SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

On Tuesday,&nbsp;the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 2100 Block of SE Ohio Avenue in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

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

As a result, John Mims, 44 years of age, and Misty Ortega, 46 years of age, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Mims is jailed on requested charges of Possession of cocaine, Possession of Marijuana&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia

Ortega was jailed on a Shawnee County Arrest Warrant

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692798211089.png" alt="Mims-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Mims-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.On Tuesday,&nbsp;the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 2100 Block of SE Ohio Avenue in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.While conducting the search warrants, officers located cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692798189772.png" alt="Ortega-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ortega-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result, John Mims, 44 years of age, and Misty Ortega, 46 years of age, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Mims is jailed on requested charges of Possession of cocaine, Possession of Marijuana&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernaliaOrtega was jailed on a Shawnee County Arrest Warrant

Police found cocaine, marijuana at Kansas home

ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's lawyer and confidant, turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">then-President Trump's loss</a>&nbsp;in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

The former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">indicted last week</a>&nbsp;along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-indictment-meadows-guiliani-084efc6796becef3714196cee3854cf6">17 others</a>. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020.

Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000.

Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump.

Other high-profile defendants also surrendered Wednesday, including Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, and lawyer Sidney Powell, accused of making false statements about the election in Georgia and helping to organize a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-lawsuits-donald-trump-voting-6a1324cc6cf45c95ca086a5c81617b15">breach of voting equipment</a>&nbsp;in rural Coffee County.

Georgia was one of several key states Trump lost by slim margins, prompting the Republican and his allies to proclaim, without evidence, that the election was rigged in favor of his Democratic rival Biden.

Giuliani is charged with making false statements and soliciting false testimony, conspiring to create phony paperwork and asking state lawmakers to violate their oath of office to appoint an alternate slate of pro-Trump electors.

Outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday afternoon, Giuliani laughed when asked if he regretted allying himself with Trump.

“I am very, very honored to be involved in this case because this case is a fight for our way of life," Giuliani told reporters. "This indictment is a travesty. It’s an attack on -- not just me, not just President Trump, not just the people in this indictment, some of whom I don’t even know – this is an attack on the American people."

After Giuliani's surrender, Trump repeated his unfounded claims that the election was rigged and stolen and wrote on his social media site, “The greatest Mayor in the history of New York City was just ARRESTED in Atlanta, Georgia, because he fought for Election Integrity.”

Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">the early front-runner</a>&nbsp;in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bond-georgia-election-indictment-79dbb26a14b5a4ccfc1472d6d3eacd2b">plans to turn himself in</a>&nbsp;at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He and his allies have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have heavily criticized District Attorney Willis, a Democrat.

Also Wednesday, Willis’ team urged a judge to reject requests from two of the people indicted — former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark — to avoid having to be booked in jail while they fight to move the case to federal court.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones quickly rejected Clark's request. He wrote that until a federal court takes jurisdiction over a case that originates in state court, the state court proceedings continue. No ruling on Meadows' request was immediately available in online court records.

Willis has set a deadline of noon on Friday for the people indicted last week in the election subversion case to turn themselves in. Her team has been negotiating bond amounts and conditions with the lawyers for the defendants before they surrender at the jail.

Misty Hampton, who was the Coffee County elections director when a breach of election equipment happened there, had her bond set at $10,000. David Shafer, who's a former Georgia Republican Party chair and served as one of 16 fake electors for Trump, and Cathy Latham, who's accused in the Coffee County breach and was also a fake elector, turned themselves in Wednesday morning. Also surrendering Wednesday were lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors said helped organize the fake electors meeting at the state Capitol in December 2020.

Attorney John Eastman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-biden-elections-government-and-politics-presidential-42911f613bee85913dcbcbaeed096b2c">pushed a plan to keep</a>&nbsp;Trump in power, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in the breach of election equipment in Coffee County,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-indictment-fulton-county-clark-7641b5c61dbcc39ee3f0edbe51558925">turned themselves in</a>&nbsp;Tuesday.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has said it will release booking photos at 4 p.m. each day, but Shafer&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidShafer/status/1694303972427763731">appeared to post his</a>&nbsp;on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday with the message, “Good morning! #NewProfilePicture.”

While Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere are calling for Willis to be punished for indicting Trump, a group of Black pastors and community activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday to pray for and proclaim their support for the Democratic prosecutor.

Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads Georgia’s African Methodist Episcopal churches, said that Willis is under attack “as a result of her courage and determination.”

Former White House chief of staff Meadows and former Justice Department official Clark are seeking to move their cases from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. Both argue the actions that gave rise to the charges in the indictment were related to their work as federal officials and that the state charges against them should be dismissed.

While those motions are pending, they argue, they should not have to turn themselves in for booking at the Fulton County Jail.

In a filing Wednesday, Willis' team argued that Meadows has failed to demonstrate any hardship that would authorize the judge to prevent his arrest. The filing notes that other defendants, including Trump, had agreed to voluntarily surrender by the deadline.

In a second filing, Willis' team argued that Clark's effort to halt any Fulton County proceedings while his motion is pending amounts to an attempt “to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested or subject to the mandatory state criminal process."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692827609455.png" alt="Giuliani-photo Fulton Co." />
 <figcaption>Giuliani-photo Fulton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's lawyer and confidant, turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">then-President Trump's loss</a>&nbsp;in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.The former New York mayor, who was one referred to as 'America's Mayor, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">indicted last week</a>&nbsp;along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-indictment-meadows-guiliani-084efc6796becef3714196cee3854cf6">17 others</a>. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020.Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000.Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump.Other high-profile defendants also surrendered Wednesday, including Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, and lawyer Sidney Powell, accused of making false statements about the election in Georgia and helping to organize a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-lawsuits-donald-trump-voting-6a1324cc6cf45c95ca086a5c81617b15">breach of voting equipment</a>&nbsp;in rural Coffee County.Georgia was one of several key states Trump lost by slim margins, prompting the Republican and his allies to proclaim, without evidence, that the election was rigged in favor of his Democratic rival Biden.Giuliani is charged with making false statements and soliciting false testimony, conspiring to create phony paperwork and asking state lawmakers to violate their oath of office to appoint an alternate slate of pro-Trump electors.Outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday afternoon, Giuliani laughed when asked if he regretted allying himself with Trump.“I am very, very honored to be involved in this case because this case is a fight for our way of life," Giuliani told reporters. "This indictment is a travesty. It’s an attack on -- not just me, not just President Trump, not just the people in this indictment, some of whom I don’t even know – this is an attack on the American people."After Giuliani's surrender, Trump repeated his unfounded claims that the election was rigged and stolen and wrote on his social media site, “The greatest Mayor in the history of New York City was just ARRESTED in Atlanta, Georgia, because he fought for Election Integrity.”Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-presidential-candidates-who-is-running-e89fbfee94e7e7980594a9ce3994fec7">the early front-runner</a>&nbsp;in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bond-georgia-election-indictment-79dbb26a14b5a4ccfc1472d6d3eacd2b">plans to turn himself in</a>&nbsp;at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He and his allies have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have heavily criticized District Attorney Willis, a Democrat.Also Wednesday, Willis’ team urged a judge to reject requests from two of the people indicted — former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark — to avoid having to be booked in jail while they fight to move the case to federal court.U.S. District Judge Steve Jones quickly rejected Clark's request. He wrote that until a federal court takes jurisdiction over a case that originates in state court, the state court proceedings continue. No ruling on Meadows' request was immediately available in online court records.Willis has set a deadline of noon on Friday for the people indicted last week in the election subversion case to turn themselves in. Her team has been negotiating bond amounts and conditions with the lawyers for the defendants before they surrender at the jail.Misty Hampton, who was the Coffee County elections director when a breach of election equipment happened there, had her bond set at $10,000. David Shafer, who's a former Georgia Republican Party chair and served as one of 16 fake electors for Trump, and Cathy Latham, who's accused in the Coffee County breach and was also a fake elector, turned themselves in Wednesday morning. Also surrendering Wednesday were lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors said helped organize the fake electors meeting at the state Capitol in December 2020.Attorney John Eastman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-biden-elections-government-and-politics-presidential-42911f613bee85913dcbcbaeed096b2c">pushed a plan to keep</a>&nbsp;Trump in power, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in the breach of election equipment in Coffee County,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-indictment-fulton-county-clark-7641b5c61dbcc39ee3f0edbe51558925">turned themselves in</a>&nbsp;Tuesday.The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has said it will release booking photos at 4 p.m. each day, but Shafer&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidShafer/status/1694303972427763731">appeared to post his</a>&nbsp;on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday with the message, “Good morning! #NewProfilePicture.”While Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere are calling for Willis to be punished for indicting Trump, a group of Black pastors and community activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday to pray for and proclaim their support for the Democratic prosecutor.Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads Georgia’s African Methodist Episcopal churches, said that Willis is under attack “as a result of her courage and determination.”Former White House chief of staff Meadows and former Justice Department official Clark are seeking to move their cases from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. Both argue the actions that gave rise to the charges in the indictment were related to their work as federal officials and that the state charges against them should be dismissed.While those motions are pending, they argue, they should not have to turn themselves in for booking at the Fulton County Jail.In a filing Wednesday, Willis' team argued that Meadows has failed to demonstrate any hardship that would authorize the judge to prevent his arrest. The filing notes that other defendants, including Trump, had agreed to voluntarily surrender by the deadline.In a second filing, Willis' team argued that Clark's effort to halt any Fulton County proceedings while his motion is pending amounts to an attempt “to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested or subject to the mandatory state criminal process."

