SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges after a high speed chase.

Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2001 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Gordon Street and NW Polk Street&nbsp; with an unreadable tag, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver failed to stop and initiated a pursuit that continued in north Topeka before crossing the Kansas Avenue bridge. A deputy performed a successful tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) near SE 6th Street and SE Liberty Street, ending the pursuit. 

Both occupants were taken into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics and two handguns were located inside the vehicle.

The driver, Keith F. Kulper Jr., 42, of Topeka, received medical attention at a local hospital for shoulder pain. Kulper Jr. was then booked into the Shawnee County Department of Correction on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony flee and elude, endangerment, improper registration of vehicle, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Kulper Jr. was also booked in on a felony warrant through the Kansas Department of Corrections for a parole violation with the original charge being criminal possession of a weapon.

The passenger, Jennifer D. Richardson, 28, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant through Shawnee County for probation violation (original charge being theft) as well as a felony warrant through Neosho County, Kan. for possession of opiates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673436237910.png" alt="Kulper-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kulper-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug and weapons charges after a high speed chase.Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2001 Chevrolet Suburban near NW Gordon Street and NW Polk Street&nbsp; with an unreadable tag, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver failed to stop and initiated a pursuit that continued in north Topeka before crossing the Kansas Avenue bridge. A deputy performed a successful tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) near SE 6th Street and SE Liberty Street, ending the pursuit. Both occupants were taken into custody. During the investigation, illegal narcotics and two handguns were located inside the vehicle.The driver, Keith F. Kulper Jr., 42, of Topeka, received medical attention at a local hospital for shoulder pain. Kulper Jr. was then booked into the Shawnee County Department of Correction on requested charges of felon in possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony flee and elude, endangerment, improper registration of vehicle, driving while suspended, and no insurance. Kulper Jr. was also booked in on a felony warrant through the Kansas Department of Corrections for a parole violation with the original charge being criminal possession of a weapon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673436341293.png" alt="Richardson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Richardson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The passenger, Jennifer D. Richardson, 28, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a warrant through Shawnee County for probation violation (original charge being theft) as well as a felony warrant through Neosho County, Kan. for possession of opiates.

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas felon captured after chase

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Chickens may not be able to fly very far, but the price of eggs is soaring.

A lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has led to U.S. egg prices more than doubling over the past year, and hatched a lot of sticker shock on grocery aisles.

The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That's putting stress on consumer budgets and the bottom lines of restaurants, bakeries and other food producers that rely heavily on eggs.

Grocery prices that were up 12% in November are driving inflation higher, even though the overall pace of price increases slowed a bit through the fall as gas prices eased.

But egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu. More than 43 million of the 58 million birds slaughtered over the past year to control the virus have been egg-laying chickens, including some farms with more than a million birds apiece in major egg-producing states like Iowa.

Everyone who approaches the egg case a Hy-Vee grocery store in Omaha, "has a sour face," said shopper Nancy Stom.

But even with the cost increases, eggs remain relatively cheap compared to the price of other proteins like chicken or beef, with a pound of chicken breasts going for $4.42 on average in November and a pound of ground beef selling for $4.85, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"It's still an inexpensive meal," Stom said. But the 70-year-old said that at these prices, she'll watch her eggs more closely in the fridge and try not to let them go bad before they get used.

If prices remain this high, Kelly Fischer said she will start thinking more seriously about building a backyard chicken coop in Chicago because everyone in her family eats eggs.

"We (with neighbors) are contemplating building a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I hope not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into that somewhat," the 46-year-old public school teacher said while shopping at HarvesTime Foods on the city's North Side. "For me, it's more of the environmental impact and trying to purchase locally."

In some places, it can even be hard to find eggs on the shelves. But egg supplies overall are holding up because the total flock is only down about 5% from from its normal size of around 320 million hens. Farmers have been working to replace their flocks as soon as they can after an outbreak.

Jakob Werner, 18, said he tries to find the cheapest eggs he can because he eats five or six of them a day while he's trying to gain weight and build muscle.

"For a while, I just stopped eating eggs as they got more expensive. But since they're my favorite food, I came back to them in the end," said Werner, who lives in Chicago. "So I think for like a few months I just stopped eating eggs, waited for the price to come down. It never did. So now I'm buying again."

Purdue University agricultural economist Jayson Lusk said he believes the bird flu outbreak is the biggest driver in the price increases. Unlike past years, the virus lingered throughout the summer and made a resurgence last fall infecting egg and poultry farms.

"Bird flu is not the only factor, but in my view it's the main driver of what we're experiencing at the moment," Lusk said.

But the president and CEO of the American Egg Board trade group, Emily Metz, said she believes all the cost increases farmers have faced in the past year were a bigger factor in the price increases than bird flu.

"When you're looking at fuel costs go up, and you're looking at feed costs go up as much as 60%, labor costs, packaging costs — all of that ... those are much much bigger factors than bird flu for sure," Metz said.

Jada Thomson, a University of Arkansas agricultural economist, said there may be some relief coming in egg prices in the next couple months because egg farmers have been steadily replacing their flocks lost to bird flu last year and demand will ease a bit now that people are done with their holiday baking.

But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms.

Farmers are doing all they can to limit the spread, but the disease is easily spread by migrating wild birds and the virus can be picked up on clothing or vehicles.

"But there are some things that are just outside of our control," Thompson said. "You can't control nature sometimes."

Food producers and restaurants are hurting because it's hard to find a good substitute for eggs in their recipes.

Any decrease in egg prices would be welcome at Patti Stobaugh's two restaurants and two bakeries in Conway and Russelville, Arkansas, because all of her ingredients and supplies are more expensive these days. For some of her baked goods, Stobaugh has switched to a frozen egg product that's not quite as pricey, but she's still buying eggs for all the breakfasts she serves.

A case of 15 dozen eggs has gone from $36 to $86 over the last year, but flour, butter, chicken and everything else she buys is also more expensive. Stobaugh said that has her "hyper vigilant about every little item."

She's already increased her prices 8% in the past year, and she may have to soon increase them again. It's a delicate balance of trying not to make it too expensive for people to eat out and hurting sales, but she doesn't have much choice while trying to provide for her 175 employees.

