CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;accepted his party's nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.

Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris made him her running mate, and the speech was an opportunity to introduce himself. He leaned into his experiences as a football coach, his time in the National Guard and his recounting of his family's fertility struggles — all parts of his biography that Republicans have questioned in the days since Harris picked him.

While it's unclear if the speech will attract new voters, he further charmed Democratic supporters with his background and helped to balance Harris’ coastal roots as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.

The Harris campaign said Walz had worked on his speech for multiple days and he used a teleprompter for the first time, practicing to ensure he was prepared. He told the crowd, “I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks."

“Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor,” Walz said. “Take Donald Trump and JD Vance.”

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, bashed the convention as a “charade” earlier Wednesday and noted that he has been a frequent topic of conversation. He also singled out his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for a highly critical convention speech Tuesday night, saying Obama had been “nasty.”

Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”

But he also criticized Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, and took several swipes at Republican policies. “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said.

Walz has been accused of embellishing his background. His wife this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-walz-ivf-fertility-jd-vance-fc5ebf8f37adb28cf45d0af51224a938">clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization</a>, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">2018 comment</a>&nbsp;he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.

Walz has made his family’s struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the U.S. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI.

“If you’ve never experienced infertility, I guarantee you know someone who has," Tim Walz said Wednesday.

His daughter, Hope, made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest.

His son, Gus, openly wept throughout the speech, wiping his eyes with tissues while watching from the front row.

Through tears he mouthed, “That’s my dad.”

Two prominent Harris boosters on Wednesday were people Trump has crossed paths during their shared decades in public life: Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd president, and Oprah Winfrey, the iconic talk-show host.

Ironically, she suggested years ago that Trump could be president one day, while Clinton was once close enough to Trump that he attended his 2005 wedding to his wife Melania.

In a convention designed to needle Trump, Clinton and Winfrey portrayed Trump as selfish and Harris as focused on the needs of everyday Americans rather than her own.

“We’ve got a pretty clear choice it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said.

Clinton returned to a place he knows well, the Democratic convention stage, firing up his party with his trademark off-the-cuff flourishes. He spoke about 10 minutes longer than Walz did in the headliner’s spot.

Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton's delivery was sometimes halting, his movements slower, and he mispronounced Harris' first name twice. His left hand often shook when he wasn't using it to grip the lectern.

Still, he delivered several memorable, homespun pronouncements including asking: "What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I's.”

Winfrey — who long filmed her famous talk show in Chicago — offered a full-throated endorsement of Harris and characterized her campaign by singing out, “Joy!”

“Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said, adding, “Let us chose common sense over nonsense.”

The night's theme was “a fight for our freedoms," with the programming focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms while Republicans want to take them away.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-book-mcmorrow-trump-15d0b5d14b635b61906e1575e1f9a332">oversized book</a>&nbsp;meant to represent the Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right, if Trump wins. Polis even ripped a page from the ceremonial volume and said he was going to keep it and show it to undecided voters.

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the story of a woman in her state, which enacted new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.

Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021</a>. He chaired a congressional committee that investigated the mob overrunning the Capitol, saying, “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.”

“Thank God they failed,” Thompson said.

Democrats also recognized the hostages still being held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin brought some in the arena to tears as they paid tribute to their son Hersh, who was abducted in the attack.

Freeing hostages “is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jon Goldberg-Polin said, adding that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”

The Israel-Hamas war has split the Democratic base, with pro-Palestinian protesters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f">demonstrating</a>&nbsp;outside the United Center and several speakers this week acknowledging civilian deaths in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Some of the loudest cheers of the night were for Clinton, who seemed to relish being a warmup act for Walz. A two-term president and generational leader of his party, he noted that he attended his first convention in 1976 — then corrected himself by saying it was actually 1972.

“I have no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to,” Clinton said.

Still, he implored delegates about the Harris-Walz ticket, “If you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life.”

“Your children will be proud of it,” he said. “Your grandchildren will be proud of it.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;accepted his party's nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;It&#39;s the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNCConvention?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNCConvention</a> <a href="https://t.co/d0H937CWBV">pic.twitter.com/d0H937CWBV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826461306938917223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris made him her running mate, and the speech was an opportunity to introduce himself. He leaned into his experiences as a football coach, his time in the National Guard and his recounting of his family's fertility struggles — all parts of his biography that Republicans have questioned in the days since Harris picked him.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> on reproductive freedom: &quot;It took Gwen and I years but we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope. Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world and I love you!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v881Wq3QRm">pic.twitter.com/v881Wq3QRm</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826476167458947211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>While it's unclear if the speech will attract new voters, he further charmed Democratic supporters with his background and helped to balance Harris’ coastal roots as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.The Harris campaign said Walz had worked on his speech for multiple days and he used a teleprompter for the first time, practicing to ensure he was prepared. He told the crowd, “I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks."“Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor,” Walz said. “Take Donald Trump and JD Vance.”Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, bashed the convention as a “charade” earlier Wednesday and noted that he has been a frequent topic of conversation. He also singled out his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for a highly critical convention speech Tuesday night, saying Obama had been “nasty.”<h2>Walz lays out his biography</h2>Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”But he also criticized Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, and took several swipes at Republican policies. “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said.Walz has been accused of embellishing his background. His wife this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-walz-ivf-fertility-jd-vance-fc5ebf8f37adb28cf45d0af51224a938">clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization</a>, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">2018 comment</a>&nbsp;he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.Walz has made his family’s struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the U.S. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI.“If you’ve never experienced infertility, I guarantee you know someone who has," Tim Walz said Wednesday.His daughter, Hope, made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest.His son, Gus, openly wept throughout the speech, wiping his eyes with tissues while watching from the front row.Through tears he mouthed, “That’s my dad.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Stevie Wonder speaks and performs &quot;Higher Ground&quot; at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a>. <a href="https://t.co/QsDRqZeYCA">pic.twitter.com/QsDRqZeYCA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826429321507958986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>The Bill and Oprah Show</h2>Two prominent Harris boosters on Wednesday were people Trump has crossed paths during their shared decades in public life: Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd president, and Oprah Winfrey, the iconic talk-show host.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oprah</a>: Soon, and very soon, we&#39;re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother &amp; a Jamaican father, two idealist energetic immigrants...how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States. That is the best of America. <a href="https://t.co/WCY4xwPnvX">pic.twitter.com/WCY4xwPnvX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826452010897408007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ironically, she suggested years ago that Trump could be president one day, while Clinton was once close enough to Trump that he attended his 2005 wedding to his wife Melania.In a convention designed to needle Trump, Clinton and Winfrey portrayed Trump as selfish and Harris as focused on the needs of everyday Americans rather than her own.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President <a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillClinton</a> addresses <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a> – LIVE on C-SPAN <a href="https://t.co/g1TYhenzmT">https://t.co/g1TYhenzmT</a> <a href="https://t.co/oZOYYbXiVs">pic.twitter.com/oZOYYbXiVs</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826429602920530072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’ve got a pretty clear choice it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said.Clinton returned to a place he knows well, the Democratic convention stage, firing up his party with his trademark off-the-cuff flourishes. He spoke about 10 minutes longer than Walz did in the headliner’s spot.Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton's delivery was sometimes halting, his movements slower, and he mispronounced Harris' first name twice. His left hand often shook when he wasn't using it to grip the lectern.Still, he delivered several memorable, homespun pronouncements including asking: "What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I's.”Winfrey — who long filmed her famous talk show in Chicago — offered a full-throated endorsement of Harris and characterized her campaign by singing out, “Joy!”“Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said, adding, “Let us chose common sense over nonsense.”<h2>A focus on ‘freedoms’</h2>The night's theme was “a fight for our freedoms," with the programming focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms while Republicans want to take them away.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-book-mcmorrow-trump-15d0b5d14b635b61906e1575e1f9a332">oversized book</a>&nbsp;meant to represent the Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right, if Trump wins. Polis even ripped a page from the ceremonial volume and said he was going to keep it and show it to undecided voters.Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the story of a woman in her state, which enacted new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021</a>. He chaired a congressional committee that investigated the mob overrunning the Capitol, saying, “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.”“Thank God they failed,” Thompson said.Democrats also recognized the hostages still being held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin brought some in the arena to tears as they paid tribute to their son Hersh, who was abducted in the attack.Freeing hostages “is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jon Goldberg-Polin said, adding that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”The Israel-Hamas war has split the Democratic base, with pro-Palestinian protesters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f">demonstrating</a>&nbsp;outside the United Center and several speakers this week acknowledging civilian deaths in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities.<h2>The man from Hope talks about joy</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillClinton</a> on Kamala Harris: &quot;When she was young, she worked at McDonald&#39;s...I will be so happy when she actually enters the White House as president because she will break my record as the president who spent the most time at <a href="https://twitter.com/McDonalds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@McDonalds</a>. <a href="https://t.co/OcMGynwe7t">pic.twitter.com/OcMGynwe7t</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826438561186677103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Some of the loudest cheers of the night were for Clinton, who seemed to relish being a warmup act for Walz. A two-term president and generational leader of his party, he noted that he attended his first convention in 1976 — then corrected himself by saying it was actually 1972.“I have no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to,” Clinton said.Still, he implored delegates about the Harris-Walz ticket, “If you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life.”“Your children will be proud of it,” he said. “Your grandchildren will be proud of it.”___

