BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Rep. Patrick Penn, a Wichita Republican elected to the House in 2020, sent a letter to the Sedgwick County Republican Party and state officials announcing plans to resign.

John Whitmer, chairman of the county’s GOP organization, said he received the letter, in which Penn wrote he would leave office in June. The notice dated Wednesday did not explain why Penn would exit the Legislature six months after winning reelection to a two-year term.

“I’m aware of the reasons, but I will let him announce that when he chooses to do so,” Whitmer said.

The bulk of Penn’s 85th District is in Sedgwick County, including parts of the cities of Wichita, Bel Aire and Kechi, as well as a small portion of Butler County.

Contents of his resignation letter sent to Secretary of State Scott Schwab indicated that his vision for a prosperous Kansas and his family’s values of faith, family and service would continue to guide him,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article306503771.html" target="_blank">according to the Wichita Eagle</a>. In addition, the letter said he would work with the next representative to serve the district, and intended to remain “engaged in our community’s future.”

A precinct election was scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 28 to nominate a person to serve the remainder of the conservative Republican’s term.

“Anyone who wants to run for the seat is allowed to do so if they happen to be a resident of the district,” Whitmer said. “I know of at least two or three people who have expressed an interest.”

The person selected to replace Penn would remain a representative-elect until sworn into office after Penn’s resignation was complete. That individual would be eligible to complete Penn’s current term in the House, which would end in January 2027.

Penn, a former U.S. Army officer who deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, sought the House seat and defeated Rep. Michael Capps in the August 2020 primary. Capps was politically damaged by reports that he conspired with other Sedgwick County Republicans to damage the reputation of the Wichita mayor and engaged in a recorded conversation about how to conceal their involvement.

Penn was a persistent advocate for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and sought passage of legislation that introduced firearm training to elementary students.

He was combative with some statehouse reporters and provoked controversy this year by discussing on the House floor with Rep. Kyler Sweely, R-Hutchinson, the hypothetical idea of instigating an act of violence against former Democratic Rep. Jason Probst. Sweely defeated Probst by less than 300 votes in the 2024 election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747409260206.png" alt=" Rep. Patrick Penn, R-Wichita, shown here at the Statehouse in 2024, announced Thursday that he will resign in June. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Rep. Patrick Penn, R-Wichita, shown here at the Statehouse in 2024, announced Thursday that he will resign in June. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Rep. Patrick Penn, a Wichita Republican elected to the House in 2020, sent a letter to the Sedgwick County Republican Party and state officials announcing plans to resign.John Whitmer, chairman of the county’s GOP organization, said he received the letter, in which Penn wrote he would leave office in June. The notice dated Wednesday did not explain why Penn would exit the Legislature six months after winning reelection to a two-year term.“I’m aware of the reasons, but I will let him announce that when he chooses to do so,” Whitmer said.The bulk of Penn’s 85th District is in Sedgwick County, including parts of the cities of Wichita, Bel Aire and Kechi, as well as a small portion of Butler County.Contents of his resignation letter sent to Secretary of State Scott Schwab indicated that his vision for a prosperous Kansas and his family’s values of faith, family and service would continue to guide him,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article306503771.html" target="_blank">according to the Wichita Eagle</a>. In addition, the letter said he would work with the next representative to serve the district, and intended to remain “engaged in our community’s future.”A precinct election was scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 28 to nominate a person to serve the remainder of the conservative Republican’s term.“Anyone who wants to run for the seat is allowed to do so if they happen to be a resident of the district,” Whitmer said. “I know of at least two or three people who have expressed an interest.”The person selected to replace Penn would remain a representative-elect until sworn into office after Penn’s resignation was complete. That individual would be eligible to complete Penn’s current term in the House, which would end in January 2027.Penn, a former U.S. Army officer who deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, sought the House seat and defeated Rep. Michael Capps in the August 2020 primary. Capps was politically damaged by reports that he conspired with other Sedgwick County Republicans to damage the reputation of the Wichita mayor and engaged in a recorded conversation about how to conceal their involvement.Penn was a persistent advocate for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and sought passage of legislation that introduced firearm training to elementary students.He was combative with some statehouse reporters and provoked controversy this year by discussing on the House floor with Rep. Kyler Sweely, R-Hutchinson, the hypothetical idea of instigating an act of violence against former Democratic Rep. Jason Probst. Sweely defeated Probst by less than 300 votes in the 2024 election.

Kansas Republican state Rep. Patrick Penn of Wichita plans to quit House

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — As the “one big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill soon heads to the Senate, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is pushing to significantly expand the child tax credit beyond what House Republican tax writers offered.

Hawley, who’s getting a cool reception so far from the GOP colleagues steering tax policy, would claim it as a win for working families in a tax package that critics say is now tilted toward wealthy parents.

Hawley proposes to increase the child tax credit to $5,000 per child, way up from the $2,000 set in Republicans’ 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the temporary $2,500 approved Wednesday by a House panel.

Additionally, the senator is proposing that parents begin accruing the credit from the first dollar of income earned, meaning that the credit would phase in faster.

Hawley also wants the credit to kick in during pregnancy and to be distributed to families in installments throughout the year, rather than in one sum during tax season.

Under current law, parents only begin to earn the credit at a rate of 15 cents on every dollar of income once they exceed $2,500 in pay. The credit accrues one child at a time, rather than per child simultaneously.

“I think we need to give as much tax relief as we can to working people,” Hawley told States Newsroom Thursday,&nbsp; outside the Senate chamber.

For Hawley, expanding the child tax credit is about combating the “decline of the American family,” as he said on the Senate floor in January.

“There’s something fundamentally wrong with an economy where the working people, who power that economy, cannot afford to have children that they want,” Hawley said.

Reelected in 2024, Hawley has served in the Senate since 2019 — after defeating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill — and is a former Missouri attorney general considered to be strongly conservative.

‘30 proposals on the child tax credit’

Hawley, who is not a member of Senate Republican leadership and does not sit on the committee with tax jurisdiction, said he’s in communication with fellow senators about the proposal.

A spokesperson for Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said the leader of the tax writing committee is not currently commenting on any specific provisions under consideration.

“Senator Crapo continues to support the child tax credit and has always been open to modifications that provide additional tax relief to working families,” Mandi Critchfield, Crapo’s communications director, said in an emailed statement Thursday.

When asked about the prospects for Hawley’s proposal, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said there’s a lot of “dials and ideas” swirling around the child tax credit.

“There are about 30 proposals on the child tax credit right now, so I’m not going to pick any one of them because there are so many different options and things that can be tweaked out on that. I don’t want to see it slashed in half by letting everything expire,” Lankford told States Newsroom on Capitol Hill Thursday.

The child tax credit was $1,000 before the 2017 tax law, which expires at the end of the year.

A major priority for President Donald Trump is extending and expanding his 2017 tax law, the cost of which adds nearly $4 trillion to the nation’s deficit.

How to pay for the massive tax extension has been a heated debate among Republicans, who ultimately advanced a bill that cuts billions from Medicaid, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-panel-passes-gop-plan-cuts-medicaid-625b-adds-work-requirement" target="_blank">health care</a>&nbsp;program for low-income people and some Americans with disabilities. Hawley in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/opinion/josh-hawley-dont-cut-medicaid.html" target="_blank">a New York Times op-ed&nbsp;</a>on Monday called such cuts “morally wrong and politically suicidal.”

