SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/t_bSlWLaQ64?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the video of the theft

Just after 9:a.m. on&nbsp; January 19, police responded to a robbery call at a gas station in the 2000 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. An employee of a gas station was walking to her vehicle with a bank deposit bag full of cash when an unknown suspect ran by and took it from her.

The suspect,&nbsp; wearing red pants, red shoes, and a black hoodie with the Colorado Flag on the front, left the scene running south and then east through a neighborhood.

Anyone with information regarding this crime, or any crime that occurred in Sedgwick 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674852135870.png" alt="Image of the suspect from Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image of the suspect from Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/t_bSlWLaQ64?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the video of the theftJust after 9:a.m. on&nbsp; January 19, police responded to a robbery call at a gas station in the 2000 block of S. Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. An employee of a gas station was walking to her vehicle with a bank deposit bag full of cash when an unknown suspect ran by and took it from her.The suspect,&nbsp; wearing red pants, red shoes, and a black hoodie with the Colorado Flag on the front, left the scene running south and then east through a neighborhood.Anyone with information regarding this crime, or any crime that occurred in Sedgwick

Kan. suspect wearing red shoes, pants stole deposit bag of cash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Emboldened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">anti-abortion activists</a>&nbsp;are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each potential GOP presidential hopeful that to win its backing — or avoid being a target of its opposition — they must support national restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">the procedure</a>. Exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are acceptable, the activists say, but leaving the question for states to decide is not.

“It is a level of protection that goes to every single state. That’s the baseline of what we’re looking to do,” said Frank Cannon, Susan B. Anthony's chief political strategist. “Anything less than that will not be acceptable and will not be somebody that SBA can support. So, it’s that simple.”

That directive is creating an early litmus test for Republicans considering entering the first presidential election since the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark decision that enshrined federal protections for abortion for roughly 50 years. While the hard-line stance could please anti-abortion activists who hold sway in GOP primaries, it could create problems for the party's eventual nominee in the general election.

Voters protected abortion rights via&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-8779f3ee57d4d20d54861a5ed6ba72ff">ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in six states in 2022, including Kansas, a state former President Donald Trump twice won by double-digit margins. AP VoteCast, a survey of the midterm electorate, showed the Supreme Court's decision was broadly unpopular. About 6 in 10 said they were angry or dissatisfied by it, and roughly the same percentage said they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

Supporters of abortion rights say the issue was a “game changer” that helped Democrats last year and that will motivate voters even more in 2024, after two years of seeing the effects of restrictions.

“We’re in a nation where 18 states have no access to abortion, and that number is not going down. It’s going to go up as additional court cases get decided,” said Jenny Lawson, vice president of organizing and engagement campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She predicted people will see headlines “over and over again” about pregnant children forced to travel out of state for abortions or people unable to get proper miscarriage care because doctors are afraid of liability.

Pressure from the anti-abortion movement has put Trump, who announced his third run for the presidency last year, in perhaps the most complicated position.

He is arguably more responsible for the overturning of Roe than anyone else, having appointed three anti-abortion Supreme Court justices who backed last year’s ruling. But he has also made clear that he believes pushing any further will hurt Republicans, and he accused anti-abortion leaders of failing to do enough to help GOP candidates in the midterms.

“I just didn’t see them fighting during this last election, fighting for victory,” Trump said in an interview with David Brody, a longtime commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Trump, who described himself as “very pro-choice” before entering politics, stressed that objecting to exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother makes it “much harder to win elections.” He has criticized evangelical leaders who have been slow to endorse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his latest run</a>, blasting decisions by pastors like Robert Jeffress to wait to assess the rest of the field as “a sign of disloyalty.”

Cannon called the notion that opposing abortion hurt the GOP last year “absolutely absurd,” pointing to candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a top potential GOP presidential candidate — who easily won reelection. DeSantis signed into law last year a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The Republican candidates who got “clobbered,” Cannon said, were those who tried to avoid the topic.

“What you have to do is argue for protections that the American people see as reasonable versus the extremism of no exceptions, even late-term abortion," Cannon said. "And if you do that, it’s a winning combination.”

SBA Pro-Life America, which raised over $60 million for 2020 campaigns along with its affiliated super PAC, is talking with each potential candidate, Cannon said. While records are being discussed, what matters in 2024 is what policies the candidates prioritize when they announce their bids. SBA's specific request is to support “at a minimum” a “heartbeat bill” or “pain-capable” bill, he said.

The heartbeat bill would make abortion illegal after cardiac activity is detected, which occurs at roughly six weeks of pregnancy — before some women know they're pregnant. Legislation that references the fetus feeling pain, such as a measure introduced last year by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would ban the procedure at around 15 weeks. Graham's bill didn't advance in the Democratic-controlled chamber, and even some fellow Republicans distanced themselves from it ahead of the midterms.

Trump’s stance has provided an opening on the right for potential rivals like former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom are evangelical Christians with long-held anti-abortion stances.

Pence has spent months visiting so-called crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortions. And he has embarked on a tour of megachurches, including Jeffress’ First Baptist Church in Dallas, and spoken before major anti-abortion groups.

His advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks of pregnancy and a bill that would establish legal personhood at conception. Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff and longtime adviser, said that when it comes to declared and potential 2024 candidates, “I see him as the most comfortable explaining his pro-life convictions and the basis for them."

For Pence, he said, the issue is about much more than politics.

“Mike does it because this is core to the reason that he ran for office and won for the first time. It’s always been for him a top issue and it’s a priority,” he said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is another potential candidate who signed abortion prohibitions into law in her state. The 2016 law bans abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy and includes an exception if the mother's life is in jeopardy but not for cases of rape or incest.

After the Supreme Court's decision, Haley said states, and not “unelected justices,” should control abortion policy. That position puts her at odds with SBA and other anti-abortion groups.

Others see abortion as a potential vulnerability for DeSantis. A spokesperson for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is also exploring a potential run, recently unloaded on DeSantis, questioning where he stands on the issue.

“Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,” Ian Fury wrote in an email to the National Review. “Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”

Cannon stressed that those in the anti-abortion movement are the “foot soldiers” of the Republican Party during elections and comprise a huge percentage of primary voters.

