WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday&nbsp; &nbsp;to one count of distribution of a controlled substance which resulted in death.

According to court documents, on July 31, 2019, Tyler Ralls, 35, of Wichita gave Michael Marsalla, 35, an M30 pill while the two men were working together at a company in Park City. 

Ralls admits that he knew the pill contained fentanyl and knew that Marsalla didn’t have a tolerance for fentanyl.

When Marsalla didn’t arrive at work the next day and couldn’t be reached, Ralls drove to Marsalla’s house in Valley Center and found him unresponsive. 

After calling 911, Ralls phoned his source for fentanyl pills to discuss whether anyone had ever died after taking them. Emergency responders pronounced Marsalla deceased at the scene. A subsequent autopsy determined the victim died of fentanyl toxicity.

“Because of the enormous influx of counterfeit pills into our communities, anytime a person ingests pills that they didn’t get directly from a medical professional, they are at great risk of dying of fentanyl overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Michael Marsalla accepted a pill from someone he thought he could trust. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced, and it cost Mr. Marsalla his life.”

Ralls is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Valley Center Police Department are investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698196158370.png" alt="Ralls is being held in Butler County, according to online jail records" />
 <figcaption>Ralls is being held in Butler County, according to online jail records</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday&nbsp; &nbsp;to one count of distribution of a controlled substance which resulted in death.According to court documents, on July 31, 2019, Tyler Ralls, 35, of Wichita gave Michael Marsalla, 35, an M30 pill while the two men were working together at a company in Park City. Ralls admits that he knew the pill contained fentanyl and knew that Marsalla didn’t have a tolerance for fentanyl.When Marsalla didn’t arrive at work the next day and couldn’t be reached, Ralls drove to Marsalla’s house in Valley Center and found him unresponsive. After calling 911, Ralls phoned his source for fentanyl pills to discuss whether anyone had ever died after taking them. Emergency responders pronounced Marsalla deceased at the scene. A subsequent autopsy determined the victim died of fentanyl toxicity.“Because of the enormous influx of counterfeit pills into our communities, anytime a person ingests pills that they didn’t get directly from a medical professional, they are at great risk of dying of fentanyl overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Michael Marsalla accepted a pill from someone he thought he could trust. Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced, and it cost Mr. Marsalla his life.”Ralls is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Valley Center Police Department are investigating the case.

Kan. man gave co-worker fentanyl laced pill that led to death

CHAUTAUQUA —One person died in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Chautauqua County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Impala driven by Grace N.&nbsp; Prince, 15, Sedan, was eastbound on U.S. 166 approximately four miles west of Kansas 99.

The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2023 Dodge Charger driven by Charles R. Hockett, 38,&nbsp;Mundelein, Illinois.

After impact Hockett lost control of the Charger. An eastbound 2019 Kia Soul driven by Pamela J. Long, 54,&nbsp;Niotaze, Kansas, struck the Charger.

Long was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. Two juveniles were present in the Kia; juvenile record protected data, according to the KHP.

EMS transported&nbsp;Prince and Hockett to Sedan City Hospital. Long was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

CHAUTAUQUA —One person died in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Wednesday in Chautauqua County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Impala driven by Grace N.&nbsp; Prince, 15, Sedan, was eastbound on U.S. 166 approximately four miles west of Kansas 99.The car crossed the center line and struck a westbound 2023 Dodge Charger driven by Charles R. Hockett, 38,&nbsp;Mundelein, Illinois.After impact Hockett lost control of the Charger. An eastbound 2019 Kia Soul driven by Pamela J. Long, 54,&nbsp;Niotaze, Kansas, struck the Charger.Long was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. Two juveniles were present in the Kia; juvenile record protected data, according to the KHP.EMS transported&nbsp;Prince and Hockett to Sedan City Hospital. Long was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies in 3-vehicle crash

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOHN HANNA&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are calling a massive computer outage that’s kept most of the state’s courts offline for two weeks a “security incident” and, while they have provided no explanation, experts say it has all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack.

The disruption has left attorneys unable to search online records and forced them to file motions the old fashioned way — on paper. Courts are limping along, although the growing piles of paper are a mess that will have to be sorted and scanned eventually.

“It's really just slowed the whole system down," said Chris Joseph, a Lawrence-based criminal defense attorney.

Since 2019, ransomware groups have targeted 18 state, city or municipal court systems, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. That includes one in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-ransomware-attack-32e4213465e4532616179c94a79ac706">Dallas</a>, where some jury trials had to be canceled this year.

But state-focused attacks have been much less frequent, and have not yet rivaled what is happening in Kansas.

Liska noted Tuesday that a short-lived attack in 2019 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b591a908451e4af99bfb486b5da3d037">Georgia</a>&nbsp;shut down some court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b591a908451e4af99bfb486b5da3d037">websites</a>&nbsp;and forced some court dates to be rescheduled. A cybersecurity threat forced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-technology-courts-government-and-politics-e9094a1cf900effcbe6f64db7a7b8e66">Alaska’s courts</a>&nbsp;offline for about a week in 2021.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hacking-tx-state-wire-technology-us-news-courts-474453285863aebab0a2fe239f493548">Texas’</a>&nbsp;top criminal and civil courts were hit with a ransomware attack in 2020 but the filing system remained operational and trial courts weren't affected.

In Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-courts-cybersecurity-problem-network-offline-4b6df97e1563c86e03ce531f4e12e80a">the first sign of trouble</a>&nbsp;came on Oct. 12 when the state's Judicial Branch announced a pause in electronic filings because of a “security incident." The details released since have been sparse.

Judicial branch spokesperson Lisa Taylor declined to answer questions including whether the courts had determined that this was a malicious attack, whether there’s been a demand for a ransom or when the systems will be back up.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said only that is is “engaged” in examining the problems, along with “federal partners,” said spokesperson Melissa Underwood.

No ransomware group has come forward to claim credit for the prolonged outage, analysts said. But Liska said it is “highly unlikely” that this is anything but a ransomware attack.

“The fact that they’re calling it a cyber incident says that it’s nefarious,” Liska said.

Notably spared was Johnson County in the Kansas City area, the state’s most populous county. It operates its own computer systems and had not yet switched over to the state's new online court system.

The effort to switch to a single, statewide system for tracking and managing cases started in 2018 under a 10-year, $11.5 million contract with Dallas-based Tyler Technologies. Tyler, which has similar contracts in around a dozen other states, referred questions to state court officials.

States have been moving toward statewide systems for more than a decades. On the security front, there are pros and cons, said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.

