WASHINGTON—The Securities and Exchange Commission this week announced that it obtained a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, the appointment of a receiver, and other emergency relief to halt an ongoing $191&nbsp;million cattle Ponzi scheme being perpetrated by Fort Worth, Texas company<a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates"> Agridime LLC,</a> according to a media release from the commission.

<a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates">Agridime, LLC </a>claims to specialize in meat sales, distribution, and animal supply chain management, and its owners include Josh Link of Gilbert, Arizona, and Jed Wood of Fort Worth.

The company has over a dozen partner farmers including <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">Shady Brook</a> <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">Ranch in Herington, Kansas</a>, according to the company <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">web site.</a>

The SEC alleges that the <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates">Agridime, LLC</a> diverted millions of dollars of investor funds to make Ponzi payments and to pay undisclosed sales commissions to themselves and others.

“Agridime enticed investors with guarantees that they could ‘make money raising cattle without having to do all the work,’ but as we allege in our complaint, their promises of annual returns of 15‑32&nbsp;percent were, in the defendants’ own words, ‘too good to be true,’” said Eric Werner, Director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office.

According to the SEC’s complaint, filed on Dec. 11, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and unsealed on Dec. 13, the defendants have raised at least $191&nbsp;million from more than 2,100&nbsp;investors in at least 15 states by offering and selling investments related to the supposed purchase and sale of cattle. 

The defendants told investors that Agridime would use their funds to acquire, feed, and raise cattle on its network of ranches, and investors would help provide “fellow Americans with the highest quality farm fresh beef available.” However, as alleged in the complaint, the defendants did not purchase nearly enough cattle or generate sufficient revenues from cattle operations to deliver the promised returns. Instead, the complaint alleges that, since December 2022, the defendants have used at least $58&nbsp;million of new investor funds to make Ponzi payments to prior investors and more than $11&nbsp;million to pay undisclosed sales commissions to Wood, Link, Link’s wife, and other Agridime sales representatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The SEC’s complaint charges the defendants with violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws. In addition to the emergency relief granted by the Court, the SEC is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions, disgorgement, prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and officer and-director bars against Link and Wood. The court has scheduled a hearing for Dec. 20, 2023 on the SEC’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

WASHINGTON—The Securities and Exchange Commission this week announced that it obtained a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, the appointment of a receiver, and other emergency relief to halt an ongoing $191&nbsp;million cattle Ponzi scheme being perpetrated by Fort Worth, Texas company<a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates"> Agridime LLC,</a> according to a media release from the commission.<a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates">Agridime, LLC </a>claims to specialize in meat sales, distribution, and animal supply chain management, and its owners include Josh Link of Gilbert, Arizona, and Jed Wood of Fort Worth.The company has over a dozen partner farmers including <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">Shady Brook</a> <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">Ranch in Herington, Kansas</a>, according to the company <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/meet-our-farmers">web site.</a>The SEC alleges that the <a href="https://agridimestore.com/pages/affiliates">Agridime, LLC</a> diverted millions of dollars of investor funds to make Ponzi payments and to pay undisclosed sales commissions to themselves and others.“Agridime enticed investors with guarantees that they could ‘make money raising cattle without having to do all the work,’ but as we allege in our complaint, their promises of annual returns of 15‑32&nbsp;percent were, in the defendants’ own words, ‘too good to be true,’” said Eric Werner, Director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office.According to the SEC’s complaint, filed on Dec. 11, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and unsealed on Dec. 13, the defendants have raised at least $191&nbsp;million from more than 2,100&nbsp;investors in at least 15 states by offering and selling investments related to the supposed purchase and sale of cattle. The defendants told investors that Agridime would use their funds to acquire, feed, and raise cattle on its network of ranches, and investors would help provide “fellow Americans with the highest quality farm fresh beef available.” However, as alleged in the complaint, the defendants did not purchase nearly enough cattle or generate sufficient revenues from cattle operations to deliver the promised returns. Instead, the complaint alleges that, since December 2022, the defendants have used at least $58&nbsp;million of new investor funds to make Ponzi payments to prior investors and more than $11&nbsp;million to pay undisclosed sales commissions to Wood, Link, Link’s wife, and other Agridime sales representatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;The SEC’s complaint charges the defendants with violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the federal securities laws. In addition to the emergency relief granted by the Court, the SEC is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions, disgorgement, prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and officer and-director bars against Link and Wood. The court has scheduled a hearing for Dec. 20, 2023 on the SEC’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

SEC: $191 million cattle ponzi scheme involves Kan. location

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a home in Kansas City.

Just after 7p.m. Friday, police responded to report of a shooting at a home near St. John and White Avenue, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;&nbsp;

First responders found a boy inside the home with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police released no additional details including the name of the victim or suspect information early Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702730077462.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation -Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a home in Kansas City.Just after 7p.m. Friday, police responded to report of a shooting at a home near St. John and White Avenue, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;&nbsp; First responders found a boy inside the home with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police released no additional details including the name of the victim or suspect information early Saturday.

Homicide: Boy found with gunshot wound in Kansas City home

THOMAS COUNTY—Members of the Colby community helped round up cattle after an accident in Thomas County.

Just after 9a.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies and State Troopers responded to report of a semi full of cattle that overturned on Interstate 70 just east of the K184 Brewster exit, according to the Thomas County Sheriff's office.

Community members volunteered to get the cattle safely off the trailer and rounded up as some had escaped during the accident. There were no injuries reported.

The sheriff's office thanked local farmers and ranchers, Swartz Veterinary Hospital, Thomas County EMS,&nbsp; fire crews from Brewster and Colby, Evan Bottini and Evan Miller with the Colby Community College Rodeo Team, the Thomas County Fair Board and Butch's Body Shop.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702733321041.png" alt="Photos Thomas County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Thomas County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>THOMAS COUNTY—Members of the Colby community helped round up cattle after an accident in Thomas County.Just after 9a.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies and State Troopers responded to report of a semi full of cattle that overturned on Interstate 70 just east of the K184 Brewster exit, according to the Thomas County Sheriff's office.Community members volunteered to get the cattle safely off the trailer and rounded up as some had escaped during the accident. There were no injuries reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702733359870.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The sheriff's office thanked local farmers and ranchers, Swartz Veterinary Hospital, Thomas County EMS,&nbsp; fire crews from Brewster and Colby, Evan Bottini and Evan Miller with the Colby Community College Rodeo Team, the Thomas County Fair Board and Butch's Body Shop.

Kan. community helps round up cattle after semi overturns

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating report of a stolen vehicle and asking the public for help to locate and identify a suspect.

Just before 11a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of the 1600 block of NE 54th Street on the report of an unknown white female going door to door and acting suspiciously, according to Lt. Scott Wanamaker.&nbsp;

 While deputies were responding to the area, another homeowner who lived in the area contacted the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center to report that he was following a vehicle that he believed was just stolen from his neighbor in the 1700 block of NE 54th Street. 

The caller eventually lost sight of the stolen vehicle due to the erratic driving of the suspect.

