JOHNSON COUNTY—A man was injured in an accident Tuesday evening in Johnson County.

Police assisted MEDACT with the investigation of a construction worker/truck driver who fell off the bridge at U.S. 69 Highway and 119th Street, according to Overland Park Police Captain Ray Tisinger.&nbsp;

The worker received a serious injuries from the fall. He was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710930256913.png" alt="Image KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Image KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A man was injured in an accident Tuesday evening in Johnson County.Police assisted MEDACT with the investigation of a construction worker/truck driver who fell off the bridge at U.S. 69 Highway and 119th Street, according to Overland Park Police Captain Ray Tisinger.&nbsp;The worker received a serious injuries from the fall. He was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp;Police released no additional details.

Construction worker injured after fall from Kansas bridge

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Texas'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-2edc0f202156bf792cd531e814bbf2f5">plans to arrest migrants</a>&nbsp;suspected of entering the U.S. illegally were again on hold Wednesday after setting off uncertainty along the border and anger from Mexico flared during a brief few hours that the law was allowed to take effect.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-migrant-arrests-texas-13ffaed316d16f42e928f6958f0658f2">late-night order Tuesday</a>&nbsp;from a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel temporarily put on hold — again — Texas' dramatic state expansion into border enforcement. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the way for the strict immigration law, dealing a victory to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greg-abbott">Republican Gov. Greg Abbott</a>&nbsp;and encouraging GOP lawmakers in other states that are pushing for similar measures.

But later in a 2-1 order, an appeals court panel continued the legal seesaw surrounding the Texas law, again putting it on pause ahead of oral arguments that were scheduled for Wednesday. It was not clear how quickly the next decision might come.

During the short time the law was in effect Tuesday, Texas authorities did not announce that any arrests had been made or say whether it was being actively enforced. Along the border in Kinney County, Sheriff Brad Coe embraced the arrest powers but said deputies would need probable cause.

“It is unlikely that observers will see an overnight change,” said Coe, whose county covers a stretch of border near Del Rio that until recently had been the busiest corridor for illegal crossings but has quieted considerably.

The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the law. It instead kicked back to the lower appeals court a challenge led by the Justice Department, which has argued that Texas is overstepping the federal government's immigration authority.

The latest appeals court order included no explanation from the panel. But it had the effect of restoring an injunction&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-migrant-arrests-court-ruling-3bcded91620cbd9686575caa6bcac203">issued in February</a>&nbsp;by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who rebuked the law on multiple fronts. His 114-page opinion brushed off Republicans' claims of an “invasion” along the southern border due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-mexico-biden-18ac91ef502e0c5433f74de6cc629b32">record-high</a>&nbsp;illegal crossings. Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, also warned that the law could hamper U.S. foreign relations.

Under the Texas law, once defendants are in custody on illegal entry charges, they can agree to a judge's order to leave the U.S. or face prosecution. On Tuesday, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary said in a sharply worded statement that it would refuse to take anyone back who is ordered to cross the border.

“Mexico reiterates the legitimate right to protect the rights of its nationals in the United States and to determine its own policies regarding entry into its territory,” the government said.

The impact extends far beyond the Texas border. Republican legislators wrote the law so that it applies in all of the state’s 254 counties, although Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said he expects it will mostly be enforced near the border.

Other GOP-led states are already looking to follow Texas’ path. In Iowa, the state House on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would also give its state law enforcement the power to arrest people who are in the U.S. illegally and have previously been denied entry into the country.

It now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. If signed, it would take effect in July.

“The federal government has abdicated its responsibilities and states can and must act,” Republican Iowa state Rep. Steven Holt said.

In Texas, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the top county executive, said immigration enforcement should remain a federal, not state, responsibility, echoing the Biden administration's view. He said heightened law enforcement presence in the city of El Paso during a previous migrant surge brought high-speed chases and traffic stops based on assumptions that passengers were in the country illegally.

“We had accidents, we had injuries, we got a little glimpse of what would happen if the state begins to control what happens in respect to immigration,” Samaniego said.

Skylor Hearn, executive director of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, said sheriffs' offices have been training since last year.

“If a county chooses to take it on themselves, they are choosing for their taxpayers to take it on themselves as well,” Hearn said. “As long as the federal government is willing to do its part that it is supposed to be doing, it is ideal for them to take possession and custody of these people."

Daniel Morales, an associate professor of law at the University of Houston Law Center, said the Texas law "will be a mess, very clearly, to enforce.”

“It’s very clear that Greg Abbott wants to enforce the law so he can get lots of photo ops and opportunities, but it’s gonna take a lot of state resources to implement. And I don’t know, in fact, how much appetite and capacity for that the state government actually has,” Morales said. Texas will find enforcement is “difficult and taxing,” he said.

Arrests for illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-security-migrants-homeland-security-1c6e9f612dff721191c0254f980947a5">fell by half in January</a>&nbsp;from a record-high of 250,000 in December, with sharp declines in Texas. Arrests in the Border Patrol's Del Rio sector, the focus of Abbott's enforcement, fell 76% from December. Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for much of the last decade, recorded its fewest arrests since June 2020.

Tucson, Arizona, has been the busiest corridor in recent months, followed by San Diego in January, but reasons for sudden shifts are often complicated and are dictated by smuggling organizations.

When President Joe Biden visited the Rio Grande Valley for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-biden-trump-42c945d02742b169bde40601a27fde02">his second trip to the border</a>&nbsp;as president last month, administration officials credited Mexico for heightened enforcement on that part of the border for the drop in arrests. They said conditions were more challenging for Mexican law enforcement in Sonora, the state that lies south of Arizona.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671577993523.png" alt="Photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Texas'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-2edc0f202156bf792cd531e814bbf2f5">plans to arrest migrants</a>&nbsp;suspected of entering the U.S. illegally were again on hold Wednesday after setting off uncertainty along the border and anger from Mexico flared during a brief few hours that the law was allowed to take effect.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-migrant-arrests-texas-13ffaed316d16f42e928f6958f0658f2">late-night order Tuesday</a>&nbsp;from a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel temporarily put on hold — again — Texas' dramatic state expansion into border enforcement. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the way for the strict immigration law, dealing a victory to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/greg-abbott">Republican Gov. Greg Abbott</a>&nbsp;and encouraging GOP lawmakers in other states that are pushing for similar measures.But later in a 2-1 order, an appeals court panel continued the legal seesaw surrounding the Texas law, again putting it on pause ahead of oral arguments that were scheduled for Wednesday. It was not clear how quickly the next decision might come.During the short time the law was in effect Tuesday, Texas authorities did not announce that any arrests had been made or say whether it was being actively enforced. Along the border in Kinney County, Sheriff Brad Coe embraced the arrest powers but said deputies would need probable cause.“It is unlikely that observers will see an overnight change,” said Coe, whose county covers a stretch of border near Del Rio that until recently had been the busiest corridor for illegal crossings but has quieted considerably.The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the law. It instead kicked back to the lower appeals court a challenge led by the Justice Department, which has argued that Texas is overstepping the federal government's immigration authority.The latest appeals court order included no explanation from the panel. But it had the effect of restoring an injunction&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-migrant-arrests-court-ruling-3bcded91620cbd9686575caa6bcac203">issued in February</a>&nbsp;by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who rebuked the law on multiple fronts. His 114-page opinion brushed off Republicans' claims of an “invasion” along the southern border due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-crossings-mexico-biden-18ac91ef502e0c5433f74de6cc629b32">record-high</a>&nbsp;illegal crossings. Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, also warned that the law could hamper U.S. foreign relations.Under the Texas law, once defendants are in custody on illegal entry charges, they can agree to a judge's order to leave the U.S. or face prosecution. On Tuesday, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary said in a sharply worded statement that it would refuse to take anyone back who is ordered to cross the border.“Mexico reiterates the legitimate right to protect the rights of its nationals in the United States and to determine its own policies regarding entry into its territory,” the government said.The impact extends far beyond the Texas border. Republican legislators wrote the law so that it applies in all of the state’s 254 counties, although Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, has said he expects it will mostly be enforced near the border.Other GOP-led states are already looking to follow Texas’ path. In Iowa, the state House on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would also give its state law enforcement the power to arrest people who are in the U.S. illegally and have previously been denied entry into the country.It now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. If signed, it would take effect in July.“The federal government has abdicated its responsibilities and states can and must act,” Republican Iowa state Rep. Steven Holt said.In Texas, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the top county executive, said immigration enforcement should remain a federal, not state, responsibility, echoing the Biden administration's view. He said heightened law enforcement presence in the city of El Paso during a previous migrant surge brought high-speed chases and traffic stops based on assumptions that passengers were in the country illegally.“We had accidents, we had injuries, we got a little glimpse of what would happen if the state begins to control what happens in respect to immigration,” Samaniego said.Skylor Hearn, executive director of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, said sheriffs' offices have been training since last year.“If a county chooses to take it on themselves, they are choosing for their taxpayers to take it on themselves as well,” Hearn said. “As long as the federal government is willing to do its part that it is supposed to be doing, it is ideal for them to take possession and custody of these people."Daniel Morales, an associate professor of law at the University of Houston Law Center, said the Texas law "will be a mess, very clearly, to enforce.”“It’s very clear that Greg Abbott wants to enforce the law so he can get lots of photo ops and opportunities, but it’s gonna take a lot of state resources to implement. And I don’t know, in fact, how much appetite and capacity for that the state government actually has,” Morales said. Texas will find enforcement is “difficult and taxing,” he said.Arrests for illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-security-migrants-homeland-security-1c6e9f612dff721191c0254f980947a5">fell by half in January</a>&nbsp;from a record-high of 250,000 in December, with sharp declines in Texas. Arrests in the Border Patrol's Del Rio sector, the focus of Abbott's enforcement, fell 76% from December. Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for much of the last decade, recorded its fewest arrests since June 2020.Tucson, Arizona, has been the busiest corridor in recent months, followed by San Diego in January, but reasons for sudden shifts are often complicated and are dictated by smuggling organizations.When President Joe Biden visited the Rio Grande Valley for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-biden-trump-42c945d02742b169bde40601a27fde02">his second trip to the border</a>&nbsp;as president last month, administration officials credited Mexico for heightened enforcement on that part of the border for the drop in arrests. They said conditions were more challenging for Mexican law enforcement in Sonora, the state that lies south of Arizona.___

