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The artwork, titled, America, was stolen from the palace where Winston Churchill was born.

A book without suffering or struggle can only be described as one thing: boring. For Three Books, author Will Wiles writes about his favorite literary misadventures. Do you have a favorite book about everything going wrong? Tell us in the comments.

A judge has potentially killed the fake elector case in Nevada with a ruling that state prosecutors chose the wrong venue to file the case. The state attorney general says he will appeal.

Irreverent dad and sociologist Dalton Conley says parenting books take the wrong approach. He wants to teach parents to make sense of available research in order to apply it to their own kids.

These are the headlines for our area, mostly from the AP, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

ACLU Seeks to Return Voter Lawsuit to KS CourtTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union wants a federal judge to send a lawsuit over Kansas's enforcement of its proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters back to state court. In a motion filed Thursday, the ACLU said the lawsuit raises questions only about whether policies pursued by Secretary of State Kris Kobach violate the state constitution, leaving no federal court jurisdiction. The ACLU filed the lawsuit last year in Shawnee County District Court for two voters and the gay-rights group Equality Kansas. They want to block Kobach from imposing different election rules based on whether voters register with state or national forms. The national form doesn't require proof of citizenship. Kobach contends the case hinges on the interpretation of federal laws, and he had it moved to federal court.=============== Professors Want Regents' Social Media Plan SuspendedLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — More than 80 professors in Kansas are asking the Board of Regents to suspend a new social media policy. The University of Kansas and Kansas State University professors signed a letter to the regents, expressing "continued concern" about the policy. They say the policy prevents faculty and staff at the state's universities from exercising their freedom of speech. The regents are reviewing the policy, which they passed in December. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the professors want the policy suspended while that review proceeds. The policy authorizes university administrators to fire employees for social media posts that conflict with the best interests of the university or its ability to efficiently provide services, among other violations.=============== KS AG to Seek Tougher Medicaid Fraud PenaltiesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Attorney General Derek Schmidt says he will ask Kansas legislators to strengthen the state's penalties for Medicaid fraud. The Republican attorney general outlined his proposal Thursday during a stop in Wichita. Schmidt's office is the state's lead agency against fraud in Medicaid, which helps pay for health care for the poor, elderly and disabled. He said his office gained 15 criminal convictions and recovered $33.7 million in the latest fiscal year from people guilty of defrauding the program. Schmidt is proposing higher fines for the crime. He also wants people convicted of Medicaid fraud to serve prison time instead of the current sentence of probation. The 2014 legislative session begins Monday.===============Former KS Police Chief to Get New TrialMcPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a former police chief convicted of 15 counts of sexually molesting three girls. Forty-two-year-old Michael Akins Jr. was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to two life terms. He was police chief in the central Kansas town of Inman when he was charged. The Supreme Court reversed the convictions Friday, citing misconduct by the assistant attorney general who tried the case in McPherson County. The high court said the assistant attorney general improperly stated comments and opinions that the jury could have construed as evidence. Defense lawyer Dan Monnat told KWCH-TV that he expects to seek Akins's release on bond pending the new trial. Akins has been held at an out-of-state prison because he is a law enforcement officer.===============KS Town's Housing Director Admits TheftTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The former head of the housing authority in a small Kansas town has admitted stealing nearly $7,700 in federal funds. The U.S. Attorney's office says 53-year-old Debra L. Savage, of Linn, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of theft from a federal program. Savage was the executive director of the housing authority in Linn, a north-central Kansas town of about 400 people in Washington County. In her plea, she admitted using a housing authority credit card for personal expenses of nearly $7,700 between December 2009 and December 2012. Savage faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 at her sentencing, scheduled for April 4.===============US Postal Service Seeking to Close Historic Topeka OfficeTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. post office that has anchored the north end of Topeka's downtown since the 1930s could become another casualty of declining mail volume. The Topeka Capital-Journal reportsthe U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday it wants to vacate the historic building and put it up for sale. Plans call for relocating retail customer services to a new, smaller leased space in the same ZIP code. Internal operations would move to nearby postal facilities. A community meeting on the proposal is scheduled at 4 pm Tuesday in the post office auditorium. The Postal Service is attempting to streamline operations after losing billions of dollars in recent years, including $15.9 billion in fiscal year 2012.