'America's Mayor' surrenders in Georgia election meddling case

SEDGWICK COUNTY (AP) The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5128807ebf924161b11fa833d1bdcf74">BTK serial killer</a>&nbsp;has been named the “prime suspect” in at least two unsolved cases, including one in Oklahoma that led authorities to dig this week near his former Kansas property in Park City, authorities announced Wednesday.

Osage County, Oklahoma, Undersheriff Gary Upton told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the investigation into whether Dennis Rader was responsible for additional crimes started with the re-examination last year of the 1976 disappearance of Cynthia Kinney in Pawhuska. The case, which was investigated on and off over the years, was reopened in December.

Upton said the investigation “spiraled out from there” into other unsolved murders and missing persons cases."

“We sit just on the other side of the state line from Kansas and Wichita, which is his stomping grounds. And so yeah, we were following leads based off of our investigations and just unpacked other missing persons and murders, unsolved homicides that possibly point towards BTK,” he said.

Upton said another case that is being re-examined is the death of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber, whose body was discovered in December 1990 in McDonald County, Missouri. An autopsy revealed she had been raped, strangled and restrained with different bindings about two months before her body was found. Her remains weren’t identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47002f904b246b385b7342d42cf8b1e4">until 2021</a>.

Rader, a city code inspector in Kansas, was arrested in February 2005 — a year after resuming communications with police and the media after going silent years earlier. In earlier communications, he gave himself the nickname BTK — for "bind, torture and kill.″

Rader, now 78, ultimately confessed to 10 killings in the Wichita area, which is about 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of Pawhuska. The crimes occurred between 1974 and 1991.

He was sentenced in August 2005 to 10 consecutive life prison terms. Kansas had no death penalty at the time of the murders. His earliest possible release date is listed for the year 2180.

An Associated Press phone message seeking comment from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office was not immediately returned Wednesday.

Upton declined to say how many other missing person and homicide cases are being re-examined.

“At this stage,” he said later in a news release, “Dennis Rader is considered a prime suspect in these unsolved cases, including the Cynthia Dawn Kinney case from Pawhuska.” The news release did not specifically say whether Rader is a prime suspect in Garber’s death, but he later told the AP that he is a prime suspect in two cases and “maybe more.”

No information has been released yet about what the search Tuesday in Park City uncovered. Upton described them in the news release only as “items of interest.” The release said the items would undergo a thorough examination to determine their potential relevance.

Upton also said his department is working with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The KBI didn’t immediately respond to an email message from the AP seeking comment.

Phil Bostian, the police chief in the Wichita suburb of Park City, said that Osage County called them as a courtesy and said they asked public works to move some cement and do a little digging.

Police there didn't immediately return a phone message from the AP seeking comment.

The Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense didn’t immediately return a phone message inquiring about Rader still has an attorney representing him.

Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rawson, told the Wichita Eagle that she worked with investigators this summer by meeting with her father in person and communicating with him for the first time in years. Rawson told Fox News that she believes investigators were looking for items related to the unsolved cases that Rader may have kept and buried on his property under a metal shed he built. The shed and Rader’s former home have been leveled.

Rawson said she also told investigators to check where Rader buried the family dog. She said she hopes investigators can determine if her father is linked to any of these other cases. “I’m still not 100% sure my dad did commit any more at this point,” she said to the newspaper, adding: “If my dad has harmed somebody else, we need answers.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Oklahoma continue to follow leads of missing persons that could be related to convicted serial killer Dennis Rader, according to Osage County, Oklahoma Undersheriff Gary Upton.&nbsp;

The investigation started with the re-examination last year of the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The case, which was investigated on and off over the years, was reopened in December.

Upston said the investigation “spiraled out from there” into other unsolved murders and missing persons cases.

Osage County investigators notified the Park City, Kansas police department they wanted to excavate portions of the property at 6220 north Independence Street in Park City, according to Police Chief Phil Bostian.&nbsp;

The property, formerly owned by Rader is now owned by the city.&nbsp; The house is no longer there.&nbsp; Osage County authorities also asked for help with the digging from the Park City public works department.&nbsp; 

Investigators completed their work Tuesday. On Wednesday, Undersheriff Upton said they may have an update soon on the result of their work. He did not say what they were looking for or what case they were investigating.

