JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.

Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined a group of Senators on Thursday critical of the President's decision.

President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday, he said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu.

But in a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu said “if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”

Israel’s top military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup. “The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too -- we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a news conference.

Israel has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">threatened to invade Rafah</a>, where some 1.3 million Palestinians — over half the population — have sought refuge. The city in southern Gaza is also the main hub for humanitarian operations, which have been severely hindered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">the closure of Gaza's two main crossings</a>&nbsp;this week.

Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that the army must go in if it hopes to dismantle the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

In an earlier response to Biden's decision, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote a post on the platform X with a heart between the words “Hamas” and “Biden.” He and other ultra-nationalist members of Netanyahu’s coalition support a large-scale Rafah operation and have threatened to bring down his government if it doesn’t happen.

Aid groups say a Rafah invasion would be catastrophic. The U.N. says most of the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians suffer from hunger and that northern Gaza is already experiencing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">“full-blown famine.”</a>

Even the limited operation Israel launched earlier this week, in which a tank brigade captured the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, has thrown humanitarian operations into crisis.

It also complicated what had been months of efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages. Hamas this week said it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel says the plan does not meet its “core” demands. Several days of follow-up talks appeared to end inconclusively on Thursday.

Some analysts said Biden's tough line against Israel, and the rift between the allies, threatened to weaken Israel's negotiating position and harden Hamas' stances. Hamas has demanded guarantees for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal — steps Israel has ruled out.

“It sends a discordant message at a time when Hamas is holding out on a hostage deal in the hopes that pressure will grow on Israel and it will gain a cease-fire without having to give anything in return,” said the Israel Policy Forum, a pro-Israel organization based in New York.

The war began with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">Hamas’ surprise attack into southern Israel</a>, in which it killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The militants are still holding some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.

The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel’s offensive, waged with U.S.-supplied munitions, has caused widespread devastation and forced some 80% of Gaza’s population to flee their homes.

Israel's capture of the Rafah crossing Tuesday forced the closure of a key entry point for fuel, and it's unclear when it will reopen. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it only has enough stocks to maintain operations for a few days and has started rationing.

Israel reopened its side of the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing — Gaza’s main cargo terminal — after a rocket attack over the weekend, but UNRWA, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says aid cannot be brought in on the Palestinian side because of the security situation.

A recently reopened route in the north is still functioning, but only 60 trucks entered on Tuesday, far below the 500 that entered Gaza each day before the war.

The first aid ship bound for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">an American-built floating pier</a>&nbsp;to be installed in Gaza departed early Thursday. But it's unclear when that corridor will be up and running, and even then it won't be able to handle as much aid as Gaza’s two main land crossings.

Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that parts of the pier are still in the Israeli port of Ashdod awaiting more favorable seas before being moved into position off Gaza. He said the U.S. vessel Sagamore, which left Cyprus, would transport aid to another ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza.

“In the coming days, the U.S. will commence an international community-backed effort to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza using a floating pier,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715273626077.png" alt="&nbsp;Ted Cruz of Texas and Roger Marshall of Kansas were among GOP&nbsp; Senators who condemned Biden for the restriction on weapons for Israel-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Ted Cruz of Texas and Roger Marshall of Kansas were among GOP&nbsp; Senators who condemned Biden for the restriction on weapons for Israel-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined a group of Senators on Thursday critical of the President's decision.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Where does the President stand? Does he stand with Israel, or does he stand with Hamas and the anti-American protestors rioting across America’s college campuses? <a href="https://t.co/lL3niDpDYa">pic.twitter.com/lL3niDpDYa</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1788633812290986126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday, he said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu.But in a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu said “if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”Israel’s top military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup. “The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too -- we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a news conference.Israel has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rafah-israel-gaza-war-hamas-evacuation-e0754cdae0f3786982038e80feaa159e">threatened to invade Rafah</a>, where some 1.3 million Palestinians — over half the population — have sought refuge. The city in southern Gaza is also the main hub for humanitarian operations, which have been severely hindered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-crossings-aid-gaza-f654871ba67c42e6345b6f709427b664">the closure of Gaza's two main crossings</a>&nbsp;this week.Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that the army must go in if it hopes to dismantle the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.In an earlier response to Biden's decision, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote a post on the platform X with a heart between the words “Hamas” and “Biden.” He and other ultra-nationalist members of Netanyahu’s coalition support a large-scale Rafah operation and have threatened to bring down his government if it doesn’t happen.Aid groups say a Rafah invasion would be catastrophic. The U.N. says most of the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians suffer from hunger and that northern Gaza is already experiencing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff">“full-blown famine.”</a>Even the limited operation Israel launched earlier this week, in which a tank brigade captured the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, has thrown humanitarian operations into crisis.It also complicated what had been months of efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages. Hamas this week said it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel says the plan does not meet its “core” demands. Several days of follow-up talks appeared to end inconclusively on Thursday.Some analysts said Biden's tough line against Israel, and the rift between the allies, threatened to weaken Israel's negotiating position and harden Hamas' stances. Hamas has demanded guarantees for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal — steps Israel has ruled out.“It sends a discordant message at a time when Hamas is holding out on a hostage deal in the hopes that pressure will grow on Israel and it will gain a cease-fire without having to give anything in return,” said the Israel Policy Forum, a pro-Israel organization based in New York.The war began with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-hostages-0c14750240138853a70e38b0c09ef157">Hamas’ surprise attack into southern Israel</a>, in which it killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The militants are still holding some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel’s offensive, waged with U.S.-supplied munitions, has caused widespread devastation and forced some 80% of Gaza’s population to flee their homes.Israel's capture of the Rafah crossing Tuesday forced the closure of a key entry point for fuel, and it's unclear when it will reopen. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it only has enough stocks to maintain operations for a few days and has started rationing.Israel reopened its side of the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing — Gaza’s main cargo terminal — after a rocket attack over the weekend, but UNRWA, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says aid cannot be brought in on the Palestinian side because of the security situation.A recently reopened route in the north is still functioning, but only 60 trucks entered on Tuesday, far below the 500 that entered Gaza each day before the war.The first aid ship bound for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-humanitarian-aid-pier-israel-us-7fd8cf63c60e4155479e761f3c79914d">an American-built floating pier</a>&nbsp;to be installed in Gaza departed early Thursday. But it's unclear when that corridor will be up and running, and even then it won't be able to handle as much aid as Gaza’s two main land crossings.Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that parts of the pier are still in the Israeli port of Ashdod awaiting more favorable seas before being moved into position off Gaza. He said the U.S. vessel Sagamore, which left Cyprus, would transport aid to another ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza.“In the coming days, the U.S. will commence an international community-backed effort to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza using a floating pier,” he said.

🎥Kan. Senator joins condemnation of restriction on weapons for Israel

FORT RILEY —Two soldiers are recovering from injuries in a helicopter crash that occurred on Tuesday at Fort Riley, according to Fort Riley&nbsp; Public Affairs Officer Jefferson Grimes.

The incident involved a Boeing AH-64 took place during Combat Aviation Brigade’s gunnery training.

The injured crew members are receiving the necessary medical treatment, according to Grimes.&nbsp; Their names have not been released..

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

FORT RILEY —Two soldiers are recovering from injuries in a helicopter crash that occurred on Tuesday at Fort Riley, according to Fort Riley&nbsp; Public Affairs Officer Jefferson Grimes.The incident involved a Boeing AH-64 took place during Combat Aviation Brigade’s gunnery training.The injured crew members are receiving the necessary medical treatment, according to Grimes.&nbsp; Their names have not been released..The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Fort Riley helicopter crash that injured 2 under investigation

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The City of Wichita report Friday that certain online City services may be unavailable as they thoroughly review and assess an incident that affected some of their computer systems, according to a statement from the city.

As part of this assessment, the city turned off their computer network. This decision was not made lightly but was necessary to ensure that systems are securely vetted before returning to service.