"We have a lot of employees that work for us and we're responsible for making payroll every week and supporting their families. We take that very seriously. But it certainly has been tough," Stobaugh said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673438313098.png" alt="Egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu." />
 <figcaption>Egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Chickens may not be able to fly very far, but the price of eggs is soaring.A lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has led to U.S. egg prices more than doubling over the past year, and hatched a lot of sticker shock on grocery aisles.The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, according to the latest government data. That's putting stress on consumer budgets and the bottom lines of restaurants, bakeries and other food producers that rely heavily on eggs.Grocery prices that were up 12% in November are driving inflation higher, even though the overall pace of price increases slowed a bit through the fall as gas prices eased.But egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu. More than 43 million of the 58 million birds slaughtered over the past year to control the virus have been egg-laying chickens, including some farms with more than a million birds apiece in major egg-producing states like Iowa.Everyone who approaches the egg case a Hy-Vee grocery store in Omaha, "has a sour face," said shopper Nancy Stom.But even with the cost increases, eggs remain relatively cheap compared to the price of other proteins like chicken or beef, with a pound of chicken breasts going for $4.42 on average in November and a pound of ground beef selling for $4.85, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."It's still an inexpensive meal," Stom said. But the 70-year-old said that at these prices, she'll watch her eggs more closely in the fridge and try not to let them go bad before they get used.If prices remain this high, Kelly Fischer said she will start thinking more seriously about building a backyard chicken coop in Chicago because everyone in her family eats eggs."We (with neighbors) are contemplating building a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I hope not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into that somewhat," the 46-year-old public school teacher said while shopping at HarvesTime Foods on the city's North Side. "For me, it's more of the environmental impact and trying to purchase locally."In some places, it can even be hard to find eggs on the shelves. But egg supplies overall are holding up because the total flock is only down about 5% from from its normal size of around 320 million hens. Farmers have been working to replace their flocks as soon as they can after an outbreak.Jakob Werner, 18, said he tries to find the cheapest eggs he can because he eats five or six of them a day while he's trying to gain weight and build muscle."For a while, I just stopped eating eggs as they got more expensive. But since they're my favorite food, I came back to them in the end," said Werner, who lives in Chicago. "So I think for like a few months I just stopped eating eggs, waited for the price to come down. It never did. So now I'm buying again."Purdue University agricultural economist Jayson Lusk said he believes the bird flu outbreak is the biggest driver in the price increases. Unlike past years, the virus lingered throughout the summer and made a resurgence last fall infecting egg and poultry farms."Bird flu is not the only factor, but in my view it's the main driver of what we're experiencing at the moment," Lusk said.But the president and CEO of the American Egg Board trade group, Emily Metz, said she believes all the cost increases farmers have faced in the past year were a bigger factor in the price increases than bird flu."When you're looking at fuel costs go up, and you're looking at feed costs go up as much as 60%, labor costs, packaging costs — all of that ... those are much much bigger factors than bird flu for sure," Metz said.Jada Thomson, a University of Arkansas agricultural economist, said there may be some relief coming in egg prices in the next couple months because egg farmers have been steadily replacing their flocks lost to bird flu last year and demand will ease a bit now that people are done with their holiday baking.But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms.Farmers are doing all they can to limit the spread, but the disease is easily spread by migrating wild birds and the virus can be picked up on clothing or vehicles."But there are some things that are just outside of our control," Thompson said. "You can't control nature sometimes."Food producers and restaurants are hurting because it's hard to find a good substitute for eggs in their recipes.Any decrease in egg prices would be welcome at Patti Stobaugh's two restaurants and two bakeries in Conway and Russelville, Arkansas, because all of her ingredients and supplies are more expensive these days. For some of her baked goods, Stobaugh has switched to a frozen egg product that's not quite as pricey, but she's still buying eggs for all the breakfasts she serves.A case of 15 dozen eggs has gone from $36 to $86 over the last year, but flour, butter, chicken and everything else she buys is also more expensive. Stobaugh said that has her "hyper vigilant about every little item."She's already increased her prices 8% in the past year, and she may have to soon increase them again. It's a delicate balance of trying not to make it too expensive for people to eat out and hurting sales, but she doesn't have much choice while trying to provide for her 175 employees."We have a lot of employees that work for us and we're responsible for making payroll every week and supporting their families. We take that very seriously. But it certainly has been tough," Stobaugh said.

Why U.S. egg prices doubled over the past year

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/11/khp-outlines-recruiting-retention-challenges-in-wake-of-30-salary-bump-for-troopers/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Highway 
Patrol said Wednesday the state agency continued to struggle with 
recruitment and retention of qualified law enforcement officers despite 
the 30% raise in base salary for newer troopers implemented last year by
 the Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly.

Capt. Mitch Clark told state senators the KHP was competing with 
police and sheriff departments in urban centers in Kansas and law 
enforcement agencies in neighboring states.

Nationally, he said, the applicant pool was diminished, training 
classes where smaller, and retention of young troopers and people 
eligible for retirement persisted. The economy, COVID-19, the “great 
resignation” and negative news coverage contributed to staffing woes, he
 said.

“We are all fishing out of the same pond that’s drying up, that’s more shallow,” Clark said. “This is a national crisis.”

In 2022, the state raised the wage for troopers with less than three 
years of experience from $21.13 per hour to $27.61 per hour — an 
adjustment the captain said was a “huge” benefit to the agency.

Clark told the Senate Transportation Committee the KHP had 52 trooper
 vacancies based on budget authorization for employment of 478 troopers.
 The 10.9% shortage left KHP with 426 troopers in uniform to serve the 
state’s public safety interests. In the past decade, under leadership of
 three different KHP superintendents, the agency reported averages of 
430 to 456 uniformed personnel.

The KHP graduated 15 people from training programs in 2022 and the current recruiting class included 11 members, he said.

“That’s not going to sustain us. It’s not getting us there,” Clark 
said. “It’s not going to cover those that we have already preparing to 
retire in the next few years.”

He said KHP modified entrance requirements to accept applicants with 
tattoos, under the condition the ink was covered by clothing. KHP 
changed policy to accept recruits who had experimented with illegal 
drugs. There are limits to how much KHP could amend personnel policy to 
entice people, he said.

“One of the things we cannot and are not ever going to consider is lowering our standards,” Clark said.

KHP does require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED and 
be 21 years of age by the time they graduate from the academy, but the 
state agency didn’t require college attendance or diplomas of 
applicants.

Senators on the committee didn’t raise questions about ongoing 
lawsuits and other legal controversies involving current and former KHP 
administrators. There were no questions about an&nbsp; inquiry authorized by 
the governor into whether KHP pilots misused state funds by deploying 
aircraft for personal reasons or to complete advanced flight training 
unnecessary for service in the law enforcement agency.

There has been discussion among state legislators about transferring 
administrative oversight of KHP from the governor to the attorney 
general. In addition, the Kansas State Troopers Association recommended a
 change in leadership at the highest levels of KHP, including 
Superintendent and Col. Herman Jones. He was appointed by Kelly in 2019 
when former Col. Mark Bruce was forced to resign.

Sen. Kelli Warren, a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate 
Judiciary Committee, said legislation was under development that would 
amend state law to enable law enforcement agencies to exchange 
information about unsuccessful applicants.

“The jurisdictions don’t have any ability to talk to each other about
 background checks,” Warren said. “There is legislation coming forward 
that would help address that. Is that something that would be helpful in
 your mind?”

