WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second time this month, House Republicans have advanced a measure to restrict presidential use of the nation’s emergency oil stockpile — a proposal that has already drawn a White House veto threat.

A GOP bill approved Friday would require the government to offset any non-emergency withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with new drilling on public lands and oceans. Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of abusing the reserve for political reasons to keep gas prices low, while Biden says tapping the reserve was needed last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">in response to a ban on Russian oil imports following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.</a>

Biden withdrew 180 million barrels from the strategic reserve over several months, bringing the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The administration said last month it will start to replenish the reserve now that oil prices have gone down.

The bill was approved, 221-205, on a near party-line vote. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the sole Democrat to join unanimous Republicans in supporting the bill. The measure heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is expected to languish.

Even before the vote, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attacked the latest GOP proposal, which follows a bill approved two weeks ago that would prohibit the Energy Department from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-china-92863d8d03fe2cd9b1994e0f1f5579a6">selling oil from the strategic reserve to companies owned or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.</a>

“House Republicans will vote to raise gas prices on American families ... and help Putin's war aims by interfering with our ability to release oil,'' Jean-Pierre said Monday, referring to the current GOP bill.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, appearing with Jean-Pierre at the White House, said the bill would make it ”harder to offer Americans relief in the future" from oil disruptions that could raise prices.

Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee and sponsored the GOP bill, accused Granholm and the White House of multiple misleading claims, including an erroneous assertion that the bill could affect use of the reserve during a presidentially declared emergency.

“At a time when gas prices are on the rise, Secretary Granholm and the Biden administration need to be transparent with the American people about their efforts to cover up how they’ve abused the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as an election-year gimmick,'' McMorris Rodgers said.

"Republicans want durable, long-lasting relief at the pump. The best way to do this is by unleashing American energy,'' which her legislation helps accomplish, added McMorris Rodgers, of Washington state.

The heated rhetoric is part of a larger fight over oil drilling and climate change. Republicans say restrictions on oil leasing imposed by the Biden administration hamper U.S. energy production and harm the economy, while Democrats tout&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb">a sweeping climate law approved last year</a>&nbsp;as a crucial step to wean the nation off fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. The measure authorizes billions in spending to boost renewable energy such as wind and solar power and includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-business-climate-and-environment-f145b24414ff245f491fd68257b3db60">incentives for Americans to buy millions of electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels and more efficient appliances.</a>

Biden, citing the dangers of climate change, canceled the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline in his first days in office and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-biden-halting-federal-oil-and-gas-sales-b8f03552c2c2fa7ec0dfc5debeb3f882">suspended new oil and gas leases on federal lands.</a>&nbsp;The moratorium has since been lifted, under court order, but Republicans complain that lease sales for new drilling rights are still limited.

Biden campaigned on pledges to end new drilling on public lands, and climate activists have pushed him to move faster to shut down oil leasing. Fossil fuels extracted from public lands account for about 20% of energy-related U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making them a prime target for emissions reductions intended to slow global warming.

“Whether on land or at sea, oil drilling poses an unacceptable risk for our wildlife, wild places and waterways,'' said Lisa Frank of Environment America, an advocacy group. “When we drill, we spill. At a time when we should be moving away from this destructive, dangerous practice this bill doubles down on the outmoded energy of the past.''

Conservative and industry groups support the bill.

“We can continue making the Strategic Petroleum Reserve the nation’s sole response to future disruptions, or we can also utilize more of the vast oil supplies sitting beneath the lands and offshore areas currently kept off limits by the president,'' the Competitive Enterprise Institute and other conservative groups said in a letter to Congress.

The Treasury Department estimates that release of oil from the emergency stockpile lowered prices at the pump by up to 40 cents per gallon. Gasoline prices averaged about $3.50 per gallon on Thursday, down from just over $5 per gallon at their peak in June, according to the AAA auto club.

Still, gas prices are up more than 30 cents from a month ago and are higher than when Biden took office in January 2021. "Millions of Americans are paying more at the pump as a result of the Biden administration’s radical ‘rush-to-green’ agenda that has shut down American energy,'' McMorris Rodgers said.

Granholm, citing thousands of unused leases by oil companies, said GOP claims of obstructionism on drilling were off-base. “There's nothing standing in the way of domestic oil and gas production,'' she said. McMorris Rodgers disputed that, citing “burdensome regulations” and discouragement of investment in domestic oil and gas industries.

The oil bill was one of the first to be considered under a more open rules process Republicans instituted since retaking the House majority. More than 60 amendments were considered on Thursday and Friday, with most from both parties rejected.

Among those approved were two amendments by New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a moderate Democrat. Both clarified that oil from the reserve should not be sold to China, Iran, North Korea or Russia; that addresses a complaint Democrats made earlier this month about a previous GOP bill that singled out China for a ban on buying U.S. reserves.

The China measure won significant Democratic support in the House and could advance in the Senate; lawmakers from both parties have signaled growing concerns about China's influence on the global economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second time this month, House Republicans have advanced a measure to restrict presidential use of the nation’s emergency oil stockpile — a proposal that has already drawn a White House veto threat.A GOP bill approved Friday would require the government to offset any non-emergency withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with new drilling on public lands and oceans. Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of abusing the reserve for political reasons to keep gas prices low, while Biden says tapping the reserve was needed last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-business-europe-3e1808077371b88ae043c86584763afd">in response to a ban on Russian oil imports following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.</a>Biden withdrew 180 million barrels from the strategic reserve over several months, bringing the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The administration said last month it will start to replenish the reserve now that oil prices have gone down.The bill was approved, 221-205, on a near party-line vote. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the sole Democrat to join unanimous Republicans in supporting the bill. The measure heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is expected to languish.Even before the vote, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attacked the latest GOP proposal, which follows a bill approved two weeks ago that would prohibit the Energy Department from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-china-92863d8d03fe2cd9b1994e0f1f5579a6">selling oil from the strategic reserve to companies owned or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.</a>“House Republicans will vote to raise gas prices on American families ... and help Putin's war aims by interfering with our ability to release oil,'' Jean-Pierre said Monday, referring to the current GOP bill.Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, appearing with Jean-Pierre at the White House, said the bill would make it ”harder to offer Americans relief in the future" from oil disruptions that could raise prices.Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee and sponsored the GOP bill, accused Granholm and the White House of multiple misleading claims, including an erroneous assertion that the bill could affect use of the reserve during a presidentially declared emergency.“At a time when gas prices are on the rise, Secretary Granholm and the Biden administration need to be transparent with the American people about their efforts to cover up how they’ve abused the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as an election-year gimmick,'' McMorris Rodgers said."Republicans want durable, long-lasting relief at the pump. The best way to do this is by unleashing American energy,'' which her legislation helps accomplish, added McMorris Rodgers, of Washington state.The heated rhetoric is part of a larger fight over oil drilling and climate change. Republicans say restrictions on oil leasing imposed by the Biden administration hamper U.S. energy production and harm the economy, while Democrats tout&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-congress-climate-and-environment-f084d23d61ebb068068d4aa92c82fdbb">a sweeping climate law approved last year</a>&nbsp;as a crucial step to wean the nation off fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. The measure authorizes billions in spending to boost renewable energy such as wind and solar power and includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-business-climate-and-environment-f145b24414ff245f491fd68257b3db60">incentives for Americans to buy millions of electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels and more efficient appliances.</a>Biden, citing the dangers of climate change, canceled the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline in his first days in office and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-biden-halting-federal-oil-and-gas-sales-b8f03552c2c2fa7ec0dfc5debeb3f882">suspended new oil and gas leases on federal lands.</a>&nbsp;The moratorium has since been lifted, under court order, but Republicans complain that lease sales for new drilling rights are still limited.Biden campaigned on pledges to end new drilling on public lands, and climate activists have pushed him to move faster to shut down oil leasing. Fossil fuels extracted from public lands account for about 20% of energy-related U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making them a prime target for emissions reductions intended to slow global warming.“Whether on land or at sea, oil drilling poses an unacceptable risk for our wildlife, wild places and waterways,'' said Lisa Frank of Environment America, an advocacy group. “When we drill, we spill. At a time when we should be moving away from this destructive, dangerous practice this bill doubles down on the outmoded energy of the past.''Conservative and industry groups support the bill.“We can continue making the Strategic Petroleum Reserve the nation’s sole response to future disruptions, or we can also utilize more of the vast oil supplies sitting beneath the lands and offshore areas currently kept off limits by the president,'' the Competitive Enterprise Institute and other conservative groups said in a letter to Congress.The Treasury Department estimates that release of oil from the emergency stockpile lowered prices at the pump by up to 40 cents per gallon. Gasoline prices averaged about $3.50 per gallon on Thursday, down from just over $5 per gallon at their peak in June, according to the AAA auto club.Still, gas prices are up more than 30 cents from a month ago and are higher than when Biden took office in January 2021. "Millions of Americans are paying more at the pump as a result of the Biden administration’s radical ‘rush-to-green’ agenda that has shut down American energy,'' McMorris Rodgers said.Granholm, citing thousands of unused leases by oil companies, said GOP claims of obstructionism on drilling were off-base. “There's nothing standing in the way of domestic oil and gas production,'' she said. McMorris Rodgers disputed that, citing “burdensome regulations” and discouragement of investment in domestic oil and gas industries.The oil bill was one of the first to be considered under a more open rules process Republicans instituted since retaking the House majority. More than 60 amendments were considered on Thursday and Friday, with most from both parties rejected.Among those approved were two amendments by New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a moderate Democrat. Both clarified that oil from the reserve should not be sold to China, Iran, North Korea or Russia; that addresses a complaint Democrats made earlier this month about a previous GOP bill that singled out China for a ban on buying U.S. reserves.The China measure won significant Democratic support in the House and could advance in the Senate; lawmakers from both parties have signaled growing concerns about China's influence on the global economy.

