785) 537-2112 or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MHKCrimeStoppers?__cft__[0]=AZWsdb9X5ZAEMWvoBXmVfnc4Bu8oC-rQUog0zWJw2dliUod2WHWQQ0jaVEH4gkn1U9YwA7BGV5RovY3SWKITZTZjnUDdD52Kw0szvmmvq4_thxTH-mBuM32A60Yx_CcfakxjcupqLTTyRu7qn2_I7_6Xd1bjl1_a0H1cojEtXaW9dVLm792vpA_RcaVFgwxSMYk&amp;__tn__=-]K*F">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>&nbsp;at (785) 539-7777.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police working to ID man seen at shooting outside Kan. zoo

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 10p.m. Saturday and involved a driver with a history of driving under the influence.

According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by 63-year-old Wendell Akins of Ellinwood was eastbound on SE 70th Road and failed to negotiate a curve at SE 100th Avenue. The pickup overturned in the west ditch.

First responders found a 40-year-old man, who is a paraplegic, stranded in the vehicle. The driver had fled the scene prior to the deputies arrival, according to Bellendir.&nbsp;

While the Barton County Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene, a Kansas Highway Patrol unit as well as Stafford County deputies located Akins approximately ¼ mile away from the accident.

Akins had a broken clavicle as well as lacerations to the head and various abrasions. EMS transported Akins and the passenger to Ellinwood District Hospital.

Akins had a suspended driver’s license at the time of the accident, according to Bellendir. Alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor. Akins has four or more previous convictions for driving under the influence and one for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678724268523.png" alt="Akins-as shown in a 2011 photo from the Kansas Dept. of Correctons" />
 <figcaption>Akins-as shown in a 2011 photo from the Kansas Dept. of Correctons</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an injury accident that occurred just after 10p.m. Saturday and involved a driver with a history of driving under the influence.According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by 63-year-old Wendell Akins of Ellinwood was eastbound on SE 70th Road and failed to negotiate a curve at SE 100th Avenue. The pickup overturned in the west ditch.First responders found a 40-year-old man, who is a paraplegic, stranded in the vehicle. The driver had fled the scene prior to the deputies arrival, according to Bellendir.&nbsp;While the Barton County Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene, a Kansas Highway Patrol unit as well as Stafford County deputies located Akins approximately ¼ mile away from the accident.Akins had a broken clavicle as well as lacerations to the head and various abrasions. EMS transported Akins and the passenger to Ellinwood District Hospital.Akins had a suspended driver’s license at the time of the accident, according to Bellendir. Alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor. Akins has four or more previous convictions for driving under the influence and one for driving while suspended, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. man with a history of DUI convictions injured in crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-anniversary-59f39df14ddf65f786d3437cc9a52e54">the third anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the start of the deadly pandemic.

The 419-0 vote was final congressional approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. It's unclear whether the president will sign the measure into law, and the White House said the matter was under review.

(Click below to watch the White House comments on the bill)

“We’re taking a look at the bill,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Debate in the House was brief and to the point: Americans have questions about how the deadly virus started and what can be done to prevent future outbreaks.

“The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

That includes, he said, “how this virus was created and, specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event.”

The order to declassify focused on intelligence related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology</a>, citing “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">declared a pandemic</a>&nbsp;on March 11, 2020.

U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus.

Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-covid-death-toll-one-million-7cefbd8c3185fd970fd073386e442317">killed more than 1 million Americans</a>, may not be known for many years — if ever.

(Click below to watch U.S. Senator Roger Marshall on&nbsp;CBS Mornings&nbsp;to discuss his ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19)

“Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Rep. Jim Himes, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, during the debate.

Led by Republicans, the focus on the virus origins comes as the House launched a select committee with a hearing earlier in the week delving into theories about how the pandemic started.

It offers a rare moment of bipartisanship despite the often heated rhetoric about the origins of the coronavirus and the questions about the response to the virus by U.S. health officials, including former top health adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Anthony Fauci</a>.

The legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was already approved by the Senate.

Hawley urged Biden to sign the bill into law. "The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said in a statement.

If signed into law, the measure would require within 90 days the declassification of “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease."

