WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.

(Click below to watch a replay of the news conferenc)

“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.

Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.

“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.

The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."

As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.

Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”

Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”

Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.

“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”

Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.

The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.

“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.

While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.

But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.

But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.

Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.

“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.

The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.

The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this year

One Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."

At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”

Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.

__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720742007717.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;What concerns do you have about Vice President Harris&#39; ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket? President Biden: Look, I wouldn&#39;t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn&#39;t think she was not qualified to be vice president. <a href="https://t.co/TqqSKBsyQu">pic.twitter.com/TqqSKBsyQu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811546437567586658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(Click below to watch a replay of the news conferenc)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4YF3ksozMBw?si=3XavzsHKEhlly8DY&amp;start=4321" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I always have an inclination...just to keep going. I just got to pace myself a bit more.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vYsoeTip1J">pic.twitter.com/vYsoeTip1J</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811559314382868719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I am not opposed if my doctors tell me I should have another neurological exam, I&#39;ll do it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7glZeatRyP">pic.twitter.com/7glZeatRyP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811559403511824708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on <a href="https://twitter.com/NATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NATO</a> Summit: &quot;I thought it was the most successful conference I&#39;ve attended in a long time and find me a world leader who didn&#39;t think it was.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7rZDnwXhGv">pic.twitter.com/7rZDnwXhGv</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811549885809783207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I will not bow down to Putin. I will not walk away from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong. That&#39;s exactly what we did and exactly what we will continue to do.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LSDp2dPd7G">pic.twitter.com/LSDp2dPd7G</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811550403399463028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeterAlexander</a>: &quot;You referred to Vice President Harris as Vice President Trump. Right now Donald Trump is using that to mock your age and your memory. How do you combat that criticism from tonight? President Biden: &quot;Listen to him.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hJPpXbvDFi">pic.twitter.com/hJPpXbvDFi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811560186022142094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this yearOne Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

🎥Highlights from President Biden's first news conference in 8 months

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. 

The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720659174156.png" alt="White-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

Sheriff: Kan. woman accused of DUI, transporting cocaine

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.

Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. 

First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.

Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper back

All three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.

Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.

The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720713878829.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper backAll three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720730443437.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest.

Police: Kansas gang gunfight sent four teens to the hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;ability to run for reelection faced crucial tests Thursday as he prepared for questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated press conference</a>&nbsp;and his team met privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill. More House Democrats called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>, and he made a notable flub ahead of the press conference.

Biden is seeking to show during his whirlwind day with world leaders at NATO, and the evening press conference that he is up for another four years. Voters are watching, and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.

But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his recent debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.

Biden campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.

The number of House Democrats asking that Biden step aside grew to a dozen on Thursday. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself.

The fresh emphasis on the “blue wall” states by the campaign, which has heavily invested in other battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia, acknowledges that the path to defeating Trump in November is narrowing, even as the team insists the Sun Belt states are “not out of reach.”

Though senior campaign aides write in the memo that Biden could clinch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">270 electoral votes</a>&nbsp;in a number of ways, it also says those three states are critical and that is why Biden has prioritized the areas in his recent travels. He went to Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend. He's going to Detroit on Friday.

Polls conducted after the debate have largely agreed that Democrats nationwide have doubts about Biden’s ability to lead the ticket in November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;ability to run for reelection faced crucial tests Thursday as he prepared for questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated press conference</a>&nbsp;and his team met privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill. More House Democrats called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>, and he made a notable flub ahead of the press conference.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentleman, President Putin.&quot; He immediately corrects himself, &quot;He&#39;s going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VIqDxC8NCS">pic.twitter.com/VIqDxC8NCS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811522378280894803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let’s set the record straight: Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine. Putin is the President of Russia. Donald Trump is not our current VP, but he will be our next President.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1811548018413314284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden is seeking to show during his whirlwind day with world leaders at NATO, and the evening press conference that he is up for another four years. Voters are watching, and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his recent debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.Biden campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.The number of House Democrats asking that Biden step aside grew to a dozen on Thursday. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself.The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this yearOne Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.The fresh emphasis on the “blue wall” states by the campaign, which has heavily invested in other battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia, acknowledges that the path to defeating Trump in November is narrowing, even as the team insists the Sun Belt states are “not out of reach.”Though senior campaign aides write in the memo that Biden could clinch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">270 electoral votes</a>&nbsp;in a number of ways, it also says those three states are critical and that is why Biden has prioritized the areas in his recent travels. He went to Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend. He's going to Detroit on Friday.Polls conducted after the debate have largely agreed that Democrats nationwide have doubts about Biden’s ability to lead the ticket in November.__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

🎥 Biden flubs 'Putin' for 'Zelenskyy' in praising Ukraine leader

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. —Three people died in an accident just before 12:30a.m. Thursday in Platte County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Edge driven by Kyle A. Mendez, 37, Topeka, was northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 just south of the Route E exit.

The SUV struck a southbound 2007 Honda Odyssey driven by Joel Similien, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on. After impact the van traveled off the road and struck a concrete barrier.

Similien and passengers in the van Sheyla Similien, 54, and Michelet Metellus, 52, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Northland Regional EMS transported Mendez and three of the six passengers in the van Herilert Bellot, Jacnert Lubin, 37 and Franckel Francois, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri, to North Kansas City Hospital. Buchanan County EMS transported one passenger in the van Vladimyr Mercier, 33, Kansas City, Missouri, to Mosaic in St. Joseph.

Mercier and Metellus were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol also did not have the age of Heirlert Bellot.