GOP, Biden battle over use of the nation’s emergency oil stockpile

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; several shootings including two at Wichita night spots that occurred over the weekend.

Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, police patrolling the parking lot of Onyx Night Club, at 10001 E Kellogg Drive when several gunshots were fired inside the Night Club. 

Officers ran towards the entrance and were met by a large number of people exiting the business. Officers entered the Night Club and located the 36-year-old victim with several gunshot wounds to his body. Officers began performing life-saving measures and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. While officers were at the Night Club processing the scene a 35-year-old victim arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.

The investigation revealed nearly 900 people were inside the Night Club when a physical disturbance occurred between two different groups of people. During this disturbance, someone brandished a gun and fired several rounds striking the two victims. 

Just before 1a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were on patrol in the Old Town area of Wichita when they heard multiple gunshots coming from inside Rock Island Live at 101 N. Rock Island Ave, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

As officers arrived, they were met by a large crowd exiting the business.

 A 22-year-old woman ran out with a gunshot wound to her upper arm. Officers took her to safety, and she was transported to a local hospital for treatment. 

Other officers made entry to the business and located a 22-year-old man conscious and breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. Officers began providing life-saving measures and the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Late Saturday morning, he was reported in stable condition, according to Ditch.&nbsp; 

While on scene at the hospital a 22- year-old woman arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her foot.

The investigation revealed that 22-year-old Tyra Adair was involved in a physical disturbance with several other women inside the business. Adair then brandished a gun and fire several rounds. 

At this point, police believed that the victims who were struck by gunfire were not the individuals involved in the physical altercation, but innocent bystanders, according to Ditch.

Police located Adair nearby and took her into custody without incident and she was in possession of a gun.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20055026">She is being held on</a> requested charges of aggravated battery.

Just after 3:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

First responders arrived on the scene and located the 57-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her upper body. EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment. She was reported in stable condition.

The investigation revealed several shots were fired at the residence from outside and one round struck the victim. There were three other people in the residence including a 4-year-old girl, a 10-year-old girl and a 36-year-old man. Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675022145263.png" alt="Adair-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Adair-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; several shootings including two at Wichita night spots that occurred over the weekend.Just after 11:30p.m. Saturday, police patrolling the parking lot of Onyx Night Club, at 10001 E Kellogg Drive when several gunshots were fired inside the Night Club. Officers ran towards the entrance and were met by a large number of people exiting the business. Officers entered the Night Club and located the 36-year-old victim with several gunshot wounds to his body. Officers began performing life-saving measures and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. While officers were at the Night Club processing the scene a 35-year-old victim arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.The investigation revealed nearly 900 people were inside the Night Club when a physical disturbance occurred between two different groups of people. During this disturbance, someone brandished a gun and fired several rounds striking the two victims. Just before 1a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were on patrol in the Old Town area of Wichita when they heard multiple gunshots coming from inside Rock Island Live at 101 N. Rock Island Ave, according to Officer Chad Ditch.As officers arrived, they were met by a large crowd exiting the business. A 22-year-old woman ran out with a gunshot wound to her upper arm. Officers took her to safety, and she was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Other officers made entry to the business and located a 22-year-old man conscious and breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. Officers began providing life-saving measures and the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp; Late Saturday morning, he was reported in stable condition, according to Ditch.&nbsp; While on scene at the hospital a 22- year-old woman arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her foot.The investigation revealed that 22-year-old Tyra Adair was involved in a physical disturbance with several other women inside the business. Adair then brandished a gun and fire several rounds. At this point, police believed that the victims who were struck by gunfire were not the individuals involved in the physical altercation, but innocent bystanders, according to Ditch.Police located Adair nearby and took her into custody without incident and she was in possession of a gun.&nbsp; <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20055026">She is being held on</a> requested charges of aggravated battery.Just after 3:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1400 block of South George Washington Blvd in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.First responders arrived on the scene and located the 57-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her upper body. EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment. She was reported in stable condition.The investigation revealed several shots were fired at the residence from outside and one round struck the victim. There were three other people in the residence including a 4-year-old girl, a 10-year-old girl and a 36-year-old man. Police have not reported an arrest.

Six hospitalized after violent weekend of gunfire in Wichita

TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. — A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just after 9:30p.m. Saturday in Texas County, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported&nbsp; a fixed wing, single engine Cessna 172 piloted <a href="https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N6482B">by Victor Mendoza,</a> 46, Liberal, Kansas, crashed approximately ten miles northwest of Hooker, Oklahoma.

Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no others on board the plane. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.&nbsp;

TEXAS COUNTY, Okla. — A Kansas man died in a small plane crash just after 9:30p.m. Saturday in Texas County, Oklahoma.The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported&nbsp; a fixed wing, single engine Cessna 172 piloted <a href="https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N6482B">by Victor Mendoza,</a> 46, Liberal, Kansas, crashed approximately ten miles northwest of Hooker, Oklahoma.Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no others on board the plane. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.&nbsp;

Kansas man dies after small plane crash

KANSAS CITY— Protesters and police unions around the country continue to condemn Memphis police after the public release <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">of video</a> showing five officers savagely beating Tyre Nichols, who later died.

Kansas City Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman released a statement late Saturday with "a sobering reminder to law enforcement that with great authority comes great responsibility."

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan and the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department also released statements condemning the violence.

Sullivan wrote, "By now I’m sure many of you have <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">seen the video </a>out of Memphis that shows the horrific beating of Mr. Tyre Nichols. I have seen it as well. Like many of you, I am shocked and sickened by the actions of those officers and I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire Nichols family."

"I want to applaud Chief CJ Davis on her handling of this incident. I also want to ensure the citizens of Wichita that the Wichita Police Department stands by you in your anger, sadness, and frustration with this despicable act of violence committed by 5 human beings who disgraced the badge."&nbsp;

"I wish I could say in 40 years of Policing that this is the first time I have seen this type of case, but sadly it’s not. What I can say, is that the Wichita Police Department is not just here for you, we are here with you. We do not support nor defend officers who act like they are above the law and use excessive and unnecessary force against those they swore to protect and serve." The Sedgwick Sheriff’s office said in a statement they were "appalled by the atrocity that occurred to Tyre Nichols at the hands of the former Memphis Officers."

"This is an incredible violation of public trust and this office condemns their actions. The former Memphis Officers have tarnished the badge and betrayed their oath."

"It is the mission of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to partner with the citizens of Sedgwick County providing effective public service to all in an impartial, ethical and professional manner. We continue to uphold these standards in trying times and fully support the prosecution of the former Memphis Officers."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An unarmed Black man dies after a videotaped beating by police. The officers involved are fired. After a thorough review of the evidence, criminal charges are swiftly filed against the offending officers.