🎥 Highlights of 3rd night of Democratic National Convention

KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Pet Project Animal Services Division rescued 31 animals from a property in historic northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, where they were found living in deplorable conditions, according to a social media report.

The animals—8 ducks, 6 roosters, 8 hens, 8 cats, and 1 pigeon—were surrendered by their owner. One duck had to be euthanized due to its injuries, and one kitten passed away. Several of the cats are sick and receiving medical attention. KC Pet Project found placement for most of the birds. There are roosters that are available for adoption.

Animal Services officers responded to complaints about potential neglect of the animals. Their investigation uncovered that the property was littered with trash, animal carcasses, and dead birds. The living animals were found in inadequate housing with no access to water or ventilation and displayed signs of neglect. These circumstances are not only inhumane but also in violation of the city code.

In addition to rescuing the animals, Animal Services will be issuing citations to the owner for multiple violations, including failure to provide adequate care. The owner also has outstanding warrants related to prior animal-related offenses.

“We are grateful to our officers who continued to investigate this case and glad to have these animals in our care now, where they will receive the attention and love they deserve," said Tori Fugate, chief communications officer at KC Pet Project. 

"We set up little pools of water for the ducks and it was a heartwarming scene to see them immediately jump into the water to clean themselves off. This case is another example of why it is important to report any suspected cases of animal neglect to help us protect animals who cannot speak for themselves."

Some of the animals on the property could not be captured, so officers will continue to visit the property to work to capture them. 

If you are interested in adopting the roosters, you may visit them starting August 20th at the KC Campus for Animal Care, located at 7077 Elmwood Avenue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724290125314.png" alt="Photos KC Pet Project" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Pet Project</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Pet Project Animal Services Division rescued 31 animals from a property in historic northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, where they were found living in deplorable conditions, according to a social media report.The animals—8 ducks, 6 roosters, 8 hens, 8 cats, and 1 pigeon—were surrendered by their owner. One duck had to be euthanized due to its injuries, and one kitten passed away. Several of the cats are sick and receiving medical attention. KC Pet Project found placement for most of the birds. There are roosters that are available for adoption.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724290257543.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Animal Services officers responded to complaints about potential neglect of the animals. Their investigation uncovered that the property was littered with trash, animal carcasses, and dead birds. The living animals were found in inadequate housing with no access to water or ventilation and displayed signs of neglect. These circumstances are not only inhumane but also in violation of the city code.In addition to rescuing the animals, Animal Services will be issuing citations to the owner for multiple violations, including failure to provide adequate care. The owner also has outstanding warrants related to prior animal-related offenses.“We are grateful to our officers who continued to investigate this case and glad to have these animals in our care now, where they will receive the attention and love they deserve," said Tori Fugate, chief communications officer at KC Pet Project. "We set up little pools of water for the ducks and it was a heartwarming scene to see them immediately jump into the water to clean themselves off. This case is another example of why it is important to report any suspected cases of animal neglect to help us protect animals who cannot speak for themselves."Some of the animals on the property could not be captured, so officers will continue to visit the property to work to capture them. If you are interested in adopting the roosters, you may visit them starting August 20th at the KC Campus for Animal Care, located at 7077 Elmwood Avenue.

31 animals rescued from 'deplorable conditions' in Kansas City

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2022 killing at a Kansas gas station.

Last week, Judge Michael Joyce sentenced 27-year-old Zarrell Finley to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In July, a jury found Finley guilty of first degree murder.

Just before 4:30p.m. July 31, 2022, police responded to report of a shooting at a BP gas station in the 8600 Block of College Boulevard, according to a media release from Overland Park police.

They found&nbsp; 26-year-old Shaquille Jackson of Kansas City, Missouri with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

An FBI Fugitive task force tracked Finley down and arrested him.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723816973690.png" alt="Finley-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Finley-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2022 killing at a Kansas gas station.Last week, Judge Michael Joyce sentenced 27-year-old Zarrell Finley to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In July, a jury found Finley guilty of first degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723924030852.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 4:30p.m. July 31, 2022, police responded to report of a shooting at a BP gas station in the 8600 Block of College Boulevard, according to a media release from Overland Park police.They found&nbsp; 26-year-old Shaquille Jackson of Kansas City, Missouri with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.An FBI Fugitive task force tracked Finley down and arrested him.&nbsp;

Hard 50: Man sentenced for killing at Kansas gas station

CHICAGO (AP)—The parents of a 23-year-old American taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel gave a moving speech Wednesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-walz-clinton-harris-4f299bd2684c0284dd100f7f0731172f">Democratic National Convention</a>, pleading for the release of the dozens of people who continue to be held captive in Gaza.

“This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” said Jon Polin, whose son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-video-1284f257698ea5e9c9cc9ac86a849948">Hersh Goldberg-Polin</a>&nbsp;lost his part of his left arm and was kidnapped from Israel by militants who attacked the music festival he was attending.

Polin and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were greeted with an extended ovation and chants of “bring him home” by the thousands of Democratic delegates in Chicago.

