WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.

Congress was notified of the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles and comes at a time of intense concern that Israel may become involved in a wider Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war</a>.

However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon, they are contracts that will take years to fulfill. Much of what is being sold is to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a release on the sale.

The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to curb military support there due to the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curbed one delivery of 2,000-pound weapons amid continued airstrikes by Israel in densely populated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-war-and-unrest-gaza-gaza-strip-israel-government-1b8e8e69471e4a7cb1563e785fdc454d">civilian areas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583511919.png" alt="File photo&nbsp;EA-18G Growler fighter jet photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp;EA-18G Growler fighter jet photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.Congress was notified of the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles and comes at a time of intense concern that Israel may become involved in a wider Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war</a>.However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon, they are contracts that will take years to fulfill. Much of what is being sold is to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term.“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a release on the sale.The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to curb military support there due to the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curbed one delivery of 2,000-pound weapons amid continued airstrikes by Israel in densely populated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-war-and-unrest-gaza-gaza-strip-israel-government-1b8e8e69471e4a7cb1563e785fdc454d">civilian areas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.

U.S. OKs $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel amid threat of wider Middle East war

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday set a December execution date for Christopher Collings, who was convicted of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl nearly two decades ago.

Collings is scheduled to die by a chemical injection at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. He was convicted in the death of Rowan Ford, a fourth-grade student who went missing from her home in Stella, Missouri, on Nov. 3, 2007. Her body was found in a cave six days later. Police said the child had been strangled.

A message was left Tuesday with Collings' attorney.

Two men have been executed in Missouri this year —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;on April 9 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-hosier-execution-missouri-angela-gilpin-901d8028e3b1f2ddd46b7503b9775966">David Hosier</a>&nbsp;on June 11. A third execution is scheduled on Sept. 24 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-execution-missouri-innocent-6682d62c804425f6e19f3bb2190343c2">Marcellus Williams</a>.

Williams has long claimed innocence and St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell has filed a motion to vacate the sentence, arguing new evidence shows that someone else's DNA — but not Williams' — was on the knife used in the killing.

An evidentiary hearing for Williams begins on Aug. 21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583895173.png" alt="Collings photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Collings photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday set a December execution date for Christopher Collings, who was convicted of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl nearly two decades ago.Collings is scheduled to die by a chemical injection at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. He was convicted in the death of Rowan Ford, a fourth-grade student who went missing from her home in Stella, Missouri, on Nov. 3, 2007. Her body was found in a cave six days later. Police said the child had been strangled.A message was left Tuesday with Collings' attorney.Two men have been executed in Missouri this year —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;on April 9 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-hosier-execution-missouri-angela-gilpin-901d8028e3b1f2ddd46b7503b9775966">David Hosier</a>&nbsp;on June 11. A third execution is scheduled on Sept. 24 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-execution-missouri-innocent-6682d62c804425f6e19f3bb2190343c2">Marcellus Williams</a>.Williams has long claimed innocence and St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell has filed a motion to vacate the sentence, arguing new evidence shows that someone else's DNA — but not Williams' — was on the knife used in the killing.An evidentiary hearing for Williams begins on Aug. 21.

Execution date set for sex assault, murder of 9-year-old

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement who made three arrests and recovered illegal explosives and drugs at a home in north Kansas City August 2, reported finding additional illegal explosives, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;

As detectives continued their investigation they located a storage unit 46-year-old Cory Young had apparently rented under a relative's name. Inside detectives found 13 more homemade hand grenades, 17 guns and 31 cases of ammunition. Young is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition.

Last week, acting on tips a Drug Task Force recovered a large amount of illegal explosives and drugs from the Kansas City house while serving a search warrant, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.

The STAR (Special Tactics and Response) Team arrested three people in the 6500 block of North Hickory Street in Kansas City. A search of the home turned up&nbsp; 107 pounds of explosive powder, two pipe bombs,&nbsp; 15 grenades,&nbsp; 20 grams of fentanyl paste,&nbsp; 15 grams of meth,&nbsp; Psychedelic mushrooms, Seven guns, including an Uzi and&nbsp; a large amount of ammunition.

An elementary school-aged child also was in the home. The child was placed with relatives.

Cory D. Young faces new charges in addition to charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm and child endangerment. He is being held on a bond of $350,000 cash only.

Erika Lahr, 32, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and child endangerment. She is being held on a bond of $250,000 cash only.

Tammie L. Bindel Cole, 52, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held on a bond of $150,000 cash only.

Additional federal charges could be forthcoming related to the explosives and weapons.

This was a joint investigation by the Clay County Drug Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Bomb Squad assisted with the removal and processing of the explosives. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708820689.png" alt="Young-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Young-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement who made three arrests and recovered illegal explosives and drugs at a home in north Kansas City August 2, reported finding additional illegal explosives, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;As detectives continued their investigation they located a storage unit 46-year-old Cory Young had apparently rented under a relative's name. Inside detectives found 13 more homemade hand grenades, 17 guns and 31 cases of ammunition. Young is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition.Last week, acting on tips a Drug Task Force recovered a large amount of illegal explosives and drugs from the Kansas City house while serving a search warrant, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708853161.png" alt="Lahr photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Lahr photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The STAR (Special Tactics and Response) Team arrested three people in the 6500 block of North Hickory Street in Kansas City. A search of the home turned up&nbsp; 107 pounds of explosive powder, two pipe bombs,&nbsp; 15 grenades,&nbsp; 20 grams of fentanyl paste,&nbsp; 15 grams of meth,&nbsp; Psychedelic mushrooms, Seven guns, including an Uzi and&nbsp; a large amount of ammunition.An elementary school-aged child also was in the home. The child was placed with relatives.Cory D. Young faces new charges in addition to charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm and child endangerment. He is being held on a bond of $350,000 cash only.Erika Lahr, 32, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and child endangerment. She is being held on a bond of $250,000 cash only.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708899567.png" alt="Cole ph oto Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Cole ph oto Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Tammie L. Bindel Cole, 52, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held on a bond of $150,000 cash only.Additional federal charges could be forthcoming related to the explosives and weapons.This was a joint investigation by the Clay County Drug Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Bomb Squad assisted with the removal and processing of the explosives. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.

