GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the distribution of controlled substances through a retailer in Junction City.

Just after 2p.m.&nbsp; Thursday, the Geary County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant in connection with an investigation into the distribution of controlled substance at Space Out Smoke and Vape, 433 East Chestnut in Junction City.&nbsp;

During the search, the Sheriff's Office located approximately 1450 items containing the controlled substance THC(tetrahydrocannabinol) and approximately 1200 items of drug paraphernalia specific to the possession and/or consumption of illegal substances.

The Sheriff's Office says some of the items seized were packaged similar to legitimate candy items, but had a high concentration of THC.

The Sheriff's Office encourages parents to&nbsp;be aware of what your children and young adults are consuming as these items could cause serious health issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690568630625.jpeg" alt="Photos Geary Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Geary Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the distribution of controlled substances through a retailer in Junction City.Just after 2p.m.&nbsp; Thursday, the Geary County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant in connection with an investigation into the distribution of controlled substance at Space Out Smoke and Vape, 433 East Chestnut in Junction City.&nbsp;During the search, the Sheriff's Office located approximately 1450 items containing the controlled substance THC(tetrahydrocannabinol) and approximately 1200 items of drug paraphernalia specific to the possession and/or consumption of illegal substances.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690569548808.jpeg" alt="-Geary Co SO search warrant finds items with high concentration of THC packaged to resemble legitimate candy" />
 <figcaption>-Geary Co SO search warrant finds items with high concentration of THC packaged to resemble legitimate candy</figcaption>
 </figure>The Sheriff's Office says some of the items seized were packaged similar to legitimate candy items, but had a high concentration of THC.The Sheriff's Office encourages parents to&nbsp;be aware of what your children and young adults are consuming as these items could cause serious health issues.

Sheriff: Kan. vape shop sold THC items packaged like candy

CoreCivic Leavenworth was described as a ‘hell hole’ by a federal judge in Kansas.

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

A former inmate of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/07/for-profit-kansas-prison-an-understaffed-hell-hole-of-violence-death-and-drugs/">now-defunct private jail in Leavenworth</a>&nbsp;is suing the facility’s operators for running a facility so “dangerous, understaffed and insecure” that he was stabbed in 2021.

The lawsuit, filed last month in Wyandotte County and amended Monday, says CoreCivic, one of the country’s largest private prison operators, and its Leavenworth-based employees acted recklessly, if not intentionally, in their operation of the Leavenworth Detention Center.

The facility was a detention center contracted to house detainees awaiting trial in federal courts. Its contract with the U.S. Marshals Service ended in December 2021 under an executive order barring the U.S. Department of Justice from renewing contracts with private prison operators.

While in operation, it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/03/aclu-public-defenders-urge-white-house-to-shut-down-violent-private-corrections-facility-in-kansas/">criticized by defense attorneys</a>&nbsp;and a judge for all-too-common violence within its walls. An&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2017/a1722.pdf">audit by the Department of Justice</a>&nbsp;in 2017 found the facility was so understaffed it couldn’t cover all of the mandatory security posts.

“Despite the DOJ’s warnings, defendants … kept prioritizing profit over safety,” the lawsuit says.

CoreCivic, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee, has yet to file a response.

Ryan Gustin, a spokesman for CoreCivic, said in an email that the company does not comment on pending litigation.

The plaintiff in the case, Joshua Braddy, was stabbed in July 2021 by three other detainees. He was transported to the hospital, and while he survived, he “has suffered severe physical and emotional injuries,” the lawsuit says.

Braddy’s lawsuit names his alleged attackers, former staff of the facility, and CoreCivic and affiliated companies. It alleges assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligence and civil conspiracy and agency.

Braddy is seeking damages for emotional distress and punitive damages against the defendants.

Kansas Reflector previously reported the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/07/for-profit-kansas-prison-an-understaffed-hell-hole-of-violence-death-and-drugs/">facility struggled with understaffing, pervasive drugs and severe violence</a>. A federal judge described the facility during a sentencing hearing as “an absolute hell hole.”

A public defender said at the time that clients that “have been in the hardest federal prisons” were “terrified” at CoreCivic’s Leavenworth facility.

Detainees spent weeks on lockdown in the summer and fall of 2021.&nbsp;

Routine medical care —&nbsp;including blood pressure and weight checks, electrocardiograms, ear irrigations, blood draws and X-rays —&nbsp;stopped at CoreCivic, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit lays out a number of violent attacks before Braddy’s, including the beating of a detainee and stabbing of two correctional officers in February 2021 and two deaths by suicide that spring.&nbsp;

“CoreCivic Leavenworth employees required other residents to clean up the feces in the shower following the resident’s death,” the lawsuit says.&nbsp;

In May of that year, the lawsuit says, one resident stabbed another 17 times, and an officer “digitally anally sodomized” a detainee during a search. When others attempted to come forward, the lawsuit says, they were “threatened and intimidated.”

The lawsuit says in June of that year, between six and eight detainees were stabbed in one incident.

“Federal public defenders with clients inside CoreCivic Leavenworth report that stabbings like this are so routine recently that they are almost unnoteworthy,” the lawsuit says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574019674964.png" alt="CoreCivic's Leavenworth Detention Center was a hotbed for drugs and violence. It stopped housing federal pretrial inmates at the end of 2021. File photo" />
 <figcaption>CoreCivic's Leavenworth Detention Center was a hotbed for drugs and violence. It stopped housing federal pretrial inmates at the end of 2021. File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>CoreCivic Leavenworth was described as a ‘hell hole’ by a federal judge in Kansas.</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>A former inmate of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/07/for-profit-kansas-prison-an-understaffed-hell-hole-of-violence-death-and-drugs/">now-defunct private jail in Leavenworth</a>&nbsp;is suing the facility’s operators for running a facility so “dangerous, understaffed and insecure” that he was stabbed in 2021.The lawsuit, filed last month in Wyandotte County and amended Monday, says CoreCivic, one of the country’s largest private prison operators, and its Leavenworth-based employees acted recklessly, if not intentionally, in their operation of the Leavenworth Detention Center.The facility was a detention center contracted to house detainees awaiting trial in federal courts. Its contract with the U.S. Marshals Service ended in December 2021 under an executive order barring the U.S. Department of Justice from renewing contracts with private prison operators.While in operation, it was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/03/aclu-public-defenders-urge-white-house-to-shut-down-violent-private-corrections-facility-in-kansas/">criticized by defense attorneys</a>&nbsp;and a judge for all-too-common violence within its walls. An&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2017/a1722.pdf">audit by the Department of Justice</a>&nbsp;in 2017 found the facility was so understaffed it couldn’t cover all of the mandatory security posts.“Despite the DOJ’s warnings, defendants … kept prioritizing profit over safety,” the lawsuit says.CoreCivic, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee, has yet to file a response.Ryan Gustin, a spokesman for CoreCivic, said in an email that the company does not comment on pending litigation.The plaintiff in the case, Joshua Braddy, was stabbed in July 2021 by three other detainees. He was transported to the hospital, and while he survived, he “has suffered severe physical and emotional injuries,” the lawsuit says.Braddy’s lawsuit names his alleged attackers, former staff of the facility, and CoreCivic and affiliated companies. It alleges assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligence and civil conspiracy and agency.Braddy is seeking damages for emotional distress and punitive damages against the defendants.Kansas Reflector previously reported the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/10/07/for-profit-kansas-prison-an-understaffed-hell-hole-of-violence-death-and-drugs/">facility struggled with understaffing, pervasive drugs and severe violence</a>. A federal judge described the facility during a sentencing hearing as “an absolute hell hole.”A public defender said at the time that clients that “have been in the hardest federal prisons” were “terrified” at CoreCivic’s Leavenworth facility.Detainees spent weeks on lockdown in the summer and fall of 2021.&nbsp;Routine medical care —&nbsp;including blood pressure and weight checks, electrocardiograms, ear irrigations, blood draws and X-rays —&nbsp;stopped at CoreCivic, according to the lawsuit.The lawsuit lays out a number of violent attacks before Braddy’s, including the beating of a detainee and stabbing of two correctional officers in February 2021 and two deaths by suicide that spring.&nbsp;“CoreCivic Leavenworth employees required other residents to clean up the feces in the shower following the resident’s death,” the lawsuit says.&nbsp;In May of that year, the lawsuit says, one resident stabbed another 17 times, and an officer “digitally anally sodomized” a detainee during a search. When others attempted to come forward, the lawsuit says, they were “threatened and intimidated.”The lawsuit says in June of that year, between six and eight detainees were stabbed in one incident.“Federal public defenders with clients inside CoreCivic Leavenworth report that stabbings like this are so routine recently that they are almost unnoteworthy,” the lawsuit says.

