JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he expects the state to put together an aid plan by the end of the year to try to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from being lured across state lines to new stadiums in Kansas.

Missouri's renewed efforts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-3441b3084c8efab00057f593f4d9b95e">Kansas approved a plan</a>&nbsp;last week that would finance up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums for the professional football and baseball teams.

“We’re going to make sure that we put the best business deal we can on the line,” Parson told reporters while hosting the Chiefs' two most recent Super Bowl trophies at the Capitol, where fans lined up for photos.

“Look, I can’t blame Kansas for trying,” Parson added. “You know, if I was probably sitting there, I’d be doing the same thing. But at the end of the day, we’re going to be competitive.”

The Chiefs and Royals have played for over 50 years in side-by-side stadiums built in eastern Kansas City, drawing fans from both states in the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031. But Royals owner John Sherman has said the team won't play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, expressing preference for a new downtown stadium.

Questions about the teams' future intensified after Jackson County, Missouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">voters in April rejected</a>&nbsp;a sales tax that would have helped fund a more than $2 billion downtown ballpark district for the Royals and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium.

The tax plan faced several headwinds. Some Royals fans preferred the teams' current site. Others opposed the tax. And still others had concerns about the new stadium plans, which changed just weeks ahead of the vote.

The emergence of Kansas as an alternative raised the stakes for Missouri officials and repeated a common pattern among professional sports teams, which often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-stadiums-taxes-public-funding-f1381c8916144371b3037ebc5b2dcc47">leverage one site against another</a>&nbsp;in an effort to get the greatest public subsidies for new or improved stadiums.

Sports teams are pushing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stadiums-public-funding-nfl-mlb-70f5054b1e1f6862713ef036cbae2a10">new wave of stadium construction</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., going beyond basic repairs to derive fresh revenue from luxury suites, dining, shopping and other developments surrounding their stadiums. On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-stadium-renovation-9b814a4d0c7527414fe98a3124ee5bc9">the city of Jacksonville, Florida, approved</a>&nbsp;a $1.25 billion stadium renovation plan for the NFL's Jaguars that splits the cost between the city and team.

Many economists assert that while stadiums may boost tax revenue in their immediate area, they tend to shift consumer spending away from other entertainment and seldom generate enough new economic activity to offset all the public subsidies.

Parson said “the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are big business,” comparing them to large companies that have received public aid such as Boeing, Ford and General Motors. But he added that any deal “has to work out on paper, where it’s going to be beneficial to the taxpayers of Missouri.”

“I think by the end of this year, we’re going to have something in place” to propose for the stadiums, Parson said.

Missouri’s still undefined plan likely would require legislative approval, but Parson said he doesn’t anticipate calling a special legislative session before his term ends in January. That means any plan developed by Parson’s administration in partnership with Kansas City area officials also would need the support of the next governor and a new slate of lawmakers.

Now that Kansas has enacted a financing law, discussions between the sports teams and the Kansas Department of Commerce could start at any time, but the agency has no timeline for finishing a deal, spokesperson Patrick Lowry said Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719519127516.png" alt="“Look, I can’t blame Kansas for trying,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said. “You know, if I was probably sitting there, I’d be doing the same thing" />
 <figcaption>“Look, I can’t blame Kansas for trying,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said. “You know, if I was probably sitting there, I’d be doing the same thing</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he expects the state to put together an aid plan by the end of the year to try to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from being lured across state lines to new stadiums in Kansas.Missouri's renewed efforts come after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-3441b3084c8efab00057f593f4d9b95e">Kansas approved a plan</a>&nbsp;last week that would finance up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums for the professional football and baseball teams.“We’re going to make sure that we put the best business deal we can on the line,” Parson told reporters while hosting the Chiefs' two most recent Super Bowl trophies at the Capitol, where fans lined up for photos.“Look, I can’t blame Kansas for trying,” Parson added. “You know, if I was probably sitting there, I’d be doing the same thing. But at the end of the day, we’re going to be competitive.”The Chiefs and Royals have played for over 50 years in side-by-side stadiums built in eastern Kansas City, drawing fans from both states in the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031. But Royals owner John Sherman has said the team won't play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, expressing preference for a new downtown stadium.Questions about the teams' future intensified after Jackson County, Missouri,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">voters in April rejected</a>&nbsp;a sales tax that would have helped fund a more than $2 billion downtown ballpark district for the Royals and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium.The tax plan faced several headwinds. Some Royals fans preferred the teams' current site. Others opposed the tax. And still others had concerns about the new stadium plans, which changed just weeks ahead of the vote.The emergence of Kansas as an alternative raised the stakes for Missouri officials and repeated a common pattern among professional sports teams, which often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-stadiums-taxes-public-funding-f1381c8916144371b3037ebc5b2dcc47">leverage one site against another</a>&nbsp;in an effort to get the greatest public subsidies for new or improved stadiums.Sports teams are pushing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stadiums-public-funding-nfl-mlb-70f5054b1e1f6862713ef036cbae2a10">new wave of stadium construction</a>&nbsp;across the U.S., going beyond basic repairs to derive fresh revenue from luxury suites, dining, shopping and other developments surrounding their stadiums. On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-stadium-renovation-9b814a4d0c7527414fe98a3124ee5bc9">the city of Jacksonville, Florida, approved</a>&nbsp;a $1.25 billion stadium renovation plan for the NFL's Jaguars that splits the cost between the city and team.Many economists assert that while stadiums may boost tax revenue in their immediate area, they tend to shift consumer spending away from other entertainment and seldom generate enough new economic activity to offset all the public subsidies.Parson said “the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are big business,” comparing them to large companies that have received public aid such as Boeing, Ford and General Motors. But he added that any deal “has to work out on paper, where it’s going to be beneficial to the taxpayers of Missouri.”“I think by the end of this year, we’re going to have something in place” to propose for the stadiums, Parson said.Missouri’s still undefined plan likely would require legislative approval, but Parson said he doesn’t anticipate calling a special legislative session before his term ends in January. That means any plan developed by Parson’s administration in partnership with Kansas City area officials also would need the support of the next governor and a new slate of lawmakers.Now that Kansas has enacted a financing law, discussions between the sports teams and the Kansas Department of Commerce could start at any time, but the agency has no timeline for finishing a deal, spokesperson Patrick Lowry said Thursday.