===============KS Guide for Statehouse Interns Drops Some RulesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The new guide for legislative interns at the Capitol does not contain proposed restrictions ranging from the amount of perfume and the number of earrings interns can wear. Numerous rules suggested last week for inclusion in the 2014 intern handbook by Representative Peggy Mast, an Emporia Republican, were edited out. According to The Topeka Capital-Journal, a rule asserting "inappropriate" photographs and language had to be deleted from personal social media sites also has been removed from the document. Staff members of Democratic lawmakers raised questions about the intern fashion regulations that exceeded limits for legislators. Civil rights attorneys also took issue with the boundaries on social media expression for interns. The interns begin work at the Statehouse on Monday.===============Kingman Police Chief Resigns, City Manager FiredKINGMAN, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas police chief who was under investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has resigned, and the city manager was fired the next day. Kingman city officials announced Thursday that 37-year-old Marc Holloway resigned as chief January 3. On Thursday night, the city commission voted to fire city manager Frank Soukup. Commissioners declined after the closed meetings to explain why Soukup was fired. He had been city manager since January 2006. The city asked the KBI in October to investigate Holloway and he was placed on administrative leave in November. The city officials and KBI have refused to discuss what prompted the investigation. The KBI has finished its investigation. Kingman city attorney Greg Graffman says no decisions have been made on whether charges will be filed.===============2 Plead Not Guilty in Salina HomicideSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Two suspects have pleaded not guilty to charges arising from the death of a 27-year-old Salina mother of four. The Salina Journal reports that 25-year-old Joel Heil and 33-year-old Dane C. DeWeese, of Abilene, entered their pleas Friday and had dates set for their trials in Saline County District Court. The men are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Kristin Tyler, who was missing for two weeks before her body was found May 9 off Interstate 135 in rural Saline County. DeWeese's trial is set for March 24 and Heil's trial is scheduled for May 7.===============Wichita Firm Gets $20M to Build Drone HangarWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita firm has won a $20 million federal contract to build a maintenance hangar for drones at Fort Riley. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Law Company was awarded the contract by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The company will build a 40,000-square-foot hangar at the northeast Kansas Army post for Gray Eagle drones. More than 100 soldiers are assigned to the unit responsible for operating, flying and maintaining the unmanned aerial vehicles. The Gray Eagle is designed for several tasks, including surveillance, target acquisition and communications. Fort Riley now has four of the drones but is expected to get more.===============Report: U.S. Growers Planted Fewer Winter Wheat AcresWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The first government forecast of the growing season shows U.S. farmers planted fewer acres of winter wheat for harvest this year. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Friday that the 41.9 million planted acres are down 2 percent from last year. Seeding for the 2014 winter wheat crop began in August. Plantings of hard red winter wheat, used to make bread, were estimated to be up 2 percent at 30.1 million acres. Significantly more hard red wheat acres were seeded in Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. Those helped offset large acreage decreases in Kansas, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Utah had a record low acreage, while North Dakota seeded a record high number of wheat acres. Kansas planted 8.8 million acres of winter wheat, down 7 percent from a year ago.===============Wichita Woman on Bike Killed in Hit-and-Run; Suspect ArrestedWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a suspect has been arrested in a fatal hit-and-run involving a bicyclist. Thirty-nine-year-old Kristina R. Brown died Thursday when she was hit from behind by a truck while riding her bike in southeast Wichita. A man who was riding his bike with her was not injured. Police say a witness followed the truck as it drove away and was able to provide police with information that led to the driver. The truck belonged to a tree trimming service and the business owner helped police locate the driver. A 35-year-old man was booked into jail on charges of involuntary manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.