Investigation, accountability and charges.

This is often the most Black citizens can hope for as the deaths continue. Nationwide, police have killed roughly three people per day consistently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-columbus-shootings-police-trials-65a16498f72823a887476486e1f05633">since 2020</a>, according to academics and advocates for police reform who track such deaths.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-profile-memphis-3104f3cdbaf568daf6647eca080d4001">Tyre Nichols'</a>&nbsp;fatal encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, recorded in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-video-memphis-police-e3ee8e6698faae16df3f41d09234b09f?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">video made public Friday night</a>, is a glaring reminder that efforts to reform policing have failed to prevent more flashpoints in an intractable epidemic of brutality.

Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. They’ve been repeated in a ceaseless rhythm ever since, punctuated by the deaths of Amadou Diallo in New York, Oscar Grant in Oakland, California, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and so many others.

George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis in 2020 was so agonizing to watch, it summoned a national reckoning that featured federal legislation proposed in his name and shows of solidarity by corporations and sports leagues. All fell short of the shift in law enforcement culture Black people in America have called for — a culture that promotes freedom from fear, trust in police and mutual respect.

“We need public safety, right? We need law enforcement to combat pervasive crime,” said Jason Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. “Also, we don’t want the people who are sworn to protect and serve us brutalizing us for a simple traffic stop, or any offense.”

The five Black officers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-police-officers-charged-48d48f2137a2f34482274edb1bd1bab2">now fired and charged</a>&nbsp;with murder and other crimes in the Jan. 10 death of Nichols, a 29-year-old skateboarder, FedEx worker and father to a 4-year-old boy.

From police brass and the district attorney’s office to the White House, officials said Nichols’ killing points to a need for bolder reforms that go beyond simply diversifying the ranks, changing use-of-force rules and encouraging citizens to file complaints.

“The world is watching us,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said. “If there is any silver lining to be drawn from this very dark cloud, it’s that perhaps this incident can open a broader conversation about the need for police reform.”

President Joe Biden joined national civil rights leaders in similar calls to action.

“To deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect,” the president said.

But Memphis, whose 628,000 residents celebrate barbecue and blues music and lament being the place where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, has seen this before. The city took steps advocates called for in a “Reimagine Policing” initiative in 2021, and mirrored a set of policy changes reformers want all departments to implement immediately, known as “8 Can’t Wait.”

De-escalation training is now required. Officers are told to limit uses of force, exhaust all alternatives before resorting to deadly force and report all uses of force. Tennessee also took action: State law now requires officers to intervene to stop abuse and report excessive force by their colleagues.

Showing unusual transparency for a police department, the MPD now publishes accountability reports that include the race of people subjected to use of force each year. They show Black men and women were overwhelmingly targeted for rougher treatment in 2019, 2020 and 2021. They were subject to nearly 86% of the recorded uses of guns, batons, pepper spray, physical beatings and other force in 2021, the total nearly doubling that year to 1,700 cases.

Seven uses of force by Memphis police ended in death during these three years.

“I don’t know how much more cumulative Black death our community should have to pay to convince elected officials that the policing system isn’t broken — it’s working exactly as it was designed to, at the expense of Black life,” said Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center, a Tennessee-based civil rights leadership training school.

The Nichols case — just one of the brutality cases to make national news this month — exposes an uncomfortable truth: More than two years since the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks touched off protests, policing reforms have not significantly reduced such killings.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-amir-locke-richmond-minneapolis-86370ae1c735d44525e37eed80b293b2">States approved nearly 300 police reform bills after Floyd’s murder,</a>&nbsp;creating civilian oversight of police, more anti-bias training, stricter use-of-force limits and alternatives to arrests in cases involving people with mental illnesses, according to a recent analysis by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland.

Despite calls to “defund the police,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-police-law-enforcement-agencies-local-governments-iowa-420d0714086f72bc255c676bfe214532">an Associated Press review of police funding nationwide</a>&nbsp;found only modest cuts, driven largely by shrinking revenue related to the coronavirus pandemic. Budgets increased and more officers were hired for some large departments, including New York City’s.

Still stuck in Congress is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-george-floyd-death-of-george-floyd-police-police-reform-988260d4657103cd968bad7f039b0e19">the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,</a>&nbsp;which would prohibit racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit the transfer of military equipment to police departments, and make it easier to bring charges against offending officers. Biden said he told Nichols’ mother that he would be “making a case” to Congress to pass the Floyd Act “to get this under control.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton said his eulogy at Nichols’ funeral on Wednesday will include a call for new laws. NAACP President Derrick Johnson also took Congress to task.

“By failing to write a piece of legislation, you’re writing another obituary,” Johnson said. “Tell us what you’re going to do to honor Tyre Nichols. … We can name all the victims of police violence, but we can’t name a single law you have passed to address it.”

Advocates want state and federal legislation because local changes vary widely in scope and effect and can be undone by a single election after years of grassroots activism. But some say strict regulations are just the start — and the video of Nichols’ agony proves it.

“Changing a rule doesn’t change a behavior,” said Katie Ryan, chief of staff for Campaign Zero, a group of academics, policing experts and activists working to end police violence. “The culture of a police department has to shift into actually implementing the policies, not just saying there’s a rule in place.”

The five officers charged — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — were part of the so-called Scorpion unit. Scorpion stands for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.

The Memphis police chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-memphis-crime-law-enforcement-1b7e8fa4ed7120a897086250d5d6da35">disbanded the unit</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.

“It is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the Scorpion unit,” she said in a statement.

Prior to the move by Davis, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said it was clear that the officers involved in the attack on Nichols violated the department’s policies and training.

“I want to assure you we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” Strickland said in a statement. “We are initiating an outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations of our specialized units.”

The Memphis police union extended condolences to Nichols’ family, saying it “is committed to the administration of justice and NEVER condones the mistreatment of ANY citizen nor ANY abuse of power.” The statement also expressed faith that the justice system would reveal “the totality of circumstances” in the case.

Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, pushed back against the conclusion that policing must change. This was not “legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong,” Yoes said. “This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law.”

Protesters turned out again Friday night after the city released the video footage. Turner, the Memphis pastor, called the images “further proof that our city’s and our nation’s criminal justice systems are in dire need of change.”

“It’s not like we’re short on concrete, reasonable recommendations,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church. “What we’re short on is the political will and the commitment to making the structural changes.”

Protesters gathered in a park near the White House, in Memphis and other cities as <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">the video </a>was released.

In Memphis, protesters chanted: “Say his name! Tyre Nichols!” and several dozen protesters blocked a heavily traveled bridge on Interstate 55 that is one of two main spans connecting Arkansas and Tennessee over the Mississippi River.

Unions in California and Hawaii issued a joint statement calling the actions of the officers “repugnant and the complete antithesis of how honorable law enforcement professionals conduct themselves.”

The Prosecutors Alliance of California calls the killing senseless and in California’s capitol of Sacramento, Mayor Darrell Steinberg said: “I am filled with anger, with sorrow and revulsion.”

— Memphis authorities have released more than an hour of footage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-video-memphis-police-e3ee8e6698faae16df3f41d09234b09f">the police beating</a>&nbsp;of Tyre Nichols, whose death resulted in murder charges and provoked outrage

— Family and friends remember&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-profile-memphis-3104f3cdbaf568daf6647eca080d4001">Tyre Nichols</a>&nbsp;as a generous, lovable man who worked hard to be a good father to his 4-year-old son

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-police-brutality-memphis-bde48465a79bb20bbb68473c0cc63b1e">Timeline of events</a>&nbsp;in the arrest, death of Tyre Nichols

MEMPHIS —<a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis"> Video showing</a> five Memphis police officers beating a Black man was made public Friday, one day after they were charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols.

The footage shows the Black officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault that the Nichols family’s legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.

Cities across the country braced for large demonstrations. Nichols’ relatives urged supporters to protest peacefully. ___

WASHINGTON — The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police has issued a scathing statement over the actions of five former Memphis police officers involved in the arrest of Tyre Nichols.

Patrick Yoes says the officers’ encounter with Nichols “does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong.” Instead, Yoes called it a “criminal assault under the pretext of law.”