“I do see the need for that,” the KHP captain said. “I don’t know any
 agency out there that wouldn’t want to have all the information 
available to make the best decision before they swear that person in.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673458667053.png" alt="Kansas Highway Patrol Capt. Mitch Clark told a Kansas Senate committee the agency was struggling with recruitment and retention despite a 30% increase in base pay for troopers approved by the 2022 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Highway Patrol Capt. Mitch Clark told a Kansas Senate committee the agency was struggling with recruitment and retention despite a 30% increase in base pay for troopers approved by the 2022 Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/11/khp-outlines-recruiting-retention-challenges-in-wake-of-30-salary-bump-for-troopers/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Highway 
Patrol said Wednesday the state agency continued to struggle with 
recruitment and retention of qualified law enforcement officers despite 
the 30% raise in base salary for newer troopers implemented last year by
 the Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly.Capt. Mitch Clark told state senators the KHP was competing with 
police and sheriff departments in urban centers in Kansas and law 
enforcement agencies in neighboring states.Nationally, he said, the applicant pool was diminished, training 
classes where smaller, and retention of young troopers and people 
eligible for retirement persisted. The economy, COVID-19, the “great 
resignation” and negative news coverage contributed to staffing woes, he
 said.“We are all fishing out of the same pond that’s drying up, that’s more shallow,” Clark said. “This is a national crisis.”In 2022, the state raised the wage for troopers with less than three 
years of experience from $21.13 per hour to $27.61 per hour — an 
adjustment the captain said was a “huge” benefit to the agency.Clark told the Senate Transportation Committee the KHP had 52 trooper
 vacancies based on budget authorization for employment of 478 troopers.
 The 10.9% shortage left KHP with 426 troopers in uniform to serve the 
state’s public safety interests. In the past decade, under leadership of
 three different KHP superintendents, the agency reported averages of 
430 to 456 uniformed personnel.The KHP graduated 15 people from training programs in 2022 and the current recruiting class included 11 members, he said.“That’s not going to sustain us. It’s not getting us there,” Clark 
said. “It’s not going to cover those that we have already preparing to 
retire in the next few years.”He said KHP modified entrance requirements to accept applicants with 
tattoos, under the condition the ink was covered by clothing. KHP 
changed policy to accept recruits who had experimented with illegal 
drugs. There are limits to how much KHP could amend personnel policy to 
entice people, he said.“One of the things we cannot and are not ever going to consider is lowering our standards,” Clark said.KHP does require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED and 
be 21 years of age by the time they graduate from the academy, but the 
state agency didn’t require college attendance or diplomas of 
applicants.Senators on the committee didn’t raise questions about ongoing 
lawsuits and other legal controversies involving current and former KHP 
administrators. There were no questions about an&nbsp; inquiry authorized by 
the governor into whether KHP pilots misused state funds by deploying 
aircraft for personal reasons or to complete advanced flight training 
unnecessary for service in the law enforcement agency.There has been discussion among state legislators about transferring 
administrative oversight of KHP from the governor to the attorney 
general. In addition, the Kansas State Troopers Association recommended a
 change in leadership at the highest levels of KHP, including 
Superintendent and Col. Herman Jones. He was appointed by Kelly in 2019 
when former Col. Mark Bruce was forced to resign.Sen. Kelli Warren, a Leawood Republican and chairwoman of the Senate 
Judiciary Committee, said legislation was under development that would 
amend state law to enable law enforcement agencies to exchange 
information about unsuccessful applicants.“The jurisdictions don’t have any ability to talk to each other about
 background checks,” Warren said. “There is legislation coming forward 
that would help address that. Is that something that would be helpful in
 your mind?”“I do see the need for that,” the KHP captain said. “I don’t know any
 agency out there that wouldn’t want to have all the information 
available to make the best decision before they swear that person in.”

KHP: Despite raises, recruiting and retention obstacles remain

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Health reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;2,339 new coronavirus cases in Kansas from Jan. 4 to Jan. 11, for a total of&nbsp; 921,937 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 2,842 the previous week.

On Wednesday, th<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1529/June-15-Case-Summary-PDF?bidId=">e state reported</a>&nbsp;81 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Jan. 4, for a total of 9,834.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Health reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;2,339 new coronavirus cases in Kansas from Jan. 4 to Jan. 11, for a total of&nbsp; 921,937 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 2,842 the previous week.On Wednesday, th<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1529/June-15-Case-Summary-PDF?bidId=">e state reported</a>&nbsp;81 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Jan. 4, for a total of 9,834.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673458975725.png" alt="Wednesday January 11, 2023 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday January 11, 2023 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE reports drop in COVID cases; 81 more deaths

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests.

A news release from the Bills quoted Dr. Jamie Nadler as saying: “We have completed a series of tests and evaluation and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.” Nadler said Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.

Hamlin is going home after spending two days undergoing tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was transferred to Buffalo after spending last week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area experienced what doctors called “a remarkable recovery.”

Hamlin collapsed on the field after being struck in the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins while making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of Buffalo’s since-canceled game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

He spent the first two days in hospital under sedation. He was awakened and able to grip people’s hands at his bedside, and eventually taken off a ventilator and able to address his teammates on Friday.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An amazing Damar Hamlin update. ❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/GyP2uDQry0">pic.twitter.com/GyP2uDQry0</a>&mdash; Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills/status/1613211636990644224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A news release from the Bills quoted Dr. Jamie Nadler as saying: “We have completed a series of tests and evaluation and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.” Nadler said Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.Hamlin is going home after spending two days undergoing tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was transferred to Buffalo after spending last week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area experienced what doctors called “a remarkable recovery.”Hamlin collapsed on the field after being struck in the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins while making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of Buffalo’s since-canceled game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.He spent the first two days in hospital under sedation. He was awakened and able to grip people’s hands at his bedside, and eventually taken off a ventilator and able to address his teammates on Friday.

Bill's Damar Hamlin released from Buffalo hospital

NEW YORK (AP) — The world’s largest aircraft fleet was grounded for hours by a cascading outage in a government system that delayed or cancelled thousands of flights across the U.S. on Wednesday.

The White House initially said that there was no evidence of a cyberattack behind the outage that ruined travel plans for millions of passengers. President Joe Biden said Wednesday morning that he’s directed the Department of Transportation to investigate.

Whatever the cause, the outage revealed how dependent the world's largest economy is on air travel, and how dependent air travel is on an antiquated computer system called the Notice to Air Missions System, or NOTAM.

Before commencing a flight, pilots are required to consult NOTAMs, which list potential adverse impacts on flights, from runway construction to the potential for icing. The system used to be telephone-based, with pilots calling dedicated flight service stations for the information, but has moved online.

The NOTAM system broke down late Tuesday, leading to more than 1,000 flight cancellations and more than 6,000 delayed flights by 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The chaos is expected to grow as backups compound. More than 21,000 flights were scheduled to take off in the U.S. today, mostly domestic trips, and about 1,840 international flights expected to fly to the U.S., according to aviation data firm Cirium.

Longtime aviation insiders could not recall an outage of such magnitude caused by a technology breakdown. Some compared it to the nationwide shutdown of airspace after the terror attacks of September 2001.

“Periodically there have been local issues here or there, but this is pretty significant historically,” said Tim Campbell, a former senior vice president of air operations at American Airlines and now a consultant in Minneapolis.

Campbell said there has long been concern about the Federal Aviation Administration’s technology, and not just the NOTAM system.

“So much of their systems are old mainframe systems that are generally reliable but they are out of date,” he said.

John Cox, a former airline pilot and aviation safety expert, said there has been talk in the aviation industry for years about trying to modernize the NOTAM system, but he did not know the age of the servers that the FAA uses.

He couldn’t say whether a cyberattack was possible.

“I’ve been flying 53 years. I’ve never heard the system go down like this,” Cox said. “So something unusual happened.”

According to FAA advisories, the NOTAM system failed at 8:28 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday preventing new or amended notices from being distributed to pilots. The FAA resorted to a telephone hotline to keep departures flying overnight, but as daytime traffic picked up it overwhelmed the telephone backup system.