===============Reward Offered for Ring Stolen from Dying Woman WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Members of the Wichita Crime Commission are offering a $2,000 reward for the return of the wedding ring stolen last month from an unconscious woman at a fast-food restaurant. The robbery has sparked widespread outrage. The reward announcement Friday was attended by the dying woman's husband and Wichita leaders. Danielle Zimmerman was pulling into a Taco Bell on December 29 when she suffered a brain aneurysm. While unconscious, someone took her purse, a cellphone and wedding ring. The 43-year-old Wichita woman died the following day. Her husband, Kris Zimmerman, said Friday that he should have been the last one holding his wife's hand while she was dying, not someone stealing the ring off her finger. He says finding the ring would help bring closure to the family.===============Growing Concerns over Missouri Execution Drug Sourcing ST. LOUIS (AP) — As Missouri prepares for its third execution in two months, a chorus of concerns is raised about the secretive process of obtaining the lethal drug. The source of the pentobarbital used in Missouri executions remains a mystery. The Missouri Department of Corrections gets it from a compounding pharmacy but won't reveal details, saying the secrecy is justified because the drug maker is part of the execution team. Democratic state Representative John Rizzo of Kansas City says he will file legislation Monday for a year-long moratorium on executions and appointment of a special commission to investigate Missouri's process. Attorneys for death row inmates have asked U.S. attorneys to intervene. Even a federal appeals judge has expressed outrage. A Corrections Department spokesman says the procurement process complies with all laws.===============Sentencing for Selling Fake Goods is March 10WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita woman will be sentenced March 10 in federal court for selling fake luxury goods at her shop. Glenda Sue Morgan, owner of The Fabulous Store, pleaded guilty in October to one count of trafficking in goods bearing counterfeit designer labels such as Prada and Chanel. Her sentencing has been postponed until March 10. Morgan faces maximum penalties of a $2 million fine and 10 years imprisonment. But prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the federal guidelines. Investigators seized 400 replica items with a retail value of $14,000 from Morgan's shop. Those goods would have been worth $140,000 had they been genuine.===============Corps: Missouri River Will Get More Water in 2014OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Slightly more water than normal is expected to flow into the Missouri River this spring, but the dams along the river should have room for it. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says several of the reservoirs remain below normal because they are still recovering from the 2012 drought. So the Corps' Jody Farhat says the reservoirs should be able to safely handle the 26.1 million acre feet of runoff expected this year. That forecast is slightly above normal runoff of 25.2 million acre feet. The Corps adjusts the amount of water released from dams along the river in response to conditions. Last year, releases along the water were limited because the Corps was conserving water as the region recovered from drought. That affected barge traffic on the river.

KS Officials to Discuss Disabled Waiting ListTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top officials in Governor Sam Brownback's administration are preparing to make an announcement about the waiting list faced by hundreds of physically disabled Kansans seeking in-home services. Lt. Gov. Jeff Coyer and Aging and Disability Services Secretary Shawn Sullivan are holding a Statehouse news conference today (MON). The administration didn't provide any details. Advocates have filed complaints based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states must provide services to people with disabilities. Earlier this year, negotiations broke down between the Brownback administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and HHS forwarded the waiting list complaints to the Justice Department. Sullivan told legislators in September that the state is trying to clean up the waiting lists to determine who still needs services.==============================KC Man Killed while Trying to Walk across I-35LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man whose car broke down on Interstate 35 near Liberty, Missouri is dead after being hit by a car while trying to cross the highway. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 41-year-old David Ellis had car trouble around 7:30 Saturday night while driving north on the interstate, just south of the Missouri 152 exit. The patrol says Ellis walked about 100 yards along the side of the road before trying to cross the northbound lanes of the highway and being hit by a card driven by a 45-year-old Kansas City woman. Investigators say his body was tossed into the air and landed in the median. KSHB-TV reports there were at least two subsequent crashes after Ellis was hit, tying traffic up on the highway for hours.==============================Medicaid Expansion Issue in KS Legislative RacesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback's allies have raised the potential expansion of the state's Medicaid program as a campaign issue in the days before Tuesday's election decides races for the Kansas Legislature. It comes as conservative Republicans try to bind Democrats to President Barack Obama and the federal health care overhaul. It's a tactic that's worked in GOP-leaning Kansas. Many Kansas Republicans are skeptical of the federal law's promise to fund the expansion because of Washington's ongoing budget problems. Retiring House Speaker and conservative Hutchinson Republican Mike O'Neal says voters need to know whether legislators and candidates would support an expansion. But Democrats aren't openly embracing a Medicaid expansion. They contend the state can't seriously contemplate any additional spending because of massive income tax cuts enacted this year.