MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Contract talks between Deere &amp; Co. and its 10,000 striking workers have resumed, but it wasn't immediately clear how far apart the two sides remained Monday.

Both the Moline,&nbsp;Illinois-based company and the United Auto Workers union confirmed that talks had resumed.

The strike began last Thursday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.

Deere spokeswoman Jen Hartmann said the company remains “committed to the collective bargaining process and resolving the strike.”

The last major strike at the maker of agricultural and construction equipment came in 1986. This year's strike comes as companies are dealing with worker shortages. Deere had predicted it would report record profits this year between $5.7 billion and $5.9 billion on strong sales.

The contracts under negotiation cover 14 Deere plants, including seven in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/iowa">Iowa</a>, four in Illinois and one each in&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began last Thursday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began last Thursday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Contract talks between Deere &amp; Co. and its 10,000 striking workers have resumed, but it wasn't immediately clear how far apart the two sides remained Monday.Both the Moline,&nbsp;Illinois-based company and the United Auto Workers union confirmed that talks had resumed.The strike began last Thursday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.Deere spokeswoman Jen Hartmann said the company remains “committed to the collective bargaining process and resolving the strike.”The last major strike at the maker of agricultural and construction equipment came in 1986. This year's strike comes as companies are dealing with worker shortages. Deere had predicted it would report record profits this year between $5.7 billion and $5.9 billion on strong sales.The contracts under negotiation cover 14 Deere plants, including seven in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/iowa">Iowa</a>, four in Illinois and one each in&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia.

Contract talks resume between Deere and its striking workers

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A suspect in a shooting death in Lawrence has been transferred back to&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;after being arrested in&nbsp;Tennessee.

Andrel Darnell Spats Jr., 19, was arrested Oct. 6 in Three Way, Tennessee. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Sunday evening and is being held on $1 million bond while awaiting formal charges.

He is the second suspect in the death of 21-year-old Christian Willis in central Lawrence on Sept. 8.

Javier Romero, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633554885919.png" alt="Spates after his arrest by U.S. Marshals in Madison County, Tennessee" />
 <figcaption>Spates after his arrest by U.S. Marshals in Madison County, Tennessee</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A suspect in a shooting death in Lawrence has been transferred back to&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;after being arrested in&nbsp;Tennessee.Andrel Darnell Spats Jr., 19, was arrested Oct. 6 in Three Way, Tennessee. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Sunday evening and is being held on $1 million bond while awaiting formal charges.He is the second suspect in the death of 21-year-old Christian Willis in central Lawrence on Sept. 8.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631932120397.png" alt="Romero photo Douglas Co." />
 <figcaption>Romero photo Douglas Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Javier Romero, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Shooting suspect captured in Tennessee is back in Kan. jail

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;identified 21-year-old Desabian Williams as the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in the 600 block of South Eastern in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Shortly before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 600 block of South Eastern. Multiple calling parties reported hearing gunshots at an apartment complex at the location, and witnesses reported potentially multiple victims.

When officers arrived, they located Williams inside one of the apartment buildings. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An extensive crime scene was discovered, containing multiple firearms and numerous evidentiary items, according to Macy.

Witnesses reported seeing additional victims leaving the scene. Shortly after the initial call, another 911 call was made from a restaurant in the 100 block of South Rock Road. One of the victims from the shooting on Eastern was located at that location and transported to an area hospital by EMS. Another victim later arrived at the hospital via private vehicle.

Two adult male victims remained hospitalized on Monday, according to Macy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634572000466.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have&nbsp;identified 21-year-old Desabian Williams as the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in the 600 block of South Eastern in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Shortly before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 600 block of South Eastern. Multiple calling parties reported hearing gunshots at an apartment complex at the location, and witnesses reported potentially multiple victims.When officers arrived, they located Williams inside one of the apartment buildings. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An extensive crime scene was discovered, containing multiple firearms and numerous evidentiary items, according to Macy.Witnesses reported seeing additional victims leaving the scene. Shortly after the initial call, another 911 call was made from a restaurant in the 100 block of South Rock Road. One of the victims from the shooting on Eastern was located at that location and transported to an area hospital by EMS. Another victim later arrived at the hospital via private vehicle.Two adult male victims remained hospitalized on Monday, according to Macy.

2 remain hospitalized after fatal Kan. apartment shooting

By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/18/feds-seize-property-of-kansas-city-companies-accused-of-covid-relief-fraud/">Kansas Reflector</a>

The
 federal government has seized two vehicles, and is threatening to seize
 a lake house, allegedly purchased illegally with COVID-19 relief money 
by a Kansas City-area businessman.

The property was seized from several 
real estate companies incorporated in Kansas by Joseph Campbell, with 
most operating under a version of the name Titan Fish.

According to a complaint filed by the
 U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas, in early 2020 Campbell submitted 20 
applications to the Small Business Administration for federal disaster 
loans made available under the CARES Act.

Most were deemed duplicates of other applications, the complaint says, and five were granted.

Campbell’s companies received nearly 
$1 million in aid that was supposed to be used to pay debts, payroll and
 other bills that could have been paid had the COVID-19 pandemic not 
occurred.

According to an affidavit filed by 
Richard Littrell, a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service, 
Campbell’s applications contained false information and he used the 
money he received to purchase two vehicles and a lake house in Morgan 
County, Missouri.

“Based on the information set forth 
in this affidavit, there is probable cause to believe Campbell committed
 violations of wire fraud and money laundering,” said Littrell, who 
conducts money laundering investigations as part of the Kansas City 
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

Littrell later added that there is 
probable cause that the vehicles and property “were purchased with 
proceeds derived or obtained from the wire fraud violations.”

The two vehicles — a 2019 Dodge Ram 
1500 and a 2017 Ford Explorer — have been seized by the government. The 
lake house has not yet been seized.