Mo. governor: New plan in the works for Chiefs, Royals stadiums

GEARY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident at Milford Lake on Wednesday.

Just after noon, emergency crews responded to East Rolling Hills at Milford Lake after report of a man struck by a boat propeller while in the water, according to a media release from&nbsp;Geary County Emergency Management.

Bystanders on scene treated the man until emergency personnel arrived. He was flown by Lifestar Air Ambulance to a Wichita Hospital for further treatment.

&nbsp;Kansas Wildlife and Parks is in charge of the investigation of the incident.&nbsp;

GEARY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident at Milford Lake on Wednesday.Just after noon, emergency crews responded to East Rolling Hills at Milford Lake after report of a man struck by a boat propeller while in the water, according to a media release from&nbsp;Geary County Emergency Management.Bystanders on scene treated the man until emergency personnel arrived. He was flown by Lifestar Air Ambulance to a Wichita Hospital for further treatment.&nbsp;Kansas Wildlife and Parks is in charge of the investigation of the incident.&nbsp;

Man struck by boat propeller at Kansas lake

Mere 9% of registered voters bothered to take part in partisan contests

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

TOPEKA — The Kansas secretary of state said Monday the presidential preference primary in March cost nearly $2 million less than anticipated by the Kansas Legislature due to lack of competitive races in the major political parties and disinterest among the state’s voters.

Only 9% of registered Kansans took part in the presidential primary election that cost taxpayers $2.78 million, Secretary of State Scott Schwab said. He said the 2023 Kansas Legislature budgeted $4.7 million to host the state’s third presidential primary.

“At the time the estimate was made, it was anticipated that there would be a larger pool of candidates still participating in the primary by the time Kansans went to the polls,” Schwab said.

Campaigns for the Democratic and Republican party nominations for president had been resolved by the time Kansas conducted its post-Super Tuesday preference primary. While there were four GOP and four Democratic candidates on ballots in Kansas, the only active campaigners were former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Trump and Biden had already secured enough delegates to win nominations.

Biden received 83.6% of the vote among registered Kansas Democrats against Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Jason Palmer of Maryland and Marianne Williamson of California. None of the other candidates received more than 3.4%. More than 4,400 participants, or 10.3% of participants, wrote in other names.

Trump prevailed in the Republican primary in Kansas with 75% of the vote. Former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley secured 16%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had 2.6% and Ryan Binkley of Texas received 0.5%. In addition, candidates not on the ballot pulled down 5.2%.

It was the third time since 1980 that Kansas conducted a presidential primary. In the past, Kansas allowed the two major parties to conduct caucuses to determine partisan preferences in presidential contests. The state would return to the caucus format in 2028 unless lawmakers approved an alternative.

The legislative path to the 2024 Kansas presidential primary was rocky. The Kansas Senate voted 28-12 to conduct and finance presidential preference primaries. The Kansas House rejected the bill 56-64, in part, due to the price tag of $4 million to $5 million. On the next day in April, the GOP-controlled House reversed course and adopted the bill 86-32. Gov. Laura Kelly signed the measure two weeks later.

Motivation among Republican legislators endorsing creation of a presidential primary was Trump’s 2016 loss in Kansas caucus voting to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Rather than caucuses organized and financed by the state’s two largest political parties, all Kansas taxpayers shared in cost of the 2024 presidential primary whether they voted or not.

“This is taking the taxpayers’ money and giving it to the Republican Party and the Democratic Party,” said Fort Scott Republican Rep. Trevor Jacobs, who voted against the primary twice.

Schwab said the Legislature’s appropriation enabled counties to be reimbursed for direct expenses associated with the presidential primary. He said the event was an opportunity for county officials to prepare for the Aug. 6 primary election and the Nov. 5 general election.

“The final cost of the primary shows that our trained county election professionals were able to conduct this election efficiently, on time and under budget,” he said.