Former detainee sues defunct for-profit jail in Kan. over 2021 stabbing

PLEASANT HILL, Mo. (AP) — A 78-year-old Missouri woman charged with robbing a bank in April didn't show up to a court date, and police found a woman dead at her home when they checked on her this week.

Police in Pleasant Hill, a community of about 8,000 southeast of Kansas City, have not said whether they think the body found Wednesday is defendant Bonnie Gooch's, but they did say they don't suspect foul play and that an autopsy is scheduled. The police department didn't immediately reply to messages seeking further information left Friday.

Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gooch when she missed the Monday hearing. When police went to her home, they found the door unlocked and the body of a woman in a bedroom.

Gooch, who had two previous bank robbery convictions,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-robbery-missouri-fcaa66a6c78eefc0e7bdf1df4a88c8c2">was charged in April</a>&nbsp;in a holdup in Pleasant Hill. In court documents, Cass County prosecutors allege that she passed a note to a teller demanding “13,000 small bills,” adding “thank you sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” Surveillance video also captured her banging on the counter, asking the teller to hurry.

Gooch's earlier robbery convictions were in California in 1977 and in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit in 2020. Her probation in the second heist ended in November 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680817861086.png" alt="Gooch-photo Pleasant Hill Police" />
 <figcaption>Gooch-photo Pleasant Hill Police</figcaption>
 </figure>PLEASANT HILL, Mo. (AP) — A 78-year-old Missouri woman charged with robbing a bank in April didn't show up to a court date, and police found a woman dead at her home when they checked on her this week.Police in Pleasant Hill, a community of about 8,000 southeast of Kansas City, have not said whether they think the body found Wednesday is defendant Bonnie Gooch's, but they did say they don't suspect foul play and that an autopsy is scheduled. The police department didn't immediately reply to messages seeking further information left Friday.Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gooch when she missed the Monday hearing. When police went to her home, they found the door unlocked and the body of a woman in a bedroom.Gooch, who had two previous bank robbery convictions,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bank-robbery-missouri-fcaa66a6c78eefc0e7bdf1df4a88c8c2">was charged in April</a>&nbsp;in a holdup in Pleasant Hill. In court documents, Cass County prosecutors allege that she passed a note to a teller demanding “13,000 small bills,” adding “thank you sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” Surveillance video also captured her banging on the counter, asking the teller to hurry.Gooch's earlier robbery convictions were in California in 1977 and in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit in 2020. Her probation in the second heist ended in November 2021.

Body found at home of 78-year-old KC-area bank robbery suspect

HAMILTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged fraudulent payroll check cashing in southwest Kansas.&nbsp;

The Hamilton County Sheriff and&nbsp;Garden City Police Department&nbsp; asked the public for assistance in identifying several individuals involved in fraudulent check cashing in the region this week.

In Garden City, officers learned that 12 unknown men cashed fake checks at Quick Cash, 215 West Kansas Avenue, resulting in a loss of $14,000. 

The suspects fled the area in four SUVs with temporary tags and dark-tinted license plate covers.&nbsp;These individuals will be from the Houston Texas Area

If you have any information about the individuals shown or witnessed this incident, please contact us&nbsp;Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 620 384-5616&nbsp; or Garden City Police (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP and your tip to Tip411 (847411).

HAMILTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged fraudulent payroll check cashing in southwest Kansas.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhmcosheriff%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036CiguE78YH1NzqL9tNvdyn2m673SgXyaSyjw3FDFCSPCPm8ngB2znLGAn4zoCDVBl&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 Hamilton County Sheriff and&nbsp;Garden City Police Department&nbsp; asked the public for assistance in identifying several individuals involved in fraudulent check cashing in the region this week.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGardenCityPD%2Fposts%2Fpfbid025bLSuYqDLnzYWNGKdCbSsuTiDkBT8eyUktJDZUkdvzHn1rbQExQbw49RbCmEmKDSl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="787" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>In Garden City, officers learned that 12 unknown men cashed fake checks at Quick Cash, 215 West Kansas Avenue, resulting in a loss of $14,000. The suspects fled the area in four SUVs with temporary tags and dark-tinted license plate covers.&nbsp;These individuals will be from the Houston Texas AreaIf you have any information about the individuals shown or witnessed this incident, please contact us&nbsp;Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 620 384-5616&nbsp; or Garden City Police (620) 276-1300. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at (620) 275-7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP and your tip to Tip411 (847411).

Police investigate fraud payroll check cashing in SW Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a massive annual defense bill that would deliver a 5.2% pay raise for service members and keep the nation’s military operating, avoiding partisan policy battles with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.

Senate passage, 86-11, sets up a clash with the House, which passed its own version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-house-ukraine-mccarthy-abortion-diversity-50a7b843afa02fa7aa85819b074244c5">annual defense bill along party lines</a>&nbsp;earlier this month after pointed debates over social issues like abortion access and diversity initiatives. The sharply partisan arguments over the House legislation veered from a bipartisan tradition of finding consensus on national defense policy.

Kansas and Missouri Senators supported the bill. Kansas Senior Senator Jerry Moran said of the bill, “Passing NDAA is one of Congress’ most important tasks to make certain our military is equipped and ready to defend the nation. This year’s legislation includes a pay raise to our all-volunteer force and resources to help improve the quality of life for our service members and their families. I also worked to include a number of my priorities in NDAA to protect benefits for spouses of fallen service members, invest in Kansas military bases and expand TRICARE services.”

On his vote, Senator Roger Marshall said, "I supported this year's NDAA to increase our troop's pay by over 5 percent and increase funding for cutting-edge military technology to improve our lethality. This bill also targets the financial assets of Mexican traffickers and Chinese suppliers who are importing illicit fentanyl across the country, and Kansas, in mass quantities, Marshall said.

“Make no mistake, this bill is not perfect and I am not thrilled with the nearly $900 Billion price tag given the repeated failure in spending oversight at the Defense Department, but I hope we can resolve the deficiencies in the Senate bill with the Republican-controlled House version."

The strong bipartisan vote for the legislation in the Senate Thursday evening, just before the Senate left for its August recess, could give it momentum as the two chambers next look to settle their differences in the fall.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said there is a “glaring contrast” between the two chambers' defense bills. The Senate had no “animus or acrimony,” in contrast to the House's partisan battles, he said.

Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that “I don’t think either party got exactly what they wanted” in the Senate bill. But he said the legislation would help the military improve recruitment and prevent conflict.

The two chambers will now have to write a final bill, a test of the deeply divided House, in particular, as the traditionally bipartisan legislation was swept up in the disputes over race, equity and women’s health care that have been political priorities for the Republican party.

Wicker said talks with the House will start “very soon” and he feels confident they will be able to pass the legislation, as Congress has annually since 1961.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Armed Services panel, predicted the bipartisan Senate approach would mostly prevail.

“The fact that we’re going to have a strong bipartisan approach on it says that we’re probably closer to where we’re going to end up than what the House has done on a partisan basis,” said Rounds.

The massive Senate defense bill would set defense spending levels at $886 billion for the coming year, similar to President Joe Biden’s budget request. Congress has to pass separate spending legislation to allocate the money, but the defense legislation lays out budget and policy for the Pentagon.

The House debate earlier this month was marked by amendments from hardline conservatives that were adopted and pushed the bill to the right — including proposals to roll back diversity and inclusion measures at the Pentagon and to block some medical care for transgender personnel.

In the Senate, where most amendments need 60 votes to pass, additions to the bill were bipartisan and more focused on military policy, with many focused on countering potential American adversaries like Russia and China.

One bipartisan provision would require two-thirds of the Senate to approve if a U.S. president tries to withdraw from NATO. Former President Donald Trump, who is running again for his old office, has been deeply critical of the military alliance and repeatedly questioned its value to the U.S.

Rounds also joined with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana to successfully push an amendment to the bill that would prevent agents of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land in the U.S. Another bipartisan duo, Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas and Bob Casey, D-Pa., pushed an amendment to increase Treasury Department oversight of U.S. investment into Russian and Chinese technology firms that work with “sensitive technology,” such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

Another provision that won support from both parties would allow the Treasury Department to use sanctions against people and organizations involved in the international fentanyl trade.

Also included is language sponsored by Schumer requiring the government to collect records relating to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ufos-uaps-congress-whistleblower-spy-aliens-ba8a8cfba353d7b9de29c3d906a69ba7">unidentified aerial phenomena</a>&nbsp;" — the official term the U.S. government uses instead of unidentified flying objects — and review whether they need to stay classified. The amendment would allow the release of some of those records over time.

Still unresolved, though, is Alabama&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s refusal to allow</a>&nbsp;the quick confirmation of hundreds of military nominations and promotions in the Senate. Tuberville is protesting the Defense Department’s abortion policy, which covers the cost of travel for service members seeking abortion and reproductive care.

Tuberville has shown little interest in backing down even as some of his fellow Republican senators have encouraged him to drop it. He is preventing quick action on over 260 nominations of senior military officers, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-commandant-berger-smith-senate-tuberville-8c5d1e51ac8a69254d57f1e98139e294">a commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps</a>&nbsp;and others, frustrating leaders at the Pentagon and his own colleagues.

The House bill contains a provision that would end the Defense Department's new abortion policy. But that would not pass the Democratic-led Senate.

Biden called Tuberville's hold “outrageous” in a speech at the National Archives Thursday evening.

“There is a growing cascade of damage and disruption all because of one senator from Alabama," Biden said.

Biden's administration did appear to work out a deal on nominations with a different Republican senator late Thursday. After meetings with State Department officials during the day, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released his holds on several department nominees. The Senate later confirmed more than a dozen ambassadors, including former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell as ambassador to Italy.

Hours earlier, Paul told reporters he was working with the department to receive more information on projects in China that were funded by the U.S. government.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690539718572.png" alt="Vote counting in the U.S. Senate on the massive defense bill -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vote counting in the U.S. Senate on the massive defense bill -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a massive annual defense bill that would deliver a 5.2% pay raise for service members and keep the nation’s military operating, avoiding partisan policy battles with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.Senate passage, 86-11, sets up a clash with the House, which passed its own version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-house-ukraine-mccarthy-abortion-diversity-50a7b843afa02fa7aa85819b074244c5">annual defense bill along party lines</a>&nbsp;earlier this month after pointed debates over social issues like abortion access and diversity initiatives. The sharply partisan arguments over the House legislation veered from a bipartisan tradition of finding consensus on national defense policy.Kansas and Missouri Senators supported the bill. Kansas Senior Senator Jerry Moran said of the bill, “Passing NDAA is one of Congress’ most important tasks to make certain our military is equipped and ready to defend the nation. This year’s legislation includes a pay raise to our all-volunteer force and resources to help improve the quality of life for our service members and their families. I also worked to include a number of my priorities in NDAA to protect benefits for spouses of fallen service members, invest in Kansas military bases and expand TRICARE services.”On his vote, Senator Roger Marshall said, "I supported this year's NDAA to increase our troop's pay by over 5 percent and increase funding for cutting-edge military technology to improve our lethality. This bill also targets the financial assets of Mexican traffickers and Chinese suppliers who are importing illicit fentanyl across the country, and Kansas, in mass quantities, Marshall said.“Make no mistake, this bill is not perfect and I am not thrilled with the nearly $900 Billion price tag given the repeated failure in spending oversight at the Defense Department, but I hope we can resolve the deficiencies in the Senate bill with the Republican-controlled House version."The strong bipartisan vote for the legislation in the Senate Thursday evening, just before the Senate left for its August recess, could give it momentum as the two chambers next look to settle their differences in the fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690539693355.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after the completion of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after the completion of the vote-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said there is a “glaring contrast” between the two chambers' defense bills. The Senate had no “animus or acrimony,” in contrast to the House's partisan battles, he said.Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that “I don’t think either party got exactly what they wanted” in the Senate bill. But he said the legislation would help the military improve recruitment and prevent conflict.The two chambers will now have to write a final bill, a test of the deeply divided House, in particular, as the traditionally bipartisan legislation was swept up in the disputes over race, equity and women’s health care that have been political priorities for the Republican party.Wicker said talks with the House will start “very soon” and he feels confident they will be able to pass the legislation, as Congress has annually since 1961.“We always have,” Wicker said.Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Armed Services panel, predicted the bipartisan Senate approach would mostly prevail.“The fact that we’re going to have a strong bipartisan approach on it says that we’re probably closer to where we’re going to end up than what the House has done on a partisan basis,” said Rounds.The massive Senate defense bill would set defense spending levels at $886 billion for the coming year, similar to President Joe Biden’s budget request. Congress has to pass separate spending legislation to allocate the money, but the defense legislation lays out budget and policy for the Pentagon.The House debate earlier this month was marked by amendments from hardline conservatives that were adopted and pushed the bill to the right — including proposals to roll back diversity and inclusion measures at the Pentagon and to block some medical care for transgender personnel.In the Senate, where most amendments need 60 votes to pass, additions to the bill were bipartisan and more focused on military policy, with many focused on countering potential American adversaries like Russia and China.One bipartisan provision would require two-thirds of the Senate to approve if a U.S. president tries to withdraw from NATO. Former President Donald Trump, who is running again for his old office, has been deeply critical of the military alliance and repeatedly questioned its value to the U.S.Rounds also joined with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana to successfully push an amendment to the bill that would prevent agents of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land in the U.S. Another bipartisan duo, Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas and Bob Casey, D-Pa., pushed an amendment to increase Treasury Department oversight of U.S. investment into Russian and Chinese technology firms that work with “sensitive technology,” such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.Another provision that won support from both parties would allow the Treasury Department to use sanctions against people and organizations involved in the international fentanyl trade.Also included is language sponsored by Schumer requiring the government to collect records relating to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ufos-uaps-congress-whistleblower-spy-aliens-ba8a8cfba353d7b9de29c3d906a69ba7">unidentified aerial phenomena</a>&nbsp;" — the official term the U.S. government uses instead of unidentified flying objects — and review whether they need to stay classified. The amendment would allow the release of some of those records over time.Still unresolved, though, is Alabama&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tuberville-military-holds-senate-officers-45c4230a8aee5222bf32b43823e29acc">Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s refusal to allow</a>&nbsp;the quick confirmation of hundreds of military nominations and promotions in the Senate. Tuberville is protesting the Defense Department’s abortion policy, which covers the cost of travel for service members seeking abortion and reproductive care.Tuberville has shown little interest in backing down even as some of his fellow Republican senators have encouraged him to drop it. He is preventing quick action on over 260 nominations of senior military officers, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marine-commandant-berger-smith-senate-tuberville-8c5d1e51ac8a69254d57f1e98139e294">a commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps</a>&nbsp;and others, frustrating leaders at the Pentagon and his own colleagues.The House bill contains a provision that would end the Defense Department's new abortion policy. But that would not pass the Democratic-led Senate.Biden called Tuberville's hold “outrageous” in a speech at the National Archives Thursday evening.“There is a growing cascade of damage and disruption all because of one senator from Alabama," Biden said.Biden's administration did appear to work out a deal on nominations with a different Republican senator late Thursday. After meetings with State Department officials during the day, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released his holds on several department nominees. The Senate later confirmed more than a dozen ambassadors, including former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell as ambassador to Italy.Hours earlier, Paul told reporters he was working with the department to receive more information on projects in China that were funded by the U.S. government.___