A short time later, members of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant’s Unit were attempting to serve a warrant in the 1100 block of SW Washburn Avenue. 

While approaching the residence on foot the deputies recognized the vehicle that had been reported to be stolen occupied by an unknown man. 

As the deputies were approaching the stolen vehicle the man fled the scene driving the vehicle towards the deputies on foot and striking the Fugitive Warrants Unit vehicle. 

A short time later the stolen vehicle was found nearby and abandoned. A search of the area was conducted by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s office and the Topeka Police Department, but the suspect was not located.

Anyone with information or who can identify of the subject(s) that were seen in the area of NE 54th street or the 1100 block SW Washburn Ave is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office as soon as possible at (785) 251-2200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702679192880.png" alt="photo of suspect Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo of suspect Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating report of a stolen vehicle and asking the public for help to locate and identify a suspect.Just before 11a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of the 1600 block of NE 54th Street on the report of an unknown white female going door to door and acting suspiciously, according to Lt. Scott Wanamaker.&nbsp; While deputies were responding to the area, another homeowner who lived in the area contacted the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center to report that he was following a vehicle that he believed was just stolen from his neighbor in the 1700 block of NE 54th Street. The caller eventually lost sight of the stolen vehicle due to the erratic driving of the suspect.A short time later, members of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant’s Unit were attempting to serve a warrant in the 1100 block of SW Washburn Avenue. While approaching the residence on foot the deputies recognized the vehicle that had been reported to be stolen occupied by an unknown man. As the deputies were approaching the stolen vehicle the man fled the scene driving the vehicle towards the deputies on foot and striking the Fugitive Warrants Unit vehicle. A short time later the stolen vehicle was found nearby and abandoned. A search of the area was conducted by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s office and the Topeka Police Department, but the suspect was not located.Anyone with information or who can identify of the subject(s) that were seen in the area of NE 54th street or the 1100 block SW Washburn Ave is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office as soon as possible at (785) 251-2200.

Sheriff: Woman was going door-to-door before Kan. vehicle theft

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said.

The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III and the earlier assault on the Al Jasrah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-missile-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-b2478db9aaad81ca447e6a393480f9a8">escalate a maritime campaign</a>&nbsp;by the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthis</a>. The attacks also endanger ships traveling through a vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments for both Europe and Asia from the Suez Canal out to the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to end the pounding Israeli air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-14-2023-a9d904ed51ea5cfa98966c8f203cbc45">that country's war on Hamas</a>. However, the links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the attacks continue</a>.

“The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the (Red Sea) until they bring in the food and medicine that our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need,” the Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a statement claiming responsibility for Friday's attacks.

Meanwhile, hijackers, likely from Somalia, separately seized a Bulgarian ship in the Arabian Sea.

A U.S. defense official and the private intelligence firm Ambrey said the MSC Palatium III, a Liberian-flagged container ship, caught fire after the strike.&nbsp;

Two missiles were fired in the attack, likely trying to hit the Al Jasrah, the U.S. official said. One went wide and splashed down in the water, the other slammed into the Palatium, the official said.

The Palatium turned around after the attack and was now trying to head south, tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed.

The Switzerland-based MSC, or Mediterranean Shipping Co., earlier had another vessel, the MSC Alanya, warned by the Houthis around the Bab el-Mandeb, Ambrey said. “The parent company had cooperated with Israel, and this was likely the reason why she was threatened.”

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the earlier Al Jasrah attack, it remained unclear if it was a missile or drone that hit the vessel, the official said. Ambrey and the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast shipping lanes, also confirmed that attack.

“The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said. “The projectile caused a ‘fire on deck’ which was broadcast via” radio.

The Al Jasrah is operated by German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd, which said no crew member had been hurt in the attack.

“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said, without elaborating.

Ambrey noted that Hapag-Lloyd “is known to have offices in the Israeli ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Tel Aviv.”

In his statement, military spokesman Saree claimed the Houthis targeted the Palatium III and the Alanya — not the Al Jasrah. It wasn't immediately clear why he erroneously identified the second ship.

The attacks Friday further escalate a campaign by the Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for a series of missile assaults in recent days that just missed shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On Thursday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that missed a container ship traveling through the strait.

The day before that, two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel</a>&nbsp;near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Also near the strait, a missile fired by Houthis on Monday night slammed into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea</a>.

Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">brief pause in fighting</a>&nbsp;during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce has raised the risk of more sea attacks.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it. An estimated $1 trillion in goods pass through the strait annually.

In November, Houthis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-red-sea-ship-yemen-houthis-65b611ff878a411900037e7c9a8ee17b">seized a vehicle transport ship</a>&nbsp;linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-ship-drone-attack-symi-39929cae42a191b2f242896a053123a7">came under attack</a>&nbsp;by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.

A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government has held for months despite that country’s long war. That’s raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Also Thursday, unknown attackers boarded the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Ruen, managed by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, in the Arabian Sea off the Yemeni island of Socotra, Ambrey and the UKMTO said. Bulgarian authorities said the ship’s 18-member crew hailed from Angola, Bulgaria and Myanmar.