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. —Three people died in an accident just before 12:30a.m. Thursday in Platte County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Edge driven by Kyle A. Mendez, 37, Topeka, was northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 just south of the Route E exit.The SUV struck a southbound 2007 Honda Odyssey driven by Joel Similien, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on. After impact the van traveled off the road and struck a concrete barrier.Similien and passengers in the van Sheyla Similien, 54, and Michelet Metellus, 52, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. Northland Regional EMS transported Mendez and three of the six passengers in the van Herilert Bellot, Jacnert Lubin, 37 and Franckel Francois, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri, to North Kansas City Hospital. Buchanan County EMS transported one passenger in the van Vladimyr Mercier, 33, Kansas City, Missouri, to Mosaic in St. Joseph.Mercier and Metellus were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol also did not have the age of Heirlert Bellot.

3 dead after wrong-way, head-on crash with Kansas driver

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. —A four-year-old Wathena, Kansas boy has succumbed to injuries sustained while submerged in a backyard swimming pool.&nbsp; Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports the boy was pronounced dead Thursday morning at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

His name is not being released, because he is a juvenile.

The father and grandfather of the child pulled the boy from the pool at a residence on Southwest 36th Road the evening of an Independence Day party on the 4th. &nbsp;The two performed CPR until emergency workers arrived and rushed the boy to Mosaic Life Care. He then was transferred to Children’s Mercy.

By BRENT MARTIN, St. Joseph PostBUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. —A four-year-old Wathena, Kansas boy has succumbed to injuries sustained while submerged in a backyard swimming pool.&nbsp; Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports the boy was pronounced dead Thursday morning at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.His name is not being released, because he is a juvenile.The father and grandfather of the child pulled the boy from the pool at a residence on Southwest 36th Road the evening of an Independence Day party on the 4th. &nbsp;The two performed CPR until emergency workers arrived and rushed the boy to Mosaic Life Care. He then was transferred to Children’s Mercy.

4-year-old Kansas boy dies week after falling into pool

MARSHALL COUNTY —&nbsp;KBI agents and deputies from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office have located remains during the search for a missing Blue Rapids man. 

Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, deputies found human remains in rural Marshall County, according to a media release from the KBI.

The KBI Crime Scene Response Team responded to the area, which was northwest of Waterville, Kansas, near Sunflower Road and 2nd Road. 

 The remains are believed to be those of 36-year-old Camoran M. Shoptese. 

Agents found evidence indicating that Shoptese was murdered. Investigators do not believed a threat to the community exists related to this case.&nbsp;On Saturday, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance in the disappearance of Shoptese who was last seen around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday at 709 Chestnut Street in Blue Rapids.

A person of interest connected to the homicide is in police custody on unrelated charges.Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1ISTH5POP4KQvf8B0_2-G6vTn16MFkPKEmc--z24xDvk1v8el_aT5npPw_aem_qpcr2Cmq8CwneNSrnR0Siw">Click here to report</a> anonymous tips.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720385898695.png" alt="Shoptese-photo Marshall Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Shoptese-photo Marshall Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MARSHALL COUNTY —&nbsp;KBI agents and deputies from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office have located remains during the search for a missing Blue Rapids man. Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, deputies found human remains in rural Marshall County, according to a media release from the KBI.The KBI Crime Scene Response Team responded to the area, which was northwest of Waterville, Kansas, near Sunflower Road and 2nd Road. The remains are believed to be those of 36-year-old Camoran M. Shoptese. Agents found evidence indicating that Shoptese was murdered. Investigators do not believed a threat to the community exists related to this case.&nbsp;On Saturday, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance in the disappearance of Shoptese who was last seen around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday at 709 Chestnut Street in Blue Rapids.A person of interest connected to the homicide is in police custody on unrelated charges.Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1ISTH5POP4KQvf8B0_2-G6vTn16MFkPKEmc--z24xDvk1v8el_aT5npPw_aem_qpcr2Cmq8CwneNSrnR0Siw">Click here to report</a> anonymous tips.

KBI: Remains found in search for missing Kansas man

NEW YORK (AP) —Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75.

Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications of diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night," Gilroy said in a statement. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”

Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman's crew members, preparing to film “Brewster McCloud,” encountered her as at a party in Houston in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her “Brewster McCloud” and made her his protege.

Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville, “Popeye,” “Three Women” and “McCabe &amp; Ms. Miller.”

“He offers me damn good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”

Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguiling frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.”

At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s. In “The Shining,” she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack (Jack Nicholson), goes crazy while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image, along with Jack’s axe coming through the door.

Kubrick, a famous perfectionist, was notoriously hard on Duvall in making “The Shining.” His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. Some saw Kubrick’s treatment as bordering on torture; one scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes.

Duvall, in an interview in 1981 with People magazine said she was crying “12 hours a day for weeks on end" during the film's production.

“I will never give that much again,” said Duvall. “If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”

Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.

“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?” Duvall told the Times earlier this year. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”

Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert worked in law and her mother, Bobbie, in real estate.

Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy “Manna from Heaven,” she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for “The Shining.” Another was that the damage to her home after the Northridge Earthquake was the last straw.

To those living in Texas Hill Country, where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in “hiding” nor a recluse; But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for the Dr. Phil show tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. “I’m very sick. I need help," Duvall said on the program, which was widely criticized for being exploitative.

“I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.

THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because, “it didn’t feel right for McGraw’s insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.”

Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror “The Forest Hills” that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720713573617.png" alt="FILE - Shelley Duvall is shown on Oct. 27, 1983, in Los Angeles. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Shelley Duvall is shown on Oct. 27, 1983, in Los Angeles. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75.Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications of diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night," Gilroy said in a statement. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman's crew members, preparing to film “Brewster McCloud,” encountered her as at a party in Houston in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her “Brewster McCloud” and made her his protege.Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville, “Popeye,” “Three Women” and “McCabe &amp; Ms. Miller.”“He offers me damn good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguiling frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.”At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s. In “The Shining,” she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack (Jack Nicholson), goes crazy while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image, along with Jack’s axe coming through the door.Kubrick, a famous perfectionist, was notoriously hard on Duvall in making “The Shining.” His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. Some saw Kubrick’s treatment as bordering on torture; one scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes.Duvall, in an interview in 1981 with People magazine said she was crying “12 hours a day for weeks on end" during the film's production.“I will never give that much again,” said Duvall. “If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?” Duvall told the Times earlier this year. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert worked in law and her mother, Bobbie, in real estate.Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy “Manna from Heaven,” she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for “The Shining.” Another was that the damage to her home after the Northridge Earthquake was the last straw.To those living in Texas Hill Country, where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in “hiding” nor a recluse; But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for the Dr. Phil show tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. “I’m very sick. I need help," Duvall said on the program, which was widely criticized for being exploitative.“I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because, “it didn’t feel right for McGraw’s insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.”Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror “The Forest Hills” that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.