Moran, Marshall vote yes as Senate passes $900B defense bill

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 870,000 newer F-150 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the electric parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly.

The recall covers certain pickups from the 2021 through 2023 model years with single exhaust systems. Ford's F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicles in the U.S.

The company says in&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V509-7019.PDF">documents posted by government safety regulators</a>&nbsp;Friday that a rear wiring bundle can come in contact with the rear axle housing. That can chafe the wiring and cause a short circuit, which can turn on the parking brake without action from the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Drivers may see a parking brake warning light and a warning message on the dashboard.

Ford says in documents that it has 918 warranty claims and three field reports of wire chafing in North America. Of these, 299 indicated unexpected parking brake activation, and 19 of these happened while the trucks were being driven.

The company says it doesn't know of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will inspect the rear wiring harness. If protective tape is worn through, the harness will be replaced. If the tape isn't worn, dealers will install a protective tie strap and tape wrap.

Owners will be notified by letter starting Sept. 11.

Owners with questions can call Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 870,000 newer F-150 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the electric parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly.The recall covers certain pickups from the 2021 through 2023 model years with single exhaust systems. Ford's F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicles in the U.S.The company says in&nbsp;<a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V509-7019.PDF">documents posted by government safety regulators</a>&nbsp;Friday that a rear wiring bundle can come in contact with the rear axle housing. That can chafe the wiring and cause a short circuit, which can turn on the parking brake without action from the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.Drivers may see a parking brake warning light and a warning message on the dashboard.Ford says in documents that it has 918 warranty claims and three field reports of wire chafing in North America. Of these, 299 indicated unexpected parking brake activation, and 19 of these happened while the trucks were being driven.The company says it doesn't know of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.Dealers will inspect the rear wiring harness. If protective tape is worn through, the harness will be replaced. If the tape isn't worn, dealers will install a protective tie strap and tape wrap.Owners will be notified by letter starting Sept. 11.Owners with questions can call Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332.

Recall: F-150 pickup parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy have arrested three juvenile male suspects.

Just after 10p.m. Monday, police responded to a call&nbsp;in the 600 block of S. Laura in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located 14-year-old <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/malachi-sicka">Malachi Sicka </a>of Wichita nearby with a gunshot wound in the 1100 block of E. Orme. Despite the efforts of EMS and Fire personnel to administer life-saving measures, the boy&nbsp; was pronounced deceased.

On Thursday evening, police reported the arrest of the 17-year-old and a 15-year all from Wichita. They are being held on requested charges of First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Criminal Use of a Weapon

Friends have established an <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/malachi-sicka">online fundraiser</a> to assist the family.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy have arrested three juvenile male suspects.Just after 10p.m. Monday, police responded to a call&nbsp;in the 600 block of S. Laura in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located 14-year-old <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/malachi-sicka">Malachi Sicka </a>of Wichita nearby with a gunshot wound in the 1100 block of E. Orme. Despite the efforts of EMS and Fire personnel to administer life-saving measures, the boy&nbsp; was pronounced deceased.On Thursday evening, police reported the arrest of the 17-year-old and a 15-year all from Wichita. They are being held on requested charges of First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Criminal Use of a WeaponFriends have established an <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/malachi-sicka">online fundraiser</a> to assist the family.

Police: 3 juveniles accused in murder of 14-year-old Kan. boy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;faced new charges Thursday in a case accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents, with prosecutors alleging that he asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct a&nbsp;federal investigation into the records.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.85.0_2.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment released late Thursday

The indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, adding fresh detail to an indictment issued last month against Trump and a close aide. The additional charges came as a surprise at a time of escalating anticipation of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">possible additional indictment in Washington</a>&nbsp;over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The updated allegations make clear the vast — and unknown — scope of legal exposure faced by Trump as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024 while fending off criminal cases in multiple cities.

The new allegations from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;center on surveillance footage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, evidence that has long been vital to the case. Trump is alleged to have asked for the footage to be deleted after FBI and Justice Department investigators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-0486be7d750ae7546c6b9175f4952857">visited in June 2022</a>&nbsp;to collect classified documents he took with him after leaving the White House. The new indictment also charges him with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-trump-audio-recording-classified-documents-case-3f3963a35a5d8ccae407ea4ab9f93082">illegally holding onto a document he's alleged to have shown off to visitors in New Jersey</a>.

A Trump spokesperson dismissed the new charges as “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt” by the Biden administration “to harass President Trump and those around him” and to influence the 2024 presidential race.

Prosecutors accuse Trump of scheming with his valet,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maralago-justice-department-classified-f5a7b87bbb0234d5504d1c1f92bc857e">Walt Nauta</a>, and a Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, to conceal the footage from federal investigators after they issued a subpoena for it. Video from the property would ultimately play a significant role in the investigation because, prosecutors said, it captured Nauta moving boxes of documents in and out of a storage room — including one such incident a day before a Justice Department visit to the property.

According to the indictment, Nauta met with De Oliveira on June 25, 2022, at Mar-a-Lago, where they went to a security guard booth where surveillance video was displayed on monitors and walked with a flashlight through a tunnel where the storage room was located, observing and pointing out surveillance cameras.

Two days later, according to the indictment, De Oliveira walked with an unidentified Trump employee to an audio room, where De Oliveira asked how many days the server retained footage.

De Oliveira, prosecutors said, told the other employee “that ‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted" and asked, “What are we going to do?”

During a voluntary interview with the FBI last January, prosecutors say, De Oliveira lied when he said he “never saw nothing” with regard to boxes at Mar-a-Lago.

De Oliveira was added to the indictment, charged with obstruction and false statements related to an interview he gave the FBI earlier this year. His lawyer declined to comment Thursday evening.