Texas' illegal migrant arrest law back on hold after Appeals Court ruling

Topeka (AP) — As Joe Biden and Donald Trump moved closer to a November rematch, primary voters around the country on Tuesday urged their favored candidate to keep up the fight and worried about what might happen if their side loses this fall.

<a href="https://ent.sos.ks.gov/kssos_ent.html">Click here to see&nbsp;</a>the county results from the Kan. Secretary of State

There was little suspense about Tuesday's results as both candidates are already their parties' presumptive nominees. Trump easily won Republican primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio. Biden did the same except in Florida, where Democrats had canceled their primary and opted to award all 224 of their delegates to Biden.

Instead, the primaries and key downballot races became a reflection of the national political mood. With many Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-campaign-democrats-republicans-440088966619e68dbf89f745788bb372">unenthusiastic about 2024’s choice for the White House</a>, both Biden and Trump’s campaigns are working to fire up their bases by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">tearing into each other</a>&nbsp;and warning of the perils of the opponent.

Those who did turn out to vote Tuesday seemed to hear that.

Pat Shackleford, an 84-year-old caregiver in Mesa, Arizona, said she voted for Trump in Arizona's primary to send the former president a message.

“I wanted to encourage him that the fight has been worthwhile, that more of us are behind him than maybe the media tells you,” Shackleford said.

Jamie and Cassandra Neal, sisters who both live in Phoenix, said they were unenthusiastic Biden supporters until they saw the vigor the president brought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-biden-gaza-ukraine-israel-1a42ff9d4ef3e0f2753e43ac8d39fc18">his State of the Union speech</a>. It fired them up for the coming election.

“Beforehand it was like, ‘Well, he’s the only decent one there,’” said Cassandra Neal, 42. “After his address it was like, ‘OK, let’s do it!’”

Jamie Neal, 45, said Biden had been “way too nice” before and needed to match Trump, whom she described as “vicious.”

“I hate to say it, sometimes you need to equal the lowness to get the person out," she said. “Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.”

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-moreno-larose-dolan-cffe7722ac68e79deebae8353dd2fb18">Ohio’s Republican Senate primary</a>, Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno defeated two challengers, Ohio Secretary of State Frank Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.

Moreno and Trump appeared together Saturday at a rally where Trump praised his endorsed candidate as a “warrior” and ramped up his dark rhetoric, saying that were he not to be elected, “it's going to be a bloodbath for the country.” His campaign insists he was referring to the auto industry and not the country as a whole.

In the final days of the campaign, The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-senate-election-2024-bernie-moreno-09e34f6331708c192c89d7c1727c2458">reported on Thursday</a>&nbsp;that in 2008, someone with access to Moreno’s work email account created a profile on an adult website seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex.” The AP could not definitively confirm that it was created by Moreno himself. Moreno’s lawyer said a former intern created the account and provided a statement from the intern, Dan Ricci, who said he created the account as “part of a juvenile prank.”

Questions about the profile have circulated in GOP circles for the past month, sparking frustration among senior Republican operatives about Moreno’s potential vulnerability in a general election, according to seven people who are directly familiar with conversations about how to address the matter. They requested anonymity to avoid running afoul of Trump and his allies.

Trump and Biden have for weeks been focused on the general election, aiming their campaigns lately on states that could be competitive in November rather than merely those holding primaries.

Trump, a Florida voter, cast his ballot at a recreation center in Palm Beach on Tuesday and told reporters, “I voted for Donald Trump.”

Trump and Biden are running on their records in office and casting the other as a threat to America. Trump, 77, portrays the 81-year-old Biden as mentally unfit. The president has described his Republican rival as a threat to democracy after his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-orban-hungary-conservatives-autocrats-biden-97d6998f747d3543f2f1df069b0f9165">foreign strongmen</a>.

Those themes were evident Tuesday at some polling locations.

“President Biden, I don't think he knows how to tie his shoes anymore,” said Trump supporter Linda Bennet, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, not far from the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort.

Even as she echoed Trump's arguments about Biden, she criticized Trump's rhetoric and “the way he composes himself” as “not presidential at all.” But she said the former president is “a man of his word,” and she said the country, especially the economy, felt stronger to her under Trump's leadership.

In Columbus, Ohio, Democrat Brenda Woodfolk voted for Biden and shared the president's framing of the choice this fall.

“It's scary,” she said of the prospect that Trump could be in the Oval Office again. “Trump wants to be a dictator, talking about making America white again and all this kind of crap. There's too much hate going on."

Bennet and Woodfolk agreed that immigration is one of their top concerns, though they offered different takes on why.

“This border thing is out of control,” said Bennet, the Republican voter. “I think it's the government's plot or plan to bring these people in to change the whole dynamic for their benefit, so I'm pretty peeved.”

Woodfolk, the Democrat, said she doesn't mind immigrants “sharing” opportunities in the U.S. but worried it comes at the expense of “people who've been here all their lives.”

Trump and Republicans have hammered Biden on the influx of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, seeking to capitalize on the issue well beyond border states. Biden has ratcheted up a counteroffensive in recent weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">Senate Republicans killed a migration compromise</a>&nbsp;they had negotiated with the White House, withholding their support only after Trump said he opposed the deal. Biden has used the circumstances to argue that Trump and Republicans have no interest in solving the issue but instead want to inflame voters in an election year.

For the last year, Trump has coupled his campaign with his legal challenges, including dozens of criminal counts and civil cases in which he faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-bond-appeal-million-75ef3efb5b70d6ea43bea85b65ff7810">more than $500 million</a>&nbsp;in fines.

His first criminal trial was scheduled to start Monday in New York on allegations he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments. But a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-delay-8e41f4be00f0420056433d2381189df8">delayed the trial for 30 days</a>&nbsp;after the recent disclosure of new evidence that Trump's lawyers said they needed time to review.

Speaking outside his polling place with a voter's sticker affixed to his lapel, Trump insisted the cases against him were political and defended himself against criticism of his attacks a day earlier on Jewish Democrats, in which he alleged they hate Israel and their own religion. Democratic leaders on Tuesday criticized his comments as promoting antisemitic tropes about having divided loyalties.

Standing next to him was former first lady Melania Trump, who didn't have on a sticker. She has rarely appeared in public with Trump since he launched his third bid for the White House.

Asked if she would campaign with him, she replied: “Stay tuned.”

TOPEKA (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump won their parties' primaries in Kansas on Tuesday, notching more delegates as they continue their march to a rematch in November's presidential election.