<h2>Mere 9% of registered voters bothered to take part in partisan contests</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas secretary of state said Monday the presidential preference primary in March cost nearly $2 million less than anticipated by the Kansas Legislature due to lack of competitive races in the major political parties and disinterest among the state’s voters.Only 9% of registered Kansans took part in the presidential primary election that cost taxpayers $2.78 million, Secretary of State Scott Schwab said. He said the 2023 Kansas Legislature budgeted $4.7 million to host the state’s third presidential primary.“At the time the estimate was made, it was anticipated that there would be a larger pool of candidates still participating in the primary by the time Kansans went to the polls,” Schwab said.Campaigns for the Democratic and Republican party nominations for president had been resolved by the time Kansas conducted its post-Super Tuesday preference primary. While there were four GOP and four Democratic candidates on ballots in Kansas, the only active campaigners were former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Trump and Biden had already secured enough delegates to win nominations.Biden received 83.6% of the vote among registered Kansas Democrats against Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Jason Palmer of Maryland and Marianne Williamson of California. None of the other candidates received more than 3.4%. More than 4,400 participants, or 10.3% of participants, wrote in other names.Trump prevailed in the Republican primary in Kansas with 75% of the vote. Former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley secured 16%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had 2.6% and Ryan Binkley of Texas received 0.5%. In addition, candidates not on the ballot pulled down 5.2%.It was the third time since 1980 that Kansas conducted a presidential primary. In the past, Kansas allowed the two major parties to conduct caucuses to determine partisan preferences in presidential contests. The state would return to the caucus format in 2028 unless lawmakers approved an alternative.The legislative path to the 2024 Kansas presidential primary was rocky. The Kansas Senate voted 28-12 to conduct and finance presidential preference primaries. The Kansas House rejected the bill 56-64, in part, due to the price tag of $4 million to $5 million. On the next day in April, the GOP-controlled House reversed course and adopted the bill 86-32. Gov. Laura Kelly signed the measure two weeks later.Motivation among Republican legislators endorsing creation of a presidential primary was Trump’s 2016 loss in Kansas caucus voting to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.Rather than caucuses organized and financed by the state’s two largest political parties, all Kansas taxpayers shared in cost of the 2024 presidential primary whether they voted or not.“This is taking the taxpayers’ money and giving it to the Republican Party and the Democratic Party,” said Fort Scott Republican Rep. Trevor Jacobs, who voted against the primary twice.Schwab said the Legislature’s appropriation enabled counties to be reimbursed for direct expenses associated with the presidential primary. He said the event was an opportunity for county officials to prepare for the Aug. 6 primary election and the Nov. 5 general election.“The final cost of the primary shows that our trained county election professionals were able to conduct this election efficiently, on time and under budget,” he said.

Kansas’ poorly attended presidential preference primary cost state taxpayers $2.78 million

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas sex offender on new requested charges after an arrest.

On Tuesday, police arrested 33-year-old Danny E. Groshong of Atchison, according Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Groshong is in custody on a Kansas Department of Corrections detain order for parole violation and a District Court warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;

In February of 2023, police arrested Groshong during a traffic stop on requested charges of no vehicle tag, no vehicle insurance, driving without a license, and possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

He has previous convictions for rape of a child under the age of 14 and aggravated indecent liberties. He's been listed as a registered offender since 2011, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719410540142.png" alt="Groshong-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Groshong-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas sex offender on new requested charges after an arrest.On Tuesday, police arrested 33-year-old Danny E. Groshong of Atchison, according Police Chief Mike Wilson.Groshong is in custody on a Kansas Department of Corrections detain order for parole violation and a District Court warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;In February of 2023, police arrested Groshong during a traffic stop on requested charges of no vehicle tag, no vehicle insurance, driving without a license, and possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;He has previous convictions for rape of a child under the age of 14 and aggravated indecent liberties. He's been listed as a registered offender since 2011, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas sex offender back in jail on new allegations

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way Thursday for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;for now in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24779208-moyle-v-united-states">Click here to read</a> the full ruling

The ruling&nbsp;came a day after an opinion was briefly posted on the court's website accidentally and quickly taken down, but not before it was obtained by Bloomberg News.

The final opinion appears largely similar to the draft released early. It reverses the court's earlier order that had allowed an Idaho abortion ban to go into effect, even in medical emergencies.

It does not resolve the issues at the heart of the case, meaning the same justices who voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturn the constitutional right to abortion</a>&nbsp;could soon be again considering when doctors can provide abortion in medical emergencies.

The premature release marked the second time in two years that an abortion ruling went out early, though in slightly different circumstances. The court’s seismic ruling ending the constitutional right to abortion was leaked to Politico.

The ruling came in a case filed against Idaho by the Biden administration, which argued that doctors must be allowed to provide emergency abortions under a federal law when a pregnant woman faces serious health risks.

Idaho had pushed back, arguing that its law does provide an exception to save the life of a pregnant patient and federal law doesn't require expanded exceptions.

Doctors in Idaho said that the law wasn't clear on when they could provide abortions in emergencies, forcing them to airlift pregnant women to other states for emergency care on several occasions since the high court had allowed the ban to go into effect in January.

The justices found that the court should not have gotten involved in the case so quickly, and a 6-3 majority reinstated a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health.

The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts, and could end up before the Supreme Court again. It doesn't answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a similar case, the state of Texas also argued that federal health care law does not trump a state ban on abortion and the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">sided with the state</a>.