Rader, who is now 78, referred to himself as BTK, and was known for binding and torturing his victims.&nbsp; He is being held in the El Dorado Correctional facility after being convicted of ten murders, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692794360261.png" alt="Convicted serial killer Dennis Rader-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Convicted serial killer Dennis Rader-photo Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY (AP) The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/5128807ebf924161b11fa833d1bdcf74">BTK serial killer</a>&nbsp;has been named the “prime suspect” in at least two unsolved cases, including one in Oklahoma that led authorities to dig this week near his former Kansas property in Park City, authorities announced Wednesday.Osage County, Oklahoma, Undersheriff Gary Upton told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the investigation into whether Dennis Rader was responsible for additional crimes started with the re-examination last year of the 1976 disappearance of Cynthia Kinney in Pawhuska. The case, which was investigated on and off over the years, was reopened in December.Upton said the investigation “spiraled out from there” into other unsolved murders and missing persons cases."“We sit just on the other side of the state line from Kansas and Wichita, which is his stomping grounds. And so yeah, we were following leads based off of our investigations and just unpacked other missing persons and murders, unsolved homicides that possibly point towards BTK,” he said.Upton said another case that is being re-examined is the death of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber, whose body was discovered in December 1990 in McDonald County, Missouri. An autopsy revealed she had been raped, strangled and restrained with different bindings about two months before her body was found. Her remains weren’t identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47002f904b246b385b7342d42cf8b1e4">until 2021</a>.Rader, a city code inspector in Kansas, was arrested in February 2005 — a year after resuming communications with police and the media after going silent years earlier. In earlier communications, he gave himself the nickname BTK — for "bind, torture and kill.″Rader, now 78, ultimately confessed to 10 killings in the Wichita area, which is about 90 miles (144.84 kilometers) north of Pawhuska. The crimes occurred between 1974 and 1991.He was sentenced in August 2005 to 10 consecutive life prison terms. Kansas had no death penalty at the time of the murders. His earliest possible release date is listed for the year 2180.An Associated Press phone message seeking comment from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office was not immediately returned Wednesday.Upton declined to say how many other missing person and homicide cases are being re-examined.“At this stage,” he said later in a news release, “Dennis Rader is considered a prime suspect in these unsolved cases, including the Cynthia Dawn Kinney case from Pawhuska.” The news release did not specifically say whether Rader is a prime suspect in Garber’s death, but he later told the AP that he is a prime suspect in two cases and “maybe more.”No information has been released yet about what the search Tuesday in Park City uncovered. Upton described them in the news release only as “items of interest.” The release said the items would undergo a thorough examination to determine their potential relevance.Upton also said his department is working with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The KBI didn’t immediately respond to an email message from the AP seeking comment.Phil Bostian, the police chief in the Wichita suburb of Park City, said that Osage County called them as a courtesy and said they asked public works to move some cement and do a little digging.Police there didn't immediately return a phone message from the AP seeking comment.The Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense didn’t immediately return a phone message inquiring about Rader still has an attorney representing him.Rader’s daughter, Kerri Rawson, told the Wichita Eagle that she worked with investigators this summer by meeting with her father in person and communicating with him for the first time in years. Rawson told Fox News that she believes investigators were looking for items related to the unsolved cases that Rader may have kept and buried on his property under a metal shed he built. The shed and Rader’s former home have been leveled.Rawson said she also told investigators to check where Rader buried the family dog. She said she hopes investigators can determine if her father is linked to any of these other cases. “I’m still not 100% sure my dad did commit any more at this point,” she said to the newspaper, adding: “If my dad has harmed somebody else, we need answers.”---------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Oklahoma continue to follow leads of missing persons that could be related to convicted serial killer Dennis Rader, according to Osage County, Oklahoma Undersheriff Gary Upton.&nbsp;The investigation started with the re-examination last year of the 1976 disappearance of 16-year-old Cynthia Kinney in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The case, which was investigated on and off over the years, was reopened in December.Upston said the investigation “spiraled out from there” into other unsolved murders and missing persons cases.Osage County investigators notified the Park City, Kansas police department they wanted to excavate portions of the property at 6220 north Independence Street in Park City, according to Police Chief Phil Bostian.&nbsp;The property, formerly owned by Rader is now owned by the city.&nbsp; The house is no longer there.&nbsp; Osage County authorities also asked for help with the digging from the Park City public works department.&nbsp; Investigators completed their work Tuesday. On Wednesday, Undersheriff Upton said they may have an update soon on the result of their work. He did not say what they were looking for or what case they were investigating.Rader, who is now 78, referred to himself as BTK, and was known for binding and torturing his victims.&nbsp; He is being held in the El Dorado Correctional facility after being convicted of ten murders, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kan. serial killer a ‘prime suspect’ in 2 unsolved cases

BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Justice Melissa Standridge on Tuesday announced plans for a two-day summit next year to brainstorm innovative solutions for problems surrounding child welfare in Kansas.

Standridge said the summit would be a collaboration among the three branches of government, the legal community, child welfare partners and experts, and families and children with lived experience within the foster care system.

She announced the summit during a daylong training program on child welfare law in Topeka, where she was joined by&nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert, Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard, Senate President Ty Masterson, and House Majority Leader Chris Croft.

Standridge said her enthusiasm for the summit was driven by her personal experience as a foster and adoptive parent, extensive pro bono work as an attorney for parents, and the application of child welfare law in more than 100 cases as a Court of Appeals judge and Supreme Court justice.

“There’s not much that gets me more energized than helping families and children who are struggling,” Standridge said.

The two-day summit is scheduled for April 15 and 16 in Topeka.

Standridge said it would involve a team from each of the 31 judicial districts in the state, and teams would include a child in need of care judge, child in need of care prosecutor, parent attorney, guardian ad litem, DCF representative, caseworker from a foster care contractor, local law enforcement officer, court-appointed special advocate, Citizen Review Board member and court services officer.

The teams will collaborate with individuals from county health departments, schools, juvenile justice system, mental health providers, managed care providers and the Legislature, as well as former foster kids, biological and foster families, and faith-based organizations.

Luckert said plans for the summit evolved from a phone call she received earlier this year from Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican, who wanted to discuss the judicial branch’s perspective on some of the issues she saw in the child welfare system.

“The design of the summit is to bring together people from a broad spectrum of views that are involved with the child welfare system to talk about how we can create better paths forward,” Luckert said. “Having all perspectives at the table is critical.”

Masterson said he hoped to set aside the dynamics of the 2024 election year and find bipartisan solutions.

The Andover Republican made Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s failure to fix the foster care system&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/23/governors-race-schmidt-denounces-kellys-approach-to-flaws-in-kansas-foster-care-system/">a talking point during last year’s gubernatorial campaign</a>. But on Tuesday, he blamed “the media” for using foster care “as a political football.”

“The tragedy we have is these things become politically engaged,” Masterson said. “It really is a tragedy, because these kids, they don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, or if your title is senator, governor, chief, it doesn’t matter. They need help. That’s where the focus needs to be.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692804441077.png" alt="Kansas Supreme Court Justice Melissa Standridge announces at an Aug. 22, 2023, conference in Topeka that a child welfare summit will take place next year. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Supreme Court Justice Melissa Standridge announces at an Aug. 22, 2023, conference in Topeka that a child welfare summit will take place next year. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Supreme Court Justice Melissa Standridge on Tuesday announced plans for a two-day summit next year to brainstorm innovative solutions for problems surrounding child welfare in Kansas.Standridge said the summit would be a collaboration among the three branches of government, the legal community, child welfare partners and experts, and families and children with lived experience within the foster care system.She announced the summit during a daylong training program on child welfare law in Topeka, where she was joined by&nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert, Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard, Senate President Ty Masterson, and House Majority Leader Chris Croft.Standridge said her enthusiasm for the summit was driven by her personal experience as a foster and adoptive parent, extensive pro bono work as an attorney for parents, and the application of child welfare law in more than 100 cases as a Court of Appeals judge and Supreme Court justice.“There’s not much that gets me more energized than helping families and children who are struggling,” Standridge said.The two-day summit is scheduled for April 15 and 16 in Topeka.Standridge said it would involve a team from each of the 31 judicial districts in the state, and teams would include a child in need of care judge, child in need of care prosecutor, parent attorney, guardian ad litem, DCF representative, caseworker from a foster care contractor, local law enforcement officer, court-appointed special advocate, Citizen Review Board member and court services officer.The teams will collaborate with individuals from county health departments, schools, juvenile justice system, mental health providers, managed care providers and the Legislature, as well as former foster kids, biological and foster families, and faith-based organizations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692804497865.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson says he hopes to overcome election year dynamics and find bipartisan solutions to foster care problems. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson says he hopes to overcome election year dynamics and find bipartisan solutions to foster care problems. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Luckert said plans for the summit evolved from a phone call she received earlier this year from Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican, who wanted to discuss the judicial branch’s perspective on some of the issues she saw in the child welfare system.“The design of the summit is to bring together people from a broad spectrum of views that are involved with the child welfare system to talk about how we can create better paths forward,” Luckert said. “Having all perspectives at the table is critical.”Masterson said he hoped to set aside the dynamics of the 2024 election year and find bipartisan solutions.The Andover Republican made Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s failure to fix the foster care system&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/23/governors-race-schmidt-denounces-kellys-approach-to-flaws-in-kansas-foster-care-system/">a talking point during last year’s gubernatorial campaign</a>. But on Tuesday, he blamed “the media” for using foster care “as a political football.”“The tragedy we have is these things become politically engaged,” Masterson said. “It really is a tragedy, because these kids, they don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, or if your title is senator, governor, chief, it doesn’t matter. They need help. That’s where the focus needs to be.”