The following are updates to the city's Frequently Asked Questions regarding the cyber security incident.&nbsp;

The information technology department and its security partners continue to work around the clock to address the cyber security incident. Many City systems are down as security experts determine the source and extent of the incident. There is no timetable for when systems could be coming back online. We appreciate your patience as we work through this incident as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Incident recovery information and FAQs are accurate as to the time of the most current information release. For the most current updates, please continue visiting &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wichita.gov/Alert.%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://www.wichita.gov/Alert</a>.

When will this incident be resolved?&nbsp;

Staff are working diligently and will have resolve the cyber security incident as soon as possible.&nbsp;

When will we know more?&nbsp;The City is dedicated to providing updates as soon as more information is available.&nbsp;

How do I make a payment to the City of Wichita?&nbsp;Credit cards payments are not being accepted at this time. Please refer to the service you are making payment to for further information about cash or check payments.

Will live streaming continue for boards and commissions?&nbsp;The City will make every effort to live stream or record board and commission meetings. There is no guarantee that live streaming will be available, so plan on attending those meetings in person. Wichita City Council meetings will be broadcast on Cox cable channel 7 as well as the City's YouTube channel.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Is there any impact to Wichita Fire Department operations?&nbsp;&nbsp;There is NO EXPECTED IMPACT TO RESIDENTS needing fire services. WFD has a system in place to monitor and respond to calls for service.&nbsp;

Is there any impact to Wichita Police Department operations?&nbsp;&nbsp;WPD implemented continuity measures to mitigate the impact. Our core responsibility remains the same, which is to ensure public safety and provide exceptional customer service to Wichita, thus keeping our community safe.&nbsp;

Are water systems in any way compromised by the cyber security event?&nbsp;No. All water systems are secure and functioning as normal.

How do I pay my water bill?&nbsp;During the cyber security incident we will not shut off water accounts. Those who have experienced a water shut off may bring payment or proof of payment to City Hall and their water will be reconnected. Anyone having difficulty paying their bill will not receive penalties or late fees until the cyber incident is resolved. Bills may still be paid via cash by coming to City Hall or by mailing payment. Customers looking to set up a new water account may do so by coming to City Hall. Auto payments are suspended for the time being.&nbsp;

If my water is shut off, how do I get reconnected?&nbsp;&nbsp;During the data breach, we will not be shutting off any water accounts. Those who have experience a water shut off may bring payment or proof of payment to City Hall and their water will be reconnected.&nbsp;

The City of Wichita Call Center phone numbers are working but live chat on&nbsp;wichita.gov&nbsp;is unavailable at this time.

How will I get a bus ticket or pay bus fare?&nbsp;&nbsp;All Wichita Transit and paratransit services are fare-free until further notice.

How do I request paratransit services?&nbsp;Please call 316-352-4824 or 316-352-4810.

I am a vendor for the City of Wichita – how do I get paid?&nbsp;

Please contact your City of Wichita liaison for further information.&nbsp;

Bid Opening for Friday May 10, 2024 is cancelled.Any Request for Bid, Proposal, or Qualifications with a stated Due Date of May 10, 2024 are deferred until 10:00am Friday May 17, 2024.&nbsp;Please call the Purchasing Office at 316-268-4636 for any questions or technical assistance.

Wichita Park &amp; Recreation is unable to facilitate credit card transactions, whether conducted online or in-person. Patrons are kindly asked to register for the diverse range of programming outlined below at any of our designated recreation centers during respective operating hours. Detailed information regarding the operational schedules of the centers is conveniently accessible at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/722/Recreation-Centers" target="_blank">https://www.wichita.gov/722/Recreation-Centers</a>.

Those seeking to procure the rental services of athletic fields, equipment, swimming pools, or venues are encouraged to contact our administrative office directly at 316-268-4361.

For inquiries pertaining to programming at the Riverside Tennis Center, individuals are directed to personally visit the facility during its standard operational hours to complete the registration process. Detailed information regarding the operational hours of the Riverside Tennis Center can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/1353/Riverside-Tennis-Center" target="_blank">https://www.wichita.gov/1353/Riverside-Tennis-Center</a>.

Golf Wichita is presently unable to facilitate credit card transactions, whether conducted online or in-person. We kindly request patrons to ensure they have cash or a check available when visiting any of our golf courses.

Our online booking engine is unavailable. All reservations will be taken by calling your local clubhouse or in person.

We are unable to process registrations for group lessons, tournaments, or the Junior Tour via online. Interested individuals are advised to register for group lessons or tournaments by visiting the respective host locations. For Junior Tour registration, please contact us directly at 316-268-4653.

Please note that Golf Wichita is presently not accepting new membership applications. Existing members with inquiries are encouraged to reach out to us by phone at 316-268-4653 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:GolfWichita@wichita.gov">GolfWichita@wichita.gov</a>.

Can I pay for or obtain a license through the City?&nbsp;&nbsp;Licenses may be paid for and obtained by coming to City Hall.&nbsp;

Will City Council, committees and other advisory board meetings be streamed?&nbsp;&nbsp;While best efforts will be made to continue streaming any previously streamed public meetings or media opportunities, at this time, please plan to attend any City meetings in person.&nbsp;

Are landfill operations still in service?&nbsp;&nbsp;The landfill is accepting cash only at this time.&nbsp;

Are cultural institutions impacted?&nbsp;&nbsp;Cultural institutions for the City including CityArts, Cowtown and Indian Museum are able to hold events as scheduled but payments will only be accepted by cash or check. Century II, Botanica and the Wichita Art Museum are not affected.&nbsp;

Municipal Court customer service staff has access to docket and warrant information. Individuals may contact 316-268-4611 for their current court dates. There will be ample time for people to clear warrants once we are fully operational. We appreciate your patience during this time and we are sorry inconvenience. Once information services are restored, there will be a process for those who lost contact with the court and received a warrant to clear the warrant without arrest.

Is Municipal Court still in operation?&nbsp;All scheduled dockets will proceed as planned. There is no walk in docket at this time.&nbsp;

What if I have to pay a Municipal Court fine?&nbsp;&nbsp;Payments to Municipal Court may be made in person. At this time, only cash and check are being accepted.&nbsp;

What impact does this have to the Airport?&nbsp;&nbsp;No public wi-fi is available at the terminal and arrival and departure screens are not currently working. Flights are operating normally.&nbsp;

Is the Library open?&nbsp;&nbsp;Public WiFi is available at the following locations: Alford, Angelou, Rockwell and Westlink branches as well as Libby. Staff can check out materials, but checking in materials, pulling holds and transferring materials between locations might be paused. We are a fine-free library, but will monitor accounts to make sure other fees are not assessed during this time. Public wifi is not available at the following locations: Advanced Learning Library, Evergreen and Walters branches. Other services that may be impacted include: staff email through the City network (if you email us, we might not be able to respond during this outage), the library website, most databases, including Kanopy, LinkedIn Learning, etc, the online catalog, the Self-service print release stations, the self-check stations, the automated materials handler at the Advanced Learning Library – place returns in the manual book drop, most incoming phone call capability.&nbsp;

Are neighborhood resource centers still operational?&nbsp;&nbsp;Wi-fi and phones are currently down. Unless otherwise noted, all scheduled events services are operational.

Is Planning still able to process cases?&nbsp;&nbsp;All planning activities will continue. Payments may be made with cash or check.&nbsp;

Is MABCD operational?&nbsp;&nbsp;There is no expected interruption to MABCD activities.&nbsp;

How is Housing and Community Services impacted?&nbsp;&nbsp;At this time, staff are working to serve those needing Housing and Community services Assistance as well as we can. Staff will contact those needing service as soon as possible.&nbsp;

What Happened?&nbsp;On May 5, 2024, certain City systems were encrypted by malware. In response, some computer network and systems were shut down to prevent the spread of the malware. Certain services may be temporarily unavailable while systems are offline. The City is enabling business continuity measures, where appropriate, to minimize disruption and is working with third-party specialists to safely and securely restore the computer network.