More grenades, guns found connected to arrests at KC home

BARTON COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident Tuesday in Great Bend.

Just after 8a.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to the Great Bend Municipal Airport after 911 Dispatch received calls about an accidental electrocution in that area, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

A roofing company was working on the main hangar near the terminal building. Upon arrival, crews discovered two victims. Investigation indicates the two men were in a bucket on an aerial boom when they came into contact with high-voltage power lines. One of the individuals managed to get onto the roof and was able to reach the ground. The second victim was still in the bucket on the boom and was unresponsive.

By 8:48 a.m., power was shut off and rescue personnel were able to reach the second victim. Both victims were transported to The University of Kansas Health System - Great Bend Campus.

The first victim, identified as 24-year-old Allistar Jose Sanchez of Wichita, received serious burns in the incident. He was later airlifted to Wichita area hospital. The second victim, identified 16-year-old Ivan Joel Mollins of Wichita, was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Because the accident occurred on city property and involved a city building, the Great Bend Police Department requested that the Sheriff’s Office handle the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Great Bend Police Department, Great Bend Fire Department and EMS and Midwest Energy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723575185846.jpeg" alt="photos by Cameron Sweitzer" />
 <figcaption>photos by Cameron Sweitzer</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident Tuesday in Great Bend.Just after 8a.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to the Great Bend Municipal Airport after 911 Dispatch received calls about an accidental electrocution in that area, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.A roofing company was working on the main hangar near the terminal building. Upon arrival, crews discovered two victims. Investigation indicates the two men were in a bucket on an aerial boom when they came into contact with high-voltage power lines. One of the individuals managed to get onto the roof and was able to reach the ground. The second victim was still in the bucket on the boom and was unresponsive.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723575115607.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By 8:48 a.m., power was shut off and rescue personnel were able to reach the second victim. Both victims were transported to The University of Kansas Health System - Great Bend Campus.The first victim, identified as 24-year-old Allistar Jose Sanchez of Wichita, received serious burns in the incident. He was later airlifted to Wichita area hospital. The second victim, identified 16-year-old Ivan Joel Mollins of Wichita, was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.Because the accident occurred on city property and involved a city building, the Great Bend Police Department requested that the Sheriff’s Office handle the investigation.The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Great Bend Police Department, Great Bend Fire Department and EMS and Midwest Energy.

Sheriff: Kansas teen electrocuted, man critically burned 

DETROIT (AP) — Ford and Mazda are warning the owners of more than 475,000 older vehicles in the U.S. not to drive them because they have dangerous Takata air bag inflators that have not been replaced.

The warning issued Tuesday covers more than 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from the 2003 through 2015 model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, blowing apart a metal canister and shooting fragments that can severely injure or kill people. All were recalled previously but repairs have not been completed.

Ford models covered by the warning include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.

Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include the Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.

Mazdas covered by the warning are the 2004 to 2009 B-Series pickup, 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6, the 2006 and 2007 Speed6 and the 2004 through 2011 RX-8. Also included are the 2004 through 2006 MPV, the 2007 through 2012 CX-7 and the 2007 through 2015 CX-9.

The government says 27 people have been killed in the U.S. by faulty Takata inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.

Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.

Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.

Owners can check to see if their vehicles are covered by going to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls">NHTSA website and keying in their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.</a><a href="https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/">Ford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/">Mazda</a>&nbsp;also have recall websites.

If a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop driving them and call a dealer to set up a repair appointment. Ford and Mazda are offering free towing or mobile repairs and loaner vehicles if necessary, NHTSA says.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk.”

Ford says more than 765,000 inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles worldwide should not be driven until the air bag inflators have been replaced. In the U.S., the company has made more than 121 million attempts to contact owners including emails, phone calls, text messages and visits to customer homes. The company says over 95% of its U.S. customers have had their inflators replaced.

Nissan, Honda, Stellantis, Ford, BMW and Toyota and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have previously issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576782225717.png" alt="Photo courtesy NHTSA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy NHTSA</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Ford and Mazda are warning the owners of more than 475,000 older vehicles in the U.S. not to drive them because they have dangerous Takata air bag inflators that have not been replaced.The warning issued Tuesday covers more than 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from the 2003 through 2015 model years.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, blowing apart a metal canister and shooting fragments that can severely injure or kill people. All were recalled previously but repairs have not been completed.Ford models covered by the warning include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include the Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.Mazdas covered by the warning are the 2004 to 2009 B-Series pickup, 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6, the 2006 and 2007 Speed6 and the 2004 through 2011 RX-8. Also included are the 2004 through 2006 MPV, the 2007 through 2012 CX-7 and the 2007 through 2015 CX-9.The government says 27 people have been killed in the U.S. by faulty Takata inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.Owners can check to see if their vehicles are covered by going to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls">NHTSA website and keying in their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.</a><a href="https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/">Ford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/">Mazda</a>&nbsp;also have recall websites.If a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop driving them and call a dealer to set up a repair appointment. Ford and Mazda are offering free towing or mobile repairs and loaner vehicles if necessary, NHTSA says.“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk.”Ford says more than 765,000 inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles worldwide should not be driven until the air bag inflators have been replaced. In the U.S., the company has made more than 121 million attempts to contact owners including emails, phone calls, text messages and visits to customer homes. The company says over 95% of its U.S. customers have had their inflators replaced.Nissan, Honda, Stellantis, Ford, BMW and Toyota and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have previously issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

Ford warns: Stop driving older vehicles with dangerous air bag inflators

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday to one of their best days of the year after the first of several highly anticipated reports on the economy this week came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-6b6e155d06e531336052810a65cf2d81">better than expected</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for its third-best day of 2024 after the U.S. government reported inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month by more than economists expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 408 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite clambered 2.3% higher.