Republicans also have targeted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/states-hook-billions-under-us-house-gop-bill-making-them-help-pay-snap" target="_blank">food</a>&nbsp;programs for low-income people as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/no-tax-tips-child-tax-credit-and-business-tax-cuts-survive-big-house-gop-bill" target="_blank">clean energy and manufacturing</a>&nbsp;tax credits, all to offset the cost of keeping lower individual tax rates and business tax cuts.

In one concession to a demand for a more generous child tax credit, House Republican tax writers on Thursday advanced language that included a temporary $500 increase for it. The short-term hike to $2,500, up from $2,000, would last until 2028. Then the credit reverts back to $2,000.

The credit would still phase in at 15 cents on the dollar, one child at a time, for every dollar earned after $2,500 in income, as it does currently.

The bill also leaves intact a “refundability cap,” which limits how much parents can receive as a tax refund after they pay the federal taxes they owe. The cap was installed as part of the 2017 tax law.

Under a new requirement in the bill, each parent would have to have a Social Security number to access the credit, a change from only requiring Social Security numbers for children.

The tax bill, which will eventually be combined with 10 other funding bills to create the reconciliation package, has received criticism for not doing enough to help low-income families.

According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 20 million children in low-income families with a median income of roughly $23,000 will not be eligible for the full tax credit.

Kris Cox, director of federal tax policy at the left-leaning CBPP, wrote on social media Tuesday: “Think about who gets helped (and) who doesn’t. A married couple with 2 children earning $400,000 would have their<a href="https://bsky.app/hashtag/CTC" target="_blank">&nbsp;#CTC</a>&nbsp;go up by $1000. A single parent with two children who earns $24,000 as a child care worker would get nothing, $0, from this proposal.”

The current debate about the child tax credit comes after Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/2024/03/21/expanded-child-tax-credit-stranded-in-u-s-senate-by-gop-comparisons-to-welfare/" target="_blank">killed</a>&nbsp;a significantly more generous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/child-tax-credit-expanded-business-tax-breaks-get-new-life-bill-passed-us-house%C2%A0" target="_blank">bipartisan proposal</a>&nbsp;in 2024.

Under an agreement struck by Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, then chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chair of House Committee on Ways and Means, parents would have been able to receive the credit at a faster pace.

Among the provisions in the deal was an agreement to allow the credit to phase in per child simultaneously — so 15 cents on the dollar per child simultaneously.

In January 2024, 169 House Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202430?Page=2" target="_blank">voted</a>&nbsp;in favor of the bill. The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00230.htm" target="_blank">failed</a>&nbsp;on a procedural vote in the Senate. Hawley was one of three Republicans to vote in favor.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663850243179.png" alt="File photo Missouri Senator Josh Hawley -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>File photo Missouri Senator Josh Hawley -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>WASHINGTON — As the “one big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill soon heads to the Senate, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is pushing to significantly expand the child tax credit beyond what House Republican tax writers offered.Hawley, who’s getting a cool reception so far from the GOP colleagues steering tax policy, would claim it as a win for working families in a tax package that critics say is now tilted toward wealthy parents.Hawley proposes to increase the child tax credit to $5,000 per child, way up from the $2,000 set in Republicans’ 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the temporary $2,500 approved Wednesday by a House panel.Additionally, the senator is proposing that parents begin accruing the credit from the first dollar of income earned, meaning that the credit would phase in faster.Hawley also wants the credit to kick in during pregnancy and to be distributed to families in installments throughout the year, rather than in one sum during tax season.Under current law, parents only begin to earn the credit at a rate of 15 cents on every dollar of income once they exceed $2,500 in pay. The credit accrues one child at a time, rather than per child simultaneously.“I think we need to give as much tax relief as we can to working people,” Hawley told States Newsroom Thursday,&nbsp; outside the Senate chamber.For Hawley, expanding the child tax credit is about combating the “decline of the American family,” as he said on the Senate floor in January.“There’s something fundamentally wrong with an economy where the working people, who power that economy, cannot afford to have children that they want,” Hawley said.Reelected in 2024, Hawley has served in the Senate since 2019 — after defeating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill — and is a former Missouri attorney general considered to be strongly conservative.<h2>‘30 proposals on the child tax credit’</h2>Hawley, who is not a member of Senate Republican leadership and does not sit on the committee with tax jurisdiction, said he’s in communication with fellow senators about the proposal.A spokesperson for Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said the leader of the tax writing committee is not currently commenting on any specific provisions under consideration.“Senator Crapo continues to support the child tax credit and has always been open to modifications that provide additional tax relief to working families,” Mandi Critchfield, Crapo’s communications director, said in an emailed statement Thursday.When asked about the prospects for Hawley’s proposal, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said there’s a lot of “dials and ideas” swirling around the child tax credit.“There are about 30 proposals on the child tax credit right now, so I’m not going to pick any one of them because there are so many different options and things that can be tweaked out on that. I don’t want to see it slashed in half by letting everything expire,” Lankford told States Newsroom on Capitol Hill Thursday.The child tax credit was $1,000 before the 2017 tax law, which expires at the end of the year.<h2>Spending cuts paying for tax cuts</h2>A major priority for President Donald Trump is extending and expanding his 2017 tax law, the cost of which adds nearly $4 trillion to the nation’s deficit.How to pay for the massive tax extension has been a heated debate among Republicans, who ultimately advanced a bill that cuts billions from Medicaid, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-panel-passes-gop-plan-cuts-medicaid-625b-adds-work-requirement" target="_blank">health care</a>&nbsp;program for low-income people and some Americans with disabilities. Hawley in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/opinion/josh-hawley-dont-cut-medicaid.html" target="_blank">a New York Times op-ed&nbsp;</a>on Monday called such cuts “morally wrong and politically suicidal.”Republicans also have targeted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/states-hook-billions-under-us-house-gop-bill-making-them-help-pay-snap" target="_blank">food</a>&nbsp;programs for low-income people as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/no-tax-tips-child-tax-credit-and-business-tax-cuts-survive-big-house-gop-bill" target="_blank">clean energy and manufacturing</a>&nbsp;tax credits, all to offset the cost of keeping lower individual tax rates and business tax cuts.In one concession to a demand for a more generous child tax credit, House Republican tax writers on Thursday advanced language that included a temporary $500 increase for it. The short-term hike to $2,500, up from $2,000, would last until 2028. Then the credit reverts back to $2,000.The credit would still phase in at 15 cents on the dollar, one child at a time, for every dollar earned after $2,500 in income, as it does currently.The bill also leaves intact a “refundability cap,” which limits how much parents can receive as a tax refund after they pay the federal taxes they owe. The cap was installed as part of the 2017 tax law.Under a new requirement in the bill, each parent would have to have a Social Security number to access the credit, a change from only requiring Social Security numbers for children.The tax bill, which will eventually be combined with 10 other funding bills to create the reconciliation package, has received criticism for not doing enough to help low-income families.According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 20 million children in low-income families with a median income of roughly $23,000 will not be eligible for the full tax credit.Kris Cox, director of federal tax policy at the left-leaning CBPP, wrote on social media Tuesday: “Think about who gets helped (and) who doesn’t. A married couple with 2 children earning $400,000 would have their<a href="https://bsky.app/hashtag/CTC" target="_blank">&nbsp;#CTC</a>&nbsp;go up by $1000. A single parent with two children who earns $24,000 as a child care worker would get nothing, $0, from this proposal.”<h2>Earlier deal faltered</h2>The current debate about the child tax credit comes after Senate Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://marylandmatters.org/2024/03/21/expanded-child-tax-credit-stranded-in-u-s-senate-by-gop-comparisons-to-welfare/" target="_blank">killed</a>&nbsp;a significantly more generous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/child-tax-credit-expanded-business-tax-breaks-get-new-life-bill-passed-us-house%C2%A0" target="_blank">bipartisan proposal</a>&nbsp;in 2024.Under an agreement struck by Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, then chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chair of House Committee on Ways and Means, parents would have been able to receive the credit at a faster pace.Among the provisions in the deal was an agreement to allow the credit to phase in per child simultaneously — so 15 cents on the dollar per child simultaneously.In January 2024, 169 House Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202430?Page=2" target="_blank">voted</a>&nbsp;in favor of the bill. The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00230.htm" target="_blank">failed</a>&nbsp;on a procedural vote in the Senate. Hawley was one of three Republicans to vote in favor.&nbsp;

U.S. House GOP backed a child tax credit bump. Josh Hawley wants much more

GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for multiple burglaries including taking a child's bicycle.