“On the pro side, economies of scale mean more resources should be able to be committed to protecting and securing that system," he said. "On the con side, when an attack does succeed ... it’s going to knock out the entire state system rather than simply an individual county or municipality.”

Additionally, if security is not adequately built in during the rollout, systems can be more vulnerable, Liska said.

A risk assessment of the state's court system, issued last year, is kept “permanently confidential” under state law. But two recent audits of other state agencies identified weaknesses. The most recent one, released in July, said that “agency leaders don’t know or sufficiently prioritize their IT security responsibilities.”

With the system down, courts haven’t been able to accept electronic filings, process payments, manage cases, grant public access to records, allow people to file electronically for protection-from-abuse orders and to apply electronically for marriage licenses.

In Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita, Judge Phil Journey said Wednesday that although he is known as a “techie” judge, he’s still maintained extensive paper files. That's allowing him to move forward with his family law cases. But, he said, other judges who were more reliant on digital files are faced with postponing trials.

“All I know is that we’re on paper for at least another week,” he said. “We’ll be killing a lot of trees.”

In Wyandotte County, also in the Kansas City area, the outage has caused some delays, but trials are proceeding, said Jonathan Carter, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office. A massive ransomware attack last year in the county crippled key services, including the court system. Whether that is related to what is happening now is unclear.

Meanwhile, older attorneys are finding their skills in high demand, as they teach younger attorneys to use faxes and file with paper, said Karla Whitaker, interim executive director of the Kansas Bar Association.

“The wheels of justice are turning,” she said Wednesday. “But I think it’s just happening in a different way at a different pace right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662999292005.png" alt="&nbsp;The Kansas Judicial Center, home to the state Supreme Court." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Kansas Judicial Center, home to the state Supreme Court.</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are calling a massive computer outage that’s kept most of the state’s courts offline for two weeks a “security incident” and, while they have provided no explanation, experts say it has all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack.The disruption has left attorneys unable to search online records and forced them to file motions the old fashioned way — on paper. Courts are limping along, although the growing piles of paper are a mess that will have to be sorted and scanned eventually.“It's really just slowed the whole system down," said Chris Joseph, a Lawrence-based criminal defense attorney.Since 2019, ransomware groups have targeted 18 state, city or municipal court systems, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. That includes one in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dallas-ransomware-attack-32e4213465e4532616179c94a79ac706">Dallas</a>, where some jury trials had to be canceled this year.But state-focused attacks have been much less frequent, and have not yet rivaled what is happening in Kansas.Liska noted Tuesday that a short-lived attack in 2019 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b591a908451e4af99bfb486b5da3d037">Georgia</a>&nbsp;shut down some court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b591a908451e4af99bfb486b5da3d037">websites</a>&nbsp;and forced some court dates to be rescheduled. A cybersecurity threat forced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-technology-courts-government-and-politics-e9094a1cf900effcbe6f64db7a7b8e66">Alaska’s courts</a>&nbsp;offline for about a week in 2021.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hacking-tx-state-wire-technology-us-news-courts-474453285863aebab0a2fe239f493548">Texas’</a>&nbsp;top criminal and civil courts were hit with a ransomware attack in 2020 but the filing system remained operational and trial courts weren't affected.In Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-courts-cybersecurity-problem-network-offline-4b6df97e1563c86e03ce531f4e12e80a">the first sign of trouble</a>&nbsp;came on Oct. 12 when the state's Judicial Branch announced a pause in electronic filings because of a “security incident." The details released since have been sparse.Judicial branch spokesperson Lisa Taylor declined to answer questions including whether the courts had determined that this was a malicious attack, whether there’s been a demand for a ransom or when the systems will be back up.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said only that is is “engaged” in examining the problems, along with “federal partners,” said spokesperson Melissa Underwood.No ransomware group has come forward to claim credit for the prolonged outage, analysts said. But Liska said it is “highly unlikely” that this is anything but a ransomware attack.“The fact that they’re calling it a cyber incident says that it’s nefarious,” Liska said.Notably spared was Johnson County in the Kansas City area, the state’s most populous county. It operates its own computer systems and had not yet switched over to the state's new online court system.The effort to switch to a single, statewide system for tracking and managing cases started in 2018 under a 10-year, $11.5 million contract with Dallas-based Tyler Technologies. Tyler, which has similar contracts in around a dozen other states, referred questions to state court officials.States have been moving toward statewide systems for more than a decades. On the security front, there are pros and cons, said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.“On the pro side, economies of scale mean more resources should be able to be committed to protecting and securing that system," he said. "On the con side, when an attack does succeed ... it’s going to knock out the entire state system rather than simply an individual county or municipality.”Additionally, if security is not adequately built in during the rollout, systems can be more vulnerable, Liska said.A risk assessment of the state's court system, issued last year, is kept “permanently confidential” under state law. But two recent audits of other state agencies identified weaknesses. The most recent one, released in July, said that “agency leaders don’t know or sufficiently prioritize their IT security responsibilities.”With the system down, courts haven’t been able to accept electronic filings, process payments, manage cases, grant public access to records, allow people to file electronically for protection-from-abuse orders and to apply electronically for marriage licenses.In Sedgwick County, home to the state’s largest city of Wichita, Judge Phil Journey said Wednesday that although he is known as a “techie” judge, he’s still maintained extensive paper files. That's allowing him to move forward with his family law cases. But, he said, other judges who were more reliant on digital files are faced with postponing trials.“All I know is that we’re on paper for at least another week,” he said. “We’ll be killing a lot of trees.”In Wyandotte County, also in the Kansas City area, the outage has caused some delays, but trials are proceeding, said Jonathan Carter, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office. A massive ransomware attack last year in the county crippled key services, including the court system. Whether that is related to what is happening now is unclear.Meanwhile, older attorneys are finding their skills in high demand, as they teach younger attorneys to use faxes and file with paper, said Karla Whitaker, interim executive director of the Kansas Bar Association.“The wheels of justice are turning,” she said Wednesday. “But I think it’s just happening in a different way at a different pace right now.”

Kan. court system down in `security incident' that has hallmarks of ransomware

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal traffic crash have made an arrest.

Just after 10p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a traffic collision involving an SUV and pedestrian at the intersection of 13th and Greenwich in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Preliminary findings from the investigation revealed that 71-year-old Bill Wineinger had been involved&nbsp; collision with a Ford Explorer at the intersection. 