==============================Former Dodge City Officer Sentenced to LifeDODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former Dodge City police officer has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a 25-year-old woman. Christopher Tahah was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 20 years. The Dodge City Globe reports that Tahah was convicted in September of felony first-degree murder in the 2007 death of Erin Jones in her Dodge City home. Tahah was first convicted in 2008 of first-degree murder in Jones' death. But the Kansas Supreme Court threw out the conviction last year, saying the jury should have been allowed to consider lesser charges, including involuntary manslaughter. Ford County District Judge Leigh Hood also sentenced Tahah to a consecutive 8 1/2-year sentence for criminal discharge of a firearm in an occupied dwelling.===============================Two KS Lawmakers Favor Parole for 2-Time KillerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas legislators are urging state corrections officials to parole a convicted killer serving a life sentence for murdering a 75-year-old Topeka woman 31 years ago. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports there may be others in the Legislature who believe that 63-year-old Ormond Wimberly Junior is ready to re-enter society. But the Department of Corrections isn't releasing that information. Wimberly was convicted of the 1981 death of Sarah Woody, who was shot five times during a robbery. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor — who adamantly opposes Wimberly's release — says the inmate already was on parole for a previous murder when he killed Woody. Republican Rep. John Grange and Democratic Senator Oletha Foust-Goudeau wrote letters last month to the Prisoner Review Board in favor of granting Wimberly parole.==============================Teen Burglar Must Apologize to Kansas ChurchesHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A 16-year-old serial burglar who targeted Hutchinson churches has been ordered to apologize in person to the six congregations he victimized. The Hutchinson News reports the apologies are part of the sentence imposed Friday by Reno County District Judge Tim Chambers against Joshua Hickey. Prosecutors charged Hickey as an adult after he and three older defendants were arrested in August for a string of thefts and break-ins around Hutchinson from early April to late July. Hickey avoided trial by pleading guilty in October to 38 counts, including 19 felonies. Investigators said Hickey broke into a half-dozen churches, hitting some of them twice. Besides ordering the apologies, the judge also placed Hickey on two years' probation. Violations could send him to jail.==============================KS Board of Regents Considers "Post-Tenure" ReviewsLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents is considering requiring the state's six universities to conduct periodic reviews of tenured faculty. Board of Regents Vice Chairman Fred Logan says the "post-tenure" reviews would assess how professors are performing, perhaps every five years. He said the regents could approve the policy at their December meeting. Andrew Torrance, a law professor who is Faculty Senate president at the University of Kansas, says most faculty members would not object to the proposal, if it is not done only to be punitive. Logan said the policy would not weaken tenure protections, and faculty would be involved in planning the post-tenure process. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Logan doesn't think the policy would be implemented until at least next year.==============================Man Bites Police Officer after Shocked with TaserWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 35-year-old man bites a police officer while being arrested after police used Tasers to subdue him for refusing to drop a knife at a Wichita bar. The Wichita Eagle reports police were called to The Place bar at 1:25 Sunday morning and found the man with a knife. Police spokesman Sergeant Scott Brunow says officers ordered him to drop the knife, but he refused. Police say the man bit a police officer in the hand while he was being arrested. A 42-year-old man who tried to help the suspect, and a 34-year-old woman who tried to get other bar patrons to join in the altercation, also were arrested.==============================Children's Mercy Hospital in KC Bans Soda Pop from MachinesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City children's hospital says it plans to ban soda and sugar-filled juices from its vending machines, the cafeteria and gift shop. Officials at Children's Mercy Hospital say the move is aimed at fighting childhood obesity. It will take effect in January. Karen Cox, the hospital's executive vice president, says employees and visitors will be able to bring in their own surgary drinks, but the drinks won't be sold at the hospital. Hospital administrators say Children's Mercy is the first hospital in the Kansas City metro region to implement such a ban. The Kansas City Star reports that the ban is part of the Partnership for a Healthier America, a national program focusing on eliminating childhood obesity.