Shelley Duvall, star of 'The Shining,' 'Nashville,' dies at 75

NEW YORK (AP) —Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-clooney-roberts-ukraine-summit-40081471c93faa68de5c4aa30455303b">a record single-night haul</a>&nbsp;for the president's reelection campaign.

On his Truth Social account, former President Donald Trump criticized the actor's statement.

Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee.

“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private,” wrote Clooney. He's hosted several high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers, including for Biden last month.

Clooney argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month, saying the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor, mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris and Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California among those from who the country should now hear.

Focusing much of his piece around Biden's age, Clooney noted differences he saw in the 81-year-old president during their recent Los Angeles event compared to years past.

“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Last month, Clooney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/julia-roberts">Julia Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbra-streisand">Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;were among those who took the stage for a fundraiser that took in a record $30 million-plus for Biden, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.

Clooney isn't alone in his characterization of his recent exchange with Biden.

A person who interacted closely with Biden described the president as vibrant and engaging at a fundraiser in March but, at the Los Angeles event months later, said they noticed a notable diminishment in Biden’s presence.

The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions with the president, recalled being struck by how tired and “out of it” the president seemed during backstage conversations at the Los Angeles event, adding that they gave Biden the benefit of the doubt for not being as voluble and showing lower energy off-stage because he arrived in Los Angeles after traveling from Italy where he had attended an international summit.

Asked for comment on Clooney’s essay, Biden’s campaign pointed to the president’s letter to congressional Democrats earlier in the week vowing to stay in the race.

His team also disputed the actor's representation of Biden’s demeanor during the Los Angeles fundraiser, with campaign officials who attended the event pointing out that the president stayed for more than three hours at the event, despite just having returned from Europe.

Luminaries from the entertainment world&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-obama-clooney-roberts-democrats-594132165b20d73e61d76eb2259295fb">have increasingly lined up to help Biden’s campaign</a>. Leading up to the fundraiser, Clooney's name appeared on numerous fundraising missives from the campaign, which he called “the fight of our lives.”

Representatives for Clooney did not immediately return a message seeking comment on insight into his decision, when precisely he had made it or how recently he had spoken with Biden.

Biden has refused to end his reelection bid after his weak debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710295653190.png" alt="File photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>File photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-clooney-roberts-ukraine-summit-40081471c93faa68de5c4aa30455303b">a record single-night haul</a>&nbsp;for the president's reelection campaign.On his Truth Social account, former President Donald Trump criticized the actor's statement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720706379389.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee.“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private,” wrote Clooney. He's hosted several high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers, including for Biden last month.Clooney argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month, saying the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor, mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris and Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California among those from who the country should now hear.Focusing much of his piece around Biden's age, Clooney noted differences he saw in the 81-year-old president during their recent Los Angeles event compared to years past.“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”Last month, Clooney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/julia-roberts">Julia Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbra-streisand">Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;were among those who took the stage for a fundraiser that took in a record $30 million-plus for Biden, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.Clooney isn't alone in his characterization of his recent exchange with Biden.A person who interacted closely with Biden described the president as vibrant and engaging at a fundraiser in March but, at the Los Angeles event months later, said they noticed a notable diminishment in Biden’s presence.The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions with the president, recalled being struck by how tired and “out of it” the president seemed during backstage conversations at the Los Angeles event, adding that they gave Biden the benefit of the doubt for not being as voluble and showing lower energy off-stage because he arrived in Los Angeles after traveling from Italy where he had attended an international summit.Asked for comment on Clooney’s essay, Biden’s campaign pointed to the president’s letter to congressional Democrats earlier in the week vowing to stay in the race.His team also disputed the actor's representation of Biden’s demeanor during the Los Angeles fundraiser, with campaign officials who attended the event pointing out that the president stayed for more than three hours at the event, despite just having returned from Europe.Luminaries from the entertainment world&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-obama-clooney-roberts-democrats-594132165b20d73e61d76eb2259295fb">have increasingly lined up to help Biden’s campaign</a>. Leading up to the fundraiser, Clooney's name appeared on numerous fundraising missives from the campaign, which he called “the fight of our lives.”Representatives for Clooney did not immediately return a message seeking comment on insight into his decision, when precisely he had made it or how recently he had spoken with Biden.Biden has refused to end his reelection bid after his weak debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27.

Trump responds to actor George Clooney asking Biden to leave race

WICHITA – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Arizona man with kidnapping then holding a victim for ransom, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Martin Brandon Gillen, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of sexual exploitation of a child (production), and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720647510208.png" alt="Gillen-is being held in Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Gillen-is being held in Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Arizona man with kidnapping then holding a victim for ransom, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Martin Brandon Gillen, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of sexual exploitation of a child (production), and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity.Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Arizona man indicted in Kansas for kidnapping, child porn

Committees granted 56 days to debate policy issues ahead of 2025 session

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg made a compelling case for scheduling joint House and Senate hearings on options for developing medical marijuana legislation in advance of convening the 2025 Kansas Legislature.

The Legislative Coordinating Council, comprised of Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers, granted Tuesday the Senate Utilities Committee chairman’s request for two days of interim meetings to hash out opportunities for Kansas to join the 14 states that legalized medical consumption of marijuana. Two dozen other states, including Missouri and Colorado, allow recreational consumption of pot.