Nichols died three days after a Jan. 7 confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he was “very concerned” about the prospect of violence, but called for protests over the death of Tyre Nichols to remain peaceful.

Speaking Friday at the White House before departing for Camp David, the president reflected on his call earlier with Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells.

“I’m obviously very concerned about it,” Biden said when asked if he was worried about violence, “but I think she has made a very strong plea. She’s obviously in enormous pain.”

Biden said that “innocent lives” were at stake Friday as the country awaited the release of police footage of depicting five Memphis officers beating Nichols during a traffic stop.

NEW YORK — In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said he and other mayors across the country had been briefed by the White House in advance of the video’s release, which he said would “trigger pain and sadness in many of us. It will make us angry.”

He urged demonstrators to “respect the wishes of Mr. Nichols’ mother. If you need to express your anger and outrage, do so peacefully. My message to the NYPD has been, and will continue to be, to exercise restraint.”

Adams, who during his years as a New York Police Department officer co-founded an organization that advocated for diversity in policing and against abuses of power, said he “felt betrayed” by the officers charged in the Memphis death of Nichols.

“Any officer who engages in violence and brutality tarnishes all the work we have done to keep communities safe,” he said. He added: “They make it harder for the brothers and sisters in uniform to accomplish the incredible work they do, day in and day out.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674870163108.png" alt="Image from a pole camera video released Friday night by the city of Memphis" />
 <figcaption>Image from a pole camera video released Friday night by the city of Memphis</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Protesters and police unions around the country continue to condemn Memphis police after the public release <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">of video</a> showing five officers savagely beating Tyre Nichols, who later died.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Media Advisory: Thursday, January 27, 2023 Video footage of the incident between Tyre Nichols and the Memphis Police Department Video can be viewed at <a href="https://t.co/rsnlgakz63">https://t.co/rsnlgakz63</a>&mdash; CityofMem_Media (@CityofMem_Media) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofMem_Media/status/1619123186502889472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">From Chief Karl A. Oakman. <a href="https://t.co/odUwLdGG2J">pic.twitter.com/odUwLdGG2J</a>&mdash; Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (@KCKPDChief) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCKPDChief/status/1619495948937486336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman released a statement late Saturday with "a sobering reminder to law enforcement that with great authority comes great responsibility."Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan and the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department also released statements condemning the violence.Sullivan wrote, "By now I’m sure many of you have <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">seen the video </a>out of Memphis that shows the horrific beating of Mr. Tyre Nichols. I have seen it as well. Like many of you, I am shocked and sickened by the actions of those officers and I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire Nichols family.""I want to applaud Chief CJ Davis on her handling of this incident. I also want to ensure the citizens of Wichita that the Wichita Police Department stands by you in your anger, sadness, and frustration with this despicable act of violence committed by 5 human beings who disgraced the badge."&nbsp;"I wish I could say in 40 years of Policing that this is the first time I have seen this type of case, but sadly it’s not. What I can say, is that the Wichita Police Department is not just here for you, we are here with you. We do not support nor defend officers who act like they are above the law and use excessive and unnecessary force against those they swore to protect and serve." The Sedgwick Sheriff’s office said in a statement they were "appalled by the atrocity that occurred to Tyre Nichols at the hands of the former Memphis Officers.""This is an incredible violation of public trust and this office condemns their actions. The former Memphis Officers have tarnished the badge and betrayed their oath.""It is the mission of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to partner with the citizens of Sedgwick County providing effective public service to all in an impartial, ethical and professional manner. We continue to uphold these standards in trying times and fully support the prosecution of the former Memphis Officers."----------MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An unarmed Black man dies after a videotaped beating by police. The officers involved are fired. After a thorough review of the evidence, criminal charges are swiftly filed against the offending officers.Investigation, accountability and charges.This is often the most Black citizens can hope for as the deaths continue. Nationwide, police have killed roughly three people per day consistently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-columbus-shootings-police-trials-65a16498f72823a887476486e1f05633">since 2020</a>, according to academics and advocates for police reform who track such deaths.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-profile-memphis-3104f3cdbaf568daf6647eca080d4001">Tyre Nichols'</a>&nbsp;fatal encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, recorded in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-video-memphis-police-e3ee8e6698faae16df3f41d09234b09f?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">video made public Friday night</a>, is a glaring reminder that efforts to reform policing have failed to prevent more flashpoints in an intractable epidemic of brutality.Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. They’ve been repeated in a ceaseless rhythm ever since, punctuated by the deaths of Amadou Diallo in New York, Oscar Grant in Oakland, California, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and so many others.George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis in 2020 was so agonizing to watch, it summoned a national reckoning that featured federal legislation proposed in his name and shows of solidarity by corporations and sports leagues. All fell short of the shift in law enforcement culture Black people in America have called for — a culture that promotes freedom from fear, trust in police and mutual respect.“We need public safety, right? We need law enforcement to combat pervasive crime,” said Jason Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. “Also, we don’t want the people who are sworn to protect and serve us brutalizing us for a simple traffic stop, or any offense.”The five Black officers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-police-officers-charged-48d48f2137a2f34482274edb1bd1bab2">now fired and charged</a>&nbsp;with murder and other crimes in the Jan. 10 death of Nichols, a 29-year-old skateboarder, FedEx worker and father to a 4-year-old boy.From police brass and the district attorney’s office to the White House, officials said Nichols’ killing points to a need for bolder reforms that go beyond simply diversifying the ranks, changing use-of-force rules and encouraging citizens to file complaints.“The world is watching us,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said. “If there is any silver lining to be drawn from this very dark cloud, it’s that perhaps this incident can open a broader conversation about the need for police reform.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My heart goes out to Tyre Nichols’ family and to Americans in Memphis and across the country who are grieving this tremendously painful loss. There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a beloved child and young father.⁰⁰Here&#39;s my full statement. <a href="https://t.co/ghROhSGtao">pic.twitter.com/ghROhSGtao</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1619143234034491397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden joined national civil rights leaders in similar calls to action.“To deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect,” the president said.But Memphis, whose 628,000 residents celebrate barbecue and blues music and lament being the place where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, has seen this before. The city took steps advocates called for in a “Reimagine Policing” initiative in 2021, and mirrored a set of policy changes reformers want all departments to implement immediately, known as “8 Can’t Wait.”De-escalation training is now required. Officers are told to limit uses of force, exhaust all alternatives before resorting to deadly force and report all uses of force. Tennessee also took action: State law now requires officers to intervene to stop abuse and report excessive force by their colleagues.Showing unusual transparency for a police department, the MPD now publishes accountability reports that include the race of people subjected to use of force each year. They show Black men and women were overwhelmingly targeted for rougher treatment in 2019, 2020 and 2021. They were subject to nearly 86% of the recorded uses of guns, batons, pepper spray, physical beatings and other force in 2021, the total nearly doubling that year to 1,700 cases.Seven uses of force by Memphis police ended in death during these three years.“I don’t know how much more cumulative Black death our community should have to pay to convince elected officials that the policing system isn’t broken — it’s working exactly as it was designed to, at the expense of Black life,” said Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center, a Tennessee-based civil rights leadership training school.The Nichols case — just one of the brutality cases to make national news this month — exposes an uncomfortable truth: More than two years since the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks touched off protests, policing reforms have not significantly reduced such killings.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-amir-locke-richmond-minneapolis-86370ae1c735d44525e37eed80b293b2">States approved nearly 300 police reform bills after Floyd’s murder,</a>&nbsp;creating civilian oversight of police, more anti-bias training, stricter use-of-force limits and alternatives to arrests in cases involving people with mental illnesses, according to a recent analysis by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland.Despite calls to “defund the police,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-police-law-enforcement-agencies-local-governments-iowa-420d0714086f72bc255c676bfe214532">an Associated Press review of police funding nationwide</a>&nbsp;found only modest cuts, driven largely by shrinking revenue related to the coronavirus pandemic. Budgets increased and more officers were hired for some large departments, including New York City’s.Still stuck in Congress is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nyc-state-wire-george-floyd-death-of-george-floyd-police-police-reform-988260d4657103cd968bad7f039b0e19">the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,</a>&nbsp;which would prohibit racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit the transfer of military equipment to police departments, and make it easier to bring charges against offending officers. Biden said he told Nichols’ mother that he would be “making a case” to Congress to pass the Floyd Act “to get this under control.”The Rev. Al Sharpton said his eulogy at Nichols’ funeral on Wednesday will include a call for new laws. NAACP President Derrick Johnson also took Congress to task.“By failing to write a piece of legislation, you’re writing another obituary,” Johnson said. “Tell us what you’re going to do to honor Tyre Nichols. … We can name all the victims of police violence, but we can’t name a single law you have passed to address it.”Advocates want state and federal legislation because local changes vary widely in scope and effect and can be undone by a single election after years of grassroots activism. But some say strict regulations are just the start — and the video of Nichols’ agony proves it.“Changing a rule doesn’t change a behavior,” said Katie Ryan, chief of staff for Campaign Zero, a group of academics, policing experts and activists working to end police violence. “The culture of a police department has to shift into actually implementing the policies, not just saying there’s a rule in place.”The five officers charged — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — were part of the so-called Scorpion unit. Scorpion stands for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.The Memphis police chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-memphis-crime-law-enforcement-1b7e8fa4ed7120a897086250d5d6da35">disbanded the unit</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.“It is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the Scorpion unit,” she said in a statement.Prior to the move by Davis, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said it was clear that the officers involved in the attack on Nichols violated the department’s policies and training.“I want to assure you we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” Strickland said in a statement. “We are initiating an outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations of our specialized units.”The Memphis police union extended condolences to Nichols’ family, saying it “is committed to the administration of justice and NEVER condones the mistreatment of ANY citizen nor ANY abuse of power.” The statement also expressed faith that the justice system would reveal “the totality of circumstances” in the case.Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, pushed back against the conclusion that policing must change. This was not “legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong,” Yoes said. “This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law.”Protesters turned out again Friday night after the city released the video footage. Turner, the Memphis pastor, called the images “further proof that our city’s and our nation’s criminal justice systems are in dire need of change.”“It’s not like we’re short on concrete, reasonable recommendations,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church. “What we’re short on is the political will and the commitment to making the structural changes.”--------Protesters gathered in a park near the White House, in Memphis and other cities as <a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis">the video </a>was released.In Memphis, protesters chanted: “Say his name! Tyre Nichols!” and several dozen protesters blocked a heavily traveled bridge on Interstate 55 that is one of two main spans connecting Arkansas and Tennessee over the Mississippi River.Unions in California and Hawaii issued a joint statement calling the actions of the officers “repugnant and the complete antithesis of how honorable law enforcement professionals conduct themselves.”The Prosecutors Alliance of California calls the killing senseless and in California’s capitol of Sacramento, Mayor Darrell Steinberg said: “I am filled with anger, with sorrow and revulsion.”KEY DEVELOPMENTS:— Memphis authorities have released more than an hour of footage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-video-memphis-police-e3ee8e6698faae16df3f41d09234b09f">the police beating</a>&nbsp;of Tyre Nichols, whose death resulted in murder charges and provoked outrage— Family and friends remember&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-profile-memphis-3104f3cdbaf568daf6647eca080d4001">Tyre Nichols</a>&nbsp;as a generous, lovable man who worked hard to be a good father to his 4-year-old son—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-police-brutality-memphis-bde48465a79bb20bbb68473c0cc63b1e">Timeline of events</a>&nbsp;in the arrest, death of Tyre Nichols___MEMPHIS —<a href="https://vimeo.com/cityofmemphis"> Video showing</a> five Memphis police officers beating a Black man was made public Friday, one day after they were charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols.The footage shows the Black officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault that the Nichols family’s legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.Cities across the country braced for large demonstrations. Nichols’ relatives urged supporters to protest peacefully. ___WASHINGTON — The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police has issued a scathing statement over the actions of five former Memphis police officers involved in the arrest of Tyre Nichols.Patrick Yoes says the officers’ encounter with Nichols “does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong.” Instead, Yoes called it a “criminal assault under the pretext of law.”Nichols died three days after a Jan. 7 confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.___WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he was “very concerned” about the prospect of violence, but called for protests over the death of Tyre Nichols to remain peaceful.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My heart goes out to Tyre Nichols’ family and to Americans in Memphis and across the country who are grieving this tremendously painful loss. There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a beloved child and young father.⁰⁰Here&#39;s my full statement. <a href="https://t.co/ghROhSGtao">pic.twitter.com/ghROhSGtao</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1619143234034491397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking Friday at the White House before departing for Camp David, the president reflected on his call earlier with Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells.“I’m obviously very concerned about it,” Biden said when asked if he was worried about violence, “but I think she has made a very strong plea. She’s obviously in enormous pain.”Biden said that “innocent lives” were at stake Friday as the country awaited the release of police footage of depicting five Memphis officers beating Nichols during a traffic stop.___NEW YORK — In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said he and other mayors across the country had been briefed by the White House in advance of the video’s release, which he said would “trigger pain and sadness in many of us. It will make us angry.”He urged demonstrators to “respect the wishes of Mr. Nichols’ mother. If you need to express your anger and outrage, do so peacefully. My message to the NYPD has been, and will continue to be, to exercise restraint.”Adams, who during his years as a New York Police Department officer co-founded an organization that advocated for diversity in policing and against abuses of power, said he “felt betrayed” by the officers charged in the Memphis death of Nichols.“Any officer who engages in violence and brutality tarnishes all the work we have done to keep communities safe,” he said. He added: “They make it harder for the brothers and sisters in uniform to accomplish the incredible work they do, day in and day out.”