High inflation has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumers-economy-spending-federal-reserve-c69408f05baeffac0023ceb76b747999">scourge of shoppers</a>&nbsp;and financial markets for years. It finally looks to be slowing enough to get the Federal Reserve to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-interest-rates-04d2877f47f3913acc2f992d8ef1581b">ease up on high interest rates</a>, which the Fed has been keeping at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-recession-jobs-unemployment-c7f1985b1ab3a7b781920c2693cd0438">economy-crunching levels</a>&nbsp;in order to stifle inflation.

Treasury yields eased in the bond market following the inflation data, as traders remain convinced the Fed’s meeting next month will bring the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-economy-jobs-f43eff13abf862ac84cd9f3ef89201db">cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;since the COVID crash of 2020. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.84% from 3.91% late Monday.

All is not clear, though. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will deliver the latest monthly update on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling, which could be less encouraging. And on Thursday will come a report showing how much U.S. shoppers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-july-inflation-economy-268b1edeb99a1320ad0b084d58bfeeef">spending at retailers</a>.

A growing worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may have kept interest rates too high for too long and undercut the U.S. economy by making it so expensive to borrow money. The economy is still growing, and many economists don’t expect a recession, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring</a>&nbsp;last month raised questions about its strength.

Such questions weigh because even cuts to interest rates haven't been enough for stocks to rise significantly in the ensuing 18 months if a recession hits, according to Chris Haverland, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-depot-atlanta-7f5fa32c46a1efcb11a215faf69a056d">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday delivered stronger profit for the spring quarter than analysts expected, but it also said high interest rates and uncertainty about the economy are keeping some customers from spending on home improvement projects.

The retail giant lowered its full-year forecasts for an important measure of sales and for profit, even though it topped expectations for the second quarter. Its stock rose 1.2% after flipping earlier between modest gains and losses.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Starbucks soared 24.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-narasimhan-chipotle-0173c2b9189c808968613b1285c1c366">it convinced Brian Niccol</a>&nbsp;to leave his job as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill to take over the coffee chain. He will start as chairman and chief executive next month and will replace Laxman Narasimhan, who is stepping down immediately.

Chipotle, meanwhile, dropped 7.5%. Niccol has been its chief executive since 2018 and its chairman since 2020, and he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chipotle-stock-split-nyse-9dc26a24bf5c356a188a992fff0ca2ca">its stock rise</a>&nbsp;more than 240% for the five years through Monday. That tower’s over the S&amp;P 500’s 96% return including dividends. Chipotle said its chief operating officer, Scott Boatwright, would be its interim CEO.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly higher across much of Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was an outlier and jumped 3.4%.

Japan’s market has been viciously volatile recently, including the worst drop for the Nikkei 225 since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>. It’s been swinging since a hike to interest rates by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">the Bank of Japan</a>&nbsp;forced many hedge funds and other investors to abandon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">a popular trade</a>&nbsp;all at once, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere. The forced selling that followed the surge in the Japanese yen’s value&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">reverberated around the world</a>.

But a promise last week by a top Bank of Japan official not to raise rates further as long as markets are “unstable” has helped calm the market.

Another worry that’s made Wall Street so shaky the last month is concerns that investors went overboard in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">mania around artificial-intelligence technology</a>&nbsp;and took the prices of Big Tech and AI-related stocks too high.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>, the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, has been at the center of the action. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, it plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.

On Tuesday, Nvidia rose 6.5% and was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500. All the other stocks in the small group known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">the “Magnificent Seven”</a>&nbsp;also climbed. They almost singlehandedly pushed the S&amp;P 500 to dozens of all-time highs earlier this year, even as high interest rates weighed on much of the rest of the stock market.

Unlike much of the early part of this year, it wasn’t just the Magnificent Seven rising Tuesday. Wall Street’s rally was more widespread, and nearly 85% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 rose. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index also climbed 1.6%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 90.04 points to 5,434.43. The Dow added 408.63 to 39,765.64, and the Nasdaq composite gained 407.00 to 17,187.61.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720472023257.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday to one of their best days of the year after the first of several highly anticipated reports on the economy this week came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-6b6e155d06e531336052810a65cf2d81">better than expected</a>.The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for its third-best day of 2024 after the U.S. government reported inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month by more than economists expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 408 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite clambered 2.3% higher.High inflation has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumers-economy-spending-federal-reserve-c69408f05baeffac0023ceb76b747999">scourge of shoppers</a>&nbsp;and financial markets for years. It finally looks to be slowing enough to get the Federal Reserve to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-interest-rates-04d2877f47f3913acc2f992d8ef1581b">ease up on high interest rates</a>, which the Fed has been keeping at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-recession-jobs-unemployment-c7f1985b1ab3a7b781920c2693cd0438">economy-crunching levels</a>&nbsp;in order to stifle inflation.Treasury yields eased in the bond market following the inflation data, as traders remain convinced the Fed’s meeting next month will bring the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-economy-jobs-f43eff13abf862ac84cd9f3ef89201db">cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;since the COVID crash of 2020. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.84% from 3.91% late Monday.All is not clear, though. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will deliver the latest monthly update on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling, which could be less encouraging. And on Thursday will come a report showing how much U.S. shoppers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-july-inflation-economy-268b1edeb99a1320ad0b084d58bfeeef">spending at retailers</a>.A growing worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may have kept interest rates too high for too long and undercut the U.S. economy by making it so expensive to borrow money. The economy is still growing, and many economists don’t expect a recession, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring</a>&nbsp;last month raised questions about its strength.Such questions weigh because even cuts to interest rates haven't been enough for stocks to rise significantly in the ensuing 18 months if a recession hits, according to Chris Haverland, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-depot-atlanta-7f5fa32c46a1efcb11a215faf69a056d">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday delivered stronger profit for the spring quarter than analysts expected, but it also said high interest rates and uncertainty about the economy are keeping some customers from spending on home improvement projects.The retail giant lowered its full-year forecasts for an important measure of sales and for profit, even though it topped expectations for the second quarter. Its stock rose 1.2% after flipping earlier between modest gains and losses.Elsewhere on Wall Street, Starbucks soared 24.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-narasimhan-chipotle-0173c2b9189c808968613b1285c1c366">it convinced Brian Niccol</a>&nbsp;to leave his job as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill to take over the coffee chain. He will start as chairman and chief executive next month and will replace Laxman Narasimhan, who is stepping down immediately.Chipotle, meanwhile, dropped 7.5%. Niccol has been its chief executive since 2018 and its chairman since 2020, and he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chipotle-stock-split-nyse-9dc26a24bf5c356a188a992fff0ca2ca">its stock rise</a>&nbsp;more than 240% for the five years through Monday. That tower’s over the S&amp;P 500’s 96% return including dividends. Chipotle said its chief operating officer, Scott Boatwright, would be its interim CEO.In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly higher across much of Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was an outlier and jumped 3.4%.Japan’s market has been viciously volatile recently, including the worst drop for the Nikkei 225 since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>. It’s been swinging since a hike to interest rates by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">the Bank of Japan</a>&nbsp;forced many hedge funds and other investors to abandon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">a popular trade</a>&nbsp;all at once, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere. The forced selling that followed the surge in the Japanese yen’s value&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">reverberated around the world</a>.But a promise last week by a top Bank of Japan official not to raise rates further as long as markets are “unstable” has helped calm the market.Another worry that’s made Wall Street so shaky the last month is concerns that investors went overboard in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">mania around artificial-intelligence technology</a>&nbsp;and took the prices of Big Tech and AI-related stocks too high.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>, the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, has been at the center of the action. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, it plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.On Tuesday, Nvidia rose 6.5% and was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500. All the other stocks in the small group known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">the “Magnificent Seven”</a>&nbsp;also climbed. They almost singlehandedly pushed the S&amp;P 500 to dozens of all-time highs earlier this year, even as high interest rates weighed on much of the rest of the stock market.Unlike much of the early part of this year, it wasn’t just the Magnificent Seven rising Tuesday. Wall Street’s rally was more widespread, and nearly 85% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 rose. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index also climbed 1.6%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 90.04 points to 5,434.43. The Dow added 408.63 to 39,765.64, and the Nasdaq composite gained 407.00 to 17,187.61.___