Just after 7a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of Michaels Way in Junction City following reports of a suspicious subject wearing all black attempting to gain entry into vehicles.

 Upon arrival, officers made contact with the reporting parties and began canvassing the surrounding area. During the search, officers located an individual matching the description within the Hathorne Drive loop. When they attempted to detain the suspect, the individual began to physically resist. 

Deputies from the Geary County Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly after and assisted JCPD Officers in safely taking the subject into custody. The suspect was identified as Clayton Mayfield, a 21-year-old man from Junction City. 

Mayfield was arrested for three counts three counts of requested charges of Vehicle Burglary, one count of Obstruction, and one count of Criminal Damage to City Property. He is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Facility pending his first appearance.

As part of the ongoing investigation, officers have recovered and returned stolen property to four victims, including a girl whose bicycle was being used by the suspect at the time of his arrest.

Residents living between the Michaels Way loop and the Hathorne Drive loop who believe they may have been victims of overnight theft from their vehicles are encouraged to contact the Junction City Police Department at (785) 762-5912 to file a report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747391555806.png" alt="Mayfield photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Mayfield photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for multiple burglaries including taking a child's bicycle.Just after 7a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the area of Michaels Way in Junction City following reports of a suspicious subject wearing all black attempting to gain entry into vehicles. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the reporting parties and began canvassing the surrounding area. During the search, officers located an individual matching the description within the Hathorne Drive loop. When they attempted to detain the suspect, the individual began to physically resist. Deputies from the Geary County Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly after and assisted JCPD Officers in safely taking the subject into custody. The suspect was identified as Clayton Mayfield, a 21-year-old man from Junction City. Mayfield was arrested for three counts three counts of requested charges of Vehicle Burglary, one count of Obstruction, and one count of Criminal Damage to City Property. He is currently being held at the Geary County Detention Facility pending his first appearance.As part of the ongoing investigation, officers have recovered and returned stolen property to four victims, including a girl whose bicycle was being used by the suspect at the time of his arrest.Residents living between the Michaels Way loop and the Hathorne Drive loop who believe they may have been victims of overnight theft from their vehicles are encouraged to contact the Junction City Police Department at (785) 762-5912 to file a report.

Kan. burglary suspect caught riding child's stolen bicycle 

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly performed stunts in a vehicle and then fled police, resulting in a high-speed chase and crash Saturday night, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2618/najeracarlos---complaint-packet">Carlos Najera. 19, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of Aggravated Fleeing a Stop or Detention.&nbsp;

“Thanks to the work by the Kansas City Police Department, we were able to swiftly file charges in this case,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Stunts and sideshows are criminal activities and endanger other drivers and pedestrians. We will continue to take these incidents seriously and pursue charges to the fullest extent possible.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2619/najeracarlos---pc-statement--Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were attempting a traffic stop for ATVs near Southwest Boulevard and 31st Street on May 9. While the ATVs fled, a silver Infiniti sedan began doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection in front of officers. Officers observed the rear side passenger point a black handgun with a green laser attachment directly at them.&nbsp;

The Infiniti fled the scene, driving at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour on Interstate 35, crossing state lines into Kansas and then returning to Missouri. The chase ended at Southwest Trafficway and 31st Street where it collided with another vehicle. Multiple occupants exited the vehicle and attempted to run.

Najera was taken into custody and is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond. The two backseat passengers were identified as juveniles. &nbsp;

Officers recovered three firearms in the vehicle, including one with a green laser attachment.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746915068272.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas man has been charged after he allegedly performed stunts in a vehicle and then fled police, resulting in a high-speed chase and crash Saturday night, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2618/najeracarlos---complaint-packet">Carlos Najera. 19, faces</a>&nbsp;one count of Aggravated Fleeing a Stop or Detention.&nbsp;“Thanks to the work by the Kansas City Police Department, we were able to swiftly file charges in this case,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “Stunts and sideshows are criminal activities and endanger other drivers and pedestrians. We will continue to take these incidents seriously and pursue charges to the fullest extent possible.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747082899348.png" alt="Najera photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Najera photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2619/najeracarlos---pc-statement--Redacted">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were attempting a traffic stop for ATVs near Southwest Boulevard and 31st Street on May 9. While the ATVs fled, a silver Infiniti sedan began doing burnouts and donuts in the intersection in front of officers. Officers observed the rear side passenger point a black handgun with a green laser attachment directly at them.&nbsp;The Infiniti fled the scene, driving at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour on Interstate 35, crossing state lines into Kansas and then returning to Missouri. The chase ended at Southwest Trafficway and 31st Street where it collided with another vehicle. Multiple occupants exited the vehicle and attempted to run.Najera was taken into custody and is being held on a $100,000 cash only bond. The two backseat passengers were identified as juveniles. &nbsp;Officers recovered three firearms in the vehicle, including one with a green laser attachment.&nbsp;

Kan. teen driver performed dangerous stunts, fled police

Hundreds gathered at the Capitol to protest GOP lawmakers voting to repeal a new paid sick leave law and send an abortion ban back to the voters

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

When Missouri voters approved a ballot measure last November to provide paid sick leave to hundreds of thousands of workers, Andi Phillips felt hopeful.

Gone would be the “complicated math game,” that she says she knew well — weighing whether missing a shift’s pay meant she would still be able to afford things like a gallon of milk, the electricity bill, or laundry.&nbsp;

“I imagined a near future where I could work hard and make a living and be present for my family and my kids when they need me,” Phillips, a server in Springfield, said at a rally Thursday in front of the Missouri Capitol.&nbsp;

But now, she said, “because of politicians’ decision to undo the will of the people — the votes that we gathered — I will no longer have the ability to earn paid sick time and the relief of knowing that I have the choice between a paycheck and my family’s health.”

Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Capitol Thursday afternoon to protest the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">passage of two bills the day prior by GOP lawmakers</a>&nbsp;seeking to overturn initiatives approved by voters in November. One bill gutted Missouri’s paid sick leave law and the other will put an abortion ban back on the ballot.&nbsp;

“What happened yesterday is a travesty of what’s supposed to be democracy,” said Daniel Chura, organizer with Missouri Jobs with Justice, which helped lead the campaign for the paid sick leave law.&nbsp;

“When we look behind at this building, we know it’s not democracy that’s going on,” he added. “But when we see what’s gathered on these steps today, this is what democracy looks like.”&nbsp;

Attendees led chants of “this is what democracy looks like,” along with “we are the worker, the mighty, mighty worker.” They said it’s not the end of the fight for paid leave, and vowed to reject the abortion ban.