Biden and Trump also easily won primaries Tuesday in Ohio and Illinois. Trump also won Florida's Republican primary. There was no contest for Biden to win in Florida as Democrats there canceled their primary and opted to award all 224 of their delegates to him, a move that has precedence for an incumbent president. Trump and Biden are also expected to easily win primaries Tuesday in Arizona, banking more support after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/presumptive-nominee-biden-trump-6b2a3beb31896894ded9e96aa30cfcec">becoming their parties’ presumptive nominees</a>&nbsp;last week.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-march-19-ohio-senate-chicago-homeless-tax-9e839e351af47872e9ff812fa5ef5adb">Other races outside of the presidency</a>&nbsp;could provide insight into the national political mood. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-moreno-larose-dolan-cffe7722ac68e79deebae8353dd2fb18">Ohio's Republican Senate primary</a>, Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno defeated two challengers, Ohio Secretary of State Frank Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.

Chicago voters will decide whether to assess a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-march-19-ohio-senate-chicago-homeless-tax-9e839e351af47872e9ff812fa5ef5adb">one-time real estate tax</a>&nbsp;to pay for new homeless services. And voters in California will move toward deciding a replacement for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who resigned his seat after being pushed out of Republican leadership.

Trump on Saturday rallied in Ohio, which has for several years been reliably Republican after once being a national bellwether in presidential elections. Trump won the state by about 8 percentage points in 2016 and 2020. But there are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-race-ohio-sherrod-brown-873f34413637043dc6b1ff6edb83d181">signs the state could be more competitive</a>&nbsp;in 2024. Last year, Ohio voted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-amendment-election-2023-fe3e06747b616507d8ca21ea26485270">overwhelmingly to protect abortion rights</a>&nbsp;in its constitution and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-marijuana-legalization-election-2023-6d15efb27fdcd41e7364f2b7cd3177f4">voted to legalize marijuana</a>.

Biden, meanwhile, is visiting Nevada and Arizona on Tuesday, two states that were among the closest in 2020 and remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-battleground-super-tuesday-republican-democrat-c02530a6e86e63f72eb6a616c16b0b4a">top priorities for both</a>&nbsp;campaigns.

Bennet and Woodfolk agreed that immigration in one of their top concerns, though they offered different takes on why.

His first criminal trial was scheduled to start Monday in New York on allegations he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments. But a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-delay-8e41f4be00f0420056433d2381189df8">delayed the trial for 30 days</a>&nbsp;after the recent disclosure of new evidence that Trump's lawyers said they needed time to review. — Jackson reported from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Price reported from New York. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710295653190.png" alt="Trump and Biden have for weeks been focused on the general election, aiming their campaigns lately on states that could be competitive in November rather than merely those holding primaries.-AP file photo" />
 <figcaption>Trump and Biden have for weeks been focused on the general election, aiming their campaigns lately on states that could be competitive in November rather than merely those holding primaries.-AP file photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710929146933.png" alt="Unofficial vote totals from the Kansas Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Unofficial vote totals from the Kansas Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>Topeka (AP) — As Joe Biden and Donald Trump moved closer to a November rematch, primary voters around the country on Tuesday urged their favored candidate to keep up the fight and worried about what might happen if their side loses this fall.<a href="https://ent.sos.ks.gov/kssos_ent.html">Click here to see&nbsp;</a>the county results from the Kan. Secretary of StateThere was little suspense about Tuesday's results as both candidates are already their parties' presumptive nominees. Trump easily won Republican primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio. Biden did the same except in Florida, where Democrats had canceled their primary and opted to award all 224 of their delegates to Biden.Instead, the primaries and key downballot races became a reflection of the national political mood. With many Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-campaign-democrats-republicans-440088966619e68dbf89f745788bb372">unenthusiastic about 2024’s choice for the White House</a>, both Biden and Trump’s campaigns are working to fire up their bases by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">tearing into each other</a>&nbsp;and warning of the perils of the opponent.Those who did turn out to vote Tuesday seemed to hear that.Pat Shackleford, an 84-year-old caregiver in Mesa, Arizona, said she voted for Trump in Arizona's primary to send the former president a message.“I wanted to encourage him that the fight has been worthwhile, that more of us are behind him than maybe the media tells you,” Shackleford said.Jamie and Cassandra Neal, sisters who both live in Phoenix, said they were unenthusiastic Biden supporters until they saw the vigor the president brought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-union-biden-gaza-ukraine-israel-1a42ff9d4ef3e0f2753e43ac8d39fc18">his State of the Union speech</a>. It fired them up for the coming election.“Beforehand it was like, ‘Well, he’s the only decent one there,’” said Cassandra Neal, 42. “After his address it was like, ‘OK, let’s do it!’”Jamie Neal, 45, said Biden had been “way too nice” before and needed to match Trump, whom she described as “vicious.”“I hate to say it, sometimes you need to equal the lowness to get the person out," she said. “Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.”In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-moreno-larose-dolan-cffe7722ac68e79deebae8353dd2fb18">Ohio’s Republican Senate primary</a>, Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno defeated two challengers, Ohio Secretary of State Frank Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.Moreno and Trump appeared together Saturday at a rally where Trump praised his endorsed candidate as a “warrior” and ramped up his dark rhetoric, saying that were he not to be elected, “it's going to be a bloodbath for the country.” His campaign insists he was referring to the auto industry and not the country as a whole.In the final days of the campaign, The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-senate-election-2024-bernie-moreno-09e34f6331708c192c89d7c1727c2458">reported on Thursday</a>&nbsp;that in 2008, someone with access to Moreno’s work email account created a profile on an adult website seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex.” The AP could not definitively confirm that it was created by Moreno himself. Moreno’s lawyer said a former intern created the account and provided a statement from the intern, Dan Ricci, who said he created the account as “part of a juvenile prank.”Questions about the profile have circulated in GOP circles for the past month, sparking frustration among senior Republican operatives about Moreno’s potential vulnerability in a general election, according to seven people who are directly familiar with conversations about how to address the matter. They requested anonymity to avoid running afoul of Trump and his allies.Trump and Biden have for weeks been focused on the general election, aiming their campaigns lately on states that could be competitive in November rather than merely those holding primaries.Trump, a Florida voter, cast his ballot at a recreation center in Palm Beach on Tuesday and told reporters, “I voted for Donald Trump.”Trump and Biden are running on their records in office and casting the other as a threat to America. Trump, 77, portrays the 81-year-old Biden as mentally unfit. The president has described his Republican rival as a threat to democracy after his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-orban-hungary-conservatives-autocrats-biden-97d6998f747d3543f2f1df069b0f9165">foreign strongmen</a>.Those themes were evident Tuesday at some polling locations.“President Biden, I don't think he knows how to tie his shoes anymore,” said Trump supporter Linda Bennet, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, not far from the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort.Even as she echoed Trump's arguments about Biden, she criticized Trump's rhetoric and “the way he composes himself” as “not presidential at all.” But she said the former president is “a man of his word,” and she said the country, especially the economy, felt stronger to her under Trump's leadership.In Columbus, Ohio, Democrat Brenda Woodfolk voted for Biden and shared the president's framing of the choice this fall.“It's scary,” she said of the prospect that Trump could be in the Oval Office again. “Trump wants to be a dictator, talking about making America white again and all this kind of crap. There's too much hate going on."Bennet and Woodfolk agreed that immigration is one of their top concerns, though they offered different takes on why.“This border thing is out of control,” said Bennet, the Republican voter. “I think it's the government's plot or plan to bring these people in to change the whole dynamic for their benefit, so I'm pretty peeved.”Woodfolk, the Democrat, said she doesn't mind immigrants “sharing” opportunities in the U.S. but worried it comes at the expense of “people who've been here all their lives.”Trump and Republicans have hammered Biden on the influx of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, seeking to capitalize on the issue well beyond border states. Biden has ratcheted up a counteroffensive in recent weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">Senate Republicans killed a migration compromise</a>&nbsp;they had negotiated with the White House, withholding their support only after Trump said he opposed the deal. Biden has used the circumstances to argue that Trump and Republicans have no interest in solving the issue but instead want to inflame voters in an election year.For the last year, Trump has coupled his campaign with his legal challenges, including dozens of criminal counts and civil cases in which he faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-bond-appeal-million-75ef3efb5b70d6ea43bea85b65ff7810">more than $500 million</a>&nbsp;in fines.His first criminal trial was scheduled to start Monday in New York on allegations he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments. But a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-delay-8e41f4be00f0420056433d2381189df8">delayed the trial for 30 days</a>&nbsp;after the recent disclosure of new evidence that Trump's lawyers said they needed time to review.Speaking outside his polling place with a voter's sticker affixed to his lapel, Trump insisted the cases against him were political and defended himself against criticism of his attacks a day earlier on Jewish Democrats, in which he alleged they hate Israel and their own religion. Democratic leaders on Tuesday criticized his comments as promoting antisemitic tropes about having divided loyalties.Standing next to him was former first lady Melania Trump, who didn't have on a sticker. She has rarely appeared in public with Trump since he launched his third bid for the White House.Asked if she would campaign with him, she replied: “Stay tuned.”--------------TOPEKA (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump won their parties' primaries in Kansas on Tuesday, notching more delegates as they continue their march to a rematch in November's presidential election.Biden and Trump also easily won primaries Tuesday in Ohio and Illinois. Trump also won Florida's Republican primary. There was no contest for Biden to win in Florida as Democrats there canceled their primary and opted to award all 224 of their delegates to him, a move that has precedence for an incumbent president. Trump and Biden are also expected to easily win primaries Tuesday in Arizona, banking more support after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/presumptive-nominee-biden-trump-6b2a3beb31896894ded9e96aa30cfcec">becoming their parties’ presumptive nominees</a>&nbsp;last week.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-march-19-ohio-senate-chicago-homeless-tax-9e839e351af47872e9ff812fa5ef5adb">Other races outside of the presidency</a>&nbsp;could provide insight into the national political mood. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-moreno-larose-dolan-cffe7722ac68e79deebae8353dd2fb18">Ohio's Republican Senate primary</a>, Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno defeated two challengers, Ohio Secretary of State Frank Frank LaRose and Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.Chicago voters will decide whether to assess a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-march-19-ohio-senate-chicago-homeless-tax-9e839e351af47872e9ff812fa5ef5adb">one-time real estate tax</a>&nbsp;to pay for new homeless services. And voters in California will move toward deciding a replacement for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who resigned his seat after being pushed out of Republican leadership.Trump and Biden have for weeks been focused on the general election, aiming their campaigns lately on states that could be competitive in November rather than merely those holding primaries.Trump, a Florida voter, cast his ballot at a recreation center in Palm Beach on Tuesday and told reporters, “I voted for Donald Trump.”Trump on Saturday rallied in Ohio, which has for several years been reliably Republican after once being a national bellwether in presidential elections. Trump won the state by about 8 percentage points in 2016 and 2020. But there are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-race-ohio-sherrod-brown-873f34413637043dc6b1ff6edb83d181">signs the state could be more competitive</a>&nbsp;in 2024. Last year, Ohio voted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-amendment-election-2023-fe3e06747b616507d8ca21ea26485270">overwhelmingly to protect abortion rights</a>&nbsp;in its constitution and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-marijuana-legalization-election-2023-6d15efb27fdcd41e7364f2b7cd3177f4">voted to legalize marijuana</a>.Biden, meanwhile, is visiting Nevada and Arizona on Tuesday, two states that were among the closest in 2020 and remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-battleground-super-tuesday-republican-democrat-c02530a6e86e63f72eb6a616c16b0b4a">top priorities for both</a>&nbsp;campaigns.Trump and Biden are running on their records in office and casting the other as a threat to America. Trump, 77, portrays the 81-year-old Biden as mentally unfit. The president has described his Republican rival as a threat to democracy after his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his praise of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-orban-hungary-conservatives-autocrats-biden-97d6998f747d3543f2f1df069b0f9165">foreign strongmen</a>.Those themes were evident Tuesday at some polling locations.“President Biden, I don't think he knows how to tie his shoes anymore,” said Trump supporter Linda Bennet, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, not far from the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort.Even as she echoed Trump's arguments about Biden, she criticized Trump's rhetoric and “the way he composes himself” as “not presidential at all.” But she said the former president is “a man of his word,” and she said the country, especially the economy, felt stronger to her under Trump's leadership.In Columbus, Ohio, Democrat Brenda Woodfolk voted for Biden and shared the president's framing of the choice this fall.“It's scary,” she said of the prospect that Trump could be in the Oval Office again. “Trump wants to be a dictator, talking about making America white again and all this kind of crap. There's too much hate going on."Bennet and Woodfolk agreed that immigration in one of their top concerns, though they offered different takes on why.“This border thing is out of control,” said Bennet, the Republican voter. “I think it's the government's plot or plan to bring these people in to change the whole dynamic for their benefit, so I'm pretty peeved.”Woodfolk, the Democrat, said she doesn't mind immigrants “sharing” opportunities in the U.S. but worried it comes at the expense of “people who've been here all their lives.”Trump and Republicans have hammered Biden on the influx of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, seeking to capitalize on the issue well beyond border states. Biden has ratcheted up a counteroffensive in recent weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">Senate Republicans killed a migration compromise</a>&nbsp;they had negotiated with the White House, withholding their support only after Trump said he opposed the deal. Biden has used the circumstances to argue that Trump and Republicans have no interest in solving the issue but instead want to inflame voters in an election year.For the last year, Trump has coupled his campaign with his legal challenges, including dozens of criminal counts and civil cases in which he faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-bond-appeal-million-75ef3efb5b70d6ea43bea85b65ff7810">more than $500 million</a>&nbsp;in fines.His first criminal trial was scheduled to start Monday in New York on allegations he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments. But a judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-delay-8e41f4be00f0420056433d2381189df8">delayed the trial for 30 days</a>&nbsp;after the recent disclosure of new evidence that Trump's lawyers said they needed time to review. — Jackson reported from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Price reported from New York. Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