Wall Street rallies to one of its best days of the year

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a driver involved in a wrong-way crash alleged DUI.

Early Tuesday, deputies arrested a 22-year-old woman on requested charges of driving under the influence after a crash occurred while driving the wrong way on the eastbound ramp from 23rd Street to Kansas Highway 10, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's office.

Fortunately there were no injuries when her vehicle struck the barrier.&nbsp; &nbsp;The sheriff's office did not release the name of the driver.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a driver involved in a wrong-way crash alleged DUI.Early Tuesday, deputies arrested a 22-year-old woman on requested charges of driving under the influence after a crash occurred while driving the wrong way on the eastbound ramp from 23rd Street to Kansas Highway 10, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's office.Fortunately there were no injuries when her vehicle struck the barrier.&nbsp; &nbsp;The sheriff's office did not release the name of the driver.

Kan. woman accused of DUI after wrong-way crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri voters will decide in November whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban on the procedure.

The secretary of state’s office certified Tuesday that an initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.

Missouri will join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ballot-measures-states-2024-84c6fa8c778c1aea2b40071057a69aa8">at least a half-dozen states</a>&nbsp;voting on abortion rights during the presidential election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-ff88d989019a1e4bf10fabd5d7acc801">Arizona’s secretary of state certified</a>&nbsp;an abortion-rights measure for the ballot on Monday. Measures also will go before voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota. While not explicitly addressing abortion rights, a New York ballot measure would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-womens-rights-new-york-5ae2968ab80098246978af10765ed9ae">bar discrimination</a>&nbsp;based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare,” among other things.

Initiative supporters had expressed confidence the measure will make the ballot after submitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">more than double the necessary number</a>&nbsp;of signatures.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said there also were sufficient signatures to hold November elections on initiatives raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing sports betting.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">nationwide right to abortion</a>&nbsp;in 2022, sparking a state-by-state battle in legislatures and a new push to let voters decide the issue. Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;in effect while most Democratic-led states have measures protecting abortion access.

Abortion rights supporters have prevailed in all seven states that already have decided ballot measures since 2022: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.

The high court’s decision overturning its Roe v. Wade precedent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">triggered a 2019 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;to take effect prohibiting abortion “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion, though a woman undergoing an abortion cannot be prosecuted.

Since then, almost no abortions have occurred in Missouri. But that doesn’t mean Missouri residents aren’t having abortions. They can still travel to out-of-state abortion clinics, including ones just across the border in Illinois and Kansas.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf">Missouri ballot measure</a>&nbsp;would create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures. Fetal viability generally has been considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy but has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">shifted downward</a>&nbsp;with medical advances. The ballot measure would allow abortions after fetal viability if a health care professional determines it’s necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