They held American flags and signs ranging from “Workers over billionaires” and “No forced pregnancies,” to “Missouri GOP: Gonna Override the People.”&nbsp;

Wednesday evening, Missouri Senate Republicans invoked a rarely-used rule to shut down a Democratic filibuster and repeal the paid sick leave law and put an abortion ban on the ballot with language that does not mention banning abortion.&nbsp;

The abortion amendment will appear on the November 2026 ballot, unless Gov. Mike Kehoe decides to hold a vote sooner.&nbsp;

The paid-sick leave benefits, which went&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/01/missouri-paid-sick-leave-law-now-in-effect-though-legislative-challenges-still-loom/">into effect on May 1</a>, will be stripped away on Aug. 28 if Kehoe signs the bill passed Wednesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB567&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;also removes the requirement that the minimum wage be indexed to inflation, which has been in place since 2007. The paid sick leave and minimum wage provisions passed with nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missourians-vote-to-increase-minimum-wage-require-paid-sick-leave/">58% of the vote in November</a>&nbsp;as Proposition A, garnering support from unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights groups, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/statement/Missouri2024" target="_blank">over 500 business owners.&nbsp;</a>

The measure made sick leave guaranteed for around 728,000 workers who lacked it statewide, or over 1 in 3 Missouri workers, according to an analysis from the progressive nonprofit the Missouri Budget Project.&nbsp;

In November, more than 1.6 million Missourians&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-proposition-a-raise-minimum-wage.html" target="_blank">voted “yes”</a>&nbsp;on the measure — more than the number&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-us-senate.html" target="_blank">who voted for U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley that election.</a>

Don Looney, a leader of UAW Local 2250, referred to the “unmitigated gall” of lawmakers telling voters “you didn’t understand what you were voting for” by overturning paid sick leave.

“Your Missouri legislature has gone rogue,” Looney said.&nbsp;

GOP critics&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/03/26/missouri-bill-to-overturn-voter-approved-paid-sick-leave-clears-senate-committee/">portrayed paid sick leave as a “job killer”</a>&nbsp;that would hurt small businesses, and as a “one-size-fits-all” mandate for businesses.&nbsp;

House Speaker Jon Patterson said in a press conference Thursday he agreed with paid sick leave in principle but not as it was laid out in Prop A.&nbsp;

“I want people that are sick to be able to stay home and not have to work,” Patterson said. “The way that it was done in Prop A it just was not workable. So I hope in the future what we see is something where employees are able to get their sick leave, but maybe not having mandates.”

Regarding the repeal of Prop A without input from the voters, Patterson said: “They do get to have their voice. They get to go out and vote for their elected representatives, and they come to Jefferson City and make decisions.”

Amendment 3, which rolled back Missouri’s abortion ban and opened the door for clinics to begin performing the procedure for the first time since 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">passed with 52% of the vote,</a>&nbsp;or over 1.5 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-amendment-3-right-to-abortion.html" target="_blank">votes</a>, in November.&nbsp;

The proposed ban that will now appear on the ballot seeks to repeal the constitutional right to an abortion but allow exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomalies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of gestation.&nbsp;

Abortion rights activists on Thursday led chants of “we’re not going back.”&nbsp;

“Voters have spoken,” said Mary Ann Perkins with Abortion Action Missouri. “No forced pregnancy.”&nbsp;

The proposed ban, if approved by a simple majority of voters, would reinstate several targeted regulations on abortion providers, or TRAP laws, that were recently struck down as unconstitutional by a Missouri judge.&nbsp;

It seeks to ban gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers for minors, something that is already illegal in Missouri.&nbsp;

“No politician has the right to dictate what goes on in the doctor’s office or in our private lives,” said Nancy O’Brien with Abortion Access Missouri.

Terrence Wise, a low-wage worker with Stand up KC and Missouri Workers Center, said when he saw the news about the Senate vote Wednesday, he thought about all the days he went to work sick, or brought his children to work sick with 100 degree fevers because he lacked paid leave.&nbsp;

He said the repeal could be “fatal,” with people coming into work instead of getting needed care.&nbsp;

“Despite this clear mandate from the people, corporate interests refused to listen,” he said.

Wise said Missourians in Democratic and Republican districts “voted for economic dignity and for working people…a clear message that no one should have to choose between their health and affording rent.”&nbsp;

Advocates said they’ll consider putting the issue on the ballot again as a constitutional amendment, a move that would make it much harder for lawmakers to repeal.

Ray Thomas, a union electrician and leader with Missouri Jobs with Justice, said in an interview with The Independent she was so “jubilant” when the ballot measure passed in November that she cried. It was a “relief” to, for the first time in her career, though she is nearing retirement, have time off when she or a family member is sick.&nbsp;

Thomas collected 2,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot last year and said talking to voters, she realized the issue transcended partisan divides — that it was about basic human rights.

Initially the news of yesterday’s repeal vote was “depleting” but she said now, it’s just “round two.”

“The battle’s back on,” Thomas said.