All parties involved in the initial collision sustained non-life-threatening injuries. As Mr. Wineinger exited his vehicle to assess the damage, a black Toyota 4-Runner, traveling east on 13th Street entered the intersection and struck Wineinger's vehicle.&nbsp; The impact caused it to hit him. This secondary collision caused fatal injuries to Wineinger.

Police took the driver of the 4-Runner, identified as a 41-year-old woman from&nbsp; Wichita, into custody and and she was booked on requested charges of Involuntary Manslaughter. Police have not released her name as they continue to investigate.

This is the 28th traffic fatality for the year. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698230117464.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal traffic crash have made an arrest.Just after 10p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a traffic collision involving an SUV and pedestrian at the intersection of 13th and Greenwich in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.Preliminary findings from the investigation revealed that 71-year-old Bill Wineinger had been involved&nbsp; collision with a Ford Explorer at the intersection. All parties involved in the initial collision sustained non-life-threatening injuries. As Mr. Wineinger exited his vehicle to assess the damage, a black Toyota 4-Runner, traveling east on 13th Street entered the intersection and struck Wineinger's vehicle.&nbsp; The impact caused it to hit him. This secondary collision caused fatal injuries to Wineinger.Police took the driver of the 4-Runner, identified as a 41-year-old woman from&nbsp; Wichita, into custody and and she was booked on requested charges of Involuntary Manslaughter. Police have not released her name as they continue to investigate.This is the 28th traffic fatality for the year.

Driver jailed after SUV strikes, kills Kan. man at scene of earlier crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.

Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge.

Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.”

But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” Trump said.

Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after a Trump social media post maligning the clerk.

The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court Wednesday. But that post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-contempt-new-york-ce593e3ee07d95bb6ec7e2de23f47dc9">$5,000 fine</a>&nbsp;for Trump last Friday.

Three of Trump’s attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and they reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.

Earlier Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;returned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-michael-cohen-fraud-new-york-8e49619e3f5ebb6931e6947c4dabda87">the witness stand</a>&nbsp;as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of his onetime personal attorney turned adversary.

With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.

Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump’s White House — Cohen insisted he never sought one — and asked whether he had “significant animosity" toward Trump.

“Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do,” Cohen replied.

“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked.

After a long pause, Cohen said, “Yes.”

Cohen worked as Trump’s lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohen’s 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8b9d39ea54374ae296a9a8401bf58cb8">prison sentence</a>&nbsp;for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump’s campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women’s stories were false.

Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-explainer-judge-business-empire-5e37f1468bd8ef63fff2e284886e3b8c">exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings</a>&nbsp;on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons.

During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.”

In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and he sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.

Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.

Outside court, Trump said the trial was “very unfair” and a “pure political witch hunt.” Nonetheless, he said, “We’re happy with the way it’s going.”

“We have the facts on our side,” Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.

Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698261736155.png" alt="-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday in New York. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>-Former President Donald Trump during a break in his civil business fraud trial at New York Supreme Court, Wednesday in New York. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was called to the witness stand and then fined $10,000 on Wednesday after a judge concluded that the former president had violated a limited gag order in his civil fraud trial. It was the second time in less than a week that Trump was penalized for his out-of-court comments.Before imposing the latest fine, Judge Arthur Engoron summoned Trump from the defense table to testify about his comment to reporters hours earlier about “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge.Trump and his lawyers said that comment was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump law, and not about the clerk. Trump told the judge from the witness stand that his remark about partisans was aimed at “you and Cohen.”But Trump did not conceal his frustration with the clerk. “I think she’s very biased against us, I think we’ve made that clear,” Trump said.Engoron on Oct. 3 had ordered all participants in the trial not to comment publicly about his staff, a restriction issued after a Trump social media post maligning the clerk.The judge had ordered Trump to take down that post and Trump did, which the former president noted in court Wednesday. But that post had lingered on his campaign website for weeks, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-fraud-contempt-new-york-ce593e3ee07d95bb6ec7e2de23f47dc9">$5,000 fine</a>&nbsp;for Trump last Friday.Three of Trump’s attorneys objected to the $10,000 fine and they reiterated Trump's claim that the clerk was biased.Earlier Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-cohen">Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;returned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-letitia-james-michael-cohen-fraud-new-york-8e49619e3f5ebb6931e6947c4dabda87">the witness stand</a>&nbsp;as the defense team tried to undermine the credibility and question the motives of his onetime personal attorney turned adversary.With Trump at the defense table, his lawyer Alina Habba confronted Cohen with comments he had made praising Trump, before turning on him when Cohen's legal problems started in 2018.Habba tried to suggest that Cohen had angled unsuccessfully for a job in Trump’s White House — Cohen insisted he never sought one — and asked whether he had “significant animosity" toward Trump.“Do I have animosity toward him? Yes I do,” Cohen replied.“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” Habba asked.After a long pause, Cohen said, “Yes.”Cohen worked as Trump’s lawyer and fixer for many years, before Cohen’s 2018 federal prosecution, guilty pleas and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8b9d39ea54374ae296a9a8401bf58cb8">prison sentence</a>&nbsp;for tax evasion, making false statements on a bank loan application, lying to Congress and making illegal contributions to Trump’s campaign. The contributions were in the form of payouts to women who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump, who said the women’s stories were false.Cohen is now a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case against Trump. James alleges that Trump habitually&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-explainer-judge-business-empire-5e37f1468bd8ef63fff2e284886e3b8c">exaggerated the value of his real estate holdings</a>&nbsp;on financial documents that helped him get loans and insurance and make deals.Trump denies any wrongdoing and says James, a Democrat, is targeting the leading Republican presidential candidate in 2024 for partisan reasons.During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen said he and key executives at Trump's company worked to inflate the estimated values of their employer's holdings so documents given to banks and others would match a net worth that Trump had set “arbitrarily.”In cross-examining Cohen, Habba emphasized his federal criminal convictions and worked to portray him as a liar, especially after he said Tuesday he had lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and loan application lies. Cohen asserted that he did not really commit those crimes and he sought to portray his conduct as a matter of omissions and failure to correct paperwork.Habba returned to those themes Wednesday, underscoring that Cohen had admitted in open court to lying under oath in a federal courthouse next door.Outside court, Trump said the trial was “very unfair” and a “pure political witch hunt.” Nonetheless, he said, “We’re happy with the way it’s going.”“We have the facts on our side,” Trump said. He's expected to testify later in the trial but meanwhile has voluntarily attended several days of the proceedings.Cohen is also expected to be an important prosecution witness in a criminal trial scheduled for next spring in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records. That case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington.___

Trump fined $10,000 over a comment he made outside court 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-republicans-emmer-mccarthy-c7ddb6abf4c7322f9fc44fdaa07791fc">House speaker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.