The FAA ordered all departing flights grounded early Wednesday morning, affecting all passenger and shipping flights.

Some medical flights could get clearance and the outage did not impact any military operations or mobility.

Flights for the U.S. military’s Air Mobility Command, were not affected.

Biden said Wednesday morning that he was briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“I just spoke to Buttigieg. They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes,” Biden said. “I told him to report directly to me when they find out.

Julia Macpherson was on a United Airlines flight from Sydney to Los Angeles on Wednesday when she learned of possible delays.

“As I was up in the air I got news from my friend who was also traveling overseas that there was a power outage,” said Macpherson, who was returning to Florida from Hobart, Tasmania. Once she lands in Los Angeles, she still has a connection in Denver on her flight to Jacksonville, Florida.

She said there have been no announcements on the flight about the FAA issue.

Macpherson said she had already experienced a delay in her travels because her original flight from Melbourne to San Francisco was canceled and she rebooked a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.

Similar stories came out of Chicago, Washington, Atlanta and other major U.S. airports.

European flights into the U.S. appeared to be largely unaffected.

Irish carrier Aer Lingus said services to the U.S. continue, and Dublin Airport’s website showed that its flights to Newark, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles were running on schedule.

“Aer Lingus plan to operate all transatlantic flights as scheduled today,” the carrier said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to monitor but we do not anticipate any disruption to our services arising from the technical issue in the United States.”

It was the latest headache for travelers in the U.S. who faced flight cancellations over the holidays amid winter storms and a breakdown with staffing technology at Southwest Airlines. They also ran into long lines, lost baggage, and cancellations and delays over the summer as travel demand roared back from the COVID-19 pandemic and ran into staffing cutbacks at airports and airlines in the U.S. and Europe.

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of flight delays and cancellations rippled across the U.S. early Wednesday after computer outage led to a grounding order for all departing aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is working to restore what is known as the Notice to Air Missions System.

Before commencing a flight, pilots are required to consult NOTAMs, or Notices to Air Missions, which list potential adverse impacts on flights, from runway construction to the potential for icing. The system used to be telephone-based, with pilots calling dedicated flight service stations for the information, but has now moved online.

While the White House initially said that there is no evidence of a cyberattack, President Joe Biden said “we don’t know” and told reporters that he’s directed the Department of Transportation to investigate the cause of the disruption.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

The stop order was lifted just before 9 a.m., but delays and cancellations are expected to snowball. Departure gates at major airports are filled with aircraft that had been ordered grounded for hours. More than 21,000 flights were scheduled to take off in the U.S. today, mostly domestic trips, and about 1,840 international flights expected to fly to the U.S., according to aviation data firm Cirium.

More than 4,300 flights were delayed and more than 800 were cancelled by around 9:30 a.m.

The stop order by the FAA impacted almost all flights of shippers and passenger airlines.

Some medical flights could get clearance and the outage did not impact any military operations or the mobility of U.S. defense forces.

Biden addressed the FAA issue Wednesday before leaving the White House to accompany his wife to a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside of Washington. He said he had just been briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told him they still had not identified what went wrong.

“I just spoke to Buttigieg. They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes," Biden said. "I told him to report directly to me when they find out. Air traffic can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is.”

Buttigieg said in a tweet that he is in touch with the FAA and monitoring the situation.

Delays and cancellations that began on East Coast quickly spread west, with disruptions at almost all major U.S. airports.

The FAA said it was working on restoring its Notice to Air Missions System.

“We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now,” the FAA said. “Operations across the National Airspace System are affected.”

Breakdowns in the NOTAM system appear to be rare.

“I’ve been flying 53 years. I’ve never heard the system go down like this," Cox said. "So something unusual happened.”

According FAA advisories, the NOTAM system failed at 8:28 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday preventing new or amended notices from being distributed to pilots. The FAA resorted to a telephone hotline in an effort to keep departures flying overnight, but as daytime traffic picked up it overwhelmed the telephone backup system.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the U.S. military flights were not impacted because the military has its own NOTAMS system separate from the FAA system and the military’s system was not affected by the outage.

This is just the latest headache for travelers in the U.S. who faced flight cancellations over the holidays amid winter storms and a breakdown with staffing technology at Southwest Airlines. They also ran into long lines, lost baggage, and cancellations and delays over the summer as travel demand roared back from the COVID-19 pandemic and ran into staffing cutbacks at airports and airlines in the U.S. and Europe.

The FAA said that it would provide frequent updates as it made progress.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is lifting a ground stop on flights across the U.S. following a computer outage early Wednesday that resulted in thousands of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide.

Earlier in the morning the FAA ordered all U.S. flights to delay departures until at least 9 a.m. Eastern. Due to heavy congestion, the FAA cleared flights to depart at Newark Liberty and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airports. The agency said that normal air traffic operations were resuming gradually across the U.S. following the outage.

More than 3,700 flights were delayed and more than 640 were cancelled early in the day.

The FAA said that it continues to look into the cause of the initial problem.

NEW YORK (AP) — A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the U.S. early Wednesday, with thousands of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide.

The FAA ordered all U.S. flights to delay departures until at least 9 a.m. Eastern. Due to heavy congestion, the FAA cleared flights to depart at Newark Liberty and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airports and departures were expected to resume at other airports soon.

There were more than 3,700 flights delayed by 8:30 a.m. Eastern, more than all the delayed flights for the entirety of the previous day, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 640 have been cancelled.

Those numbers are likely to grow, and the groundings impact almost all aircraft, including shipping and passenger flights.

More than 21,000 flights were scheduled to take off in the U.S. today, mostly domestic trips, and about 1,840 international flights expected to fly to the U.S., according to aviation data firm Cirium.

Some medical flights can get clearance and the outage is not impacting any military operations or mobility.

Early Wednesday, flights for the U.S. military’s Air Mobility Command had not been impacted, said Air Force Col. Damien Pickart, a spokesman for Air Mobility Command is responsible for all the troop movement and supply flights, such as the C-17s that carry the president’s motorcade vehicles when he travels, but also all the flights that transport troops from one base to another. Air Mobility Command was working with the FAA on the issue.

While the White House initially said that there is no evidence of a cyberattack, President Joe Biden said “we don’t know” and told reporters he’s directed the Department of Transportation to investigate the cause of the disruption.

President Joe Biden addressed the FAA issue Wednesday before leaving the White House to accompany his wife to a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside of Washington. He said he had just been briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told him they still had not identified what went wrong.

Most delays were concentrated along the East Coast, but were beginning to spread west. Inbound international flights into Miami International Airport continued to land, but all departures have been delayed since 6:30 a.m., said airport spokesman Greg Chin.

The agency said that some functions are beginning to come back on line, but that “National Airspace System operations remain limited.”

United Airlines said that it had temporarily delayed all domestic flights and would issue an update once it learned more from the FAA. American Airlines said that it was closely monitoring the situation.

“I don’t ever remember the NOTAM system going down like this. I’ve been flying 53 years,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot and now an aviation-safety consultant.