The Idaho ruling doesn't appear to affect that finding. The Biden administration has appealed the case in Texas, leaving another avenue for the issue to appear before the high court. The justices are unlikely to even consider whether to take up the Texas case before the fall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719499149338.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way Thursday for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;for now in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24779208-moyle-v-united-states">Click here to read</a> the full ruling<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719501733752.png" alt=" A protester at a Planned Parenthood Great Northwest rally in Boise, Idaho, holds up a sign about the EMTALA case on April 21, 2024 (Otto Kitsinger/Idaho Capital Sun)." />
 <figcaption> A protester at a Planned Parenthood Great Northwest rally in Boise, Idaho, holds up a sign about the EMTALA case on April 21, 2024 (Otto Kitsinger/Idaho Capital Sun).</figcaption>
 </figure>The ruling&nbsp;came a day after an opinion was briefly posted on the court's website accidentally and quickly taken down, but not before it was obtained by Bloomberg News.The final opinion appears largely similar to the draft released early. It reverses the court's earlier order that had allowed an Idaho abortion ban to go into effect, even in medical emergencies.It does not resolve the issues at the heart of the case, meaning the same justices who voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturn the constitutional right to abortion</a>&nbsp;could soon be again considering when doctors can provide abortion in medical emergencies.The premature release marked the second time in two years that an abortion ruling went out early, though in slightly different circumstances. The court’s seismic ruling ending the constitutional right to abortion was leaked to Politico.The ruling came in a case filed against Idaho by the Biden administration, which argued that doctors must be allowed to provide emergency abortions under a federal law when a pregnant woman faces serious health risks.Idaho had pushed back, arguing that its law does provide an exception to save the life of a pregnant patient and federal law doesn't require expanded exceptions.Doctors in Idaho said that the law wasn't clear on when they could provide abortions in emergencies, forcing them to airlift pregnant women to other states for emergency care on several occasions since the high court had allowed the ban to go into effect in January.The justices found that the court should not have gotten involved in the case so quickly, and a 6-3 majority reinstated a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patient’s health.The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts, and could end up before the Supreme Court again. It doesn't answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.In a similar case, the state of Texas also argued that federal health care law does not trump a state ban on abortion and the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-life-of-mother-texas-appeal-83770a43f44c908d81b5fa0dfc0d87e4">sided with the state</a>.The Idaho ruling doesn't appear to affect that finding. The Biden administration has appealed the case in Texas, leaving another avenue for the issue to appear before the high court. The justices are unlikely to even consider whether to take up the Texas case before the fall.___

Supreme Court sidesteps ruling on emergency abortion access dispute

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives are currently investigating a fatal shooting in Wyandotte County.

On Wednesday evening, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4900 block of Steele Road, according to a media release.

First responders discovered a man outside a home, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. Two adult victims were transported to an area hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, not caused by gunfire.

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;This is the 13th homicide of the year in Kansas City, Kansas.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives are currently investigating a fatal shooting in Wyandotte County.On Wednesday evening, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4900 block of Steele Road, according to a media release.First responders discovered a man outside a home, the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. Two adult victims were transported to an area hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, not caused by gunfire.This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;This is the 13th homicide of the year in Kansas City, Kansas.

Homicide: 1 dead, 2 hospitalized after Kansas shooting

Washington, D.C. -&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado joined&nbsp;Special Report&nbsp;on Fox News in a ‘common ground’ segment highlighting bipartisanship and shared interest in addressing the historic drought sweeping the high plains and the importance of the Farm Bill to our nation's producers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Senators, who lead the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/hearing-on-the-high-plains-combating-drought-with-innovation">Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;hosted a bipartisan field hearing on the importance of combating the drought with innovation.

Kansas and Colorado water conservation officials, policy advisors, meteorologists and others will participate in the solutions-based hearing.&nbsp;

Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:&nbsp;

On the effects of the drought for Kansas water conservation:&nbsp;

MARSHALL:&nbsp;We've shared the same drought for 10 of the last 15 years, then we have this aquifer underneath us, this aquifer of water…So we're trying to figure out, how do we conserve this water? Because of the drought, we're using the water faster than we can replenish it. We use this water to grow our crops as well as to nourish our animals. So we're trying to pick out the best conservation practices.

MARSHALL:&nbsp;As we put the final touches on the farm bill, we want to make sure we're spending that money wisely, and capture what's working good and get rid of the bad.

BENNET:&nbsp;It is a major issue, and I've been very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Senator Marshall across the political aisle now for years on legislation that recognizes that nobody's making any more water…I think as Senator Marshall said, there's not a lot that divides us on these issues.&nbsp;

BENNET:&nbsp;You know, this border between Kansas and Colorado – drought does not recognize that border, wildfires do not recognize our borders. It's critical for us to find ways to work together to support farmers and ranchers, by the way, just like we did years and years ago, when the heart of this part of our country was subjected to the Dust Bowl. We’ve got to deal with it as seriously as people dealt with it back then.

On Threat of Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland:&nbsp;

MARSHALL:&nbsp;Food security is national security. We take it for granted as Americans, but it is vitally important to our security. That's why we want to elevate the Secretary of Agriculture onto the CFIUS Committee, which evaluates foreign investments, and it goes way beyond the land and agriculture.

MARSHALL:&nbsp;I'm probably more concerned about the food production. China owns about a fourth of our pork production, Brazil about a fourth of our beef production as well, the processing part of that food chain. So it goes way beyond just the land. Very concerned about all this –&nbsp;food security is national security.

BENNET:&nbsp;I have deep concern about it, both in terms of its proximity to military bases, but also its integration into our economy as well, as a member of the Intelligence Committee. This is something that we're focused on and worried about, and I think we're going to find Republicans and Democrats who can support this effort together, and make sure that the American people at least understand the degree to which Beijing is trying to own our land in a strategic way that helps them, but may not help us.