Kansas Supreme Court plans child welfare summit 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp; Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas is glad to see prices at the pump start to give some relief to drivers.

"For drivers, we're in a good trend," Steward said. "In terms of gas prices, we've seen them fall over the past couple of weeks after a couple of months of headed upward, which certainly got people's attention, because we had some pretty big jumps there. Right now, we're at $3.60 a gallon on average in Kansas and that's down six cents from a week ago."

Kansas currently has the 13th&nbsp;lowest average gas price in the nation.&nbsp;

"Crude oil prices, we are at about $79 per barrel," Steward said. "A couple weeks ago, we were in the $83 per barrel range. That reduction in crude oil prices has, it looks like, started to show up at the gas pumps in terms of a little bit lower prices."

Though the remnants of Harold are still breaking up in Texas, there hasn't been a reason for the weather to stop oil refining yet this season.

"Thus far, we haven't seen any tropical impact to the refineries on the Gulf Coast, fortunately," Steward said.

Between the potential for a demand bump with Labor Day and the Atlantic hurricane season still active, it's not clear whether this week's drop can be sustained in the near term.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp; Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas is glad to see prices at the pump start to give some relief to drivers."For drivers, we're in a good trend," Steward said. "In terms of gas prices, we've seen them fall over the past couple of weeks after a couple of months of headed upward, which certainly got people's attention, because we had some pretty big jumps there. Right now, we're at $3.60 a gallon on average in Kansas and that's down six cents from a week ago."Kansas currently has the 13th&nbsp;lowest average gas price in the nation.&nbsp;"Crude oil prices, we are at about $79 per barrel," Steward said. "A couple weeks ago, we were in the $83 per barrel range. That reduction in crude oil prices has, it looks like, started to show up at the gas pumps in terms of a little bit lower prices."Though the remnants of Harold are still breaking up in Texas, there hasn't been a reason for the weather to stop oil refining yet this season."Thus far, we haven't seen any tropical impact to the refineries on the Gulf Coast, fortunately," Steward said.Between the potential for a demand bump with Labor Day and the Atlantic hurricane season still active, it's not clear whether this week's drop can be sustained in the near term.

AAA: Gas prices in Kansas headed down

MOSCOW (AP) —Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-russia-nuclear-647a545db4e4628676ff7db5b1bded34">brief armed rebellion</a>&nbsp;against the Russian military earlier this year, was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency.

The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.

At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped, and the Wagner chief was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping back in Russia from time to time.

The crash also comes after Russian media reported that a top general linked to Prigozhin was dismissed from his position as commander of the air force.

A plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers that was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg went down more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the capital, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass.

Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, quickly reported that he was on the manifest and later said that, according to airline, he was indeed on board.

Earlier, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine, said he talked to Wagner commanders who also confirmed that Prigozhin was aboard. Prigozhin's top associate, Dmitry Utkin, whose call sign Wagner became the company’s name, was as well, according to Rogov.

“We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised,” said U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

Keir Giles, a Russia expert with the international affairs think-tank Chatham House, had urged caution about reports of Prigozhin’s death. He said “multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels.”

“Let’s not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa,” Giles said.

Flight tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed a private jet that Prigozhin had used previously took off from Moscow on Wednesday evening and its transponder signal disappeared minutes later.

The signal stopped suddenly while the plane was at altitude and traveling at speed. In an image posted by a pro-Wagner social media account showing burning wreckage, a partial tail number matching a jet previously used by Prigozhin could be seen.

Videos shared by the pro-Wagner Telegram channel Grey Zone showed a plane dropping like a stone from a large cloud of smoke, twisting widely as it falls. Such freefalls can occur when an aircraft sustains severe damage, and a frame-by-frame analysis by The AP of two videos were consistent with some sort of explosion mid-flight. The images appeared to show the plane is missing a wing.

Russia’s Investigative Committee opened an investigation into the crash on charges of violating air safety rules, as is typical when they open such probes.

Even if confirmed, Prigozhin’s death is unlikely to have an effect on Russia's war in Ukraine, where his forces fought some of the fiercest battles over the last 18 months.

His troops pulled back from front-line action after capturing Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region, in late May. Bakhmut had been the subject of arguably the bloodiest battles in the entire war, with the Russian forces struggling to seize it for months.

After the rebellion, Russian officials said his fighters would only be able to return to Ukraine as part of the regular army.

This week, Prigozhin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wagner-russian-mercenaries-prigozhin-africa-c6292738226d03a141d01122adb6fd4b">posted his first recruitment video since the mutiny</a>, saying that Wagner is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wagner-russia-coup-niger-military-force-e0e1108b58a9e955af465a3efe6605c0">Africa</a>&nbsp;even more free.”

Also this week, Russian media reported, citing anonymous sources, that Gen. Sergei Surovikin was dismissed from his position of the commander of Russia's air force. Surovikin, who at one point led Russia's operation in Ukraine, hasn't been seen in public since the mutiny, when he recorded a video address urging Prigozhin's forces to pull back.

As news of the crash was breaking, Putin spoke at an event commemorating the Battle of Kursk, hailing the heroes of Russia's war in Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sept. of 2022&nbsp; via AP" />
 <figcaption>Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sept. of 2022&nbsp; via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) —Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-war-russia-nuclear-647a545db4e4628676ff7db5b1bded34">brief armed rebellion</a>&nbsp;against the Russian military earlier this year, was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency.The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as “treason” and a “stab in the back” and vowed to avenge it. But the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped, and the Wagner chief was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping back in Russia from time to time.The crash also comes after Russian media reported that a top general linked to Prigozhin was dismissed from his position as commander of the air force.A plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers that was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg went down more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the capital, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass.Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, quickly reported that he was on the manifest and later said that, according to airline, he was indeed on board.Earlier, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine, said he talked to Wagner commanders who also confirmed that Prigozhin was aboard. Prigozhin's top associate, Dmitry Utkin, whose call sign Wagner became the company’s name, was as well, according to Rogov.“We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised,” said U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.Keir Giles, a Russia expert with the international affairs think-tank Chatham House, had urged caution about reports of Prigozhin’s death. He said “multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels.”“Let’s not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa,” Giles said.Flight tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed a private jet that Prigozhin had used previously took off from Moscow on Wednesday evening and its transponder signal disappeared minutes later.The signal stopped suddenly while the plane was at altitude and traveling at speed. In an image posted by a pro-Wagner social media account showing burning wreckage, a partial tail number matching a jet previously used by Prigozhin could be seen.Videos shared by the pro-Wagner Telegram channel Grey Zone showed a plane dropping like a stone from a large cloud of smoke, twisting widely as it falls. Such freefalls can occur when an aircraft sustains severe damage, and a frame-by-frame analysis by The AP of two videos were consistent with some sort of explosion mid-flight. The images appeared to show the plane is missing a wing.Russia’s Investigative Committee opened an investigation into the crash on charges of violating air safety rules, as is typical when they open such probes.Even if confirmed, Prigozhin’s death is unlikely to have an effect on Russia's war in Ukraine, where his forces fought some of the fiercest battles over the last 18 months.His troops pulled back from front-line action after capturing Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region, in late May. Bakhmut had been the subject of arguably the bloodiest battles in the entire war, with the Russian forces struggling to seize it for months.After the rebellion, Russian officials said his fighters would only be able to return to Ukraine as part of the regular army.This week, Prigozhin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wagner-russian-mercenaries-prigozhin-africa-c6292738226d03a141d01122adb6fd4b">posted his first recruitment video since the mutiny</a>, saying that Wagner is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wagner-russia-coup-niger-military-force-e0e1108b58a9e955af465a3efe6605c0">Africa</a>&nbsp;even more free.”Also this week, Russian media reported, citing anonymous sources, that Gen. Sergei Surovikin was dismissed from his position of the commander of Russia's air force. Surovikin, who at one point led Russia's operation in Ukraine, hasn't been seen in public since the mutiny, when he recorded a video address urging Prigozhin's forces to pull back.As news of the crash was breaking, Putin spoke at an event commemorating the Battle of Kursk, hailing the heroes of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Report: Putin foe who staged mutiny dies in plane crash

By&nbsp;CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — A $5.2 million gift to Creighton University, from a family whose name is known also for growing ConAgra Foods, will create a new scholarship fund to help meet a critical need for Nebraska nursing leaders.