When called for his vote, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann shouted, "I like Mike!" The GOP members of the House roared with approval.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office.

“We are ready to get to work again,” he said after taking the gavel.

To the American people watching he said, “Our mission here is to serve you well and to restore the people’s faith in this House.”

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy's ouster</a>&nbsp;as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party's top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn't want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">more than enough</a>&nbsp;to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson's name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.

“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.

Jeffries said House Democrats will work with Republicans whenever possible for the “good of the country.”

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnson's rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-thomas-emmer-united-states-house-of-representatives-hockey-744b602f30285f3398da09d1489f37dd">Tom Emmer</a>, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker gives Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.

Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system, and colleagues swiftly started giving him their support.

“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy's ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">a shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$105 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;— to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-interim-congress-north-carolina-15b8b6cc20afa9d8f18d84765d776736">Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">give McHenry more power</a>&nbsp;to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698250303541.png" alt="New House Speaker Mike Johnson -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>New House Speaker Mike Johnson -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-republicans-emmer-mccarthy-c7ddb6abf4c7322f9fc44fdaa07791fc">House speaker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.When called for his vote, Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann shouted, "I like Mike!" The GOP members of the House roared with approval.Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office.“We are ready to get to work again,” he said after taking the gavel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congratulations Speaker Mike Johnson! Mike is a God-fearing father of four and a dedicated public servant. As the House GOP Vice Chair and member of the Judiciary Committee, he has fought to defend our Constitutional rights, hold the Biden administration accountable, and… <a href="https://t.co/iLwpHIcr62">pic.twitter.com/iLwpHIcr62</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1717253014254158322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>To the American people watching he said, “Our mission here is to serve you well and to restore the people’s faith in this House.”A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what had become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy's ouster</a>&nbsp;as GOP factions jockeyed for power. While not the party's top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.Far-right members had refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives didn't want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during a private party roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">more than enough</a>&nbsp;to sink his nomination.But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson's name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for a standing ovation.“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump's legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.Jeffries said House Democrats will work with Republicans whenever possible for the “good of the country.”Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls. Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.Johnson's rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-republican-party-thomas-emmer-united-states-house-of-representatives-hockey-744b602f30285f3398da09d1489f37dd">Tom Emmer</a>, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.Elevating Johnson to speaker gives Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid as speaker.Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system, and colleagues swiftly started giving him their support.“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy's ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.The federal government risks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">a shutdown</a>&nbsp;in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Biden has asked Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">$105 billion in aid</a>&nbsp;— to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don't agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month's funding deadline.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-interim-congress-north-carolina-15b8b6cc20afa9d8f18d84765d776736">Rep. Patrick McHenry</a>, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-powers-mchenry-875bebd218096a5252840cd8f52cc137">give McHenry more power</a>&nbsp;to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.___

Kan. Congressman: I like Mike; House finally elects new Speaker

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and military officials are working to safely dispose of war memorabilia found at a Kansas home.&nbsp;

Just after 8:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a past burglary in the 2500 block of SE Virginia Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols

First responders located historic war memorabilia that caused concern and the Topeka Police bomb squad was called to the scene.

Due to the potential of military ordinance, per protocol, Topeka Police hazardous device technicians requested the expertise of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit from Ft. Riley. The EOD is currently investigating the memorabilia to render it safe.

Just before noon, police said that there is believed to be no immediate danger to the public.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698252137915.png" alt="police on the scene of the investigation Wednesday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>police on the scene of the investigation Wednesday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement and military officials are working to safely dispose of war memorabilia found at a Kansas home.&nbsp;Just after 8:30a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a past burglary in the 2500 block of SE Virginia Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie NicholsFirst responders located historic war memorabilia that caused concern and the Topeka Police bomb squad was called to the scene.Due to the potential of military ordinance, per protocol, Topeka Police hazardous device technicians requested the expertise of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit from Ft. Riley. The EOD is currently investigating the memorabilia to render it safe.Just before noon, police said that there is believed to be no immediate danger to the public.&nbsp;

Police found war memorabilia at Kan. home, called  bomb squad

&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>,&nbsp;Department of Defense

The Pentagon announced that a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The aircraft will work alongside an array of capabilities the Defense Department has sent to the region in recent days to further enhance the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves.

Since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, militia groups backed by Iran have, on more than a dozen occasions, attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism missions in both Iraq and Syria.&nbsp;

"We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing today. "What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran."&nbsp;

In response, this past weekend, the department deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to Centcom, and directed to the region a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas, and additional Patriot missile battalions from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.&nbsp;

The aircraft movement announced today involves F-16s from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.&nbsp;

A variety of military units have been put on prepare-to-deploy orders, though none of those have yet been activated, he said.

The effort to protect U.S. forces in the region is one of three primary objectives the department has focused on since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Ryder said the department is also focused on supporting Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks and deterring a broader conflict in the region.&nbsp;

To assist Israel in its defense he said the U.S. has rushed in security assistance to enable Israel Defense Forces to restore security and protect the Israeli people.&nbsp;

"As we've highlighted, this includes capabilities requested by Israel, to include precision guided munitions, small diameter bombs, artillery, ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors and other critical equipment. We continue to stay in close contact with our Israeli partners on their defense needs and remain committed to the security of Israel," Ryder said.&nbsp;

The department has also provided advisors to Israel to help officials there mitigate civilian casualties as they conduct their military planning. Those advisors, Ryder noted, have deep experience in urban combat.&nbsp;