“Although the Legislature has worked to address medical marijuana, further study is needed,” Fagg said.

He said a conversation about medical marijuana was warranted after announcement in May by the U.S. Department of Justice that it proposed to move cannabis with THC content over 0.3% from designation as a Schedule I drug, viewed as having no medical benefit, to the less-restrictive Schedule III. The result could ease some restrictions on cannabis-related research, promote cannabinoid drug development and alter the legal framework for cannabis growers and distributors.

The change would be the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades, but it didn’t mean commerce permitted under state law for medical or recreational marijuana would be matched under federal law.

“The special committee would also study the impact of this reclassification,” Fagg said.

In part, the committee would also consider how other states handled medical marijuana access for military veterans and patients suffering end-of-life medical challenges. Another element of the hearings could be the structure of CBD enforcement in Kansas.

The Legislative Coordinating Council received requests from state legislators for 72 interim committee meeting days, but the council trimmed the list to 56 days of meetings.

One day was approved for work of a special committee tasked with examining potential changes to case management services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These services help individuals enrolled in Medicaid find success in their home communities.

Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, said the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly may alter case management offerings in response to demands of the federal government.

“Numerous concerns have been raised by our constituents regarding the direction the administration appears to be headed on such changes,” Blasi said. “We believe that the Legislature should exercise oversight in order to ensure that this vital service is not disrupted.”

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, requested six days, but received four days, for work of the Bethel Committee on Home and Community-Based Services for Medicaid recipients. A portion would be devoted to reviewing decisions by the Kelly administration to select three contractors to manage the $4 billion KanCare program serving more than 400,000 elderly, disabled, pregnant and low-income Kansans, she said.

A special House-Senate committee was allowed to meet two days to examine housing availability and affordability and the relationship of those realities to economic development. The panel would produce recommendations for broadening ownership of homes priced under $200,000 in urban and rural areas. Other issues, including availability of rental housing and the status of fixed-income seniors, would be on the agenda.

The joint committee on Kansas security was granted two days of hearings to dive into issues relevant to state employees, buildings and infrastructure.

“Such topics may include security protocols planned for the 2026 World Cup games,” said Sen. Mike Petersen, a Wichita Republican and chair of the Joint Kansas Security Committee.

One day would involve legislative tours of the Joint Forces Headquarters at Forbes Field, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s laboratory, the rebuilt Docking State Office Building and the Kansas State University campus in Salina.

Meanwhile, the Jennings Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee was granted three days to grapple with programs, activities and plans of the Kansas Department of Corrections. The committee proposed to set aside time to study nursery programs for incarcerated mothers and to learn about an program adopted in Nebraska.

The House-Senate committee on child welfare was provided four days for meetings to broaden the Legislature’s understanding of “child maltreatment” and to look at demographic trends influencing the welfare system. That would be combined with reviews of four state agencies engaged in child welfare issues, and the views of law enforcement and the judicial system on the topic.

The appropriations committees of the Senate and House were given permission to devote two days to hearings on a salary study of employees at universities under direction of the Kansas Board of Regents and Washburn University in Topeka.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720703041140.png" alt="Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, was granted two days for joint House and Senate meetings to discuss implications of passing a medical marijuana law in Kansas. The meetings would occur later this year to prepare for the January opening of the 2025 Legislature. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, was granted two days for joint House and Senate meetings to discuss implications of passing a medical marijuana law in Kansas. The meetings would occur later this year to prepare for the January opening of the 2025 Legislature. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Committees granted 56 days to debate policy issues ahead of 2025 session</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg made a compelling case for scheduling joint House and Senate hearings on options for developing medical marijuana legislation in advance of convening the 2025 Kansas Legislature.The Legislative Coordinating Council, comprised of Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers, granted Tuesday the Senate Utilities Committee chairman’s request for two days of interim meetings to hash out opportunities for Kansas to join the 14 states that legalized medical consumption of marijuana. Two dozen other states, including Missouri and Colorado, allow recreational consumption of pot.“Although the Legislature has worked to address medical marijuana, further study is needed,” Fagg said.He said a conversation about medical marijuana was warranted after announcement in May by the U.S. Department of Justice that it proposed to move cannabis with THC content over 0.3% from designation as a Schedule I drug, viewed as having no medical benefit, to the less-restrictive Schedule III. The result could ease some restrictions on cannabis-related research, promote cannabinoid drug development and alter the legal framework for cannabis growers and distributors.The change would be the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades, but it didn’t mean commerce permitted under state law for medical or recreational marijuana would be matched under federal law.“The special committee would also study the impact of this reclassification,” Fagg said.In part, the committee would also consider how other states handled medical marijuana access for military veterans and patients suffering end-of-life medical challenges. Another element of the hearings could be the structure of CBD enforcement in Kansas.<h2>KanCare and housing</h2>The Legislative Coordinating Council received requests from state legislators for 72 interim committee meeting days, but the council trimmed the list to 56 days of meetings.One day was approved for work of a special committee tasked with examining potential changes to case management services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These services help individuals enrolled in Medicaid find success in their home communities.Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, said the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly may alter case management offerings in response to demands of the federal government.“Numerous concerns have been raised by our constituents regarding the direction the administration appears to be headed on such changes,” Blasi said. “We believe that the Legislature should exercise oversight in order to ensure that this vital service is not disrupted.”Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, requested six days, but received four days, for work of the Bethel Committee on Home and Community-Based Services for Medicaid recipients. A portion would be devoted to reviewing decisions by the Kelly administration to select three contractors to manage the $4 billion KanCare program serving more than 400,000 elderly, disabled, pregnant and low-income Kansans, she said.A special House-Senate committee was allowed to meet two days to examine housing availability and affordability and the relationship of those realities to economic development. The panel would produce recommendations for broadening ownership of homes priced under $200,000 in urban and rural areas. Other issues, including availability of rental housing and the status of fixed-income seniors, would be on the agenda.<h2>World Cup, salaries</h2>The joint committee on Kansas security was granted two days of hearings to dive into issues relevant to state employees, buildings and infrastructure.“Such topics may include security protocols planned for the 2026 World Cup games,” said Sen. Mike Petersen, a Wichita Republican and chair of the Joint Kansas Security Committee.One day would involve legislative tours of the Joint Forces Headquarters at Forbes Field, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s laboratory, the rebuilt Docking State Office Building and the Kansas State University campus in Salina.Meanwhile, the Jennings Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee was granted three days to grapple with programs, activities and plans of the Kansas Department of Corrections. The committee proposed to set aside time to study nursery programs for incarcerated mothers and to learn about an program adopted in Nebraska.The House-Senate committee on child welfare was provided four days for meetings to broaden the Legislature’s understanding of “child maltreatment” and to look at demographic trends influencing the welfare system. That would be combined with reviews of four state agencies engaged in child welfare issues, and the views of law enforcement and the judicial system on the topic.The appropriations committees of the Senate and House were given permission to devote two days to hearings on a salary study of employees at universities under direction of the Kansas Board of Regents and Washburn University in Topeka.