“No Republican candidate can win the presidency without the backing of the pro-life movement," he said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Emboldened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-florida-state-government-kentucky-6ed9dbcdaae33312f1425ea38b681a7e">anti-abortion activists</a>&nbsp;are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each potential GOP presidential hopeful that to win its backing — or avoid being a target of its opposition — they must support national restrictions on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">the procedure</a>. Exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are acceptable, the activists say, but leaving the question for states to decide is not.“It is a level of protection that goes to every single state. That’s the baseline of what we’re looking to do,” said Frank Cannon, Susan B. Anthony's chief political strategist. “Anything less than that will not be acceptable and will not be somebody that SBA can support. So, it’s that simple.”That directive is creating an early litmus test for Republicans considering entering the first presidential election since the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the landmark decision that enshrined federal protections for abortion for roughly 50 years. While the hard-line stance could please anti-abortion activists who hold sway in GOP primaries, it could create problems for the party's eventual nominee in the general election.Voters protected abortion rights via&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-8779f3ee57d4d20d54861a5ed6ba72ff">ballot measures</a>&nbsp;in six states in 2022, including Kansas, a state former President Donald Trump twice won by double-digit margins. AP VoteCast, a survey of the midterm electorate, showed the Supreme Court's decision was broadly unpopular. About 6 in 10 said they were angry or dissatisfied by it, and roughly the same percentage said they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.Supporters of abortion rights say the issue was a “game changer” that helped Democrats last year and that will motivate voters even more in 2024, after two years of seeing the effects of restrictions.“We’re in a nation where 18 states have no access to abortion, and that number is not going down. It’s going to go up as additional court cases get decided,” said Jenny Lawson, vice president of organizing and engagement campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She predicted people will see headlines “over and over again” about pregnant children forced to travel out of state for abortions or people unable to get proper miscarriage care because doctors are afraid of liability.Pressure from the anti-abortion movement has put Trump, who announced his third run for the presidency last year, in perhaps the most complicated position.He is arguably more responsible for the overturning of Roe than anyone else, having appointed three anti-abortion Supreme Court justices who backed last year’s ruling. But he has also made clear that he believes pushing any further will hurt Republicans, and he accused anti-abortion leaders of failing to do enough to help GOP candidates in the midterms.“I just didn’t see them fighting during this last election, fighting for victory,” Trump said in an interview with David Brody, a longtime commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network.Trump, who described himself as “very pro-choice” before entering politics, stressed that objecting to exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother makes it “much harder to win elections.” He has criticized evangelical leaders who have been slow to endorse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">his latest run</a>, blasting decisions by pastors like Robert Jeffress to wait to assess the rest of the field as “a sign of disloyalty.”Cannon called the notion that opposing abortion hurt the GOP last year “absolutely absurd,” pointing to candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a top potential GOP presidential candidate — who easily won reelection. DeSantis signed into law last year a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The Republican candidates who got “clobbered,” Cannon said, were those who tried to avoid the topic.“What you have to do is argue for protections that the American people see as reasonable versus the extremism of no exceptions, even late-term abortion," Cannon said. "And if you do that, it’s a winning combination.”SBA Pro-Life America, which raised over $60 million for 2020 campaigns along with its affiliated super PAC, is talking with each potential candidate, Cannon said. While records are being discussed, what matters in 2024 is what policies the candidates prioritize when they announce their bids. SBA's specific request is to support “at a minimum” a “heartbeat bill” or “pain-capable” bill, he said.The heartbeat bill would make abortion illegal after cardiac activity is detected, which occurs at roughly six weeks of pregnancy — before some women know they're pregnant. Legislation that references the fetus feeling pain, such as a measure introduced last year by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would ban the procedure at around 15 weeks. Graham's bill didn't advance in the Democratic-controlled chamber, and even some fellow Republicans distanced themselves from it ahead of the midterms.Trump’s stance has provided an opening on the right for potential rivals like former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom are evangelical Christians with long-held anti-abortion stances.Pence has spent months visiting so-called crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortions. And he has embarked on a tour of megachurches, including Jeffress’ First Baptist Church in Dallas, and spoken before major anti-abortion groups.His advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks of pregnancy and a bill that would establish legal personhood at conception. Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff and longtime adviser, said that when it comes to declared and potential 2024 candidates, “I see him as the most comfortable explaining his pro-life convictions and the basis for them."For Pence, he said, the issue is about much more than politics.“Mike does it because this is core to the reason that he ran for office and won for the first time. It’s always been for him a top issue and it’s a priority,” he said.Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, is another potential candidate who signed abortion prohibitions into law in her state. The 2016 law bans abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy and includes an exception if the mother's life is in jeopardy but not for cases of rape or incest.After the Supreme Court's decision, Haley said states, and not “unelected justices,” should control abortion policy. That position puts her at odds with SBA and other anti-abortion groups.Others see abortion as a potential vulnerability for DeSantis. A spokesperson for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is also exploring a potential run, recently unloaded on DeSantis, questioning where he stands on the issue.“Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,” Ian Fury wrote in an email to the National Review. “Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”Cannon stressed that those in the anti-abortion movement are the “foot soldiers” of the Republican Party during elections and comprise a huge percentage of primary voters.“No Republican candidate can win the presidency without the backing of the pro-life movement," he said.

Pro-Life activists aim to sway GOP White House hopefuls

JEWELL COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before midnight Saturday in Jewell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Toyota 4-Runner driven by&nbsp; Elliott Phillip Whiteside, 18, Tryon, North Carolina, was southbound at 101 North McRoberts Street in Mankato.

The SUV traveled off the right side of the roadway into the ditch, went airborne and struck a tree. A child in the vehicle was ejected. He was pronounced deceased and transported to&nbsp;Melby's Mortuary.&nbsp; 

EMS transported Whiteside to Wesley Medical Center. The driver and passenger were not properly restrained, according to the KHP.

JEWELL COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before midnight Saturday in Jewell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Toyota 4-Runner driven by&nbsp; Elliott Phillip Whiteside, 18, Tryon, North Carolina, was southbound at 101 North McRoberts Street in Mankato.The SUV traveled off the right side of the roadway into the ditch, went airborne and struck a tree. A child in the vehicle was ejected. He was pronounced deceased and transported to&nbsp;Melby's Mortuary.&nbsp; EMS transported Whiteside to Wesley Medical Center. The driver and passenger were not properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Child dies after SUV crash in north-central Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.

President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

In its statement Sunday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” China's Ministry of Defense echoed the statement later in the day, saying it “reserves the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations.”

The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.

On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.

“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Wednesday over Montana</a>, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn’t give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.

Republicans were critical of Biden's response.

“Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted: “Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process. Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: “Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.”

China has claimed that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation of Blinken's trip. “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. Officials said the balloons are part of a fleet that China uses for surveillance, and they can be maneuvered remotely through small motors and propellers. One official said they carry equipment in the pod under the balloon that is not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.

This isn’t the first time Chinese spy balloons have crossed into U.S. airspace in recent years, one of the officials said. At least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Biden’s time as president they’ve seen balloons cross, but not for this long, the official said.

Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leaped to use the news to mock the U.S.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it because of the balloon.

In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.

Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.