What is encryption malware?&nbsp;Encryption malware is a type of computer virus that locks files without permission. A third party then seeks payment for a key to unlock the computer files. This is often called ransomware, which uses computer software to lock files and withhold the key to unlock the files until a payment is made. Unfortunately, government organizations are often targeted by these groups.

Has law enforcement been notified?&nbsp;Yes, federal and local law enforcement authorities are assisting with this matter.

What group is claiming responsibility?&nbsp;This is not being shared for operational security purposes.

What is the impact on data?&nbsp;We are completing a thorough review and assessment of this matter, including the potential impact on data. Detailed assessments of these types of incidents take time. We thank you for your patience, understanding, and respect for the integrity of this review process.

Are first responders (Fire/Police) still providing services?&nbsp;Yes, they are. They are prepared for these matters and have switched to business continuity measures where appropriate to continue providing exceptional service.

When will systems be back online?&nbsp;We are working with specialists to thoroughly review and assess systems before putting them back online. Systems will be restored on a staggered basis to minimize disruptions. We do not have a definitive timeline for returning all systems to production.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The City of Wichita report Friday that certain online City services may be unavailable as they thoroughly review and assess an incident that affected some of their computer systems, according to a statement from the city.As part of this assessment, the city turned off their computer network. This decision was not made lightly but was necessary to ensure that systems are securely vetted before returning to service.The following are updates to the city's Frequently Asked Questions regarding the cyber security incident.&nbsp;The information technology department and its security partners continue to work around the clock to address the cyber security incident. Many City systems are down as security experts determine the source and extent of the incident. There is no timetable for when systems could be coming back online. We appreciate your patience as we work through this incident as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Incident recovery information and FAQs are accurate as to the time of the most current information release. For the most current updates, please continue visiting &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wichita.gov/Alert.%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://www.wichita.gov/Alert</a>.When will this incident be resolved?&nbsp;Staff are working diligently and will have resolve the cyber security incident as soon as possible.&nbsp;When will we know more?&nbsp;The City is dedicated to providing updates as soon as more information is available.&nbsp;How do I make a payment to the City of Wichita?&nbsp;Credit cards payments are not being accepted at this time. Please refer to the service you are making payment to for further information about cash or check payments.Will live streaming continue for boards and commissions?&nbsp;The City will make every effort to live stream or record board and commission meetings. There is no guarantee that live streaming will be available, so plan on attending those meetings in person. Wichita City Council meetings will be broadcast on Cox cable channel 7 as well as the City's YouTube channel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Public Safety:&nbsp;</h2>Is there any impact to Wichita Fire Department operations?&nbsp;&nbsp;There is NO EXPECTED IMPACT TO RESIDENTS needing fire services. WFD has a system in place to monitor and respond to calls for service.&nbsp;Is there any impact to Wichita Police Department operations?&nbsp;&nbsp;WPD implemented continuity measures to mitigate the impact. Our core responsibility remains the same, which is to ensure public safety and provide exceptional customer service to Wichita, thus keeping our community safe.&nbsp;<h2>Water:</h2>Are water systems in any way compromised by the cyber security event?&nbsp;No. All water systems are secure and functioning as normal.How do I pay my water bill?&nbsp;During the cyber security incident we will not shut off water accounts. Those who have experienced a water shut off may bring payment or proof of payment to City Hall and their water will be reconnected. Anyone having difficulty paying their bill will not receive penalties or late fees until the cyber incident is resolved. Bills may still be paid via cash by coming to City Hall or by mailing payment. Customers looking to set up a new water account may do so by coming to City Hall. Auto payments are suspended for the time being.&nbsp;If my water is shut off, how do I get reconnected?&nbsp;&nbsp;During the data breach, we will not be shutting off any water accounts. Those who have experience a water shut off may bring payment or proof of payment to City Hall and their water will be reconnected.&nbsp;<h2>Call Center:</h2><h2>The City of Wichita Call Center phone numbers are working but live chat on&nbsp;wichita.gov&nbsp;is unavailable at this time.</h2><h2>Transit:</h2>How will I get a bus ticket or pay bus fare?&nbsp;&nbsp;All Wichita Transit and paratransit services are fare-free until further notice.How do I request paratransit services?&nbsp;Please call 316-352-4824 or 316-352-4810.<h2>City Vendors:</h2><h2>I am a vendor for the City of Wichita – how do I get paid?&nbsp;</h2>Please contact your City of Wichita liaison for further information.&nbsp;<h2>Purchasing:</h2>Bid Opening for Friday May 10, 2024 is cancelled.Any Request for Bid, Proposal, or Qualifications with a stated Due Date of May 10, 2024 are deferred until 10:00am Friday May 17, 2024.&nbsp;Please call the Purchasing Office at 316-268-4636 for any questions or technical assistance.<h2>Park and Recreation:</h2>Wichita Park &amp; Recreation is unable to facilitate credit card transactions, whether conducted online or in-person. Patrons are kindly asked to register for the diverse range of programming outlined below at any of our designated recreation centers during respective operating hours. Detailed information regarding the operational schedules of the centers is conveniently accessible at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/722/Recreation-Centers" target="_blank">https://www.wichita.gov/722/Recreation-Centers</a>.The offerings encompass:Athletics:<ul>
 <li>Adult Leagues</li><li>Youth Leagues</li><li>Miracle League of Wichita</li>
 </ul>Aquatics:<ul>
 <li>Swim Classes</li><li>Scuba</li><li>Swim Team</li><li>Swimming Pool Memberships</li>
 </ul>Recreation:<ul>
 <li>Camps</li><li>Classes</li>
 </ul>Those seeking to procure the rental services of athletic fields, equipment, swimming pools, or venues are encouraged to contact our administrative office directly at 316-268-4361.For inquiries pertaining to programming at the Riverside Tennis Center, individuals are directed to personally visit the facility during its standard operational hours to complete the registration process. Detailed information regarding the operational hours of the Riverside Tennis Center can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/1353/Riverside-Tennis-Center" target="_blank">https://www.wichita.gov/1353/Riverside-Tennis-Center</a>.<h2>Golf Wichita</h2>Golf Wichita is presently unable to facilitate credit card transactions, whether conducted online or in-person. We kindly request patrons to ensure they have cash or a check available when visiting any of our golf courses.Our online booking engine is unavailable. All reservations will be taken by calling your local clubhouse or in person.We are unable to process registrations for group lessons, tournaments, or the Junior Tour via online. Interested individuals are advised to register for group lessons or tournaments by visiting the respective host locations. For Junior Tour registration, please contact us directly at 316-268-4653.Please note that Golf Wichita is presently not accepting new membership applications. Existing members with inquiries are encouraged to reach out to us by phone at 316-268-4653 or email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:GolfWichita@wichita.gov">GolfWichita@wichita.gov</a>.<h2>City Licenses:&nbsp;</h2>Can I pay for or obtain a license through the City?&nbsp;&nbsp;Licenses may be paid for and obtained by coming to City Hall.&nbsp;<h2>City Meetings:&nbsp;</h2>Will City Council, committees and other advisory board meetings be streamed?&nbsp;&nbsp;While best efforts will be made to continue streaming any previously streamed public meetings or media opportunities, at this time, please plan to attend any City meetings in person.&nbsp;<h2>Landfill:&nbsp;</h2>Are landfill operations still in service?&nbsp;&nbsp;The landfill is accepting cash only at this time.&nbsp;<h2>Arts and Culture:&nbsp;</h2>Are cultural institutions impacted?&nbsp;&nbsp;Cultural institutions for the City including CityArts, Cowtown and Indian Museum are able to hold events as scheduled but payments will only be accepted by cash or check. Century II, Botanica and the Wichita Art Museum are not affected.&nbsp;<h2>Municipal Court:&nbsp;</h2>Municipal Court customer service staff has access to docket and warrant information. Individuals may contact 316-268-4611 for their current court dates. There will be ample time for people to clear warrants once we are fully operational. We appreciate your patience during this time and we are sorry inconvenience. Once information services are restored, there will be a process for those who lost contact with the court and received a warrant to clear the warrant without arrest.Is Municipal Court still in operation?&nbsp;All scheduled dockets will proceed as planned. There is no walk in docket at this time.&nbsp;What if I have to pay a Municipal Court fine?&nbsp;&nbsp;Payments to Municipal Court may be made in person. At this time, only cash and check are being accepted.&nbsp;<h2>Airport:&nbsp;</h2>What impact does this have to the Airport?&nbsp;&nbsp;No public wi-fi is available at the terminal and arrival and departure screens are not currently working. Flights are operating normally.&nbsp;<h2>Library:</h2>Is the Library open?&nbsp;&nbsp;Public WiFi is available at the following locations: Alford, Angelou, Rockwell and Westlink branches as well as Libby. Staff can check out materials, but checking in materials, pulling holds and transferring materials between locations might be paused. We are a fine-free library, but will monitor accounts to make sure other fees are not assessed during this time. Public wifi is not available at the following locations: Advanced Learning Library, Evergreen and Walters branches. Other services that may be impacted include: staff email through the City network (if you email us, we might not be able to respond during this outage), the library website, most databases, including Kanopy, LinkedIn Learning, etc, the online catalog, the Self-service print release stations, the self-check stations, the automated materials handler at the Advanced Learning Library – place returns in the manual book drop, most incoming phone call capability.&nbsp;<h2>Resource Centers:&nbsp;</h2>Are neighborhood resource centers still operational?&nbsp;&nbsp;Wi-fi and phones are currently down. Unless otherwise noted, all scheduled events services are operational.<h2>Planning:</h2>Is Planning still able to process cases?&nbsp;&nbsp;All planning activities will continue. Payments may be made with cash or check.&nbsp;<h2>MABCD:&nbsp;</h2>Is MABCD operational?&nbsp;&nbsp;There is no expected interruption to MABCD activities.&nbsp;<h2>Housing:&nbsp;</h2>How is Housing and Community Services impacted?&nbsp;&nbsp;At this time, staff are working to serve those needing Housing and Community services Assistance as well as we can. Staff will contact those needing service as soon as possible.&nbsp;<h2>General Information</h2>What Happened?&nbsp;On May 5, 2024, certain City systems were encrypted by malware. In response, some computer network and systems were shut down to prevent the spread of the malware. Certain services may be temporarily unavailable while systems are offline. The City is enabling business continuity measures, where appropriate, to minimize disruption and is working with third-party specialists to safely and securely restore the computer network.What is encryption malware?&nbsp;Encryption malware is a type of computer virus that locks files without permission. A third party then seeks payment for a key to unlock the computer files. This is often called ransomware, which uses computer software to lock files and withhold the key to unlock the files until a payment is made. Unfortunately, government organizations are often targeted by these groups.Has law enforcement been notified?&nbsp;Yes, federal and local law enforcement authorities are assisting with this matter.What group is claiming responsibility?&nbsp;This is not being shared for operational security purposes.What is the impact on data?&nbsp;We are completing a thorough review and assessment of this matter, including the potential impact on data. Detailed assessments of these types of incidents take time. We thank you for your patience, understanding, and respect for the integrity of this review process.Are first responders (Fire/Police) still providing services?&nbsp;Yes, they are. They are prepared for these matters and have switched to business continuity measures where appropriate to continue providing exceptional service.When will systems be back online?&nbsp;We are working with specialists to thoroughly review and assess systems before putting them back online. Systems will be restored on a staggered basis to minimize disruptions. We do not have a definitive timeline for returning all systems to production.