Final vote totals: Biden and Trump win presidential primaries in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. — Winfield Correctional Facility (WCF) resident Michael Lynn Youngblood died Tuesday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

He collapsed while working with a crew picking up trash along a highway near Wichita. EMS was called to administer life-saving measures. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy and is currently under investigation.

Youngblood, 59, was serving a 56-month sentence of Drug Possession with intent to distribute heroin or methamphetamine in McPherson County, Kansas. He had eleven previous convictions in McPherson and Harvey County for drugs, criminal threat, domestic battery and disorderly conduct, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710895275972.png" alt="Youngblood from his arrest in McPherson County" />
 <figcaption>Youngblood from his arrest in McPherson County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. — Winfield Correctional Facility (WCF) resident Michael Lynn Youngblood died Tuesday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.He collapsed while working with a crew picking up trash along a highway near Wichita. EMS was called to administer life-saving measures. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy and is currently under investigation.Youngblood, 59, was serving a 56-month sentence of Drug Possession with intent to distribute heroin or methamphetamine in McPherson County, Kansas. He had eleven previous convictions in McPherson and Harvey County for drugs, criminal threat, domestic battery and disorderly conduct, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Kansas inmate dies while picking up trash on highway

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the death of a man in pond have identified the victim as 53-year-old Christopher Larson of Bucyrus, Kansas.

Just before 9:30p.m. Monday, police and fire crews&nbsp;responded to a home in the 19300 block of Flint in Overland Park reference a drowning, according to Officer John Lacy.&nbsp; First responders found Larson in a pond behind a private residence.

 Prior to arrival of police, emergency medical staff on scene declared Larson as deceased

The Johnson County Medical Examiner Office was notified and responded to the scene.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating the death of a man in pond have identified the victim as 53-year-old Christopher Larson of Bucyrus, Kansas.Just before 9:30p.m. Monday, police and fire crews&nbsp;responded to a home in the 19300 block of Flint in Overland Park reference a drowning, according to Officer John Lacy.&nbsp; First responders found Larson in a pond behind a private residence. Prior to arrival of police, emergency medical staff on scene declared Larson as deceasedThe Johnson County Medical Examiner Office was notified and responded to the scene.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Police ID man found deceased in pond behind Kansas home

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy is facing a new felony charge over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">mass shooting</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas City Chiefs’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl celebration</a>&nbsp;that killed one person and wounded almost two dozen others, local juvenile authorities said Tuesday.

Authorities said the teenager was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon in shooting at a person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-278e2d3e2cfece1cbe958511e54127ad">being held</a>&nbsp;since the Feb. 14 mass shooting on a lesser felony charge of resisting arrest. For an adult offender, the new charge would be punishable by between five and 15 years in prison.

Authorities said that a Jackson County Family Court judge will hold a hearing to determine whether the teenager will be tried as an adult.

A second 16-year-old also continues to be held on a lesser gun charge.