The Harper Family Foundation gift was described as historic based on its size, being one of the largest gifts made to the College of Nursing.

The scholarship program will pay for the bulk of tuition costs for 30 nursing students, from their arrival on Creighton’s campus to graduation day.

“Creighton nurses are leaders who advance quickly at the hospitals and clinics where they practice,” said Catherine Todero, dean of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://degrees.creighton.edu/nursing?program=ABSN&amp;&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=CTN_G01001_Grad_ABSN_OM&amp;utm_content=Nursing&amp;utm_term=creighton+school+of+nursing&amp;cq_cmp=CTN_G01001_Grad_ABSN_OM&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwloynBhBbEiwAGY25dEKuKw-DI0S1LT38dWVFwUFUY2F5La_T4zLTjZk8BNYfW89UB34IXhoC8YAQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">College of Nursing</a>. “And now, the Harper Scholars program will help us attract top talent and form even more innovative leaders.”

The scholarship namesakes are the late Charles “Mike” Harper and his wife, Joan “Josie” Bruggema Harper, who moved their family to Omaha in the 1970s when he became the CEO of Conagra. Josie was a nurse.

Creighton is recruiting now for the first cohort of Harper Scholars to begin in the 2024 fall semester.

The scholarship program comes as the nursing college moves to Creighton’s new $75 million CL and Rachel&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://alumni.creighton.edu/news-events/news/werner-center-groundbreaking-ceremony-2021">Werner Center</a>&nbsp;for Health Sciences Education, which is set to open next month. There, nursing students are to join medical, physical therapy, pharmacy and other health disciplines in a collaborative learning environment.

University officials said nurses can’t arrive fast enough.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/new-report-sets-off-alarm-about-nurse-shortage-and-patient-care-in-nebraska/">By 2025,</a>&nbsp;they noted, Nebraska faces an estimated shortage of nearly 5,500 nurses.&nbsp;

The Harper gift will help fund a leadership program led by faculty, a senior trip at the Institute for Latin American Concern in the Dominican Republic, and a research and travel fund. The funds also create a program director position to oversee programming and clinical and research placement.

The Harpers have long supported the city of Omaha and Creighton, a news release said. The family established a freshman leadership scholarship and a scholarship that paid tribute to a former Creighton president, the Rev. Timothy Lannon.&nbsp;

The Harpers endowed professorships, and are the namesakes of the Mike and Josie Harper Center at the Creighton&nbsp; campus.

Betsy and Chris Murphy, Harper Family Foundation trustees who also are the Harpers’ daughter and son-in-law, said they wanted the foundation’s next project to be significant and impactful. “Because one of the guiding principles of Mike Harper was a focus on ‘the cannonball.’ Not a lot of little things but one&nbsp;big&nbsp;thing that can make a difference to the mission of the organization,” said Chris Murphy.

“Our hope is that for nursing students around the country, this scholarship will be&nbsp;the&nbsp;scholarship to go for,” Murphy said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692804853640.png" alt="Nursing students at Creighton University (Courtesy of Creighton University)" />
 <figcaption>Nursing students at Creighton University (Courtesy of Creighton University)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — A $5.2 million gift to Creighton University, from a family whose name is known also for growing ConAgra Foods, will create a new scholarship fund to help meet a critical need for Nebraska nursing leaders.The Harper Family Foundation gift was described as historic based on its size, being one of the largest gifts made to the College of Nursing.The scholarship program will pay for the bulk of tuition costs for 30 nursing students, from their arrival on Creighton’s campus to graduation day.“Creighton nurses are leaders who advance quickly at the hospitals and clinics where they practice,” said Catherine Todero, dean of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://degrees.creighton.edu/nursing?program=ABSN&amp;&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=CTN_G01001_Grad_ABSN_OM&amp;utm_content=Nursing&amp;utm_term=creighton+school+of+nursing&amp;cq_cmp=CTN_G01001_Grad_ABSN_OM&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwloynBhBbEiwAGY25dEKuKw-DI0S1LT38dWVFwUFUY2F5La_T4zLTjZk8BNYfW89UB34IXhoC8YAQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">College of Nursing</a>. “And now, the Harper Scholars program will help us attract top talent and form even more innovative leaders.”The scholarship namesakes are the late Charles “Mike” Harper and his wife, Joan “Josie” Bruggema Harper, who moved their family to Omaha in the 1970s when he became the CEO of Conagra. Josie was a nurse.Creighton is recruiting now for the first cohort of Harper Scholars to begin in the 2024 fall semester.The scholarship program comes as the nursing college moves to Creighton’s new $75 million CL and Rachel&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://alumni.creighton.edu/news-events/news/werner-center-groundbreaking-ceremony-2021">Werner Center</a>&nbsp;for Health Sciences Education, which is set to open next month. There, nursing students are to join medical, physical therapy, pharmacy and other health disciplines in a collaborative learning environment.University officials said nurses can’t arrive fast enough.&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/new-report-sets-off-alarm-about-nurse-shortage-and-patient-care-in-nebraska/">By 2025,</a>&nbsp;they noted, Nebraska faces an estimated shortage of nearly 5,500 nurses.&nbsp;The Harper gift will help fund a leadership program led by faculty, a senior trip at the Institute for Latin American Concern in the Dominican Republic, and a research and travel fund. The funds also create a program director position to oversee programming and clinical and research placement.The Harpers have long supported the city of Omaha and Creighton, a news release said. The family established a freshman leadership scholarship and a scholarship that paid tribute to a former Creighton president, the Rev. Timothy Lannon.&nbsp;The Harpers endowed professorships, and are the namesakes of the Mike and Josie Harper Center at the Creighton&nbsp; campus.Betsy and Chris Murphy, Harper Family Foundation trustees who also are the Harpers’ daughter and son-in-law, said they wanted the foundation’s next project to be significant and impactful. “Because one of the guiding principles of Mike Harper was a focus on ‘the cannonball.’ Not a lot of little things but one&nbsp;big&nbsp;thing that can make a difference to the mission of the organization,” said Chris Murphy.“Our hope is that for nursing students around the country, this scholarship will be&nbsp;the&nbsp;scholarship to go for,” Murphy said.

‘Historic’ gift to Creighton University aims to help nursing shortage

NEW YORK (AP) — Eight presidential candidates will meet on the debate stage for the first time in what may be the biggest moment in the GOP’s 2024 presidential primary so far. Former President Donald Trump won’t participate Wednesday night

&nbsp;More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the federal right to abortion</a>, the issue has at times dominated the discussion among the Republicans seeking their party's 2024 presidential nomination and is sure to be on display during the debate Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Some of the division among the candidates has come over whether there should be a national ban on the practice — and after how many weeks — now that the justices have returned specific debate over abortion legality to the states.