Cyberattack: City of Wichita computer systems still down

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating a suspect for the alleged contamination of food at the&nbsp;Hereford House, 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood, Kansas.

Jace Christian Hanson, 21, of Kansas City, has been charged with food adulteration, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

&nbsp;On Thursday, the restaurant issued a statement on the investigation.

"Everyone connected with the Hereford House restaurant in Leawood is disturbed, even angered, by the food tampering that occurred at that locaon in April."

"Unil the release of the aﬃdavit on Wednesday concerning defendant’s actons and statements, we were unable to publicly address the situaion as we were learning the details released by lawenforcement authorities at the same time as the news media and the public."

"Now, with the release of this information, we can make a few comments. First and foremost, we have always placed a high priority on the integrity of the food we serve our customers. We learned of the tampering on April 25, when the Leawood PoliceDepartment arrived at the restaurant asking to speak to the defendant, who had only been an employee for a month."

"They spoke with him, obtained the statements from him contained in the aﬃdavit and took him into custody. We immediately destroyed all the food in the kitchen and did a thorough cleaning andsanitizing of the kitchen and surrounding areas."

"We also immediately spoke with the health authorities from the State of Kansas responsible for restaurant inspections. We described the situation and the steps we had taken thus far. We asked if there were other steps we should take and they indicated we had taken all the appropriate steps. We continue to stay in touch with the state health authorities to keep them apprised of developments."

"Based on the aﬃdavit, we can now also narrow down the number of days the defendant was working during the time he was tampering with food."

"According to the aﬃdavit, the defendant says the tampering occurred between roughly April 6, and April 23. In that span, the defendant worked 12 days."

"We want to thank the Leawood Police Department for their quick action on the April25, tip from the FBI that the potential for food tampering at the Leawood restaurant was occurring."

"We will continue to work with law enforcement authorities and report any further information we learn to our customers."

"Finally, we want to thank our loyal customer base. Please know that we are just as upset and disturbed by this situation as you are. And we will continue to work hard to earn your trust and business."

On April 25, the Leawood Police Department received a tip that the restaurant may have someone intentionally contaminating food.

Police immediately began an investigation that led to the Hereford House, 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood, where detectives spoke with restaurant management to identify a suspect 21-year-old&nbsp;Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City.&nbsp;He remains jailed on a $100,000 bond, according to online jail records.

If you ate at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25, 2024, and later experienced health issues, please contact Leawood Police: tips@leawood.org or 913-266-0696.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714486969300.png" alt="Hanson-photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Hanson-photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating a suspect for the alleged contamination of food at the&nbsp;Hereford House, 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood, Kansas.Jace Christian Hanson, 21, of Kansas City, has been charged with food adulteration, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Thursday, the restaurant issued a statement on the investigation."Everyone connected with the Hereford House restaurant in Leawood is disturbed, even angered, by the food tampering that occurred at that locaon in April.""Unil the release of the aﬃdavit on Wednesday concerning defendant’s actons and statements, we were unable to publicly address the situaion as we were learning the details released by lawenforcement authorities at the same time as the news media and the public.""Now, with the release of this information, we can make a few comments. First and foremost, we have always placed a high priority on the integrity of the food we serve our customers. We learned of the tampering on April 25, when the Leawood PoliceDepartment arrived at the restaurant asking to speak to the defendant, who had only been an employee for a month.""They spoke with him, obtained the statements from him contained in the aﬃdavit and took him into custody. We immediately destroyed all the food in the kitchen and did a thorough cleaning andsanitizing of the kitchen and surrounding areas.""We also immediately spoke with the health authorities from the State of Kansas responsible for restaurant inspections. We described the situation and the steps we had taken thus far. We asked if there were other steps we should take and they indicated we had taken all the appropriate steps. We continue to stay in touch with the state health authorities to keep them apprised of developments.""Based on the aﬃdavit, we can now also narrow down the number of days the defendant was working during the time he was tampering with food.""According to the aﬃdavit, the defendant says the tampering occurred between roughly April 6, and April 23. In that span, the defendant worked 12 days.""We want to thank the Leawood Police Department for their quick action on the April25, tip from the FBI that the potential for food tampering at the Leawood restaurant was occurring.""We will continue to work with law enforcement authorities and report any further information we learn to our customers.""Finally, we want to thank our loyal customer base. Please know that we are just as upset and disturbed by this situation as you are. And we will continue to work hard to earn your trust and business."On April 25, the Leawood Police Department received a tip that the restaurant may have someone intentionally contaminating food.Police immediately began an investigation that led to the Hereford House, 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood, where detectives spoke with restaurant management to identify a suspect 21-year-old&nbsp;Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City.&nbsp;He remains jailed on a $100,000 bond, according to online jail records.If you ate at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25, 2024, and later experienced health issues, please contact Leawood Police: tips@leawood.org or 913-266-0696.