Air travel across US thrown into chaos after computer outage

JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;—&nbsp;Today, Governor Mike Parson announced that he has recommended an 8.7 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all state team members and a $2 per hour shift differential to eligible state team members working in certain congregate care facilities.

"There is no question that the recruitment&nbsp;and retention of state employees have been a severe problem for our state, and we must do better,"&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Parson&nbsp;said. "This is why we are again recommending&nbsp;an immediate cost of living increase for our state team. With 7,000 positions&nbsp;open across state government, this wage increase is necessary, and it is the minimum we must do to support our state workers and the people of Missouri."

The recommendation was included in Governor Parson's FY 2023 Early Supplemental Budget request delivered to the General Assembly today. Governor Parson has asked the General Assembly to introduce the legislation as soon as possible with the goal of implementation by&nbsp;March 1, 2023,&nbsp;and represented in state team members' paychecks by March 31.&nbsp;Salary adjustments will require General Assembly approval before they can go into effect.&nbsp;

"We want to be clear, this is not state government attempting to set the market. This is merely an attempt by state government to stay competitive with the market,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "If we allow state government to fall behind, we allow Missourians to fall behind. This is not something we are willing to accept, and we ask the General Assembly not to either."&nbsp;

Governor Parson's Fiscal&nbsp;year (FY) 2023 Early Supplemental Budget recommendation provides:

Certain congregate care staff within the Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the Missouri Veterans Commission will be eligible for the $2 per hour shift differential.

Governor Parson has recommended multiple COLA increases for state team members in past budgets to ensure competitive wages and benefits are provided to those who deliver necessary government services to Missourians.&nbsp;This 8.7 percent COLA increase builds upon the 7.5 percent pay raise Governor Parson and the General Assembly implemented for state workers in 2022.

“Our Department of Public Safety team members perform tremendously important work with skill and dedication, on our highways, in our&nbsp;Veterans Homes, and many other locations that require&nbsp;staffing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,”&nbsp;DPS Director Sandy Karsten&nbsp;said. “We appreciate Governor Parson’s recognition of their hard work and his commitment to providing competitive salaries to fill critical positions and retain our professional team members to serve Missourians.”&nbsp;

“State team members who rise each day to face the monumental task of providing vital services around the clock in congregate care settings are vital to the well-being of our state and our fellow citizens,”&nbsp;Acting DSS Director Robert J. Knodell&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“This recommendation will not only help us retain our dedicated team members, but will also help Missouri be a more competitive and desirable employer as a whole, ultimately allowing us to attract the additional help we need. I am incredibly appreciative of the Governor’s continued efforts to advocate for state team members to receive better compensation.”

“Governor Parson and members of the Missouri General Assembly have been consistent supporters of team members who perform the most difficult jobs in state government,"&nbsp;DOC Director Anne Precythe&nbsp;said. "This proposal also underscores their appreciation for staff who work demanding shifts in facilities that operate around the clock. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment to helping us attract, retain, and compensate outstanding professionals who protect the safety and wellbeing of Missourians.”

“The $2 an hour shift differential for the congregate care workforce at 24/7 state-operated programs is very important. It acknowledges that increased pay is needed for the State of Missouri's front line team members who work during hours when other staff are home with their families,”&nbsp;DMH Director Valerie Huhn&nbsp;said. “The daily work these public servants do is vitally important to thousands of vulnerable citizens. This recommendation coupled with a significant COLA demonstrates Governor Parson’s continued support of these team members.”

The 8.7 percent COLA increase is based on the increase given to Social Security recipients this year and the Consumer Price Index determined by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.&nbsp;

The FY 23 Early&nbsp;Supplemental Budget pay plan proposal would invest $151.2 million, including $82.4 million in general revenue (GR), in the state workforce.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673455852367.png" alt="Parson:&nbsp;The recruitment and retention of state employees have been a severe problem for our state, and we must do better.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Parson:&nbsp;The recruitment and retention of state employees have been a severe problem for our state, and we must do better.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;—&nbsp;Today, Governor Mike Parson announced that he has recommended an 8.7 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all state team members and a $2 per hour shift differential to eligible state team members working in certain congregate care facilities."There is no question that the recruitment&nbsp;and retention of state employees have been a severe problem for our state, and we must do better,"&nbsp;Governor&nbsp;Parson&nbsp;said. "This is why we are again recommending&nbsp;an immediate cost of living increase for our state team. With 7,000 positions&nbsp;open across state government, this wage increase is necessary, and it is the minimum we must do to support our state workers and the people of Missouri."The recommendation was included in Governor Parson's FY 2023 Early Supplemental Budget request delivered to the General Assembly today. Governor Parson has asked the General Assembly to introduce the legislation as soon as possible with the goal of implementation by&nbsp;March 1, 2023,&nbsp;and represented in state team members' paychecks by March 31.&nbsp;Salary adjustments will require General Assembly approval before they can go into effect.&nbsp;"We want to be clear, this is not state government attempting to set the market. This is merely an attempt by state government to stay competitive with the market,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "If we allow state government to fall behind, we allow Missourians to fall behind. This is not something we are willing to accept, and we ask the General Assembly not to either."&nbsp;Governor Parson's Fiscal&nbsp;year (FY) 2023 Early Supplemental Budget recommendation provides:<ul>
 <li>An&nbsp;8.7 percent&nbsp;COLA increase for&nbsp;all&nbsp;state team members; and</li><li>Increases the shift differential to&nbsp;$2 per hour&nbsp;for&nbsp;congregate care staff&nbsp;working high-need evening and overnight shifts.</li>
 </ul>Certain congregate care staff within the Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Corrections (DOC), Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the Missouri Veterans Commission will be eligible for the $2 per hour shift differential.Governor Parson has recommended multiple COLA increases for state team members in past budgets to ensure competitive wages and benefits are provided to those who deliver necessary government services to Missourians.&nbsp;This 8.7 percent COLA increase builds upon the 7.5 percent pay raise Governor Parson and the General Assembly implemented for state workers in 2022.“Our Department of Public Safety team members perform tremendously important work with skill and dedication, on our highways, in our&nbsp;Veterans Homes, and many other locations that require&nbsp;staffing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,”&nbsp;DPS Director Sandy Karsten&nbsp;said. “We appreciate Governor Parson’s recognition of their hard work and his commitment to providing competitive salaries to fill critical positions and retain our professional team members to serve Missourians.”&nbsp;“State team members who rise each day to face the monumental task of providing vital services around the clock in congregate care settings are vital to the well-being of our state and our fellow citizens,”&nbsp;Acting DSS Director Robert J. Knodell&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“This recommendation will not only help us retain our dedicated team members, but will also help Missouri be a more competitive and desirable employer as a whole, ultimately allowing us to attract the additional help we need. I am incredibly appreciative of the Governor’s continued efforts to advocate for state team members to receive better compensation.”“Governor Parson and members of the Missouri General Assembly have been consistent supporters of team members who perform the most difficult jobs in state government,"&nbsp;DOC Director Anne Precythe&nbsp;said. "This proposal also underscores their appreciation for staff who work demanding shifts in facilities that operate around the clock. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment to helping us attract, retain, and compensate outstanding professionals who protect the safety and wellbeing of Missourians.”“The $2 an hour shift differential for the congregate care workforce at 24/7 state-operated programs is very important. It acknowledges that increased pay is needed for the State of Missouri's front line team members who work during hours when other staff are home with their families,”&nbsp;DMH Director Valerie Huhn&nbsp;said. “The daily work these public servants do is vitally important to thousands of vulnerable citizens. This recommendation coupled with a significant COLA demonstrates Governor Parson’s continued support of these team members.”The 8.7 percent COLA increase is based on the increase given to Social Security recipients this year and the Consumer Price Index determined by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.&nbsp;The FY 23 Early&nbsp;Supplemental Budget pay plan proposal would invest $151.2 million, including $82.4 million in general revenue (GR), in the state workforce.