"Since [the] Hamas terrorist attack, we've also been crystal clear that we do not want to see the situation in Israel [widen] into a broader regional conflict," he said. " ... Our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is: Don't."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698241827937.png" alt="F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron, of the New Jersey Air National Guard, prepare to land at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J., July 31, 2021. The squadron has been identified to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility-photo Department of Defense." />
 <figcaption>F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing, 119th Fighter Squadron, of the New Jersey Air National Guard, prepare to land at the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, N.J., July 31, 2021. The squadron has been identified to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility-photo Department of Defense.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>,&nbsp;Department of DefenseThe Pentagon announced that a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The aircraft will work alongside an array of capabilities the Defense Department has sent to the region in recent days to further enhance the ability of U.S. forces to defend themselves.Since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, militia groups backed by Iran have, on more than a dozen occasions, attacked U.S. forces conducting counterterrorism missions in both Iraq and Syria.&nbsp;"We know that the groups conducting these attacks are supported by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian regime," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing today. "What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region, in the very near term, coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran."&nbsp;In response, this past weekend, the department deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group to Centcom, and directed to the region a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss, Texas, and additional Patriot missile battalions from both Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.&nbsp;The aircraft movement announced today involves F-16s from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.&nbsp;A variety of military units have been put on prepare-to-deploy orders, though none of those have yet been activated, he said.The effort to protect U.S. forces in the region is one of three primary objectives the department has focused on since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Ryder said the department is also focused on supporting Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks and deterring a broader conflict in the region.&nbsp;To assist Israel in its defense he said the U.S. has rushed in security assistance to enable Israel Defense Forces to restore security and protect the Israeli people.&nbsp;"As we've highlighted, this includes capabilities requested by Israel, to include precision guided munitions, small diameter bombs, artillery, ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors and other critical equipment. We continue to stay in close contact with our Israeli partners on their defense needs and remain committed to the security of Israel," Ryder said.&nbsp;The department has also provided advisors to Israel to help officials there mitigate civilian casualties as they conduct their military planning. Those advisors, Ryder noted, have deep experience in urban combat.&nbsp;"Since [the] Hamas terrorist attack, we've also been crystal clear that we do not want to see the situation in Israel [widen] into a broader regional conflict," he said. " ... Our message to any country or group thinking about trying to take advantage of this situation to widen the conflict is: Don't."

Squadron of US F-16 fighter jets has arrived in the Middle East

TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansans have been charged through criminal complaint in Topeka in connection with a robbery that occurred on October 16, 2023, at money lending business, LendNation, according to the United State's Attorney.

LendNation, located on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, is a company that provides various loan options to customers.

According to the criminal complaint, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 32, of Topeka, store manager of LendNation; Mejia J. Pattillo, 47, of Topeka; and Katelyn Nichole North, 32, of Topeka are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly conspiring together to rob LendNation.

Pattillo is also charged with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly robbing LendNation on October 16, 2023.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698152880645.png" alt="Fish-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Fish-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansans have been charged through criminal complaint in Topeka in connection with a robbery that occurred on October 16, 2023, at money lending business, LendNation, according to the United State's Attorney.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698153073715.png" alt="Portillo-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Portillo-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LendNation, located on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, is a company that provides various loan options to customers.According to the criminal complaint, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 32, of Topeka, store manager of LendNation; Mejia J. Pattillo, 47, of Topeka; and Katelyn Nichole North, 32, of Topeka are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly conspiring together to rob LendNation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698152979562.png" alt="North-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>North-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Pattillo is also charged with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly robbing LendNation on October 16, 2023.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case.

Three charged in Kansas money lending business robbery

Two-thirds think women better positioned than politicians to make abortion call

By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Nearly seven in 10 Kansans support an end to the Legislature’s blockade of bills legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Medicaid eligibility to modest-income workers, a statewide survey conducted by Fort Hays State University said Tuesday.

Republican leaders of the House and Senate stalled Medicaid expansion legislation since Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed Medicaid legislation in 2017. Forty states and the District of Columbia have broadened access to health care under a law requiring the federal government to cover 90% of expansion costs. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she would recommend expansion to the 2024 Legislature.

Kelly has expressed support for legalization of marijuana for medicine purposes, but has resisted calls for recreational consumption of cannabis. The Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill two years ago that was ignored by the Kansas Senate.

In the “Kansas Speaks” survey produced by Fort Hays State, 69.6% of respondents supported expanding Medicaid in Kansas and 9% were opposed. There was a partisan flavor to the issue with 86% of Democrats, 76% of independents and 55% of Republicans backing Medicaid expansion.

The FHSU report indicated 67.2%&nbsp; supported recreational sales of marijuana for individuals 21 and older, but 16.9% opposed that position. Twenty-three U.S. states and the Distrit of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana.

The opinion snapshot of attitudes and opinions was conducted Sept. 20 to Oct.10 among 485 adult residents of Kansas.

Participants in the survey were fractured in terms of their satisfaction with Kelly’s five years as governor. The report said 38.4% were satisfied and 32.9% were dissatisfied. In terms of the Legislature as a whole, 23.3% expressed satisfaction and 35.1% registered dissatisfication.

President Joe Biden, who lost the state to former President Donald Trump in 2020, gave ground among Kansans in the new survey. In the 2020 election in Kansas, Trump earned 56.2% of the vote to Biden’s 41.5%. The new survey indicated 62.8% of Kansans weren’t satisfied with the current president — nearly three times the 21.9% who were satisfied. Trump is the leading candidate for the GOP nomination in 2024 despite a series of felony indictments.

In terms of election security, 54% of Kansas respondents said they were “confident that the reported winners of the elections in Kansas are actually the candidates that most Kansans voted for.” A mere 11% felt otherwise, with 25.8% neutral on the issue and 9.2% saying they didn’t know how to answer the question.

On other election-oriented questions: 41% said they didn’t want ballot drop boxes banned; 47.1% preferred not to end voting by mail; and 49.6% would resist abolition of advance voting.

Two-thirds of people surveyed concluded women were in a better position than politicians to make decisions about abortion, with 12.4% convinced elected officials were better analysts of bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. In terms of Kansas government restricting abortion, 50.8% said state lawmakers shouldn’t regulate the procedure and 27.1% said state government was the right arena for regulatory control.

Fifty-five percent said Kansas shouldn’t make it illegal to travel outside the state to get an abortion if Kansas imposed a ban on terminating pregnancies. Just under one-fifth of participants would welcome a travel ban on Kansans for purpose of abortion.

In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constituation that would have made it easier for the Legislature to weaken access to abortion in the state. Among those taking part in the survey, here was the split on that amendment vote: 37.2% cast a “no” ballot, 33.4% didn’t vote and 18.6% voted “yes.”

FHSU included questions about development of a state energy plan that incorporated “forward-thinking” policy. At least 65% said solar and wind energy resournces were “important” or “extremely important” in Kansas. Meanwhile, 62.1% said Kansas farmers ought to make changes to agricultural practices to conserve water.

When asked what was the minimum level of education family members needed to ensure financial security, 27.4% said a high school diploma and 28.4% thought a technical certificate or associate degree was sufficient. Thirty-four percent said a four-year college diploma or a graduate degree was necessary.