Washington, D.C. -&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado joined&nbsp;Special Report&nbsp;on Fox News in a ‘common ground’ segment highlighting bipartisanship and shared interest in addressing the historic drought sweeping the high plains and the importance of the Farm Bill to our nation's producers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6c4MGZ2jdyM?si=bN6uN8xwRnai8LKa" 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>The Senators, who lead the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/hearing-on-the-high-plains-combating-drought-with-innovation">Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;hosted a bipartisan field hearing on the importance of combating the drought with innovation. Kansas and Colorado water conservation officials, policy advisors, meteorologists and others will participate in the solutions-based hearing.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719493361623.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:&nbsp;On the effects of the drought for Kansas water conservation:&nbsp;MARSHALL:&nbsp;We've shared the same drought for 10 of the last 15 years, then we have this aquifer underneath us, this aquifer of water…So we're trying to figure out, how do we conserve this water? Because of the drought, we're using the water faster than we can replenish it. We use this water to grow our crops as well as to nourish our animals. So we're trying to pick out the best conservation practices.MARSHALL:&nbsp;As we put the final touches on the farm bill, we want to make sure we're spending that money wisely, and capture what's working good and get rid of the bad.BENNET:&nbsp;It is a major issue, and I've been very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Senator Marshall across the political aisle now for years on legislation that recognizes that nobody's making any more water…I think as Senator Marshall said, there's not a lot that divides us on these issues.&nbsp;BENNET:&nbsp;You know, this border between Kansas and Colorado – drought does not recognize that border, wildfires do not recognize our borders. It's critical for us to find ways to work together to support farmers and ranchers, by the way, just like we did years and years ago, when the heart of this part of our country was subjected to the Dust Bowl. We’ve got to deal with it as seriously as people dealt with it back then.On Threat of Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland:&nbsp;MARSHALL:&nbsp;Food security is national security. We take it for granted as Americans, but it is vitally important to our security. That's why we want to elevate the Secretary of Agriculture onto the CFIUS Committee, which evaluates foreign investments, and it goes way beyond the land and agriculture.MARSHALL:&nbsp;I'm probably more concerned about the food production. China owns about a fourth of our pork production, Brazil about a fourth of our beef production as well, the processing part of that food chain. So it goes way beyond just the land. Very concerned about all this –&nbsp;food security is national security.BENNET:&nbsp;I have deep concern about it, both in terms of its proximity to military bases, but also its integration into our economy as well, as a member of the Intelligence Committee. This is something that we're focused on and worried about, and I think we're going to find Republicans and Democrats who can support this effort together, and make sure that the American people at least understand the degree to which Beijing is trying to own our land in a strategic way that helps them, but may not help us.

🎥U.S. Senators from Kan., Colo. work to address historic drought

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating a drowning at a lake near where Interstate 29 and Interstate 635 meet approximately ten miles north of Kansas City.

Just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched on a mutual aid response to Houston Lake in Platte County on an apparent drowning, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First responders discovered the body of a man floating in the water not far from a small dock. The man appeared to have been fishing off the dock.&nbsp; Nobody saw him enter the water and investigators do not know how or why he ended up in the water. 

Two members of KCFD's Rescue entered the water to recover the body. Not knowing how long the individual had been in the water crews on scene performed CPR on the victim once he was removed and transported to him local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Hopkins.

 The cause of the apparent drowning is under investigation by Platte County authorities.&nbsp; His name has not been released.

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating a drowning at a lake near where Interstate 29 and Interstate 635 meet approximately ten miles north of Kansas City.Just before 8:30p.m. Wednesday, the Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched on a mutual aid response to Houston Lake in Platte County on an apparent drowning, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First responders discovered the body of a man floating in the water not far from a small dock. The man appeared to have been fishing off the dock.&nbsp; Nobody saw him enter the water and investigators do not know how or why he ended up in the water. Two members of KCFD's Rescue entered the water to recover the body. Not knowing how long the individual had been in the water crews on scene performed CPR on the victim once he was removed and transported to him local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Hopkins. The cause of the apparent drowning is under investigation by Platte County authorities.&nbsp; His name has not been released.

Fisherman drowns in lake near Kansas City

CLAY COUNTY —Law enforcement and child welfare officials are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after an incident at a lake north of Kansas City.

On the afternoon of June 24, two callers to the Clay County Sheriff's office reported about a vehicle pulled onto the shoulder of the W Highway bridge near Smithville Lake, according to a media release.

The callers reported a man standing over and possibly assaulting someone. When deputies got there, they found the car with some doors open but no one in sight except a toddler strapped into his car seat. 

The child was red and sweating profusely. Deputies reported their in-car thermometers said the temperature was 100 to 102 degrees at the time. 

Deputies&nbsp; quickly took the boy into one of their air-conditioned vehicles and tried to offer him water while waiting for an ambulance. Other deputies started searching the area, following a trail down to the lake. 

There they saw a man and woman passed out on a blanket with an infant asleep between them. The baby appeared pale and lethargic. The deputies roused the suspects, who appeared and smelled intoxicated.&nbsp; Deputies took the baby into an air-conditioned vehicle, then they asked the suspects if they knew where the toddler was.&nbsp; They did not know.

Deputies later located a large amount of alcoholic drinks in possession of the suspects.