“When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous,” he said. “One second it’s there like a tiny moon and the next second it’s gone.” Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChineseSpyBalloon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChineseSpyBalloon</a> <a href="https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy">https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy</a> <a href="https://t.co/w2rr3SPIsF">pic.twitter.com/w2rr3SPIsF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1621976063952707584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”In its statement Sunday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” China's Ministry of Defense echoed the statement later in the day, saying it “reserves the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations.”The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Wednesday over Montana</a>, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn’t give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.Republicans were critical of Biden's response.“Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted: “Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process. Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP.”Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: “Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.”China has claimed that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation of Blinken's trip. “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. Officials said the balloons are part of a fleet that China uses for surveillance, and they can be maneuvered remotely through small motors and propellers. One official said they carry equipment in the pod under the balloon that is not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.This isn’t the first time Chinese spy balloons have crossed into U.S. airspace in recent years, one of the officials said. At least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Biden’s time as president they’ve seen balloons cross, but not for this long, the official said.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leaped to use the news to mock the U.S.China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it because of the balloon.In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.“When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous,” he said. “One second it’s there like a tiny moon and the next second it’s gone.” Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.___

China condemns decision to shoot down spy balloon, issues threat

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue the search for a Kansas felon who escaped custody after a multi-county chase that started in Saline County.

Just after 11:50 p.m. Dec. 28, a Saline County Sheriff's deputy near the intersection of N. Broadway Boulevard and State Street noticed a 1992 GMC Sierra pickup with an expired license plate, according to Saline County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Hughes. 

The deputy attempted to stop the pickup, but it took off and a pursuit ensued that involved multiple law enforcement agencies, a number of Salina neighborhoods, and four counties.

At one point during the pursuit, the pickup stopped at the intersection of N. Brookville Road and Ottawa Road in northwestern Saline County at the Ottawa County line, and deputies attempted a traffic stop. 

The driver of the pickup, identified as Steven Moss, 37, of Salina, instead allegedly backed the pickup into one of the Saline County Sheriff's Office's patrol SUVs and took off again, Hughes said.

The pursuit continued into parts of Ottawa County and Lincoln County, where Moss allegedly swerved at a Lincoln County Sheriff's patrol vehicle coming from the opposite direction, Hughes said. The pursuit ended near the intersection of Old Highway 40 and 11th Road west of Ellsworth, where Lincoln County Sheriff's personnel and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers were able to apprehend Moss and a passenger in the pickup, Shaylynn Koch, 27, of Salina.

Deputies brought both back to the Saline County Jail, however, Moss was able to slip out of a handcuff and escape from the back of a Saline County Sheriff's vehicle while it was at the sallyport of the jail. 

A foot chase ensued, but Moss was able to elude law enforcement personnel and escaped.

Hughes said that if you know where Moss is or have information about him, you are asked to call Salina/Saline County Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit <a href="http://www.pd.salina.org">www.pd.salina.org</a> and follow Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name. You also can call 911.

Once Moss is apprehended, he will face requested charges Felony flee and elude, Reckless driving, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, Aggravated escape from custody and a vehicle registration violation, according to Hughes. He has previous convictions for theft, burglary, criminal damagae to property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Koch was booked into the Saline County Jail for an outstanding warrant from Salina Municipal Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672334302050.jpeg" alt="Steven Moss has previous convictions for theft, burglary, criminal damage to property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. Photo-Saline County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Steven Moss has previous convictions for theft, burglary, criminal damage to property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. Photo-Saline County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue the search for a Kansas felon who escaped custody after a multi-county chase that started in Saline County.Just after 11:50 p.m. Dec. 28, a Saline County Sheriff's deputy near the intersection of N. Broadway Boulevard and State Street noticed a 1992 GMC Sierra pickup with an expired license plate, according to Saline County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Hughes. The deputy attempted to stop the pickup, but it took off and a pursuit ensued that involved multiple law enforcement agencies, a number of Salina neighborhoods, and four counties.At one point during the pursuit, the pickup stopped at the intersection of N. Brookville Road and Ottawa Road in northwestern Saline County at the Ottawa County line, and deputies attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the pickup, identified as Steven Moss, 37, of Salina, instead allegedly backed the pickup into one of the Saline County Sheriff's Office's patrol SUVs and took off again, Hughes said.The pursuit continued into parts of Ottawa County and Lincoln County, where Moss allegedly swerved at a Lincoln County Sheriff's patrol vehicle coming from the opposite direction, Hughes said. The pursuit ended near the intersection of Old Highway 40 and 11th Road west of Ellsworth, where Lincoln County Sheriff's personnel and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers were able to apprehend Moss and a passenger in the pickup, Shaylynn Koch, 27, of Salina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672334663170.jpeg" alt="Shaylynn Koch-photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Shaylynn Koch-photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies brought both back to the Saline County Jail, however, Moss was able to slip out of a handcuff and escape from the back of a Saline County Sheriff's vehicle while it was at the sallyport of the jail. A foot chase ensued, but Moss was able to elude law enforcement personnel and escaped.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584553268286.jpeg" alt="The jail sallyport (large gray door to the left of the sign) can be seen in this Salina Post file photo from 2020." />
 <figcaption>The jail sallyport (large gray door to the left of the sign) can be seen in this Salina Post file photo from 2020.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hughes said that if you know where Moss is or have information about him, you are asked to call Salina/Saline County Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit <a href="http://www.pd.salina.org">www.pd.salina.org</a> and follow Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip. You may receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 and you are not required to give your name. You also can call 911.Once Moss is apprehended, he will face requested charges Felony flee and elude, Reckless driving, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, Aggravated escape from custody and a vehicle registration violation, according to Hughes. He has previous convictions for theft, burglary, criminal damagae to property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of CorrectionsKoch was booked into the Saline County Jail for an outstanding warrant from Salina Municipal Court.

Search continues for Kansas felon who escaped from arrest

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a cold case murder are asked the public on Friday for help in solving the case.

On July 2, 1977, in the early morning hours, Overland Park Police responded to an anonymous call that a person had been severely injured, and needed assistance in a blue house near 87th and Lowell. 

  Responding officers located 19-year-old Anthony “Tony” Payne inside a residence in the 7900 block of W. 87th Street in critical condition.  Payne was taken to the hospital, but died later that day.

The initial homicide investigation conducted at the time was not able to bring closure to this case.  In the summer of 2021, the Overland Park Police Department re-opened this cold case homicide. 

Advancements in forensic and DNA technology in the years since the homicide prompted detectives to re-open the case, as these technologies were not available to investigators at the time of Payne’s homicide. 

 As part of this process, with the permission of Payne’s relatives, an examination of his remains at his burial location has been conducted. 

 Overland Park Detectives are seeking any new tips or information about this case.  This year will be the 46th anniversary of this unsolved homicide.