🎥 More Kan. law enforcement respond to video that stuns the nation

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri mother who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d09257f53edd1660f447137a0848d58">reported</a>&nbsp;that her infant twins were stillborn has been convicted of manslaughter.

Maya Caston, 28, was convicted Friday of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-mother-guilty-in-death-of-newborn-twins-testifies-she-hid-pregnancy/article_fcf18038-9a86-513a-8868-f270a5f141e3.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">reports</a>&nbsp;that jury found her guilty of lesser charges instead of convicting her of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors argued that Caston's lack of action to get care for the babies showed that she caused the deaths. And her extensive internet searches for miscarriages and abortion methods before she gave birth demonstrated that she didn't want the babies.

The evidence showed that Caston searched Google for “cheap abortion pills,” “free abortion clinic” and “can you cause a miscarriage if you hit yourself in the stomach hard enough?” After she gave birth, Cason researched if you can bury a baby in a back garden.

Caston told the jury that she had planned to give the babies up for adoption at a doctor's appointment three days after they were born, but by that time, the babies had died after not eating.

“We have two dead babies. She didn’t want them. She didn’t care for them,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Dittmeier said in closing arguments. “She didn’t even give them a name.”

Caston’s public defenders argued that she has an intellectual disability and didn’t understand the risk to the infants.

“I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do,” she told the jury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675044289969.png" alt="Caston-photo St. Louis PD" />
 <figcaption>Caston-photo St. Louis PD</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri mother who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d09257f53edd1660f447137a0848d58">reported</a>&nbsp;that her infant twins were stillborn has been convicted of manslaughter.Maya Caston, 28, was convicted Friday of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-mother-guilty-in-death-of-newborn-twins-testifies-she-hid-pregnancy/article_fcf18038-9a86-513a-8868-f270a5f141e3.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">reports</a>&nbsp;that jury found her guilty of lesser charges instead of convicting her of second-degree murder.Prosecutors argued that Caston's lack of action to get care for the babies showed that she caused the deaths. And her extensive internet searches for miscarriages and abortion methods before she gave birth demonstrated that she didn't want the babies.The evidence showed that Caston searched Google for “cheap abortion pills,” “free abortion clinic” and “can you cause a miscarriage if you hit yourself in the stomach hard enough?” After she gave birth, Cason researched if you can bury a baby in a back garden.Caston told the jury that she had planned to give the babies up for adoption at a doctor's appointment three days after they were born, but by that time, the babies had died after not eating.“We have two dead babies. She didn’t want them. She didn’t care for them,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Dittmeier said in closing arguments. “She didn’t even give them a name.”Caston’s public defenders argued that she has an intellectual disability and didn’t understand the risk to the infants.“I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do,” she told the jury.