A look at how the issue of abortion is playing out among Republican and Democratic candidates:

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">DONALD TRUMP</a>

The former president, the current GOP front-runner, has often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-2024-president-desantis-pence-scott-e9f3a4287aa556a36f967cf45525493d">sidestepped the issue of abortion</a>, even as Republicans across the country have celebrated the Supreme Court's decision.

In April, a major anti-abortion group assailed Trump on the issue, saying his contention that abortion restrictions should be left up to individual states, not the federal government, is a “morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate.”

The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group has said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-south-carolina-state-government-us-republican-party-2022-midterm-elections-e12dcf419bc5272063a847436f9a237c">would not support any White House candidate</a>&nbsp;who did not at a minimum support a 15-week federal abortion ban.

Trump, who has referred to himself as “the most pro-life president in American history, has pointed to his successful nomination of three conservatives justices, a move that tilted the court to the conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Earlier this year, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-donald-trump-abortion-florida-d536c67609030a445cab60329b919e75">characterized as “too harsh”</a>&nbsp;a measure signed into law by fellow contender Gov. Ron DeSantis that would ban abortions in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">RON DESANTIS</a>

While DeSantis has been governor, Florida passed an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy. But DeSantis, who says he is “pro-life,” has suggested that individual states should decide the issue, adding in a recent interview that he is “running on doing things that I know I can accomplish.”

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized DeSantis for not supporting a national ban on the procedure,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-abortion-desantis-2024-154bed7a8b78872e341413339b452db0">calling DeSantis' position “unacceptable”</a>&nbsp;as he runs for president.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-iowa-launch-2024-republican-presidential-campaign-faa2082d8d3269dc73a28c893188c2ff">MIKE PENCE</a>

The former vice president supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women even know they’re pregnant.

And he has advocated pulling from the market one of two widely used abortion pills — a medication with a better safety record than Viagra and penicillin. Sensing that such a position may be viewed as too extreme in a general election, no other major presidential candidate has joined his calls.

In a recent Associated Press interview, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned, even when a pregnancy is deemed nonviable. Such a standard would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-law-lawsuit-6346a3b98dd3ece069177f88172ce7b8">force women to carry pregnancies to term</a>&nbsp;even when doctors have determined there is no chance a baby will survive outside the womb.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-desantis-abortion-supreme-court-3b1937a4faf327b96ded2afed064a988">Earlier this month</a>&nbsp;while touring the Iowa State Fair, Pence said he was expecting to use the debate as an opportunity to call out Trump and DeSantis for not insisting on a national abortion ban.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-scott-2024-presidential-race-4a73e00db2295afbc4b07d1c6bb64811">TIM SCOTT</a>

The South Carolina senator has long voiced his opposition to abortion, pledging that as president “I would sign the most conservative pro-life legislation you can bring to my desk.”

He has signaled support for a federal ban on the practice for as early as 12 weeks and also support for a bill sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks.

In 2021, Scott also co-sponsored legislation that would have established a constitutional right to life from “the moment of fertilization.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-2024-presidential-campaign-formal-launch-bb059ae113e39152f5007864b4d139ae">NIKKI HALEY</a>

Haley, the sole woman in the GOP field, pledged in May that she would sign a federal abortion ban if elected president.

But Haley has not specified a time frame for after how many weeks she feels abortion should be outlawed, noting that passing such a measure would be highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress, and advocating for “consensus” around the issue. She’s said she would “absolutely” sign a 15-week federal ban.

The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said “no one has been honest” about how difficult a ban could be to achieve, in a closely divided federal government.

Haley campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said in June that she would "sign pro-life legislation that includes exceptions for rape, incest, and for the life of the mother,” suggesting she may be opposed to an exception for non-viable pregnancies — but declining to clarify.

As governor, Haley signed an abortion ban after about 20 weeks. That law is still in effect while a six-week ban, passed by state lawmakers, is held up in the courts.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-and-politics-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-ohio-e1c1cbe47763bd979b6b47557aee043d">VIVEK RAMASWAMY</a>

The wealthy biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.” has said he would not support a federal ban on abortion because ”the federal government should stay out of it.” He has voiced support for states that have passed six-week bans.

Like some other hopefuls, he has pushed for more policies that encourage adoption and better child care.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christie-2024-president-b9949e97e604719c341d652cc62f9d50">CHRIS CHRISTIE</a>

The former two-term New Jersey governor has argued that the issue of abortion should be carried out in the states, not at the federal level.

In a CNN town hall, Christie said that “the federal government should not be involved unless and until there’s a consensus around the country from the 50 states making their own decisions about what it should be.”

Seeking local office in the 1990s, Christie identified himself as “pro-choice,” saying he changed his position after hearing his daughter’s heartbeat at 13 weeks.

As governor, he vetoed millions in state funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics. Before the Supreme Court's decision that overturned Roe, Christie joined Dannenfelser in meetings other GOP governors to discuss the issue and how it might play out at the state level.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asa-hutchinson-presidential-campaign-2024-3a04fdae989505d850545836bd0c16b0">ASA HUTCHINSON</a>

The former two-term Arkansas governor has said the issue of abortion should stay in the states without a Republican supermajority in Congress.

As governor in 2021, Hutchinson signed a near-total ban on abortions that did not include rape and incest exceptions.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">DOUG BURGUM</a>

In April, the two-term North Dakota governor signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country. The measure would allow abortions up to six weeks' gestation in cases of rape or incest, or medical emergencies. After that marker, no exceptions aside from some medical emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, are allowed at any stage of pregnancy.

Burgum has mostly said the issue of abortion should be left to the states and has indicated he would not support a federal ban.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-elder-2024-election-a50db206b9c7b981639c05f4f59ae289">LARRY ELDER</a>

The conservative talk radio host opposes abortion but has said he would not support a federal ban.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-johnson-2024-presidential-campaign-b734b469aa0b56a94e19ef0125cf5997">PERRY JOHNSON</a>

The businessman describes himself as “pro-life.” When he ran for Michigan governor in 2022, Johnson told reporters “two wrongs don't make a right” when asked if he would rule out banning abortion in cases of sexual assault.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-suarez-miami-2024-presidential-race-ea46292142dfac98567f6745de69358a">FRANCIS SUAREZ</a>

The Miami mayor has said that he would support a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, including rape, incest and the mother's health.

The former Texas congressman has said he would sign a 15-week federal abortion ban, although he has said that he doesn't see it as realistic that Congress would pass such a measure.

While in the House, Hurd twice voted in favor of a 20-week ban.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">JOE BIDEN</a>

The president supports abortion access and has said he would veto a national ban on the practice. As a senator, Biden supported abortion restrictions like the 1976 Hyde Amendment — which states that Medicaid won’t pay for abortions unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest — but said during the 2020 campaign he had shifted course.

The aftermath of last year's Supreme Court ruling has framed much of Biden's presidency on abortion. He signed an executive order designed to strengthen and promote access to contraception.

Mounting a rallying cry to 2022 midterms voters to seat more Democratic lawmakers who could possibly codify abortion access nationally, Biden has also directed his administration to take steps to protect access to abortion care. This includes making mifepristone — one of two pills used in medication abortions — easier to obtain, and ensuring members of the military can access reproductive health care.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-biden-president-2024-democrat-dd9d6ecf17b54f4b32e7b17778540431">ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.</a>

The author and environmental lawyer has spoken in favor of “bodily autonomy” and describes himself as “pro-choice.”

A nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, he has also said “it’s a woman’s choice, and it’s solely up to the woman” in terms of how a pregnancy should be handled in its first trimester.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marianne-williamson-president-2024-biden-democratic-primary-14e59754bed9e0c54dad4fdfbbc1fa6b">MARIANNE WILLIAMSON</a>

The self-help author's campaign website describes her as “one hundred percent pro-choice.” Williamson has also noted that she believes the decision to have an abortion or not “lies solely with a pregnant woman, according to the dictates of her conscience and in communion with the God of her understanding.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692739004740.png" alt="Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the sole woman in the GOP field, pledged in May that she would sign a federal abortion ban if elected president.-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the sole woman in the GOP field, pledged in May that she would sign a federal abortion ban if elected president.-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Eight presidential candidates will meet on the debate stage for the first time in what may be the biggest moment in the GOP’s 2024 presidential primary so far. Former President Donald Trump won’t participate Wednesday night&nbsp;More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned the federal right to abortion</a>, the issue has at times dominated the discussion among the Republicans seeking their party's 2024 presidential nomination and is sure to be on display during the debate Wednesday in Milwaukee.Some of the division among the candidates has come over whether there should be a national ban on the practice — and after how many weeks — now that the justices have returned specific debate over abortion legality to the states.A look at how the issue of abortion is playing out among Republican and Democratic candidates:REPUBLICANS <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">DONALD TRUMP</a>The former president, the current GOP front-runner, has often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-2024-president-desantis-pence-scott-e9f3a4287aa556a36f967cf45525493d">sidestepped the issue of abortion</a>, even as Republicans across the country have celebrated the Supreme Court's decision.In April, a major anti-abortion group assailed Trump on the issue, saying his contention that abortion restrictions should be left up to individual states, not the federal government, is a “morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate.”The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group has said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-south-carolina-state-government-us-republican-party-2022-midterm-elections-e12dcf419bc5272063a847436f9a237c">would not support any White House candidate</a>&nbsp;who did not at a minimum support a 15-week federal abortion ban.Trump, who has referred to himself as “the most pro-life president in American history, has pointed to his successful nomination of three conservatives justices, a move that tilted the court to the conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. Earlier this year, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-donald-trump-abortion-florida-d536c67609030a445cab60329b919e75">characterized as “too harsh”</a>&nbsp;a measure signed into law by fellow contender Gov. Ron DeSantis that would ban abortions in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">RON DESANTIS</a>While DeSantis has been governor, Florida passed an abortion ban after six weeks of pregnancy. But DeSantis, who says he is “pro-life,” has suggested that individual states should decide the issue, adding in a recent interview that he is “running on doing things that I know I can accomplish.”Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized DeSantis for not supporting a national ban on the procedure,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/republicans-abortion-desantis-2024-154bed7a8b78872e341413339b452db0">calling DeSantis' position “unacceptable”</a>&nbsp;as he runs for president.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-iowa-launch-2024-republican-presidential-campaign-faa2082d8d3269dc73a28c893188c2ff">MIKE PENCE</a>The former vice president supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women even know they’re pregnant.And he has advocated pulling from the market one of two widely used abortion pills — a medication with a better safety record than Viagra and penicillin. Sensing that such a position may be viewed as too extreme in a general election, no other major presidential candidate has joined his calls.In a recent Associated Press interview, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned, even when a pregnancy is deemed nonviable. Such a standard would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-law-lawsuit-6346a3b98dd3ece069177f88172ce7b8">force women to carry pregnancies to term</a>&nbsp;even when doctors have determined there is no chance a baby will survive outside the womb.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-desantis-abortion-supreme-court-3b1937a4faf327b96ded2afed064a988">Earlier this month</a>&nbsp;while touring the Iowa State Fair, Pence said he was expecting to use the debate as an opportunity to call out Trump and DeSantis for not insisting on a national abortion ban.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-scott-2024-presidential-race-4a73e00db2295afbc4b07d1c6bb64811">TIM SCOTT</a>The South Carolina senator has long voiced his opposition to abortion, pledging that as president “I would sign the most conservative pro-life legislation you can bring to my desk.”He has signaled support for a federal ban on the practice for as early as 12 weeks and also support for a bill sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks.In 2021, Scott also co-sponsored legislation that would have established a constitutional right to life from “the moment of fertilization.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-2024-presidential-campaign-formal-launch-bb059ae113e39152f5007864b4d139ae">NIKKI HALEY</a>Haley, the sole woman in the GOP field, pledged in May that she would sign a federal abortion ban if elected president.But Haley has not specified a time frame for after how many weeks she feels abortion should be outlawed, noting that passing such a measure would be highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress, and advocating for “consensus” around the issue. She’s said she would “absolutely” sign a 15-week federal ban.The former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said “no one has been honest” about how difficult a ban could be to achieve, in a closely divided federal government.Haley campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso said in June that she would "sign pro-life legislation that includes exceptions for rape, incest, and for the life of the mother,” suggesting she may be opposed to an exception for non-viable pregnancies — but declining to clarify.As governor, Haley signed an abortion ban after about 20 weeks. That law is still in effect while a six-week ban, passed by state lawmakers, is held up in the courts.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-and-politics-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-ohio-e1c1cbe47763bd979b6b47557aee043d">VIVEK RAMASWAMY</a>The wealthy biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.” has said he would not support a federal ban on abortion because ”the federal government should stay out of it.” He has voiced support for states that have passed six-week bans.Like some other hopefuls, he has pushed for more policies that encourage adoption and better child care.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/christie-2024-president-b9949e97e604719c341d652cc62f9d50">CHRIS CHRISTIE</a>The former two-term New Jersey governor has argued that the issue of abortion should be carried out in the states, not at the federal level.In a CNN town hall, Christie said that “the federal government should not be involved unless and until there’s a consensus around the country from the 50 states making their own decisions about what it should be.”Seeking local office in the 1990s, Christie identified himself as “pro-choice,” saying he changed his position after hearing his daughter’s heartbeat at 13 weeks.As governor, he vetoed millions in state funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics. Before the Supreme Court's decision that overturned Roe, Christie joined Dannenfelser in meetings other GOP governors to discuss the issue and how it might play out at the state level.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asa-hutchinson-presidential-campaign-2024-3a04fdae989505d850545836bd0c16b0">ASA HUTCHINSON</a>The former two-term Arkansas governor has said the issue of abortion should stay in the states without a Republican supermajority in Congress.As governor in 2021, Hutchinson signed a near-total ban on abortions that did not include rape and incest exceptions.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">DOUG BURGUM</a>In April, the two-term North Dakota governor signed one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country. The measure would allow abortions up to six weeks' gestation in cases of rape or incest, or medical emergencies. After that marker, no exceptions aside from some medical emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, are allowed at any stage of pregnancy.Burgum has mostly said the issue of abortion should be left to the states and has indicated he would not support a federal ban.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-elder-2024-election-a50db206b9c7b981639c05f4f59ae289">LARRY ELDER</a>The conservative talk radio host opposes abortion but has said he would not support a federal ban.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/perry-johnson-2024-presidential-campaign-b734b469aa0b56a94e19ef0125cf5997">PERRY JOHNSON</a>The businessman describes himself as “pro-life.” When he ran for Michigan governor in 2022, Johnson told reporters “two wrongs don't make a right” when asked if he would rule out banning abortion in cases of sexual assault.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-suarez-miami-2024-presidential-race-ea46292142dfac98567f6745de69358a">FRANCIS SUAREZ</a>The Miami mayor has said that he would support a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, including rape, incest and the mother's health.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/will-hurd-2024-republican-presidential-primary-710f6f0d4bb6cc1f5046e20ed17ef602">WILL HURD</a>The former Texas congressman has said he would sign a 15-week federal abortion ban, although he has said that he doesn't see it as realistic that Congress would pass such a measure.While in the House, Hurd twice voted in favor of a 20-week ban.DEMOCRATS <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">JOE BIDEN</a>The president supports abortion access and has said he would veto a national ban on the practice. As a senator, Biden supported abortion restrictions like the 1976 Hyde Amendment — which states that Medicaid won’t pay for abortions unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest — but said during the 2020 campaign he had shifted course.The aftermath of last year's Supreme Court ruling has framed much of Biden's presidency on abortion. He signed an executive order designed to strengthen and promote access to contraception.Mounting a rallying cry to 2022 midterms voters to seat more Democratic lawmakers who could possibly codify abortion access nationally, Biden has also directed his administration to take steps to protect access to abortion care. This includes making mifepristone — one of two pills used in medication abortions — easier to obtain, and ensuring members of the military can access reproductive health care.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-biden-president-2024-democrat-dd9d6ecf17b54f4b32e7b17778540431">ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.</a>The author and environmental lawyer has spoken in favor of “bodily autonomy” and describes himself as “pro-choice.”A nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, he has also said “it’s a woman’s choice, and it’s solely up to the woman” in terms of how a pregnancy should be handled in its first trimester.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marianne-williamson-president-2024-biden-democratic-primary-14e59754bed9e0c54dad4fdfbbc1fa6b">MARIANNE WILLIAMSON</a>The self-help author's campaign website describes her as “one hundred percent pro-choice.” Williamson has also noted that she believes the decision to have an abortion or not “lies solely with a pregnant woman, according to the dictates of her conscience and in communion with the God of her understanding.”___