The number of states considering abortion ballot measures could grow. Officials in Montana and Nebraska have yet to determine whether proposed abortion-rights initiatives qualified for a November vote. Nebraska officials also are evaluating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">competing constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would enshrine the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714753237039.png" alt="photo Missourians for constitutional freedom" />
 <figcaption>photo Missourians for constitutional freedom</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri voters will decide in November whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban on the procedure.The secretary of state’s office certified Tuesday that an initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.Missouri will join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ballot-measures-states-2024-84c6fa8c778c1aea2b40071057a69aa8">at least a half-dozen states</a>&nbsp;voting on abortion rights during the presidential election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-ff88d989019a1e4bf10fabd5d7acc801">Arizona’s secretary of state certified</a>&nbsp;an abortion-rights measure for the ballot on Monday. Measures also will go before voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota. While not explicitly addressing abortion rights, a New York ballot measure would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-womens-rights-new-york-5ae2968ab80098246978af10765ed9ae">bar discrimination</a>&nbsp;based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare,” among other things.Initiative supporters had expressed confidence the measure will make the ballot after submitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">more than double the necessary number</a>&nbsp;of signatures.Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said there also were sufficient signatures to hold November elections on initiatives raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing sports betting.The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">nationwide right to abortion</a>&nbsp;in 2022, sparking a state-by-state battle in legislatures and a new push to let voters decide the issue. Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;in effect while most Democratic-led states have measures protecting abortion access.Abortion rights supporters have prevailed in all seven states that already have decided ballot measures since 2022: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.The high court’s decision overturning its Roe v. Wade precedent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">triggered a 2019 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;to take effect prohibiting abortion “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion, though a woman undergoing an abortion cannot be prosecuted.Since then, almost no abortions have occurred in Missouri. But that doesn’t mean Missouri residents aren’t having abortions. They can still travel to out-of-state abortion clinics, including ones just across the border in Illinois and Kansas.The&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf">Missouri ballot measure</a>&nbsp;would create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures. Fetal viability generally has been considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy but has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">shifted downward</a>&nbsp;with medical advances. The ballot measure would allow abortions after fetal viability if a health care professional determines it’s necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.The number of states considering abortion ballot measures could grow. Officials in Montana and Nebraska have yet to determine whether proposed abortion-rights initiatives qualified for a November vote. Nebraska officials also are evaluating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">competing constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would enshrine the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Missouri voters will decide whether to legalize abortion in November

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Fire investigators are investigating an arson fire in Topeka.

Just after 11p.m. August 10,&nbsp;&nbsp;crews responded to a reported house fire at 1245 SW Randolph Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release. 

Crews found smoke and flames coming from the porch of a two-story house, and were able to extinguish it.&nbsp; where it originated. No occupants were found at the time of the incident.

Investigators determined the cause of the fire was was intentionally set.&nbsp;

Estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $30,000 with around $20,000 in structural damage and around $10,000 in content loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the house. The incident remains under investigation.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723567362915.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Fire investigators are investigating an arson fire in Topeka.Just after 11p.m. August 10,&nbsp;&nbsp;crews responded to a reported house fire at 1245 SW Randolph Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release. Crews found smoke and flames coming from the porch of a two-story house, and were able to extinguish it.&nbsp; where it originated. No occupants were found at the time of the incident.Investigators determined the cause of the fire was was intentionally set.&nbsp;Estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $30,000 with around $20,000 in structural damage and around $10,000 in content loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the house. The incident remains under investigation.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

Investigators: Kansas house fire intentionally set

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police chief who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">raid last year on a weekly newspaper</a>&nbsp;has been charged with felony obstruction of justice and is accused of persuading a potential witness to withhold information from authorities when they later investigated his conduct.

The single charge against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody alleges that he knowingly or intentionally influenced the witness to withhold information on the day of the raid of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher or sometime within the following six days. The charge was filed Monday in state district court in Marion County and is not more specific about Cody's alleged conduct.

The raid sparked a national debate about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedom</a>&nbsp;focused on Marion, a town of about 1,900 people set among rolling prairie hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Also, newspaper Publisher Eric Meyer's mother, who co-owned the newspaper and lived with him, died the next day of a heart attack, and he blames the stress of the raid.

Meyer said last week that authorities appear to be making Cody the “fall guy” for the raid when numerous officials were involved. He said Tuesday that he suspects the criminal case ultimately will be resolved through a plea bargain so that Cody will not have a trial that would more fully disclose details about the raid.

“We're just being basic journalists here,” he said. “We want the whole story. We don't want part of it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-criminal-charge-289ad3ae0204fe2278c4057bcf6364c7">A report from two special prosecutors</a>&nbsp;last week referenced text messages between Cody and a local business owner after the raid. The business owner has said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-police-chief-resigns-e4ddf5a06defbb702bc23650827e53fd">Cody asked her to delete text messages</a>&nbsp;between them, fearing people could get the wrong idea about their relationship, which she said was professional and platonic.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment at a possible cellphone number for Cody, and it was not immediately returned Tuesday. Attorneys representing Cody in a federal lawsuit over the raid are not representing him in the criminal case and did not immediately know who was representing him.

Cody justified the Aug. 11, 2023, raid by saying he had evidence that Meyer, the newspaper and one of its reporters, Phyllis Zorn, had committed identity theft or other computer crimes in verifying the authenticity of a copy of the business owner's state driving record provided to the newspaper by an acquaintance. The business owner was seeking Marion City Council approval for a liquor license and the record showed that she potentially had driven without a valid license for years. However, she later had her license reinstated.

The prosecutors' report concluded that no crime was committed by Meyer, Zorn, or the newspaper and that Cody reached an erroneous conclusion about their conduct because of a poor investigation. Zorn used the information she had to legally search an online state database using her own name.

The prosecutors also said police search warrants signed by a judge contained inaccurate information because of the “inadequate investigation” and were not legally justified. But the prosecutors said they couldn't show that Cody had intentionally misled the judge.

The obstruction of justice charge against Cody was filed by one of the special prosecutors, Barry Wilkerson, the top prosecutor in Riley County in northeastern Kansas. The other special prosecutor is Marc Bennett, the district attorney in Sedgwick County, the home to the state's largest city of Wichita.

A conviction for a first-time offender can be punished by up to nine months in prison, though under the state's sentencing guidelines, the typical penalty is 18 months or less of probation.

The Record's publishing company and current and former staffers have filed four federal lawsuits against Cody and other former and current local officials. The publishing company's lawsuit includes a wrongful death claim and suggests&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-federal-lawsuit-f19966b3b1a2f2f4f116000c67313d8f">total damages exceed $10 million.</a>&nbsp;The city's current annual budget is about $9.5 million.

The publishing company also filed an open records lawsuit last month in state district court, seeking to force the city to turn over texts between police and other local officials.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Police body-camera footage</a>&nbsp;of the 2023 raid on the publisher's home shows the publisher's 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, visibly upset and telling officers, “Get out of my house!”

The prosecutors said they could not charge Cody or other officers involved in the raid over her death because there was no evidence they believed the raid posed a risk to her life.