  Anyone with information about the homicide of Tony Payne, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS.  A reward of up to $2,000.00 is available for information leading to an arrest in this case.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675454710871.png" alt="Payne photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Payne photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a cold case murder are asked the public on Friday for help in solving the case.On July 2, 1977, in the early morning hours, Overland Park Police responded to an anonymous call that a person had been severely injured, and needed assistance in a blue house near 87th and Lowell. Responding officers located 19-year-old Anthony “Tony” Payne inside a residence in the 7900 block of W. 87th Street in critical condition. Payne was taken to the hospital, but died later that day.The initial homicide investigation conducted at the time was not able to bring closure to this case. In the summer of 2021, the Overland Park Police Department re-opened this cold case homicide. Advancements in forensic and DNA technology in the years since the homicide prompted detectives to re-open the case, as these technologies were not available to investigators at the time of Payne’s homicide. As part of this process, with the permission of Payne’s relatives, an examination of his remains at his burial location has been conducted. Overland Park Detectives are seeking any new tips or information about this case. This year will be the 46th anniversary of this unsolved homicide. Anyone with information about the homicide of Tony Payne, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS. A reward of up to $2,000.00 is available for information leading to an arrest in this case.&nbsp;

Police: Body exhumed in 46-year-old unsolved Kan. murder

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man with a history of crime is facing child sex crime charges. On Jan. 27,&nbsp;Lorenzo Gary, 37 of Wichita, was charged with 2 counts of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, contributing to a child’s misconduct or deprivation, and incest, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before&nbsp; 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, a 36-year-old woman reported to police that a 13-year-old was at a motel in the 2300 block of S. Broadway in Wichita with a man identified as Gary, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

The woman said that she believed the two were having unlawful sexual relations. Officers responded to the motel and located Gary and the juvenile who were both transported to the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU) for interviews. 

Police booked Gary into the Sedgwick County Jail. Gary has previous convictions that include forgery and robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.&nbsp;His next court date is Feb. 6, according to the district attorney's office. He remains jailed on a $300,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674663153884.png" alt="Gary has previous convictions that include forgery and robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gary has previous convictions that include forgery and robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man with a history of crime is facing child sex crime charges. On Jan. 27,&nbsp;Lorenzo Gary, 37 of Wichita, was charged with 2 counts of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, contributing to a child’s misconduct or deprivation, and incest, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before&nbsp; 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 24, a 36-year-old woman reported to police that a 13-year-old was at a motel in the 2300 block of S. Broadway in Wichita with a man identified as Gary, according to Officer Trevor Macy.The woman said that she believed the two were having unlawful sexual relations. Officers responded to the motel and located Gary and the juvenile who were both transported to the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU) for interviews. Police booked Gary into the Sedgwick County Jail. Gary has previous convictions that include forgery and robbery, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.&nbsp;His next court date is Feb. 6, according to the district attorney's office. He remains jailed on a $300,000 bond.

Kan. felon charged after found with 13-year-old at motel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast on orders from President Joe Biden, after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America, becoming the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Biden said he wanted the balloon downed on Wednesday, but was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. At about 2:40 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than they had expected. Still, it was not immediately clear how long the recovery would take. The Navy is taking the lead, supported by the Coast Guard.

“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over toward them.

The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Thursday over Montana</a>, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, a senior defense official said. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing operation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

The public disclosure of the balloon on Thursday prompted the cancellation of a visit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to Beijing for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation.

“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.

Officials were aiming to time the operation so they could recover as much of the debris as possible before it sinks into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that any debris field would be substantial.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at about 60,000 feet and was estimated to be about the size of three school buses.

President Joe Biden had told reporters earlier Saturday that "we’re going to take care of it,” when asked about the balloon. The Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water. U.S. military jets were seen flying in the vicinity and ships were deployed in the water to mount the recovery operation.

The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the coast. In preparation for the operation, the FAA Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.

The Coast Guard advised mariners to immediately leave the area because of U.S. military operations “that present a significant hazard.”

Biden had been inclined to down the balloon over land when he was first briefed on it on Tuesday, but Pentagon officials advised against it, warning that the potential risk to people on the ground outweighed the assessment of potential Chinese intelligence gains.

The public disclosure of the balloon this week prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">the cancellation of a visit</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing scheduled for Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation.

“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.

The balloon was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">spotted over Montana</a>, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon's journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it based on the balloon.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is considering a plan to shoot down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-antony-blinken-china-b1b03193b7abeb7bbeca169bbc7c2c53">a large Chinese balloon</a>&nbsp;suspected of conducting surveillance on the U.S. military, by bringing it down once it is above the Atlantic Ocean where the remnants could potentially be recovered, according to four U.S. officials.

One of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation, said President Joe Biden had given the go-ahead. In a brief remark Saturday in response to a reporter’s question about the balloon, Biden said: “We’re going to take care of it.”

The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. In preparation for the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, until at least 2:45 p.m. EST Saturday.

Meanwhile, people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation.

Many users made jokes about the balloon. Some said that since the U.S. had put restrictions on the technology that China is able to buy to weaken the Chinese tech industry, they couldn’t control the balloon.

Others called it the “wandering balloon" in a pun that refers to the newly released Chinese sci-fi film called “The Wandering Earth 2.” In a sign of censorship, the “wandering balloon” hashtag on Weibo was no longer searchable by Saturday evening.

Still others used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.

“The U.S. is hyping this as a national security threat posed by China to the U.S. This type of military threat, in actuality, we haven’t done this. And compared with the U.S. military threat normally aimed at us, can you say it’s just little? Their surveillance planes, their submarines, their naval ships are all coming near our borders,” Chinese military expert Chen Haoyang of the Taihe Institute said on Phoenix TV, one of the major national TV outlets.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research.

On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs again emphasized that the balloon's journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it based on the balloon.

Wang said China “has always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments and manage differences.”

Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said China’s apology did not appear sincere.