“I don’t care if I’m out there in a wheelchair, I don’t care. I’m gonna go collect signatures again. I’m not gonna lay down until we get what we deserve.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747347156138.png" alt="Protestors hold up signs criticizing Missouri lawmakers’ recent votes to overturn ballot measures passed in 2024 during a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Protestors hold up signs criticizing Missouri lawmakers’ recent votes to overturn ballot measures passed in 2024 during a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Hundreds gathered at the Capitol to protest GOP lawmakers voting to repeal a new paid sick leave law and send an abortion ban back to the voters</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>When Missouri voters approved a ballot measure last November to provide paid sick leave to hundreds of thousands of workers, Andi Phillips felt hopeful.Gone would be the “complicated math game,” that she says she knew well — weighing whether missing a shift’s pay meant she would still be able to afford things like a gallon of milk, the electricity bill, or laundry.&nbsp;“I imagined a near future where I could work hard and make a living and be present for my family and my kids when they need me,” Phillips, a server in Springfield, said at a rally Thursday in front of the Missouri Capitol.&nbsp;But now, she said, “because of politicians’ decision to undo the will of the people — the votes that we gathered — I will no longer have the ability to earn paid sick time and the relief of knowing that I have the choice between a paycheck and my family’s health.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747347129839.png" alt=" Andi Phillips, a leader with Missouri Jobs for Justice, speaks at a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Andi Phillips, a leader with Missouri Jobs for Justice, speaks at a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Hundreds gathered on the steps of the Capitol Thursday afternoon to protest the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">passage of two bills the day prior by GOP lawmakers</a>&nbsp;seeking to overturn initiatives approved by voters in November. One bill gutted Missouri’s paid sick leave law and the other will put an abortion ban back on the ballot.&nbsp;“What happened yesterday is a travesty of what’s supposed to be democracy,” said Daniel Chura, organizer with Missouri Jobs with Justice, which helped lead the campaign for the paid sick leave law.&nbsp;“When we look behind at this building, we know it’s not democracy that’s going on,” he added. “But when we see what’s gathered on these steps today, this is what democracy looks like.”&nbsp;Attendees led chants of “this is what democracy looks like,” along with “we are the worker, the mighty, mighty worker.” They said it’s not the end of the fight for paid leave, and vowed to reject the abortion ban.They held American flags and signs ranging from “Workers over billionaires” and “No forced pregnancies,” to “Missouri GOP: Gonna Override the People.”&nbsp;<h2>‘Unmitigated gall’&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Wednesday evening, Missouri Senate Republicans invoked a rarely-used rule to shut down a Democratic filibuster and repeal the paid sick leave law and put an abortion ban on the ballot with language that does not mention banning abortion.&nbsp;The abortion amendment will appear on the November 2026 ballot, unless Gov. Mike Kehoe decides to hold a vote sooner.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747347084737.png" alt=" Don Looney, a leader with UAW Local 2250, speaks at a rally protesting lawmakers’ decision to repeal mandatory paid sick leave for workers (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Don Looney, a leader with UAW Local 2250, speaks at a rally protesting lawmakers’ decision to repeal mandatory paid sick leave for workers (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The paid-sick leave benefits, which went&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/01/missouri-paid-sick-leave-law-now-in-effect-though-legislative-challenges-still-loom/">into effect on May 1</a>, will be stripped away on Aug. 28 if Kehoe signs the bill passed Wednesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;That&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB567&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;also removes the requirement that the minimum wage be indexed to inflation, which has been in place since 2007. The paid sick leave and minimum wage provisions passed with nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missourians-vote-to-increase-minimum-wage-require-paid-sick-leave/">58% of the vote in November</a>&nbsp;as Proposition A, garnering support from unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights groups, as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/statement/Missouri2024" target="_blank">over 500 business owners.&nbsp;</a>The measure made sick leave guaranteed for around 728,000 workers who lacked it statewide, or over 1 in 3 Missouri workers, according to an analysis from the progressive nonprofit the Missouri Budget Project.&nbsp;In November, more than 1.6 million Missourians&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-proposition-a-raise-minimum-wage.html" target="_blank">voted “yes”</a>&nbsp;on the measure — more than the number&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-us-senate.html" target="_blank">who voted for U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley that election.</a>Don Looney, a leader of UAW Local 2250, referred to the “unmitigated gall” of lawmakers telling voters “you didn’t understand what you were voting for” by overturning paid sick leave.“Your Missouri legislature has gone rogue,” Looney said.&nbsp;GOP critics&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/03/26/missouri-bill-to-overturn-voter-approved-paid-sick-leave-clears-senate-committee/">portrayed paid sick leave as a “job killer”</a>&nbsp;that would hurt small businesses, and as a “one-size-fits-all” mandate for businesses.&nbsp;House Speaker Jon Patterson said in a press conference Thursday he agreed with paid sick leave in principle but not as it was laid out in Prop A.&nbsp;“I want people that are sick to be able to stay home and not have to work,” Patterson said. “The way that it was done in Prop A it just was not workable. So I hope in the future what we see is something where employees are able to get their sick leave, but maybe not having mandates.”Regarding the repeal of Prop A without input from the voters, Patterson said: “They do get to have their voice. They get to go out and vote for their elected representatives, and they come to Jefferson City and make decisions.”<h2>‘We’ll win again’&nbsp;</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747347041920.png" alt=" Jen Kruse, from Tipton, holds up a sign in protest of the Missouri State Legislature’s decision to pass legislation to overturn voters’ recent ballot measures. “I wish reason would take over,” she told The Independent. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Jen Kruse, from Tipton, holds up a sign in protest of the Missouri State Legislature’s decision to pass legislation to overturn voters’ recent ballot measures. “I wish reason would take over,” she told The Independent. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Amendment 3, which rolled back Missouri’s abortion ban and opened the door for clinics to begin performing the procedure for the first time since 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">passed with 52% of the vote,</a>&nbsp;or over 1.5 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/05/us/elections/results-missouri-amendment-3-right-to-abortion.html" target="_blank">votes</a>, in November.&nbsp;The proposed ban that will now appear on the ballot seeks to repeal the constitutional right to an abortion but allow exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomalies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of gestation.&nbsp;Abortion rights activists on Thursday led chants of “we’re not going back.”&nbsp;“Voters have spoken,” said Mary Ann Perkins with Abortion Action Missouri. “No forced pregnancy.”&nbsp;The proposed ban, if approved by a simple majority of voters, would reinstate several targeted regulations on abortion providers, or TRAP laws, that were recently struck down as unconstitutional by a Missouri judge.&nbsp;It seeks to ban gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers for minors, something that is already illegal in Missouri.&nbsp;“No politician has the right to dictate what goes on in the doctor’s office or in our private lives,” said Nancy O’Brien with Abortion Access Missouri.<h2>Battle continues</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747347005375.png" alt=" West Humbert and Deon Henderson, leaders with Stand Up KC and Missouri Workers Center, lead chants to kick off a rally protesting recent actions by state lawmakers Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> West Humbert and Deon Henderson, leaders with Stand Up KC and Missouri Workers Center, lead chants to kick off a rally protesting recent actions by state lawmakers Thursday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>Terrence Wise, a low-wage worker with Stand up KC and Missouri Workers Center, said when he saw the news about the Senate vote Wednesday, he thought about all the days he went to work sick, or brought his children to work sick with 100 degree fevers because he lacked paid leave.&nbsp;He said the repeal could be “fatal,” with people coming into work instead of getting needed care.&nbsp;“Despite this clear mandate from the people, corporate interests refused to listen,” he said.Wise said Missourians in Democratic and Republican districts “voted for economic dignity and for working people…a clear message that no one should have to choose between their health and affording rent.”&nbsp;Advocates said they’ll consider putting the issue on the ballot again as a constitutional amendment, a move that would make it much harder for lawmakers to repeal.Ray Thomas, a union electrician and leader with Missouri Jobs with Justice, said in an interview with The Independent she was so “jubilant” when the ballot measure passed in November that she cried. It was a “relief” to, for the first time in her career, though she is nearing retirement, have time off when she or a family member is sick.&nbsp;Thomas collected 2,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot last year and said talking to voters, she realized the issue transcended partisan divides — that it was about basic human rights.Initially the news of yesterday’s repeal vote was “depleting” but she said now, it’s just “round two.”“The battle’s back on,” Thomas said.“I don’t care if I’m out there in a wheelchair, I don’t care. I’m gonna go collect signatures again. I’m not gonna lay down until we get what we deserve.”&nbsp;

Missouri Capitol rally vows to fight for paid sick leave, defeat abortion ban

KANSAS CITY— Two firefighters avoided serious injuries while fighting a blaze at a townhome.

Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 1600 block of Brooklyn in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a vacant two-story townhome on arrival. During the search of the building, a firefighter fell through the floor and a "Mayday" call was put out. 

The firefighter was quickly found and escorted out of the structure. The firefighter was evaluated on scene. No transport was necessary.&nbsp; A second firefighter unrelated to the mayday was transported for evaluation for a minor injury, according to Hopkins.

Authorities have not released the cause of the fire or additional details.

KANSAS CITY— Two firefighters avoided serious injuries while fighting a blaze at a townhome.Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday, crews responded to a reported apartment fire in the 1600 block of Brooklyn in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;Crews reported smoke and fire showing from a vacant two-story townhome on arrival. During the search of the building, a firefighter fell through the floor and a "Mayday" call was put out. The firefighter was quickly found and escorted out of the structure. The firefighter was evaluated on scene. No transport was necessary.&nbsp; A second firefighter unrelated to the mayday was transported for evaluation for a minor injury, according to Hopkins.Authorities have not released the cause of the fire or additional details.

Firefighter safe after Mayday call during KC townhome fire

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri identified the victim as 17-year-old Matim Nunley, according to KCPD Captain Jacob Becchina.