Three-fourths of respondents said they were comfortable relying on tax dollars to support K‐12 public schools — a mandate of the Kansas Constitution. The level of certainty was lower for post-secondary institutions: 67.7% for technical colleges, 62.7% for community colleges and 52.4% for state universities.

Fifty-five percent surveyed said they lived in a home owned by themselves or someone in the household. Thirty-six percent were renting and 7.6% were living with someone without paying rent. More than 71% were concerned about the cost of housing in their community.

In addition, 43.7% said local government should ease zoning regulations to allow more small, multi‐family dwellings in neighborhoods.

Participants were divided on who was best positioned to deal with homelessness. The options: government, 37.8%; nonprofits, 21.9%; and churches, 11.2%. The majority of respondents, or 34%,&nbsp; pointed to mental health issues as the root cause of homelessness, 30.9% said the culprit was lack of affordable housing and 23.7% said it had to do with addiction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698230166545.png" alt=" The 2023 “Kansas Speaks” survey produced by Fort Hays State University showed about 70% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion and legalization of recreational marijuana sales, and 63% said women were in a better position that politicians to make health cre decisions about terminating a pregnancy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The 2023 “Kansas Speaks” survey produced by Fort Hays State University showed about 70% of Kansans support Medicaid expansion and legalization of recreational marijuana sales, and 63% said women were in a better position that politicians to make health cre decisions about terminating a pregnancy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Two-thirds think women better positioned than politicians to make abortion call</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Nearly seven in 10 Kansans support an end to the Legislature’s blockade of bills legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding Medicaid eligibility to modest-income workers, a statewide survey conducted by Fort Hays State University said Tuesday.Republican leaders of the House and Senate stalled Medicaid expansion legislation since Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed Medicaid legislation in 2017. Forty states and the District of Columbia have broadened access to health care under a law requiring the federal government to cover 90% of expansion costs. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she would recommend expansion to the 2024 Legislature.Kelly has expressed support for legalization of marijuana for medicine purposes, but has resisted calls for recreational consumption of cannabis. The Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill two years ago that was ignored by the Kansas Senate.In the “Kansas Speaks” survey produced by Fort Hays State, 69.6% of respondents supported expanding Medicaid in Kansas and 9% were opposed. There was a partisan flavor to the issue with 86% of Democrats, 76% of independents and 55% of Republicans backing Medicaid expansion.The FHSU report indicated 67.2%&nbsp; supported recreational sales of marijuana for individuals 21 and older, but 16.9% opposed that position. Twenty-three U.S. states and the Distrit of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana.The opinion snapshot of attitudes and opinions was conducted Sept. 20 to Oct.10 among 485 adult residents of Kansas.<h2>Kelly and Trump</h2>Participants in the survey were fractured in terms of their satisfaction with Kelly’s five years as governor. The report said 38.4% were satisfied and 32.9% were dissatisfied. In terms of the Legislature as a whole, 23.3% expressed satisfaction and 35.1% registered dissatisfication.President Joe Biden, who lost the state to former President Donald Trump in 2020, gave ground among Kansans in the new survey. In the 2020 election in Kansas, Trump earned 56.2% of the vote to Biden’s 41.5%. The new survey indicated 62.8% of Kansans weren’t satisfied with the current president — nearly three times the 21.9% who were satisfied. Trump is the leading candidate for the GOP nomination in 2024 despite a series of felony indictments.In terms of election security, 54% of Kansas respondents said they were “confident that the reported winners of the elections in Kansas are actually the candidates that most Kansans voted for.” A mere 11% felt otherwise, with 25.8% neutral on the issue and 9.2% saying they didn’t know how to answer the question.On other election-oriented questions: 41% said they didn’t want ballot drop boxes banned; 47.1% preferred not to end voting by mail; and 49.6% would resist abolition of advance voting.<h2>Abortion questions</h2>Two-thirds of people surveyed concluded women were in a better position than politicians to make decisions about abortion, with 12.4% convinced elected officials were better analysts of bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. In terms of Kansas government restricting abortion, 50.8% said state lawmakers shouldn’t regulate the procedure and 27.1% said state government was the right arena for regulatory control.Fifty-five percent said Kansas shouldn’t make it illegal to travel outside the state to get an abortion if Kansas imposed a ban on terminating pregnancies. Just under one-fifth of participants would welcome a travel ban on Kansans for purpose of abortion.In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constituation that would have made it easier for the Legislature to weaken access to abortion in the state. Among those taking part in the survey, here was the split on that amendment vote: 37.2% cast a “no” ballot, 33.4% didn’t vote and 18.6% voted “yes.”FHSU included questions about development of a state energy plan that incorporated “forward-thinking” policy. At least 65% said solar and wind energy resournces were “important” or “extremely important” in Kansas. Meanwhile, 62.1% said Kansas farmers ought to make changes to agricultural practices to conserve water.<h2>Education front</h2>When asked what was the minimum level of education family members needed to ensure financial security, 27.4% said a high school diploma and 28.4% thought a technical certificate or associate degree was sufficient. Thirty-four percent said a four-year college diploma or a graduate degree was necessary.Three-fourths of respondents said they were comfortable relying on tax dollars to support K‐12 public schools — a mandate of the Kansas Constitution. The level of certainty was lower for post-secondary institutions: 67.7% for technical colleges, 62.7% for community colleges and 52.4% for state universities.Fifty-five percent surveyed said they lived in a home owned by themselves or someone in the household. Thirty-six percent were renting and 7.6% were living with someone without paying rent. More than 71% were concerned about the cost of housing in their community.In addition, 43.7% said local government should ease zoning regulations to allow more small, multi‐family dwellings in neighborhoods.Participants were divided on who was best positioned to deal with homelessness. The options: government, 37.8%; nonprofits, 21.9%; and churches, 11.2%. The majority of respondents, or 34%,&nbsp; pointed to mental health issues as the root cause of homelessness, 30.9% said the culprit was lack of affordable housing and 23.7% said it had to do with addiction.

Kansas survey: Nearly 70% ready for legalization of marijuana, Medicaid expansion

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A poison specialist and former medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist and Kansas native, who died days after she went to a hospital in August with stomach distress.

Authorities say Connor Bowman, 30, tried to stop the autopsy on his wife, Betty Bowman — arguing she should be cremated immediately and claiming she had a rare illness, which hospital tests did not confirm. The medical examiner's office halted the order for cremation, citing suspicious circumstances, according to a criminal complaint, and an autopsy showed Betty Bowman died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout.

