WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Harvard and Chelsea Manning (all times local):

Harvard University has reversed its decision to name Chelsea Manning a visiting fellow, one day after CIA Director Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned appearance over the designation for the soldier who was convicted of leaking classified information.

In a statement posted to the university’s website early Friday, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf writes that naming Manning a visiting fellow was a mistake even though he says the title carries no special honor. He says Manning is still invited to spend a day at the school and speak to students.

Manning responded on Twitter , writing that Harvard chills “marginalized voices under @cia pressure.”

Manning’s publicist didn’t immediately respond when asked if she would still accept Harvard’s invitation to visit the school.

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CIA Director Mike Pompeo says he scrapped his appearance Thursday at Harvard University over the school’s decision to make Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of leaking classified information, a visiting fellow.

Pompeo calls Manning an “American traitor.”

Pompeo, a Harvard graduate, says he didn’t make the decision lightly. He is citing military and intelligence officials who believe that the leaks endangered the lives of CIA employees.

He was supposed to speak at the university Thursday night, but was a no-show. The CIA released a letter Pompeo wrote to Harvard explaining his decision.

 

 

CIA Director Withdraws from Harvard Kennedy School Forum pic.twitter.com/N7YKyGy9H4

— CIA (@CIA) September 15, 2017

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Earlier Thursday, Mike Morell, former deputy director and acting director of the CIA, sent a resignation

letter to Harvard saying he could not be part of an organization that “honors a convicted felon and leaker of classified information.”

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3 p.m.

A former top CIA official has abruptly resigned as a senior fellow at Harvard University over the school’s decision to hire Chelsea Manning, who was convicted of leaking classified information.

Mike Morell, former deputy director and acting director of the CIA, sent a resignation letter Thursday to the dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Morell, who was a non-resident senior fellow, says he cannot be part of an organization that “honors a convicted felon and leaker of classified information.” He says leaking classified information is “disgraceful.”

Manning has been invited to be a visiting fellow at the Kennedy school’s Institute of Politics.

She is a transgender woman who was convicted in 2013 of leaking more than 700,000 U.S. documents. Her sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama.

RENO COUNTY— A Reno County  jury deliberated for about an hour before finding 54-year-old Leroy Randall guilty Thursday of all charges associated with an armed robbery of Dollar General in Hutchinson.

The jury agreed that Randall was guilty of two counts of kidnapping, one count of aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated assault. He chose not to be in court for most of the trial, but was brought in early Thursday to indicate to the court that he wouldn’t testify for his own defense.

The state argued that the evidence pointed to him and his girlfriend because they gave investigators details of the crime that were not released publicly. Clothing that matched what the suspect was wearing in the video was found when a search warrant was issued on Randall’s residence.

The defense argued that Randall was seen talking with another individual and believe that individual wearing a red shirt could be the real suspect.

The case involved a store employee hearing a knock at a back office door. Thinking it was the other employee she was working with, she opened the door and a man came in, stuck a gun in her face and demanded money.

She screamed, causing the other employee to come out of the bathroom. The suspect then allegedly pointed the gun at him as well. Both stated they were scared. One thought the man was going to shoot him after being ordered to lay face down in the bathroom.

He is scheduled for sentencing in October.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Thursday held a hearing, titled, “Nutrition Programs: Perspectives for the 2018 Farm Bill.”

“As we conduct this review, it is important to remember the purpose of these critical nutrition programs,” said Chairman Roberts. “They are not about long-term dependency; they are about giving aid in times of trouble. They are about ensuring our nation’s security, helping folks become productive members of our economy, and assisting the vulnerable among us who cannot help themselves.”

“Unfortunately, we have learned of some significant issues regarding the administration and oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.”

“Investigations by the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, the Department’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Justice have revealed that states have purposely used ‘whatever means necessary’ to mislead the federal government to obtain bonuses or avoid financial penalties.”

“Simply put, no one knows the error rate of SNAP, and that is unacceptable. And, the federal government does not even know the basic elements of the problem, such as how long this has been occurring.”

“This program accounts for over 75 percent of Farm Bill spending. If we are unable to verify that this program is making every dollar count, and ensure that the right amount of assistance is going to those that need it, then something needs to change. And something will change.”

This marks the eighth hearing in preparation for the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization.

ROSE HILL, Kan. (AP) — Butler County authorities say an explosion that destroyed a rural home and critically injured a man was caused by a propane leak.

The home near Rose Hill exploded on Monday. A 67-year-old man suffered severe burns.

Andover Deputy Fire Chief Mike Roosevelt said investigators are sure propane caused the explosion but are still investigating the exact ignition source.