“In the meantime, the relationship will not improve in the near future ... the gap is huge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast on orders from President Joe Biden, after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America, becoming the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChineseSpyBalloon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChineseSpyBalloon</a> <a href="https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy">https://t.co/D5i5CRR8iy</a> <a href="https://t.co/w2rr3SPIsF">pic.twitter.com/w2rr3SPIsF</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1621976063952707584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden said he wanted the balloon downed on Wednesday, but was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. At about 2:40 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than they had expected. Still, it was not immediately clear how long the recovery would take. The Navy is taking the lead, supported by the Coast Guard.“They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over toward them.On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up — and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.“I did not anticipate waking up to be in a ‘Top Gun’ movie today,” she said.U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.The balloon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">was spotted Thursday over Montana</a>, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, a senior defense official said. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing operation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.The public disclosure of the balloon on Thursday prompted the cancellation of a visit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;to Beijing for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation.“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it because of the balloon.In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.“When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous,” he said. “One second it’s there like a tiny moon and the next second it’s gone.” Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.Officials were aiming to time the operation so they could recover as much of the debris as possible before it sinks into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that any debris field would be substantial.___WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at about 60,000 feet and was estimated to be about the size of three school buses.President Joe Biden had told reporters earlier Saturday that "we’re going to take care of it,” when asked about the balloon. The Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water. U.S. military jets were seen flying in the vicinity and ships were deployed in the water to mount the recovery operation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FAA has paused departures from and arrivals to Wilmington (ILM), Myrtle Beach International (MYR) and Charleston International (CHS) airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort.&mdash; The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1621944424916721666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officials were aiming to time the operation so they could recover as much of the debris as possible before it sinks into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that any debris field would be substantial.The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the coast. In preparation for the operation, the FAA Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.The Coast Guard advised mariners to immediately leave the area because of U.S. military operations “that present a significant hazard.”Biden had been inclined to down the balloon over land when he was first briefed on it on Tuesday, but Pentagon officials advised against it, warning that the potential risk to people on the ground outweighed the assessment of potential Chinese intelligence gains.The public disclosure of the balloon this week prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">the cancellation of a visit</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing scheduled for Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation.“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.The balloon was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">spotted over Montana</a>, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloon's journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it based on the balloon.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is considering a plan to shoot down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-antony-blinken-china-b1b03193b7abeb7bbeca169bbc7c2c53">a large Chinese balloon</a>&nbsp;suspected of conducting surveillance on the U.S. military, by bringing it down once it is above the Atlantic Ocean where the remnants could potentially be recovered, according to four U.S. officials.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FAA has paused departures from and arrivals to Wilmington (ILM), Myrtle Beach International (MYR) and Charleston International (CHS) airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort.&mdash; The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1621944424916721666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>One of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation, said President Joe Biden had given the go-ahead. In a brief remark Saturday in response to a reporter’s question about the balloon, Biden said: “We’re going to take care of it.”The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. In preparation for the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, until at least 2:45 p.m. EST Saturday.Biden had been inclined to down the balloon over land when he was first briefed on it on Tuesday, but Pentagon officials advised against it, warning that the potential risk to people on the ground outweighed the assessment of potential Chinese intelligence gains.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We have had several reports across northwest MO of a large balloon visible on the horizon. It is now visible from our office in Pleasant Hill and the KC Metro. We have confirmed that it is not an NWS weather balloon. <a href="https://t.co/CKQWOw7God">pic.twitter.com/CKQWOw7God</a>&mdash; NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSKansasCity/status/1621562137717141505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The public disclosure of the balloon this week prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-china-314302278a5f05bdc2df146ed5b35ec6">the cancellation of a visit</a>&nbsp;by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing scheduled for Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation.“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that," China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.China has continued to claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.The balloon was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-montana-state-government-china-2a539a80a4a8473f102bd4ed66496d19">spotted over Montana</a>, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.Meanwhile, people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation.Many users made jokes about the balloon. Some said that since the U.S. had put restrictions on the technology that China is able to buy to weaken the Chinese tech industry, they couldn’t control the balloon.Others called it the “wandering balloon" in a pun that refers to the newly released Chinese sci-fi film called “The Wandering Earth 2.” In a sign of censorship, the “wandering balloon” hashtag on Weibo was no longer searchable by Saturday evening.Still others used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S.“The U.S. is hyping this as a national security threat posed by China to the U.S. This type of military threat, in actuality, we haven’t done this. And compared with the U.S. military threat normally aimed at us, can you say it’s just little? Their surveillance planes, their submarines, their naval ships are all coming near our borders,” Chinese military expert Chen Haoyang of the Taihe Institute said on Phoenix TV, one of the major national TV outlets.China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research.On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs again emphasized that the balloon's journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to “smear” it based on the balloon.Wang said China “has always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments and manage differences.”Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said China’s apology did not appear sincere.“In the meantime, the relationship will not improve in the near future ... the gap is huge.”

🎥 US military downs Chinese spy balloon on orders from Biden

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/01/kansas-electric-vehicle-advocates-stomping-brake-on-bill-imposing-new-state-recharge-tax/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Joe Millikan learned of a
 Kansas House bill imposing a new tax on electric-vehicle charging 
stations just as he contemplated purchasing an automobile untethered to 
fossil fuels.

Millikan said the proposed state tax of 3 cents per kilowatt to 
support a Kansas highway repair fund reliant on fuel tax revenue would 
amount to “double taxation” because owners of all-electric cars and 
trucks paid a higher registration fee to the Kansas Department of 
Revenue. That $100 fee approved by the 2019 Legislature was designed to 
make up for EV owners avoiding the fuel tax of 24 cents per gallon 
earmarked for highway repairs and construction. The registration fee for
 gasoline-powered vehicles in Kansas is $30.

“It is disappointing to learn the Kansas House may adopt legislation 
hostile to EV owners and commercial EV chargers,” he told the House 
Transportation Committee. “It will discourage additional EV charging 
stations in Kansas just as the number of EVs are 
growing rapidly.”

Millikan said the legislation could result in small businesses 
shutting down charging stations and interfere with car dealers 
interested in making charging stations available to owners of electric 
vehicles. In addition, Millikan said, the House bill would signal to EV 
owners traveling across the United States they ought to follow routes 
outside Kansas.

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican on the transportation 
committee, said it was important for the Legislature to tackle 
inequities in vehicle taxation but took a different approach. He said 
the owner of a Tesla electric car would pay about $3 to fully charge 
that vehicle if the proposed state tax became law. It currently costs 
approximately $5 in state fuel tax to fill his gas-fueled Chevrolet 
Silverado truck.

“I’m afraid that we might be accidently disincentivizing the use of 
fossil-fuel vehicles based on this 3 cents,” Proctor said. “Are we 
accidently punishing fossil-fuel vehicle drivers by not charging the EV 
drivers the same?”

Under <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2004_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2004, the “EV Energy Equity Road Repair Tax Act”</a>
 would direct all revenue from the new kilowatt-hour tax on electricity 
used to recharge vehicle batteries to the state highway fund. Commercial
 charging station owners would be responsible for forwarding to the 
state taxes collected from EV owners. The charging of EVs at residential
 outlets wouldn’t be subject to the proposed state tax.

Failure to comply with the Kansas law would be a misdemeanor 
punishable by a fine of $25 per kilowatt hour of energy sold to EV 
consumers and a sanction of $5,000 to $50,000 or a sentence of not less 
than 30 days in a county jail.