Kansas legislative leadership devoting two days of interim hearings to medical marijuana

TOPEKA– In 2024, the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Investigation Division completed 202 firework stand inspections during the Independence Holiday, according to a media release from the agency.

 Investigators found 124 deficiencies, with most being fixed on site.

Examples of deficiencies include exits, fire extinguishers and trash. There were 9 separate seizures of illegal fireworks,&nbsp;bottle rockets, at fireworks stands.

The Fire Marshal investigated one case of an injury.

In 2023, the OSFM Investigation Division completed 60 firework stand inspections, with 12 violations found that were corrected on site, and 5 seizures of illegal fireworks

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720664557220.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA– In 2024, the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Investigation Division completed 202 firework stand inspections during the Independence Holiday, according to a media release from the agency. Investigators found 124 deficiencies, with most being fixed on site.Examples of deficiencies include exits, fire extinguishers and trash. There were 9 separate seizures of illegal fireworks,&nbsp;bottle rockets, at fireworks stands.The Fire Marshal investigated one case of an injury.In 2023, the OSFM Investigation Division completed 60 firework stand inspections, with 12 violations found that were corrected on site, and 5 seizures of illegal fireworks

Kan. State Fire Marshal: Bottle rockets seized from several firework stands 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives investigating a Monday homicide&nbsp; have identified the victim as 44-year-old Lester White of Kansas City, Kansas.

Just before 6:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a reported disturbance&nbsp; in the 900 block of Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.

First responders found White in the street who had died from blunt trauma.&nbsp; Police took two suspects into custody.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the arrest of possible charges.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives investigating a Monday homicide&nbsp; have identified the victim as 44-year-old Lester White of Kansas City, Kansas.Just before 6:30p.m. Monday, police responded to a reported disturbance&nbsp; in the 900 block of Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release.First responders found White in the street who had died from blunt trauma.&nbsp; Police took two suspects into custody.&nbsp; Police have not released details on the arrest of possible charges.

Homicide: Police ID Kansas man who died of blunt trauma

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is warning Kansans not to consume Diamond Shruumz products, according to a media release.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZkYS5nb3Yvc2FmZXR5L3JlY2FsbHMtbWFya2V0LXdpdGhkcmF3YWxzLXNhZmV0eS1hbGVydHMvcHJvcGhldC1wcmVtaXVtLWJsZW5kcy1yZWNhbGxzLWRpYW1vbmQtc2hydXVtei1wcm9kdWN0cy1iZWNhdXNlLXBvc3NpYmxlLWhlYWx0aC1yaXNrP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDA3MTAuOTc0MzE2NjEifQ.SSOV5TPfncx2ao-N28ozUSenoupPuUj3GBVbOCn8fG4/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is recalling</a>&nbsp;Diamond Shruumz-brand products and the&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNkYy5nb3YvZW52aXJvbm1lbnRhbC1oZWFsdGgtc3R1ZGllcy9vdXRicmVhay1pbnZlc3RpZ2F0aW9uLWRpYW1vbmQtc2hydXVtei1wcm9kdWN0cy9pbmRleC5odG1sP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSNjZGNfZ2VuZXJpY19zZWN0aW9uXzEtb3V0YnJlYWstaW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi1zdW1tYXJ5IiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDcxMC45NzQzMTY2MSJ9.eh5D4w88u6_e_5353eh79UTAhBB0zZ6t2Gd1IrTgb7c/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating</a>&nbsp;58 reports of severe illness, including 30 hospitalizations and one potentially associated death, across multiple states from the Prophet Premium Blends, LLC of Santa Ana, CA facility. KDHE is investigating two possible cases associated with this outbreak.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/prophet-premium-blends-recalls-diamond-shruumz-products-because-possible-health-risk?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to</a> learn more.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, the FDA is alerting consumers to not eat, sell or serve any flavor of Diamond Shruumz-brand chocolate bars, cones or gummies.

"People who became ill from Diamond Shruumz-brand edibles reported a variety of severe symptoms,”&nbsp;KDHE State Epidemiologist and Environmental Health Officer, Dr. Farah Ahmed said. “These symptoms include seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.”