Kansas restaurant responds to shocking food contamination case

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of stealing and destroy a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita Park made another court appearance Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp;Ricky Alderete, 45, Wichita, pled guilty to the theft of the statue from League 42, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

On January 26, police learned the statue was cut at the ankles to be removed. All that remained of the statue were Robinson's feet.&nbsp;

Alerete, who was in custody after an arrest on&nbsp;February 1, for a probation violation, burglary, kidnapping and criminal damage to property unrelated to the theft of the statue,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=251468">according to online jail records</a>&nbsp;was charged with the crime.

Wichita police detectives conducted over 100 interviews both within and outside Sedgwick County to resolve the case.

On January 28, officers from the Wichita Police Department Field Community Response Team located a suspect vehicle used in the theft, unoccupied, at an apartment complex in Wichita.

On January 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered parts of the statue in a trash can at Garvey Park while responding to a fire call.

The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, police believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal, according to Moses. Police detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and destruction of the  statue.

Alderete has been the only suspect apprehended in the statue’s destruction.&nbsp; He is scheduled for sentencing July 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707844320270.png" alt="Alderete-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Alderete-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused of stealing and destroy a Jackie Robinson statue from a Wichita Park made another court appearance Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp;Ricky Alderete, 45, Wichita, pled guilty to the theft of the statue from League 42, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706214143377.png" alt="Photo city of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Photo city of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>On January 26, police learned the statue was cut at the ankles to be removed. All that remained of the statue were Robinson's feet.&nbsp;Alerete, who was in custody after an arrest on&nbsp;February 1, for a probation violation, burglary, kidnapping and criminal damage to property unrelated to the theft of the statue,&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=251468">according to online jail records</a>&nbsp;was charged with the crime.Wichita police detectives conducted over 100 interviews both within and outside Sedgwick County to resolve the case.On January 28, officers from the Wichita Police Department Field Community Response Team located a suspect vehicle used in the theft, unoccupied, at an apartment complex in Wichita.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706641670170.png" alt="-Parts of the burned statue found in a trash bin-photo courtesy KAKE" />
 <figcaption>-Parts of the burned statue found in a trash bin-photo courtesy KAKE</figcaption>
 </figure>On January 30, the Wichita Fire Department discovered parts of the statue in a trash can at Garvey Park while responding to a fire call.The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime, instead, police believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal, according to Moses. Police detectives remain committed to gathering information to identify and charge all individuals involved in the theft and destruction of the statue.Alderete has been the only suspect apprehended in the statue’s destruction.&nbsp; He is scheduled for sentencing July 1.

Kan. man admits stealing Jackie Robinson statue from park

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating gunfire at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City continue asking for help to identify suspects.&nbsp;Five of the eight individuals involved in this incident have been identified.&nbsp; Police are still seeking the publics help in identifying the remaining three.

Just after 6:30 p.m. on April 6, police responded to a report of a shooting and individuals running near 47th and Central, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp;After officers secured the scene, it was discovered that multiple vehicles had been shot into, and one of the vehicles was occupied. There were no injuries.  

&nbsp;Please contact the KCPD Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You can also visit <a href="https://t.co/gULWXwQkBQ" target="_blank">http://kccrimestoppers.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715280977817.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating gunfire at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City continue asking for help to identify suspects.&nbsp;Five of the eight individuals involved in this incident have been identified.&nbsp; Police are still seeking the publics help in identifying the remaining three.Just after 6:30 p.m. on April 6, police responded to a report of a shooting and individuals running near 47th and Central, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp;After officers secured the scene, it was discovered that multiple vehicles had been shot into, and one of the vehicles was occupied. There were no injuries. &nbsp;Please contact the KCPD Assault Squad at 816-234-5227 or TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You can also visit <a href="https://t.co/gULWXwQkBQ" target="_blank">http://kccrimestoppers.com</a>

KCPD: Search continues for Country Club Plaza shooting suspects

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Ascension hospitals in Wichita and in many Ascension facilities around the country detected unusual activity in their network systems on Wednesday, according to an Ascension spokesperson.

On Thursday evening, the hospital reported investigators confirmed the hospitals are battling a cybersecurity incident. Hospital staff are working around the clock with internal and external advisors to investigate, contain, and restore the systems following a thorough validation and screening process. The investigation and restoration work will take time to complete, and there is no timeline for completion.

The hospital is actively supporting their ministries as they continue to provide safe, patient care with established downtime protocols and procedures, in which the&nbsp; workforce is well trained. It is expected that the hospital will be utilizing downtime procedures for some time. Patients should bring to their appointment notes on their symptoms and a list of current medications and prescription numbers or the prescription bottles so their care team can call in medication needs to pharmacies.

Systems that are currently unavailable include&nbsp; electronic health records system, MyChart (which enables patients to view their medical records and communicate with their providers), some phone systems, and various systems utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications.&nbsp;

The hospital has implemented established protocols and procedures to address these particular system disruptions in order to continue to provide safe care to patients. Out of an abundance of caution, however, some non-emergent elective procedures, tests and appointments have been temporarily paused while staff works to bring systems back online. Hospital teams are working directly with any patient whose appointment or procedure will need to be rescheduled.

Due to downtime procedures, several hospitals are currently on diversion for emergency medical services in order to ensure emergency cases are triaged immediately. 

The hospital reminds patients, "If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 and your local emergency services will bring you to the nearest hospital emergency room."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715251297400.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Ascension hospitals in Wichita and in many Ascension facilities around the country detected unusual activity in their network systems on Wednesday, according to an Ascension spokesperson.On Thursday evening, the hospital reported investigators confirmed the hospitals are battling a cybersecurity incident. Hospital staff are working around the clock with internal and external advisors to investigate, contain, and restore the systems following a thorough validation and screening process. The investigation and restoration work will take time to complete, and there is no timeline for completion.The hospital is actively supporting their ministries as they continue to provide safe, patient care with established downtime protocols and procedures, in which the&nbsp; workforce is well trained. It is expected that the hospital will be utilizing downtime procedures for some time. Patients should bring to their appointment notes on their symptoms and a list of current medications and prescription numbers or the prescription bottles so their care team can call in medication needs to pharmacies.Systems that are currently unavailable include&nbsp; electronic health records system, MyChart (which enables patients to view their medical records and communicate with their providers), some phone systems, and various systems utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications.&nbsp;The hospital has implemented established protocols and procedures to address these particular system disruptions in order to continue to provide safe care to patients. Out of an abundance of caution, however, some non-emergent elective procedures, tests and appointments have been temporarily paused while staff works to bring systems back online. Hospital teams are working directly with any patient whose appointment or procedure will need to be rescheduled.Due to downtime procedures, several hospitals are currently on diversion for emergency medical services in order to ensure emergency cases are triaged immediately. The hospital reminds patients, "If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 911 and your local emergency services will bring you to the nearest hospital emergency room."

Cyberattack on Kansas hospital disrupting many services

Governor says bipartisan bill too costly, risks throwing state into financial turmoil

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

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly said there was “absolutely no way” to avoid vetoing the $2.3 billion tax reduction bill approved with bipartisan majorities in the Kansas Legislature, arguing the cumulative year-to-year result of a half-billion-dollar drop in revenue would crack the state’s financial foundation.

Kelly said debate about major tax reform would resume at the statehouse after she called a special session of the Legislature to consider an alterative plan. She promised during an interview with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s “Up To Date” news program to present a new tax package for consideration by House and Senate members.

“I have made it very clear from the get-go that I will veto any bill that came to me that would put Kansas in financial jeopardy. The bill the Legislature passed would do exactly that,” the Democratic governor said. “There is absolutely no way that I would sign it. I’ll call the Legislature back into a special session to pass a good tax cut bill.”