They steered clear of politics in their 10-minute speech, but Jon Polin said the families of the American hostages meet regularly in Washington and are heartened to see bipartisan support for securing the release of their loved ones. President&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/DWS%20wearing%20yellow%20ribbon%20householder%20interviews%20with%20hostage%20families%20keith%20ellison%20mentioned%20ceasefire">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, he said, are “both working tirelessly" for a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages.

“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stray strong, survive,” Rachel Polin-Goldberg said.

She and her husband wore stickers with the number 320, drawing attention to the number of days their son has been held.

The speech put an emotional and human face on the Israel-Hamas conflict, a sensitive issue for Democrats, who face pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters to more forcefully press Israel to end the siege that has leveled much of the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of people, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death count between militants and civilians.

More than 100 hostages remain in Gaza, though some are believed to have died. Family members of six of the eight American hostages still held by Hamas were in Chicago to raise awareness about their loved ones' plight.

Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of hostage Omer Neutra, were given a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last month.

“Time is running out,” Ronen Neutra told The Associated Press at the Democratic convention. "And all leaders must work together in a bipartisan fashion to put pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government and reach a deal that is so much overdue, so much overdue.”

On Tuesday, multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets.

Biden spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as the United States presses Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bridging proposal” that could lead to a cease-fire in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724289859374.png" alt="Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin speak during the Democratic National Convention -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin speak during the Democratic National Convention -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP)—The parents of a 23-year-old American taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel gave a moving speech Wednesday at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-walz-clinton-harris-4f299bd2684c0284dd100f7f0731172f">Democratic National Convention</a>, pleading for the release of the dozens of people who continue to be held captive in Gaza.“This is a political convention. But needing our only son — and all of the cherished hostages — home is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” said Jon Polin, whose son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostage-video-1284f257698ea5e9c9cc9ac86a849948">Hersh Goldberg-Polin</a>&nbsp;lost his part of his left arm and was kidnapped from Israel by militants who attacked the music festival he was attending.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724289933051.png" alt="Jon Polin, left, and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak on stage during the Democratic National Convention -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Jon Polin, left, and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak on stage during the Democratic National Convention -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Polin and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were greeted with an extended ovation and chants of “bring him home” by the thousands of Democratic delegates in Chicago.They steered clear of politics in their 10-minute speech, but Jon Polin said the families of the American hostages meet regularly in Washington and are heartened to see bipartisan support for securing the release of their loved ones. President&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/DWS%20wearing%20yellow%20ribbon%20householder%20interviews%20with%20hostage%20families%20keith%20ellison%20mentioned%20ceasefire">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, he said, are “both working tirelessly" for a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages.“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you, stray strong, survive,” Rachel Polin-Goldberg said.She and her husband wore stickers with the number 320, drawing attention to the number of days their son has been held.The speech put an emotional and human face on the Israel-Hamas conflict, a sensitive issue for Democrats, who face pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters to more forcefully press Israel to end the siege that has leveled much of the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of people, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death count between militants and civilians.More than 100 hostages remain in Gaza, though some are believed to have died. Family members of six of the eight American hostages still held by Hamas were in Chicago to raise awareness about their loved ones' plight.Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of hostage Omer Neutra, were given a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last month.“Time is running out,” Ronen Neutra told The Associated Press at the Democratic convention. "And all leaders must work together in a bipartisan fashion to put pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government and reach a deal that is so much overdue, so much overdue.”On Tuesday, multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets.Biden spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as the United States presses Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bridging proposal” that could lead to a cease-fire in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war in Gaza</a>.

Parents of American held by Hamas appeal for hostages' release during DNC

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities investigating a jewelry store theft asked the public for help to identify a suspect.

Just before 2 p.m. Monday, the suspect involved in this incident, identified as Javier Hernandez, 31, of Topeka, turned himself in to the Shawnee County Law Enforcement Center.

He was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charges that include 13 counts of of Theft; Shoplifting, according to online jail records.

Just after 4:30 p.m., August 9,&nbsp; police responded to a reported theft at Kay Jeweler’s at West Ridge Mall, 1801 SW Wanamaker Road in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp;

 The alleged suspect, as shown in security camera images, left the area in a light blue Chevrolet Malibu with front end damage. He was last seen wearing a purple t-shirt, faded jeans, white shoes and silver chains around his neck. He has a tattoo on the top of his right wrist and on his upper left arm.&nbsp; On August 14, police asked the public for help to identify him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723667208542.png" alt="Photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities investigating a jewelry store theft asked the public for help to identify a suspect.Just before 2 p.m. Monday, the suspect involved in this incident, identified as Javier Hernandez, 31, of Topeka, turned himself in to the Shawnee County Law Enforcement Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724167418130.png" alt="Hernandez photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>He was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charges that include 13 counts of of Theft; Shoplifting, according to online jail records.Just after 4:30 p.m., August 9,&nbsp; police responded to a reported theft at Kay Jeweler’s at West Ridge Mall, 1801 SW Wanamaker Road in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp; The alleged suspect, as shown in security camera images, left the area in a light blue Chevrolet Malibu with front end damage. He was last seen wearing a purple t-shirt, faded jeans, white shoes and silver chains around his neck. He has a tattoo on the top of his right wrist and on his upper left arm.&nbsp; On August 14, police asked the public for help to identify him.

Suspect faces 13 charges for theft from Kansas jewelry store 

LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austria-extremism-arrests-security-taylor-swift-7ece0b264f6e4152b8214c9fba8c425b">scrubbed Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna</a>&nbsp;amid a foiled terror plot, the singer issued her first statement on the cancellation.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.

“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.

In the wake of the cancellations, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations and her social media pages had gone dormant.

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it's with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.

<a href="https://apnews.com/video/austria-taylor-swift-austria-government-vienna-concerts-3a0085b75ae740abb08d158ee7519cac">Concert organizer Barracuda Music</a>&nbsp;had said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime. Authorities said a 19-year-old suspect had planned to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to “kill as many people as possible.”

That suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the shows were announced as canceled. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706236308205.png" alt="FILE - (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austria-extremism-arrests-security-taylor-swift-7ece0b264f6e4152b8214c9fba8c425b">scrubbed Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna</a>&nbsp;amid a foiled terror plot, the singer issued her first statement on the cancellation.“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.In the wake of the cancellations, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations and her social media pages had gone dormant.“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it's with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.<a href="https://apnews.com/video/austria-taylor-swift-austria-government-vienna-concerts-3a0085b75ae740abb08d158ee7519cac">Concert organizer Barracuda Music</a>&nbsp;had said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime. Authorities said a 19-year-old suspect had planned to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to “kill as many people as possible.”That suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the shows were announced as canceled. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8.

Taylor Swift breaks silence on cancellation of Vienna shows 

KIOWA COUNTY —A northwest Kansas man died in a pedestrian accident just after noon Wednesday in Kiowa County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 International semi driven by Charles D.&nbsp;Cunningham, 67, Pleasant Hope, Kansas, was westbound on U.S. Highway 54 and 10th Avenue in Mullinville.

A pedestrian identified as 50-year-old Richard Hubbard of Phillipsburg was walking northbound on 10th Avenue crossing U.S. Highway 54.&nbsp; The semi struck Hubbard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cunningham was not injured and properly restrained, according to the KHP.