Seek immediate medical attention or call the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) for advice if you have consumed a product and are having symptoms. If you consumed the products after January 1, 2024 and experienced symptoms, please fill out the KDHE confidential&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYml0Lmx5L0tESEVkaWFtb25kP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDA3MTAuOTc0MzE2NjEifQ.JlCsr5Y3n_g4XgfDX9zec962aPt9hKAMCnn1t1RGz5E/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">illness report form</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720661110703.png" alt="Image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is warning Kansans not to consume Diamond Shruumz products, according to a media release.The&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZkYS5nb3Yvc2FmZXR5L3JlY2FsbHMtbWFya2V0LXdpdGhkcmF3YWxzLXNhZmV0eS1hbGVydHMvcHJvcGhldC1wcmVtaXVtLWJsZW5kcy1yZWNhbGxzLWRpYW1vbmQtc2hydXVtei1wcm9kdWN0cy1iZWNhdXNlLXBvc3NpYmxlLWhlYWx0aC1yaXNrP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDA3MTAuOTc0MzE2NjEifQ.SSOV5TPfncx2ao-N28ozUSenoupPuUj3GBVbOCn8fG4/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is recalling</a>&nbsp;Diamond Shruumz-brand products and the&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNkYy5nb3YvZW52aXJvbm1lbnRhbC1oZWFsdGgtc3R1ZGllcy9vdXRicmVhay1pbnZlc3RpZ2F0aW9uLWRpYW1vbmQtc2hydXVtei1wcm9kdWN0cy9pbmRleC5odG1sP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSNjZGNfZ2VuZXJpY19zZWN0aW9uXzEtb3V0YnJlYWstaW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi1zdW1tYXJ5IiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDcxMC45NzQzMTY2MSJ9.eh5D4w88u6_e_5353eh79UTAhBB0zZ6t2Gd1IrTgb7c/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating</a>&nbsp;58 reports of severe illness, including 30 hospitalizations and one potentially associated death, across multiple states from the Prophet Premium Blends, LLC of Santa Ana, CA facility. KDHE is investigating two possible cases associated with this outbreak.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/prophet-premium-blends-recalls-diamond-shruumz-products-because-possible-health-risk?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Click here to</a> learn more.As a result of the ongoing investigation, the FDA is alerting consumers to not eat, sell or serve any flavor of Diamond Shruumz-brand chocolate bars, cones or gummies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720661289018.png" alt="Image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>"People who became ill from Diamond Shruumz-brand edibles reported a variety of severe symptoms,”&nbsp;KDHE State Epidemiologist and Environmental Health Officer, Dr. Farah Ahmed said. “These symptoms include seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.”Seek immediate medical attention or call the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) for advice if you have consumed a product and are having symptoms. If you consumed the products after January 1, 2024 and experienced symptoms, please fill out the KDHE confidential&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYml0Lmx5L0tESEVkaWFtb25kP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDA3MTAuOTc0MzE2NjEifQ.JlCsr5Y3n_g4XgfDX9zec962aPt9hKAMCnn1t1RGz5E/s/1305913448/br/245522145790-l">illness report form</a>.

KDHE, FDA warning: Kan. cases linked to Diamond Shruumz products

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has agreed to send Israel hundreds of 500-pound bombs from a shipment that the Biden administration withheld because of concerns about Israeli operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to two U.S. officials.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced in May that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>&nbsp;over concern for the well-being of hundreds of thousands civilians sheltering there.

The White House announced at the time that they were holding up a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound&nbsp; bombs because of the president’s concerns.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration had been more concerned about the use of the larger bombs and recently agreed to fulfill Israel’s request for the 500-pound bombs in the held up shipment. The U.S. is continuing to hold up the 2,000-pound bombs, the officials said.

One of the officials said that the shipment of the 500-pound bombs is still being processed and the bombs have not yet arrived in Israel.

Israel says it has nearly defeated Hamas forces in Rafah after two months of fighting there. Before Israeli troops invaded, the city had sheltered most of Gaza’s more than 2 million people.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hamas-israel-war-rafah-aid-war-a30f9f2fbad8439be94e1b9f12ae9609">Today it is a dust-covered ghost town</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697623831480.png" alt="File-President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>File-President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has agreed to send Israel hundreds of 500-pound bombs from a shipment that the Biden administration withheld because of concerns about Israeli operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to two U.S. officials.U.S. President Joe Biden announced in May that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-05-07-2024-113bf4ee5dad87dc5c003d76ed2785bf">all-out assault on Rafah</a>&nbsp;over concern for the well-being of hundreds of thousands civilians sheltering there.The White House announced at the time that they were holding up a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound&nbsp; bombs because of the president’s concerns.The officials, who were not authorized to comment on the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration had been more concerned about the use of the larger bombs and recently agreed to fulfill Israel’s request for the 500-pound bombs in the held up shipment. The U.S. is continuing to hold up the 2,000-pound bombs, the officials said.One of the officials said that the shipment of the 500-pound bombs is still being processed and the bombs have not yet arrived in Israel.Israel says it has nearly defeated Hamas forces in Rafah after two months of fighting there. Before Israeli troops invaded, the city had sheltered most of Gaza’s more than 2 million people.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hamas-israel-war-rafah-aid-war-a30f9f2fbad8439be94e1b9f12ae9609">Today it is a dust-covered ghost town</a>.

US sends hundreds of bombs to Israel after pausing shipment

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a violent attack earlier this year.

Last month, 21-year-old Breyon Paul Townsend of Lawrence, was sentenced to 53 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated battery of a Lawrence man, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

“Each of us should be able to walk the streets of our community without fear of violence,” District Attorney Valdez said.&nbsp;

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 22, 2024, when Townsend approached a 20-year-old Lawrence man near 14th and Ohio streets. Townsend punched the man and then left the area in a vehicle. Police later identified Townsend using surveillance footage.

Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Townsend, who pleaded guilty in April, to 24 months of post-release supervision. The sentence will run consecutively to a felony case in Johnson County where Townsend was serving probation at the time of the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720039739626.png" alt="Townsend from an earlier arrest in Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Townsend from an earlier arrest in Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for a violent attack earlier this year.Last month, 21-year-old Breyon Paul Townsend of Lawrence, was sentenced to 53 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated battery of a Lawrence man, according to Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.“Each of us should be able to walk the streets of our community without fear of violence,” District Attorney Valdez said.&nbsp;Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 22, 2024, when Townsend approached a 20-year-old Lawrence man near 14th and Ohio streets. Townsend punched the man and then left the area in a vehicle. Police later identified Townsend using surveillance footage.Judge Sally Pokorny also sentenced Townsend, who pleaded guilty in April, to 24 months of post-release supervision. The sentence will run consecutively to a felony case in Johnson County where Townsend was serving probation at the time of the incident.

