(AP) — Gun control advocates say the recall of two Colorado legislators who backed new gun restrictions will make it harder to revive stalled efforts in Congress to tighten firearm laws.

Since the U.S. Senate narrowly rejected expanded background checks last April, gun control supporters have been hunting for the five additional votes they need.

But supporters say they have yet to win over a single new senator. They say last week’s recall of the two Colorado lawmakers — an effort backed by the National Rifle Association — will make that search harder.

Proponents of expanded checks doubt the Senate will revisit the issue until next year at best.

Top Senate Democrats say they won’t do so until they’ve found new supporters and have a strong chance of winning.

 

A Topeka man has pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud charges in connection with a plan to build an apartment complex in Junction City, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Friday.

John Wyatt Duncan, Jr., 52, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of making false statements in documents required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

In court documents, Duncan was alleged to have obtained a $15.2 million construction loan for the purpose of constructing Quinton Pointe Apartments in Junction City.  He was required to provide $1,225,000 in collateral.  He signed a letter to the lender, University National Bank of Lawrence, Kan., falsely stating that lumber for the construction of the apartment complex, representing collateral for the loan, was prepaid in full and being held by Schmidt Builders, a company for which he was chief executive officer.  He instructed employees of Schmidt Builders to create a false invoice in an amount of more than $1.3 million to a company he owned called Blue Jay Properties LLC in order to create the false appearance that Blue Jay Properties had prepaid Schmidt Builders for the lumber.

In another count, Schmidt Builders acquired a $12 million line of credit loan from Kaw Valley National Bank of Topeka and agreed to provide the bank with monthly financial reports.  Duncan submitted reports to the bank containing false information about the age of certain accounts receivable and the amount of inventory on hand.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 16.  He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on each of the bank fraud counts, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the money laundering and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the count of making false statements.

Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Reserve Board, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for their work on the case.

A teenager was injured in a Friday night rollover accident.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol sixteen year old Sindey Breeann Garrett of Concordia of was driving a 2007 Saturn north bound on 170th road four miles east of Concordia.

Garrett lost control of the car and entered west ditch. She over corrected, crossed the roadway and overturned in the east ditch.

Garrett was transported to Cloud County Hospital. A passenger in the vehicle, Molly Amelia Adams age 16 of Concordia was possibly injured and not transported to the hospital. Both girls were wearing seat belts.

(AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov say they have reached agreement on a framework for Syria to destroy all of its chemical weapons.
The announcement comes on the third day of intense negotiations in Geneva. The deal includes what Kerry called “a shared assessment” of Syria’s weapons stockpile, and a timetable and measures for Assad’s government to comply.

It gives Syria one week, until Sept. 21, to submit “a comprehensive listing” of all its chemical weapons stockpiles. It calls for international inspectors to be on the ground in Syria by November and to complete their initial work by the end of that month.
All of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks, material and equipment would have to be destroyed or removed by mid-2014.

The U.S. and Russia would work together on a new, binding Security Council resolution that would allow punitive measures if Syria’s government fails to comply. The punitive measures include sanctions but stop short of military action.
U.S. officials say President Barack Obama would retain the authority to order U.S. airstrikes against Syria.

A temporary tariff change by one of the world’s leading wheat importers, further extended just this week, means significant hard red winter (HRW) sales for Kansas wheat farmers. After wheat supply shortages in the Southern Hemisphere caused a shift in trade policy, Brazil has purchased 86.3 million bushels (2.35 million metric tons (MMT)) of HRW wheat since February 2013, worth an estimated $700 million.

Brazil is South America’s largest wheat importing market, but typically only purchases about 400,000 MT per year from the U.S., instead relying on fellow Mercosur member Argentina for the bulk of its wheat imports. This year, however, both Brazil and Argentina’s wheat crops fell short. That supply situation, combined with concerns of inflation in Brazil, resulted in a market opportunity for Kansas wheat farmers.

On April 1, 2013, Brazil lifted a 10 percent common external tariff on wheat, including for the U.S., for a quota of 36.7 million bushels (1.0 MMT). Brazil’s government later extended the tariff-rate quota to 73.5 million bushels (2.0 MMT) through Sept. 6. Two days ago, on Sept. 9, Brazil again extended the quota another 14.7 million bushels (400,000 metric tons) through the end of November 2013, signaling even more opportunities for HRW sales.

Brazil’s revised tariff rate quota for this year is temporary, but it has provided for U.S. wheat producers with an opportunity to gain new market access. In just the first three months of the 2013/14 marketing year (June-May), Brazil has already purchased almost 70 million bushels (1.9 MMT) of HRW wheat. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), the industry’s export trade association, is hopeful that Brazil may institute a permanent increase in the tariff rate quota, as a duty free period has been implemented twice in the last five years.

“We are working very hard to get new market access for U.S. wheat producers and get Brazil to live by their trade agreements,” said U.S. Wheat Associates Vice President of Policy, Shannon Schlecht. “For the Midwest, the tariff rate quota, or getting new market access into Brazil would create new demand for HRW wheat, would be good for HRW producers and would raise overall farm gate prices if you can keep everything else equal.”

Another market opportunity exists with Brazil’s prior trade agreements. The U.S. had about 50 percent market share in Brazil before the implementation of the Mercosur agreement in 1991, which gave duty free access to wheat from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. During the 1994 Uruguay round, Brazil agreed to market access for wheat from non-Mercosur, WTO members for 27.6 million bushels (750,000 metric tons) per year, but never implemented the measure. This year’s action could lead to permanent market access and, as a result, increased market demand for Midwest wheat producers. It would also provide a consistent, competitive alternative for Brazil’s milling industry that would ultimately benefit Brazil’s consumers.

“Any time we can have more market access and reduce tariffs, it is a positive for U.S. farmers,” said Scott Van Allen, Kansas Wheat Commissioner from Clearwater, Kansas. “We always strive to deal on a level playing field. U.S. farmers can compete with just about anyone on a farmer to farmer basis but we can’t compete with foreign governments.”

The location of U.S. southern ports is important for wheat exports to Brazil. Several important flour mills operate northeast Brazil and its northeastern port areas are about the same distance away from southern U.S. ports as they are from Argentina’s southern ports. This leaves U.S. wheat at no disadvantage when it comes to shipping costs.

Additionally, Kansas wheat producers and USW have worked together to maintain a good relationship with the Brazilian wheat industry. A group of wheat buyers from Brazil visited Sean Ohlde’s farm near Palmer in April. The tour, sponsored by Bunge, allowed participants to assess the quality of the 2012 wheat crop and gain a better understanding of the Kansas wheat industry.

As the nation’s leading producers of HRW wheat, Kansas wheat farmers are benefitting significantly from Brazil’s recent tariff change. Consistent market demand form one of the world’s largest wheat importing countries would see even more U.S. wheat sales to Brazil if that temporary opportunity becomes permanent law