KIOWA COUNTY —A northwest Kansas man died in a pedestrian accident just after noon Wednesday in Kiowa County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 International semi driven by Charles D.&nbsp;Cunningham, 67, Pleasant Hope, Kansas, was westbound on U.S. Highway 54 and 10th Avenue in Mullinville.A pedestrian identified as 50-year-old Richard Hubbard of Phillipsburg was walking northbound on 10th Avenue crossing U.S. Highway 54.&nbsp; The semi struck Hubbard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Cunningham was not injured and properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after struck by a semi

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported, the government said Wednesday.&nbsp; The revised total adds to evidence that the job market has been steadily slowing and likely reinforces the Federal Reserve’s plan to start cutting interest rates soon.

The Labor Department estimated that job growth averaged 174,000 a month in the year that ended in March — a drop of 68,000 a month from the 242,000 that were initially reported. The revisions released Wednesday were preliminary, with final numbers to be issued in February next year.

The downgraded estimate follows a jobs report for July that was much worse than expected, leading many economists to suggest that the Fed had waited too long to begin cutting interest rates to support the economy. The unemployment rate rose for the fourth straight month, to a still-low 4.3%, and employers added just 114,000 jobs.

The Fed raised its benchmark rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation, which hit a four-decade high more than two years ago. Year-over-year inflation has since plummeted — from 9.1% in June 2022 to 2.9%, clearing the way for the Fed to begin cutting rates when it next meets in mid-September.

The revised hiring estimates released Wednesday are intended to better account for companies that are either being created or going out of business.

“This doesn’t challenge the idea we’re still in an expansion, but it does signal we should expect monthly job growth to be more muted and put extra pressure on the Fed to cut rates,’’ said Robert Frick, economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union.

In the revisions, new professional and business services jobs — a broad category that includes managers and technical workers — were reduced by 358,000 in the 12 months that ended in March. Leisure and hospitality employers — including hotels and restaurants — added 150,000 fewer than first reported.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported, the government said Wednesday.&nbsp; The revised total adds to evidence that the job market has been steadily slowing and likely reinforces the Federal Reserve’s plan to start cutting interest rates soon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are cooking the books for political power. They have completely fabricated job growth in an attempt to make you believe the economy is stronger than it is. How insulting to American’s intelligence. <a href="https://t.co/75JCM9vjkc">https://t.co/75JCM9vjkc</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1826274973025292451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Labor Department estimated that job growth averaged 174,000 a month in the year that ended in March — a drop of 68,000 a month from the 242,000 that were initially reported. The revisions released Wednesday were preliminary, with final numbers to be issued in February next year.The downgraded estimate follows a jobs report for July that was much worse than expected, leading many economists to suggest that the Fed had waited too long to begin cutting interest rates to support the economy. The unemployment rate rose for the fourth straight month, to a still-low 4.3%, and employers added just 114,000 jobs.The Fed raised its benchmark rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation, which hit a four-decade high more than two years ago. Year-over-year inflation has since plummeted — from 9.1% in June 2022 to 2.9%, clearing the way for the Fed to begin cutting rates when it next meets in mid-September.The revised hiring estimates released Wednesday are intended to better account for companies that are either being created or going out of business.“This doesn’t challenge the idea we’re still in an expansion, but it does signal we should expect monthly job growth to be more muted and put extra pressure on the Fed to cut rates,’’ said Robert Frick, economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union.In the revisions, new professional and business services jobs — a broad category that includes managers and technical workers — were reduced by 358,000 in the 12 months that ended in March. Leisure and hospitality employers — including hotels and restaurants — added 150,000 fewer than first reported.

Kan. U.S. Senator responds: US job growth far weaker than initially reported

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide after they found a man's body in the trunk of a car in a vacant lot.

Just after 8a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot located in the 8200 block of West Irving Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Officers were directed to a white four door Mercedes and discovered a deceased 39-year-old man in the trunk of the vehicle.

The victim was found wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. His remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.

During the investigation, detectives identified the Deluxe Motel at 8401 W. Kellogg Drive as the original crime scene. Police have not released the identity of the victim.

Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact Wichita Police Department Homicide Investigators at (316) 268-4407. For those who wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724266152157.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide after they found a man's body in the trunk of a car in a vacant lot.Just after 8a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in a vacant lot located in the 8200 block of West Irving Street in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.Officers were directed to a white four door Mercedes and discovered a deceased 39-year-old man in the trunk of the vehicle.The victim was found wrapped in blood-stained bedding with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. His remains were transported to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination.During the investigation, detectives identified the Deluxe Motel at 8401 W. Kellogg Drive as the original crime scene. Police have not released the identity of the victim.Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact Wichita Police Department Homicide Investigators at (316) 268-4407. For those who wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111

Kansas homicide: Body found in trunk of car in vacant lot

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/skychadde/">SKY CHADDE</a>&nbsp;

Agribusiness giant Bayer won a legal victory last week in long-running litigation over whether its popular Roundup pesticide has caused cancer.

The case started in 2019, when a husband and wife in Pennsylvania sued Missouri-based Monsanto, which Bayer purchased in 2018, and alleged the company had violated state law by not including a cancer warning label on Roundup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, did not make the company add such a warning.

On Aug. 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in Pennsylvania,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10041458/david-schaffner-jr-v-monsanto-corp/?q=bayer&amp;type=o&amp;order_by=dateFiled%20desc&amp;stat_Precedential=on" target="_blank">ruled</a>&nbsp;the federal law governing pesticides — the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA — requires “nationwide uniformity” over pesticide regulation. The state of Pennsylvania did not have authority in the case, the court decided.

The appeals court decision in Pennsylvania conflicts with another decision made earlier this year in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/08/16/bayer-roundup-appeal-victory-compels-review.html" target="_blank">according to the St. Louis Business Journal</a>.

In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled FIFRA did not preempt state law. Georgia’s law on warning residents about possible harms from pesticides was “fully consistent with” the federal law, according to the Business Journal.

Because the decisions conflict with each other, that could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/bayer-wins-victory-us-legal-battle-against-roundup-cancer-claims-2024-08-15/" target="_blank">according to Reuters</a>.

Bayer told Reuters the Supreme Court should “settle this important issue of law.”

In 2020, Bayer settled most of its Roundup litigation for about $10 billion, but some cases still remain active. After news of the legal victory, Bayer’s stock price surged,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/bayer-surges-after-roundup-appeal-wins-in-philadelphia-court/ar-AA1oSmvq" target="_blank">according to Bloomberg</a>. It had been slumping over the past year.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/08/19/bayer-notches-win-in-roundup-litigation/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593022262288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/skychadde/">SKY CHADDE</a>&nbsp;Agribusiness giant Bayer won a legal victory last week in long-running litigation over whether its popular Roundup pesticide has caused cancer.The case started in 2019, when a husband and wife in Pennsylvania sued Missouri-based Monsanto, which Bayer purchased in 2018, and alleged the company had violated state law by not including a cancer warning label on Roundup. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates pesticides, did not make the company add such a warning.On Aug. 15, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in Pennsylvania,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10041458/david-schaffner-jr-v-monsanto-corp/?q=bayer&amp;type=o&amp;order_by=dateFiled%20desc&amp;stat_Precedential=on" target="_blank">ruled</a>&nbsp;the federal law governing pesticides — the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA — requires “nationwide uniformity” over pesticide regulation. The state of Pennsylvania did not have authority in the case, the court decided.The appeals court decision in Pennsylvania conflicts with another decision made earlier this year in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/08/16/bayer-roundup-appeal-victory-compels-review.html" target="_blank">according to the St. Louis Business Journal</a>.In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled FIFRA did not preempt state law. Georgia’s law on warning residents about possible harms from pesticides was “fully consistent with” the federal law, according to the Business Journal.Because the decisions conflict with each other, that could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/bayer-wins-victory-us-legal-battle-against-roundup-cancer-claims-2024-08-15/" target="_blank">according to Reuters</a>.Bayer told Reuters the Supreme Court should “settle this important issue of law.”In 2020, Bayer settled most of its Roundup litigation for about $10 billion, but some cases still remain active. After news of the legal victory, Bayer’s stock price surged,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/bayer-surges-after-roundup-appeal-wins-in-philadelphia-court/ar-AA1oSmvq" target="_blank">according to Bloomberg</a>. It had been slumping over the past year.This&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/08/19/bayer-notches-win-in-roundup-litigation/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
 <img src="https://investigatemidwest.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=747714&amp;ga4=G-R9VE8P61LG" alt="" />
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 </figure>