 The children were transported to the hospital, and the Missouri Children’s Division took them into their custody. The woman suspect also was transported to the hospital for dehydration. 

Charges are pending against the suspects following some lab results.&nbsp;

CLAY COUNTY —Law enforcement and child welfare officials are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after an incident at a lake north of Kansas City.On the afternoon of June 24, two callers to the Clay County Sheriff's office reported about a vehicle pulled onto the shoulder of the W Highway bridge near Smithville Lake, according to a media release.The callers reported a man standing over and possibly assaulting someone. When deputies got there, they found the car with some doors open but no one in sight except a toddler strapped into his car seat. The child was red and sweating profusely. Deputies reported their in-car thermometers said the temperature was 100 to 102 degrees at the time. Deputies&nbsp; quickly took the boy into one of their air-conditioned vehicles and tried to offer him water while waiting for an ambulance. Other deputies started searching the area, following a trail down to the lake. There they saw a man and woman passed out on a blanket with an infant asleep between them. The baby appeared pale and lethargic. The deputies roused the suspects, who appeared and smelled intoxicated.&nbsp; Deputies took the baby into an air-conditioned vehicle, then they asked the suspects if they knew where the toddler was.&nbsp; They did not know.Deputies later located a large amount of alcoholic drinks in possession of the suspects. The children were transported to the hospital, and the Missouri Children’s Division took them into their custody. The woman suspect also was transported to the hospital for dehydration. Charges are pending against the suspects following some lab results.&nbsp;

Sheriff: Toddler, baby left unattended in triple-digit heat 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police have not reported an arrest and continue asking the public for help to find a Kansas man accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day.

On Wednesday, the Wichita Police reported no new update on missing 33-year-old Eric Gonzalez-Gutierrez, who is wanted for violating his pre-trial restrictions.&nbsp;On Friday, he cut his ankle monitor, according to Wichita Police.

On June 16, police arrested Gonzalez-Gutierrez on requested charges including first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara.

Just after 8:30p.m. on Father's Day, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.

First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital where he died.

Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital.

The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the Gonzales-Gutierrez earlier in the evening.&nbsp; Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim.

If you have any information on Gonzalez-Gutierrez whereabouts, please call 911 or WPD Detectives at 316-268-4407. To provide anonymous tips call 316-267-2111 or scan the code above.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718711572362.png" alt="GONZALES-GUTIERREZ-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>GONZALES-GUTIERREZ-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Police have not reported an arrest and continue asking the public for help to find a Kansas man accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day.On Wednesday, the Wichita Police reported no new update on missing 33-year-old Eric Gonzalez-Gutierrez, who is wanted for violating his pre-trial restrictions.&nbsp;On Friday, he cut his ankle monitor, according to Wichita Police.On June 16, police arrested Gonzalez-Gutierrez on requested charges including first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara.Just after 8:30p.m. on Father's Day, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital where he died.Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital.The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the Gonzales-Gutierrez earlier in the evening.&nbsp; Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719431407839.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>If you have any information on Gonzalez-Gutierrez whereabouts, please call 911 or WPD Detectives at 316-268-4407. To provide anonymous tips call 316-267-2111 or scan the code above.

Search continues for suspect in deadly Kan. BBQ gunfight 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.

Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.

Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.

“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”

For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.

Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.

On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.

The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.

Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a>

Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.

After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.

“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”

At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.

“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”

Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.

In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.

But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.

“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.

Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.

Biden faces different questions he must answer.

Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.

“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”

Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.

Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.

But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.

“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”

Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.

“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”

Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.

Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.

The debate, which will be broadcast from CNN’s Georgia headquarters, comes much earlier in the election cycle than usual, even before the party conventions that typically symbolize the start of the general election.

The candidates agreed to the unusual schedule after rejecting a proposal from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has organized the events for decades, typically with three meetings between presidential candidates and one between would-be vice presidents.

This year’s June schedule could give the candidates a chance to frame the race moving forward, as many voters will be tuning in to the contest for the first time.

But the nearly 19 weeks remaining until Election Day could also mean a candidate with a weak performance has time to recover, or that a strong performance could diminish.

“I do not believe anyone is going to either win or lose the election this week,” Mollineau said.

Bullock, the Georgia professor, differed.

Because of the unpopularity of both candidates, and the sense that voters will be choosing the one they view as “the least of two evils,” either could provide a voter’s “final straw,” he said.

“They may hear something coming out of the mouths of one of these and say, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’” Bullock said. “‘That’s the final straw. I can’t support that one. It helps me make up my mind to go with the other person.’”

Ross Williams contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719402433185.png" alt="The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)." />
 <figcaption>The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a><h2>Can Trump be boring?</h2>Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.<h2>Can Biden be forceful?</h2>Biden faces different questions he must answer.Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.<h2>An early debate</h2>The debate, which will be broadcast from CNN’s Georgia headquarters, comes much earlier in the election cycle than usual, even before the party conventions that typically symbolize the start of the general election.The candidates agreed to the unusual schedule after rejecting a proposal from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has organized the events for decades, typically with three meetings between presidential candidates and one between would-be vice presidents.All debates are usually in the fall.This year’s June schedule could give the candidates a chance to frame the race moving forward, as many voters will be tuning in to the contest for the first time.But the nearly 19 weeks remaining until Election Day could also mean a candidate with a weak performance has time to recover, or that a strong performance could diminish.“I do not believe anyone is going to either win or lose the election this week,” Mollineau said.Bullock, the Georgia professor, differed.Because of the unpopularity of both candidates, and the sense that voters will be choosing the one they view as “the least of two evils,” either could provide a voter’s “final straw,” he said.“They may hear something coming out of the mouths of one of these and say, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’” Bullock said. “‘That’s the final straw. I can’t support that one. It helps me make up my mind to go with the other person.’”Ross Williams contributed to this report.