The new charges were filed as Trump is bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-charges-ab1ad197e9abcb3eb9095237b98bee7d">prospect of an additional indictment</a>&nbsp;related to his efforts to undo the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Last week, he revealed he had received a letter from the Justice Department informing him he was a target in that probe, suggesting that charges could be forthcoming, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">his lawyers met with prosecutors on Smith's office earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;to discuss that case.

But despite the anticipation, the only charges filed Thursday were in Florida, not Washington.

The superseding indictment also charges Trump with an additional count of willfully retaining national defense information, relating to a document he showed off to visitors at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club during an July 2021 interview for a memoir by his onetime chief of staff Mark Meadows. Prosecutors have described the document as a Pentagon plan of attack and Meadows, in his subsequent book, said the country it concerned was Iran.

According to the indictment, Trump returned that document, which was marked as top secret and not approved to show to foreign nationals, to the federal government on Jan. 17, 2022.

Trump has denied he had secret documents before him when he spoke.

“There wasn’t a document. I had lots of paper. I had copies of newspaper articles, I had copies of magazines, I had copies of everything,” he said in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.

The count was notable because prosecutors until now had mostly been focused on the records that Trump had refused to return in response to a Justice Department subpoena last year.

Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the original 38-count indictment. De Oliveira is due in court in Florida on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690507797310.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;faced new charges Thursday in a case accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents, with prosecutors alleging that he asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct a&nbsp;federal investigation into the records.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.85.0_2.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment released late ThursdayThe indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, adding fresh detail to an indictment issued last month against Trump and a close aide. The additional charges came as a surprise at a time of escalating anticipation of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">possible additional indictment in Washington</a>&nbsp;over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The updated allegations make clear the vast — and unknown — scope of legal exposure faced by Trump as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024 while fending off criminal cases in multiple cities.The new allegations from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;center on surveillance footage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, evidence that has long been vital to the case. Trump is alleged to have asked for the footage to be deleted after FBI and Justice Department investigators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-0486be7d750ae7546c6b9175f4952857">visited in June 2022</a>&nbsp;to collect classified documents he took with him after leaving the White House. The new indictment also charges him with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-trump-audio-recording-classified-documents-case-3f3963a35a5d8ccae407ea4ab9f93082">illegally holding onto a document he's alleged to have shown off to visitors in New Jersey</a>.A Trump spokesperson dismissed the new charges as “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt” by the Biden administration “to harass President Trump and those around him” and to influence the 2024 presidential race.Prosecutors accuse Trump of scheming with his valet,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maralago-justice-department-classified-f5a7b87bbb0234d5504d1c1f92bc857e">Walt Nauta</a>, and a Mar-a-Lago property manager, Carlos De Oliveira, to conceal the footage from federal investigators after they issued a subpoena for it. Video from the property would ultimately play a significant role in the investigation because, prosecutors said, it captured Nauta moving boxes of documents in and out of a storage room — including one such incident a day before a Justice Department visit to the property.According to the indictment, Nauta met with De Oliveira on June 25, 2022, at Mar-a-Lago, where they went to a security guard booth where surveillance video was displayed on monitors and walked with a flashlight through a tunnel where the storage room was located, observing and pointing out surveillance cameras.Two days later, according to the indictment, De Oliveira walked with an unidentified Trump employee to an audio room, where De Oliveira asked how many days the server retained footage.De Oliveira, prosecutors said, told the other employee “that ‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted" and asked, “What are we going to do?”During a voluntary interview with the FBI last January, prosecutors say, De Oliveira lied when he said he “never saw nothing” with regard to boxes at Mar-a-Lago.De Oliveira was added to the indictment, charged with obstruction and false statements related to an interview he gave the FBI earlier this year. His lawyer declined to comment Thursday evening.The new charges were filed as Trump is bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-charges-ab1ad197e9abcb3eb9095237b98bee7d">prospect of an additional indictment</a>&nbsp;related to his efforts to undo the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Last week, he revealed he had received a letter from the Justice Department informing him he was a target in that probe, suggesting that charges could be forthcoming, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">his lawyers met with prosecutors on Smith's office earlier Thursday</a>&nbsp;to discuss that case.But despite the anticipation, the only charges filed Thursday were in Florida, not Washington.The superseding indictment also charges Trump with an additional count of willfully retaining national defense information, relating to a document he showed off to visitors at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club during an July 2021 interview for a memoir by his onetime chief of staff Mark Meadows. Prosecutors have described the document as a Pentagon plan of attack and Meadows, in his subsequent book, said the country it concerned was Iran.According to the indictment, Trump returned that document, which was marked as top secret and not approved to show to foreign nationals, to the federal government on Jan. 17, 2022.Trump has denied he had secret documents before him when he spoke.“There wasn’t a document. I had lots of paper. I had copies of newspaper articles, I had copies of magazines, I had copies of everything,” he said in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.The count was notable because prosecutors until now had mostly been focused on the records that Trump had refused to return in response to a Justice Department subpoena last year.Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty to the original 38-count indictment. De Oliveira is due in court in Florida on Monday.____

Read the new indictment against Trump in classified documents case

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism at a construction site in Topeka.

Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of vandalism at the former Slumberland, 1800 SW Wanamaker, in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp; The area is being renovated for a new business.

A preliminary estimate from responding officers indicated around $30,000 in damage.&nbsp;

Anyone with information about this incident may call Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or Topeka police at 785-368-9551. Tips also may be left via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:telltpd@topeka.org">telltpd@topeka.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690493355469.png" alt="View of the construction site photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>View of the construction site photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism at a construction site in Topeka.Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of vandalism at the former Slumberland, 1800 SW Wanamaker, in Topeka, according to a media release.&nbsp; The area is being renovated for a new business.A preliminary estimate from responding officers indicated around $30,000 in damage.&nbsp;Anyone with information about this incident may call Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or Topeka police at 785-368-9551. Tips also may be left via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:telltpd@topeka.org">telltpd@topeka.org</a>.

Police: $30,000 damage from vandals at Kansas construction site

KANSAS CITY (AP) –Lottery players will have another shot at a huge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackpot-lottery-mega-millions-ae5d629b1d4362a268bf490e40037852">Mega Millions jackpot</a>&nbsp;Friday night and a chance to break a stretch of more than three months without a big winner of the game.

The estimated $910 million prize has been building since someone last matched all six numbers and won the jackpot April 18. Since then, there have been 28 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.

The jackpot is now the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-10-us-lottery-jackpots-b24950a388d0a0f6544d2276956ff220">eighth-largest ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. It comes a little over a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">someone in Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. It's still a mystery who won that prize.

Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">1 in 302.6 million.</a>

The $910 million prize would be for a sole winner choosing to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>&nbsp;with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $464.2 million.

Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, while many states also tax lottery winnings.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Island

KANSAS CITY (AP) –Lottery players will have another shot at a huge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackpot-lottery-mega-millions-ae5d629b1d4362a268bf490e40037852">Mega Millions jackpot</a>&nbsp;Friday night and a chance to break a stretch of more than three months without a big winner of the game.The estimated $910 million prize has been building since someone last matched all six numbers and won the jackpot April 18. Since then, there have been 28 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.The jackpot is now the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-10-us-lottery-jackpots-b24950a388d0a0f6544d2276956ff220">eighth-largest ever</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. It comes a little over a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">someone in Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. It's still a mystery who won that prize.Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-mega-millions-winning-odds-numbers-a3e5a8e8e7ed15d7500c1d6acdab6785">1 in 302.6 million.</a>The $910 million prize would be for a sole winner choosing to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">paid through an annuity</a>&nbsp;with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $464.2 million.Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, while many states also tax lottery winnings.Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Island

The Mega Millions jackpot is now $910 million after months without a big winner

The SpaceX superloads are making their way through Kansas for the next few days, starting in northeast Kansas, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

 Be aware as you travel, as this could affect your travel time.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690499459646.png" alt="Image KC Scout" />
 <figcaption>Image KC Scout</figcaption>
 </figure>The SpaceX superloads are making their way through Kansas for the next few days, starting in northeast Kansas, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690499513618.png" alt="KDOT" />
 <figcaption>KDOT</figcaption>
 </figure> Be aware as you travel, as this could affect your travel time.&nbsp;

KDOT: More SpaceX tanks moving across Kansas 

NEW YORK (AP) — Randy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles who added high harmonies to such favorites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out front for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit,” has died, the band said Thursday.

Meisner died Wednesday night in Los Angeles of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Eagles said in a statement. He was 77.

The bassist had endured numerous afflictions in recent years and personal tragedy in 2016 when his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, accidentally shot herself and died. Meanwhile, Randy Meisner had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had severe issues with alcohol, according to court records and comments made during a 2015 hearing in which a judge ordered Meisner to receive constant medical care.

Called “the sweetest man in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/music">music</a>&nbsp;business” by former bandmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/don-felder">Don Felder</a>, the baby-faced Meisner joined Don Henley,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">Glenn Frey</a>&nbsp;and Bernie Leadon in the early 1970s to form a quintessential Los Angeles band and one of the most popular acts in history.

“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ statement said. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”

Evolving from country rock to hard rock, the Eagles turned out a run of hit singles and albums over the next decade, starting with “Take It Easy” and continuing with “Desperado,” “Hotel California” and “Life In the Fast Lane” among others. Although chastised by many critics as slick and superficial, the Eagles released two of the most popular albums of all time, “Hotel California” and “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” which with sales at 38 million the Recording Industry Association of America ranked with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as the No. 1 seller.

Led by singer-songwriters Henley and Frey, the Eagles were initially branded as “mellow” and “easy listening.” But by their third album, the 1974 release “On the Border,” they had added a rock guitarist, Felder, and were turning away from country and bluegrass.

Leadon, an old-fashioned bluegrass picker, was unhappy with the new sound and left after the 1975 album “One of These Nights.” (He was replaced by another rock guitarist, Joe Walsh.) Meisner stayed on through the 1976 release of “Hotel California,” the band’s most acclaimed record, but was gone soon after. His departure, ironically, was touched off by the song he cowrote and was best known for, “Take It to the Limit.”

A shy Nebraskan torn between fame and family life, Meisner had been ill and homesick during the “Hotel California” tour (his first marriage was breaking up) and was reluctant to have the spotlight for “Take It to the Limit,” a showcase for his nasally tenor. His objections during a Knoxville, Tennessee, concert in the summer of 1977 so angered Frey that the two argued backstage and Meisner left soon after. His replacement, Timothy B. Schmit, remained with the group over the following decades, along with Henley, Walsh and Frey, who died in 2016.

As a solo artist, Meisner never approached the success of the Eagles, but did have hits with “Hearts On Fire” and “Deep Inside My Heart” and played on records by Walsh, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg among others. Meanwhile, the Eagles ended a 14-year hiatus in 1994 and toured with Schmit even though Meisner had played on all but one of their earlier studio albums. He did join group members past and present in 1998 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California.” For a decade, he was part of World Classic Rockers, a touring act that at various times included Donovan, Spencer Davis and Denny Laine.

Meisner was married twice, the first time when he was still in his teens, and had three kids.

The son of sharecroppers and grandson of a classical violinist, Meisner was playing in local bands as a teenager and by the end of the 1960s had moved to California and joined a country rock group, Poco, along with Richie Furay and Jimmy Messina. But he would remember being angered that Furay wouldn’t let him listen to the studio mix of their first album and left the group before it came out: His successor was Timothy B. Schmit.

Meisner backed Ricky Nelson, played on Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” album and befriended Henley and Frey when all were performing in Linda Ronstadt’s band. With Ronstadt’s blessing, they formed the Eagles, were signed up by David Geffen for his Asylum Records label and released their self-titled debut album in 1972.

Frey and Henley sang lead most of the time, but Meisner was the key behind “Take It the Limit.” It appeared on the “One of These Nights” album from 1975 and became a top 5 single, a weary, plaintive song later covered by Etta James and as a duet by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

“The purpose of the whole Eagles thing to me was that combination and the chemistry that made all the harmonies just sound perfect,” Meisner told the music web site www.lobstergottalent.com in 2015. “The funny thing is after we made those albums I never listened to them and it is only when someone comes over or I am at somebody’s house and it gets played in the background that is when I’ll tell myself, ‘Damn, these records are good.’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690504367608.png" alt="“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ statement said. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”" />
 <figcaption>“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ statement said. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Randy Meisner, a founding member of the Eagles who added high harmonies to such favorites as “Take It Easy” and “The Best of My Love” and stepped out front for the waltz-time ballad “Take It to the Limit,” has died, the band said Thursday.Meisner died Wednesday night in Los Angeles of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Eagles said in a statement. He was 77.The bassist had endured numerous afflictions in recent years and personal tragedy in 2016 when his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, accidentally shot herself and died. Meanwhile, Randy Meisner had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had severe issues with alcohol, according to court records and comments made during a 2015 hearing in which a judge ordered Meisner to receive constant medical care.Called “the sweetest man in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/music">music</a>&nbsp;business” by former bandmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/don-felder">Don Felder</a>, the baby-faced Meisner joined Don Henley,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8169f05ac21d43dda4b1c1dd8b065e28">Glenn Frey</a>&nbsp;and Bernie Leadon in the early 1970s to form a quintessential Los Angeles band and one of the most popular acts in history.“Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band,” the Eagles’ statement said. “His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit.’”Evolving from country rock to hard rock, the Eagles turned out a run of hit singles and albums over the next decade, starting with “Take It Easy” and continuing with “Desperado,” “Hotel California” and “Life In the Fast Lane” among others. Although chastised by many critics as slick and superficial, the Eagles released two of the most popular albums of all time, “Hotel California” and “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” which with sales at 38 million the Recording Industry Association of America ranked with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as the No. 1 seller.Led by singer-songwriters Henley and Frey, the Eagles were initially branded as “mellow” and “easy listening.” But by their third album, the 1974 release “On the Border,” they had added a rock guitarist, Felder, and were turning away from country and bluegrass.Leadon, an old-fashioned bluegrass picker, was unhappy with the new sound and left after the 1975 album “One of These Nights.” (He was replaced by another rock guitarist, Joe Walsh.) Meisner stayed on through the 1976 release of “Hotel California,” the band’s most acclaimed record, but was gone soon after. His departure, ironically, was touched off by the song he cowrote and was best known for, “Take It to the Limit.”A shy Nebraskan torn between fame and family life, Meisner had been ill and homesick during the “Hotel California” tour (his first marriage was breaking up) and was reluctant to have the spotlight for “Take It to the Limit,” a showcase for his nasally tenor. His objections during a Knoxville, Tennessee, concert in the summer of 1977 so angered Frey that the two argued backstage and Meisner left soon after. His replacement, Timothy B. Schmit, remained with the group over the following decades, along with Henley, Walsh and Frey, who died in 2016.As a solo artist, Meisner never approached the success of the Eagles, but did have hits with “Hearts On Fire” and “Deep Inside My Heart” and played on records by Walsh, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg among others. Meanwhile, the Eagles ended a 14-year hiatus in 1994 and toured with Schmit even though Meisner had played on all but one of their earlier studio albums. He did join group members past and present in 1998 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California.” For a decade, he was part of World Classic Rockers, a touring act that at various times included Donovan, Spencer Davis and Denny Laine.Meisner was married twice, the first time when he was still in his teens, and had three kids.The son of sharecroppers and grandson of a classical violinist, Meisner was playing in local bands as a teenager and by the end of the 1960s had moved to California and joined a country rock group, Poco, along with Richie Furay and Jimmy Messina. But he would remember being angered that Furay wouldn’t let him listen to the studio mix of their first album and left the group before it came out: His successor was Timothy B. Schmit.Meisner backed Ricky Nelson, played on Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” album and befriended Henley and Frey when all were performing in Linda Ronstadt’s band. With Ronstadt’s blessing, they formed the Eagles, were signed up by David Geffen for his Asylum Records label and released their self-titled debut album in 1972.Frey and Henley sang lead most of the time, but Meisner was the key behind “Take It the Limit.” It appeared on the “One of These Nights” album from 1975 and became a top 5 single, a weary, plaintive song later covered by Etta James and as a duet by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.“The purpose of the whole Eagles thing to me was that combination and the chemistry that made all the harmonies just sound perfect,” Meisner told the music web site www.lobstergottalent.com in 2015. “The funny thing is after we made those albums I never listened to them and it is only when someone comes over or I am at somebody’s house and it gets played in the background that is when I’ll tell myself, ‘Damn, these records are good.’”