“The necessary steps have been taken to pass the information on to all foreign partners and institutions that we will count on to provide assistance,” Bulgarian Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel told reporters Friday.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault. However, suspicion immediately fell on pirates from Somalia. Somali piracy had dropped in recent years, but there has been growing concern it could resume amid the wider chaos of the Houthi attacks and the political uncertainty gripping the east African nation.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a cargo ship Friday in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following another attack only hours earlier that struck a separate vessel, authorities said.The missile attack on the MSC Palatium III and the earlier assault on the Al Jasrah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-ship-attack-missile-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-b2478db9aaad81ca447e6a393480f9a8">escalate a maritime campaign</a>&nbsp;by the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/houthis">Houthis</a>. The attacks also endanger ships traveling through a vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments for both Europe and Asia from the Suez Canal out to the Indian Ocean.The Houthis say their attacks aim to end the pounding Israeli air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-12-14-2023-a9d904ed51ea5cfa98966c8f203cbc45">that country's war on Hamas</a>. However, the links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the attacks continue</a>.“The Yemeni armed forces confirm they will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the (Red Sea) until they bring in the food and medicine that our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need,” the Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a statement claiming responsibility for Friday's attacks.Meanwhile, hijackers, likely from Somalia, separately seized a Bulgarian ship in the Arabian Sea.A U.S. defense official and the private intelligence firm Ambrey said the MSC Palatium III, a Liberian-flagged container ship, caught fire after the strike.&nbsp;Two missiles were fired in the attack, likely trying to hit the Al Jasrah, the U.S. official said. One went wide and splashed down in the water, the other slammed into the Palatium, the official said.The Palatium turned around after the attack and was now trying to head south, tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed.The Switzerland-based MSC, or Mediterranean Shipping Co., earlier had another vessel, the MSC Alanya, warned by the Houthis around the Bab el-Mandeb, Ambrey said. “The parent company had cooperated with Israel, and this was likely the reason why she was threatened.”The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. MSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In the earlier Al Jasrah attack, it remained unclear if it was a missile or drone that hit the vessel, the official said. Ambrey and the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Mideast shipping lanes, also confirmed that attack.“The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said. “The projectile caused a ‘fire on deck’ which was broadcast via” radio.The Al Jasrah is operated by German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd, which said no crew member had been hurt in the attack.“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said, without elaborating.Ambrey noted that Hapag-Lloyd “is known to have offices in the Israeli ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Tel Aviv.”In his statement, military spokesman Saree claimed the Houthis targeted the Palatium III and the Alanya — not the Al Jasrah. It wasn't immediately clear why he erroneously identified the second ship.The attacks Friday further escalate a campaign by the Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility for a series of missile assaults in recent days that just missed shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.On Thursday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that missed a container ship traveling through the strait.The day before that, two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-ship-attacks-us-navy-1727df3d95e548c6e4d20b51f096268f">missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel</a>&nbsp;near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Also near the strait, a missile fired by Houthis on Monday night slammed into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-attack-houthi-rebels-red-sea-946b40e6393af6216c0b6ef734311be9">a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea</a>.Global shipping has increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">brief pause in fighting</a>&nbsp;during which Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The collapse of the truce has raised the risk of more sea attacks.The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passes through it. An estimated $1 trillion in goods pass through the strait annually.In November, Houthis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-red-sea-ship-yemen-houthis-65b611ff878a411900037e7c9a8ee17b">seized a vehicle transport ship</a>&nbsp;linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-ship-drone-attack-symi-39929cae42a191b2f242896a053123a7">came under attack</a>&nbsp;by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.A separate, tentative cease-fire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s exiled government has held for months despite that country’s long war. That’s raised concerns that any wider conflict in the sea — or a potential reprisal strike from Western forces — could reignite those tensions in the Arab world’s poorest nation.Also Thursday, unknown attackers boarded the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Ruen, managed by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, in the Arabian Sea off the Yemeni island of Socotra, Ambrey and the UKMTO said. Bulgarian authorities said the ship’s 18-member crew hailed from Angola, Bulgaria and Myanmar.“The necessary steps have been taken to pass the information on to all foreign partners and institutions that we will count on to provide assistance,” Bulgarian Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel told reporters Friday.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault. However, suspicion immediately fell on pirates from Somalia. Somali piracy had dropped in recent years, but there has been growing concern it could resume amid the wider chaos of the Houthi attacks and the political uncertainty gripping the east African nation.

U.S. warships monitor more ballistic missile attacks in Red Sea

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 GMC Yukon XL driven by Aaron&nbsp;Freeman, 42, Kansas City, Kansas, was westbound on Riverview Avenue one half mile south of Interstate 70.

The driver slowed to turn south on North 78th Street, struck the raised median and overturned and he was ejected.

EMS transported Freeman to KU Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 GMC Yukon XL driven by Aaron&nbsp;Freeman, 42, Kansas City, Kansas, was westbound on Riverview Avenue one half mile south of Interstate 70.The driver slowed to turn south on North 78th Street, struck the raised median and overturned and he was ejected.EMS transported Freeman to KU Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after ejected when SUV overturns

HARVEY COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement authorities are investigating after a woman was shot in Newton.

Just before 2a.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a shooting in the 2000 block of Terrace Drive in Newton, according to a media release from from police.

A man at the house reported his 74-year-old wife had been shot and refused to answer any further questions.

EMS transported the victim to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with life-threatening injuries. Police arrested her husband identified as 70-year-old Edward Altum. He is being held in the Harvey County Jail on a requested charge of attempted murder. Police also recovered&nbsp; gun at the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702667856753.png" alt="Altum-photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Altum-photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY&nbsp; — Law enforcement authorities are investigating after a woman was shot in Newton.Just before 2a.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a shooting in the 2000 block of Terrace Drive in Newton, according to a media release from from police.A man at the house reported his 74-year-old wife had been shot and refused to answer any further questions.EMS transported the victim to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with life-threatening injuries. Police arrested her husband identified as 70-year-old Edward Altum. He is being held in the Harvey County Jail on a requested charge of attempted murder. Police also recovered&nbsp; gun at the scene.

Kansas man accused of attempting to kill his wife

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that seriously injured a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old from Wichita continue to search for a suspect.

just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at the intersection of 15th Street North and Poplar Avenue in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;

First responders located the 15-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and the 14-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right upper leg. EMS transported both victims to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Both victims underwent surgery and are in stable condition.

Detectives are still working to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and had not made an arrest, Rebolledo reported early Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702502344958.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investstigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investstigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a shooting that seriously injured a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old from Wichita continue to search for a suspect.just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting call at the intersection of 15th Street North and Poplar Avenue in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.&nbsp;First responders located the 15-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and the 14-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right upper leg. EMS transported both victims to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Both victims underwent surgery and are in stable condition.Detectives are still working to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and had not made an arrest, Rebolledo reported early Friday.

Search continues for Kan. suspect who shot 14, 15-year-old

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his Oct. 28 death, deemed an accident.

The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed.

Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed the autopsy the following day.

The actor had taken drugs in the past but had been “reportedly clean for 19 months," according to the report. The coroner said he was reported to have been having ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was 1 1/2 weeks before his death.

Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report says, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from errands.

The assistant told investigators Perry had not been sick, had not made any health complaints, and had not shown evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.

Perry was open about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">discussing his struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">time on “Friends”</a>&nbsp;in the 1990s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698541233773.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-dead-drowning-friends-f2963e83691d2bd2a8626d85a69c73cb">Matthew Perry</a>&nbsp;died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday.The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of his pool,” but that it was a secondary factor in his Oct. 28 death, deemed an accident.The report says coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder, also contributed.Perry was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. Investigators performed the autopsy the following day.The actor had taken drugs in the past but had been “reportedly clean for 19 months," according to the report. The coroner said he was reported to have been having ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety, and his last treatment was 1 1/2 weeks before his death.Perry had played pickleball earlier in the day, the report says, and his assistant, who lives with him, found him face down in the pool after returning from errands.The assistant told investigators Perry had not been sick, had not made any health complaints, and had not shown evidence of recent alcohol or drug use.Perry was open about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-foundation-death-addiction-aa74b3e424c652a4325166231057ecd4">discussing his struggles with addiction</a>&nbsp;dating back to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-china-friends-fandom-0876bc8bf20b613c336d8c684eb5524f">time on “Friends”</a>&nbsp;in the 1990s.

Medical examiner reports cause of death for Matthew Perry

WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-trump-election-indictments-georgia-eb2ff2ca7a94f9f80e95e897584c8e7d">Rudy Giuliani</a>, the former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor,&nbsp;for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">upended their lives</a>&nbsp;with racist threats and harassment.

The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.

Giuliani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-lawsuit-9b561a195fb74d991abc89d1b6587d66">had already been found liable</a>&nbsp;in the case and previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-lawsuit-false-statements-afc64a565ee778c6914a1a69dc756064">conceded in court documents</a>&nbsp;that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the Washington, D.C., courthouse this week.

Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong but insisted that Giuliani was not fully responsible for the vitriol the women faced. The defense sought to largely pin the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the two women counting ballots.

The judgment adds to growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who was among the loudest proponents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of election fraud that are now a key part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases against the former president</a>.

Giuliani had already been showing signs of financial strain as he defends himself against costly lawsuits and investigations stemming from his representation of Trump. His lawyer suggested that the defamation case could financially ruin the former mayor, saying “it would be the end of Mr. Giuliani.”

And Giuliani is still facing his biggest test yet: fighting criminal charges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-indictment-arraignment-trump-giuliani-c5abbd260f44947a1c01211136108bfe">the Georgia case</a>&nbsp;accusing Trump and 18 others of working to subvert the results of the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden, in that state. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty and characterized the case as politically motivated.

Jurors in the defamation case heard recordings of Giuliani falsely accusing the election workers of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theories through his social media accounts. Lawyers for Moss and Freeman, who are Black, also played for jurors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-moss-freeman-defamation-19fbeae3f5231654b4625787a78419e0">audio recordings of the graphic and racist threats</a>&nbsp;the women received.

The women’s lawyers asked for at least $24 million for each woman in defamation damages alone. They also sought compensation for their emotional harm and punitive damages.

On the witness stand, Moss and Freeman described fearing for their lives as hateful messages poured in. Moss told jurors she tried to change her appearance, seldom leaves her home and suffers from panic attacks. Her mother described strangers banging on her door and recounted fleeing her home after people came with bullhorns and the FBI told her she wasn’t safe.

“It’s so scary, anytime I go somewhere, if I have to use my name,” Freeman said, gasping through her tears to get her words out. “I miss my old neighborhood because I was me, I could introduce myself. Now I don’t have a name, really.”

Defense attorney Joseph Sibley told jurors they should compensate the women for what they are owed, but he urged them to “remember this is a great man.”

An attorney for Moss and Freeman, in his closing argument, highlighted how Giuliani has not stopped repeating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">false conspiracy theory</a>&nbsp;asserting the workers interfered in the November 2020 presidential election. Attorney Michael Gottlieb played a video of Giuliani outside the courthouse on Monday, in which Giuliani falsely claimed the women were “engaged in changing votes.”

“Mr. Giuliani has shown over and over again he will not take our client’s names out of his mouth,” Gottlieb said. “Facts will not stop him. He says he isn’t sorry and he’s telegraphing he will do this again. Believe him.”

The judge overseeing the election workers’ lawsuit had already ordered Giuliani and his business entities to pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. In holding Giuliani liable, the judge ruled that the former mayor gave “only lip service” to complying with his legal obligations while trying to portray himself as the victim in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692827609455.png" alt="Giuliani photo Fulton County" />
 <figcaption>Giuliani photo Fulton County</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A jury awarded $148 million in damages on Friday to two former Georgia election workers who sued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-trump-election-indictments-georgia-eb2ff2ca7a94f9f80e95e897584c8e7d">Rudy Giuliani</a>, the former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor,&nbsp;for defamation over lies he spread about them in 2020 that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">upended their lives</a>&nbsp;with racist threats and harassment.The damages verdict follows emotional testimony from Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, who tearfully described becoming the target of a false conspiracy theory pushed by Giuliani and other Republicans as they tried to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.Giuliani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-lawsuit-9b561a195fb74d991abc89d1b6587d66">had already been found liable</a>&nbsp;in the case and previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-lawsuit-false-statements-afc64a565ee778c6914a1a69dc756064">conceded in court documents</a>&nbsp;that he falsely accused the women of ballot fraud. Even so, the former New York City mayor continued to repeat his baseless allegations about the women in comments to reporters outside the Washington, D.C., courthouse this week.Giuliani’s lawyer acknowledged that his client was wrong but insisted that Giuliani was not fully responsible for the vitriol the women faced. The defense sought to largely pin the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the two women counting ballots.The judgment adds to growing financial and legal peril for Giuliani, who was among the loudest proponents of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of election fraud that are now a key part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/index.html">criminal cases against the former president</a>.Giuliani had already been showing signs of financial strain as he defends himself against costly lawsuits and investigations stemming from his representation of Trump. His lawyer suggested that the defamation case could financially ruin the former mayor, saying “it would be the end of Mr. Giuliani.”And Giuliani is still facing his biggest test yet: fighting criminal charges in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-indictment-arraignment-trump-giuliani-c5abbd260f44947a1c01211136108bfe">the Georgia case</a>&nbsp;accusing Trump and 18 others of working to subvert the results of the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden, in that state. Giuliani has pleaded not guilty and characterized the case as politically motivated.Jurors in the defamation case heard recordings of Giuliani falsely accusing the election workers of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theories through his social media accounts. Lawyers for Moss and Freeman, who are Black, also played for jurors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giuliani-georgia-election-workers-moss-freeman-defamation-19fbeae3f5231654b4625787a78419e0">audio recordings of the graphic and racist threats</a>&nbsp;the women received.The women’s lawyers asked for at least $24 million for each woman in defamation damages alone. They also sought compensation for their emotional harm and punitive damages.On the witness stand, Moss and Freeman described fearing for their lives as hateful messages poured in. Moss told jurors she tried to change her appearance, seldom leaves her home and suffers from panic attacks. Her mother described strangers banging on her door and recounted fleeing her home after people came with bullhorns and the FBI told her she wasn’t safe.“It’s so scary, anytime I go somewhere, if I have to use my name,” Freeman said, gasping through her tears to get her words out. “I miss my old neighborhood because I was me, I could introduce myself. Now I don’t have a name, really.”Defense attorney Joseph Sibley told jurors they should compensate the women for what they are owed, but he urged them to “remember this is a great man.”An attorney for Moss and Freeman, in his closing argument, highlighted how Giuliani has not stopped repeating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-georgia-election-workers-defamation-trial-0151222465923e9dcad489adb7661f0a">false conspiracy theory</a>&nbsp;asserting the workers interfered in the November 2020 presidential election. Attorney Michael Gottlieb played a video of Giuliani outside the courthouse on Monday, in which Giuliani falsely claimed the women were “engaged in changing votes.”“Mr. Giuliani has shown over and over again he will not take our client’s names out of his mouth,” Gottlieb said. “Facts will not stop him. He says he isn’t sorry and he’s telegraphing he will do this again. Believe him.”The judge overseeing the election workers’ lawsuit had already ordered Giuliani and his business entities to pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. In holding Giuliani liable, the judge ruled that the former mayor gave “only lip service” to complying with his legal obligations while trying to portray himself as the victim in the case.___

'America's Mayor' ordered to pay $148M to election workers he defamed

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney Kris Kobach has renewed a legal fight against the second-largest gas marketer in the U.S., alleging the company gouged Kansans on natural gas prices during an 2021 winter storm.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The new filing comes months after Kobach lost his first suit against the company on a technicality.&nbsp;

The lawsuit,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/fs-macquarie-cea-and-kfca-complaint.pdf">refiled Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Kansas’ U.S. District Court, alleges Macquarie Energy cost Kansans $50 million in excessive charges by purchasing gas from Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline at inflated prices. Those charges were passed along to consumers when the Kansas Corporate Commission set out rate hikes for state energy companies to recoup expenditures.