The prosecutors also said there was no “gross deviation” from how officers served other search warrants in the past. However, Eric Meyer said seven officers came to the house for the search.

“A couple of weeks earlier, they conducted a raid on the home of a suspected child rapist who was known to have guns in his house, and they only sent two cops for that,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692219843330.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police chief who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">raid last year on a weekly newspaper</a>&nbsp;has been charged with felony obstruction of justice and is accused of persuading a potential witness to withhold information from authorities when they later investigated his conduct.The single charge against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody alleges that he knowingly or intentionally influenced the witness to withhold information on the day of the raid of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher or sometime within the following six days. The charge was filed Monday in state district court in Marion County and is not more specific about Cody's alleged conduct.The raid sparked a national debate about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedom</a>&nbsp;focused on Marion, a town of about 1,900 people set among rolling prairie hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Also, newspaper Publisher Eric Meyer's mother, who co-owned the newspaper and lived with him, died the next day of a heart attack, and he blames the stress of the raid.Meyer said last week that authorities appear to be making Cody the “fall guy” for the raid when numerous officials were involved. He said Tuesday that he suspects the criminal case ultimately will be resolved through a plea bargain so that Cody will not have a trial that would more fully disclose details about the raid.“We're just being basic journalists here,” he said. “We want the whole story. We don't want part of it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-criminal-charge-289ad3ae0204fe2278c4057bcf6364c7">A report from two special prosecutors</a>&nbsp;last week referenced text messages between Cody and a local business owner after the raid. The business owner has said that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-police-chief-resigns-e4ddf5a06defbb702bc23650827e53fd">Cody asked her to delete text messages</a>&nbsp;between them, fearing people could get the wrong idea about their relationship, which she said was professional and platonic.The Associated Press left a message seeking comment at a possible cellphone number for Cody, and it was not immediately returned Tuesday. Attorneys representing Cody in a federal lawsuit over the raid are not representing him in the criminal case and did not immediately know who was representing him.Cody justified the Aug. 11, 2023, raid by saying he had evidence that Meyer, the newspaper and one of its reporters, Phyllis Zorn, had committed identity theft or other computer crimes in verifying the authenticity of a copy of the business owner's state driving record provided to the newspaper by an acquaintance. The business owner was seeking Marion City Council approval for a liquor license and the record showed that she potentially had driven without a valid license for years. However, she later had her license reinstated.The prosecutors' report concluded that no crime was committed by Meyer, Zorn, or the newspaper and that Cody reached an erroneous conclusion about their conduct because of a poor investigation. Zorn used the information she had to legally search an online state database using her own name.The prosecutors also said police search warrants signed by a judge contained inaccurate information because of the “inadequate investigation” and were not legally justified. But the prosecutors said they couldn't show that Cody had intentionally misled the judge.The obstruction of justice charge against Cody was filed by one of the special prosecutors, Barry Wilkerson, the top prosecutor in Riley County in northeastern Kansas. The other special prosecutor is Marc Bennett, the district attorney in Sedgwick County, the home to the state's largest city of Wichita.A conviction for a first-time offender can be punished by up to nine months in prison, though under the state's sentencing guidelines, the typical penalty is 18 months or less of probation.The Record's publishing company and current and former staffers have filed four federal lawsuits against Cody and other former and current local officials. The publishing company's lawsuit includes a wrongful death claim and suggests&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-federal-lawsuit-f19966b3b1a2f2f4f116000c67313d8f">total damages exceed $10 million.</a>&nbsp;The city's current annual budget is about $9.5 million.The publishing company also filed an open records lawsuit last month in state district court, seeking to force the city to turn over texts between police and other local officials.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Police body-camera footage</a>&nbsp;of the 2023 raid on the publisher's home shows the publisher's 98-year-old mother, Joan Meyer, visibly upset and telling officers, “Get out of my house!”The prosecutors said they could not charge Cody or other officers involved in the raid over her death because there was no evidence they believed the raid posed a risk to her life.The prosecutors also said there was no “gross deviation” from how officers served other search warrants in the past. However, Eric Meyer said seven officers came to the house for the search.“A couple of weeks earlier, they conducted a raid on the home of a suspected child rapist who was known to have guns in his house, and they only sent two cops for that,” he said.

Ex-Kan. police chief who led a raid on a newspaper charged with obstruction

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.

According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;

Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558799265.png" alt="Washington-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Washington-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558924081.png" alt="Baker photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

2 charged for knife attack on Kansas City bus 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.

“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.

Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.

“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”

The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.

Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.

Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”

The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.

With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."

Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.

“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.

Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.

The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.

Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.

“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.

Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”

Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.

Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.

During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”

“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”

Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.

Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.

Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.

Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.

Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.

In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.

Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723512136730.png" alt="Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Deputy Director of Communications, Donald J. Trump for President&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail, promised the largest deportation in U.S. history and shared a plan to shut down the U.S. Education Department during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — a conversation that was plagued by technical glitches.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/cPUMFx9Qu5">pic.twitter.com/cPUMFx9Qu5</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823254086126608862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now — as much as I like you," Trump told X’s owner Elon Musk.Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.“There’s some real tough characters out there," Musk said. "And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they will do what they want to do.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Combined views of the conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and subsequent discussion by other accounts now ~1 billion <a href="https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY">https://t.co/s8x8QmdmnY</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1823249070296797515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723514711398.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still, the online meeting underscored just how much the U.S. political landscape has changed less than four years after Trump was permanently banned by the social media platform’s former leadership for spreading disinformation that sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and undermined the very foundation of the American democracy.Such disinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-trump-misinformation-election-lies-5137a88a58eaaca0e45ba043db911d15">has thrived at X</a>&nbsp;under Musk’s leadership, although it was largely ignored during his conversation with Trump save for a passing Trump reference to a “rigged election.”The session was intended to serve as a way for the former president to reach potentially millions of voters directly. It was also an opportunity for X, a platform that relies heavily on politics, to redeem itself after some struggles.It did not begin as planned.With more than 878,000 users connected to the meeting more than 40 minutes after the scheduled start time, the interview had not yet begun. Many users received a message reading, “Details not available."Trump's team posted that the “interview on X is being overwhelmed with listeners logging in.” And once the meeting began, Musk apologized for the late start and blamed a “massive attack” that overwhelmed the company's system. Trump’s voice sounded muffled at times.Trump supporters were openly frustrated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723546138094.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Not available????? I planned my whole day around this,” wrote conservative commentator Glenn Beck.“Please let Elon know we can’t join,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted.Ahead of the event, Musk posted on the platform that X was conducting “some system scaling tests” to handle what was anticipated to be a high volume of participants.The rocky start was reminiscent of a May 2023 social media conversation between Musk and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor was using the social media platform as a way to officially announce his presidential bid,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-spaces-musk-desantis-presidential-f1d67097d0ec19616bd0b0d320cb27d1">a disastrous rollout</a>&nbsp;marred by technical glitches, overloaded by the more than 400,000 people who tried to dial in.Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump mocked DeSantis at the time.“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote in a message reposted by Harris' campaign Monday.Once the interview ended, Harris’ campaign responded with a statement saying, “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”Monday’s meeting highlighted the evolving personal relationship between Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most powerful men, who have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.Musk, who described himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to be president again. Still, Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1812256998588662068">formally endorsed</a>&nbsp;Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.During their talk, Trump welcomed the idea of Musk joining his next administration to help cut government waste. Musk volunteered to join a prospective “government efficiency commission.”“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”Even before his endorsement, the tech CEO had already been working privately to support a pro-Trump super PAC. The group, known as America PAC, is now under investigation by election officials for alleged misleading attempts to collect data from voters.Meanwhile, Trump has softened his criticism of electric vehicles, citing Musk’s leadership of Tesla. And on Monday, at least, Trump returned to Musk’s social media platform in force. The former president made at least eight individual posts in the hours leading up to the Musk interview.Long before he endorsed Trump, Musk turned increasingly toward the right in his posts and actions on the platform, also using X to try to sway political discourse around the world. He's gotten in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-musk-x-twitter-moraes-bef06c0dbbb8ed87495b1afbb0edf211">dustup with a Brazilian judge</a>&nbsp;over censorship, railed against what he calls the “woke mind virus” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-immigrants-parole-biden-trump-musk-dbd634820b3f8d07b859b8a05b2b20a7">amplified false claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats are secretly flying in migrants to vote in U.S. elections.Musk has also reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">kicked off the platform</a>&nbsp;— then known as Twitter — two days after the Jan. 6 violence, with the company citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” By November 2022, Musk had bought the company, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-biden-twitter-inc-technology-congress-d88e3de4b3cc095926dc133f53dc3320">Trump’s account was reinstated</a>, although the former president refrained from tweeting until Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-media-social-donald-trump-2bc528a6c43fc943c08819f2376bb24a">insisting that he was happier</a>&nbsp;on his own Truth Social site, which he launched during the ban.Trump's audience on X is legions larger than on Truth Social, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987">became a publicly traded company</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. Trump has just over 7.5 million followers on Truth Social, while his mostly dormant X account is followed by 88 million. Musk's account, which hosted the interview, has more than 193 million followers.In a reminder that the world was watching, the chat prompted a preemptive note of caution from Europe.Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for internal market of the European Union, warned Musk of possible “amplification of harmful content” by broadcasting his interview with Trump. In a letter posted on X, Breton urged Musk to “ensure X’s compliance” with EU law, including the Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022 to address a number of issues including disinformation.Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election.”

🎥 A billion combined views: The Trump-Musk full conversation

KANSAS CITY— Authorities continue to work to confirm the identity of a man who drowned in a Kansas City area pond on Saturday, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Just after 5:30p.m., the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a water rescue call at 12701 E. 150 highway, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Witnesses stated that two individuals in a canoe on the pond overturned. One victim, an eight year old was able to make their way back to the bank and was safe.

 The second victim, a 23-year-old Hispanic male was not able to swim to shore. The victim was overcome and drowned. KCFD put swimmers in the water and searched the last known location. 

Missouri Highway Patrol was notified, and a water patrol boat was sent to the location to search with sonar. KCFD also called in their search dog. The dog quickly hit on area where the witnesses stated the individual was last seen. 

The Highway patrol then was able to locate the victim on sonar and retrieve the body. Neither the survivor or the victim were wearing life jackets. 

The KCFD stressed to the public to "wear a life jacket any time you are in a body of water where you can not see the bottom, and if you are not a strong swimmer or cannot swim."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723378703298.png" alt="KCFD crews on the scene of the search -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>KCFD crews on the scene of the search -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Authorities continue to work to confirm the identity of a man who drowned in a Kansas City area pond on Saturday, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.Just after 5:30p.m., the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a water rescue call at 12701 E. 150 highway, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Witnesses stated that two individuals in a canoe on the pond overturned. One victim, an eight year old was able to make their way back to the bank and was safe. The second victim, a 23-year-old Hispanic male was not able to swim to shore. The victim was overcome and drowned. KCFD put swimmers in the water and searched the last known location. Missouri Highway Patrol was notified, and a water patrol boat was sent to the location to search with sonar. KCFD also called in their search dog. The dog quickly hit on area where the witnesses stated the individual was last seen. The Highway patrol then was able to locate the victim on sonar and retrieve the body. Neither the survivor or the victim were wearing life jackets. The KCFD stressed to the public to "wear a life jacket any time you are in a body of water where you can not see the bottom, and if you are not a strong swimmer or cannot swim."

KCPD working to ID man who drowned when canoe overturned

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.

Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.

The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.

“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.

The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.

The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.

As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.

A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723474905874.png" alt="&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723544227052.png" alt=" The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

Kansas reveals winning personalized license plate design

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions, invalidating the documents he needs to appear on the ballot in the state.

Judge Christina Ryba’s ruling after a short trial in state court is expected to be appealed. If upheld, it would keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York and could lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures.