Police: Surveillance video led to prison for violent Kan. attack

HARVEY COUNTY —One person was taken into custody after trying to flee law enforcement on a motorcycle Tuesday night, according to a media release from Harvey County.

Just before 10:30p.m., a Harvey County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop the motorcycle as it traveled on Interstate 135 just south of the SE 36th Street exit south of Newton. The motorcycle did not have a license plate displayed.

The driver of the motorcycle, later identified as 35-year-old Joseph Irwin of Mulvane refused to stop, causing law enforcement to initiate a pursuit through the southern parts of Newton.&nbsp; The pursuit lasted about five minutes, ending with the motorcyclist losing traction and stopping near the parking lot of the Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

Deputies took Irwin into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, as well as other traffic misdemeanors. He is being held in the Harvey County Detention Center.

No one was injured in the incident. There was no significant damage to golf course property.

The Newton Police Department assisted with the pursuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720634748790.jpeg" alt="Irwin-Photo Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>Irwin-Photo Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY —One person was taken into custody after trying to flee law enforcement on a motorcycle Tuesday night, according to a media release from Harvey County.Just before 10:30p.m., a Harvey County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop the motorcycle as it traveled on Interstate 135 just south of the SE 36th Street exit south of Newton. The motorcycle did not have a license plate displayed.The driver of the motorcycle, later identified as 35-year-old Joseph Irwin of Mulvane refused to stop, causing law enforcement to initiate a pursuit through the southern parts of Newton.&nbsp; The pursuit lasted about five minutes, ending with the motorcyclist losing traction and stopping near the parking lot of the Sand Creek Station Golf Course.Deputies took Irwin into custody on requested charges of felony flee and elude, as well as other traffic misdemeanors. He is being held in the Harvey County Detention Center.No one was injured in the incident. There was no significant damage to golf course property.The Newton Police Department assisted with the pursuit.

Motorcyclist jailed after chase that ended at Kan. golf course

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration, a proposal Republicans have prioritized as an election-year talking point even as research shows noncitizens illegally registering and casting ballots in federal elections is exceptionally rare.

The legislation, approved largely along partisan lines but with a few Democrats voting in favor, is unlikely to advance through the Democratic-led Senate. The GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted in favor of the bill.

The Biden administration also says it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HR8281.pdf">strongly opposed</a>&nbsp;because it says safeguards already are in place to verify voter eligibility and enforce the law against noncitizen voting.

Still, the House vote will give Republicans an opportunity to bring attention to two of their central issues this year — border and election security.

It also provides an opportunity to fuel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-migrants-border-voter-fraud-campaign-40bbf5748615a3b1f6087ff920f59278">former President Donald Trump’s claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats have encouraged the surge of migrants so they can register them to vote, which would be illegal. Noncitizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections, nor is it allowed for any statewide elections.

Research and audits in several states show there have been incidences of noncitizens who successfully registered to vote and cast ballots, but it happens rarely and is typically by mistake. States have mechanisms to check for it, although there isn’t one standard protocol they all follow.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, a key backer of the bill, said in a news conference earlier this week that the Democratic opposition means many Democrats “want illegals to participate in our federal elections; they want them to vote.”

During a speech Wednesday, he called the vote a “generation-defining moment."

“If just a small percentage, a fraction of a fraction of all those illegals that Joe Biden has brought in here to vote, if they do vote, it wouldn't just change one race,” he said. “It might potentially change all of our races.”

On his Truth Social platform this week, Trump suggested that Democrats are pushing to give noncitizen migrants the right to vote and urged Republicans to pass the legislation — the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — or “go home and cry yourself to sleep.”