“It’s disgraceful that Macquarie would manipulate prices at a time when Kansans were already hurting from the storm,” Kobach said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to recover what was taken from those Kansans.”

During the stretch of cold weather, temperatures were below freezing in several parts of the state for days, including in Kansas City, where temperatures stayed below 15 degrees for more than a week.&nbsp;

Natural gas prices were about $2.50 per unit in early February of 2021 and began climbing as the weather dropped, increasing to $329.6 per unit by the middle of the month, and staying at that level from Feb. 13-16. On Feb. 17, the price was about 200 times higher than normal, at $622.8 per unit.&nbsp;

“Macquarie entered into an economically irrational natural gas trade, purchasing natural gas for next-day delivery within Southern Star at the single highest price ever paid for Southern Star natural gas,” reads the suit. “No one has ever paid more.&nbsp; Indeed, no one has ever paid any fixed price for Southern Star gas even remotely close to what Macquarie agreed to pay.”

Former Kansas attorney general Derek Schmidt&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/ag-says-winter-natural-gas-price-spikes-appear-to-violate-kansas-law-seeks-help-for-investigation/">originally began looking into price gouging</a>&nbsp;in 2021, hiring the Florida-based law firm of Morgan &amp; Morgan for the case. Schmidt ran for governor rather than seeking re-election to his position in 2022, and Kobach took over the investigation after he was elected to the office.

Kobach lost his first federal lawsuit on the issue in October due to a technical mistake in the case filing made after he fired Morgan &amp; Morgan. Two attorneys from&nbsp;Nebraska-based law firm Hilgers Graben have joined AG staff attorneys for the refiling.&nbsp;

“Macquarie’s manipulative conduct and trading activity deprived Kansas residents of a lawfully operating natural gas market,” reads the suit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Jim Zakoura, an energy attorney&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/07/kansas-energy-lawyer-presses-for-inquiry-of-potential-market-manipulation-in-2021-cold-snap/">currently involved</a>&nbsp;in two federal class action lawsuits against several energy companies involving these gas price hikes, said he approved of Kobach’s lawsuit.&nbsp;

“I highly commend the attorney general for the hard work to bring this matter to the federal court,” Zakoura said. “If proven, it puts to an end the position of the natural gas suppliers that the inordinate high price, even compared to the rest of the Midwest, was simply a matter of supply and demand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702669606120.png" alt=" Natural gas prices spiked during a 2021 cold snap. Attorney General Kris Kobach is re-filing a lawsuit on the matter. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Natural gas prices spiked during a 2021 cold snap. Attorney General Kris Kobach is re-filing a lawsuit on the matter. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney Kris Kobach has renewed a legal fight against the second-largest gas marketer in the U.S., alleging the company gouged Kansans on natural gas prices during an 2021 winter storm.&nbsp; &nbsp;The new filing comes months after Kobach lost his first suit against the company on a technicality.&nbsp;The lawsuit,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/fs-macquarie-cea-and-kfca-complaint.pdf">refiled Wednesday</a>&nbsp;in Kansas’ U.S. District Court, alleges Macquarie Energy cost Kansans $50 million in excessive charges by purchasing gas from Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline at inflated prices. Those charges were passed along to consumers when the Kansas Corporate Commission set out rate hikes for state energy companies to recoup expenditures.“It’s disgraceful that Macquarie would manipulate prices at a time when Kansans were already hurting from the storm,” Kobach said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to recover what was taken from those Kansans.”During the stretch of cold weather, temperatures were below freezing in several parts of the state for days, including in Kansas City, where temperatures stayed below 15 degrees for more than a week.&nbsp;Natural gas prices were about $2.50 per unit in early February of 2021 and began climbing as the weather dropped, increasing to $329.6 per unit by the middle of the month, and staying at that level from Feb. 13-16. On Feb. 17, the price was about 200 times higher than normal, at $622.8 per unit.&nbsp;“Macquarie entered into an economically irrational natural gas trade, purchasing natural gas for next-day delivery within Southern Star at the single highest price ever paid for Southern Star natural gas,” reads the suit. “No one has ever paid more.&nbsp; Indeed, no one has ever paid any fixed price for Southern Star gas even remotely close to what Macquarie agreed to pay.”Former Kansas attorney general Derek Schmidt&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/ag-says-winter-natural-gas-price-spikes-appear-to-violate-kansas-law-seeks-help-for-investigation/">originally began looking into price gouging</a>&nbsp;in 2021, hiring the Florida-based law firm of Morgan &amp; Morgan for the case. Schmidt ran for governor rather than seeking re-election to his position in 2022, and Kobach took over the investigation after he was elected to the office.Kobach lost his first federal lawsuit on the issue in October due to a technical mistake in the case filing made after he fired Morgan &amp; Morgan. Two attorneys from&nbsp;Nebraska-based law firm Hilgers Graben have joined AG staff attorneys for the refiling.&nbsp;“Macquarie’s manipulative conduct and trading activity deprived Kansas residents of a lawfully operating natural gas market,” reads the suit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jim Zakoura, an energy attorney&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/07/kansas-energy-lawyer-presses-for-inquiry-of-potential-market-manipulation-in-2021-cold-snap/">currently involved</a>&nbsp;in two federal class action lawsuits against several energy companies involving these gas price hikes, said he approved of Kobach’s lawsuit.&nbsp;“I highly commend the attorney general for the hard work to bring this matter to the federal court,” Zakoura said. “If proven, it puts to an end the position of the natural gas suppliers that the inordinate high price, even compared to the rest of the Midwest, was simply a matter of supply and demand.”

Kan. AG re-files lawsuit over alleged 2021 natural gas price manipulation

JERUSALEM (AP)—The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, military officials said.

The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.

The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days. He said the army expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president was set to meet Friday with U.S. officials to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza that could include reactivating Palestinian security forces driven out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;in its 2007 takeover of the territory.

Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-overall-security-responsibility-gaza-b86055806b733f41b6d7b4e2f0974985">maintain an open-ended security presence</a>&nbsp;there. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.

While Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it wipes out Gaza's Hamas rulers, the international call for a cease-fire has grown in volume. Israel has drawn international outrage and rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">criticism from the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— its main ally — over the killing of civilians.