Just after 2p.m. May 10, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store.

There they located a victim identified Thursday morning as Nunley  suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported Nunley to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and Nunley being struck. Police have reported an arrest or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746924246378.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a homicide in Kansas City, Missouri identified the victim as 17-year-old Matim Nunley, according to KCPD Captain Jacob Becchina.Just after 2p.m. May 10, police were dispatched to the 8400 block of East 63rd street on a reported shooting, according to Sergeant Phil DiMartino. As officers arrived they were directed to the parking lot of a convenience store.There they located a victim identified Thursday morning as Nunley suffering from gun shot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS to the scene. Medics transported Nunley to a local hospital where he died a short time later.&nbsp; Preliminary investigation revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and Nunley being struck. Police have reported an arrest or additional details.

KCPD: Homicide victim found in store parking lot was 17-year-old

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747318447152.png" alt="Protests outside the Supreme Court Thursday morning -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protests outside the Supreme Court Thursday morning -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">LIVE --&gt; U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument on Birthright Citizenship <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCOTUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCOTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/y1i1CCbn8j">https://t.co/y1i1CCbn8j</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1923009339616354559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎧 Supreme Court debates Trump's Efforts to Limit Birthright Citizenship

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Legal action follows attorney general’s suit against online porn company

TOPEKA — A bundle of federal lawsuits in Kansas have been filed on behalf of a 14-year-old Olathe resident alleging owners of online businesses violated a state law mandating steps be taken to prevent minors from accessing pornography lacking scientific, artistic or political value.

The law center of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., collaborated with a Hutchinson law firm to file suit on behalf of minor Q.R. and his mother Jane Doe against jerkmate.com, Techpump Solutions’ superporn.com, Titan Websites and chaturbate.com.

In each instance, the lawsuits allege, a company failed to comply with a state law that took effect July 1, 2024, requiring deployment of age verification systems on pornography websites to block consumers under the age of 18.

The court documents asserted Q.R. used one of his mother’s old laptops to access internet pornography from the four companies more than 170 times from August to October 2024.

“Kansas law requires&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,” said Dani Pinter, director of the legal division of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

In January, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/14/kobach-files-lawsuit-against-online-company-for-failing-to-shield-minors-from-pornography/">Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Shawnee County District Court against Seattle-based SARJ LLC, which distributed pornography on more than a dozen websites and was purportedly owned by individuals who controlled jerkmate.com.

Kobach asserted in the state court filing that SARJ didn’t make use of age-gating technology that would “protect Kansas children from the negative health consequences that stem from unfettered access to pornography.”

The federal lawsuits filed by Joshua Ruhlmann, a Hutchinson attorney, claimed the website content accessed by Q.R. was harmful because it had a tendency to appeal to a minor’s prurient interest in sex, was offensive to prevailing standards with respect to what was suitable for minors and lacked serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for a viewer under age 18.

Specifically, one of the federal lawsuits alleged at least one-fourth of jerkmate.com’s webpages viewed during a calendar month included “material containing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and/or sadomasochistic abuse.”

That court filing said minors who visited the website were asked to click an “I AGREE” button, which ostensibly verified the user was over the age of 18. That site warned users the company’s content was restricted to consumers reached the age majority in the jurisdiction in which they resided.

“Despite expressly aiming their websites at Kansas citizens, defendants have failed to ensure that jerkmate.com and/or jerkmatelive.com comply with Kansas law which requires pornographic websites to employ age verification measures,” the suit said.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, previously known as Morality in Media, has lobbied against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, decriminalization of sex work, comprehensive sex education and works of art that could be viewed as obscene.

Pinter said the family serving as plaintiffs in the organization’s lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Kansas “deserves every measure of justice.”

“It is unreasonably dangerous for these&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,” she said.

In April 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly allowed the age-verification bill to become law without her signature. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and 92-31 by the House. Kelly said the pornography statute could “end up infringing on constitutional rights” of Kansans and inspire lawsuits against the state.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747313836715.png" alt=" Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit earlier this year against an internet pornography company that failed to adhere to a state law requiring deployment of age-verification systems to prevent anyone younger than 18 to access content. An anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., more recently filed four federal lawsuits in Kansas comparable to action taken by the state attorney general. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit earlier this year against an internet pornography company that failed to adhere to a state law requiring deployment of age-verification systems to prevent anyone younger than 18 to access content. An anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., more recently filed four federal lawsuits in Kansas comparable to action taken by the state attorney general. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Legal action follows attorney general’s suit against online porn company</h2>TOPEKA — A bundle of federal lawsuits in Kansas have been filed on behalf of a 14-year-old Olathe resident alleging owners of online businesses violated a state law mandating steps be taken to prevent minors from accessing pornography lacking scientific, artistic or political value.The law center of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a conservative anti-pornography organization in Washington, D.C., collaborated with a Hutchinson law firm to file suit on behalf of minor Q.R. and his mother Jane Doe against jerkmate.com, Techpump Solutions’ superporn.com, Titan Websites and chaturbate.com.In each instance, the lawsuits allege, a company failed to comply with a state law that took effect July 1, 2024, requiring deployment of age verification systems on pornography websites to block consumers under the age of 18.The court documents asserted Q.R. used one of his mother’s old laptops to access internet pornography from the four companies more than 170 times from August to October 2024.“Kansas law requires&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;companies to implement reasonable age verification methods, and the companies named in these lawsuits failed to do so,” said Dani Pinter, director of the legal division of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.In January, Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/14/kobach-files-lawsuit-against-online-company-for-failing-to-shield-minors-from-pornography/">Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit</a>&nbsp;in Shawnee County District Court against Seattle-based SARJ LLC, which distributed pornography on more than a dozen websites and was purportedly owned by individuals who controlled jerkmate.com.Kobach asserted in the state court filing that SARJ didn’t make use of age-gating technology that would “protect Kansas children from the negative health consequences that stem from unfettered access to pornography.”The federal lawsuits filed by Joshua Ruhlmann, a Hutchinson attorney, claimed the website content accessed by Q.R. was harmful because it had a tendency to appeal to a minor’s prurient interest in sex, was offensive to prevailing standards with respect to what was suitable for minors and lacked serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for a viewer under age 18.Specifically, one of the federal lawsuits alleged at least one-fourth of jerkmate.com’s webpages viewed during a calendar month included “material containing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and/or sadomasochistic abuse.”That court filing said minors who visited the website were asked to click an “I AGREE” button, which ostensibly verified the user was over the age of 18. That site warned users the company’s content was restricted to consumers reached the age majority in the jurisdiction in which they resided.“Despite expressly aiming their websites at Kansas citizens, defendants have failed to ensure that jerkmate.com and/or jerkmatelive.com comply with Kansas law which requires pornographic websites to employ age verification measures,” the suit said.The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, previously known as Morality in Media, has lobbied against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, decriminalization of sex work, comprehensive sex education and works of art that could be viewed as obscene.Pinter said the family serving as plaintiffs in the organization’s lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Kansas “deserves every measure of justice.”“It is unreasonably dangerous for these&nbsp;pornography&nbsp;websites to provide this product which they know is harmful to children, that children are drawn to access, and do access, without employing age verification as required by Kansas law,” she said.In April 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly allowed the age-verification bill to become law without her signature. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and 92-31 by the House. Kelly said the pornography statute could “end up infringing on constitutional rights” of Kansans and inspire lawsuits against the state.