The fixation on noncitizen voting is part of a broader and long-term&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigrant-voting-noncitizens-elections-explained-cf4c73b336147b5f5d9c2a22b2564994">Trump campaign strategy</a>&nbsp;of casting doubt on the validity of an election should he lose, and he has consistently pushed that narrative during his campaign rallies this year. Last month in Las Vegas, he told supporters, “The only way they can beat us is to cheat.” It also is part of a wider Republican campaign strategy, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-immigrants-noncitizen-trump-republicans-2024-1c65429c152c2a10514b5156eacf9ca7">GOP lawmakers across the country</a>&nbsp;passing state legislation and putting noncitizen voting measures on state ballots for November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration, a proposal Republicans have prioritized as an election-year talking point even as research shows noncitizens illegally registering and casting ballots in federal elections is exceptionally rare.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Only American citizens should be voting in our elections, plain and simple.&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1811052981862695349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections. Period.<a href="https://t.co/NkfqvApvwQ">https://t.co/NkfqvApvwQ</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1811162167284060522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The legislation, approved largely along partisan lines but with a few Democrats voting in favor, is unlikely to advance through the Democratic-led Senate. The GOP members of the Kansas delegation voted in favor of the bill.The Biden administration also says it’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HR8281.pdf">strongly opposed</a>&nbsp;because it says safeguards already are in place to verify voter eligibility and enforce the law against noncitizen voting.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Every so often in this chamber, we take a vote that defines who we are and what we believe in.<a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseGOP</a> believes that only American citizens should decide our elections. Here&#39;s the question that will be answered on the floor today: Do Democrats want that same thing? <a href="https://t.co/IUkuSPaX6s">pic.twitter.com/IUkuSPaX6s</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1811096815317434871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Still, the House vote will give Republicans an opportunity to bring attention to two of their central issues this year — border and election security.It also provides an opportunity to fuel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-migrants-border-voter-fraud-campaign-40bbf5748615a3b1f6087ff920f59278">former President Donald Trump’s claims</a>&nbsp;that Democrats have encouraged the surge of migrants so they can register them to vote, which would be illegal. Noncitizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections, nor is it allowed for any statewide elections.Research and audits in several states show there have been incidences of noncitizens who successfully registered to vote and cast ballots, but it happens rarely and is typically by mistake. States have mechanisms to check for it, although there isn’t one standard protocol they all follow.Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, a key backer of the bill, said in a news conference earlier this week that the Democratic opposition means many Democrats “want illegals to participate in our federal elections; they want them to vote.”During a speech Wednesday, he called the vote a “generation-defining moment."“If just a small percentage, a fraction of a fraction of all those illegals that Joe Biden has brought in here to vote, if they do vote, it wouldn't just change one race,” he said. “It might potentially change all of our races.”On his Truth Social platform this week, Trump suggested that Democrats are pushing to give noncitizen migrants the right to vote and urged Republicans to pass the legislation — the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — or “go home and cry yourself to sleep.”The fixation on noncitizen voting is part of a broader and long-term&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigrant-voting-noncitizens-elections-explained-cf4c73b336147b5f5d9c2a22b2564994">Trump campaign strategy</a>&nbsp;of casting doubt on the validity of an election should he lose, and he has consistently pushed that narrative during his campaign rallies this year. Last month in Las Vegas, he told supporters, “The only way they can beat us is to cheat.” It also is part of a wider Republican campaign strategy, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-immigrants-noncitizen-trump-republicans-2024-1c65429c152c2a10514b5156eacf9ca7">GOP lawmakers across the country</a>&nbsp;passing state legislation and putting noncitizen voting measures on state ballots for November.Democrats and voting rights advocates have said the legislation is unnecessary because it’s already a felony for noncitizens to register to vote in federal elections, punishable by fines, prison or deportation. Anyone registering must attest under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen. Noncitizens also are not allowed to cast ballots at the state level. A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-new-york-city-ohio-29e7c1a42d859b717167260f7d2e808f">handful of municipalities</a>&nbsp;allow them to vote in some local elections.They also have pointed to surveys showing that millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/millions-americans-dont-have-documents-proving-their-citizenship-readily">don’t have easy access</a>&nbsp;to up-to-date documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or passport, and therefore the bill could inhibit U.S. citizen voters who aren’t able to further prove their status.During the Wednesday floor debate, Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, expressed concern that the bill would disenfranchise various American citizens.He mentioned military members stationed abroad who couldn't show documentary proof of citizenship in person at an election office, as well as married women whose names have changed, Native Americans whose tribal IDs don't show their place of birth and natural disaster survivors who have lost their personal documents.Morelle said he doesn't see the bill as an attempt to maintain voter rolls, but as part of larger GOP-led plans to question the validity of the upcoming election.“The false claim that there is a conspiracy to register noncitizens is a pretext for trying to overturn the 2024 election, potentially leading to another tragedy on January 6th, 2025,” he said.Yet Republicans who support the bill say the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">unprecedented surge of migrants</a>&nbsp;illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border creates too large a risk of noncitizens slipping through the cracks. They could purposely or inadvertently break the law to cast ballots that sway races amid narrow margins in November’s elections.“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legal American citizen,” said Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, the Republican chair of the House Administration Committee.If passed, the bill would require noncitizens to be removed from state voter rolls and require new applicants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. It also would require states to establish a process for applicants who can’t show proof to provide other evidence beyond their attestation of citizenship, though it’s unclear what that evidence could include.Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ohiosos.gov/media-center/press-releases/2024/2024-05-14a/">found 137 suspected noncitizens</a>&nbsp;on the state’s rolls — out of roughly 8 million voters — and said he was taking action to confirm and remove them.In 2022, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, conducted&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.ga.gov/news/secretary-raffensperger-refers-1600-noncitizen-registrants-local-das-gbi-state-election-board">an audit</a>&nbsp;of his state’s voter rolls specifically looking for noncitizens. His office found that 1,634 had attempted to register to vote over a period of 25 years, but election officials had caught all the applications and none had been able to register.In North Carolina in 2016, an audit of elections found that&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/sboe/Post-Election%20Audit%20Report_2016%20General%20Election/Post-Election_Audit_Report.pdf">41 legal immigrants</a>&nbsp;who had not yet become citizens cast ballots, out of 4.8 million total ballots cast. The votes didn’t make a difference in any of the state’s elections.In a document supporting the bill, Johnson listed other examples of noncitizens who had been removed from the rolls in Boston and Virginia. The elections departments there didn’t immediately answer questions from The Associated Press to verify the claims.Several secretaries of state, interviewed during their summer conference in Puerto Rico this week, said noncitizens attempting to register and vote is not a big problem in their state.Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, said that his state already requires photo ID to vote and that most people use a driver's license."We don't really have a problem with this in my state,” he said in an interview.Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican who oversees elections, said she supports the legislation in concept but provided a cautionary tale about how aggressively culling voter rolls can sometimes result in the removal of qualified voters. A few years ago, everyone in her household received mail ballots for a municipal election, except her. She had been removed from the rolls because she had been born in the Netherlands, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Air Force.“I was the lieutenant governor, I was overseeing elections, and I got taken off because I was born in the Netherlands,” she said, “So I think we definitely have those checks and balances in the state of Utah, maybe to an extreme.”The House vote comes days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lara-trump-rnc-leadership-election-reshaping-gop-a407d7edbfb37739abc590540b2f206d">Republican National Committee</a>&nbsp;released its party platform, which emphasizes border security issues and takes a stand against Democrats giving “voting rights” to migrants living in the country illegally.Republicans are expected to shine a light on their immigration and election integrity concerns at the Republican National Convention next week in Milwaukee, where Trump is scheduled to accept his third straight nomination for president.______