Undecided voters are the prize for Biden and Trump in presidential debate

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Lawrence County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Juke driven by Jennifer A. Ross, 48, Monett, Missouri, was eastbound on U.S. 60 at FR 1160 in Verona.

The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2023 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Chad S. Steinert, 57, Wichita. Ross was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Lakin Funeral home in Pierce City. Steinert was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. —One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Lawrence County, Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Nissan Juke driven by Jennifer A. Ross, 48, Monett, Missouri, was eastbound on U.S. 60 at FR 1160 in Verona.The SUV crossed the center line and collided with a westbound 2023 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Chad S. Steinert, 57, Wichita. Ross was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Lakin Funeral home in Pierce City. Steinert was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman dies after crash with a Kansas semi driver

FORD COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for two violent murders.&nbsp;

On Monday, Ford County District Judge Andrew M. Stein sentenced 33-year-old Michael Peterson to two consecutive life sentences for the 2022 murders of his girlfriend Kayla Vasquez and her 4-year-old daughter Aalilyah Vasquez, according to&nbsp;Ford County Attorney Kevin B. Salzman.

On June 15, 2022, Peterson placed a 911 call claiming he was attacked in his home and that his girlfriend and daughter were missing. An investigation involving the Spearville Police Department, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation soon led investigators to the bodies of both Kayla and Aalilyah.

Kayla was discovered in a field in rural Ford County, ratchet strapped to a ladder and wrapped in trash bags. An autopsy later revealed Kayla had blunt force trauma and over 70 stab wounds to her head, neck, and back.

Aalilyah’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket in a dumpster behind a business in Kinsley, Kansas.&nbsp; She had been strangled to death

Using data from Peterson’s and Vasquez’s vehicle, investigators were able to trace the movements of the vehicle in the early morning hours of June 15, 2022. 

Combined with video surveillance footage, investigators observed Peterson driving the couple’s vehicle to several businesses, including WalMart and Sutherlands. On video, investigators observed Peterson purchase trash bags, ratchet straps, and a ladder consistent with the items found with Kayla’s body. 

Surveillance from the Kinsley business showed Peterson driving the vehicle to the location and dumping Aalilyah’s body in the dumpster in which she was found.&nbsp; 

Peterson was thereafter charged with Capital Murder for the killing of both Aalilyah and Kayla Vasquez.

In February 2024, the parties entered a plea agreement and Peterson pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Murder and two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping.

At sentencing on Monday, witnesses for the State of Kansas and family members of Kayla and Aalilyah presented evidence and statements for the court’s consideration in sentencing Peterson. 

The State urged the court to run all sentences consecutive to one another, which would have prohibited Peterson from applying for parole until he had served approximately 70 years in prison.Family members of Peterson and Peterson himself made statements to the court, asking for mercy. The defense requested the court run all sentences concurrently, which would have allowed Peterson to be eligible for parole after serving only 25 years.

The court also sentenced Peterson to 155 months on each of the two Aggravated Kidnapping charges, but ordered those sentences run concurrently with the life sentences imposed.

Peterson’s two consecutive life sentences means that he will remain incarcerated and is not eligible to apply for release until he has served a minimum of 50 years in custody.Peterson is presently housed in the Ford County Detention Center awaiting transportation to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655398104068.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for two violent murders.&nbsp;On Monday, Ford County District Judge Andrew M. Stein sentenced 33-year-old Michael Peterson to two consecutive life sentences for the 2022 murders of his girlfriend Kayla Vasquez and her 4-year-old daughter Aalilyah Vasquez, according to&nbsp;Ford County Attorney Kevin B. Salzman.On June 15, 2022, Peterson placed a 911 call claiming he was attacked in his home and that his girlfriend and daughter were missing. An investigation involving the Spearville Police Department, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation soon led investigators to the bodies of both Kayla and Aalilyah.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655373990456.png" alt="Kayla and Aalilyah Vasquez-photo Ford Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Kayla and Aalilyah Vasquez-photo Ford Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Kayla was discovered in a field in rural Ford County, ratchet strapped to a ladder and wrapped in trash bags. An autopsy later revealed Kayla had blunt force trauma and over 70 stab wounds to her head, neck, and back.Aalilyah’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket in a dumpster behind a business in Kinsley, Kansas.&nbsp; She had been strangled to deathUsing data from Peterson’s and Vasquez’s vehicle, investigators were able to trace the movements of the vehicle in the early morning hours of June 15, 2022. Combined with video surveillance footage, investigators observed Peterson driving the couple’s vehicle to several businesses, including WalMart and Sutherlands. On video, investigators observed Peterson purchase trash bags, ratchet straps, and a ladder consistent with the items found with Kayla’s body. Surveillance from the Kinsley business showed Peterson driving the vehicle to the location and dumping Aalilyah’s body in the dumpster in which she was found.&nbsp; Peterson was thereafter charged with Capital Murder for the killing of both Aalilyah and Kayla Vasquez.In February 2024, the parties entered a plea agreement and Peterson pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Murder and two counts of Aggravated Kidnapping.At sentencing on Monday, witnesses for the State of Kansas and family members of Kayla and Aalilyah presented evidence and statements for the court’s consideration in sentencing Peterson. The State urged the court to run all sentences consecutive to one another, which would have prohibited Peterson from applying for parole until he had served approximately 70 years in prison.Family members of Peterson and Peterson himself made statements to the court, asking for mercy. The defense requested the court run all sentences concurrently, which would have allowed Peterson to be eligible for parole after serving only 25 years.The court also sentenced Peterson to 155 months on each of the two Aggravated Kidnapping charges, but ordered those sentences run concurrently with the life sentences imposed.Peterson’s two consecutive life sentences means that he will remain incarcerated and is not eligible to apply for release until he has served a minimum of 50 years in custody.Peterson is presently housed in the Ford County Detention Center awaiting transportation to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Man admits brutal killing of SW Kan. girlfriend, her daughter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.