State authorities also have charged two men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">with second-degree murder</a>&nbsp;and several weapons counts in connection with the shootings. Police said the shooting happened when one group of people confronted another for staring at them.

In addition, three other Missouri men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-shooting-kansas-city-parade-57662b493b2d987288dabca4bc5fd6f1">have been charged</a>&nbsp;in the shooting aftermath with federal counts related to the illegal purchase of high-powered rifles and guns with extended magazines.

Unsealed federal court documents said 12 people brandished firearms and at least six people fired weapons at the rally, which drew an estimated 1 million people to downtown Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708018861457.jpeg" alt="File Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)." />
 <figcaption>File Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy is facing a new felony charge over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">mass shooting</a>&nbsp;at the Kansas City Chiefs’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-chiefs-dynasty-kansas-city-d16a308684d97a6be2d269c8d56404be">Super Bowl celebration</a>&nbsp;that killed one person and wounded almost two dozen others, local juvenile authorities said Tuesday.Authorities said the teenager was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon in shooting at a person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-278e2d3e2cfece1cbe958511e54127ad">being held</a>&nbsp;since the Feb. 14 mass shooting on a lesser felony charge of resisting arrest. For an adult offender, the new charge would be punishable by between five and 15 years in prison.Authorities said that a Jackson County Family Court judge will hold a hearing to determine whether the teenager will be tried as an adult.A second 16-year-old also continues to be held on a lesser gun charge.State authorities also have charged two men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-celebration-shooting-charges-7cb29dc9956d325103df9bf766a0c407">with second-degree murder</a>&nbsp;and several weapons counts in connection with the shootings. Police said the shooting happened when one group of people confronted another for staring at them.In addition, three other Missouri men&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-shooting-kansas-city-parade-57662b493b2d987288dabca4bc5fd6f1">have been charged</a>&nbsp;in the shooting aftermath with federal counts related to the illegal purchase of high-powered rifles and guns with extended magazines.Unsealed federal court documents said 12 people brandished firearms and at least six people fired weapons at the rally, which drew an estimated 1 million people to downtown Kansas City.

Teen faces new felony charge over the shooting at Chiefs' celebration

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.

Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, the Brown County Sheriffs Office Drug Task Force and Horton Police initiated a search warrant in Horton at a residence located at 137 W. 11th, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia were 42-year-old Jamie Long of Horton and 32-year-old Skyler Pahmahmie of Horton.&nbsp;

Arrested on charges of Possession of Meth andPossession of Drug Paraphernalia was 53-year-old Tisha Thomas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710795290296.png" alt="Pahmahmie-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Pahmahmie-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.Just after 10 p.m. Sunday, the Brown County Sheriffs Office Drug Task Force and Horton Police initiated a search warrant in Horton at a residence located at 137 W. 11th, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710795337429.png" alt="Long-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Long-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia were 42-year-old Jamie Long of Horton and 32-year-old Skyler Pahmahmie of Horton.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710795370809.png" alt="Thomas-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Arrested on charges of Possession of Meth andPossession of Drug Paraphernalia was 53-year-old Tisha Thomas.

Three arrested after drug bust at Kansas home

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On Friday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served search warrants in 3400 Block SE Girard Street in Topeka.related to an ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.

While conducting the search warrant, officers located cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

As a result, Ford Sanders, 64 years of age, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include Distribution of a cocaine, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, Drug tax stamp and Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactions, according to Connell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710703600548.png" alt="Sanders-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Sanders-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On Friday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served search warrants in 3400 Block SE Girard Street in Topeka.related to an ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Ronnie Connell.While conducting the search warrant, officers located cocaine and drug paraphernalia.As a result, Ford Sanders, 64 years of age, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include Distribution of a cocaine, Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, Drug tax stamp and Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactions, according to Connell.

Police: Kansas man was selling cocaine from his home

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, police responded to North Ambassador Drive and NW Polo Drive of a call from petitioner of an ex parte order of protection who had concerns about the respondent and wanted police to speak to the respondent, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol who is in charge of the investigation.

As the two officers responded along North Ambassador Drive they observed a woman, the respondent, walking along the road. Officers attempted to speak with her. She was not compliant.&nbsp; She was armed and presented a hand gun. One of the officers discharged his duty gun and wounded the woman.

&nbsp;Officers immediately rendered medical aid&nbsp; and she was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

The patrol released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710870929165.png" alt="Police on the scene of the KCPD officer-involved shooting Tuesday morning-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the KCPD officer-involved shooting Tuesday morning-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Kansas City.Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, police responded to North Ambassador Drive and NW Polo Drive of a call from petitioner of an ex parte order of protection who had concerns about the respondent and wanted police to speak to the respondent, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol who is in charge of the investigation.As the two officers responded along North Ambassador Drive they observed a woman, the respondent, walking along the road. Officers attempted to speak with her. She was not compliant.&nbsp; She was armed and presented a hand gun. One of the officers discharged his duty gun and wounded the woman.&nbsp;Officers immediately rendered medical aid&nbsp; and she was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.The patrol released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Woman wounded in Kansas City officer shooting

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GewzdRccawj4l4WPJcOuerDaGYOm1IJY/view?usp=sharing">survey of Kansans’ attitudes</a>&nbsp;on lawmakers, health care and economic issues found a wellspring of support for expanding Medicaid eligibility — along with a prevailing belief that lawmakers aren’t tuned into the financial challenges Kansas families are facing and are not passing policies that help Kansans.

Nonpartisan research firm Perry Undem conducted the study on behalf of the Kansas Common Sense Fund, and with support from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. The study surveyed approximately 1,000 Kansas voters in February on health care, child care and hunger.

“It’s pretty clear that Kansans are feeling a significant amount of financial stress, due to the high cost of food, health care, child care and housing,” said David Jordan, president of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. “… It is pretty striking that there’s significant agreement on the challenges that Kansans face, on solutions that could help address those challenges and on the fact that policymakers aren’t recognizing and acting in accordance with where Kansans are on these issues.”

Seventy-nine percent of voters said most Kansas policymakers aren’t in touch with the financial challenges facing average families. Seventy percent of voters did not think Kansas politicians were looking out for working families.

More than 80% of voters said housing, health care, child care and healthy food are increasingly difficult for the average Kansas family to afford. About 70% felt the average Kansas family is currently under financial strain.

“The vast majority of Kansans believe that policymakers are not listening to working people as they push through new laws and policy changes,” said Ashley All, executive director for Kansas Common Sense Fund. “Kansans agree that lawmakers should be doing more to support parents and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Kansas needs to focus on commonsense policies that make child care more affordable and drive down costs for everyone.”

Of those surveyed, 90%&nbsp; were concerned about rural hospitals closing and 73% supported Medicaid expansion, which would expand state health insurance coverage for lower-income families. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government covers 90% of the extra cost of Medicaid services in exchange for expanding eligibility to those at 138% of the federal poverty rate and below. Kansas is among 10 states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid.

Most of the estimated 150,000 Kansans who would benefit from expansion are low-income workers or Kansans suffering from chronic illness. Medicaid expansion would also unlock $700 million in annual federal funding and could save 59 rural hospitals on the brink of closing.

While expansion has been blocked by top Republican state lawmakers in the House and Senate, long-time advocate Gov. Laura Kelly, along with health care groups, has pressured lawmakers to take another crack at the issue this session. Her proposal is scheduled for two hearings Wednesday.&nbsp;

The new survey, like others released in recent years, showed expansion has bipartisan support. About 90% of Democrats, 74% of independents and 61% of Republicans supported expansion. Ninety-five percent of residents said they were worried about health care costs increasing, and 87% were worried about the number of uninsured people in the state increasing.

Most people also wanted government action to help Kansans access healthy food and groceries, and opposed adding restrictions to food aid. About 76% of voters said the cost of food was a problem, and 79% supported more state programs on food access.

Most people wanted more state investment in programs that help Kansans afford child care, with 78% in favor of expansion of a child care tax credit.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stage.worklifesystems.com/Kansas?county=all">Child care data</a>&nbsp;in the state suggests only 46% of children in Kansas receive child care services, and that an additional 85,000 child care slots are needed to meet demand.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This year, Kelly has recommended a $56 million allocation for child care as part of her proposed budget for<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-fiscal-year-2025-budget/">&nbsp;fiscal year 2025</a>. The funding includes nearly $30 million for the construction of child care facilities and $5 million for a northwest Kansas pilot program seeking to test practices for public-private child care partnerships in rural areas.