Campbell did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Danielle Thomas, spokeswoman for the 
U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas, said she cannot comment on open cases 
beyond what is available in the public record.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.titanfish.com/">Titan Fish</a>,
 based in Shawnee, Kansas, is described on its website as “special 
situation investors that focus on unique investment opportunities in 
real estate, energy and other real assets.”

The company garnered attention in 
2017 when it purchased the former Rockwood Golf Club in Independence for
 $550,000 from a company that had owned the property for several years.

Just months after that purchase, the 
Independence City Council voted to buy the golf course from Titan Fish 
for $1 million in order to use it to build a solar farm.

The deal drew <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article237681249.html">FBI scrutiny over a series of donations to Independence Mayor Eileen Weir </a>days before she voted to approve the purchase.

Those donations came from four 
political action committees connected to lobbyist Steve Tilley, a former
 state lawmaker and longtime friend and adviser to Missouri Gov. Mike 
Parson.

Tilley’s lobbying firm represents Independence’s utility and the company chosen to operate the solar farm.

In 2019 Tilley began representing Titan Fish, and a year later was part of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article241176816.html">proposal involving Titan Fish to repurpose a power plant owned by Independence</a>.

Titan Fish and Tilley severed ties shortly after details of the proposal were made public.

Jason Hancock is editor of the Missouri Independent, an affiliate of States Newsroom. He has been writing about Missouri since 2011, most recently as lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634579441167.png" alt="A Kansas City-area company is accused in a complaint filed by the U.S. attorney in Kansas of wire fraud and money laundering involving federal COVID relief funds. (Pixabay photo)" />
 <figcaption>A Kansas City-area company is accused in a complaint filed by the U.S. attorney in Kansas of wire fraud and money laundering involving federal COVID relief funds. (Pixabay photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JASON HANCOCK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/18/feds-seize-property-of-kansas-city-companies-accused-of-covid-relief-fraud/">Kansas Reflector</a>The
 federal government has seized two vehicles, and is threatening to seize
 a lake house, allegedly purchased illegally with COVID-19 relief money 
by a Kansas City-area businessman.The property was seized from several 
real estate companies incorporated in Kansas by Joseph Campbell, with 
most operating under a version of the name Titan Fish.According to a complaint filed by the
 U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas, in early 2020 Campbell submitted 20 
applications to the Small Business Administration for federal disaster 
loans made available under the CARES Act.Most were deemed duplicates of other applications, the complaint says, and five were granted.Campbell’s companies received nearly 
$1 million in aid that was supposed to be used to pay debts, payroll and
 other bills that could have been paid had the COVID-19 pandemic not 
occurred.According to an affidavit filed by 
Richard Littrell, a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service, 
Campbell’s applications contained false information and he used the 
money he received to purchase two vehicles and a lake house in Morgan 
County, Missouri.“Based on the information set forth 
in this affidavit, there is probable cause to believe Campbell committed
 violations of wire fraud and money laundering,” said Littrell, who 
conducts money laundering investigations as part of the Kansas City 
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.Littrell later added that there is 
probable cause that the vehicles and property “were purchased with 
proceeds derived or obtained from the wire fraud violations.”The two vehicles — a 2019 Dodge Ram 
1500 and a 2017 Ford Explorer — have been seized by the government. The 
lake house has not yet been seized.Campbell did not respond to a request for comment Friday.Danielle Thomas, spokeswoman for the 
U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas, said she cannot comment on open cases 
beyond what is available in the public record.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.titanfish.com/">Titan Fish</a>,
 based in Shawnee, Kansas, is described on its website as “special 
situation investors that focus on unique investment opportunities in 
real estate, energy and other real assets.”The company garnered attention in 
2017 when it purchased the former Rockwood Golf Club in Independence for
 $550,000 from a company that had owned the property for several years.Just months after that purchase, the 
Independence City Council voted to buy the golf course from Titan Fish 
for $1 million in order to use it to build a solar farm.The deal drew <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article237681249.html">FBI scrutiny over a series of donations to Independence Mayor Eileen Weir </a>days before she voted to approve the purchase.Those donations came from four 
political action committees connected to lobbyist Steve Tilley, a former
 state lawmaker and longtime friend and adviser to Missouri Gov. Mike 
Parson.Tilley’s lobbying firm represents Independence’s utility and the company chosen to operate the solar farm.In 2019 Tilley began representing Titan Fish, and a year later was part of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article241176816.html">proposal involving Titan Fish to repurpose a power plant owned by Independence</a>.Titan Fish and Tilley severed ties shortly after details of the proposal were made public.Jason Hancock is editor of the Missouri Independent, an affiliate of States Newsroom. He has been writing about Missouri since 2011, most recently as lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star.

Feds seize property of KC companies accused of COVID relief fraud

CRAWFORD COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating the death of a 20-year-old man who was assaulted by another inmate while in custody at the Crawford County Jail, according to a media release from the agency.

Preliminary information indicates that at around 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 16, corrections officers at the Jail were called to an injured inmate. 

When they arrived at the jail pod, a common area accessible to several inmates, they located Dante M. Martinez, 20, of Pittsburg. Martinez was suffering from severe injuries. EMS responded and provided medical aid. They transported Martinez to Girard Medical Center.

Following a review of video surveillance from the incident area, it was determined that 25-year-old Gavin P. Wood, of Arma, had attacked Martinez causing his injuries.&nbsp;

Martinez was later transported to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. Just before 9p.m. on Oct. 16, he was pronounced deceased from his injuries. An autopsy has been scheduled.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Wood was charged with second-degree murder, and arrested on the new charge.