Propane is a common home fuel source in rural Kansas.

A family member said the injured man remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for theft of a vehicle.

Just before 7p.m. Wednesday, police attempted to stop a suspected stolen vehicle near 10^th and SE Golden Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release.

The driver, identified as Brandon King, 25, refused to stop and drove the vehicle south on Golden to 21^st where the intersection comes to a T-intersection.  He lost control of the vehicle.  It jumped the curb, struck a power pole and slid into the ditch.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped their case against a Kansas man accused of representing the bulk laundry detergent he was selling as Tide-brand detergent.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Brian Glenn had been scheduled to go on trial next week on a felony counterfeiting charge. But a deputy attorney general with the Kansas Attorney General’s Fraud and Litigation Division said in a motion dated Thursday that more testing is needed. The case was dismissed in a way that allows it to be refiled later.

Law enforcement agents and Proctor & Gamble representatives raided Glenn’s home last year.

Glenn’s attorney, Cooper Overstreet, said his client “made no representations that he was selling Tide soap.” Glenn told an agent that when he sold the soap, he described it as “Tide like” or “Tide type.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an explosion at a business and asking for help to identify two suspects.

Just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, police were asked to assist the Wichita Fire Department in at Slice City Barber Shop in 2400 Block of West McCormick in Wichita according to officer Charley Davidson.

Investigator learned from witnesses that two suspects approached the business and then left the area. A short time later residents reported there was a loud explosion that caused damage to the business.

The Wichita Police Department Bomb Squad is also assisting with the investigation.

Both suspects are described as 30-40 years old, wore black cloth masks and blue jeans. One wore a flannel shirt with a light-colored hood.

Anyone who saw anything or who may have additional information is asked to call police.

WASHINGTON —  This week’s drought monitor shows many areas of Kansas are experience severe to moderate drought again.

Much of the state is abnormally dry. There is a chance for rain on Saturday night for central and eastern Kansas, according to
the National Weather Service.

GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a body found in Geary County on Thursday.

Just after 11:30a.m. deputies responded to report of a man’s body found underneath the K-18 bridge on the east side of U.S. 77.
Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf confirms the man found deceased appears to be from a transient population, and was not from Junction City or a member of the military.

Authorities have not released his identity pending notification of next of kin.

Wolf stated, “Right now there is no evidence to suggest a homicide. We have scheduled an autopsy for the individual. We treat all of these as if they were worst case scenario, a homicide. But we don’t have any evidence right now to suggest that.

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A teenager says a high school teacher told her she was too “busty” and that “plus-sized women” need to shop at stores that sell larger clothing.

An attorney for Kelsey Anderson said in a statement released Tuesday that the confrontation happened last Friday when the 17-year-old was sent to the office at Joplin High School for a dress code violation. The statement says the teacher also told Kelsey that “smaller busted women could get away with more than larger busted women.”

Anderson says she was “mortified.” Her mother wrote about the incident on social media.

Her attorney, Elizabeth Turner, said in the statement that “body shaming isn’t something to take lightly.”

The Joplin School District said in a statement that it doesn’t consider staff comments “about students’ bodies appropriate” and is investigating whether district policy was violated.

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Lawmakers remain concerned about potential snags as Kansas wraps up years of work on migrating driver’s license records from an old mainframe computer to newer infrastructure ahead of a January launch date.

Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, a member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Information Technology, asked legislative auditing staff Friday whether the state might see a repeat of the technical woes that plagued the first phase of the same project five years ago.

“I’m just trying to understand why we’re having so much problems getting all this done on a timely basis, where it works,” Hoffman said. “Do you have an answer whether or not you think we’re going to have those same problems? Or do you think because of the monitoring you guys have done we’re going to be relatively problem-free?”

After a pause, auditor Katrin Osterhaus replied: “I am concerned.”

Auditors have been reviewing the progress of the driver’s license project on a quarterly basis because of its history of difficulties and its importance.

The portion of the project scheduled to go live at the start of 2018 will hold the records of 2 million drivers. It is launching six years behind schedule.

Osterhaus said some of the remaining obstacles to a smooth rollout include the timing of work related to a key contractor on the project, MorphoTrust. Auditors previously indicated the contractor had missed at least two major deadlines.

Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, asked whether Kansas could skirt problems by switching contractors.

“Is there any other group or company that also does the same services they do that you guys could potentially use to get this done faster?” asked Carpenter, chairman of the IT committee.

“At this point even if there were,” Osterhaus replied, “I don’t know if that would be a good option, because it’s so far into it.”