In the previous year, lawmakers attempted to roll back regulations on child care facilities to address the shortage, but Kelly vetoed the bill due to concerns that decreasing staff training and packing more children into the facilities could be damaging. The survey showed 73% of&nbsp; Kansans are against legislators passing policies that would loosen qualifications and standards for child care providers.&nbsp;

“There’s broad support for tax credits,” Jordan said. “But then there’s also nearly identical agreement that policymakers should not loosen qualifications for childcare providers, just recognizing that the solution is not on par with the need to invest in early childhood affordability and the need to look at creative tax credits that can help make child care more affordable.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710861810230.png" alt="A February study of Kansas voters found widespread concern over rising costs and child care issues, among other statewide concerns. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A February study of Kansas voters found widespread concern over rising costs and child care issues, among other statewide concerns. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GewzdRccawj4l4WPJcOuerDaGYOm1IJY/view?usp=sharing">survey of Kansans’ attitudes</a>&nbsp;on lawmakers, health care and economic issues found a wellspring of support for expanding Medicaid eligibility — along with a prevailing belief that lawmakers aren’t tuned into the financial challenges Kansas families are facing and are not passing policies that help Kansans.Nonpartisan research firm Perry Undem conducted the study on behalf of the Kansas Common Sense Fund, and with support from the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. The study surveyed approximately 1,000 Kansas voters in February on health care, child care and hunger.“It’s pretty clear that Kansans are feeling a significant amount of financial stress, due to the high cost of food, health care, child care and housing,” said David Jordan, president of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. “… It is pretty striking that there’s significant agreement on the challenges that Kansans face, on solutions that could help address those challenges and on the fact that policymakers aren’t recognizing and acting in accordance with where Kansans are on these issues.”Seventy-nine percent of voters said most Kansas policymakers aren’t in touch with the financial challenges facing average families. Seventy percent of voters did not think Kansas politicians were looking out for working families.More than 80% of voters said housing, health care, child care and healthy food are increasingly difficult for the average Kansas family to afford. About 70% felt the average Kansas family is currently under financial strain.“The vast majority of Kansans believe that policymakers are not listening to working people as they push through new laws and policy changes,” said Ashley All, executive director for Kansas Common Sense Fund. “Kansans agree that lawmakers should be doing more to support parents and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Kansas needs to focus on commonsense policies that make child care more affordable and drive down costs for everyone.”Of those surveyed, 90%&nbsp; were concerned about rural hospitals closing and 73% supported Medicaid expansion, which would expand state health insurance coverage for lower-income families. Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government covers 90% of the extra cost of Medicaid services in exchange for expanding eligibility to those at 138% of the federal poverty rate and below. Kansas is among 10 states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid.Most of the estimated 150,000 Kansans who would benefit from expansion are low-income workers or Kansans suffering from chronic illness. Medicaid expansion would also unlock $700 million in annual federal funding and could save 59 rural hospitals on the brink of closing.While expansion has been blocked by top Republican state lawmakers in the House and Senate, long-time advocate Gov. Laura Kelly, along with health care groups, has pressured lawmakers to take another crack at the issue this session. Her proposal is scheduled for two hearings Wednesday.&nbsp;The new survey, like others released in recent years, showed expansion has bipartisan support. About 90% of Democrats, 74% of independents and 61% of Republicans supported expansion. Ninety-five percent of residents said they were worried about health care costs increasing, and 87% were worried about the number of uninsured people in the state increasing.Most people also wanted government action to help Kansans access healthy food and groceries, and opposed adding restrictions to food aid. About 76% of voters said the cost of food was a problem, and 79% supported more state programs on food access.Most people wanted more state investment in programs that help Kansans afford child care, with 78% in favor of expansion of a child care tax credit.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stage.worklifesystems.com/Kansas?county=all">Child care data</a>&nbsp;in the state suggests only 46% of children in Kansas receive child care services, and that an additional 85,000 child care slots are needed to meet demand.&nbsp;&nbsp;This year, Kelly has recommended a $56 million allocation for child care as part of her proposed budget for<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-fiscal-year-2025-budget/">&nbsp;fiscal year 2025</a>. The funding includes nearly $30 million for the construction of child care facilities and $5 million for a northwest Kansas pilot program seeking to test practices for public-private child care partnerships in rural areas.In the previous year, lawmakers attempted to roll back regulations on child care facilities to address the shortage, but Kelly vetoed the bill due to concerns that decreasing staff training and packing more children into the facilities could be damaging. The survey showed 73% of&nbsp; Kansans are against legislators passing policies that would loosen qualifications and standards for child care providers.&nbsp;“There’s broad support for tax credits,” Jordan said. “But then there’s also nearly identical agreement that policymakers should not loosen qualifications for childcare providers, just recognizing that the solution is not on par with the need to invest in early childhood affordability and the need to look at creative tax credits that can help make child care more affordable.”

Survey: Kansas voters worry about health, child care, hunger — and out-of-touch lawmakers

BROWN COUNTY—One person died in an accident on Monday in Brown County.

Just after 10:30a.m., the&nbsp;Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a 911 call reporting that an individual at TA Travel Plaza, 801 West First, in Fairvew had fallen an estimated 60 feet while working on a sign in front of the business, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;

First responders found the man who was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

The Brown County Sheriff's Office is in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the name of the man who died.

BROWN COUNTY—One person died in an accident on Monday in Brown County.Just after 10:30a.m., the&nbsp;Brown County law enforcement dispatch received a 911 call reporting that an individual at TA Travel Plaza, 801 West First, in Fairvew had fallen an estimated 60 feet while working on a sign in front of the business, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;First responders found the man who was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;The Brown County Sheriff's Office is in charge of the investigation.&nbsp; The sheriff's office has not released the name of the man who died.

Man dies after fall while working on sign of a Kan. business

SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities will present details of a weekend crash that killed a Kansas police officer on his way home from work to the Sumner County District Attorney on Wednesday for possible charges, according Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday.

The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. Saturday when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;

Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver was not injured, according to Friday.

The sheriff's office will report additional details of the crash after the district attorney's office determines possible charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710681634704.png" alt="Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater" />
 <figcaption>Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities will present details of a weekend crash that killed a Kansas police officer on his way home from work to the Sumner County District Attorney on Wednesday for possible charges, according Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday.The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. Saturday when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver was not injured, according to Friday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FClearwaterKS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Cn79XeUkedxXpjvctn3AGZY4rBbUC1vmFw4Siii2o1QsqFaYyvFUtuqtpnp2wa89l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="703" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The sheriff's office will report additional details of the crash after the district attorney's office determines possible charges.

Details of crash that killed Kan. officer will be presented to DA

By Jill Pritchard, Missouri Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – &nbsp;The 2024 paddlefish snagging season is off to a great start after an angler reeled in a world record fish at the Lake of the Ozarks.

 The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulated Chad Williams of Olathe, Kansas&nbsp;for snagging a 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish at the Lake of the Ozarks March 17. 

The fish not only breaks the previous state record of 140 pounds, but also the previous world record of 164 pounds.

“I was lucky enough to get invited to go out snagging with friends,” Williams said. “I’d never been snagging before. Never seen a paddlefish – didn’t even know what it was!”

Shortly into the snagging trip, Williams hooked into something massive.

“I was thinking I was extremely weak because it was taking so long to reel in. My body was aching,” he recalled.

After the fish made it onto the boat, the group immediately knew it was a record. They later met MDC Fisheries and Protection staff at Three Brothers Meat Company in Montreal to weigh the fish on a certified scale. This makes the second state record caught in 2024.

Williams said he and his wife kept some of the paddlefish meat and shared the rest with their fishing group. He plans to taxidermy the head.

“I’m honestly still processing this whole thing,” he laughed. “Conservation Agent Tyler Brown was in disbelief it was my first time snagging. He said, ‘You don’t have to go out fishing ever again! Nothing can top this!’ and he’s probably right!”

Missouri state record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or atlatl. 