More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701204582165.png" alt="File photo Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Israeli soldiers look at photos of people killed and taken captive by Hamas militants during their violent rampage through the Nova music festival in southern Israel, which are displayed at the site of the event(AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP)—The Israeli military on Friday mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, military officials said.The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israeli troops found the hostages and erroneously identified them as a threat. He said it was not clear if they had escaped their captors or been abandoned.The deaths occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops have engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days. He said the army expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating.Meanwhile, the Palestinian president was set to meet Friday with U.S. officials to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza that could include reactivating Palestinian security forces driven out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hamas-gaza-palestinian-authority-israel-war-ed7018dbaae09b81513daf3bda38109a">Hamas</a>&nbsp;in its 2007 takeover of the territory.Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-overall-security-responsibility-gaza-b86055806b733f41b6d7b4e2f0974985">maintain an open-ended security presence</a>&nbsp;there. The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.While Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it wipes out Gaza's Hamas rulers, the international call for a cease-fire has grown in volume. Israel has drawn international outrage and rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071">criticism from the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— its main ally — over the killing of civilians.More than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">raided southern Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hostages-gaza-b6ffc286ca7d4b48caaada43e9c6e411">about 240 hostages</a>.----------

Israeli military: 3 hostages mistakenly killed in Gaza

KANSAS CITY —A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned separate indictments charging federal inmates with crimes.

James Thompson, 50, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on November 9, 2023. Thompson was serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. Northern District of Georgia. He is still missing, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

In a separate case, Jeremiah L. Harris, 44, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on June 23, 2023. Harris is serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri.

The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the cases involving Thompson and Harris.

According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Thaddeus D. Daniel, 45, allegedly attacked a corrections officer at U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth where Daniel is an inmate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.&nbsp;.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699585891299.png" alt="Thompson photo U.S. Bureau of Prisons" />
 <figcaption>Thompson photo U.S. Bureau of Prisons</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned separate indictments charging federal inmates with crimes.James Thompson, 50, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on November 9, 2023. Thompson was serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. Northern District of Georgia. He is still missing, according to the Bureau of Prisons.In a separate case, Jeremiah L. Harris, 44, of U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth, was indicted on one count of escape from custody for an alleged escape on June 23, 2023. Harris is serving a prison sentence following a conviction in the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri.The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating the cases involving Thompson and Harris.According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Thaddeus D. Daniel, 45, allegedly attacked a corrections officer at U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth where Daniel is an inmate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.&nbsp;.

Federal inmate charged with alleged escape from custody in Kansas

WILSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Friday in Wilson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Mazda 3 driven by Andrew Daniel Brown, 18, Fredonia, was southbound on New Albany Road one half mile south of New Albany.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The car traveled off the road to the south, stuck the ditch, went airborne hitting a tree and rolled onto its top.

A passenger in the car identified as Jaryn Levi Yarnell, 19, Erie, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. 

EMS transported Brown and a second passenger David Joseph Powell, 18, Douglas, to Wesley Medical Center. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

WILSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Friday in Wilson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Mazda 3 driven by Andrew Daniel Brown, 18, Fredonia, was southbound on New Albany Road one half mile south of New Albany.The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The car traveled off the road to the south, stuck the ditch, went airborne hitting a tree and rolled onto its top.A passenger in the car identified as Jaryn Levi Yarnell, 19, Erie, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. EMS transported Brown and a second passenger David Joseph Powell, 18, Douglas, to Wesley Medical Center. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dies, 2 others injured after violent rollover crash

ATCHISON — The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is in the final stretch of online voting as one of 16 new museums across the United States nominated for the “Best New Museum” by USA Today's Reader’s Choice Travel Awards for 2024, according to a media release from the museum.

<a href="https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-new-museum-2024/amelia-earhart-hangar-museum-atchison-kansas/?fbclid=IwAR0QphtjAkRrQnuTxuG2LyY2t1eusqa7HtNd8IkSCTILLAHD1TbLz65OhYs">Click here to vote</a>

Voting continues for the public to vote online every day until 12 Noon ET on December 25. 

  “With thousands of Amelia Earhart fans and admirers casting their vote for us — every day —  until Christmas Day — we think the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum can soar to the top spot,” said Mindi Love Pendergraft, the museum’s executive director. 

  Celebrating Earhart’s aviation legacy in aviator’s Atchison, Kansas, hometown, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is the only museum in the Midwest among the 16 new museums nominated across United States. 

As of December 14, the Museum is ranking at #4 on USA Leaderboard for Best New Museum. Other nominated museums include The Punk Rock Museum in Los Vegas, NV; the Museum of Broadway in New York, NY; the Gettysburg Beyond Battle Museum in Gettsyburg, PA; the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, NY; and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art &amp; Culture in Riverside, Calif. 

 “This special honor will not only shine a bright spotlight on our state-of-the-art museum in Amelia’s hometown, but also heighten the nation’s interest in exploring the many stellar museums and tourism attractions across Kansas and the Midwest,” added Love Pendergraft. 

 Named by Smithsonian Magazine as one of The Most Anticipated Museum Openings of 2023, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum has been captivating visitors since its April grand opening with Earhart’s inspiring aviation legacy in the aviator’s Atchison, Kansas hometown. The Museum’s centerpiece, “Muriel,” is the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, "Muriel" is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. The state-of-the-art museum blends highly&nbsp;&nbsp;interactive STEM and historical storytelling to take visitors through Earhart's life as a trailblazing aviator who defied the odds to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. 

 The winner will be announced on Friday, January 5 at noon ET. USA Today 10Best provides original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.  

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681315373041.jpeg" alt="photo Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum" />
 <figcaption>photo Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON — The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is in the final stretch of online voting as one of 16 new museums across the United States nominated for the “Best New Museum” by USA Today's Reader’s Choice Travel Awards for 2024, according to a media release from the museum.<a href="https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-new-museum-2024/amelia-earhart-hangar-museum-atchison-kansas/?fbclid=IwAR0QphtjAkRrQnuTxuG2LyY2t1eusqa7HtNd8IkSCTILLAHD1TbLz65OhYs">Click here to vote</a>Voting continues for the public to vote online every day until 12 Noon ET on December 25. “With thousands of Amelia Earhart fans and admirers casting their vote for us — every day — until Christmas Day — we think the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum can soar to the top spot,” said Mindi Love Pendergraft, the museum’s executive director. Celebrating Earhart’s aviation legacy in aviator’s Atchison, Kansas, hometown, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is the only museum in the Midwest among the 16 new museums nominated across United States. As of December 14, the Museum is ranking at #4 on USA Leaderboard for Best New Museum. Other nominated museums include The Punk Rock Museum in Los Vegas, NV; the Museum of Broadway in New York, NY; the Gettysburg Beyond Battle Museum in Gettsyburg, PA; the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, NY; and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art &amp; Culture in Riverside, Calif. “This special honor will not only shine a bright spotlight on our state-of-the-art museum in Amelia’s hometown, but also heighten the nation’s interest in exploring the many stellar museums and tourism attractions across Kansas and the Midwest,” added Love Pendergraft. Named by Smithsonian Magazine as one of The Most Anticipated Museum Openings of 2023, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum has been captivating visitors since its April grand opening with Earhart’s inspiring aviation legacy in the aviator’s Atchison, Kansas hometown. The Museum’s centerpiece, “Muriel,” is the world's last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E. Named after Earhart's younger sister, "Muriel" is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. The state-of-the-art museum blends highly&nbsp;&nbsp;interactive STEM and historical storytelling to take visitors through Earhart's life as a trailblazing aviator who defied the odds to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The winner will be announced on Friday, January 5 at noon ET. USA Today 10Best provides original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.