==============================Minimal Damage after Fire at Hutchinson PrisonHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — No injuries and minor damage were reported after a fire at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. The fire Sunday evening was reported in D Cell House Sunday evening. Prison spokesman Dirk Moss says the cause is under investigation. Battalion Chief Doug Hanen says the fire occurred in a restricted area where plumbing and cables are contained. Crews extinguished the fire within 10 minutes. Prisoners were moved to the prison yard when the fire was reported but returned to the cell block after the fire crews left. This is the second fire at the facility in the past month. An inmate was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in his cell in October. No one else was injured.==============================KS Parties Make Last Push on Legislative RacesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans and Democrats are making their final push to woo voters in hot races for the Kansas Legislature. Voters had until noon Monday to cast ballots in advance at local election offices, with polls set to open across the state at 7 a.m. local time Tuesday. Secretary of State Kris Kobach is predicting that 1.2 million people will vote, 68 percent of those registered. The most closely watched races are for state Senate seats, where GOP conservatives are hoping to gain a solid majority by ousting several Democratic incumbents. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce has sent multiple mailings trying to tie Democrats to President Barack Obama and the federal health care overhaul. Meanwhile, Democrats have made GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and massive income tax cuts he championed their biggest issue.==============================KS Dems Put $96K in Legislative Races in 2 DaysTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new campaign finance report shows that the Kansas Democratic Party spent nearly $96,000 in only two days to help legislative candidates during the final days before Tuesday's elections. The report filed by the party with the secretary of state's office shows that the mailings helped Democrats Kyle Russell of Roeland Park and Lisa Johnston of Overland Park in their campaigns for open Kansas Senate seats in Republican-leaning Johnson County. Their mailings cost the Democratic Party more than $22,000 on Thursday and Friday. The party spent about $73,000 on mailings for 18 House candidates during the same two days. Democrats contend they need such aggressive efforts to counter mailings by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more than $400,000 boosting GOP candidates.==============================Kansas Turnpike Rates to Increase Next YearTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Drivers on the Kansas Turnpike will start paying more on Feb. 1. The Kansas Turnpike Authority announced Monday that cash rates for cars and light trucks will increase an average of 10 percent. Rates for K-TAG users will increase an average of 5 percent. Drivers of large commercial vehicles will pay about 5 percent more, whether they pay cash or use the electronic K-TAG. The Turnpike Authority said in a news release Monday the increased revenue will pay for future capital needs, including deck replacements for some of the turnpike's 348 bridges. No tax dollars are used to maintain the turnpike.==============================Fake War Hero Sentenced in Kansas for FraudKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A western Missouri man who lied about being a disabled war hero to get federal contracts has been sentenced to prison in Kansas. The U.S. Attorney's office says 70-year-old Warren Parker, of Blue Springs, Mo., was sentenced Monday to slightly more than seven years. Parker pleaded guilty in April to numerous counts, admitting he lied to secure more than $7 million in government contracts under a program designed to help small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. Parker claimed he served in Vietnam and earned three Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts. In fact, authorities say, he never left Missouri while serving as a National Guard mechanic from 1963 to 1968. Three co-defendants await trial along with Parker's company, Silver Star Construction, which operated in Missouri and Stilwell, Kan.==============================Vandals Hit Vehicles, Stores in TopekaTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Topeka are investigating a rash of vandalism to vehicles, businesses and mailboxes over the weekend. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports police received at least 25 reports of vandalism from Friday night through Sunday morning. Most of the incidents occurred on the city's west side. Nearly 20 vehicles had windows, windshields and rearview mirrors damaged. Someone shot out the windows at three stores, including a Payless ShoeSource. And at least one residential mailbox was damaged.

Here's a look at area news headlines from the Associated Press, as compiled by the KPR News Team.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says a boil water advisory for 12 public water systems in Lyon and Coffey counties might remain in effect for several days after a water main break in Emporia Thursday.

Attorneys for the state of Kansas and for several school boards will present their opening statements today (TUE) before the state Supreme Court over whether Kansas is spending enough on its public schools.