By statute, the KBI investigates all in-custody deaths which occur in Kansas jails and prisons unless the inmate who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy. On Saturday, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office asked the KBI to investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634586113919.png" alt="Wood photo Crawford Co." />
 <figcaption>Wood photo Crawford Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating the death of a 20-year-old man who was assaulted by another inmate while in custody at the Crawford County Jail, according to a media release from the agency.Preliminary information indicates that at around 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 16, corrections officers at the Jail were called to an injured inmate. When they arrived at the jail pod, a common area accessible to several inmates, they located Dante M. Martinez, 20, of Pittsburg. Martinez was suffering from severe injuries. EMS responded and provided medical aid. They transported Martinez to Girard Medical Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634586209007.png" alt="Martinez photo Crawford Co." />
 <figcaption>Martinez photo Crawford Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Following a review of video surveillance from the incident area, it was determined that 25-year-old Gavin P. Wood, of Arma, had attacked Martinez causing his injuries.&nbsp;Martinez was later transported to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. Just before 9p.m. on Oct. 16, he was pronounced deceased from his injuries. An autopsy has been scheduled.At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Wood was charged with second-degree murder, and arrested on the new charge.By statute, the KBI investigates all in-custody deaths which occur in Kansas jails and prisons unless the inmate who dies is being regularly attended by a physician, or the death is ruled natural by autopsy. On Saturday, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office asked the KBI to investigate.

Inmate arrested for murder after assault at Kansas county jail 

LYON COUNTY—There were no injuries after an emergency landing on a Kansas highway.

On Sunday morning, Lyon County sheriff's deputies assisted Wabaunsee County deputies with traffic control near the county line  on Kansas Highway 99 after an Eagle Med Helicopter had an engine malfunction, according to a social media report from the sheriff office.

The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing. Due to the quick actions of the pilot, the helicopter was able to make a safe landing with no damage or injuries.

In a statement from EagleMed, they reported one of their air ambulance helicopters made a precautionary landing at 3:41 a.m. on Sunday when a light on the instrument panel indicated a potential problem with the aircraft. 

The pilot followed company protocols and made a controlled, safe landing near K-99 and Elm Creek Road in Wabaunsee County. 

No injuries were reported. One patient was on board the Bell 407 helicopter, and another air medical service responded to complete the transport. 

EagleMed officials said the pilot made the appropriate decision to land the aircraft, noting that safety is integral to providing patients with the quality medical care they deserve, and equally important, a safe work environment for our crewmembers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634580708855.png" alt="Photo Lyon County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lyon County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—There were no injuries after an emergency landing on a Kansas highway.On Sunday morning, Lyon County sheriff's deputies assisted Wabaunsee County deputies with traffic control near the county line on Kansas Highway 99 after an Eagle Med Helicopter had an engine malfunction, according to a social media report from the sheriff office.The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing. Due to the quick actions of the pilot, the helicopter was able to make a safe landing with no damage or injuries.In a statement from EagleMed, they reported one of their air ambulance helicopters made a precautionary landing at 3:41 a.m. on Sunday when a light on the instrument panel indicated a potential problem with the aircraft. The pilot followed company protocols and made a controlled, safe landing near K-99 and Elm Creek Road in Wabaunsee County. No injuries were reported. One patient was on board the Bell 407 helicopter, and another air medical service responded to complete the transport. EagleMed officials said the pilot made the appropriate decision to land the aircraft, noting that safety is integral to providing patients with the quality medical care they deserve, and equally important, a safe work environment for our crewmembers.

Update: Medical helicopter made precautionary landing  on Kan. highway

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are setting the stage for a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign for younger children, inviting state officials to order doses before the shots are authorized.

Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is currently being given to people as young as 12 in the U.S. In the next three weeks, federal officials plan to discuss making smaller-dose versions available to the nation’s 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11.

To help states and cities prepare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent out a seven-page document with guidance on how to set up expanded vaccination programs.

For example, it notes pharmacies in every state can give COVID-19 shots to children, but it clarifies that only doses prepared and packaged specifically for children are to be used for those under 12.

It doesn’t speak to some thornier questions, however, such as how much school-based clinics should be relied on or whether kids should be required to get then shots as a condition of school attendance.

Those questions will have to be worked out in each state and city.

The guidance comes as communities are gearing up for a new phase in the 10-month-old effort to vaccinate as many people as possible against a virus that has killed more than 720,000 in the U.S.

The disease has been most dangerous to older adults, who have higher rates of death and hospitalization than children. But some kids are at risk for severe illness, and more than 540 U.S. children have died from COVID-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Just as important, health officials believe that vaccinating children will reduce virus spread to vulnerable adults.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are furthest along in researching use of their vaccine in younger children. They say a two-dose vaccine series — one-third as potent as the version giving to people over 12 years old — is safe and effective in 5- to 11-year-olds.

An independent expert panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to publicly debate the evidence at a meeting in late October. If the FDA authorizes the kid-size doses, a different expert panel advising the CDC would take up the matter in early November, and then offer a recommendation to the CDC.

It’s not yet clear how many people will get shots for their younger kids right away, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“We’re going to have potentially a very busy, and perhaps modestly chaotic time” initially, he said.

But there probably will not be the kind of heavy demand seen when shots first became available for adults, he added.

The new CDC guidance calls for shots to be given at the offices of pediatricians and family-practice doctors, and at pharmacies, rural health clinics and federally-qualified health centers.

The CDC discussed the option of vaccination clinics at schools, but stopped short of endorsing that as a primary way to get kids vaccinated. School clinics are logistically appealing, but many parents may not be comfortable with the idea, Plescia said.

The guidance also warns health care providers to only use doses that have been prepared especially for kids, and not try to fraction adult doses, Plescia noted.

CDC guidance said immunization program managers can start ordering doses Wednesday, though vials wouldn’t be delivered until the FDA and CDC sign off.

When the coronavirus vaccines were first authorized in December, the U.S. government prioritized having hospitals and pharmacies administer them. Some office-based physicians felt left out.

Dr. Jesse Hackell registered early with New York state to be able to administer the shots to teens. He said his office, located 25 miles north of New York City, didn’t receive doses for that until May.

But Hackell said the CDC has reassured pediatricians that once authorization happens for 5- to-11-year-olds, the process will go more smoothly and pediatricians’ offices will be able to get shipments quickly.

Dr. Richard Besser called on the government to do more to address racial and economic disparities that might emerge in the push to vaccinate younger kids.