Bayer notches win in litigation over whether Roundup has caused cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) —A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncompete-workers-ftc-lawsuit-fe91a378e15086402550e0fb10467214">would have made it easier</a>&nbsp;for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor.

In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown granted a motion for summary judgement filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other plaintiffs, and rejected the FTC's own petition for a judgement in its favor.

In reaching his decision, Brown concluded that that the FTC “exceeded its statutory authority” in making the rule, which the judge called “arbitrary and capricious." The judge also concluded that the rule would cause irreparable harm.

As a result of the court's decision, the FTC won't be able to enforce its rule, which was set to go into effect on Sept. 4, according to the judge's ruling.

Still, the decision does not prevent the agency from addressing noncompete agreements through “case-by-case” enforcement actions, said Victoria Graham, an FTC spokesperson.

The FTC is also considering appealing the court’s decision, Graham said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-employers-noncompete-agreements-economy-pay-4d7b3eb8e143cfd52025c7f2f5259fc4">FTC voted in April to prohibit employers nationwide</a>&nbsp;from entering into new noncompete agreements or enforcing existing noncompetes, saying the agreements restrict workers' freedom and suppress wages.

But companies opposing the ban argue they need noncompete agreements to protect business relationships, trade secrets and investments they make to train or recruit employees.

Apart from the Texas case, companies sued the FTC in Florida and Pennsylvania to block the rule.

In the Florida lawsuit, which was brought by a retirement community, the court granted a preliminary injunction, prohibiting enforcement of the rule just for the plaintiff, but not any other company.

In the Pennsylvania lawsuit, the court concluded that the plaintiff, a tree company, failed to show it would be irreparably harmed by the ban and that the company wasn’t likely to win the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713903059519.png" alt="Image FTC" />
 <figcaption>Image FTC</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncompete-workers-ftc-lawsuit-fe91a378e15086402550e0fb10467214">would have made it easier</a>&nbsp;for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor.In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown granted a motion for summary judgement filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other plaintiffs, and rejected the FTC's own petition for a judgement in its favor.In reaching his decision, Brown concluded that that the FTC “exceeded its statutory authority” in making the rule, which the judge called “arbitrary and capricious." The judge also concluded that the rule would cause irreparable harm.As a result of the court's decision, the FTC won't be able to enforce its rule, which was set to go into effect on Sept. 4, according to the judge's ruling.Still, the decision does not prevent the agency from addressing noncompete agreements through “case-by-case” enforcement actions, said Victoria Graham, an FTC spokesperson.The FTC is also considering appealing the court’s decision, Graham said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-employers-noncompete-agreements-economy-pay-4d7b3eb8e143cfd52025c7f2f5259fc4">FTC voted in April to prohibit employers nationwide</a>&nbsp;from entering into new noncompete agreements or enforcing existing noncompetes, saying the agreements restrict workers' freedom and suppress wages.But companies opposing the ban argue they need noncompete agreements to protect business relationships, trade secrets and investments they make to train or recruit employees.Apart from the Texas case, companies sued the FTC in Florida and Pennsylvania to block the rule.In the Florida lawsuit, which was brought by a retirement community, the court granted a preliminary injunction, prohibiting enforcement of the rule just for the plaintiff, but not any other company.In the Pennsylvania lawsuit, the court concluded that the plaintiff, a tree company, failed to show it would be irreparably harmed by the ban and that the company wasn’t likely to win the case.

Federal Judge blocks FTC's bid to ban noncompete agreements 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas mother whose 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister has been sentenced to life in prison.

Mariann Belair, 24, won't be eligible for parole until she's served 25 years under the sentence imposed Tuesday in Shawnee County District Court, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2024/08/20/topekan-gets-life-sentence-after-her-son-fatally-shoots-her-daughter/74879924007/">reported</a>. Jurors found her guilty in May of aggravated child endangerment and first-degree murder in the commission of a felony.

Belair testified at her trial that she removed a loaded 9mm handgun from her diaper bag and placed it on the couch next to her in October while she was home with her 4-year-old daughter, Lawrencia Perez-Belair, and her 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.

She said she had planned to go get food with her family and was making sure she had everything she needed in the bag. She said Lawrencia then “distracted” her by asking her to shoot a cellphone photo of them together.

Deputy District Attorney Lauren Amrein told jurors that the gun sat on the couch at least 12 minutes before Belair's son, who was about to turn 3, picked it up and shot his sister. She said no reasonable person would have let the gun sit there so long with small children present.

Court records show Belair complained in a handwritten motion that her trial attorney discouraged her from taking a plea that would have resulted in her being sentenced to 10 years and three months in prison.

A new attorney assigned to the case has requested a new trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697371794491.png" alt="Belair photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Belair photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas mother whose 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister has been sentenced to life in prison.Mariann Belair, 24, won't be eligible for parole until she's served 25 years under the sentence imposed Tuesday in Shawnee County District Court, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2024/08/20/topekan-gets-life-sentence-after-her-son-fatally-shoots-her-daughter/74879924007/">reported</a>. Jurors found her guilty in May of aggravated child endangerment and first-degree murder in the commission of a felony.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697687958408.jpeg" alt="Lawrencia Blair-photo Chapel Oaks Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Lawrencia Blair-photo Chapel Oaks Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>Belair testified at her trial that she removed a loaded 9mm handgun from her diaper bag and placed it on the couch next to her in October while she was home with her 4-year-old daughter, Lawrencia Perez-Belair, and her 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.She said she had planned to go get food with her family and was making sure she had everything she needed in the bag. She said Lawrencia then “distracted” her by asking her to shoot a cellphone photo of them together.Deputy District Attorney Lauren Amrein told jurors that the gun sat on the couch at least 12 minutes before Belair's son, who was about to turn 3, picked it up and shot his sister. She said no reasonable person would have let the gun sit there so long with small children present.Court records show Belair complained in a handwritten motion that her trial attorney discouraged her from taking a plea that would have resulted in her being sentenced to 10 years and three months in prison.A new attorney assigned to the case has requested a new trial.