Missouri mom convicted of killing her infant twins

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide at a home in Topeka.

Just before 9:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a medical emergency in the 400 Block of SW Tyler Street, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.

First responders found one victim, later identified as 48-year-old Jeremy Neal of Topeka, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Police released no additional details Sunday and have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675030639545.png" alt="Police tape at the scene of the homicide investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police tape at the scene of the homicide investigation-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide at a home in Topeka.Just before 9:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a medical emergency in the 400 Block of SW Tyler Street, according to Lt. Edward Stanley.First responders found one victim, later identified as 48-year-old Jeremy Neal of Topeka, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Police released no additional details Sunday and have not reported an arrest.

Homicide investigation: 48-year-old dead at Kan. home

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug and theft allegations.

Just before 10a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy stopped a Ford Fusion for a traffic infraction near 142nd&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The driver was found to have a suspended license and was subsequently arrested. The passenger, Saleena Rae Masquat, 37, of Mayetta, also had a warrant through Topeka Police Department. 

A third occupant was identified and later released. During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 was deployed and indicated to the presence of narcotics.

 A search of the vehicle revealed both methamphetamine and marijuana as well as paraphernalia indicating the distribution of methamphetamine. 

Also located in the vehicle was electronic equipment that belonged to a Topeka Walmart store that was confirmed to be stolen. 

Masquat was arrested on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property. She is being held on a&nbsp;$50,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674934923409.png" alt="Masquat-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Masquat-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug and theft allegations.Just before 10a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s Deputy stopped a Ford Fusion for a traffic infraction near 142nd&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The driver was found to have a suspended license and was subsequently arrested. The passenger, Saleena Rae Masquat, 37, of Mayetta, also had a warrant through Topeka Police Department. A third occupant was identified and later released. During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 was deployed and indicated to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle revealed both methamphetamine and marijuana as well as paraphernalia indicating the distribution of methamphetamine. Also located in the vehicle was electronic equipment that belonged to a Topeka Walmart store that was confirmed to be stolen. Masquat was arrested on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of stolen property. She is being held on a&nbsp;$50,000 bond.

Sheriff: Kan. woman was selling meth, had stolen property in car

CAMDEN COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Sunday in Camden County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by Shaylin M. Torimino, 19, Climax Springs, was northbound on MO 7 just north of Bollinger Creek Road.

The Jeep crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Chevy Malibu driven by Matthew W. Hallquist, 32, Camdenton.

Hallquist was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hollman Funeral Home. EMS transported Torimino to Lake Regional Hospital. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

CAMDEN COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just after 9:30a.m. Sunday in Camden County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by Shaylin M. Torimino, 19, Climax Springs, was northbound on MO 7 just north of Bollinger Creek Road.The Jeep crossed the center line and struck a 2005 Chevy Malibu driven by Matthew W. Hallquist, 32, Camdenton.Hallquist was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Hollman Funeral Home. EMS transported Torimino to Lake Regional Hospital. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dead, woman injured after head-on crash

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Family members and a forensic expert are questioning why Kansas City police didn't find a man's body in the cargo area of his own SUV until after they towed it to a Missouri police station earlier this month.

Adam “A.J.” Blackstock Jr.'s death is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article271764607.html#subtopper">The Kansas City Star.</a>

The newspaper reported that police defended how they initially handled the situation because they didn't have a search warrant when they had the vehicle towed on Jan. 17 and Blackstock had yet to be officially reported missing.

One forensic expert told the newspaper that police should have looked inside the vehicle before they moved it.

“The idea of taking a vehicle into custody without searching inside a vehicle or opening the trunk is just negligent,” said Brent Turvey, a forensic scientist and criminologist with the Forensic Criminology Institute in Sitka, Alaska.

Family members said they want answers about what happened to Blackstock, 24, who left behind an 18-month-old son.

“We really are asking for justice," Danielle Blackstock, his older sister, told the newspaper. "We can’t have him back. But we need justice.”

The paper quoted Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina as saying last week that detectives were making headway toward identifying persons of interest in the case, but charges had yet to be filed.

Adam Blackstock Sr. said he called police after being unable to reach his son when the family returned from a trip to Disneyland. He used GPS to locate what he believed was his son's vehicle in a driveway in the Kansas City, Missouri, neighborhood of Oak Park Southwest. The SUV was covered by a gray tarp.

When officers arrived, the homeowner said the vehicle belonged to her uncle and provided the phone number of a man who said it was his.

Blackstock Sr. convinced police otherwise, in part by using a remote starter to turn on the vehicle. Officers persuaded the woman at the home to let them remove it. They noticed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the driver's seat and blood on the floorboards, but didn't immediately investigate further.

They saw the lifeless body in the back only after towing the SUV.

Becchina said that the officers showed “very creative thinking to talk the homeowner into allowing the vehicle to be towed based on consent at that time, when there was no other legal standing to enter onto the property, much less process the car on the property.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Family members and a forensic expert are questioning why Kansas City police didn't find a man's body in the cargo area of his own SUV until after they towed it to a Missouri police station earlier this month.Adam “A.J.” Blackstock Jr.'s death is being investigated as a homicide, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article271764607.html#subtopper">The Kansas City Star.</a>The newspaper reported that police defended how they initially handled the situation because they didn't have a search warrant when they had the vehicle towed on Jan. 17 and Blackstock had yet to be officially reported missing.One forensic expert told the newspaper that police should have looked inside the vehicle before they moved it.“The idea of taking a vehicle into custody without searching inside a vehicle or opening the trunk is just negligent,” said Brent Turvey, a forensic scientist and criminologist with the Forensic Criminology Institute in Sitka, Alaska.Family members said they want answers about what happened to Blackstock, 24, who left behind an 18-month-old son.“We really are asking for justice," Danielle Blackstock, his older sister, told the newspaper. "We can’t have him back. But we need justice.”The paper quoted Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina as saying last week that detectives were making headway toward identifying persons of interest in the case, but charges had yet to be filed.Adam Blackstock Sr. said he called police after being unable to reach his son when the family returned from a trip to Disneyland. He used GPS to locate what he believed was his son's vehicle in a driveway in the Kansas City, Missouri, neighborhood of Oak Park Southwest. The SUV was covered by a gray tarp.When officers arrived, the homeowner said the vehicle belonged to her uncle and provided the phone number of a man who said it was his.Blackstock Sr. convinced police otherwise, in part by using a remote starter to turn on the vehicle. Officers persuaded the woman at the home to let them remove it. They noticed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the driver's seat and blood on the floorboards, but didn't immediately investigate further.They saw the lifeless body in the back only after towing the SUV.Becchina said that the officers showed “very creative thinking to talk the homeowner into allowing the vehicle to be towed based on consent at that time, when there was no other legal standing to enter onto the property, much less process the car on the property.”

Kansas City police find body in man's car after towing it

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/27/fbi-special-agents-take-on-national-cybersecurity-threats-i-have-a-hard-time-going-to-sleep/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. — FBI supervisory 
special agent George Schultzel pulled hundreds of people to the edge of 
their seat Friday during a gathering at the University of Kansas 
exploring how government, industry and researchers could work together 
to improve cybersecurity in the United States.

He was part of a panel discussion with executives from Garmin, 
T-Mobile and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City who grapple with 
technological challenges of raising the bar on cybersecurity.

“Now we’ll get at the part of the panel where I scare the living, uh, stuffing out of you,” Schultzel said.

He brought up ramifications of deploying the malicious computer worm 
Stuxnet, which targeted supervisory control and data acquisition systems
 to damage Iran’s nuclear program. News reports indicated the 
cyberweapon was built by the United States and Israel during the 
administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. 
Stuxnet infected an estimated 200,000 computers and ruined 20% of Iran’s
 centrifuges relied on to refine nuclear fuel. Iran responded by 
dedicating itself to a cyberattack program.

“Iran took that as, ‘All right, we’re going to start recruiting and 
we’re going to start causing havoc.’ Fast forward and Saudi Aramco goes 
down. It has a huge impact on the oil production across the globe,” 
Schultzel said. “We kind of move into the future and countries realize 
that they can affect world events, they can affect their adversaries, 
they can adversely acquire technology.”