<a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/trophies-certificates/state-record-fish">Click here for more</a> information on state record fish.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710852897111.png" alt="Photo courtesy Chad Williams via Missouri Department of Conservation" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Chad Williams via Missouri Department of Conservation</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jill Pritchard, Missouri Department of ConservationJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – &nbsp;The 2024 paddlefish snagging season is off to a great start after an angler reeled in a world record fish at the Lake of the Ozarks. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulated Chad Williams of Olathe, Kansas&nbsp;for snagging a 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish at the Lake of the Ozarks March 17. The fish not only breaks the previous state record of 140 pounds, but also the previous world record of 164 pounds.“I was lucky enough to get invited to go out snagging with friends,” Williams said. “I’d never been snagging before. Never seen a paddlefish – didn’t even know what it was!”Shortly into the snagging trip, Williams hooked into something massive.“I was thinking I was extremely weak because it was taking so long to reel in. My body was aching,” he recalled.After the fish made it onto the boat, the group immediately knew it was a record. They later met MDC Fisheries and Protection staff at Three Brothers Meat Company in Montreal to weigh the fish on a certified scale. This makes the second state record caught in 2024.Williams said he and his wife kept some of the paddlefish meat and shared the rest with their fishing group. He plans to taxidermy the head.“I’m honestly still processing this whole thing,” he laughed. “Conservation Agent Tyler Brown was in disbelief it was my first time snagging. He said, ‘You don’t have to go out fishing ever again! Nothing can top this!’ and he’s probably right!”Missouri state record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or atlatl. <a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/trophies-certificates/state-record-fish">Click here for more</a> information on state record fish.

Kansas man catches world record fish at lake in Missouri

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday aimed at advancing the study of women's health by strengthening data collection and providing better funding opportunities for biomedical research while chiding Republicans for having “no clue about the power of women" but saying they're "about to find out” come November's election.

(Click below to watch the White House signing ceremony)

Women's health has long been underfunded and understudied. It wasn't until the 1990s that the federal government mandated women be included in federally funded medical research; for most of medical history, though, scientific study was based almost entirely on men.

“We still know too little about how to effectively prevent, diagnose and treat a wide array of health conditions in women,” said Dr. Carolyn Mazure, the head of the White House initiative on women’s health.

Today, research often fails to properly track differences between women and men, and does not represent women equally particularly for illnesses more common to them — which Biden suggested his order would help change.

“To state the obvious, women are half the population and underrepresented across the board. But not in my administration,” the president said, drawing raucous applause at a White House reception marking Women's History Month.

Biden said he’s long been a believer in the “power of research” to help save lives and get high-quality health care to the people who need it. But the executive order also checks off a political box during an election year when women will be crucial to his reelection efforts. First lady Jill Biden is leading both the effort to organize and mobilize female voters and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-research-womens-health-gender-policy-dbe0eec03767cacbbccd07cc83ee15df">White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research</a>.

The announcement comes as the ripple effects spread from the Supreme Court's decision that overturned federal abortion rights, touching on medical issues for women who never intended to end their pregnancies. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-ivf-embryo-frozen-aec76246aad81bc58cd9e51e422a4521">Alabama, for example, the future of IVF was thrown into question statewide</a>&nbsp;after a judge's ruling.

In his comments at the reception, Biden didn't mention by name former President Donald Trump, who is now running to reclaim the White House. Instead, he referred to “my predecessor” who had been “bragging about overturning" the Roe v. Wade decision that had guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion.

The president suggested that would hurt Trump and the GOP during this fall's election, saying, “You can’t lead America with old ideas and take us backward."

Further leaning into politics, Biden said his administration has “turned around the economy because we focused on women,” noting that female unemployment had fallen and the number of women-owned small businesses had increased.

He said his administration has ensured that “women can access jobs in sectors where they’ve been historically underrepresented” and said he'd told leaders from some of the nation's top labor unions that he wants to see more women and minorities in their ranks.

Women were a critical part of the coalition that elected Biden in 2020, giving him 55% of their vote, according to AP VoteCast. Black women and suburban women were pillars of Biden’s coalition while Trump had a modest advantage among white women and a much wider share of white women without college degrees, according to the AP survey of more than 110,000 voters in that year’s election.

Vice President Kamala Harris, women's health advocate Maria Shriver and the first lady also addressed the reception.

“Finally women will get the health care we deserve,” Jill Biden said, saying the order signed Monday was “without precedent.”

Harris drew strong applause for noting that she “stood before you as the first woman vice president of the United States” and talked about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/harris-abortion-mpls-0000018e3ec4d172afefbed648190000">visiting an abortion clinic</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota last week.

“There are those who are intent on dragging us backward,” the vice president said of Republican states that have limited access to abortion.

“We all face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” Harris said. "A country of liberty, freedom and rule of law? Or a country of disorder, fear and hate?”

Shriver joked that this is probably the first time a president has signed an executive order that mentions menopause and said the action could only be taken “by a president who respects women.”

The National Institutes of Health is also launching a new effort around menopause and the treatment of menopausal symptoms that will identify research gaps and work to close them, said White House adviser Jennifer Klein. NIH funds a huge amount of biomedical research, imperative for the understanding of how medications affect the human body and for deciding eventually how to dose medicine.

Some conditions have different symptoms for women and men, such as heart disease. Others are more common in women, like Alzheimer’s disease, and some are unique to women — such as endometriosis, uterine cancers and fibroids found in the uterus. It's all ripe for study, Mazure said.

And uneven research can have profound effects; a 2020 study by researchers at the University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley, found that women were being overmedicated and suffering side effects from common medications, because most of the dosage trials were done only on men.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-research-womens-health-arpah-shriver-149bf923d666bb980631185c0626a50e">The first lady announced $100 million</a>&nbsp;in funding last month for women's health.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday aimed at advancing the study of women's health by strengthening data collection and providing better funding opportunities for biomedical research while chiding Republicans for having “no clue about the power of women" but saying they're "about to find out” come November's election.(Click below to watch the White House signing ceremony)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1486913852241915%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=225" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Women's health has long been underfunded and understudied. It wasn't until the 1990s that the federal government mandated women be included in federally funded medical research; for most of medical history, though, scientific study was based almost entirely on men.“We still know too little about how to effectively prevent, diagnose and treat a wide array of health conditions in women,” said Dr. Carolyn Mazure, the head of the White House initiative on women’s health.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NEW: President Biden just signed an Executive Order to expand and improve research on women’s health. Through our White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, our Administration is working to fundamentally change how we approach and fund women’s health research in the U.S. <a href="https://t.co/oUcSrBOAaP">pic.twitter.com/oUcSrBOAaP</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1769765190772388281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Today, research often fails to properly track differences between women and men, and does not represent women equally particularly for illnesses more common to them — which Biden suggested his order would help change.“To state the obvious, women are half the population and underrepresented across the board. But not in my administration,” the president said, drawing raucous applause at a White House reception marking Women's History Month.Biden said he’s long been a believer in the “power of research” to help save lives and get high-quality health care to the people who need it. But the executive order also checks off a political box during an election year when women will be crucial to his reelection efforts. First lady Jill Biden is leading both the effort to organize and mobilize female voters and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-research-womens-health-gender-policy-dbe0eec03767cacbbccd07cc83ee15df">White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research</a>.The announcement comes as the ripple effects spread from the Supreme Court's decision that overturned federal abortion rights, touching on medical issues for women who never intended to end their pregnancies. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-ivf-embryo-frozen-aec76246aad81bc58cd9e51e422a4521">Alabama, for example, the future of IVF was thrown into question statewide</a>&nbsp;after a judge's ruling.In his comments at the reception, Biden didn't mention by name former President Donald Trump, who is now running to reclaim the White House. Instead, he referred to “my predecessor” who had been “bragging about overturning" the Roe v. Wade decision that had guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion.The president suggested that would hurt Trump and the GOP during this fall's election, saying, “You can’t lead America with old ideas and take us backward."Further leaning into politics, Biden said his administration has “turned around the economy because we focused on women,” noting that female unemployment had fallen and the number of women-owned small businesses had increased.He said his administration has ensured that “women can access jobs in sectors where they’ve been historically underrepresented” and said he'd told leaders from some of the nation's top labor unions that he wants to see more women and minorities in their ranks.Women were a critical part of the coalition that elected Biden in 2020, giving him 55% of their vote, according to AP VoteCast. Black women and suburban women were pillars of Biden’s coalition while Trump had a modest advantage among white women and a much wider share of white women without college degrees, according to the AP survey of more than 110,000 voters in that year’s election.Vice President Kamala Harris, women's health advocate Maria Shriver and the first lady also addressed the reception.“Finally women will get the health care we deserve,” Jill Biden said, saying the order signed Monday was “without precedent.”Harris drew strong applause for noting that she “stood before you as the first woman vice president of the United States” and talked about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/harris-abortion-mpls-0000018e3ec4d172afefbed648190000">visiting an abortion clinic</a>&nbsp;in Minnesota last week.“There are those who are intent on dragging us backward,” the vice president said of Republican states that have limited access to abortion.“We all face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” Harris said. "A country of liberty, freedom and rule of law? Or a country of disorder, fear and hate?”Shriver joked that this is probably the first time a president has signed an executive order that mentions menopause and said the action could only be taken “by a president who respects women.”The National Institutes of Health is also launching a new effort around menopause and the treatment of menopausal symptoms that will identify research gaps and work to close them, said White House adviser Jennifer Klein. NIH funds a huge amount of biomedical research, imperative for the understanding of how medications affect the human body and for deciding eventually how to dose medicine.Some conditions have different symptoms for women and men, such as heart disease. Others are more common in women, like Alzheimer’s disease, and some are unique to women — such as endometriosis, uterine cancers and fibroids found in the uterus. It's all ripe for study, Mazure said.And uneven research can have profound effects; a 2020 study by researchers at the University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley, found that women were being overmedicated and suffering side effects from common medications, because most of the dosage trials were done only on men.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-research-womens-health-arpah-shriver-149bf923d666bb980631185c0626a50e">The first lady announced $100 million</a>&nbsp;in funding last month for women's health.