Members of the Legislature’s audit committee, which also is monitoring KanDrive, have expressed similar concerns about the upcoming rollout.

Officials at the Kansas Department of Revenue, which is carrying out the project, have indicated in recent months that they remain committed to the 2018 launch and that progress has been made on debugging trouble spots.

In a July 31 report, auditors laid out concerns regarding gaps in code and features that relied on technical workarounds to work.

Read the July IT project monitoring report.

The vision for KanDrive — recently renamed KanLicense — and related infrastructure projects began under another name a decade ago. Phase one of the estimated $40 million in IT modernization was a new vehicle title and registration platform that launched in 2012. County officials complained then of widespread technical problems that led to hours-long waits in some places for Kansans trying to update their tags.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Police are investigating a stabbing death and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday police responded to report of a stabbing at 625 North Carriage Parkway in Wichita, according to police Lt. Todd Ojile.

Upon arrival, officers found a 57-year-old victim identified at Dr. Achutha Reddy in an alley behind the business with numerous stab wounds, according to Ojile.

Emergency Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

At 7:40p.m. police were dispatched to a report of suspicious  person at the Wichita Country Club.  A security guard at the club had observed a suspicious person sitting in a car at the club.  The individual had blood on him. Police arrived and arrested 21-year suspect Umar Dutt for the death of Dr. Reddy.

An investigation revealed that Dutt was a client of Dr. Reddy and had been at the office Wednesday.

The suspect left and later returned with Dr. Reddy. They entered an office and a short time later an office manager heard a disturbance. She told police she saw Dutt assault the doctor and attempted to intervene, according to Ojile. This allowed the doctor to flee the office.

The suspect chased the doctor into the alley where police believe the second assault occurred.

Early Thursday police booked Dutt into the Sedgwick County jail on first-degree murder charges. Authorities will present the case to the district attorney on Friday afternoon.

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WICHITA— A man has been arrested in the stabbing death of a doctor at his holistic medicine practice in east Wichita.

The suspect identified as Umar Dutt, 21,  was taken into custody near the Wichita County Club. The Sedgwick County Jail booking report shows he is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the Wednesday night killing.

Wichita Police Lt. Drew Seiler says the attack happened after a man entered a business to talk with a doctor. Seiler says “one of the doctors was stabbed multiple times” during the conversation. Seiler says the doctor was found outside the business in a back parking lot. The doctor’s name wasn’t immediately released.

FINNEY COUNTY — A Kansas woman died in an accident just after 9p.m. Wednesday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Janet Pucket, 56, Ulysses, was traveling westbound on U.S. 50 two miles west of Garden City.

The SUV rear-ended a semi stopped at the railroad crossing with flashers on.

The crash caused the tanker to lose Anhydrous Ammonia.

Pucket was transported to the hospital in St. Catherine’s Hospital where she died.

The semi driver Mark R. Moore, 60, Woodward, OK., was not injured.   Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

The accident and ammonia leak kept roads closed overnight. There was no evacuation in the area although residents were advised to stay inside, according to the Finney County Sheriff’s Department.

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FINNEY COUNTY —  First responders at a fatal accident involving a truck carrying anhydrous ammonia on U.S. 50 just west of Anderson Road northwest of Garden City were forced to leave the scene due the danger early Thursday morning, according to KHP Trooper Mike Racy.

This semi hauling anhydrous ammonia continues leaking and the wind changed directions, according to Racy.

The road will remain closed for some time until officials are able to determine it is safe for crews to return to the scene and just how to off load the semi.

One person died in the crash that occurred at approximately 10p.m. Officials have not released the name of the victim or details of the crash.

Just before 11:30p.m. a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Teresa J. Lunsfor, 56, Mena, AR., ran over lights, cones at U.S. 50 and VFW Road near the scene of the semi crash and ammonia leak.

The Outlander rear ended an unoccupied KDOT Chevy Silverado with warning lights on and red flashing lights.

 

Ems transported Lunsfor to the hospital in Garden City.

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FINNEY COUNTY —First responders are on the scene of a fatal accident involving a truck carrying anhydrous ammonia on Highway 50 just west of Anderson Road at the railroad tracks in Finney County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol

This semi hauling anhydrous ammonia was leaking.

Emergency crews on scene recommended those living north or south of this location stay inside with the windows closed.

Officials also closed Highway 50 west bound from Campus street to Big Lowe Road just north of Holcomb. Both east and west bound lanes are closed between Big Lowe Road and VFW

Crews were also working a second injury accident at highway 50 and VFW Road westbound lanes.