“All those things, I think, change how we look at the world and how 
we have to be in a position to get ourselves going forward. That, I 
would say, is cybersecurity’s biggest national security challenge. I 
have a hard time going to sleep thinking about it,” he said.

KU hosts a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense 
and Research designated by the U.S. National Security Agency and U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security.

Less than 1% of the global gross domestic product was dedicated to 
stopping computer breaches, said Jason Rogers, chief executive officer 
of Invary. The startup emerged from the university’s Innovation Park and
 is dedicated to identifying hidden malware in operating systems. Invary
 made advances by relying on expertise at the KU School of Engineering 
and technology developed by the NSA.

“We need more experts,” said Rogers, who recommended broadening 
collaboration among government, education and business. “Are we 
cooperating more than our adversaries?”

Currently, he said, the average length of time between identifying a 
breach and containing a breach stood at 304 days. The average cost of a 
data breach was $4.3 million. But the average cost of a mega-breach of 
more than 50 million records topped $400 million.

Lyle Paczkowski, senior technology strategist at T-Mobile’s advanced 
and emerging technology division, said improving cybersecurity in the 
United States required a much larger workforce.

He said 4.7 million people worked in the field of cybersecurity in 
the United States, but 3.4 million more would be needed to cover the 
bases. The supply of personnel cannot keep pace with existing demand for
 expertise much less create a reservoir of talent for the future, he 
said.

“Honestly, theres a lot of scary things to contemplate,” Paczkowski 
said. “Particularly around digital twins and things that can replicate 
you as a person or a machine on the network.”

Dan Hein, security architect at Garman International, said 
cybersecurity obstacles required involvement of interdisciplinary 
researchers. The work should include insight of people outside the 
traditional cybersecurity realm of computer science and computer 
engineering, he said.

“Appreciate what you don’t know,” said Hein, who has a doctorate. “We
 know the basic blocking and tackling, to some degree, of cybersecurity.
 Where do we need to go next?”

Mark Schmidtberger, information security manager at the Federal 
Reserve in Kansas City, said the rapid pace of technological evolution 
meant future cyberattacks would come in forms difficult to image at the 
moment. People involved in cybersecurity must focus on shrinking the 
window between the point a cyberattack was identified and the point at 
which someone exploited that threat, he said.

“We should be aware, just accept it as concrete, that there’s going 
to be new technologies out there. And every time there’s a new 
technology there’s probably going to be some threats,” he said.

The threats of cybersecurity wouldn’t be resolved exclusively by law 
enforcement agencies, said Schultzel, the FBI special agent.

He said the FBI demonstrated nearly a century ago a keen ability to 
track down notoriously violent bank robbers. However, he said, killing 
or throwing in prison those men and women didn’t end bank robbery as a 
profitable occupation. That was accomplished when banks collectively 
raised investments in security with armed guards, timed vault doors and 
bullet-resistant glass.

The same could be said of the problem with ransomware crime, 
Schultzel said. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies shut down 
Hive, but not before the ransomware operation allegedly extorted more 
than $100 million. Hive purportedly collaborted with independent hackers
 to encrypt the target’s computer system and demand payments to provide a
 key to unlock them.

Mothballing Hive certainly didn’t eliminate ransomware as a criminal activity.

“We’re good at going after these guys and bringing them to justice, 
but that’s not going to satisfy the cybersecurity problem as a whole,” 
Schultzel said. “It is us as individuals, as companies, as educational 
institutions taking that extra step to educate and provide that extra 
security.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674928121529.png" alt="The FBI, private sector cybersecurity executives and University of Kansas researchers convened to search for ways to deepen collaboration to meet growing challenges of hackers, intellectual property thieves and rogue governments damaging IT infrastructure in the United States. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The FBI, private sector cybersecurity executives and University of Kansas researchers convened to search for ways to deepen collaboration to meet growing challenges of hackers, intellectual property thieves and rogue governments damaging IT infrastructure in the United States. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/27/fbi-special-agents-take-on-national-cybersecurity-threats-i-have-a-hard-time-going-to-sleep/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. — FBI supervisory 
special agent George Schultzel pulled hundreds of people to the edge of 
their seat Friday during a gathering at the University of Kansas 
exploring how government, industry and researchers could work together 
to improve cybersecurity in the United States.He was part of a panel discussion with executives from Garmin, 
T-Mobile and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City who grapple with 
technological challenges of raising the bar on cybersecurity.“Now we’ll get at the part of the panel where I scare the living, uh, stuffing out of you,” Schultzel said.He brought up ramifications of deploying the malicious computer worm 
Stuxnet, which targeted supervisory control and data acquisition systems
 to damage Iran’s nuclear program. News reports indicated the 
cyberweapon was built by the United States and Israel during the 
administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. 
Stuxnet infected an estimated 200,000 computers and ruined 20% of Iran’s
 centrifuges relied on to refine nuclear fuel. Iran responded by 
dedicating itself to a cyberattack program.“Iran took that as, ‘All right, we’re going to start recruiting and 
we’re going to start causing havoc.’ Fast forward and Saudi Aramco goes 
down. It has a huge impact on the oil production across the globe,” 
Schultzel said. “We kind of move into the future and countries realize 
that they can affect world events, they can affect their adversaries, 
they can adversely acquire technology.”“All those things, I think, change how we look at the world and how 
we have to be in a position to get ourselves going forward. That, I 
would say, is cybersecurity’s biggest national security challenge. I 
have a hard time going to sleep thinking about it,” he said.KU hosts a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense 
and Research designated by the U.S. National Security Agency and U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security.<h2>‘We need more experts’</h2>Less than 1% of the global gross domestic product was dedicated to 
stopping computer breaches, said Jason Rogers, chief executive officer 
of Invary. The startup emerged from the university’s Innovation Park and
 is dedicated to identifying hidden malware in operating systems. Invary
 made advances by relying on expertise at the KU School of Engineering 
and technology developed by the NSA.“We need more experts,” said Rogers, who recommended broadening 
collaboration among government, education and business. “Are we 
cooperating more than our adversaries?”Currently, he said, the average length of time between identifying a 
breach and containing a breach stood at 304 days. The average cost of a 
data breach was $4.3 million. But the average cost of a mega-breach of 
more than 50 million records topped $400 million.Lyle Paczkowski, senior technology strategist at T-Mobile’s advanced 
and emerging technology division, said improving cybersecurity in the 
United States required a much larger workforce.He said 4.7 million people worked in the field of cybersecurity in 
the United States, but 3.4 million more would be needed to cover the 
bases. The supply of personnel cannot keep pace with existing demand for
 expertise much less create a reservoir of talent for the future, he 
said.“Honestly, theres a lot of scary things to contemplate,” Paczkowski 
said. “Particularly around digital twins and things that can replicate 
you as a person or a machine on the network.”Dan Hein, security architect at Garman International, said 
cybersecurity obstacles required involvement of interdisciplinary 
researchers. The work should include insight of people outside the 
traditional cybersecurity realm of computer science and computer 
engineering, he said.“Appreciate what you don’t know,” said Hein, who has a doctorate. “We
 know the basic blocking and tackling, to some degree, of cybersecurity.
 Where do we need to go next?”<h2>New tech, new threat</h2>Mark Schmidtberger, information security manager at the Federal 
Reserve in Kansas City, said the rapid pace of technological evolution 
meant future cyberattacks would come in forms difficult to image at the 
moment. People involved in cybersecurity must focus on shrinking the 
window between the point a cyberattack was identified and the point at 
which someone exploited that threat, he said.“We should be aware, just accept it as concrete, that there’s going 
to be new technologies out there. And every time there’s a new 
technology there’s probably going to be some threats,” he said.The threats of cybersecurity wouldn’t be resolved exclusively by law 
enforcement agencies, said Schultzel, the FBI special agent.He said the FBI demonstrated nearly a century ago a keen ability to 
track down notoriously violent bank robbers. However, he said, killing 
or throwing in prison those men and women didn’t end bank robbery as a 
profitable occupation. That was accomplished when banks collectively 
raised investments in security with armed guards, timed vault doors and 
bullet-resistant glass.The same could be said of the problem with ransomware crime, 
Schultzel said. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies shut down 
Hive, but not before the ransomware operation allegedly extorted more 
than $100 million. Hive purportedly collaborted with independent hackers
 to encrypt the target’s computer system and demand payments to provide a
 key to unlock them.Mothballing Hive certainly didn’t eliminate ransomware as a criminal activity.“We’re good at going after these guys and bringing them to justice, 
but that’s not going to satisfy the cybersecurity problem as a whole,” 
Schultzel said. “It is us as individuals, as companies, as educational 
institutions taking that extra step to educate and provide that extra 
security.”