First GOP presidential debate: Where candidates stand on abortion

DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue investigating criminal damage on a college campus in Lawrence.

On August 18,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to Haskell Indian Nations University,&nbsp; 155 E Indian Ave, Lawrence, for a report of a statue being damaged with paint, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.

Signs were also placed near the statue with messages expressing displeasure with the Bureau of Indian Education and the office of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. 

The case officer is awaiting more information regarding security footage. University staff were able to power wash the paint off the statue as it was still wet. 

The damage is believed to have occurred sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. that day. Police have not identified a suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692734324091.png" alt="Police are awaiting more information regarding security footage in the case.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Police are awaiting more information regarding security footage in the case.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue investigating criminal damage on a college campus in Lawrence.On August 18,&nbsp; police were&nbsp;dispatched to Haskell Indian Nations University,&nbsp; 155 E Indian Ave, Lawrence, for a report of a statue being damaged with paint, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.Signs were also placed near the statue with messages expressing displeasure with the Bureau of Indian Education and the office of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The case officer is awaiting more information regarding security footage. University staff were able to power wash the paint off the statue as it was still wet. The damage is believed to have occurred sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. that day. Police have not identified a suspect.

Vandals on campus in Kan. paint statue, protest government

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-missouri-emergency-rule-withdrawn-c3ce483448f4013a6f46f666051db6b2">Andrew Bailey</a>&nbsp;and the families of transgender children are in court this week fighting over whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-nonbinary-hormone-puberty-missouri-lawmakers-5a8922430ffab9e43cf9b7ce254bff9f">a new law</a>&nbsp;banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled Monday.

Lawyers last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-gender-affirming-health-care-ban-lawsuit-9696f0c28b63baf8c52a95448811795e">sued to overturn the law</a>&nbsp;on behalf of three families of transgender minors, doctors and two LGBTQ+ organizations. They asked a county judge to temporarily block the law as the court challenge against it plays out.

Hearings over pausing the law are taking place this week in Springfield. A judge is expected to rule before Monday.

The law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-missouri-republican-govenrnor-sports-d0d3ef01544dc7c22592d8ca2464138b">signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in June</a>, would prohibit Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries to minors. Minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 would be able to continue to receive those treatments.

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had been ramping up available appointments and holding pop-up clinics to start patients on treatments before the law takes effect.

Most adults would still have access to transgender health care under the law, but Medicaid wouldn't cover it and prisoners’ access to surgeries would be limited.

Physicians who violate the law face having their licenses revoked and being sued by patients. The law makes it easier for former patients to sue, giving them 15 years to go to court and promising at least $500,000 in damages if they succeed.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs' wrote in a court filing that the law unlawfully discriminates against transgender patients “by denying them medically necessary care and insurance coverage because of their sex and because of their transgender status.”

In court briefs, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-attorney-general-transgender-1283c25a92e9eb4c75b96b2558bdc65c">Attorney General's Office</a>&nbsp;argued that the law is not discriminatory because it “applies evenly to boys and girls."

“The only distinction made is based on the condition to be treated,” lawyers for the office wrote. "Puberty blockers, testosterone, and estrogen can all still be used to treat various conditions (such as precocious puberty). They just cannot be used as an experimental response to gender dysphoria.”

The Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty — a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones — synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone — were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692751118304.png" alt="FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag as a counter protest during a rally in favor of a ban on gender-affirming health care legislation, March 20, 2023, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Mo. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled on Monday, Aug. 28. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Glenda Starke wears a transgender flag as a counter protest during a rally in favor of a ban on gender-affirming health care legislation, March 20, 2023, at the Missouri Statehouse in Jefferson City, Mo. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the families of transgender children are in court fighting over whether a new law banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled on Monday, Aug. 28. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Attorney General&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-missouri-emergency-rule-withdrawn-c3ce483448f4013a6f46f666051db6b2">Andrew Bailey</a>&nbsp;and the families of transgender children are in court this week fighting over whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-nonbinary-hormone-puberty-missouri-lawmakers-5a8922430ffab9e43cf9b7ce254bff9f">a new law</a>&nbsp;banning minors from receiving gender-affirming health care will take effect as scheduled Monday.Lawyers last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-gender-affirming-health-care-ban-lawsuit-9696f0c28b63baf8c52a95448811795e">sued to overturn the law</a>&nbsp;on behalf of three families of transgender minors, doctors and two LGBTQ+ organizations. They asked a county judge to temporarily block the law as the court challenge against it plays out.Hearings over pausing the law are taking place this week in Springfield. A judge is expected to rule before Monday.THE LAWThe law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-missouri-republican-govenrnor-sports-d0d3ef01544dc7c22592d8ca2464138b">signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in June</a>, would prohibit Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries to minors. Minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 would be able to continue to receive those treatments.Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics had been ramping up available appointments and holding pop-up clinics to start patients on treatments before the law takes effect.Most adults would still have access to transgender health care under the law, but Medicaid wouldn't cover it and prisoners’ access to surgeries would be limited.Physicians who violate the law face having their licenses revoked and being sued by patients. The law makes it easier for former patients to sue, giving them 15 years to go to court and promising at least $500,000 in damages if they succeed.The law expires in August 2027.LEGAL ARGUMENTSLawyers for the plaintiffs' wrote in a court filing that the law unlawfully discriminates against transgender patients “by denying them medically necessary care and insurance coverage because of their sex and because of their transgender status.”In court briefs, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-attorney-general-transgender-1283c25a92e9eb4c75b96b2558bdc65c">Attorney General's Office</a>&nbsp;argued that the law is not discriminatory because it “applies evenly to boys and girls."“The only distinction made is based on the condition to be treated,” lawyers for the office wrote. "Puberty blockers, testosterone, and estrogen can all still be used to treat various conditions (such as precocious puberty). They just cannot be used as an experimental response to gender dysphoria.”WHAT HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS SAYThe Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty — a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones — synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone — were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills.The FDA has not approved the medications specifically to treat gender-questioning youth, but they have been used for many years for that purpose “off label,” a common and accepted practice for many medical conditions. Doctors who treat trans patients say those decades of use are proof that the treatments are not experimental.Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans on gender-affirming care for minors and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately. Lawsuits have been filed in several states where bans have been enacted this year.