Vote: Kan. museum in running for top new museum in U.S.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a deadly fire at a home in St. Marys.

On Thursday afternoon, crews responded to a fire at a home near the intersection of N 8th Street and Linn Street in the city of St. Marys, according to a statement from the city police and fire department.

Crews promptly contained and extinguished the fire. First responders discovered a single deceased occupant within the home. 

&nbsp;The cause of death and circumstances of the fire remains under investigation by the state Fire Marshal's office. Authorities released no additional details late Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702644459951.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating a deadly fire at a home in St. Marys.On Thursday afternoon, crews responded to a fire at a home near the intersection of N 8th Street and Linn Street in the city of St. Marys, according to a statement from the city police and fire department.Crews promptly contained and extinguished the fire. First responders discovered a single deceased occupant within the home. &nbsp;The cause of death and circumstances of the fire remains under investigation by the state Fire Marshal's office. Authorities released no additional details late Thursday.

Deadly fire at Kansas home under investigation

SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas have notified the public of fentanyl located in the city of Liberal, according a a media release from the Liberal Police Department.

Law enforcement learned that fentanyl is being mixed with a multitude of other drugs including meth, cocaine, Xylazine and the manufacture of counterfeit prescription drugs that are packaged to look like the original drug.

On Dec. 11, police executed a search warrant in the 700 Block of East Spruce Street in Liberal as part of&nbsp; an ongoing death investigation. Officers located approximately 2 pounds of fentanyl, fentanyl test strips, ledgers, scales and baggies.&nbsp;

A lethal dose of fentanyl is considered to be 2 mg. Police seized an amount that had the potential to provide 500,000 fatal doses.

Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation should contact police.

SEWARD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas have notified the public of fentanyl located in the city of Liberal, according a a media release from the Liberal Police Department.Law enforcement learned that fentanyl is being mixed with a multitude of other drugs including meth, cocaine, Xylazine and the manufacture of counterfeit prescription drugs that are packaged to look like the original drug.On Dec. 11, police executed a search warrant in the 700 Block of East Spruce Street in Liberal as part of&nbsp; an ongoing death investigation. Officers located approximately 2 pounds of fentanyl, fentanyl test strips, ledgers, scales and baggies.&nbsp;A lethal dose of fentanyl is considered to be 2 mg. Police seized an amount that had the potential to provide 500,000 fatal doses.Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation should contact police.

Police found 2 pounds of fentanyl in SW Kan. death investigation

TOPEKA —It's time to vote for your favorite license plate among five designs created by Mammoth Creative Co., a Kansas-based marketing firm, in partnership with Kansas Tourism for the next official State of Kansas standard issue license plate.

<a href="https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ks/plates">Click here to vote</a>&nbsp;on your choice of design.

Voting will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15.

The proposed designs were chosen in part because they align with Kansas Tourism design standards, with law enforcement needs, and with the following guidelines, according to a media release from the governor's office.

Kansans can vote on their favorite design as many times as they’d like between 9 a.m. CT on Monday, December 11, 2023, and 5 p.m. CT on Friday, December 15, 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702310334406.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —It's time to vote for your favorite license plate among five designs created by Mammoth Creative Co., a Kansas-based marketing firm, in partnership with Kansas Tourism for the next official State of Kansas standard issue license plate.<a href="https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ks/plates">Click here to vote</a>&nbsp;on your choice of design.Voting will end at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15.The proposed designs were chosen in part because they align with Kansas Tourism design standards, with law enforcement needs, and with the following guidelines, according to a media release from the governor's office.<ul>
 <li>License plate numbers will be seven (7) digits.</li><li>Any phrase, motto, or slogan must be placed at the bottom of the license plate.</li><li>Any graphic must be placed on either side of the license plate number.</li><li>Graphics must not resemble letters, numbers, or special characters in a way that would interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.</li><li>Background design must not interfere with the ability to read the license plate number.</li><li>The license plate must have a light background behind the license plate number, and the license plate number must be black.</li>
 </ul>Kansans can vote on their favorite design as many times as they’d like between 9 a.m. CT on Monday, December 11, 2023, and 5 p.m. CT on Friday, December 15, 2023.

Final day to vote on new Kansas license plate design

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was departing Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass wartime support for Ukraine, but Senate negotiators and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;administration were still racing to wrap up a border security compromise to unlock the stalemate before the end of the year.

The Senate planned to come back next week in hopes of passing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package of aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security and finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border. But the House showed no sign of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.

Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved through the holidays would mean the Biden administration would have to rely on a dwindling supply of funds for Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been vital to Ukraine’s defending against Russia’s invasion, but an emboldened Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-press-conference-moscow-ukraine-ef4e88fda50e6ad75b8a1979b95d9fcc">Vladimir Putin earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;recommitted to his goals in the war.

Repelling Russia has been one of Biden’s chief foreign policy goals. But the Democratic president is facing stiff opposition from Republicans in Congress — both from populist conservatives who no longer want to fund the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">nearly two-year-old conflict</a>&nbsp;and GOP senators who have been traditional allies to Ukraine’s defense but insist that the U.S. also enact policies aimed at cutting the historic number of migrants who are arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Top administration officials, including White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Biden’s legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, met with Senate negotiators Thursday evening. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, rescheduled the Senate to return to Washington on Monday to give negotiators more time to reach the framework of a deal.

“We have to get this done,” Schumer said, adding that he would push for a Senate vote on the funding package next week even if an agreement is not in place.

In an earlier speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said that the deadlock in Congress has left “Putin mocking our resolve.” He cast the decisions facing lawmakers as a potential turning point of history: “There is too much on the line for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy, to throw in the towel right now.”

But the House ended work and departed for the holidays, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showing no sign he will have members return until the second week of January.

In fact, Johnson’s office sent around a clip from a Zelenskyy interview suggesting aid could wait until the new year.

Senate Republicans also expressed doubt there was time left this year to both reach an agreement and work through writing the text of legislation, with Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio saying there would be a “revolt” by Republicans if they were forced into a quick vote.

A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials were expected to work through the weekend narrowing a list of priorities aimed at curtailing the number of migrants applying for asylum at the U.S. border.

“We are making progress, I feel more confident today than I did yesterday,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who has often been central to Senate deal-making, told The Associated Press.

Faced with historic numbers of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico, the White House has negotiated a change to the law that would allow Homeland Security officials to stop migrants from applying for asylum if the number of total crossings exceeded a certain capacity.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-israel-funding-us-mexico-border-e1da808689aeef52308d19010a5e3cfa">Negotiators have also considered several other policies</a>&nbsp;that resemble those pursued under former President Donald Trump’s administration, including detaining people who claim asylum at the border and granting nationwide authority to quickly remove migrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years.

Sinema declined to discuss details of the talks but said her aim was to craft a package that has both the policy and funding to “create an orderly, safe, secure and humane process” for seeking asylum or immigrating for “other legal reasons.” She added that negotiators understand they will lose support from wings of both conservatives and progressives, but were aiming to pass the package in the Senate with majorities of both parties.