That includes information about research and other activities at the lab and whether any researchers grew ill.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-pandemic-anniversary-59f39df14ddf65f786d3437cc9a52e54">the third anniversary</a>&nbsp;of the start of the deadly pandemic.The 419-0 vote was final congressional approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. It's unclear whether the president will sign the measure into law, and the White House said the matter was under review.(Click below to watch the White House comments on the bill)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F216996337570998%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=2717" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“We’re taking a look at the bill,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">China has been so worked up about this COVID origins bill, Communist officials wrote to my office earlier this week and demanded I drop it. I thought I’d update President Xi on today’s passage 👇 <a href="https://t.co/uuzGiIebEl">pic.twitter.com/uuzGiIebEl</a>&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1634229246867456010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Debate in the House was brief and to the point: Americans have questions about how the deadly virus started and what can be done to prevent future outbreaks.“The American public deserves answers to every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.That includes, he said, “how this virus was created and, specifically, whether it was a natural occurrence or was the result of a lab-related event.”The order to declassify focused on intelligence related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-covid-origins-lab-leak-bc0a2eda898c22219e57921ac700d4ec">China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology</a>, citing “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">declared a pandemic</a>&nbsp;on March 11, 2020.U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus.Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-covid-death-toll-one-million-7cefbd8c3185fd970fd073386e442317">killed more than 1 million Americans</a>, may not be known for many years — if ever.(Click below to watch U.S. Senator Roger Marshall on&nbsp;CBS Mornings&nbsp;to discuss his ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fqRC0jrwP54?start=138" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Rep. Jim Himes, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, during the debate.Led by Republicans, the focus on the virus origins comes as the House launched a select committee with a hearing earlier in the week delving into theories about how the pandemic started.It offers a rare moment of bipartisanship despite the often heated rhetoric about the origins of the coronavirus and the questions about the response to the virus by U.S. health officials, including former top health adviser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-announces-retirement-7efdacac6a9ff7aa6e2f870b551fe508">Anthony Fauci</a>.The legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was already approved by the Senate.Hawley urged Biden to sign the bill into law. "The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said in a statement.If signed into law, the measure would require within 90 days the declassification of “any and all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease."That includes information about research and other activities at the lab and whether any researchers grew ill.__

🎥Will Biden sign the bill to release all info on origins of COVID?    

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase and crash.

Just before 11p.m. March 9, police observed a Ford F-250 run the red light at the intersection of Main and Fulton Streets in Garden City and come to a complete stop in the center of the road. 

Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver identified as 26-year-old Edwin Gonzalez-Lopez refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. 

The pursuit traveled east before ending in the 800 block of Fulton Street, when Gonzalez-Lopez lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole.&nbsp; At impact, Gonzalez-Lopez was ejected from the vehicle and ran from the scene before being apprehended. 

Gonzalez-Lopez was transported to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Two unoccupied vehicles were struck by debris from the accident. The estimated damage to the utility pole is around $55,000.00.

After release from the hospital Gonzalez-Lopez was jailed on requested charges of Flee and Elude, Reckless Driving, Interference LEO,&nbsp; DUI, Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License, Duty Upon Striking Unattended Vehicle, Failure to Stop at the Scene of an Accident and Out-of-County Felony Warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678571220175.png" alt="Gonzalez-Lopez-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez-Lopez-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase and crash.Just before 11p.m. March 9, police observed a Ford F-250 run the red light at the intersection of Main and Fulton Streets in Garden City and come to a complete stop in the center of the road. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver identified as 26-year-old Edwin Gonzalez-Lopez refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. The pursuit traveled east before ending in the 800 block of Fulton Street, when Gonzalez-Lopez lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole.&nbsp; At impact, Gonzalez-Lopez was ejected from the vehicle and ran from the scene before being apprehended. Gonzalez-Lopez was transported to St. Catherine Hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Two unoccupied vehicles were struck by debris from the accident. The estimated damage to the utility pole is around $55,000.00.After release from the hospital Gonzalez-Lopez was jailed on requested charges of Flee and Elude, Reckless Driving, Interference LEO,&nbsp; DUI, Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License, Duty Upon Striking Unattended Vehicle, Failure to Stop at the Scene of an Accident and Out-of-County Felony Warrant.

Kan. man jailed after ejected from pickup in crash during chase

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans the nation’s financial systems were safe, seeking to project calm following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval.&nbsp;

“Your deposits will be there when you need them," he said.

U.S. regulators closed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-fdic-tech-vc-f343cdc6a8adee4a3635b756cec1f787">Silicon Valley Bank on Friday</a>&nbsp;after it experienced a traditional bank run, where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. It is the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. But the financial bloodletting was swift; New York-based Signature Bank also failed.

The president, speaking from the White House shortly before a trip to the West Coast, said he’d seek to hold those responsible accountable, and pressed for better oversight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-janet-yellen-bailout-fdic-fail-failed-c224cf4d2ef07c70cd27e7d0d3be628b">and regulation of larger banks</a>. And he promised no losses would be borne by taxpayers.

“We must get the full accounting of what happened,” he said. “American can have confidence that the banking system is safe."

Biden also said management of the banks should be fired. “If the bank is taken over by the FDIC, the people running the bank should not work there anymore," he said, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the agency responsible for ensuring the stability of the banking system.

At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Another beleaguered bank, First Republic Bank, announced Sunday that it had bolstered its financial health by gaining access to funding from the Fed and JPMorgan Chase.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-bank-failure-financial-markets-773b1e19fbbe41dc840fda43936573fa">developments left markets jittery</a>&nbsp;as trading began Monday. The Asian and European markets fell but not dramatically, and U.S. futures were down.

In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/news/press-releases/2023/pr23019.html">Bank clients would be protected and able to access their money.</a>

“This step will ensure that the U.S. banking system continues to perform its vital roles of protecting deposits and providing access to credit to households and businesses in a manner that promotes strong and sustainable economic growth,” the agencies said in a joint statement.