The lawsuit backed by a Democrat-aligned political action committee claims Kennedy’s state nominating petition falsely listed a residence in well-to-do Katonah while actually living in the Los Angeles area since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.

Kennedy argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back.

During the trial, which ran for less than four days, Kennedy maintained that he began living in New York when he was 10 and that he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan. However, Kennedy testified that he has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel.

The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York, where he is registered to vote.

Barbara Moss, who rents the room to Kennedy, testified that he pays her $500 a month. But she acknowledged there is no written lease and that Kennedy’s first payment wasn’t made until after the New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/19/us-news/rfk-jr-lists-voting-address-at-westchester-home-thats-in-foreclosure-and-neighbors-have-never-seen-him/">published a story</a>&nbsp;casting doubt on Kennedy’s claim that he lived at that address.

The judge also heard from a longtime friend of Kennedy’s who said the candidate had regularly been an overnight guest at his own Westchester home from 2014 through 2017, but was not a tenant there as Kennedy had claimed.

Attorneys representing several New York voters grilled Kennedy in often heated exchanges as they sought to make their case, pointing to government documents including a federal statement of candidacy with a California address, and even a social media video in which Kennedy talks about training ravens at his Los Angeles home.

Kennedy has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades thanks to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base.</a>&nbsp;Both Democrat and Republican strategists have expressed concerns that he could affect their candidate’s chances.

Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in a majority of states, but his ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in several, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-rfk-ballot-election-2024-6578c475c48887f736270248d1664a4a">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-new-jersey-ballot-7d522fb10901599e197804096baaabf0">New Jersey</a>.

Clear Choice, a super PAC, filed the New York suit on behalf of several voters in the state.

Kennedy told reporters last week that getting knocked off the ballot in New York could lead to lawsuits in other states where his campaign listed the same address.

After the trial ended Thursday, Kennedy argued that people who signed his petitions deserve a chance to vote for him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715712559050.png" alt="File photo RFK, Jr. courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo RFK, Jr. courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions, invalidating the documents he needs to appear on the ballot in the state.Judge Christina Ryba’s ruling after a short trial in state court is expected to be appealed. If upheld, it would keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York and could lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures.The lawsuit backed by a Democrat-aligned political action committee claims Kennedy’s state nominating petition falsely listed a residence in well-to-do Katonah while actually living in the Los Angeles area since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.Kennedy argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back.During the trial, which ran for less than four days, Kennedy maintained that he began living in New York when he was 10 and that he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan. However, Kennedy testified that he has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel.The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York, where he is registered to vote.Barbara Moss, who rents the room to Kennedy, testified that he pays her $500 a month. But she acknowledged there is no written lease and that Kennedy’s first payment wasn’t made until after the New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/19/us-news/rfk-jr-lists-voting-address-at-westchester-home-thats-in-foreclosure-and-neighbors-have-never-seen-him/">published a story</a>&nbsp;casting doubt on Kennedy’s claim that he lived at that address.The judge also heard from a longtime friend of Kennedy’s who said the candidate had regularly been an overnight guest at his own Westchester home from 2014 through 2017, but was not a tenant there as Kennedy had claimed.Attorneys representing several New York voters grilled Kennedy in often heated exchanges as they sought to make their case, pointing to government documents including a federal statement of candidacy with a California address, and even a social media video in which Kennedy talks about training ravens at his Los Angeles home.Kennedy has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades thanks to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base.</a>&nbsp;Both Democrat and Republican strategists have expressed concerns that he could affect their candidate’s chances.Kennedy’s campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in a majority of states, but his ballot drive has faced challenges and lawsuits in several, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-rfk-ballot-election-2024-6578c475c48887f736270248d1664a4a">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-new-jersey-ballot-7d522fb10901599e197804096baaabf0">New Jersey</a>.Clear Choice, a super PAC, filed the New York suit on behalf of several voters in the state.Kennedy told reporters last week that getting knocked off the ballot in New York could lead to lawsuits in other states where his campaign listed the same address.After the trial ended Thursday, Kennedy argued that people who signed his petitions deserve a chance to vote for him.

Judge rules against RFK Jr. in fight to be on another state ballot

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2021 murder.

On August 7, Judge Neil B. Foth sentenced Kyle Anthony Gutierres to 285 months in prison for second degree intentional murder, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In May of 2024, Gutierres pleaded guilty to second degree intentional murder in the death of Jeren Hinton.

On May 24, 2021, police responded to the report of an armed disturbance&nbsp;in an apartment complex in the 8500 block of Greenbrier Drive in Overland Park.&nbsp; Officers found a man later identified as Hinton lying in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Hinton was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest and died of his injury.

After asking the public for help to locate a suspect, police arrested Gutierres.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716935604176.png" alt="Gutierres -photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Gutierres -photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2021 murder.On August 7, Judge Neil B. Foth sentenced Kyle Anthony Gutierres to 285 months in prison for second degree intentional murder, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In May of 2024, Gutierres pleaded guilty to second degree intentional murder in the death of Jeren Hinton.On May 24, 2021, police responded to the report of an armed disturbance&nbsp;in an apartment complex in the 8500 block of Greenbrier Drive in Overland Park.&nbsp; Officers found a man later identified as Hinton lying in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Hinton was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest and died of his injury.After asking the public for help to locate a suspect, police arrested Gutierres.

Prison for Kansas man in apartment complex killing

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

On August 9, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 3400 Block of SE Girard Street related to an ongoing investigation, according to Police&nbsp;LT Ronnie Connell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723469508697.png" alt="Kinmon has six previous forgery convictions and one for ID theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-&nbsp; photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kinmon has six previous forgery convictions and one for ID theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-&nbsp; photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.On August 9, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 3400 Block of SE Girard Street related to an ongoing investigation, according to Police&nbsp;LT Ronnie Connell.While conducting the search warrant, officers located cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.Officers arrested 56-year-old&nbsp; Cindy Kinmon and transported her to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for the following charges on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, Distribution/Possession with intent of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.Kinmon has six previous forgery convictions and one for ID theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;