Gov. Parson recommends 8.7% COLA for all state team members 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Kansas legislators are pushing back more aggressively this year on LGBTQ-rights issues than in the past two years, with proposals to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-ce8f5a9ee53768af03c3c65d5331045b">gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for trangender youth and restrict how public schools discuss sexual orientation and gender identity.

Top Republican lawmakers on Tuesday outlined an agenda for the year that includes culture war issues pursued by Republicans in other states, including a ban on transgender athletes in girls' and women's K-12, club and college sports. Their broader agenda on LGBTQ-rights issues this year in Kansas also comes after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;in November despite GOP attacks over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-legislature-libraries-9ffb07cf3b25faf848dda6d78bff8856">her vetoes</a>&nbsp;of two bills restricting transgender athletes.

On LGBTQ-rights issues, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature focused in 2021 and 2022 on trangender athletes. Lawmakers haven't considered a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth or bills to restrict which bathrooms transgender people can use. Proposals on what schools teach on history and sexuality have not gone as far as a Florida law derided by critics as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">“Don't Say Gay”</a>&nbsp;policy.

State Rep. Heather Meyer, a bisexual Kansas City-area Democrat with a transgender son, said this year, for GOP lawmakers, “It sounds like that the bigots are the priority, not our children.”

“They want to make it so that it’s like we never existed, so like the LGBTQ community is invisible,” she said.

Top Republican lawmakers pledged to keep pushing for a laws restricting transgender athletes. Eighteen states have such laws, including Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the nonprofit, pro-LGBTQ-rights Movement Advancement Project think tank.

Supporters of such laws argue that they preserve fairness in competition and college scholarship opportunities for what they call “biological” women.

As Kelly ran for reelection, her campaign said she believes decisions about transgender athletes should be made by schools, doctors, families and local officials. That statement came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">after she declared in a television ad</a>&nbsp;that, “Of course men should not play girls’ sports. OK, we all agree there."

Two of the Legislature's most conservative Republicans, state Sens. Mark Steffen, from south-central Kansas, and Mike Thompson, from the Kansas City area, introduced&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb12_00_0000.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;that would make it illegal to perform gender-affirming surgery or provide hormone therapy or puberty-blocking medications to anyone under 21. Doctors would face having their medical licenses suspended or revoked for “professional incompetency.”

Arkansas bans such care for minors; Alabama makes it a felony, and Arizona bans gender-affirming surgery for minors. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-child-abuse-child-welfare-greg-abbott-ken-paxton-65c054b6ccd9040e81ad1a4be11403b9">issued an order last year</a>&nbsp;treating gender-affirming care as child abuse. Proposals have been introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/878a9217fa434f3ecd83738a71e40572">in at least 10 other states.</a>

“It’s a way of trying to protect these children from what could be life-altering and irreversible types of medical and chemical procedures,” Thompson told reporters after his bill was introduced.

It's not clear how much support the measure has, and a hearing has yet to be scheduled. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, expressed a willingness to consider the idea.

But Kelly is certain to be a big obstacle to such a policy. Asked about the proposal, Kelly told reporters Tuesday, “You can just imagine what I think of that.”

State Rep. Brandon Woodard, a gay Kansas City-area Democrat, called the measure “a garbage bill.”

“Gender-affirming care is live-saving and this bill is dangerous, hateful and will lead to death by suicide,” he said.

During a Statehouse news conference for introducing GOP leaders' agenda, Masterson decried what he called a “sexualized, woke agenda" in public schools. Later, he told reporters that he wants to pursue a law that would spell out limits on what schools can teach or discuss about sexuality issues by grade level.

Masterson said he's worried about schools focusing on people's “innate characteristics” and “dividing us up into different groups.”

“We've gotten completely away from, basically, fundamental academics,” he said. “And it's not helping our children.”

But state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a lesbian Kansas City-area Democrat, said the “radical right” is creating the problems.

“These are just kids who are trying to understand themselves,” she said. “They are coming after children who are vulnerable.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Kansas legislators are pushing back more aggressively this year on LGBTQ-rights issues than in the past two years, with proposals to ban&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-ce8f5a9ee53768af03c3c65d5331045b">gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for trangender youth and restrict how public schools discuss sexual orientation and gender identity.Top Republican lawmakers on Tuesday outlined an agenda for the year that includes culture war issues pursued by Republicans in other states, including a ban on transgender athletes in girls' and women's K-12, club and college sports. Their broader agenda on LGBTQ-rights issues this year in Kansas also comes after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;in November despite GOP attacks over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-legislature-libraries-9ffb07cf3b25faf848dda6d78bff8856">her vetoes</a>&nbsp;of two bills restricting transgender athletes.On LGBTQ-rights issues, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature focused in 2021 and 2022 on trangender athletes. Lawmakers haven't considered a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth or bills to restrict which bathrooms transgender people can use. Proposals on what schools teach on history and sexuality have not gone as far as a Florida law derided by critics as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">“Don't Say Gay”</a>&nbsp;policy.State Rep. Heather Meyer, a bisexual Kansas City-area Democrat with a transgender son, said this year, for GOP lawmakers, “It sounds like that the bigots are the priority, not our children.”“They want to make it so that it’s like we never existed, so like the LGBTQ community is invisible,” she said.Top Republican lawmakers pledged to keep pushing for a laws restricting transgender athletes. Eighteen states have such laws, including Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the nonprofit, pro-LGBTQ-rights Movement Advancement Project think tank.Supporters of such laws argue that they preserve fairness in competition and college scholarship opportunities for what they call “biological” women.As Kelly ran for reelection, her campaign said she believes decisions about transgender athletes should be made by schools, doctors, families and local officials. That statement came&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">after she declared in a television ad</a>&nbsp;that, “Of course men should not play girls’ sports. OK, we all agree there."Two of the Legislature's most conservative Republicans, state Sens. Mark Steffen, from south-central Kansas, and Mike Thompson, from the Kansas City area, introduced&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb12_00_0000.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;that would make it illegal to perform gender-affirming surgery or provide hormone therapy or puberty-blocking medications to anyone under 21. Doctors would face having their medical licenses suspended or revoked for “professional incompetency.”Arkansas bans such care for minors; Alabama makes it a felony, and Arizona bans gender-affirming surgery for minors. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-child-abuse-child-welfare-greg-abbott-ken-paxton-65c054b6ccd9040e81ad1a4be11403b9">issued an order last year</a>&nbsp;treating gender-affirming care as child abuse. Proposals have been introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/878a9217fa434f3ecd83738a71e40572">in at least 10 other states.</a>“It’s a way of trying to protect these children from what could be life-altering and irreversible types of medical and chemical procedures,” Thompson told reporters after his bill was introduced.It's not clear how much support the measure has, and a hearing has yet to be scheduled. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, expressed a willingness to consider the idea.But Kelly is certain to be a big obstacle to such a policy. Asked about the proposal, Kelly told reporters Tuesday, “You can just imagine what I think of that.”State Rep. Brandon Woodard, a gay Kansas City-area Democrat, called the measure “a garbage bill.”“Gender-affirming care is live-saving and this bill is dangerous, hateful and will lead to death by suicide,” he said.During a Statehouse news conference for introducing GOP leaders' agenda, Masterson decried what he called a “sexualized, woke agenda" in public schools. Later, he told reporters that he wants to pursue a law that would spell out limits on what schools can teach or discuss about sexuality issues by grade level.Masterson said he's worried about schools focusing on people's “innate characteristics” and “dividing us up into different groups.”“We've gotten completely away from, basically, fundamental academics,” he said. “And it's not helping our children.”But state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a lesbian Kansas City-area Democrat, said the “radical right” is creating the problems.“These are just kids who are trying to understand themselves,” she said. “They are coming after children who are vulnerable.”