Medical records indicate she was not diagnosed with gout and had not been prescribed the medicine, the complaint states, adding that Connor Bowman had been researching the drug prior to his wife's death. Six days before she was hospitalized, he had also converted his wife's weight to kilograms and multiplied that by 0.8 — with 0.8 mg/kg considered to be the lethal dosage rate for colchicine, according to the complaint.

Connor Bowman was charged Monday with second-degree murder. He was arrested Friday and was still in custody as of Tuesday. His attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Mayo Clinic spokesperson Amanda Dyslin released a statement Tuesday that did not identify Bowman by name, but indicated he was a resident at the hospital.

“We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The resident’s training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month," the statement said. Dyslin did not say why Connor Bowman’s training at Mayo Clinic ended.

Betty Bowman was also a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic.

According to the criminal complaint, the Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office alerted police to the “suspicious death” of Betty Bowman on Aug. 21, a day after she died.

She had been admitted to a hospital in Rochester on Aug. 16 with “severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration where her condition deteriorated rapidly,” the complaint said. Her initial symptoms were similar to food poisoning and were treated that way, but they continued to worsen. She experienced cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.

While Betty Bowman was in the hospital, Connor Bowman suggested she was suffering from a rare illness called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. Hospital tests came back inconclusive for HLH, but Connor Bowman told multiple people that she died from that disease, according to the complaint.

He also told the medical examiner's office that Betty Bowman's death was natural and that she “did not want to be a cadaver,” and therefore, the autopsy should be canceled, the complaint said. He asked an investigator at the medical examiner's office if the toxicology analysis would be more thorough than the analysis done at the hospital.

The night before Betty Bowman went to the hospital, she told a man — identified as SS in the complaint — that she was drinking at home with Connor Bowman. The next morning, she told SS she was sick, possibly from a drink that was mixed into a large smoothie.

Connor Bowman was a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, using devices from the University of Kansas for his work, according to the complaint. A woman from the University of Kansas told investigators that Connor Bowman had been researching colchicine, the drug used to treat gout, though he had not received any calls about colchicine, nor had any other employees.

Investigators found that Connor Bowman had searched “internet browsing history: can it be used in court?” and “delete amazon data police” on Aug. 5. He did calculations that match the lethal dosage rate for colchicine on Aug. 10.

The Minnesota Department of Health found colchicine in Betty Bowman's blood and urine samples that were taken at the hospital, and the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be toxic effects of colchicine, the complaint says.

One woman told investigators that the Bowmans had been talking about divorce, and another told authorities that Connor Bowman said he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance from his wife's death, the complaint says. Authorities found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit inside his home.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 1

Betty Bowman was born in Wichita, Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy with a Pharmaceutical Doctorate in 2017 and completed residency at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, Kansas in 2018, according <a href="https://mackenfuneralhome.com/memorial-services/betty-jo-bowman/">to her obituary.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698230364020.png" alt="Bowman-photo Olmsted County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Bowman-photo Olmsted County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A poison specialist and former medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist and Kansas native, who died days after she went to a hospital in August with stomach distress.Authorities say Connor Bowman, 30, tried to stop the autopsy on his wife, Betty Bowman — arguing she should be cremated immediately and claiming she had a rare illness, which hospital tests did not confirm. The medical examiner's office halted the order for cremation, citing suspicious circumstances, according to a criminal complaint, and an autopsy showed Betty Bowman died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout.Medical records indicate she was not diagnosed with gout and had not been prescribed the medicine, the complaint states, adding that Connor Bowman had been researching the drug prior to his wife's death. Six days before she was hospitalized, he had also converted his wife's weight to kilograms and multiplied that by 0.8 — with 0.8 mg/kg considered to be the lethal dosage rate for colchicine, according to the complaint.Connor Bowman was charged Monday with second-degree murder. He was arrested Friday and was still in custody as of Tuesday. His attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.Mayo Clinic spokesperson Amanda Dyslin released a statement Tuesday that did not identify Bowman by name, but indicated he was a resident at the hospital.“We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The resident’s training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month," the statement said. Dyslin did not say why Connor Bowman’s training at Mayo Clinic ended.Betty Bowman was also a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic.According to the criminal complaint, the Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner's Office alerted police to the “suspicious death” of Betty Bowman on Aug. 21, a day after she died.She had been admitted to a hospital in Rochester on Aug. 16 with “severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration where her condition deteriorated rapidly,” the complaint said. Her initial symptoms were similar to food poisoning and were treated that way, but they continued to worsen. She experienced cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.While Betty Bowman was in the hospital, Connor Bowman suggested she was suffering from a rare illness called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. Hospital tests came back inconclusive for HLH, but Connor Bowman told multiple people that she died from that disease, according to the complaint.He also told the medical examiner's office that Betty Bowman's death was natural and that she “did not want to be a cadaver,” and therefore, the autopsy should be canceled, the complaint said. He asked an investigator at the medical examiner's office if the toxicology analysis would be more thorough than the analysis done at the hospital.The night before Betty Bowman went to the hospital, she told a man — identified as SS in the complaint — that she was drinking at home with Connor Bowman. The next morning, she told SS she was sick, possibly from a drink that was mixed into a large smoothie.Connor Bowman was a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, using devices from the University of Kansas for his work, according to the complaint. A woman from the University of Kansas told investigators that Connor Bowman had been researching colchicine, the drug used to treat gout, though he had not received any calls about colchicine, nor had any other employees.Investigators found that Connor Bowman had searched “internet browsing history: can it be used in court?” and “delete amazon data police” on Aug. 5. He did calculations that match the lethal dosage rate for colchicine on Aug. 10.The Minnesota Department of Health found colchicine in Betty Bowman's blood and urine samples that were taken at the hospital, and the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be toxic effects of colchicine, the complaint says.One woman told investigators that the Bowmans had been talking about divorce, and another told authorities that Connor Bowman said he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance from his wife's death, the complaint says. Authorities found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit inside his home.He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 1Betty Bowman was born in Wichita, Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy with a Pharmaceutical Doctorate in 2017 and completed residency at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, Kansas in 2018, according <a href="https://mackenfuneralhome.com/memorial-services/betty-jo-bowman/">to her obituary.</a>

Doctor accused of fatally poisoning his wife, a Kansas native

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal damage to property and was expected to be released later in the day after posting $2,500 bond.

Ross is due again in court on Dec. 4. The Chiefs said they were aware of his arrest but had no comment.

Ross was arrested Monday and the sheriff's offense in Johnson County, Kansas, originally indicated on his booking record that he was accused of causing damage of up to $25,000, which would have been a felony. That total was adjusted to under $1,000.