For example, kids may not get shots if parents can’t get time off from work to bring them in.

“It’s really important that we recognize the barriers to vaccinations,” said Besser, chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are setting the stage for a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign for younger children, inviting state officials to order doses before the shots are authorized.Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is currently being given to people as young as 12 in the U.S. In the next three weeks, federal officials plan to discuss making smaller-dose versions available to the nation’s 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11.To help states and cities prepare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent out a seven-page document with guidance on how to set up expanded vaccination programs.For example, it notes pharmacies in every state can give COVID-19 shots to children, but it clarifies that only doses prepared and packaged specifically for children are to be used for those under 12.It doesn’t speak to some thornier questions, however, such as how much school-based clinics should be relied on or whether kids should be required to get then shots as a condition of school attendance.Those questions will have to be worked out in each state and city.The guidance comes as communities are gearing up for a new phase in the 10-month-old effort to vaccinate as many people as possible against a virus that has killed more than 720,000 in the U.S.The disease has been most dangerous to older adults, who have higher rates of death and hospitalization than children. But some kids are at risk for severe illness, and more than 540 U.S. children have died from COVID-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.Just as important, health officials believe that vaccinating children will reduce virus spread to vulnerable adults.Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are furthest along in researching use of their vaccine in younger children. They say a two-dose vaccine series — one-third as potent as the version giving to people over 12 years old — is safe and effective in 5- to 11-year-olds.An independent expert panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to publicly debate the evidence at a meeting in late October. If the FDA authorizes the kid-size doses, a different expert panel advising the CDC would take up the matter in early November, and then offer a recommendation to the CDC.It’s not yet clear how many people will get shots for their younger kids right away, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.“We’re going to have potentially a very busy, and perhaps modestly chaotic time” initially, he said.But there probably will not be the kind of heavy demand seen when shots first became available for adults, he added.The new CDC guidance calls for shots to be given at the offices of pediatricians and family-practice doctors, and at pharmacies, rural health clinics and federally-qualified health centers.The CDC discussed the option of vaccination clinics at schools, but stopped short of endorsing that as a primary way to get kids vaccinated. School clinics are logistically appealing, but many parents may not be comfortable with the idea, Plescia said.The guidance also warns health care providers to only use doses that have been prepared especially for kids, and not try to fraction adult doses, Plescia noted.CDC guidance said immunization program managers can start ordering doses Wednesday, though vials wouldn’t be delivered until the FDA and CDC sign off.When the coronavirus vaccines were first authorized in December, the U.S. government prioritized having hospitals and pharmacies administer them. Some office-based physicians felt left out.Dr. Jesse Hackell registered early with New York state to be able to administer the shots to teens. He said his office, located 25 miles north of New York City, didn’t receive doses for that until May.But Hackell said the CDC has reassured pediatricians that once authorization happens for 5- to-11-year-olds, the process will go more smoothly and pediatricians’ offices will be able to get shipments quickly.Dr. Richard Besser called on the government to do more to address racial and economic disparities that might emerge in the push to vaccinate younger kids.For example, kids may not get shots if parents can’t get time off from work to bring them in.“It’s really important that we recognize the barriers to vaccinations,” said Besser, chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC.___

States set to reserve COVID-19 shots for younger kids 

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 1,520 to a total of 424,802, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported five new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,170.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> 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.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 1,520 to a total of 424,802, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported five new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,170.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634578227582.png" alt="Monday Oct. 18, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Oct. 18, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> 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.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: Latest COVID-19 numbers in Kansas

DOUGLAS COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.

just after 11p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Casey's General Store, 303 E. 10th Street in Eudora Kansas, according to a media release.

 The suspect left on foot southbound on Church Street with a unknown amount of cash from the business. 

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 foot tall wearing a grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, a blue medical mask and displaying a black semi automatic handgun.

If you have any information on this person or the crime committed, please contact the Eudora Police Department at 785-542-3121 or the TIPS Hotline 785-843-TIPS (8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634571379465.png" alt="Photo Eudora Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Eudora Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking the public for help to identify a suspect.just after 11p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Casey's General Store, 303 E. 10th Street in Eudora Kansas, according to a media release. The suspect left on foot southbound on Church Street with a unknown amount of cash from the business. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 foot tall wearing a grey hoodie, grey sweatpants, a blue medical mask and displaying a black semi automatic handgun.If you have any information on this person or the crime committed, please contact the Eudora Police Department at 785-542-3121 or the TIPS Hotline 785-843-TIPS (8477).

Kan. armed robbery suspect wore medical mask, took cash

CRAWFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a Kansas teen have made an arrest.

Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were called to 415 S. Broadway Street Apt. 15 in Pittsburg after a woman was found on the floor of the apartment, bleeding. 

The caller reported finding the door to the apartment open and seeing the victim lying on the floor. Police and EMS responded to the scene and the the victim later identified as&nbsp; 18- year-old Jase Elizabeth Delich of Pittsburg was pronounced deceased, according to Police Lt. Rebekah Lynch.

Evidence located at the crime scene indicates Delich was shot with a handgun. 

Through review of surveillance footage in the area, combined with witness interviews, investigators were able to quickly identify the shooting suspect as 23-year-old Bri’yon Ezra Baker, of Tennessee. Information gathered indicated Baker was likely on foot in the area with no transportation. 

Just after 12 a.m. Sunday, police located Baker walking in the area of 16th Street and Joplin Street.&nbsp; Officers detained hime and he was found to be in possession of a handgun. 