The state Department of Revenue estimated the House bill would result
 in new tax collections of $148,000 in 2024, $179,000 in 2025 and 
$210,000 in 2026. The figures assumed there were 10,500 electric 
vehicles in Kansas, an average driving distance of 7,000 miles each 
year, consumer use of public charging stations for 20% of electricity 
consumed and the consumption of one killowatt for every three miles 
driven.

In addition, the revenue department estimated it would cost $640,000 
for the state agency to modify computer programs to handle the EV tax 
and hiring of a couple employees to monitor accuracy of charging 
stations.

Rep. Bill Rhiley, R-Wellington, said during the House committee 
hearing Tuesday the Department of Revenue’s fiscal analysis was flawed 
because it didn’t take into account EV trucks and cars that would pass 
through the state on Interstate 35 and Interstate 70. Those motorists 
should contribute to the state highway fund for making use of Kansas 
roads, he said.

“We can’t just look at the 10,000 EV vehciles that are in Kansas,” 
Rhiley said. “We need to look at the hundreds of thousands of electric 
vehicles that are going to be driving through Kansas.”

Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, said lawmakers ought to consider 
elevating registration fees of EV owners to bring equity to drivers’ 
contributions to the state highway fund. He said the bottom line of any 
bill ought to be fairness to gas and electric vehicle owners.

The purchase of vehicles was result of consumer choices and 
individuals ought to be held accountable for their decisions, said Rep. 
Michael Houser, R-Columbus.

“It’s no secret I’ve got this big truck. I guarantee you I pay my 
fair share of the fuel excise tax,” Houser said. “I didn’t buy mine for 
miles per gallon. I bought mine for smiles per gallon. I get my money’s 
worth out of it.”

Wendi Stark, representing the League of Kansas Municipalities, said 
Rhiley’s bill was flawed because it directed all new revenue from EV 
charging stations to the state highway fund instead of dividing revenue 
with cities and counties for work on road projects. Under current Kansas
 law, the state retains 66.3% of the fuel tax revenue and cities and 
counties benefit from 33.6% of that revenue.

The bill surfaced in the House at the same time the Kansas Department
 of Transportation was engaged in a three-year study of alternative 
revenue sources in response to a decline in fuel tax revenue, said Joel 
Skelley, policy director at KDOT. That study was focused on application 
of a “road usage charge” rather than linkages to taxation of energy 
sources.

“This treats the roadways as the utility being used instead of the 
fuel source the vehicle operates on. Taxing fuel to pay for roadway use 
creates an ongoing challenge, given emerging vehicle technologies. Each 
new engine technology, or fuel source, will require new complicated 
calculations of ‘energy equivalency’ to travel a certain distance,” he 
said.

He said the House bill would disproportionately target EV drivers who
 relied on public or shared charging stations at apartment complexes, 
workplaces and elsewhere. The proposed tax wouldn’t apply to people 
recharging vehicles at their private home, he said.

Zack Pistora of the Kansas Sierra Club told House members 
consideration of the EV legislation on fees and taxes ought to include 
debate on the influence of traditional fuel-combustion vehicles on road 
safety, air pollution, congestion, noise and damage to roads.

National studies indicated heavy trucks were responsible for a 
disproportionate amount of road damage compared to lightweight vehicles 
and tax and fee schemes ought to take that into account, he said.

“Their data concludes that the road damage of an 80,000-pound truck 
would be the equivalent impact of 9,600 ordinary automobiles,” Pistora 
said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675290764019.png" alt="Rep. Bill Rhiley, R-Wellington, urged the Kansas House Transportation Committee to embrace a bill imposing a new battery recharge tax on owners of electric vehicles in response to decline of state gasoline tax revenue used to repair highways. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Bill Rhiley, R-Wellington, urged the Kansas House Transportation Committee to embrace a bill imposing a new battery recharge tax on owners of electric vehicles in response to decline of state gasoline tax revenue used to repair highways. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/01/kansas-electric-vehicle-advocates-stomping-brake-on-bill-imposing-new-state-recharge-tax/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Joe Millikan learned of a
 Kansas House bill imposing a new tax on electric-vehicle charging 
stations just as he contemplated purchasing an automobile untethered to 
fossil fuels.Millikan said the proposed state tax of 3 cents per kilowatt to 
support a Kansas highway repair fund reliant on fuel tax revenue would 
amount to “double taxation” because owners of all-electric cars and 
trucks paid a higher registration fee to the Kansas Department of 
Revenue. That $100 fee approved by the 2019 Legislature was designed to 
make up for EV owners avoiding the fuel tax of 24 cents per gallon 
earmarked for highway repairs and construction. The registration fee for
 gasoline-powered vehicles in Kansas is $30.“It is disappointing to learn the Kansas House may adopt legislation 
hostile to EV owners and commercial EV chargers,” he told the House 
Transportation Committee. “It will discourage additional EV charging 
stations in Kansas just as the number of EVs are 
growing rapidly.”Millikan said the legislation could result in small businesses 
shutting down charging stations and interfere with car dealers 
interested in making charging stations available to owners of electric 
vehicles. In addition, Millikan said, the House bill would signal to EV 
owners traveling across the United States they ought to follow routes 
outside Kansas.Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican on the transportation 
committee, said it was important for the Legislature to tackle 
inequities in vehicle taxation but took a different approach. He said 
the owner of a Tesla electric car would pay about $3 to fully charge 
that vehicle if the proposed state tax became law. It currently costs 
approximately $5 in state fuel tax to fill his gas-fueled Chevrolet 
Silverado truck.“I’m afraid that we might be accidently disincentivizing the use of 
fossil-fuel vehicles based on this 3 cents,” Proctor said. “Are we 
accidently punishing fossil-fuel vehicle drivers by not charging the EV 
drivers the same?”<h2>‘Energy equity’</h2>Under <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2004_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2004, the “EV Energy Equity Road Repair Tax Act”</a>
 would direct all revenue from the new kilowatt-hour tax on electricity 
used to recharge vehicle batteries to the state highway fund. Commercial
 charging station owners would be responsible for forwarding to the 
state taxes collected from EV owners. The charging of EVs at residential
 outlets wouldn’t be subject to the proposed state tax.Failure to comply with the Kansas law would be a misdemeanor 
punishable by a fine of $25 per kilowatt hour of energy sold to EV 
consumers and a sanction of $5,000 to $50,000 or a sentence of not less 
than 30 days in a county jail.The state Department of Revenue estimated the House bill would result
 in new tax collections of $148,000 in 2024, $179,000 in 2025 and 
$210,000 in 2026. The figures assumed there were 10,500 electric 
vehicles in Kansas, an average driving distance of 7,000 miles each 
year, consumer use of public charging stations for 20% of electricity 
consumed and the consumption of one killowatt for every three miles 
driven.In addition, the revenue department estimated it would cost $640,000 
for the state agency to modify computer programs to handle the EV tax 
and hiring of a couple employees to monitor accuracy of charging 
stations.Rep. Bill Rhiley, R-Wellington, said during the House committee 
hearing Tuesday the Department of Revenue’s fiscal analysis was flawed 
because it didn’t take into account EV trucks and cars that would pass 
through the state on Interstate 35 and Interstate 70. Those motorists 
should contribute to the state highway fund for making use of Kansas 
roads, he said.“We can’t just look at the 10,000 EV vehciles that are in Kansas,” 
Rhiley said. “We need to look at the hundreds of thousands of electric 
vehicles that are going to be driving through Kansas.”<h2>‘Smiles per gallon’</h2>Rep. Nick Hoheisel, R-Wichita, said lawmakers ought to consider 
elevating registration fees of EV owners to bring equity to drivers’ 
contributions to the state highway fund. He said the bottom line of any 
bill ought to be fairness to gas and electric vehicle owners.The purchase of vehicles was result of consumer choices and 
individuals ought to be held accountable for their decisions, said Rep. 
Michael Houser, R-Columbus.“It’s no secret I’ve got this big truck. I guarantee you I pay my 
fair share of the fuel excise tax,” Houser said. “I didn’t buy mine for 
miles per gallon. I bought mine for smiles per gallon. I get my money’s 
worth out of it.”Wendi Stark, representing the League of Kansas Municipalities, said 
Rhiley’s bill was flawed because it directed all new revenue from EV 
charging stations to the state highway fund instead of dividing revenue 
with cities and counties for work on road projects. Under current Kansas
 law, the state retains 66.3% of the fuel tax revenue and cities and 
counties benefit from 33.6% of that revenue.The bill surfaced in the House at the same time the Kansas Department
 of Transportation was engaged in a three-year study of alternative 
revenue sources in response to a decline in fuel tax revenue, said Joel 
Skelley, policy director at KDOT. That study was focused on application 
of a “road usage charge” rather than linkages to taxation of energy 
sources.“This treats the roadways as the utility being used instead of the 
fuel source the vehicle operates on. Taxing fuel to pay for roadway use 
creates an ongoing challenge, given emerging vehicle technologies. Each 
new engine technology, or fuel source, will require new complicated 
calculations of ‘energy equivalency’ to travel a certain distance,” he 
said.He said the House bill would disproportionately target EV drivers who
 relied on public or shared charging stations at apartment complexes, 
workplaces and elsewhere. The proposed tax wouldn’t apply to people 
recharging vehicles at their private home, he said.Zack Pistora of the Kansas Sierra Club told House members 
consideration of the EV legislation on fees and taxes ought to include 
debate on the influence of traditional fuel-combustion vehicles on road 
safety, air pollution, congestion, noise and damage to roads.National studies indicated heavy trucks were responsible for a 
disproportionate amount of road damage compared to lightweight vehicles 
and tax and fee schemes ought to take that into account, he said.“Their data concludes that the road damage of an 80,000-pound truck 
would be the equivalent impact of 9,600 ordinary automobiles,” Pistora 
said.