Kansas right pushing back more aggressively on LGBTQ rights

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday signed&nbsp;the&nbsp;first executive order of her second term,&nbsp;Executive Order 23-01,&nbsp;to establish&nbsp;the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. The&nbsp;Task Force is charged with reviewing Kansas’ early childhood programs and developing a&nbsp;roadmap for the creation of a new state,&nbsp;cabinet-level agency focused solely on&nbsp;supporting the&nbsp;success&nbsp;of our youngest Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Yesterday, I laid out a vision for my next four years,&nbsp;to make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family. Today&nbsp;we are taking a significant step forward in pursuit of that goal,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Giving Kansas kids the strongest start to life is the best possible investment we can make. This task force will&nbsp;determine how to make that investment most effectively.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The task force will analyze the current early childhood system and how it is financed – focusing on gaps, inefficiencies, and redundancies. It will also conduct a series of stakeholder engagement opportunities and draft a transition plan&nbsp;for the new agency.&nbsp;

The task force will build on the Kelly Administration’s first term efforts&nbsp;around early childhood, which include&nbsp;investing&nbsp;more than $270 million to support&nbsp;child care&nbsp;providers and increasing&nbsp;access to reliable, affordable&nbsp;child care.&nbsp;

The task force will include&nbsp;representatives from state government, the private sector,&nbsp;philanthropic organizations, early childhood service providers, and advocacy organizations. Governor Kelly will also invite members of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives to be members of the task force.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673435553935.png" alt="The task force will build on the Kelly Administration’s first term efforts around early childhood, which include investing more than $270 million to support child care providers and increasing access to reliable, affordable child care. " />
 <figcaption>The task force will build on the Kelly Administration’s first term efforts around early childhood, which include investing more than $270 million to support child care providers and increasing access to reliable, affordable child care. </figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Tuesday signed&nbsp;the&nbsp;first executive order of her second term,&nbsp;Executive Order 23-01,&nbsp;to establish&nbsp;the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. The&nbsp;Task Force is charged with reviewing Kansas’ early childhood programs and developing a&nbsp;roadmap for the creation of a new state,&nbsp;cabinet-level agency focused solely on&nbsp;supporting the&nbsp;success&nbsp;of our youngest Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Yesterday, I laid out a vision for my next four years,&nbsp;to make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family. Today&nbsp;we are taking a significant step forward in pursuit of that goal,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Giving Kansas kids the strongest start to life is the best possible investment we can make. This task force will&nbsp;determine how to make that investment most effectively.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The task force will analyze the current early childhood system and how it is financed – focusing on gaps, inefficiencies, and redundancies. It will also conduct a series of stakeholder engagement opportunities and draft a transition plan&nbsp;for the new agency.&nbsp;The task force will build on the Kelly Administration’s first term efforts&nbsp;around early childhood, which include&nbsp;investing&nbsp;more than $270 million to support&nbsp;child care&nbsp;providers and increasing&nbsp;access to reliable, affordable&nbsp;child care.&nbsp;The task force will include&nbsp;representatives from state government, the private sector,&nbsp;philanthropic organizations, early childhood service providers, and advocacy organizations. Governor Kelly will also invite members of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives to be members of the task force.&nbsp;

Kansas Gov. creates Early Childhood Transition Task Force

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was surprised when informed that government records were found by his attorneys at his former office space in Washington. He was asked about the issue after the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee requested that the U.S. intelligence community conduct a “damage assessment” of potentially classified documents.

(Click below to watch the President answer questions)

Speaking to reporters in Mexico City, Biden said his attorneys “did what they should have done” when they immediately called the National Archives about the discovery at the offices of the Penn Biden Center. He kept an office there after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his presidential campaign in 2019.

The White House confirmed that the Department of Justice was reviewing “a small number of documents with classified markings" found at the office.

“I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said in his first comments since news of the Nov. 2, 2022, document discovery emerged Monday. He added that “I don’t know what’s in the documents" and that his lawyers had suggested he not ask.

Earlier Tuesday, Rep. Mike Turner sent the request to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, saying that Biden's retention of the documents put him in “potential violation of laws protecting national security, including the Espionage Act and Presidential Records Act.”

Irrespective of a federal review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called former&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/There%20are%20significant%20differences%20between%20the%20Trump%20and%20Biden%20situations,%20including%20the%20gravity%20of%20an%20ongoing%20grand%20jury%20investigation%20into%20the%20Mar-a-Lago%20matter.%20The%20risk%20assessment%20in%20the%20Trump%20case%20by%20intelligence%20officials%20is%20a%20different%20step%20with%20fewer%20formal%20requirements%20than%20a%20damage%20assessment.%20The%20risk%20assessment%20is%20to%20examine%20the%20documents%20seized%20at%20Mar-a-Lago%20for%20classification%20as%20well%20as%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20potential%20risk%20to%20national%20security%20that%20would%20result%20from%20the%20disclosure%20of%20the%20relevant%20documents.%E2%80%9D">President Donald Trump’s decision to keep hundreds</a>&nbsp;of such records at his&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Irrespective%20of%20the%20Justice%20Department%20review,%20the%20revelation%20that%20Biden%20potentially%20mishandled%20classified%20or%20presidential%20records%20could%20prove%20to%20be%20a%20political%20headache%20for%20the%20president,%20who%20called%20Trump's%20decision%20to%20keep%20hundreds%20of%20such%20records%20at%20his%20private%20club%20in%20Florida%20%E2%80%9Cirresponsible.">private club in Florida “irresponsible.</a>&nbsp;”

“Those entrusted with access to classified information have a duty and an obligation to protect it,” said Turner in a letter to Haines. “This issue demands a full and thorough review.”

On Tuesday, Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent the White House Counsel’s office a letter requesting copies of the documents found at the Biden office, communications about the discovery, and a list of those who may have had access to the office where they were found. The White House didn’t immediately respond to the request.

Haines agreed in September to conduct a “risk assessment” rather than a “damage assessment” of the Trump case.

There are significant differences between the Trump and Biden situations, including the gravity of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the Mar-a-Lago matter. The intelligence risk assessment into the Trump documents is to examine the seized records for classification as well as “the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents.”

Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for a briefing on the documents.

“Our system of classification exists in order to protect our most important national security secrets, and we expect to be briefed on what happened both at Mar-a-Lago and at the Biden office as part of our constitutional oversight obligations," he said. "From what we know so far, the latter is about finding documents with markings, and turning them over, which is certainly different from a months-long effort to retain material actively being sought by the government. But again, that’s why we need to be briefed."

Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said Monday that after Biden's attorneys found the records, they notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.

“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.

A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from Trump's administration.

Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”

Republicans have just taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.

The revelation also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration of whether to bring charges against Trump, who is trying to win back the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed the department's inquiry into of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was surprised when informed that government records were found by his attorneys at his former office space in Washington. He was asked about the issue after the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee requested that the U.S. intelligence community conduct a “damage assessment” of potentially classified documents.(Click below to watch the President answer questions)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F585489566749560%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1777" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking to reporters in Mexico City, Biden said his attorneys “did what they should have done” when they immediately called the National Archives about the discovery at the offices of the Penn Biden Center. He kept an office there after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his presidential campaign in 2019.The White House confirmed that the Department of Justice was reviewing “a small number of documents with classified markings" found at the office.“I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said in his first comments since news of the Nov. 2, 2022, document discovery emerged Monday. He added that “I don’t know what’s in the documents" and that his lawyers had suggested he not ask.Earlier Tuesday, Rep. Mike Turner sent the request to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, saying that Biden's retention of the documents put him in “potential violation of laws protecting national security, including the Espionage Act and Presidential Records Act.”Irrespective of a federal review, the revelation that Biden potentially mishandled classified or presidential records could prove to be a political headache for the president, who called former&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/There%20are%20significant%20differences%20between%20the%20Trump%20and%20Biden%20situations,%20including%20the%20gravity%20of%20an%20ongoing%20grand%20jury%20investigation%20into%20the%20Mar-a-Lago%20matter.%20The%20risk%20assessment%20in%20the%20Trump%20case%20by%20intelligence%20officials%20is%20a%20different%20step%20with%20fewer%20formal%20requirements%20than%20a%20damage%20assessment.%20The%20risk%20assessment%20is%20to%20examine%20the%20documents%20seized%20at%20Mar-a-Lago%20for%20classification%20as%20well%20as%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20potential%20risk%20to%20national%20security%20that%20would%20result%20from%20the%20disclosure%20of%20the%20relevant%20documents.%E2%80%9D">President Donald Trump’s decision to keep hundreds</a>&nbsp;of such records at his&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Irrespective%20of%20the%20Justice%20Department%20review,%20the%20revelation%20that%20Biden%20potentially%20mishandled%20classified%20or%20presidential%20records%20could%20prove%20to%20be%20a%20political%20headache%20for%20the%20president,%20who%20called%20Trump's%20decision%20to%20keep%20hundreds%20of%20such%20records%20at%20his%20private%20club%20in%20Florida%20%E2%80%9Cirresponsible.">private club in Florida “irresponsible.</a>&nbsp;”“Those entrusted with access to classified information have a duty and an obligation to protect it,” said Turner in a letter to Haines. “This issue demands a full and thorough review.”On Tuesday, Rep. James Comer, the new GOP chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent the White House Counsel’s office a letter requesting copies of the documents found at the Biden office, communications about the discovery, and a list of those who may have had access to the office where they were found. The White House didn’t immediately respond to the request.Haines agreed in September to conduct a “risk assessment” rather than a “damage assessment” of the Trump case.There are significant differences between the Trump and Biden situations, including the gravity of an ongoing grand jury investigation into the Mar-a-Lago matter. The intelligence risk assessment into the Trump documents is to examine the seized records for classification as well as “the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents.”Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for a briefing on the documents.“Our system of classification exists in order to protect our most important national security secrets, and we expect to be briefed on what happened both at Mar-a-Lago and at the Biden office as part of our constitutional oversight obligations," he said. "From what we know so far, the latter is about finding documents with markings, and turning them over, which is certainly different from a months-long effort to retain material actively being sought by the government. But again, that’s why we need to be briefed."Special counsel to the president Richard Sauber said Monday that after Biden's attorneys found the records, they notified the National Archives and Records Administration — which took custody of the documents the next day.“Since that discovery, the President’s personal attorneys have cooperated with the Archives and the Department of Justice in a process to ensure that any Obama-Biden Administration records are appropriately in the possession of the Archives,” Sauber said.A person who is familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly said Attorney General Merrick Garland asked U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch to review the matter after the Archives referred the issue to the department. Lausch is one of the few U.S. attorneys to be held over from Trump's administration.Trump weighed in Monday on his social media site, asking, “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?”Republicans have just taken control of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-b9fcfd11427a695fe2eb49e36988f1a0">House of Representatives</a>&nbsp;and are promising to launch widespread investigations of Biden's administration.The revelation also may complicate the Justice Department's consideration of whether to bring charges against Trump, who is trying to win back the White House in 2024 and has repeatedly claimed the department's inquiry into of his own conduct amounted to “corruption."The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Spokespeople for Garland and Lausch declined to comment.Comer also sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-10-Letter-NARA-Biden-classified-docs.pdf">letter</a>&nbsp;to the National Archives requesting records and correspondence relating to discovery of the Biden documents, asserting that “NARA’s inconsistent treatment of recovering classified records held by former President Trump and President Biden raises questions about political bias at the agency.”His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jamie Raskin, said Biden's attorneys “appear to have taken immediate and proper action.”“I have confidence that the attorney general took the appropriate steps to ensure the careful review of the circumstances surrounding the possession and discovery of these documents and make an impartial decision about any further action that may be needed,” he added.Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said Monday that the American public deserved to know earlier about the classified documents.“They knew about this a week before the election, maybe the American people should have known that,” Jordan told reporters. “They certainly knew about the the raid on Mar-a-Lago 91 days before this election, but nice if on November 2, the country would have known that there were classified documents at the Biden Center.”Jordan is among House Republicans pushing for the creation of a “select subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal government” within the Judiciary Committee.It wasn't immediately clear why the White House didn't disclose the discovery of the documents or the DOJ review sooner. CBS was first to report Monday on the discovery of the potentially classified documents.The Justice Department for months has been investigating the retention of roughly 300 documents that were marked as classified and were recovered from the Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Florida estate.</a>&nbsp;In that instance, prosecutors say, representatives of Trump resisted requests to give back the full stash of classified documents and failed to fully comply with a subpoena that sought their return.FBI agents in August served a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago property, removing 33 boxes and containers.That investigation is being led by special counsel Jack Smith. Prosecutors have interviewed an array of Trump associates and have been using a grand jury to hear evidence.Democrats made a similar request of the director of national intelligence in August following the search of Mar-a-Lago. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Adam Schiff, who then led the House Oversight and Intelligence committees, asked Haines for an “immediate review and damage assessment,” alleging that Trump “has potentially put our national security at grave risk.”Intelligence officials are not believed to have briefed Congress on their assessment in the four months since, according to public statements from lawmakers. Haines noted in her letter that any risk assessment would not “unduly interfere” with the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago.___