Randy Meisner, founding member of the Eagles, dies at 77

OSAGE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.

Just after noon Tuesday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 75 H near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, the deputy located illegal narcotics.

Two subjects in the vehicle were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility. Crystal M. Watson, 43, of Eastland, Texas, was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Danielle J. Pennington, 47, of Gatesville, Texas, was booked on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Possession of marijuana.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Topeka Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690310239398.png" alt="Pennington-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Pennington-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.Just after noon Tuesday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 75 H near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, the deputy located illegal narcotics.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690310136563.png" alt="Watson-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Watson-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Two subjects in the vehicle were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility. Crystal M. Watson, 43, of Eastland, Texas, was jailed on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.Danielle J. Pennington, 47, of Gatesville, Texas, was booked on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Possession of marijuana.The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Topeka Police Department.

Sheriff: 2 Texas women transporting meth, marijuana in Kansas

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Lenexa, Kansas police officer is recognized for going above and beyond to help a victim of vandalism in the community.

Earlier this week, the officer responded to a vandalism call at a residence. After obtaining the details for his police report, the officer took time to clean up the mess left behind by the vandals. The resident Lenexa Police a message about the officer.

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Lenexa, Kansas police officer is recognized for going above and beyond to help a victim of vandalism in the community.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier this week, one of our officers responded to a vandalism call at a residence. After obtaining the info for the police report, the officer took time to clean up the mess left behind by the vandals. The resident sent us this message about the officer. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ExceptionalService?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ExceptionalService</a> <a href="https://t.co/x43Ef86Tkc">pic.twitter.com/x43Ef86Tkc</a>&mdash; Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/LenexaPolice/status/1684284817817436160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Earlier this week, the officer responded to a vandalism call at a residence. After obtaining the details for his police report, the officer took time to clean up the mess left behind by the vandals. The resident Lenexa Police a message about the officer.

Kansas police officer praised for helping clean up vandalism

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-indictment-miami-court-e9412bb71b63ab1b7cfb8e8b122e9809">investigation into his possession of classified documents</a>, according to an updated indictment unsealed Thursday that adds new charges against the former president and names an additional defendant.

The indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, compounding Trump's legal jeopardy even as he braces for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">possible additional indictment in Washington</a>&nbsp;over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The additional counts underscore the extent of the yearlong investigation into Trump that first produced charges last month in the form of a 38-count indictment against Trump and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maralago-justice-department-classified-f5a7b87bbb0234d5504d1c1f92bc857e">valet, Walt Nauta</a>.

The classified records were taken by Trump to Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House in January 2021.

The superseding indictment charges Trump with an additional count of willfully retaining national defense information relating to the former president discussing U.S. military plans to attack another country during an interview in July 2021 at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club. The interview was for a memoir being written by his onetime chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who in his subsequent book named the country as Iran.

According to the indictment, Trump returned that document, which was marked as top secret and not approved to show to foreign nationals, to the federal government on Jan. 17. 2022.

It marks a notable shift in the prosecution’s approach to Trump’s case, charging him for retaining a document it alleges the former president knew was highly sensitive after he left office — and not just for failing to return it to the government when asked.

Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 2022 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 2022 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-indictment-miami-court-e9412bb71b63ab1b7cfb8e8b122e9809">investigation into his possession of classified documents</a>, according to an updated indictment unsealed Thursday that adds new charges against the former president and names an additional defendant.The indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, compounding Trump's legal jeopardy even as he braces for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-investigation-indictment-730455c2b7a684593e41362e4b661cb3">possible additional indictment in Washington</a>&nbsp;over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The additional counts underscore the extent of the yearlong investigation into Trump that first produced charges last month in the form of a 38-count indictment against Trump and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maralago-justice-department-classified-f5a7b87bbb0234d5504d1c1f92bc857e">valet, Walt Nauta</a>.A Trump spokesperson dismissed the new charges as “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt” by the Biden administration “to harass President Trump and those around him” and to influence the 2024 presidential race.The classified records were taken by Trump to Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House in January 2021.The superseding indictment charges Trump with an additional count of willfully retaining national defense information relating to the former president discussing U.S. military plans to attack another country during an interview in July 2021 at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club. The interview was for a memoir being written by his onetime chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who in his subsequent book named the country as Iran.According to the indictment, Trump returned that document, which was marked as top secret and not approved to show to foreign nationals, to the federal government on Jan. 17. 2022.It marks a notable shift in the prosecution’s approach to Trump’s case, charging him for retaining a document it alleges the former president knew was highly sensitive after he left office — and not just for failing to return it to the government when asked.Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty.

New accusations against Donald Trump in classified documents case

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of two people whose bodies were found in a parking garage in Wichita's Old Town have arrested&nbsp;&nbsp;19-year-old Zachary Ramirez of Maize, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.

Just before 4:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to the 300 block of North Moore after a a street sweeper operator saw two gunshot victims in a vehicle in the parking garage and called 911, according Gupilan.

EMS and fire arrived on the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but the victims were pronounced deceased.

The victims were identified as&nbsp; 20-year-old Josephina Lerma-Dominguez and 21-year-old Bryan Lara-Hernandez both of Wichita. 

Ramirez is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;Felony Murder (x2) and Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle, according to Gupilan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690487693837.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation early Thursday-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation early Thursday-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the death of two people whose bodies were found in a parking garage in Wichita's Old Town have arrested&nbsp;&nbsp;19-year-old Zachary Ramirez of Maize, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.Just before 4:00 a.m. Thursday, police responded to the 300 block of North Moore after a a street sweeper operator saw two gunshot victims in a vehicle in the parking garage and called 911, according Gupilan.EMS and fire arrived on the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but the victims were pronounced deceased.The victims were identified as&nbsp; 20-year-old Josephina Lerma-Dominguez and 21-year-old Bryan Lara-Hernandez both of Wichita. Ramirez is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;Felony Murder (x2) and Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle, according to Gupilan.