Kansas mom sentenced after her 2-year-old fatally shot her 4-year-old

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– Flying activity increases this week over the Air Capital with the arrival of aircraft for the 2024 Frontiers in Flight Airshow at McConnell AFB. according to a media release from the air base.

Tuesday and Wednesday, most of McConnell’s aircraft will leave the base for other locations for the week, to perform missions off-station while also making room for airshow activities and setup.

Wednesday marks the arrival of Doc at McConnell. That B-29 Superfortress arrives at approximately 2 p.m.&nbsp; and will be part of the center display for the airshow, along with two KC-135 Stratotankers and two KC-46 Pegasus tankers McConnell.

On Thursday, the Blue Angels arrive at approximately 10 a.m. In addition, a majority of the Airshow’s other aircraft are slated to arrive throughout the day on Thursday. Several of those aircraft are expected to spend extra time flying around the Air Capital, as the base and FAA have worked to open local airspace up to a 10-mile radius around the Dole VA Center, to include the Children’s Hospital, for the pilots to spend time familiarizing themselves with the terrain.

Also on Thursday, at approximately 10:30 p.m., three Army helicopters from Fort Riley are scheduled to arrive, but only after performing night navigation missions en-route to McConnell. The helicopters will be on ground display for the airshow.

On Friday, several small aircraft will arrive from Stearman Field, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The airshows aerial performers will conduct a practice airshow starting at noon that day, with the Blue Angels taking to the skies at 3 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, flying activities begin at noon, and the Blue Angels will again take to the skies at 3 p.m. each day.&nbsp;The airshow runs August 24-25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at McConnell Air Force Base, with both admission and parking being free.&nbsp;

All attendees over the age of 18 are required to present a state- or federal government-issued photo ID for entry, such as a driver’s license or passport. Non-U.S. citizen over the age of 18 can use a passport or permanent resident alien card for entry.

Guests are allowed and encouraged to bring their own drinking water in a non-glass container, filled, to use and refill throughout the day to help prevent heat injuries.

There will be free water fill locations in the general public parking lot and on the airshow ramp for refilling personal water containers. Those locations are marked on the map, along with cooling tents, port-a-potties and first aid stations.

<a>While that parking is available, there will still be large distances of walking, given the overall size of the flightline. The airshow area itself measures 0.67 miles north to south, and will be full of parked aircraft, booths and displays.</a>

Parking will be provided off-base, in the fields owned by Cessna, north of McConnell, west of Rock Road and south of Pawnee Street. Distance from the regular parking area to the airshow entrance is approximately 0.5 miles. As such, the base has organized busses to be available at the center of the general parking area to transport people to and from there and the airshow entrance (Entry #1 on the Airshow map). These distances, combined with the typical August temperatures in Kansas and the heat-amplifying effects of concrete runways make hydration especially important for airshow attendees and staff.

Accessibility parking is available by filling out the following form online:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#accessibility" target="_blank">https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#accessibility</a>

Those who are approved for this parking will be e-mailed a parking pass, which they will have to print out. That pass will enable parking at select locations on base.

For those bringing small children, wristbands are available at the entry points to the flightline, to allow adults to write a phone number on the band and put it on the child’s wrist. Should the adults and children become separated, that phone number will facilitate a quick reunion with their adults.&nbsp; The Lost Child RV will be located near the Kids Zone and close to the Boeing Dreamlifter.&nbsp; The Dreamlifter will be the largest aircraft on the ramp, on the north end of the runway area and near the STEAM and Kid Zones. Changing stations and a dedicated nursing area will also be nearby.

A full list of items that guests are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#bring" target="_blank">allowed to bring</a>, as well as a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#nobring" target="_blank">prohibited items</a>, is available at the airshow website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.frontiersinflight.com/" target="_blank">www.frontiersinflight.com</a>

Aerial performances begin at noon each day. The headline act, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, takes to the skies at approximately 3 p.m. each day of the airshow.

The confirmed aerial performers for the airshow are:

The Budweiser Clydesdales hitch is scheduled to make an appearance at 11:30 a.m., each day of the airshow.

The confirmed aircraft on static display are shown on the airshow map, current as of its publication date. Those aircraft on display will be:

Wichita’s military presence is more than just Air Force, with a number of Reserve and Guard units in the area from across the military branches. The largest of these locally is the Army Reserve’s 451st&nbsp;Expeditionary Sustainment Command, which is headquartered here. The 451st&nbsp;ESC has coordinated the appearance of several Army aviation and ground assets at the event, bringing a little extra steel and firepower for visitors to see. These will include:

<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/">Click here for </a>more information on the air show