Anti-porn center files 4 Kan. lawsuits alleging violation of state’s age-verification law

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> arrives at Al Udeid Air Force Base to speak to U.S. and Qatari Troops! 🇺🇸🇶🇦 <a href="https://t.co/G6P9IeNdIW">pic.twitter.com/G6P9IeNdIW</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922956624743760238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The American People never forget that our servicemembers and their families make incredible sacrifices each and every day, so that all Americans can be safe and be free. We love our amazing Military Families.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SzJUfpvVBd">pic.twitter.com/SzJUfpvVBd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922961348217950355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We love and respect you. What you are doing, the service you do for your country... there is no more important profession, and I was so proud to see those reports coming in just a few days ago saying that the enrollment is at the highest level ever.&quot; ❤️🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/VCWYvGfi3A">pic.twitter.com/VCWYvGfi3A</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922963249458212865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">President Trump arrives at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar… <a href="https://t.co/cu8sGjegzJ">pic.twitter.com/cu8sGjegzJ</a>&mdash; Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1922964416972140632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Trump visits main U.S. military base in Middle East

CASS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Cass County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Avalanche driven by a 16-year-old Raymore boy was southbound on School Road toward&nbsp;Raymore-Peculiar High School.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chevy crossed the center of the road and struck&nbsp; a Mack GU713 dump truck head-on. After impact, the&nbsp;Chevrolet skidded off the left side of the road and struck a fence. The Mack Truck came to a rest blocking the northbound lane of School Road.

South Metro Fire and EMS transported the 60-year-old Shawnee, Kansas truck driver to Belton Regional Hospital. The teen was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CASS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Cass County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Avalanche driven by a 16-year-old Raymore boy was southbound on School Road toward&nbsp;Raymore-Peculiar High School.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chevy crossed the center of the road and struck&nbsp; a Mack GU713 dump truck head-on. After impact, the&nbsp;Chevrolet skidded off the left side of the road and struck a fence. The Mack Truck came to a rest blocking the northbound lane of School Road.South Metro Fire and EMS transported the 60-year-old Shawnee, Kansas truck driver to Belton Regional Hospital. The teen was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. teen driver involved in head-on crash with dump truck 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a bank robbery suspect who died during a police pursuit on Tuesday have released additional details on crimes he is alleged to have committed.&nbsp;

 Just before 9a.m. on Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call of a disturbance near Se 27th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka spokesperson Dan Garrett. 

Police arrived in the area to find a woman later&nbsp;identified as 40-year-old Kathleen Hayes of Topeka deceased.

Through the investigation, the suspect in the homicide was identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall Jr. of Topeka.&nbsp; He was the bank robbery suspect&nbsp;involved in a pursuit with the Kansas Highway Patrol on Tuesday. The pursuit ended in Saline County with emergency medical services being requested for a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Marshall died of his injuries.&nbsp; Marshall and and Hayes were known to each other, according to police.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747257170460.png" alt="Marshall photo from an arrest in Topeka on March 11 on requested charges of drug possession, driving while suspended and for no registration, according to online jail records." />
 <figcaption>Marshall photo from an arrest in Topeka on March 11 on requested charges of drug possession, driving while suspended and for no registration, according to online jail records.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a bank robbery suspect who died during a police pursuit on Tuesday have released additional details on crimes he is alleged to have committed.&nbsp; Just before 9a.m. on Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call of a disturbance near Se 27th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka spokesperson Dan Garrett. Police arrived in the area to find a woman later&nbsp;identified as 40-year-old Kathleen Hayes of Topeka deceased.Through the investigation, the suspect in the homicide was identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall Jr. of Topeka.&nbsp; He was the bank robbery suspect&nbsp;involved in a pursuit with the Kansas Highway Patrol on Tuesday. The pursuit ended in Saline County with emergency medical services being requested for a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Marshall died of his injuries.&nbsp; Marshall and and Hayes were known to each other, according to police.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Bank robbery suspect accused of killing Kansas woman

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after an incident&nbsp; in the parking lot of the sheriff's office.

Just after 10:30p.m. May 12, a&nbsp;Jackson County Deputy Sheriff arrested 60-year-old Colette McKinnon, of Topeka in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

McKinnon was in the company of another person who was turning themselves in on an outstanding warrant.

 McKinnon was placed under arrest on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and booked into the Jackson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747152825707.png" alt="McKinnon photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>McKinnon photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after an incident&nbsp; in the parking lot of the sheriff's office.Just after 10:30p.m. May 12, a&nbsp;Jackson County Deputy Sheriff arrested 60-year-old Colette McKinnon, of Topeka in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.McKinnon was in the company of another person who was turning themselves in on an outstanding warrant. McKinnon was placed under arrest on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and booked into the Jackson County Jail.

Kan. woman caught with meth in sheriff's office parking lot

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is seeking assistance from the public to identify witnesses involving a shooting that occurred at approximately 4:05 pm on May 11, according to a media release from the agency.

This shooting occurred on southbound Interstate 35 in the area of 18th Street and Lamar Avenue in Wyandotte County. One victim was struck by a bullet and transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

If anyone has information regarding witnesses or knowledge of this shooting, please contact Kansas Highway Patrol Communications at&nbsp;<a href="tel: 7858273701">785-827-3701</a>.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is seeking assistance from the public to identify witnesses involving a shooting that occurred at approximately 4:05 pm on May 11, according to a media release from the agency.This shooting occurred on southbound Interstate 35 in the area of 18th Street and Lamar Avenue in Wyandotte County. One victim was struck by a bullet and transported to a local hospital in stable condition.If anyone has information regarding witnesses or knowledge of this shooting, please contact Kansas Highway Patrol Communications at&nbsp;<a href="tel: 7858273701">785-827-3701</a>.

KHP seeks witnesses to highway shooting that hospitalized victim

KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating the fifth homicide in Kansas City, Missouri over the past week.

Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a shooting call at 37th and Pennsylvania, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Callers reported hearing the sound of gunfire and looked out and saw a person down in the street.&nbsp; First responders found a shooting victim later identified as 20-year-old Layla A. Freemanin the street unresponsive. Officers rendered aid and summoned EMS to the scene for treatment. EMS declared the victim deceased at the scene.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and are canvassing for witnesses and any additional evidence. Preliminary investigation indicates that Freeman was at the location when she had an interaction with one or more suspects that led to gunfire and she was struck.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747228200281.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police are investigating the fifth homicide in Kansas City, Missouri over the past week.Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to a shooting call at 37th and Pennsylvania, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Callers reported hearing the sound of gunfire and looked out and saw a person down in the street.&nbsp; First responders found a shooting victim later identified as 20-year-old Layla A. Freemanin the street unresponsive. Officers rendered aid and summoned EMS to the scene for treatment. EMS declared the victim deceased at the scene.Homicide detectives responded to the scene and are canvassing for witnesses and any additional evidence. Preliminary investigation indicates that Freeman was at the location when she had an interaction with one or more suspects that led to gunfire and she was struck.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