Police brought him to the police department for questioning and later arrested him on requested charges for 2nd Degree Murder. He is being held in Crawford County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634570832767.png" alt="Baker photo Crawford County" />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Crawford County</figcaption>
 </figure>CRAWFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a Kansas teen have made an arrest.Just before 6:30p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;were called to 415 S. Broadway Street Apt. 15 in Pittsburg after a woman was found on the floor of the apartment, bleeding. The caller reported finding the door to the apartment open and seeing the victim lying on the floor. Police and EMS responded to the scene and the the victim later identified as&nbsp; 18- year-old Jase Elizabeth Delich of Pittsburg was pronounced deceased, according to Police Lt. Rebekah Lynch.Evidence located at the crime scene indicates Delich was shot with a handgun. Through review of surveillance footage in the area, combined with witness interviews, investigators were able to quickly identify the shooting suspect as 23-year-old Bri’yon Ezra Baker, of Tennessee. Information gathered indicated Baker was likely on foot in the area with no transportation. Just after 12 a.m. Sunday, police located Baker walking in the area of 16th Street and Joplin Street.&nbsp; Officers detained hime and he was found to be in possession of a handgun. Police brought him to the police department for questioning and later arrested him on requested charges for 2nd Degree Murder. He is being held in Crawford County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

Suspect jailed in fatal shooting of 18-year-old Kan. woman

WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, who served Democratic and Republican presidents in war and peace but whose sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq, has died of COVID-19 complications. He was 84.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general and in 1989 became the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role he oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait to oust the Iraqi army in 1991.

But his legacy was marred when, in 2003, he went before the U.N. Security Council as secretary of state and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq at a moment of great international skepticism. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had no such weapons represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

In announcing his death on social media, Powell’s family said he had been fully vaccinated.

“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” the family said. Powell had been treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Powell was the first American official to publicly lay the blame for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network and made a lightning trip to Pakistan in October, 2001 to demand that then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf cooperate with the United States in going after the Afghanistan-based group, which also had a presence in Pakistan, where bin Laden was later killed.

As President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state, Powell led a State Department that was dubious of the military and intelligence communities’ conviction that Saddam Hussein possessed or was developing weapons of mass destruction. And yet, despite his reservations, he presented the administration’s case that Saddam indeed posed a major regional and global threat in a speech to the UN Security Council in the run-up to the war.

That speech, replete with his display of a vial of what he said could have been a biological weapon, was later derided as a low-point in Powell’s career, although he had removed some elements that he deemed to have been based on poor intelligence assessments.

Bush said Monday that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death.

“He was a great public servant” and “widely respected at home and abroad,” Bush said. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”

Powell rose to national prominence under Republican presidents and considered a presidential bid of his own, but ultimately moved away from the party. He endorsed Democrats in the last four presidential elections, starting with former President Barack Obama. He emerged as a vocal Donald Trump critic in recent years, describing Trump as “a national disgrace” who should have been removed from office through impeachment. Following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Powell said he no longer considers himself a Republican.

Powell rose from a childhood in a fraying New York neighborhood to become the nation’s chief diplomat. “Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx,” he wrote in his 1995 autobiography “My American Journey.”

At City College, Powell discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, “I liked what I saw,” he wrote.

He joined the Army and in 1962 he was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who became his unofficial sponsor. He later became commander of the Army’s 5th Corps in Germany and later was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.

During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, said the news of Powell’s death left “a hole in my heart.”

“The world lost one of the greatest leaders that we have ever witnessed,” Austin said while traveling in Europe. “Alma lost a great husband and the family lost a tremendous father and I lost a tremendous personal friend and mentor. He has been my mentor for a number of years. He always made time for me and I can always go to him with tough issues, he always had great counsel.”

Powell’s appearances at the United Nations as secretary of state, including his Iraq speech, were often accompanied by fond reminiscing of his childhood in the city, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants who got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the UN headquarters.

A fan of calypso music, Powell was the subject of criticism from, among others, singing legend Harry Belafonte, who likened Powell to a “house slave” for going along with the decision to invade Iraq. Powell declined to get into a public spat with Belafonte, but made it known that he was not a fan and much preferred the Trinidadian calypso star the “Mighty Sparrow.”

Powell maintained, in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, that on balance, U.S. succeeded in Iraq.

“I think we had a lot of successes,” Powell said. “Iraq’s terrible dictator is gone.” Saddam was captured by U.S. forces while hiding out in northern Iraq in December 2003 and later executed by the Iraqi government. But the insurgency grew, and the war dragged on far longer than had been foreseen. Obama pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, but he sent advisers back in 2014 after the Islamic State group swept into the country from Syria and captured large swaths of Iraqi territory.

WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday. In an announcement on social media, the family said Powell had been fully vaccinated. 

Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. But his reputation also suffered a painful setback when, in 2003, Powell went before the U.N. Security Council and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq. 