FBI agent on cyber threats: ‘I have a hard time going to sleep’

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series stolen vehicles and have two suspects in custody.

Just after 7:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to numerous reports of stolen vehicles across the city of Topeka, including a van from <a href="https://engroffcatering.com/">Engroff Catering,</a> 2127 SW Westport Drive, according to Police Lt. Ron Ekis.

Throughout the course of the investigation, officers were able to locate the van, unoccupied, near SW 37th Street and Fairlawn Road in Topeka as well as a stolen motorcycle.

 Investigators later located an additional stolen vehicle in the area and two suspects, identified as Cody B. Sanchez, 27, of Topeka, and Taylor Reed, 28, of Topeka, who were believed to be involved. 

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Sanchez and Reed and booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Auto Theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674830549286.png" alt="Reed-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Reed-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series stolen vehicles and have two suspects in custody.Just after 7:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to numerous reports of stolen vehicles across the city of Topeka, including a van from <a href="https://engroffcatering.com/">Engroff Catering,</a> 2127 SW Westport Drive, according to Police Lt. Ron Ekis.Throughout the course of the investigation, officers were able to locate the van, unoccupied, near SW 37th Street and Fairlawn Road in Topeka as well as a stolen motorcycle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674830414068.png" alt="Sanchez-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Sanchez-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure> Investigators later located an additional stolen vehicle in the area and two suspects, identified as Cody B. Sanchez, 27, of Topeka, and Taylor Reed, 28, of Topeka, who were believed to be involved. As a result of the investigation, police arrested Sanchez and Reed and booked them into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Auto Theft.

Police recover van stolen from Kansas catering business

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Groups advocating for professional social workers and abortion rights said they have succeeded in forcing a small Ohio city to significantly narrow its ban on conducting or recommending abortions and so have ended their legal challenge.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-ohio-lawsuits-municipal-governments-d0e9ae5c7eb2d534000f093d3a62c39d">The lawsuit</a>&nbsp;by the National Association of Social Workers and the Abortion Fund of Ohio argued that the law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oh-state-wire-ohio-662522a23c763baad9a46fadbf858035">passed in May 2021</a>, represented an “extraordinarily broad” infringement on the constitutional rights of due process and free speech. The groups' lawyers at the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward further alleged the ban violated Ohio’s home-rule provisions.

The city of Lebanon, in southwest Ohio, opted to revise the law rather than defend it in court. Enforcement had been placed on hold while that work took place.

Opponents said they dropped their lawsuit Jan. 12 after provisions were removed that made aiding and abetting an abortion a crime, and the law was further clarified to assure providing transportation, instructions, money or “abortion doula” services, including counseling, were still allowed.

Lebanon’s ban was one of four that cropped up around Ohio in 2021, part of a national effort to ban abortion “one city at a time” by the Texas-based Sanctuary Cities of the Unborn organization overseen by Mark Lee Dickson.

It was the first local ban to be challenged nationally after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">a leak</a>&nbsp;revealed the U.S. Supreme Court planned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion</a>.

“This litigation exposes local ordinance bans as dangerous acts of political theater, and our lawsuit demanded accountability for the logistical and legal nightmare Lebanon’s City Council created," Maggie Scotece, interim executive director of the abortion fund, formerly Women Have Options-Ohio, said in a statement. "This win is so unique in the context of our post-Dobbs legal landscape, establishing a strong, united front against these heinous attacks.”

Right to Life East Texas director Mark Lee Dickson, a Southern Baptist minister leading a national effort to pass local abortion restrictions, said the revisions were of little consequence to the underlying goal of the law: outlawing abortion in Lebanon from conception.

“Abortion remains illegal in Lebanon, so this is a great victory for Ohio,” Dickson said. “It’s worth pointing out that the opposition claims that we were doing more than we were actually doing. The fact that we clarified our position does not take away from the abortion ban.”

The Ohio opponent groups argued that, despite Lebanon having no abortion clinics, the sweeping ban appeared to require social workers not to discuss abortion when counseling pregnant clients, in “conflict with social workers’ ethical obligation to promote the client’s self-determination.”

The social workers’ association took the position that reproductive freedom is a human right.

According to the Texas anti-abortion group’s website, 64 cities and two counties across the U.S. have so far passed similar abortion bans. Dickson said the group will continue its work in New Mexico, where the Democratic attorney general has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-new-mexico-state-government-texas-cdbaa34b159c31f8c72fd10be3fc84ca">moved to nullify abortion bans</a>, this year, and attempt new inroads in Nebraska, Kansas and California.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Groups advocating for professional social workers and abortion rights said they have succeeded in forcing a small Ohio city to significantly narrow its ban on conducting or recommending abortions and so have ended their legal challenge.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-ohio-lawsuits-municipal-governments-d0e9ae5c7eb2d534000f093d3a62c39d">The lawsuit</a>&nbsp;by the National Association of Social Workers and the Abortion Fund of Ohio argued that the law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oh-state-wire-ohio-662522a23c763baad9a46fadbf858035">passed in May 2021</a>, represented an “extraordinarily broad” infringement on the constitutional rights of due process and free speech. The groups' lawyers at the ACLU of Ohio and Democracy Forward further alleged the ban violated Ohio’s home-rule provisions.The city of Lebanon, in southwest Ohio, opted to revise the law rather than defend it in court. Enforcement had been placed on hold while that work took place.Opponents said they dropped their lawsuit Jan. 12 after provisions were removed that made aiding and abetting an abortion a crime, and the law was further clarified to assure providing transportation, instructions, money or “abortion doula” services, including counseling, were still allowed.Lebanon’s ban was one of four that cropped up around Ohio in 2021, part of a national effort to ban abortion “one city at a time” by the Texas-based Sanctuary Cities of the Unborn organization overseen by Mark Lee Dickson.It was the first local ban to be challenged nationally after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">a leak</a>&nbsp;revealed the U.S. Supreme Court planned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion</a>.“This litigation exposes local ordinance bans as dangerous acts of political theater, and our lawsuit demanded accountability for the logistical and legal nightmare Lebanon’s City Council created," Maggie Scotece, interim executive director of the abortion fund, formerly Women Have Options-Ohio, said in a statement. "This win is so unique in the context of our post-Dobbs legal landscape, establishing a strong, united front against these heinous attacks.”Right to Life East Texas director Mark Lee Dickson, a Southern Baptist minister leading a national effort to pass local abortion restrictions, said the revisions were of little consequence to the underlying goal of the law: outlawing abortion in Lebanon from conception.“Abortion remains illegal in Lebanon, so this is a great victory for Ohio,” Dickson said. “It’s worth pointing out that the opposition claims that we were doing more than we were actually doing. The fact that we clarified our position does not take away from the abortion ban.”The Ohio opponent groups argued that, despite Lebanon having no abortion clinics, the sweeping ban appeared to require social workers not to discuss abortion when counseling pregnant clients, in “conflict with social workers’ ethical obligation to promote the client’s self-determination.”The social workers’ association took the position that reproductive freedom is a human right.According to the Texas anti-abortion group’s website, 64 cities and two counties across the U.S. have so far passed similar abortion bans. Dickson said the group will continue its work in New Mexico, where the Democratic attorney general has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-new-mexico-state-government-texas-cdbaa34b159c31f8c72fd10be3fc84ca">moved to nullify abortion bans</a>, this year, and attempt new inroads in Nebraska, Kansas and California.“There is still a lot to do, even though Roe has been overturned, to promote abortion-free communities,” he said.A federal judge has placed Ohio's statewide ban on most abortions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-ohio-government-and-politics-d4dd3a0c4816ccb9f56df30163f58b9e">on hold</a>&nbsp;as a constitutional challenge is heard. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-ohio-state-government-902064a2061a6c3a7ccc55917a954c5c">appealed to the Republican-controlled Ohio Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;to block the federal judge's order.