KCPD: Woman homicide victim found in the street

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HawleyMO</a>: &quot;You haven&#39;t changed a lick. We&#39;ve got your word against everybody else&#39;s. Why should we believe you?&quot; Allstate Executive VP Mike Fiato: &quot;Because, I&#39;m telling the truth.&quot; Hawley: &quot;You&#39;re asking us to look at all the evidence and don&#39;t believe our lying eyes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VtBdeibfD2">pic.twitter.com/VtBdeibfD2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1922460839602221195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Its policyholders&#39; worst day is Allstate&#39;s pay day: Its CEO is making $26 MILLION a year, but the insurance company can&#39;t pay customers their claims. Make that make sense. <a href="https://t.co/ZfgmWLWUFQ">pic.twitter.com/ZfgmWLWUFQ</a>&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1922391266689478834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">An Allstate whistleblower just told Senator Hawley how the insurance company is actively retaliating against him: &quot;[Allstate&#39;s] cutting me off. It&#39;s eliminating me, guaranteed.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/IrxUn1bFJd">pic.twitter.com/IrxUn1bFJd</a>&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1922384122590212529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH: Hawley Questions Allstate Whistleblower Who Alleges Company Deliberately Lowballs Policyholders <a href="https://t.co/uAQ37MnGn5">pic.twitter.com/uAQ37MnGn5</a>&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1922378813414969721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Testimony from a homeowner sharing her insurance nightmare: &quot;We are homeowners—not lawyers, not engineers, not insurance experts. We&#39;ve been Allstate customers for 6 years . . . We have paid our bills on time and in full. But when we needed Allstate the most, they failed us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/T9zd2B01ZU">pic.twitter.com/T9zd2B01ZU</a>&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1922371656703463909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Mo. U.S. Senator grills insurance executives about cutting disaster payouts

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">NB US 65. In a construction zone. Trooper released a violator and was finishing paperwork on shoulder when the patrol vehicle was struck from the rear. The Trooper was uninjured. Be patient folks. Drive the posted speed limit. Increase following distance. <a href="https://t.co/wT1t89nDLk">pic.twitter.com/wT1t89nDLk</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop D (@MSHPTrooperD) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperD/status/1922413064529264768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

MSHP Trooper's vehicle rear-ended in construction zone

According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi Arabia to encourage peace and prosperity in Syria. The Crown Prince also commended President Trump for his decision to lift the sanctions, calling it courageous. President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship, and told President Al-Sharaa that he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country. President Trump encouraged President Al-Sharaa to do a great job for the Syrian people, and urged him to:

1. Sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel 

2. Tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria 

4. Help the United States to prevent the resurgence of ISIS 

5. Assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria

President Al-Sharaa thanked President Trump, the Crown Prince, and President Erdogan for their efforts to put together the meeting, and recognized the significant opportunity presented by the Iranians leaving Syria, as well as shared U.S.-Syrian interests in countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons. President Al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to the 1974 disengagement with Israel. President Al-Sharaa concluded with his hope that Syria would serve as a critical link in facilitating trade between east and west, and invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas.

The Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza was also discussed.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi… <a href="https://t.co/0yhyZbQ1o0">pic.twitter.com/0yhyZbQ1o0</a>&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1922567846317392240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi Arabia to encourage peace and prosperity in Syria. The Crown Prince also commended President Trump for his decision to lift the sanctions, calling it courageous. President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship, and told President Al-Sharaa that he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country. President Trump encouraged President Al-Sharaa to do a great job for the Syrian people, and urged him to:1. Sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel 2. Tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria 3. Deport Palestinian terrorists 4. Help the United States to prevent the resurgence of ISIS 5. Assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast SyriaPresident Al-Sharaa thanked President Trump, the Crown Prince, and President Erdogan for their efforts to put together the meeting, and recognized the significant opportunity presented by the Iranians leaving Syria, as well as shared U.S.-Syrian interests in countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons. President Al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to the 1974 disengagement with Israel. President Al-Sharaa concluded with his hope that Syria would serve as a critical link in facilitating trade between east and west, and invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas.The Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza was also discussed.

Trump meets Syrian president, urges him to establish ties with Israel

KANSAS CITY —On person died in an accident just after 8a.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

A red/black Honda CVR600F motorcycle was eastbound on Interstate 70 onto the exit ramp for Beardsley Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

The motorcyclist failed to negotiate the curve of the exit ramp. The vehicle&nbsp; struck the concrete bridge rail. The motorcyclist was ejected off the motorcycle and off the bridge, landing on the railroad tracks below. 

The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #24 compared to #39 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747172375142.png" alt="First responders near the crash scene -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>First responders near the crash scene -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —On person died in an accident just after 8a.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.A red/black Honda CVR600F motorcycle was eastbound on Interstate 70 onto the exit ramp for Beardsley Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.The motorcyclist failed to negotiate the curve of the exit ramp. The vehicle&nbsp; struck the concrete bridge rail. The motorcyclist was ejected off the motorcycle and off the bridge, landing on the railroad tracks below. The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene. This is fatality #24 compared to #39 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

Motorcyclist dead after I-70 crash, fall onto railroad tracks

SALINE COUNTY —Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers assisted local authorities in Marion County with a pursuit involving a bank robbery suspect from the Topeka area, according to a media release from the KHP.

Troopers attempted to stop the suspect while traveling northbound on I-135 in McPherson County. Troopers successfully deployed stop sticks deflating both driver’s side tires on the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect exited Interstate 135 onto Kansas 4, lost control of their vehicle, and drove into the ditch. 

Emergency medical services were requested for the suspect due to a self-inflicted gunshot injury. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Salina Regional Health Center. While at the hospital, the suspect identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall, Jr. succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

&nbsp;Marshall, Jr. been charged in a federal criminal complaint with an alleged Bank Robbery that occurred on May 12,&nbsp; at the Equity Bank located at 3825 SW 29th Street in Topeka.

The Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, McPherson County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Police Department, Lindsborg Police Department, Salina Police Department, and McPherson Police Department assisted in the pursuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747158037978.jpeg" alt="Law enforcement on the scene Tuesday in Saline County-photo Salina Post" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene Tuesday in Saline County-photo Salina Post</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers assisted local authorities in Marion County with a pursuit involving a bank robbery suspect from the Topeka area, according to a media release from the KHP.Troopers attempted to stop the suspect while traveling northbound on I-135 in McPherson County. Troopers successfully deployed stop sticks deflating both driver’s side tires on the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect exited Interstate 135 onto Kansas 4, lost control of their vehicle, and drove into the ditch. Emergency medical services were requested for the suspect due to a self-inflicted gunshot injury. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Salina Regional Health Center. While at the hospital, the suspect identified as 47-year-old Anthony Marshall, Jr. succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Marshall, Jr. been charged in a federal criminal complaint with an alleged Bank Robbery that occurred on May 12,&nbsp; at the Equity Bank located at 3825 SW 29th Street in Topeka.The Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, McPherson County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Police Department, Lindsborg Police Department, Salina Police Department, and McPherson Police Department assisted in the pursuit.

KHP: Kan. bank robbery suspect dies after 3 county pursuit

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On May 8,&nbsp;Skyler Breann Sledd, 25, of Belton, Missouri was reported to have allegedly fled from the Jackson County District Court and had a warrant for her arrest, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies located her near U.S. Highway 75 and 110th&nbsp; Road in a 2007 Buick Lacrosse.&nbsp; Deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, near 102nd Road where Sledd was taken into custody. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs and narcotics.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747008472005.png" alt="Sledd photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Sledd photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On May 8,&nbsp;Skyler Breann Sledd, 25, of Belton, Missouri was reported to have allegedly fled from the Jackson County District Court and had a warrant for her arrest, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies located her near U.S. Highway 75 and 110th&nbsp; Road in a 2007 Buick Lacrosse.&nbsp; Deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, near 102nd Road where Sledd was taken into custody. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs and narcotics.Sledd was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of fentanyl possession, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while revoked and driving with expired registration .