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724252189685.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– Flying activity increases this week over the Air Capital with the arrival of aircraft for the 2024 Frontiers in Flight Airshow at McConnell AFB. according to a media release from the air base.Tuesday and Wednesday, most of McConnell’s aircraft will leave the base for other locations for the week, to perform missions off-station while also making room for airshow activities and setup.Wednesday marks the arrival of Doc at McConnell. That B-29 Superfortress arrives at approximately 2 p.m.&nbsp; and will be part of the center display for the airshow, along with two KC-135 Stratotankers and two KC-46 Pegasus tankers McConnell.On Thursday, the Blue Angels arrive at approximately 10 a.m. In addition, a majority of the Airshow’s other aircraft are slated to arrive throughout the day on Thursday. Several of those aircraft are expected to spend extra time flying around the Air Capital, as the base and FAA have worked to open local airspace up to a 10-mile radius around the Dole VA Center, to include the Children’s Hospital, for the pilots to spend time familiarizing themselves with the terrain.Also on Thursday, at approximately 10:30 p.m., three Army helicopters from Fort Riley are scheduled to arrive, but only after performing night navigation missions en-route to McConnell. The helicopters will be on ground display for the airshow.On Friday, several small aircraft will arrive from Stearman Field, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The airshows aerial performers will conduct a practice airshow starting at noon that day, with the Blue Angels taking to the skies at 3 p.m.On Saturday and Sunday, flying activities begin at noon, and the Blue Angels will again take to the skies at 3 p.m. each day.&nbsp;The airshow runs August 24-25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at McConnell Air Force Base, with both admission and parking being free.&nbsp;All attendees over the age of 18 are required to present a state- or federal government-issued photo ID for entry, such as a driver’s license or passport. Non-U.S. citizen over the age of 18 can use a passport or permanent resident alien card for entry.Guests are allowed and encouraged to bring their own drinking water in a non-glass container, filled, to use and refill throughout the day to help prevent heat injuries.There will be free water fill locations in the general public parking lot and on the airshow ramp for refilling personal water containers. Those locations are marked on the map, along with cooling tents, port-a-potties and first aid stations.Distances<a>While that parking is available, there will still be large distances of walking, given the overall size of the flightline. The airshow area itself measures 0.67 miles north to south, and will be full of parked aircraft, booths and displays.</a>General ParkingParking will be provided off-base, in the fields owned by Cessna, north of McConnell, west of Rock Road and south of Pawnee Street. Distance from the regular parking area to the airshow entrance is approximately 0.5 miles. As such, the base has organized busses to be available at the center of the general parking area to transport people to and from there and the airshow entrance (Entry #1 on the Airshow map). These distances, combined with the typical August temperatures in Kansas and the heat-amplifying effects of concrete runways make hydration especially important for airshow attendees and staff.Accessibility ParkingAccessibility parking is available by filling out the following form online:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#accessibility" target="_blank">https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#accessibility</a>Those who are approved for this parking will be e-mailed a parking pass, which they will have to print out. That pass will enable parking at select locations on base.Lost ChildrenFor those bringing small children, wristbands are available at the entry points to the flightline, to allow adults to write a phone number on the band and put it on the child’s wrist. Should the adults and children become separated, that phone number will facilitate a quick reunion with their adults.&nbsp; The Lost Child RV will be located near the Kids Zone and close to the Boeing Dreamlifter.&nbsp; The Dreamlifter will be the largest aircraft on the ramp, on the north end of the runway area and near the STEAM and Kid Zones. Changing stations and a dedicated nursing area will also be nearby.Allowed &amp; Prohibited ItemsA full list of items that guests are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#bring" target="_blank">allowed to bring</a>, as well as a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/guestinfo#nobring" target="_blank">prohibited items</a>, is available at the airshow website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.frontiersinflight.com/" target="_blank">www.frontiersinflight.com</a>Aerial Performance TimesAerial performances begin at noon each day. The headline act, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, takes to the skies at approximately 3 p.m. each day of the airshow.Aerial PerformersThe confirmed aerial performers for the airshow are:<ul>
 <li>Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets</li><li>Fat Albert (Blue Angels support C-130J Super Hercules)</li><li>F-35 Lightning Demo Team</li><li>P-51 Heritage Flight</li><li>2x A-10 Thunderbolt II Formation Demo</li><li>Tora Tora Tora</li><li>“Swamp Fox” P-51</li><li>Twin Beech 18 “Matt Younkin”</li><li>Havilland D.H. 115 “Vampire”</li><li>Bill Stien “Edge 540”</li><li>Tom Larkin “Mini Jet”</li><li>Brian Correll “Pitts II”</li><li>KC-135/KC-46 Refuel Demo</li><li>Precision Exotics “Super Cars”</li>
 </ul>ClydesdalesThe Budweiser Clydesdales hitch is scheduled to make an appearance at 11:30 a.m., each day of the airshow.Aircraft on DisplayThe confirmed aircraft on static display are shown on the airshow map, current as of its publication date. Those aircraft on display will be:<ul>
 <li>Doc B-29 Superfortress</li><li>KC-135 Stratotankers</li><li>KC-46 Pegasus</li><li>Fat Albert (C-130J Super Hercules)</li><li>A-10 Thunderbolt IIs</li><li>F-15 Eagles</li><li>F-16 Fighting Falcons</li><li>F-22 Raptors</li><li>F-35 Lightning IIs</li><li>B-1 Lancer</li><li>B-52 Stratofortress</li><li>Navy P-8 Poseidon</li><li>C-17 Globemaster III</li><li>RC-135 Rivet Joint</li><li>T-38 Talons</li><li>T-6 Texans</li><li>T-1A Jayhawk</li><li>T-41 Mescalero (Cessna 172)</li><li>T-53A Kadet II (Cirrus SR-20)</li><li>Boeing Dreamlifter</li><li>A-26 Invader “Lady Liberty”</li><li>LearJet 36A – Around the world&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-07-02/learjet-global-circumnavigation-deemed-world-record" target="_blank">record holder</a></li><li>Stearman Biplanes</li>
 </ul>Army Displays:Wichita’s military presence is more than just Air Force, with a number of Reserve and Guard units in the area from across the military branches. The largest of these locally is the Army Reserve’s 451st&nbsp;Expeditionary Sustainment Command, which is headquartered here. The 451st&nbsp;ESC has coordinated the appearance of several Army aviation and ground assets at the event, bringing a little extra steel and firepower for visitors to see. These will include:<ul>
 <li>Light Medium Tactical Vehicle</li><li>High-Mobility, Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)</li><li>Joint Light Tactical Vehicle</li><li>UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter</li><li>HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter</li><li>CH-47 Chinook helicopter</li>
 </ul><a href="https://www.frontiersinflight.com/">Click here for </a>more information on the air show

Plan ahead if attending McConnell Airshow this weekend

SHERIDAN COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the individuals involved in a second fatal accident that occurred Monday in Sheridan County.

According to the Highway Patrol, just after 11 a.m. Trooper Ethan Masterson, 27, Oakley, was responding to a&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/759ff407-0334-4dd7-8000-843c42f9d5e8">fatal accident</a>&nbsp;on KS-23 south of Hoxie when Masterson’s Dodge SUV collided with an SUV at the intersection of 100 S Road and 40 E Road, approximately four miles east of K-23.

The driver of the second SUV, Gerald D. Rahier, 42, Hoxie was killed in the accident.

A passenger, Arielle C. Lemos, 38, Hoxie and two children, ages 4 and 5, all suffered serious injuries and were transported to the&nbsp;Sheridan County Health Complex in Hoxie.

All four people in the SUV were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

The Highway Patrol reported Masterson did have his lights and sirens activated at the time of the accident. He was not injured.

SHERIDAN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal crash involving a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.

Just after 11 a.m. Monday, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was responding to a two-vehicle fatality collision involving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) that occurred on K-23 between Hoxie and Interstate 70 in Sheridan County, according to a media release from the KHP.

The Trooper was westbound on 100 South Road with emergency lights and siren activated as he approached the intersection at 40 East Road.&nbsp;

The Trooper entered the intersection and struck the driver’s side of a southbound SUV.&nbsp; As a result of the collision, the male driver was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; A female passenger in the front passenger seat and a 1-year-old passenger were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A 3-year-old passenger was air-lifted from the collision scene.&nbsp; The trooper was treated and released from the scene.

The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time.

SHERIDAN COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the individuals involved in a second fatal accident that occurred Monday in Sheridan County.According to the Highway Patrol, just after 11 a.m. Trooper Ethan Masterson, 27, Oakley, was responding to a&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/759ff407-0334-4dd7-8000-843c42f9d5e8">fatal accident</a>&nbsp;on KS-23 south of Hoxie when Masterson’s Dodge SUV collided with an SUV at the intersection of 100 S Road and 40 E Road, approximately four miles east of K-23.The driver of the second SUV, Gerald D. Rahier, 42, Hoxie was killed in the accident.A passenger, Arielle C. Lemos, 38, Hoxie and two children, ages 4 and 5, all suffered serious injuries and were transported to the&nbsp;Sheridan County Health Complex in Hoxie.All four people in the SUV were properly restrained at the time of the accident.The Highway Patrol reported Masterson did have his lights and sirens activated at the time of the accident. He was not injured.----------SHERIDAN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a fatal crash involving a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.Just after 11 a.m. Monday, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper was responding to a two-vehicle fatality collision involving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) that occurred on K-23 between Hoxie and Interstate 70 in Sheridan County, according to a media release from the KHP.The Trooper was westbound on 100 South Road with emergency lights and siren activated as he approached the intersection at 40 East Road.&nbsp;The Trooper entered the intersection and struck the driver’s side of a southbound SUV.&nbsp; As a result of the collision, the male driver was pronounced deceased.&nbsp; A female passenger in the front passenger seat and a 1-year-old passenger were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A 3-year-old passenger was air-lifted from the collision scene.&nbsp; The trooper was treated and released from the scene.The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time.