EV advocates stomp brake on Kan. bill imposing recharge tax

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a dognapping and are asking the public for help to find the animal.

During the month of January, deputies, animal control officers and members of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 Unit responded to a residence in the 5500 block of SW Wanamaker Road on multiple occasions to check the welfare of Bosco, a 14-year-old bloodhound, following claims of animal neglect, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The Sheriff’s Office investigated these claims and found them to be unsubstantiated after viewing and interacting with Bosco and his owner. No law violations were found.

On January 28,&nbsp; Bosco was stolen from his family. That day, a witness reported seeing an unknown grey SUV leaving the driveway of the residence around 2:15pm.&nbsp;

The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office is seeking assistance with locating Bosco and returning him to his owner. The person(s) having custody of Bosco are in possession of stolen property and could face criminal charges in connection with the incident.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bosco are asked to immediately contact Detective Roberts (785)-251-2251 | Justin.Roberts@snco.us), the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office (785-251-2200) or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers (P3 Tips mobile app | 785)-234-0007).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675518644398.png" alt="Bosco-photo courtesy Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Bosco-photo courtesy Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a dognapping and are asking the public for help to find the animal.During the month of January, deputies, animal control officers and members of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office’s K9 Unit responded to a residence in the 5500 block of SW Wanamaker Road on multiple occasions to check the welfare of Bosco, a 14-year-old bloodhound, following claims of animal neglect, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The Sheriff’s Office investigated these claims and found them to be unsubstantiated after viewing and interacting with Bosco and his owner. No law violations were found. On January 28,&nbsp; Bosco was stolen from his family. That day, a witness reported seeing an unknown grey SUV leaving the driveway of the residence around 2:15pm.&nbsp; The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office is seeking assistance with locating Bosco and returning him to his owner. The person(s) having custody of Bosco are in possession of stolen property and could face criminal charges in connection with the incident. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bosco are asked to immediately contact Detective Roberts (785)-251-2251 | Justin.Roberts@snco.us), the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office (785-251-2200) or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers (P3 Tips mobile app | 785)-234-0007).

Sheriff investigates dognapping from rural Kansas home

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Kansas City, Kansa.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Haskell Avenue on an opioid overdose.&nbsp; As officers and EMS arrived at the home, they observed a man fleeing on a bicycle. A description of that individual was broadcast to other officers in the region.

In the home, first responders found one man and one woman&nbsp; unresponsive. EMS revived them by administering NARCAN and transported them to an area hospital.

A short time after hearing the broadcast of the fleeing suspect’s description, an officer located him in the 5200 block of Rowland Avenue, approximately a half mile from the home. The officer attempted to make contact. 

During that interaction, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the suspect. Police and a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office performed life-saving efforts until EMS arrived on scene and pronounced him deceased.

 No officers were injured in the exchange. A gun was recovered near the suspect. As per department policy, the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending evaluation.

Detectives with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office are currently investigating this incident. Anyone with information about this incident or anyone who may have been in the area and observed activity possibly related to the incident, is urged to contact the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675513760546.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Kansas City, Kansa.Just before 6p.m. Friday, officers were dispatched to the 5400 block of Haskell Avenue on an opioid overdose.&nbsp; As officers and EMS arrived at the home, they observed a man fleeing on a bicycle. A description of that individual was broadcast to other officers in the region.In the home, first responders found one man and one woman&nbsp; unresponsive. EMS revived them by administering NARCAN and transported them to an area hospital.A short time after hearing the broadcast of the fleeing suspect’s description, an officer located him in the 5200 block of Rowland Avenue, approximately a half mile from the home. The officer attempted to make contact. During that interaction, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the suspect. Police and a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office performed life-saving efforts until EMS arrived on scene and pronounced him deceased. No officers were injured in the exchange. A gun was recovered near the suspect. As per department policy, the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending evaluation.Detectives with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office are currently investigating this incident. Anyone with information about this incident or anyone who may have been in the area and observed activity possibly related to the incident, is urged to contact the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Man dead after Kansas officer-involved shooting

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Friday joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss the Chinese spy balloon flying in U.S. airspace.