Kelly said the flurry of tax-reduction bills adopted by the 2024 Legislature would create financial problems for the state government within several years despite the current multibillion-dollar revenue surplus. She said the cumulative loss of more than $500 million annually from those bills would be unsustainable. She said it could lead to budget problems reminiscent of the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback, who led the state into a financial quagmire by aggressively reducing the state income tax without cutting spending.

“We do have enough money to do a very robust tax cut, just not as much as the Legislature proposed,” Kelly told KCUR. “There’s no way in the world that I would put my signature on a bill that I think will take us back to those (Brownback) days of four-day school weeks, crumbling roads and bridges, a foster care system that was totally broken. I can’t do that. I promised the people of Kansas that I would fix things. I did and I’m not going to now break them.”

There was a complex political calculus to a veto of Senate Bill 37 because it was approved by the House on a vote of 108-11 and by the Senate with a vote of 25-9. Both Republicans and Democrats have urged her to sign it into law.

The bill in question would eliminate the state’s 2% sales tax on groceries on July 1 rather than Jan. 1, 2025. It would repeal the state income tax on Social Security benefits in the 2024 tax year.

The bill would elevate to $100,000 the exemption from property taxes tied to the statewide school finance levy. That would be a substantive increase from the current $42,000 exemption. The property tax mill levy for education would be cut from 20 mills to 19.5 mills.

It would increase the standard deduction and personal exemption on state income taxes, while lowering the state’s top income tax rate from 5.7% to 5.57%. The state’s lower income tax rate would fall from 5.25% to 5.2%.

In the KCUR radio interview, Kelly said she was most concerned about the excessive cost of income tax reductions woven into bills favored by the Legislature.

Republicans and Democrats who voted for the tax bill pleaded with Kelly to bend to their will. There was urgency to their plea given that all 125 House seats and all 40 Senate seats would be up for grabs in the August primary and the November general election. A quick special session wouldn’t have much impact on those campaigns, but a protracted dispute over tax policy could interfere with fundraising and campaigning.

“I have voted for many income tax reduction bills this session,” said Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who also voted for SB 37. “I was hoping this would not be vetoed and it would bring tax relief to Kansas residents sooner rather than later.”

The state’s tax revenue forecasters reported in mid-April that Kansas could end the current fiscal year June 30 with a surplus of $2.6 billion in the general treasury and $1.7 billion in a special rainy-day fund. Assuming state tax revenue was reduced next fiscal year by $530 million, the forecast said the state could end the upcoming fiscal year with a $1.9 billion general fund surplus and $1.8 billion in the emergency account.

House Majority Leader Chris Croft, an Overland Park Republican who endorsed SB 37, said the state’s anticipated surplus left the governor with no legitimate reason to issue a veto.

“Under our bipartisan tax relief plan,” Croft told constituents, “every Kansan gets a tax cut, no matter their income. Only one signature stands between you and tax relief.”

Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the state government could afford tax changes contained in SB 37. He was among House members who voted for the bill.

“In my experience, we don’t get many chances to give real money to real people before the big money players come to get theirs,” Probst said. “I have a real worry that if we miss this moment, most of the tax cuts will go — once again — to people who don’t need it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715305071246.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat, said on the KCUR radio program "Up To Date" that she would veto the five-year, $2.3 billion property, sales and income tax reduction bill because it would be too costly and lead to budget problems within several years. She said the veto would be accompanied by a call for the Legislature to convene in special session to work on an alternative tax plan. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly, a Topeka Democrat, said on the KCUR radio program "Up To Date" that she would veto the five-year, $2.3 billion property, sales and income tax reduction bill because it would be too costly and lead to budget problems within several years. She said the veto would be accompanied by a call for the Legislature to convene in special session to work on an alternative tax plan. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Governor says bipartisan bill too costly, risks throwing state into financial turmoil</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly said there was “absolutely no way” to avoid vetoing the $2.3 billion tax reduction bill approved with bipartisan majorities in the Kansas Legislature, arguing the cumulative year-to-year result of a half-billion-dollar drop in revenue would crack the state’s financial foundation.Kelly said debate about major tax reform would resume at the statehouse after she called a special session of the Legislature to consider an alterative plan. She promised during an interview with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s “Up To Date” news program to present a new tax package for consideration by House and Senate members.“I have made it very clear from the get-go that I will veto any bill that came to me that would put Kansas in financial jeopardy. The bill the Legislature passed would do exactly that,” the Democratic governor said. “There is absolutely no way that I would sign it. I’ll call the Legislature back into a special session to pass a good tax cut bill.”Kelly said the flurry of tax-reduction bills adopted by the 2024 Legislature would create financial problems for the state government within several years despite the current multibillion-dollar revenue surplus. She said the cumulative loss of more than $500 million annually from those bills would be unsustainable. She said it could lead to budget problems reminiscent of the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback, who led the state into a financial quagmire by aggressively reducing the state income tax without cutting spending.“We do have enough money to do a very robust tax cut, just not as much as the Legislature proposed,” Kelly told KCUR. “There’s no way in the world that I would put my signature on a bill that I think will take us back to those (Brownback) days of four-day school weeks, crumbling roads and bridges, a foster care system that was totally broken. I can’t do that. I promised the people of Kansas that I would fix things. I did and I’m not going to now break them.”There was a complex political calculus to a veto of Senate Bill 37 because it was approved by the House on a vote of 108-11 and by the Senate with a vote of 25-9. Both Republicans and Democrats have urged her to sign it into law.The bill in question would eliminate the state’s 2% sales tax on groceries on July 1 rather than Jan. 1, 2025. It would repeal the state income tax on Social Security benefits in the 2024 tax year.The bill would elevate to $100,000 the exemption from property taxes tied to the statewide school finance levy. That would be a substantive increase from the current $42,000 exemption. The property tax mill levy for education would be cut from 20 mills to 19.5 mills.It would increase the standard deduction and personal exemption on state income taxes, while lowering the state’s top income tax rate from 5.7% to 5.57%. The state’s lower income tax rate would fall from 5.25% to 5.2%.In the KCUR radio interview, Kelly said she was most concerned about the excessive cost of income tax reductions woven into bills favored by the Legislature.Republicans and Democrats who voted for the tax bill pleaded with Kelly to bend to their will. There was urgency to their plea given that all 125 House seats and all 40 Senate seats would be up for grabs in the August primary and the November general election. A quick special session wouldn’t have much impact on those campaigns, but a protracted dispute over tax policy could interfere with fundraising and campaigning.“I have voted for many income tax reduction bills this session,” said Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who also voted for SB 37. “I was hoping this would not be vetoed and it would bring tax relief to Kansas residents sooner rather than later.”The state’s tax revenue forecasters reported in mid-April that Kansas could end the current fiscal year June 30 with a surplus of $2.6 billion in the general treasury and $1.7 billion in a special rainy-day fund. Assuming state tax revenue was reduced next fiscal year by $530 million, the forecast said the state could end the upcoming fiscal year with a $1.9 billion general fund surplus and $1.8 billion in the emergency account.House Majority Leader Chris Croft, an Overland Park Republican who endorsed SB 37, said the state’s anticipated surplus left the governor with no legitimate reason to issue a veto.“Under our bipartisan tax relief plan,” Croft told constituents, “every Kansan gets a tax cut, no matter their income. Only one signature stands between you and tax relief.”Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the state government could afford tax changes contained in SB 37. He was among House members who voted for the bill.“In my experience, we don’t get many chances to give real money to real people before the big money players come to get theirs,” Probst said. “I have a real worry that if we miss this moment, most of the tax cuts will go — once again — to people who don’t need it.”

Gov. Kelly affirms plan to veto bipartisan $2.3 billion, 5-year tax reform bill

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An unusually strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch — the first in nearly 20 years. That was expected to become a warning Friday night, when the effects of the solar outburst were due to reach Earth.

NOAA already has alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions.