“There will probably be folks on the edges of the political spectrum who are not happy with a solution that secures our border, brings order and is humane,” Sinema said.

In one friction point in talks, the White House has resisted Republican demands to curtail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">a humanitarian parole program</a>&nbsp;that has allowed tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S., often at ports of entry other than the border, according to several people familiar with the talks who discussed them only on the condition of anonymity.

Still, immigration advocates have been dismayed at the White House’s concessions in the talks.

Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Democrat who has spearheaded Senate resistance to the plans, said he has told Biden “to be careful because Republicans are hellbent on dragging us into harmful policy territory.”

Congress has struggled for decades to find any agreement on border and immigration policy, yet Republicans argue that the Biden administration opened the door for a policy negotiation both by including border-related funding in the national security package and openly calling for Congress to take up reforms.

But the complicated and contentious nature of the issue prompted many GOP senators to conclude that there would be no deal for Ukraine aid this year, even as they pledged to prove Putin wrong for doubting U.S. support for Ukraine.

“Sometimes democracies take a little more time, but the resolve is real,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

Some Democrats fretted that leaving the funding deadlock hanging for weeks could precipitate the deal’s collapse.

“Actions speak louder than words,” said Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702600274009.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says there will be a vote next week on the national security supplemental aid request for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, as well as border security.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says there will be a vote next week on the national security supplemental aid request for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, as well as border security.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was departing Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass wartime support for Ukraine, but Senate negotiators and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;administration were still racing to wrap up a border security compromise to unlock the stalemate before the end of the year.The Senate planned to come back next week in hopes of passing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$110 billion package of aid</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel and other national security and finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border. But the House showed no sign of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved through the holidays would mean the Biden administration would have to rely on a dwindling supply of funds for Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been vital to Ukraine’s defending against Russia’s invasion, but an emboldened Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-press-conference-moscow-ukraine-ef4e88fda50e6ad75b8a1979b95d9fcc">Vladimir Putin earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;recommitted to his goals in the war.Repelling Russia has been one of Biden’s chief foreign policy goals. But the Democratic president is facing stiff opposition from Republicans in Congress — both from populist conservatives who no longer want to fund the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">nearly two-year-old conflict</a>&nbsp;and GOP senators who have been traditional allies to Ukraine’s defense but insist that the U.S. also enact policies aimed at cutting the historic number of migrants who are arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico.Top administration officials, including White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and Biden’s legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff, met with Senate negotiators Thursday evening. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, rescheduled the Senate to return to Washington on Monday to give negotiators more time to reach the framework of a deal.“We have to get this done,” Schumer said, adding that he would push for a Senate vote on the funding package next week even if an agreement is not in place.In an earlier speech on the Senate floor, Schumer said that the deadlock in Congress has left “Putin mocking our resolve.” He cast the decisions facing lawmakers as a potential turning point of history: “There is too much on the line for Ukraine, for America, for Western democracy, to throw in the towel right now.”But the House ended work and departed for the holidays, with Republican Speaker Mike Johnson showing no sign he will have members return until the second week of January.In fact, Johnson’s office sent around a clip from a Zelenskyy interview suggesting aid could wait until the new year.Senate Republicans also expressed doubt there was time left this year to both reach an agreement and work through writing the text of legislation, with Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio saying there would be a “revolt” by Republicans if they were forced into a quick vote.A core group of Senate negotiators and Biden administration officials were expected to work through the weekend narrowing a list of priorities aimed at curtailing the number of migrants applying for asylum at the U.S. border.“We are making progress, I feel more confident today than I did yesterday,” Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who has often been central to Senate deal-making, told The Associated Press.Faced with historic numbers of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico, the White House has negotiated a change to the law that would allow Homeland Security officials to stop migrants from applying for asylum if the number of total crossings exceeded a certain capacity.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-israel-funding-us-mexico-border-e1da808689aeef52308d19010a5e3cfa">Negotiators have also considered several other policies</a>&nbsp;that resemble those pursued under former President Donald Trump’s administration, including detaining people who claim asylum at the border and granting nationwide authority to quickly remove migrants who have been in the U.S. for less than two years.Sinema declined to discuss details of the talks but said her aim was to craft a package that has both the policy and funding to “create an orderly, safe, secure and humane process” for seeking asylum or immigrating for “other legal reasons.” She added that negotiators understand they will lose support from wings of both conservatives and progressives, but were aiming to pass the package in the Senate with majorities of both parties.“There will probably be folks on the edges of the political spectrum who are not happy with a solution that secures our border, brings order and is humane,” Sinema said.In one friction point in talks, the White House has resisted Republican demands to curtail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-982e96527e266b46dc95388f31a93824">a humanitarian parole program</a>&nbsp;that has allowed tens of thousands of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S., often at ports of entry other than the border, according to several people familiar with the talks who discussed them only on the condition of anonymity.Still, immigration advocates have been dismayed at the White House’s concessions in the talks.Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Democrat who has spearheaded Senate resistance to the plans, said he has told Biden “to be careful because Republicans are hellbent on dragging us into harmful policy territory.”Congress has struggled for decades to find any agreement on border and immigration policy, yet Republicans argue that the Biden administration opened the door for a policy negotiation both by including border-related funding in the national security package and openly calling for Congress to take up reforms.But the complicated and contentious nature of the issue prompted many GOP senators to conclude that there would be no deal for Ukraine aid this year, even as they pledged to prove Putin wrong for doubting U.S. support for Ukraine.“Sometimes democracies take a little more time, but the resolve is real,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.Some Democrats fretted that leaving the funding deadlock hanging for weeks could precipitate the deal’s collapse.“Actions speak louder than words,” said Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.

Senators delay holiday to work on $110B funding for Ukraine, Israel

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating report of a stolen vehicle and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating report of a stolen vehicle and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.Just before 11a.m. Thursday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of the 1600 block of NE 54th Street on the report of an unknown white female going door to door and acting suspiciously, according to Lt. Scott Wanamaker.&nbsp; While deputies were responding to the area, another homeowner whom lived in the area contacted the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center to report that he was following a vehicle that he believed was just stolen from his neighbor in the 1700 block of NE 54th Street. The caller eventually lost sight of the stolen vehicle due to the erratic driving of the suspect.A short time later, members of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant’s Unit were attempting to serve a warrant in the 1100 block of SW Washburn Avenue. While approaching the residence on foot the deputies recognized the vehicle that had been reported to be stolen occupied by an unknown man. As the deputies were approaching the stolen vehicle the man fled the scene driving the vehicle towards the deputies on foot and striking the Fugitive Warrants Unit vehicle. A short time later the stolen vehicle was found nearby and abandoned. A search of the area was conducted by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s office and the Topeka Police Department, but the male suspect was not located.Anyone with information or video of the subject(s) that were seen in the area of NE 54th street or the 1100 block SW Washburn Ave is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office as soon as possible at (785) 251-2200.