(click below to watch Senator Moran's comments)

“We need to know when the administration knew, what did they do, and we certainly should not allow this balloon to leave the United States without it being taken into custody, whether it is shot down or brought down in some other fashion,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;

“It is a mistake to think funding the Department of Defense alone is sufficient. If we don’t have leadership that utilizes our capabilities, we’ve lost our ability to push back on China.”

Aside from the government response, fuzzy videos dotted social media as people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).

It was spotted earlier over Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, defense officials said.

Later Friday, the Pentagon acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. "We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement, declining to offer further information such as where it was spotted.

The U.S. actually had been tracking the balloon since at least Tuesday, when President Joe Biden was first briefed, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. According to three U.S. officials, Biden was initially inclined to order the surveillance balloon to be blown out of the sky, and a senior defense official said the U.S. had prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot it down if ordered.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, strongly advised Biden against shooting down the balloon, warning that its size — as big as three school buses — and considerable weight could create a debris field large enough to endanger Americans on the ground. The Pentagon also assessed that after unspecified U.S. measures, the possibility of the balloon uncovering important information was not great.

It was not the first time Chinese surveillance balloons have been tracked over U.S. territory, including at least once during former President Donald Trump’s administration, officials said.

Blinken's trip cancellation came despite China’s claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China's contention that the balloon was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China's) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”

After passing the sensitive military sites in Montana, the balloon was moving southeastward over the heartland of the central United States during the day and was expected to remain in U.S. airspace for several days, officials said.

The development dealt a new blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years over numerous issues. Still, U.S. officials maintained that diplomatic channels remain open and Blinken said he remained willing to travel to China “when conditions allow.”

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran on Friday joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss the Chinese spy balloon flying in U.S. airspace.(click below to watch Senator Moran's comments)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mfa8-FWOYxE?start=38" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“We need to know when the administration knew, what did they do, and we certainly should not allow this balloon to leave the United States without it being taken into custody, whether it is shot down or brought down in some other fashion,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“It is a mistake to think funding the Department of Defense alone is sufficient. If we don’t have leadership that utilizes our capabilities, we’ve lost our ability to push back on China.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I can confirm the Chinese spy ballon is over NE KS. My staff is in contact with law enforcement officials. I condemn any attempts the Chinese make to spy on Americans. President Biden must protect the sovereignty of the U.S. whether it’s our airspace or the southern border.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1621572987802599426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Aside from the government response, fuzzy videos dotted social media as people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).It was spotted earlier over Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, defense officials said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: I’m calling for an investigation and demanding answers from the Biden Admin. on why a Chinese spy balloon was allowed to hover over critical military infrastructure in Missouri and across the interior of the U.S. without any intervention. <a href="https://t.co/c25ZEGKpWC">pic.twitter.com/c25ZEGKpWC</a>&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1621647384920100864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Later Friday, the Pentagon acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. "We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement, declining to offer further information such as where it was spotted.The U.S. actually had been tracking the balloon since at least Tuesday, when President Joe Biden was first briefed, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. According to three U.S. officials, Biden was initially inclined to order the surveillance balloon to be blown out of the sky, and a senior defense official said the U.S. had prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot it down if ordered.The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, strongly advised Biden against shooting down the balloon, warning that its size — as big as three school buses — and considerable weight could create a debris field large enough to endanger Americans on the ground. The Pentagon also assessed that after unspecified U.S. measures, the possibility of the balloon uncovering important information was not great.It was not the first time Chinese surveillance balloons have been tracked over U.S. territory, including at least once during former President Donald Trump’s administration, officials said.Blinken's trip cancellation came despite China’s claim that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China's contention that the balloon was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China's) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”After passing the sensitive military sites in Montana, the balloon was moving southeastward over the heartland of the central United States during the day and was expected to remain in U.S. airspace for several days, officials said.The development dealt a new blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years over numerous issues. Still, U.S. officials maintained that diplomatic channels remain open and Blinken said he remained willing to travel to China “when conditions allow.”“We continue to believe that having open lines of communication is important," he said.Biden declined to comment on the matter when questioned at an economic event. Two likely 2024 reelection challengers, Trump, and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, said the U.S. should immediately shoot down the balloon.Several Republican congressmen said the same, and a number blasted the administration for “allowing” the balloon intrusion.“The idea that Communist China has a spy balloon headed towards Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri right now — the home of the Stealth Bomber — is absolutely unbelievable,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. “No American should accept this. I don’t.”Jean-Pierre did not shed light on why the administration waited until Thursday to make its concerns public.Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, refused to say Friday whether there was any new consideration of shooting the balloon down. He said it currently was posing no threat.Ryder said it was maneuverable, not just at the mercy of the wind, and had changed course.Still, weather experts said China’s claim that the balloon had gone off course was not unfeasible. China’s account of wind patterns known as the Westerlies carrying a balloon to the western United States was “absolutely possible - not possible, likely,” said Dan Jaffe, a professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of Washington.As for Blinken's trip, Jean-Pierre said a diplomatic visit to China was not appropriate at such a time. She said that "the presence of this balloon in our airspace ... is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law and it is unacceptable this occurred.”A State Department official said Blinken and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had both protested to the top official at the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday, a day before the Pentagon announced the discovery of the balloon.Blinken’s long-anticipated meetings with senior Chinese officials had been seen in both countries as a possible way to find some areas of common ground at a time of major disagreements over Taiwan, human rights, China’s claims in the South China Sea, North Korea, Russia’s war in Ukraine, trade policy and climate change.Although the trip, which was agreed to in November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit in Indonesia, had not been formally announced, officials in both Beijing and Washington had spoken in recent days about Blinken’s imminent arrival for meetings on Sunday and Monday.China, which angrily denounces surveillance attempts by the U.S. and others over areas it considers to be its territory and once forced down an American spy plane and held its crew captive on Hainan Island, was relatively conciliatory in its response to the U.S. complaints.In a statement that approached an apology, the Chinese foreign ministry said the balloon was a civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research. It said said the airship had limited “self-steering” capabilities and had “deviated far from its planned course” because of winds.“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure,” the statement said, citing a legal term used to refer to events beyond one’s control.___