“As far as the worst situation expected here at Earth, that’s tough to say and I wouldn’t want to speculate on that,” said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl. “However, severe level is pretty extraordinary, It’s a very rare event to happen.”

NOAA said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning Wednesday, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth. Each eruption — known as a coronal mass ejection — can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, according to NOAA. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

The latest storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA.

The most intense solar storm in recorded history, in 1859, prompted auroras in central America and possibly even Hawaii. “That's an extreme-level event," Dahl said. “We are not anticipating that” but it could come close.

WASHINGTON —NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) — a division of the National Weather Service — is monitoring the sun following a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that began on May 8. Space weather forecasters have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g4-watch-effect-may-11">issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch</a>&nbsp;for the evening of Friday, May 10, according to a statement from the space weather prediction center. Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend.

A large sunspot cluster has produced several moderate to strong solar flares since Wednesday at 5:00 am ET. At least five flares were associated with CMEs that appear to be Earth-directed. SWPC forecasters will monitor NOAA and NASA’s space assets for the onset of a geomagnetic storm.

CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth. Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting phone communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations. 

SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action. Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth. A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715344219111.png" alt="NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite captured the eruption from the sun that occurred around 2 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2024. Credit: NOAA" />
 <figcaption>NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite captured the eruption from the sun that occurred around 2 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2024. Credit: NOAA</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An unusually strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Large sunspot groups and strong solar flares led to the issuance of SWPC&#39;s first G4 Watch since 2005... <a href="https://t.co/oi55cTPXhP">pic.twitter.com/oi55cTPXhP</a>&mdash; NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSWPC/status/1788671368629772306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch — the first in nearly 20 years. That was expected to become a warning Friday night, when the effects of the solar outburst were due to reach Earth.NOAA already has alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions.“As far as the worst situation expected here at Earth, that’s tough to say and I wouldn’t want to speculate on that,” said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl. “However, severe level is pretty extraordinary, It’s a very rare event to happen.”NOAA said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning Wednesday, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth. Each eruption — known as a coronal mass ejection — can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, according to NOAA. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.The latest storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA.The most intense solar storm in recorded history, in 1859, prompted auroras in central America and possibly even Hawaii. “That's an extreme-level event," Dahl said. “We are not anticipating that” but it could come close.---------------WASHINGTON —NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) — a division of the National Weather Service — is monitoring the sun following a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that began on May 8. Space weather forecasters have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g4-watch-effect-may-11">issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch</a>&nbsp;for the evening of Friday, May 10, according to a statement from the space weather prediction center. Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Large sunspot groups and strong solar flares led to the issuance of SWPC&#39;s first G4 Watch since 2005... <a href="https://t.co/oi55cTPXhP">pic.twitter.com/oi55cTPXhP</a>&mdash; NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSWPC/status/1788671368629772306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A large sunspot cluster has produced several moderate to strong solar flares since Wednesday at 5:00 am ET. At least five flares were associated with CMEs that appear to be Earth-directed. SWPC forecasters will monitor NOAA and NASA’s space assets for the onset of a geomagnetic storm.CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth. Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting phone communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations. SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action. Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth. A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California.&nbsp;

NOAA issues first 'severe geomagnetic storm' watch in 20 years 

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted in the fentanyl death of a teen is going to prison.

On Friday, Cameron Bryant, 28,&nbsp; Grandview, was sentenced to 11 and one half years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

A jury found him guilty of felony distribution of a drug that caused the death of 18-year-old<a href="https://www.porterfuneralhome.com/ObituaryDetails.aspx?id=60878"> Shawnee Mission East senior Olivia Piotrowski.</a> The teen died in September 2021 of a fentanyl overdose.

Prosecutors dismissed additional charges against Bryant including six&nbsp; drug-related counts for using a cell phone during the commission of a felony.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715114388503.png" alt="Bryant-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bryant-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man convicted in the fentanyl death of a teen is going to prison.On Friday, Cameron Bryant, 28,&nbsp; Grandview, was sentenced to 11 and one half years in prison, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715114857832.png" alt="Olivia Piotrowski-photo Porter Funeral Home" />
 <figcaption>Olivia Piotrowski-photo Porter Funeral Home</figcaption>
 </figure>A jury found him guilty of felony distribution of a drug that caused the death of 18-year-old<a href="https://www.porterfuneralhome.com/ObituaryDetails.aspx?id=60878"> Shawnee Mission East senior Olivia Piotrowski.</a> The teen died in September 2021 of a fentanyl overdose.Prosecutors dismissed additional charges against Bryant including six&nbsp; drug-related counts for using a cell phone during the commission of a felony.

Man sentenced in fentanyl death of Kan. high school student

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a standoff.

Just before 11p.m. May 8, police responded to 2700 W. 18th Avenue in Emporia in an attempt to locate 39-year-old Amy K. Worthy, according to Police Captain Ray Mattis.

She had warrants for her arrest through the Lyon County District Court. Officers located her inside one of the rooms of the empty hotel. Worthy would not come out to the officers when the officers announced their presence. 

She was able to evade the officers and escape to the roof. Officers attempted to negotiate with Worthy but she continued to refuse to surrender. Officers gained access to the roof and were able to get Worthy into custody. Worthy remains jailed on the outstanding warrants and interference with a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715292522805.png" alt="Worthy-photo Lyon Co." />
 <figcaption>Worthy-photo Lyon Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a standoff.Just before 11p.m. May 8, police responded to 2700 W. 18th Avenue in Emporia in an attempt to locate 39-year-old Amy K. Worthy, according to Police Captain Ray Mattis.She had warrants for her arrest through the Lyon County District Court. Officers located her inside one of the rooms of the empty hotel. Worthy would not come out to the officers when the officers announced their presence. She was able to evade the officers and escape to the roof. Officers attempted to negotiate with Worthy but she continued to refuse to surrender. Officers gained access to the roof and were able to get Worthy into custody. Worthy remains jailed on the outstanding warrants and interference with a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;

Police capture wanted woman on roof of Kansas hotel

DETROIT (AP) — The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard.

General Motors confirmed Thursday that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles.

The midsize sedan was once the top-selling segment in the U.S., a stalwart of family garages nationwide. But its sales started to decline in the early 2000s as the SUV became more prominent and pickup truck sales grew.

Now the U.S. auto market is dominated by SUVs and trucks. Full-size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet and Ram are the top selling vehicles in America, and the top-selling non pickup is Toyota's RAV4 small SUV.

Last year midsize cars made up only 8% of U.S. new vehicle sales, but it was 22% as recently as 2007, according to Motorintelligence.com. Still, Americans bought 1.3 million of the cars last year in a segment dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

GM sold just over 130,000 Malibus last year, 8.5% fewer than in 2022. Sales rose to nearly 230,000 after a redesign for the 2016 model year, but much of those were at low profits to rental car companies.

But the midsize car segment made a bit of a comeback last year with sales up almost 5%.

GM said it sold over 10 million Malibus, making nine generations since its debut.

GM's factory in Kansas City, Kansas, which now makes the Malibu and the Cadillac XT4 small SUV, will stop making the Malibu in November and the XT4 in January. The plant will get a $390 million retooling to make a new version of the Chevrolet Bolt small electric car.

The plant will begin producing the Bolt and XT4 on the same assembly line in late 2025, giving the plant the flexibility to respond to customer demands, the company said.