He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had not represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634560584731.png" alt=" Former Secretary of State Colin Powell interviewed at a Virtual Leadership Conference in February of 2021-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption> Former Secretary of State Colin Powell interviewed at a Virtual Leadership Conference in February of 2021-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, who served Democratic and Republican presidents in war and peace but whose sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq, has died of COVID-19 complications. He was 84.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the passing of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell: <a href="https://t.co/7uwRtsk0K9">pic.twitter.com/7uwRtsk0K9</a>&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1450115133267644416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A veteran of the Vietnam War, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general and in 1989 became the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role he oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait to oust the Iraqi army in 1991.But his legacy was marred when, in 2003, he went before the U.N. Security Council as secretary of state and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq at a moment of great international skepticism. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had no such weapons represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.In announcing his death on social media, Powell’s family said he had been fully vaccinated.“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” the family said. Powell had been treated at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.Powell was the first American official to publicly lay the blame for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network and made a lightning trip to Pakistan in October, 2001 to demand that then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf cooperate with the United States in going after the Afghanistan-based group, which also had a presence in Pakistan, where bin Laden was later killed.As President George W. Bush’s first secretary of state, Powell led a State Department that was dubious of the military and intelligence communities’ conviction that Saddam Hussein possessed or was developing weapons of mass destruction. And yet, despite his reservations, he presented the administration’s case that Saddam indeed posed a major regional and global threat in a speech to the UN Security Council in the run-up to the war.That speech, replete with his display of a vial of what he said could have been a biological weapon, was later derided as a low-point in Powell’s career, although he had removed some elements that he deemed to have been based on poor intelligence assessments.Bush said Monday that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “deeply saddened” by Powell’s death.“He was a great public servant” and “widely respected at home and abroad,” Bush said. “And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”Powell rose to national prominence under Republican presidents and considered a presidential bid of his own, but ultimately moved away from the party. He endorsed Democrats in the last four presidential elections, starting with former President Barack Obama. He emerged as a vocal Donald Trump critic in recent years, describing Trump as “a national disgrace” who should have been removed from office through impeachment. Following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Powell said he no longer considers himself a Republican.Powell rose from a childhood in a fraying New York neighborhood to become the nation’s chief diplomat. “Mine is the story of a black kid of no early promise from an immigrant family of limited means who was raised in the South Bronx,” he wrote in his 1995 autobiography “My American Journey.”At City College, Powell discovered the ROTC. When he put on his first uniform, “I liked what I saw,” he wrote.He joined the Army and in 1962 he was one of more than 16,000 military advisers sent to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy. A series of promotions led to the Pentagon and assignment as a military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who became his unofficial sponsor. He later became commander of the Army’s 5th Corps in Germany and later was national security assistant to President Ronald Reagan.During his term as Joint Chiefs chairman, his approach to war became known as the Powell Doctrine, which held that the United States should only commit forces in a conflict if it has clear and achievable objectives with public support, sufficient firepower and a strategy for ending the war.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, said the news of Powell’s death left “a hole in my heart.”“The world lost one of the greatest leaders that we have ever witnessed,” Austin said while traveling in Europe. “Alma lost a great husband and the family lost a tremendous father and I lost a tremendous personal friend and mentor. He has been my mentor for a number of years. He always made time for me and I can always go to him with tough issues, he always had great counsel.”Powell’s appearances at the United Nations as secretary of state, including his Iraq speech, were often accompanied by fond reminiscing of his childhood in the city, where he grew up the child of Jamaican immigrants who got one of his first jobs at the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant directly across the East River from the UN headquarters.A fan of calypso music, Powell was the subject of criticism from, among others, singing legend Harry Belafonte, who likened Powell to a “house slave” for going along with the decision to invade Iraq. Powell declined to get into a public spat with Belafonte, but made it known that he was not a fan and much preferred the Trinidadian calypso star the “Mighty Sparrow.”Powell maintained, in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, that on balance, U.S. succeeded in Iraq.“I think we had a lot of successes,” Powell said. “Iraq’s terrible dictator is gone.” Saddam was captured by U.S. forces while hiding out in northern Iraq in December 2003 and later executed by the Iraqi government. But the insurgency grew, and the war dragged on far longer than had been foreseen. Obama pulled U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, but he sent advisers back in 2014 after the Islamic State group swept into the country from Syria and captured large swaths of Iraqi territory.------WASHIINGTON (AP) — Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications, his family said Monday. In an announcement on social media, the family said Powell had been fully vaccinated. Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. But his reputation also suffered a painful setback when, in 2003, Powell went before the U.N. Security Council and made the case for U.S. war against Iraq. He cited faulty information claiming Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed away weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s claims that it had not represented “a web of lies,” he told the world body.

Kan. Gov. on the passing of former U.S. Sec. of State Colin Powell

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating criminal use of explosives and arson in Manhattan.

Just after 11:30p.m. Sunday, an unknown male suspect lit a tequila bottle full of gas and sugar on fire outside of the Riley County Police Department Aggieville Substation in the 1100 block of Moro Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.&nbsp;

 The total estimated loss associated with this case is approximately $100. Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

MANHATTAN—Law enforcement authorities are investigating criminal use of explosives and arson in Manhattan.Just after 11:30p.m. Sunday, an unknown male suspect lit a tequila bottle full of gas and sugar on fire outside of the Riley County Police Department Aggieville Substation in the 1100 block of Moro Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.&nbsp; The total estimated loss associated with this case is approximately $100. Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Suspect lit bottle of gas outside Kansas police substation 

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 8:30a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2018 Toyota Forerunner for an alleged traffic infraction on 126th Road east of U.S. 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered illegal narcotics.  The driver, Richard Nguyen, 28, of Memphis, Tennessee was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634436677799.png" alt="Nguyen photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Nguyen photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just after 8:30a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2018 Toyota Forerunner for an alleged traffic infraction on 126th Road east of U.S. 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered illegal narcotics. The driver, Richard Nguyen, 28, of Memphis, Tennessee was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a weapon.

Sheriff: Tennessee man was transporting cocaine in Kansas 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration said it will turn next to the U.S. Supreme Court in another attempt to halt a Texas law that has banned most abortions since September.

The move comes as the Texas clinics are running out of avenues to stop the GOP-engineered law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">which is usually around six weeks.</a>&nbsp;It amounts to the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.

The latest defeat for clinics came Thursday night when a federal appeals panel in New Orleans, in a 2-1 decision, allowed the restrictions to remain in place for a third time in the last several weeks alone.

Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the federal government will now ask the Supreme Court to reverse that decision but did not say how quickly.

The Biden administration was under pressure from abortion rights supporters to go to the Supreme Court even before the announcement. The court already once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed the restrictions to take effect, but did so&nbsp;</a>without ruling on the law’s constitutionality.

Since the law took effect Sept. 1, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception for cases of rape or incest.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office called Thursday night’s decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”

A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ law has outmaneuvered courts so far because it offloads enforcement to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.

Only once has a court moved to put the restrictions on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order stood for only 48 hours</a>.

During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.

Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.

Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tip line to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”

Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.

On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place. Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas can continue banning most abortions after a federal appeals court rejected the Biden administration’s latest attempt to stop a novel law that has become the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.

The decision Thursday could push the law closer to returning to the U.S. Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">has already once allowed the restrictions to take effect</a>&nbsp;without ruling on its constitutionality. The Texas law bans abortions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">once cardiac activity is detected</a>, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.

Since the law took effect in early September, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception in cases of rape or incest.