The 23-year-old Ross has been a bit player for the defending Super Bowl champions this season. He has been active in their first seven games but has just three catches for 34 yards on the year.

The fact that he is playing at all is noteworthy. After a standout first two seasons at Clemson, Ross was found to have a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. Ross returned to play another season for the Tigers, then turned professional, where the Chiefs were one of the few teams willing to clear him medically to play.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698197296137.png" alt="Ross photo Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Ross photo Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal damage to property and was expected to be released later in the day after posting $2,500 bond.Ross is due again in court on Dec. 4. The Chiefs said they were aware of his arrest but had no comment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698112997285.png" alt="Initial booking report from the Johnson County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Initial booking report from the Johnson County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Ross was arrested Monday and the sheriff's offense in Johnson County, Kansas, originally indicated on his booking record that he was accused of causing damage of up to $25,000, which would have been a felony. That total was adjusted to under $1,000.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698113130170.png" alt="Ross-photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Ross-photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>The 23-year-old Ross has been a bit player for the defending Super Bowl champions this season. He has been active in their first seven games but has just three catches for 34 yards on the year.The fact that he is playing at all is noteworthy. After a standout first two seasons at Clemson, Ross was found to have a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. Ross returned to play another season for the Tigers, then turned professional, where the Chiefs were one of the few teams willing to clear him medically to play.

🏈 Chiefs receiver charged with domestic battery and criminal damage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;spreads into a broad regional conflict.

(click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's statement)

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed there are currently no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel.

“It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn’t have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities,” Kirby said. “And certainly evacuations are one of those things.”

The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-live-updates-9a0ddf745bde0ffc46921b99ed34fb65">18-day-old Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;could further escalate. The U.S. has advised Israel that postponing a possible ground invasion of Gaza could be helpful as the U.S. and other partners in the region try to secure the release of more than 200 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel soil. The contingency planning was first reported by The Washington Post.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders' first interaction since before the Hamas attack on Israel.

Biden and the crown prince spoke about “efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” according to the White House. Biden administration officials have repeatedly warned Iran not to become involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in the region over the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran, which is the chief sponsor of Hamas, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as militant groups in Iraq and Yemen.

“The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding,” the White House added.

At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.

“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” said Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary.

He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.

Biden said last week he believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas was motivated to attack Israel</a>&nbsp;in part by a desire to stop that country from normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

“One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-saudi-arabia-war-1c376cf1497acd0df05a98721bf88fae">Biden said at a campaign fundraiser.</a>&nbsp;The U.S. president said he thinks Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Oct. 7 because “guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel” and were near being able to formally do so.

An agreement, which the White House says it continues to pursue, would be a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have largely opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in a territory where Palestinians have long resided.

But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Tuesday that “prudent contingency planning” is underway to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;spreads into a broad regional conflict.(click below to watch White House spokesman John Kirby's statement)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F310166491774001%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=422" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stressed there are currently no “active efforts” to evacuate Americans from the region beyond charter flights the U.S government began operating earlier this month out of Israel.“It would be imprudent and irresponsible if we didn’t have folks thinking through a broad range of contingencies and possibilities,” Kirby said. “And certainly evacuations are one of those things.”The White House addressed the contingency plans amid growing concerns that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-live-updates-9a0ddf745bde0ffc46921b99ed34fb65">18-day-old Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;could further escalate. The U.S. has advised Israel that postponing a possible ground invasion of Gaza could be helpful as the U.S. and other partners in the region try to secure the release of more than 200 hostages who were captured in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel soil. The contingency planning was first reported by The Washington Post.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday about the deteriorating situation. It was the two leaders' first interaction since before the Hamas attack on Israel.Biden and the crown prince spoke about “efforts to deter state and non-state actors from widening the conflict between Israel and Hamas,” according to the White House. Biden administration officials have repeatedly warned Iran not to become involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in the region over the last few days have come under repeated attacks that the Pentagon has said were likely endorsed by Iran, which is the chief sponsor of Hamas, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as militant groups in Iraq and Yemen.“The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding,” the White House added.At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. is preparing for an increase in violence, noting that there have already been at least 13 attacks against troops and installations in Iraq and Syria.“What we are seeing is the prospect for more significant escalation against U.S. forces and personnel across the region in the very near term coming from Iranian proxy forces and ultimately from Iran,” said Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary.He added that the U.S. won’t hesitate to take action if needed to protect its forces and interests in the region.Biden said last week he believed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas was motivated to attack Israel</a>&nbsp;in part by a desire to stop that country from normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.“One of the reasons ... why Hamas moved on Israel, is because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-saudi-arabia-war-1c376cf1497acd0df05a98721bf88fae">Biden said at a campaign fundraiser.</a>&nbsp;The U.S. president said he thinks Hamas militants launched their deadly assault on Oct. 7 because “guess what? The Saudis wanted to recognize Israel” and were near being able to formally do so.An agreement, which the White House says it continues to pursue, would be a feat of diplomacy that could have enabled broader recognition of Israel by other Arab and Muslim-majority nations that have largely opposed Israel since its creation 75 years ago in a territory where Palestinians have long resided.But talks were interrupted after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip where Palestinians live into nearby Israeli towns.Israel sealed off Gaza in response, and Biden told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that humanitarian aid into the territory wasn't arriving fast enough.Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water, fuel and medicine. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what’s needed.The president made his comments to reporters about the speed of aid flowing into Gaza after presenting science and technology awards to several Americans for exemplary achievements that have had a positive impact on the United States.One of the recipients, Sheldon Weinbaum of the City College of New York, wore a “Stop War” button on his suit coat lapel as he received his medal from Biden.Biden suggested the ceremony was a welcome break from the grim news coming out of the Middle East.“This is a happy occasion," Biden said at the start of the White House ceremony. "We need some more happy occasions.”The war is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1,650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7.“This is war. It is combat. It is bloody, it is ugly, and it’s going to be messy,” Kirby said. “I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn’t going to happen.”Ryder said several new force protection measures are now underway, including the deployment of air defense systems. He said a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and additional Patriot missile battalions have begun to move to undisclosed locations in the Middle East.The THAAD is being sent from Fort Bliss, Texas, and the Patriot battalions are from Fort Liberty in North Carolina and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.Ryder also said that additional forces have moved into the Middle East. He said the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 119 Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, with its F-16 fighter jets, arrived on Tuesday, but officials would not say where exactly it went.___