The Wall Street Journal reported the demise of the Malibu on Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1568480071691.png" alt="The General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant (Photo by Susan McSpadden for Chevrolet" />
 <figcaption>The General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant (Photo by Susan McSpadden for Chevrolet</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard.General Motors confirmed Thursday that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles.The midsize sedan was once the top-selling segment in the U.S., a stalwart of family garages nationwide. But its sales started to decline in the early 2000s as the SUV became more prominent and pickup truck sales grew.Now the U.S. auto market is dominated by SUVs and trucks. Full-size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet and Ram are the top selling vehicles in America, and the top-selling non pickup is Toyota's RAV4 small SUV.Last year midsize cars made up only 8% of U.S. new vehicle sales, but it was 22% as recently as 2007, according to Motorintelligence.com. Still, Americans bought 1.3 million of the cars last year in a segment dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.GM sold just over 130,000 Malibus last year, 8.5% fewer than in 2022. Sales rose to nearly 230,000 after a redesign for the 2016 model year, but much of those were at low profits to rental car companies.But the midsize car segment made a bit of a comeback last year with sales up almost 5%.GM said it sold over 10 million Malibus, making nine generations since its debut.GM's factory in Kansas City, Kansas, which now makes the Malibu and the Cadillac XT4 small SUV, will stop making the Malibu in November and the XT4 in January. The plant will get a $390 million retooling to make a new version of the Chevrolet Bolt small electric car.The plant will begin producing the Bolt and XT4 on the same assembly line in late 2025, giving the plant the flexibility to respond to customer demands, the company said.The Wall Street Journal reported the demise of the Malibu on Wednesday.

GM's plant in Kansas will end Chevy Malibu production

KANSAS CITY —An armed domestic violence suspect fired at members of the Sheriff’s Office’s Special Tactics and Response (STAR) team during a stand-off that began Tuesday night and stretched into Wednesday morning, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

Just after 9 p.m. May 7, a woman reported a man had assaulted and shot at her in a home in the 700 block of Jessie Circle in Kearney.

 She escaped to a neighbor’s house and called police. She was not struck by the gunfire. The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Scott Blau was armed and refused to come out. Kearney Police requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office STAR Team.

The STAR Team and the Sheriff’s Office negotiators came to the scene. Negotiators spent several hours trying to make contact with Blau. They had information another person could be inside the house. Deputies eventually began deploying tactics to get the suspect to exit the home. They then heard multiple gunshots and saw glass broken out from where Blau had fired through a window at them.

Blau later came into the open garage with a gun in hand. When confronted by deputies, he dropped the gun after being struck by beanbag rounds. After a brief struggle, deputies were able to get him into custody at about 3:30 a.m. May 9. A search of the house revealed no one else was inside.

Blau was transported to the hospital to be checked out before being booked into the Clay County Detention Center on requested charges of domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action, assault on a law enforcement officer and other weapons violations. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715280306292.png" alt="Photo Clay County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Clay County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —An armed domestic violence suspect fired at members of the Sheriff’s Office’s Special Tactics and Response (STAR) team during a stand-off that began Tuesday night and stretched into Wednesday morning, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.No deputies were hit by the gunfire.Just after 9 p.m. May 7, a woman reported a man had assaulted and shot at her in a home in the 700 block of Jessie Circle in Kearney. She escaped to a neighbor’s house and called police. She was not struck by the gunfire. The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Scott Blau was armed and refused to come out. Kearney Police requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office STAR Team.The STAR Team and the Sheriff’s Office negotiators came to the scene. Negotiators spent several hours trying to make contact with Blau. They had information another person could be inside the house. Deputies eventually began deploying tactics to get the suspect to exit the home. They then heard multiple gunshots and saw glass broken out from where Blau had fired through a window at them.Blau later came into the open garage with a gun in hand. When confronted by deputies, he dropped the gun after being struck by beanbag rounds. After a brief struggle, deputies were able to get him into custody at about 3:30 a.m. May 9. A search of the house revealed no one else was inside.Blau was transported to the hospital to be checked out before being booked into the Clay County Detention Center on requested charges of domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action, assault on a law enforcement officer and other weapons violations. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.&nbsp;

Domestic assault suspect fired at deputies near Kansas City

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has challenged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to a head-to-head debate for when both address a Libertarian convention later this month, a move that comes as the presumptive GOP nominee has ramped up both criticism of Kennedy's independent bid and demands that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;meet him on a debate stage.

Arguing that he is “drawing a lot of voters from your former supporters,” Kennedy said to Trump in an open letter posted Tuesday to X that the Libertarian convention provides “perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters.”

Trump has been bullish in calling on Biden to debate him ahead of the November general election but has shied away from other rivals’ previous debate entreaties. Trump skipped the 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-republican-primary-debate-9b6c7e74c7ce908cd082df3bb192535f" target="_blank">GOP primary debates</a>, saying it was unnecessary because voters know him and his record.

Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft. Polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnson’s support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide.

In the open letter to Trump, Kennedy said their debate could “show the American public that at least two of the major candidates aren’t afraid to debate each other." Kennedy wrote that convention organizers "are game for us to use our time there to bring the American people the debate they deserve!”

Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Libertarian Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Kennedy's debate challenge.

Kennedy and Trump are scheduled to appear on separate days before attendees at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-libertarian-rfk-jr-voters-gop-biden-659e6f19dec85344bfe1f93e0ea1c0a1" target="_blank">Libertarian National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C. later this month. Both candidates have been courting support from libertarian-leaning voters, although Kennedy — who is working to appear on all 50 ballots, a state-by-state petition process — has ruled out officially running as a Libertarian candidate.

In recent weeks, Trump's campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-presidential-campaign-independent-2024-30d940109c4956de9c81f332ec418463" target="_blank">looking for an alternative</a>&nbsp;to the pending rematch of the 2020 election.

Last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden." MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump's candidacy, has also issued its own critical posts and created an anti-Kennedy website.

Leaving court one day last week after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a" target="_blank">hush money trial</a>, Trump told reporters asking about Kennedy’s campaign that he didn’t feel threatened by it, pointing to polling.

“He might hurt me, I don’t know. But he has very low numbers, certainly not numbers that he can debate with, and he’s got to get his numbers up a lot higher before he’s credible,” Trump said. “The numbers that he’s taking away, they say will be against Biden. I don’t know, it could be a little bit against me, but I don’t see him as a factor.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711482471368.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has challenged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to a head-to-head debate for when both address a Libertarian convention later this month, a move that comes as the presumptive GOP nominee has ramped up both criticism of Kennedy's independent bid and demands that President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden" target="_blank">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;meet him on a debate stage.Arguing that he is “drawing a lot of voters from your former supporters,” Kennedy said to Trump in an open letter posted Tuesday to X that the Libertarian convention provides “perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters.”Trump has been bullish in calling on Biden to debate him ahead of the November general election but has shied away from other rivals’ previous debate entreaties. Trump skipped the 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-republican-primary-debate-9b6c7e74c7ce908cd082df3bb192535f" target="_blank">GOP primary debates</a>, saying it was unnecessary because voters know him and his record.Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft. Polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnson’s support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide.In the open letter to Trump, Kennedy said their debate could “show the American public that at least two of the major candidates aren’t afraid to debate each other." Kennedy wrote that convention organizers "are game for us to use our time there to bring the American people the debate they deserve!”Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Libertarian Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Kennedy's debate challenge.Kennedy and Trump are scheduled to appear on separate days before attendees at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-libertarian-rfk-jr-voters-gop-biden-659e6f19dec85344bfe1f93e0ea1c0a1" target="_blank">Libertarian National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C. later this month. Both candidates have been courting support from libertarian-leaning voters, although Kennedy — who is working to appear on all 50 ballots, a state-by-state petition process — has ruled out officially running as a Libertarian candidate.In recent weeks, Trump's campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-presidential-campaign-independent-2024-30d940109c4956de9c81f332ec418463" target="_blank">looking for an alternative</a>&nbsp;to the pending rematch of the 2020 election.Last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “RFK Jr. is a Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden." MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump's candidacy, has also issued its own critical posts and created an anti-Kennedy website.Leaving court one day last week after his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-stormy-daniels-cohen-9be06e3d33c25af7060552a44001cc1a" target="_blank">hush money trial</a>, Trump told reporters asking about Kennedy’s campaign that he didn’t feel threatened by it, pointing to polling.“He might hurt me, I don’t know. But he has very low numbers, certainly not numbers that he can debate with, and he’s got to get his numbers up a lot higher before he’s credible,” Trump said. “The numbers that he’s taking away, they say will be against Biden. I don’t know, it could be a little bit against me, but I don’t see him as a factor.”___