Arrest made: Street sweeper found Kan. murder victims in parking garage

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 9a.m. Thursday in Kansas City.

An international semi-truck pulling two trailers, was eastbound on Interstate 435 in Kansas City, according to Officer Corey Carlisle.

 Just east of 103rd, the semi was struck by debris from a pickup and swerved right to avoid more debris that was flying out of the bed of the pickup.

 The semi struck a Honda Civic&nbsp; and then a guardrail located on the south side of the interstate.

 The semi continued eastbound, traveling off the roadway to the right, into a drainage ditch and striking a concrete noise abatement wall.

 Upon impact with the wall, the cab of the semi-truck immediately exploded, engulfing the cab and both trailers in fire. 

The driver of the semi-truck was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Honda was uninjured. The pickup continued eastbound on Interstate 435. 

Five of the six lanes of eastbound Interstate 435 were completely closed to traffic for approximately five hours.&nbsp; Three lanes of eastbound Interstate 435 were still closed Thursday afternoon as the semi trailers and cargo are extricated from the scene. 

Authorities have not released the driver's name or additional details. The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690487667755.png" alt="The cause of the accident remains under investigation-photo KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>The cause of the accident remains under investigation-photo KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident just before 9a.m. Thursday in Kansas City.An international semi-truck pulling two trailers, was eastbound on Interstate 435 in Kansas City, according to Officer Corey Carlisle. Just east of 103rd, the semi was struck by debris from a pickup and swerved right to avoid more debris that was flying out of the bed of the pickup. The semi struck a Honda Civic&nbsp; and then a guardrail located on the south side of the interstate. The semi continued eastbound, traveling off the roadway to the right, into a drainage ditch and striking a concrete noise abatement wall. Upon impact with the wall, the cab of the semi-truck immediately exploded, engulfing the cab and both trailers in fire. The driver of the semi-truck was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Honda was uninjured. The pickup continued eastbound on Interstate 435. Five of the six lanes of eastbound Interstate 435 were completely closed to traffic for approximately five hours.&nbsp; Three lanes of eastbound Interstate 435 were still closed Thursday afternoon as the semi trailers and cargo are extricated from the scene. Authorities have not released the driver's name or additional details. The accident remains under investigation.

Semi swerved to avoid debris before fatal KC crash, fire

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Allowing transgender Kansas residents to intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to force the state to list the sex they were assigned at birth on their driver's licenses would create a legal “morass,” the state's Republican attorney general argued in a new court filing.

Attorney General Kris Kobach also contends in a filing made public Wednesday that the five transgender people trying to intervene do not have a substantial interest in the lawsuit's outcome. Kobach wants to keep the focus of the case on his argument that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">a new state law</a>&nbsp;that rolled back transgender rights as of July 1 bars the state from changing transgender people's driver's licenses to reflect their gender identities.

Kobach filed the lawsuit last month against two top officials in the Kansas Department of Revenue, which issues driver's licenses. The lawsuit came after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced that people could continue to have their driver's licenses changed despite the new law, which defines male and female under any state law as the sex assigned to a person at birth. The Republican-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">overrode Kelly's veto</a>&nbsp;and enacted it.

District Judge Theresa Watson has an Aug. 16 hearing set in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, on the transgender people's request to intervene. Watson already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-drivers-licenses-kansas-3ad43a98dd96a8eb5864f6cdc19beffb">has directed the department not to change</a>&nbsp;transgender people's licenses while the lawsuit moves forward, and that order is to remain in place until at least Nov. 1. Kansas is among a few states that don't allow such changes, along with Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The five transgender individuals are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and argue that barring changes in the sex listings on driver's licenses violates their rights under the Kansas Constitution.

Kobach argued in his filing, dated Tuesday, “That is not the issue in this case.” Instead, he said, the question is only whether the Department of Revenue is complying with the new law.

“Thus, whatever grievances third parties may have ... such matters are simply not relevant," Kobach wrote.

Kobach also argued that if the transgender people intervene and raise constitutional issues, he would be obligated as the state's top lawyer to defend the Department of Revenue against those claims — in his own lawsuit.

“Allowing intervention will create a procedural morass,” he wrote.

Attorneys representing the Department of Revenue against Kobach's lawsuit support the transgender people's request and argued in their own filing Tuesday that allowing them to intervene would promote “judicial economy.” The lawyers said the transgender residents are likely to file a separate lawsuit if their request is denied.

Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement that because Kobach's interpretation of the new law conflicts with transgender people's rights, “Their voices must be heard.”

“It is telling that Mr. Kobach is going to great lengths to prevent the voices of transgender Kansans from being heard in this case,” she added.

Kobach also is trying to stop Kansas from changing the sex listing on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-3cf1c3dd7de174a465d7026a71afbd5e">transgender people's birth certificates</a>&nbsp;in a separate federal lawsuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687829963398.png" alt="Kris Kobach during a news briefing June 26, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka photo by Sam Bailey" />
 <figcaption>Kris Kobach during a news briefing June 26, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka photo by Sam Bailey</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Allowing transgender Kansas residents to intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to force the state to list the sex they were assigned at birth on their driver's licenses would create a legal “morass,” the state's Republican attorney general argued in a new court filing.Attorney General Kris Kobach also contends in a filing made public Wednesday that the five transgender people trying to intervene do not have a substantial interest in the lawsuit's outcome. Kobach wants to keep the focus of the case on his argument that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">a new state law</a>&nbsp;that rolled back transgender rights as of July 1 bars the state from changing transgender people's driver's licenses to reflect their gender identities.Kobach filed the lawsuit last month against two top officials in the Kansas Department of Revenue, which issues driver's licenses. The lawsuit came after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced that people could continue to have their driver's licenses changed despite the new law, which defines male and female under any state law as the sex assigned to a person at birth. The Republican-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">overrode Kelly's veto</a>&nbsp;and enacted it.District Judge Theresa Watson has an Aug. 16 hearing set in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, on the transgender people's request to intervene. Watson already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-drivers-licenses-kansas-3ad43a98dd96a8eb5864f6cdc19beffb">has directed the department not to change</a>&nbsp;transgender people's licenses while the lawsuit moves forward, and that order is to remain in place until at least Nov. 1. Kansas is among a few states that don't allow such changes, along with Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee.The five transgender individuals are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and argue that barring changes in the sex listings on driver's licenses violates their rights under the Kansas Constitution.Kobach argued in his filing, dated Tuesday, “That is not the issue in this case.” Instead, he said, the question is only whether the Department of Revenue is complying with the new law.“Thus, whatever grievances third parties may have ... such matters are simply not relevant," Kobach wrote.Kobach also argued that if the transgender people intervene and raise constitutional issues, he would be obligated as the state's top lawyer to defend the Department of Revenue against those claims — in his own lawsuit.“Allowing intervention will create a procedural morass,” he wrote.Attorneys representing the Department of Revenue against Kobach's lawsuit support the transgender people's request and argued in their own filing Tuesday that allowing them to intervene would promote “judicial economy.” The lawyers said the transgender residents are likely to file a separate lawsuit if their request is denied.Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement that because Kobach's interpretation of the new law conflicts with transgender people's rights, “Their voices must be heard.”“It is telling that Mr. Kobach is going to great lengths to prevent the voices of transgender Kansans from being heard in this case,” she added.Kobach also is trying to stop Kansas from changing the sex listing on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-kansas-3cf1c3dd7de174a465d7026a71afbd5e">transgender people's birth certificates</a>&nbsp;in a separate federal lawsuit.