KHP IDs victims in crash with Trooper on way to another crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after tracking down a stolen vehicle with a child left inside.

Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.

A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street. Officers responded and located the individual, who was transported to a local hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.

As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department on requested charges Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243340231.png" alt="Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after tracking down a stolen vehicle with a child left inside.Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243427663.png" alt="Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street. Officers responded and located the individual, who was transported to a local hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department on requested charges Attempted 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

Police found vehicle stolen in Kansas with child inside

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been active on his social accounts as Democrats gather for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts don’t have much to do with reality.

Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>, he posted a fake image of someone who looks like Vice President Kamala Harris addressing what appears to be a communist rally in Chicago with a depiction of a red banner with a communist symbol. That followed his repost of a phony video of himself dancing next to billionaire Elon Musk, one of his most vocal supporters.

Just before the convention kicked off, he reposted an image of Taylor Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit and accepted her endorsement for his campaign, which she had never given.

They’re the latest examples of how Trump is promoting images produced by artificial intelligence tools to attack his opponents or create illusions of support around his own campaign. It’s in keeping with a long-standing strategy in which Trump amplifies messages – from QAnon adherents to those who deny the results of fair elections -- to score political points and satisfy his base by promoting alternate realities.

Some of the images and videos Trump has shared are cartoonish or obviously fake. Yet the rise in AI-generated content across political social media concerns experts who say it can be used to push more insidious and believable disinformation. As fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models begin to saturate social media, they also risk eroding people’s trust in what they see and hear.

“The AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift are yet another example of AI’s power to create misinformation that deceives and defrauds voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group that has pushed for legislation to regulate AI. “The potential harms to our society that could result from such misinformation, including abuses of our elections, are wide-reaching and immensely damaging.”

One AI-generated image in Trump’s Truth Social post, shared on Sunday, showed women in “Swifties for Trump” shirts, a reference to the artist’s devout fans. The fake image showing Swift dressed as Uncle Sam included text saying, “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.” In his repost of the image, Trump added, “I accept!”

One of the images Trump shared included a small satire label, though he didn’t clarify whether he meant his post was in jest.

Swift, who remains on her world tour and has a show scheduled Tuesday night in London, has made no endorsement in this year’s U.S. presidential race. Her spokesperson did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

To Republicans outside Trump's orbit, the focus on someone like Swift — one of the most talked about artists in the world — is all about garnering attention for Trump at a time when much of the focus is on Harris and Democrats.

“This is how he and the campaign can wrest back news cycles,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican spokesperson and operative. "I hesitate to say to their credit, but I think we all know, if you want to be talked about, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”

A Harris spokesperson did not respond to questions about Trump's use of images generated by artificial intelligence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724246052211.png" alt="From Donald Trumps Truth Social account" />
 <figcaption>From Donald Trumps Truth Social account</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been active on his social accounts as Democrats gather for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts don’t have much to do with reality.Ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>, he posted a fake image of someone who looks like Vice President Kamala Harris addressing what appears to be a communist rally in Chicago with a depiction of a red banner with a communist symbol. That followed his repost of a phony video of himself dancing next to billionaire Elon Musk, one of his most vocal supporters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721141680828.png" alt="File photo Donald Trump at the Republic National Convention courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Donald Trump at the Republic National Convention courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before the convention kicked off, he reposted an image of Taylor Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit and accepted her endorsement for his campaign, which she had never given.They’re the latest examples of how Trump is promoting images produced by artificial intelligence tools to attack his opponents or create illusions of support around his own campaign. It’s in keeping with a long-standing strategy in which Trump amplifies messages – from QAnon adherents to those who deny the results of fair elections -- to score political points and satisfy his base by promoting alternate realities.Some of the images and videos Trump has shared are cartoonish or obviously fake. Yet the rise in AI-generated content across political social media concerns experts who say it can be used to push more insidious and believable disinformation. As fake images, videos and audio clips created by generative AI models begin to saturate social media, they also risk eroding people’s trust in what they see and hear.“The AI-generated deepfakes of Taylor Swift are yet another example of AI’s power to create misinformation that deceives and defrauds voters,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group that has pushed for legislation to regulate AI. “The potential harms to our society that could result from such misinformation, including abuses of our elections, are wide-reaching and immensely damaging.”One AI-generated image in Trump’s Truth Social post, shared on Sunday, showed women in “Swifties for Trump” shirts, a reference to the artist’s devout fans. The fake image showing Swift dressed as Uncle Sam included text saying, “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.” In his repost of the image, Trump added, “I accept!”One of the images Trump shared included a small satire label, though he didn’t clarify whether he meant his post was in jest.Swift, who remains on her world tour and has a show scheduled Tuesday night in London, has made no endorsement in this year’s U.S. presidential race. Her spokesperson did not return multiple messages seeking comment.To Republicans outside Trump's orbit, the focus on someone like Swift — one of the most talked about artists in the world — is all about garnering attention for Trump at a time when much of the focus is on Harris and Democrats.“This is how he and the campaign can wrest back news cycles,” said Doug Heye, a longtime Republican spokesperson and operative. "I hesitate to say to their credit, but I think we all know, if you want to be talked about, Taylor Swift is a great way to do it.”A Harris spokesperson did not respond to questions about Trump's use of images generated by artificial intelligence.Trump supporters frequently create social media posts and memes using AI-generated images, some of which get shared by the former president.Before Trump shared the phony Swift images, his supporters had been creating and posting their own AI-generated videos and images of the pop star appearing to support Trump. They also shared numerous images of Harris dressed as a communist leader or addressing a Soviet crowd.Political operatives have long been concerned about what the rise in artificial intelligence could mean for elections.Some members of Congress have pushed for legislation to regulate the use of AI-generated images in politics, but no legislation to do so has gotten close to passing. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</a>&nbsp;has proposed requiring political advertisers to disclose their use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;in television and radio ads, but such a rule would not affect the social media platforms.While several social media companies have rules for labeling AI-generated content, they aren’t always followed. Across platforms, misleading and lifelike images of both Trump and Harris amass millions of views, with some users not recognizing what they are seeing is fake.Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift has often become a trending political topic during election years.In 2020, she&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/taylorswift13/status/1313938080290803715?s=20">supported President Joe Biden</a>, writing a month before the election that she was going to be cheering for then-vice presidential nominee Harris, this year’s Democratic nominee, in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also was openly critical of Trump ahead of the 2020 election, saying he had stoked “the fires of white supremacy and racism.”While she has remained on the sidelines so far this year, she has not escaped notice from prominent conservatives who worry about a Swift endorsement of the Democratic presidential ticket.Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Intellect_Vids/status/1752110738745720856">warned</a>&nbsp;Swift not to “get involved in politics.” Fox News’ Sean Hannity&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4439327-hannity-taylor-swift-biden-endorsement/">urged</a>&nbsp;her to “think twice” about backing Biden when he was running for reelection. And Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1751944730114498838">called</a>&nbsp;Swift and her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce “an artificially culturally propped-up couple” who may make “a major presidential endorsement” this fall.Some of her supporters have responded to Trump’s posts by taking to social media and declaring their intentions to vote for the former president. Trump’s campaign is seizing on that support.Steven Cheung, Trump’s spokesman, did not address the use of fake images in response to questions, but called “Swifties for Trump" a "massive movement that grows bigger every single day.”