“We hope the Department of Justice urgently appeals this order to the Supreme Court to restore Texans’ ability to obtain abortion care after six weeks in pregnancy,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.

The Justice Department did not immediately react to the decision and a spokesperson had no comment late Thursday.

In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Texas’ request to keep the law in place as the court case proceeds. It marks the third time the conservative-leaning appeals court has sided with Texas and let the restrictions stand.

The panel said it would expedite the appeal and schedule oral arguments, but did not say when.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office called the decision a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”

It marks another setback for the Justice Department and Texas abortion providers in their efforts to derail the law, which has thus far prevailed because of a unique structure that leaves enforcement up to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.

Despite numerous legal challenges both before and after the law took effect Sept. 1, only once has a court moved to put the restriction on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order only stood for 48 hours</a>.

A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ version has outmaneuvered courts so far due to the fact that it offloads enforcement to private citizens.

Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tipline to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”

On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place.

“The Attorney General has no authority to act as a roving reviser of state law, challenging as unconstitutional any rule with which he disagrees,” Indiana Attorney General Theodore Rokita told the appeals court in a brief filed Wednesday.

Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634041318695.png" alt="Abortion protesters in Kansas City last month" />
 <figcaption>Abortion protesters in Kansas City last month</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration said it will turn next to the U.S. Supreme Court in another attempt to halt a Texas law that has banned most abortions since September.The move comes as the Texas clinics are running out of avenues to stop the GOP-engineered law that bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">which is usually around six weeks.</a>&nbsp;It amounts to the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.The latest defeat for clinics came Thursday night when a federal appeals panel in New Orleans, in a 2-1 decision, allowed the restrictions to remain in place for a third time in the last several weeks alone.Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the federal government will now ask the Supreme Court to reverse that decision but did not say how quickly.The Biden administration was under pressure from abortion rights supporters to go to the Supreme Court even before the announcement. The court already once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">allowed the restrictions to take effect, but did so&nbsp;</a>without ruling on the law’s constitutionality.Since the law took effect Sept. 1, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception for cases of rape or incest.The Texas Attorney General’s Office called Thursday night’s decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ law has outmaneuvered courts so far because it offloads enforcement to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.Only once has a court moved to put the restrictions on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order stood for only 48 hours</a>.During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tip line to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place. Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.-----------AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas can continue banning most abortions after a federal appeals court rejected the Biden administration’s latest attempt to stop a novel law that has become the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.The decision Thursday could push the law closer to returning to the U.S. Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-courts-us-supreme-court-32ee7ae7eeec9bdfd1471a848c163321">has already once allowed the restrictions to take effect</a>&nbsp;without ruling on its constitutionality. The Texas law bans abortions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-government-and-politics-health-77c9ba98c4f4ab46fdbd5bcc47b5b938">once cardiac activity is detected</a>, usually around six weeks and before some women know they are pregnant.Since the law took effect in early September, Texas women&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-louisiana-0cc666fde471f0fe2ce8a5f28977ad28">have sought out abortion clinics in neighboring states</a>, some driving hours through the middle of the night and including patients as young as 12 years old. The law makes no exception in cases of rape or incest.“We hope the Department of Justice urgently appeals this order to the Supreme Court to restore Texans’ ability to obtain abortion care after six weeks in pregnancy,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.The Justice Department did not immediately react to the decision and a spokesperson had no comment late Thursday.In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Texas’ request to keep the law in place as the court case proceeds. It marks the third time the conservative-leaning appeals court has sided with Texas and let the restrictions stand.The panel said it would expedite the appeal and schedule oral arguments, but did not say when.The Texas Attorney General’s Office called the decision a “testament that we are on the right side of the law and life.”It marks another setback for the Justice Department and Texas abortion providers in their efforts to derail the law, which has thus far prevailed because of a unique structure that leaves enforcement up to private citizens. Anyone who brings a successful lawsuit against an abortion provider for violating the law is entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages, which the Biden administration says amounts to a bounty.Despite numerous legal challenges both before and after the law took effect Sept. 1, only once has a court moved to put the restriction on hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-austin-courts-health-8f8f701e4bb857e7cd39bd45daa02063">— and that order only stood for 48 hours</a>.During that brief window, some Texas clinics rushed to perform abortions on patients past six weeks, but many more appointments were canceled after the 5th Circuit moved to swiftly reinstate the law last week.Texas had roughly two dozen abortion clinics before the law took effect, and operators have said some may be forced to close if the restrictions stay in place for much longer.Already the stakes are high in the coming months over the future of abortion rights in the U.S. In December, the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion.A 1992 decision by the Supreme Court prevented states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Texas’ version has outmaneuvered courts so far due to the fact that it offloads enforcement to private citizens.Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, set up a tipline to receive allegations against abortion providers but has not filed any lawsuits. Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman, said Thursday the group expected the Biden administration to go to the Supreme Court next and was “confident Texas will ultimately defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”On Wednesday, 18 state attorneys generals from mostly GOP-controlled states threw new support behind the Texas law, urging the court to let the restrictions stand while accusing the federal government of overstepping in bringing the challenge in the first place.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-justice-department-lawsuit-851b4ef55da816bda704be491bfc032c">has called the law “clearly unconstitutional”</a>&nbsp;and warned that it could become a model elsewhere in the country unless it’s struck down.“The Attorney General has no authority to act as a roving reviser of state law, challenging as unconstitutional any rule with which he disagrees,” Indiana Attorney General Theodore Rokita told the appeals court in a brief filed Wednesday.Last month, more than 20 other states, mostly run by Democrats, had urged the lower court to throw out the law.

Supreme Court asked to halt nation's most restrictive abortion law

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped, including a 2-year-old.

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press. The gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year in Haiti.

The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.

“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust him to see us through.”

Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished in recent months, after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7 and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in August.

The missionary group offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans and distributes seeds to farmers, among other efforts in Haiti, according to its annual report.

The report for last year said that American staff had returned to their base in Haiti after a nine-month absence “due to political unrest” and noted the “uncertainty and difficulties” that arise from such instability.