The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.

More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.

Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.

An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.

The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”

Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.

The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.

Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.

“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”

Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”

Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.

The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”

Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.

Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632608030678.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.The lawsuit, filed in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.More than a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boarding-school-missouri-abuse-lawsuits-settlement-e004668160605c5fbd2239e191292296">dozen</a>&nbsp;other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.When it shut down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-stockton-missouri-education-6d4bc69348f4349249e49b3ec7c29172">2023</a>, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school’s former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.Several people affiliated with those schools are facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christian-boarding-school-arrests-missouri-3a2d40a39b5c04e38df7064f763b3272">criminal charges</a>.Advocates for victims of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-education-af080895d108aa6dc0db533c60be2ebc">abuse at Missouri boarding schools</a>&nbsp;in May and again on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-boarding-schools-advocacy-group-23fb495871041047659b0311f26d47e6">urged</a>&nbsp;the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney general’s office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.The latest lawsuit claims that Agape “ran a ‘school’ akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.”Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.“There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming,” according to the lawsuit. “This went on for hours.”Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students' phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and “actively concealed from the Children’s Division abuses that were occurring.”Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also “brainwashed” him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.The lawsuit claimed workers “prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.”Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called “seizure boy” because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-missouri-springfield-89eb20fc1edcba8cf5963abdc69e48c8">Agape’s longtime doctor, David Smock</a>, was charged with child sex crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-child-abuse-kansas-missouri-a97fcf244d041a1468945b10af5f5f76">five employees were charged</a>&nbsp;with low-level abuse counts.

Former staffers at Christian boarding school face civil lawsuit alleging abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;pardoned potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex, saying Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong" to clear the way for them to regain lost benefits.

Biden's action grants a pardon to service members who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice's former Article 125, which criminalized sodomy. The law, which has been on the books since 1951, was rewritten in 2013 to prohibit only forcible acts.

Those covered by the pardon will be able to apply to receive proof that their conviction has been erased, petition to have their discharges from the military upgraded and move to recover lost pay and benefits.

“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” Biden said in a statement. “We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members –- including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: to properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home. Today we are making progress in that pursuit.”

The president’s use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lgbtq-people">LGBTQ</a>&nbsp;donors in New York on Friday. Biden is trying to rally support within the Democratic-leaning community ahead of the presidential election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719435671887.png" alt=" Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Atlantic Ocean on June 16, 2022 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II)." />
 <figcaption> Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Atlantic Ocean on June 16, 2022 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II).</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;pardoned potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex, saying Wednesday that he is “righting an historic wrong" to clear the way for them to regain lost benefits.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Despite courage and sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I&#39;m using my clemency authority to pardon certain former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves. <a href="https://t.co/KquoMizp1V">pic.twitter.com/KquoMizp1V</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1805973047184130093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden's action grants a pardon to service members who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice's former Article 125, which criminalized sodomy. The law, which has been on the books since 1951, was rewritten in 2013 to prohibit only forcible acts.Those covered by the pardon will be able to apply to receive proof that their conviction has been erased, petition to have their discharges from the military upgraded and move to recover lost pay and benefits.“Today, I am righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves,” Biden said in a statement. “We have a sacred obligation to all of our service members –- including our brave LGBTQI+ service members: to properly prepare and equip them when they are sent into harm’s way, and to care for them and their families when they return home. Today we are making progress in that pursuit.”The president’s use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lgbtq-people">LGBTQ</a>&nbsp;donors in New York on Friday. Biden is trying to rally support within the Democratic-leaning community ahead of the presidential election.Administration officials declined to say why Biden did not act on the pardons sooner.This is the third categorial pardon by Biden — using his clemency powers to cover a broad group of people convicted of particular crimes — after moves in 2022 and 2023 to pardon those convicted federally for possessing marijuana.The White House estimates that several thousand service members will be covered — the majority convicted before the military instituted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 1993 that eased the way for LGBTQ troops to serve if they didn’t disclose their sexual orientation. That policy was repealed in 2011, when Congress allowed for their open service in the military.Service members convicted of nonconsensual acts are not covered by Biden's pardon action. And those convicted under other articles of the military justice code, which may have been used as pretext to punish or force-out LGBTQ troops, would need to request clemency through the normal Department of Justice pardon process.