🎥Biden signs executive order advancing study of women's health

GARDNER, Kansas. –Kansas inmate 49-year-old&nbsp; John Evans Johnson, Jr., continues on escape status after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JSDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) facility March 12, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Johnson, a 49-year-old white male with green eyes, stands 5-feet-9 inches tall and weighs 191 pounds. He has a shaved head and nine tattoos across his arms, legs, neck, and back.

He was placed on escape status when he did not return to the residential center following two job interviews.

Johnson has been serving a one-year sentence at the Johnson County Work Release Center since August 3, 2023. He was convicted in Wyandotte County for one count of burglary.

Anyone with information on Johnson should call the KDOC’s Enforcement, Apprehension, and Investigations Division (EAI) at 816-266-2102, the JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Kansans can also contact EAI via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov">KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710296467700.png" alt="Johnson from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GARDNER, Kansas. –Kansas inmate 49-year-old&nbsp; John Evans Johnson, Jr., continues on escape status after not returning to the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JSDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC) facility March 12, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Johnson, a 49-year-old white male with green eyes, stands 5-feet-9 inches tall and weighs 191 pounds. He has a shaved head and nine tattoos across his arms, legs, neck, and back.He was placed on escape status when he did not return to the residential center following two job interviews.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710296332190.png" alt="Johnson -photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson -photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnson has been serving a one-year sentence at the Johnson County Work Release Center since August 3, 2023. He was convicted in Wyandotte County for one count of burglary.Anyone with information on Johnson should call the KDOC’s Enforcement, Apprehension, and Investigations Division (EAI) at 816-266-2102, the JCDOC at 913-715-6539, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911. Kansans can also contact EAI via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov">KDOC_EAI_Intel@ks.gov</a>

After a week, Kansas inmate still missing from jail

On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly delivered remarks at the 2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit in Liberal. Her remarks, as prepared, are below:

Good afternoon. Welcome and thank you for being here at the 2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit.

Thank you, Susan, for that introduction. To the Irrigation Innovation Consortium, thank you for convening this informative and all-important summit focused on building trust and collaboration on one of the region’s most pressing issues.

To Senator Moran, thank you for your ongoing partnership and advocacy around water in Kansas. Your work has been instrumental — advocating for Kansas communities in federal debates on water, agriculture, conservation, and more.

In my State of the State address earlier this year, I reaffirmed my commitment to protecting our most precious natural resource. Preserving the quality and quantity of water in Kansas remains a top priority for me in my second term because it is an existential issue for our state.

Having a clean, stable water supply is critical to maintaining our way of life in all communities across Kansas, rural and urban alike. It’s critical to maintaining Kansas as we know it and love it.

The Ogallala Aquifer is, of course, critical to the viability of our agriculture industry—but also to maintaining the historic economic growth we’ve experienced across all industries in the last few years.

As I said in my State of the State, if rural Kansas succeeds on this issue, all of Kansas will succeed.

Kansas has already made significant progress in addressing our water crisis. My administration has hired a Senior Advisor on Water, Vijay Ramasamy, and created a Water Subcabinet to take a collaborative, all-hands-on-deck approach to this issue.

In the last legislative session, we passed two landmark bills by working together with legislative champions like House Water Committee Chair Jim Minnix and Ranking Member Lindsey Vaughn.

One established a specific timeline for communities to develop strategies around maintaining water quality and quantity.

The second allocated an unprecedented investment in the State Water Plan — to the tune of $35 million annually for five years.

I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made so far, but, as you know, there is so much more work to do. It’s crucial that we build on our progress – which is why a summit of this scope is so important.

I’m grateful to everyone who’s here today because it is these types of forums that lead to lasting, meaningful reforms. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710799559753.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly delivered remarks at the 2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit in Liberal. Her remarks, as prepared, are below:Good afternoon. Welcome and thank you for being here at the 2024 Ogallala Aquifer Summit.Thank you, Susan, for that introduction. To the Irrigation Innovation Consortium, thank you for convening this informative and all-important summit focused on building trust and collaboration on one of the region’s most pressing issues.To Senator Moran, thank you for your ongoing partnership and advocacy around water in Kansas. Your work has been instrumental — advocating for Kansas communities in federal debates on water, agriculture, conservation, and more.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710799534060.png" alt="Gov. Kelly at the Summit on Monday-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Kelly at the Summit on Monday-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>In my State of the State address earlier this year, I reaffirmed my commitment to protecting our most precious natural resource. Preserving the quality and quantity of water in Kansas remains a top priority for me in my second term because it is an existential issue for our state.Having a clean, stable water supply is critical to maintaining our way of life in all communities across Kansas, rural and urban alike. It’s critical to maintaining Kansas as we know it and love it.The Ogallala Aquifer is, of course, critical to the viability of our agriculture industry—but also to maintaining the historic economic growth we’ve experienced across all industries in the last few years.As I said in my State of the State, if rural Kansas succeeds on this issue, all of Kansas will succeed.Kansas has already made significant progress in addressing our water crisis. My administration has hired a Senior Advisor on Water, Vijay Ramasamy, and created a Water Subcabinet to take a collaborative, all-hands-on-deck approach to this issue.In the last legislative session, we passed two landmark bills by working together with legislative champions like House Water Committee Chair Jim Minnix and Ranking Member Lindsey Vaughn.One established a specific timeline for communities to develop strategies around maintaining water quality and quantity.The second allocated an unprecedented investment in the State Water Plan — to the tune of $35 million annually for five years.I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made so far, but, as you know, there is so much more work to do. It’s crucial that we build on our progress – which is why a summit of this scope is so important.I’m grateful to everyone who’s here today because it is these types of forums that lead to lasting, meaningful reforms. Make no mistake—this is an issue that affects every Kansan, and we all have a responsibility to come together to find ways to address it.It’s not going to be easy, but the good news is, we are in a better position than we have ever been to get this done.We have the momentum. Last year, for the first time ever, the Kansas Water Authority voted to reject the planned depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. This alone will put us on a new path towards water conservation.We have enough funding to jumpstart our efforts. To ensure that we can stay on track, earlier this year, I directed the Kansas Water Authority to develop a long-term strategic funding plan for water to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to implement best practices for water conservation and quality on into the future.We have the science. Kansas has some of the best water data in the world, and the new Kansas Water Institute at Kansas State University will leverage resources and expertise from the university and beyond to develop innovative solutions to water challenges. And we know what works.Since 2019, we have piloted new technology around irrigation, water monitoring, and other key processes at farms across the state. We’ve seen successes across the region that we can learn from, replicate, and scale.We’ve also learned—from initiatives like the Local Enhanced Management Area in Sheridan County—that we don’t need to choose between conserving water and growing our economy. On the contrary, one is essential to the other.Now is the time to secure the future of water in Western Kansas and throughout our entire state. To meet this moment, we need to bring everyone to the table, and we need to be bold.The need to maintain a reliable, safe water supply for Kansans in every corner of the state for generations to come is not a partisan issue. We are all in this together. We have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us to be a model for the rest of the country when it comes to water conservation. We can show that collective, coordinated action is good for our pocketbooks and our communities in both the short term and the long term.You have my word that, as governor, I will do everything in my power to create a viable path forward on this issue. By the end of my time in office, I want to have strong, regional plans in place that will ensure the stability of the Ogallala Aquifer for years to come. The future of Kansas depends on it.Thank you for your shared commitment to that work.