Under the plan, depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, including those whose holdings exceed the $250,000 insurance limit, will be able to access their money on Monday.

Britain also moved quickly, working throughout the weekend to arrange the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK Ltd., the California bank’s British arm, for the nominal sum of one pound.

While the bank is small, with less than 0.2% of U.K. bank deposits according to central bank statistics, it had a large role in financing technology and biotech startups that the British government is counting on to fuel economic growth.

Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Treasury chief, said some of the country’s leading tech companies could have been “wiped out."

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans the nation’s financial systems were safe, seeking to project calm following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval.&nbsp;“Your deposits will be there when you need them," he said.(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F241554121562075%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=4" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>U.S. regulators closed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-failure-fdic-tech-vc-f343cdc6a8adee4a3635b756cec1f787">Silicon Valley Bank on Friday</a>&nbsp;after it experienced a traditional bank run, where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds all at once. It is the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, behind only the 2008 failure of Washington Mutual. But the financial bloodletting was swift; New York-based Signature Bank also failed.The president, speaking from the White House shortly before a trip to the West Coast, said he’d seek to hold those responsible accountable, and pressed for better oversight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-janet-yellen-bailout-fdic-fail-failed-c224cf4d2ef07c70cd27e7d0d3be628b">and regulation of larger banks</a>. And he promised no losses would be borne by taxpayers.“We must get the full accounting of what happened,” he said. “American can have confidence that the banking system is safe."Biden also said management of the banks should be fired. “If the bank is taken over by the FDIC, the people running the bank should not work there anymore," he said, referring to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the agency responsible for ensuring the stability of the banking system.At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Another beleaguered bank, First Republic Bank, announced Sunday that it had bolstered its financial health by gaining access to funding from the Fed and JPMorgan Chase.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/svb-bank-failure-financial-markets-773b1e19fbbe41dc840fda43936573fa">developments left markets jittery</a>&nbsp;as trading began Monday. The Asian and European markets fell but not dramatically, and U.S. futures were down.In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all Silicon Valley <a href="https://www.fdic.gov/news/press-releases/2023/pr23019.html">Bank clients would be protected and able to access their money.</a>“This step will ensure that the U.S. banking system continues to perform its vital roles of protecting deposits and providing access to credit to households and businesses in a manner that promotes strong and sustainable economic growth,” the agencies said in a joint statement.Under the plan, depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, including those whose holdings exceed the $250,000 insurance limit, will be able to access their money on Monday.Britain also moved quickly, working throughout the weekend to arrange the sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK Ltd., the California bank’s British arm, for the nominal sum of one pound.While the bank is small, with less than 0.2% of U.K. bank deposits according to central bank statistics, it had a large role in financing technology and biotech startups that the British government is counting on to fuel economic growth.Jeremy Hunt, Britain's Treasury chief, said some of the country’s leading tech companies could have been “wiped out."“When you have very young companies, very promising companies, they’re also fragile,” Hunt told reporters, explaining the why authorities moved so quickly. “They need to pay their staff and they were worried that as of 8 a.m. this morning, they might literally not be able to access their bank account.”He stressed that there was never a “systemic risk” to Britain's banking system.Silicon Valley Bank began its slide into insolvency when it was forced to dump some of its treasuries at at a loss to fund its customers’ withdrawals. Under the Fed’s new program, banks can post those securities as collateral and borrow from the emergency facility.The Treasury has set aside $25 billion to offset any losses incurred. Fed officials said, however, that they do not expect to have to use any of that money, given that the securities posted as collateral have a very low risk of default.Though Sunday’s steps marked the most extensive government intervention in the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, the actions are relatively limited compared with what was done 15 years ago. The two failed banks themselves have not been rescued, and taxpayer money has not been provided to them.Some prominent Silicon Valley executives feared that if Washington didn’t rescue their failed bank, customers would make runs on other financial institutions in the coming days. Stock prices plunged over the last few days at other banks that cater to technology companies, such as First Republic and PacWest Bank.Among the bank’s customers are a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/silicon-valley-bank-svb-collapse-customers-ec0148382edb344c27c0bdfdcbd3cf66">companies from California’s wine industry</a>, where many wineries rely on Silicon Valley Bank for loans, and technology startups devoted to combating climate change.Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO of The Cru, a New York-based career coaching platform and community for women, posted a video Sunday on LinkedIn from an airport bathroom, saying the bank crisis was testing her resiliency.Given that her money was tied up at Silicon Valley Bank, she had to pay her employees out of her personal bank account. With two teenagers to support who will be heading to college, she said she was relieved to hear that the government’s intent is to make depositors whole.“Small businesses and early-stage startups don’t have a lot of access to leverage in a situation like this, and we’re often in a very vulnerable position, particularly when we have to fight so hard to get the wires into your bank account to begin with, particularly for me, as a Black female founder,” Dufu said. ___ Rugaber and Megerian reported from Washington. Sweet and Bussewitz reported from New York. Associated Press Writers Hope Yen in Washington, Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.--------------