An AP team on Sunday visited the group’s orphanage in Ganthier, where a couple of children were seen walking through a yard. A security guard confirmed that it was the place the kidnapped missionaries visited before they were abducted. The guard called the orphanage’s pastor at the AP’s request, but he declined to comment, saying only, “Let’s leave things as they are.”

Nearly a year ago, Haitian police issued a wanted poster for the gang’s alleged leader, Wilson Joseph, on charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, auto theft and the hijacking of trucks carrying goods. He goes by the nickname “Lanmò Sanjou,” which means “death doesn’t know which day it’s coming.”

Joseph, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has posted videos detailing the alleged crimes the gang has committed in recent years.

Once, when the gang opened fire on a small bus carrying several passengers and killed an infant, Wilson said it was not their fault because the bus driver refused to stop. In a more recent video, he appears holding a bottle of alcohol surrounded by heavily armed men. Another video from June shows people inside a church fleeing as gunfire erupted outside on a Saturday morning. The gang was accused of raiding the area and setting cars on fire.

A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States is in touch with Haitian authorities to try to resolve the case.

Christian Aid Ministries came under public scrutiny in 2019, when one of the group’s former workers based in Haiti was convicted of felony sexual abuse against minors in Ohio. Jeriah Mast, 40, is serving a nine-year sentence in an Ohio prison. During the hearing, the judge said Mast told him that he also molested at least 30 boys in Haiti in the span of about 15 years, according to The Daily Record newspaper in Ohio.

The religious organization said in a May 2020 statement that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with victims regarding a sexual abuse case in the Haitian community of Petit Goave and had provided other victims with a total of $420,000 in restitution and other assistance.

Amid the spike in kidnappings, gangs have demanded ransoms ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1 million, according to authorities.

Last month, a deacon was killed in front of a church in the capital of Port-au-Prince and his wife kidnapped, one of dozens of people who have been abducted in recent months.

At least 328 kidnappings were reported to Haiti’s National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a report issued last month by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti known as BINUH.

Gangs have been accused of kidnapping schoolchildren, doctors, police officers, busloads of passengers and others as they grow more powerful. In April, a man who claimed to be the gang leader of the 400 Mawozo told a radio station that they were responsible for kidnapping five priests, two nuns and three relatives of one of the priests that month. They were later released.

The spike in kidnappings and gang-related violence has forced Haitians to take detours around certain gang-controlled areas while others simply opt to stay home, which in turn means less money for people like Charles Pierre, a moto taxi driver in Port-au-Prince who has several children to feed.

“People are not going out in the streets,” he said. “We cannot find people to transport.”

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped, including a 2-year-old.The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press. The gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year in Haiti.The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust him to see us through.”Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished in recent months, after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7 and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in August.The missionary group offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans and distributes seeds to farmers, among other efforts in Haiti, according to its annual report.The report for last year said that American staff had returned to their base in Haiti after a nine-month absence “due to political unrest” and noted the “uncertainty and difficulties” that arise from such instability.An AP team on Sunday visited the group’s orphanage in Ganthier, where a couple of children were seen walking through a yard. A security guard confirmed that it was the place the kidnapped missionaries visited before they were abducted. The guard called the orphanage’s pastor at the AP’s request, but he declined to comment, saying only, “Let’s leave things as they are.”Nearly a year ago, Haitian police issued a wanted poster for the gang’s alleged leader, Wilson Joseph, on charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, auto theft and the hijacking of trucks carrying goods. He goes by the nickname “Lanmò Sanjou,” which means “death doesn’t know which day it’s coming.”Joseph, who could not be immediately reached for comment, has posted videos detailing the alleged crimes the gang has committed in recent years.Once, when the gang opened fire on a small bus carrying several passengers and killed an infant, Wilson said it was not their fault because the bus driver refused to stop. In a more recent video, he appears holding a bottle of alcohol surrounded by heavily armed men. Another video from June shows people inside a church fleeing as gunfire erupted outside on a Saturday morning. The gang was accused of raiding the area and setting cars on fire.A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States is in touch with Haitian authorities to try to resolve the case.Christian Aid Ministries came under public scrutiny in 2019, when one of the group’s former workers based in Haiti was convicted of felony sexual abuse against minors in Ohio. Jeriah Mast, 40, is serving a nine-year sentence in an Ohio prison. During the hearing, the judge said Mast told him that he also molested at least 30 boys in Haiti in the span of about 15 years, according to The Daily Record newspaper in Ohio.The religious organization said in a May 2020 statement that it had reached an out-of-court settlement with victims regarding a sexual abuse case in the Haitian community of Petit Goave and had provided other victims with a total of $420,000 in restitution and other assistance.Amid the spike in kidnappings, gangs have demanded ransoms ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to more than $1 million, according to authorities.Last month, a deacon was killed in front of a church in the capital of Port-au-Prince and his wife kidnapped, one of dozens of people who have been abducted in recent months.At least 328 kidnappings were reported to Haiti’s National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a report issued last month by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti known as BINUH.Gangs have been accused of kidnapping schoolchildren, doctors, police officers, busloads of passengers and others as they grow more powerful. In April, a man who claimed to be the gang leader of the 400 Mawozo told a radio station that they were responsible for kidnapping five priests, two nuns and three relatives of one of the priests that month. They were later released.The spike in kidnappings and gang-related violence has forced Haitians to take detours around certain gang-controlled areas while others simply opt to stay home, which in turn means less money for people like Charles Pierre, a moto taxi driver in Port-au-Prince who has several children to feed.“People are not going out in the streets,” he said. “We cannot find people to transport.”A protest is scheduled for Monday to decry the nation’s lack of security.The kidnapping of the missionaries comes just days after high-level U.S. officials visited Haiti and promised more resources for Haiti’s National Police, including another $15 million to help reduce gang violence, which this year has displaced thousands of Haitians who now live in temporary shelters in increasingly unhygienic conditions.___