WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.

(Click below to watch the President's statement)

The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opinion&nbsp;

Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second Black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”

Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he “strongly, strongly” disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling “be the last word.”

"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America,” Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate “adversity overcome” by candidates.

Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.

In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”

The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.

Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the high-court ruling.

Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential frontrunner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked “a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded.”

Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action “allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”

The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.

But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.

Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.

The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.

The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.

The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.

Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.

The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.

Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.

The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.

At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.

The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.

They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.

In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.

A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.

The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.

Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.

Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.

Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.(Click below to watch the President's statement)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2yQseH__Khw?start=2040" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the opinion&nbsp;Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”Justice Clarence Thomas — the nation's second Black justice, who had long called for an end to affirmative action — wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity. Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. I strongly disagree with this decision.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1674460493803577344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse. And America is stronger because we are tapping into our full range of talent. Today&#39;s Supreme Court decision is not the last word.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1674461363488411648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Echoing her dissent, President Joe Biden said he “strongly, strongly” disagrees with the court's ruling. He urged colleges not to let the ruling “be the last word.”"They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America,” Biden said from the White House. He said colleges should evaluate “adversity overcome” by candidates.Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688060191536.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two former presidents offered starkly different takes on the high-court ruling.Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential frontrunner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked “a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded.”Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action “allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

🎥Biden: Court's affirmative action decision not the last word

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal shooting have identified the victim as 30-year-old Kurel Hayes of Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Just after 10:3o p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 500 block of N. Gordon in Wichita, according to Gupilan.

First responders located Kurel who had a single gunshot wound to his upper torso area. Fire and EMS began rendering medical aid and he was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

This was not a random incident, and it is believed that the suspect of this violent crime is known to Kurel. Investigators were actively working on the case Thursday afternoon and following up on leads and gathering additional facts. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688070724017.png" alt="Police the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a fatal shooting have identified the victim as 30-year-old Kurel Hayes of Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.Just after 10:3o p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 500 block of N. Gordon in Wichita, according to Gupilan.First responders located Kurel who had a single gunshot wound to his upper torso area. Fire and EMS began rendering medical aid and he was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.This was not a random incident, and it is believed that the suspect of this violent crime is known to Kurel. Investigators were actively working on the case Thursday afternoon and following up on leads and gathering additional facts. Police released no additional details.

Police: Victim in Kansas shooting knew his killer

OLATHE —Governor Laura Kelly joined federal, state, and local leaders on Thursday to break ground on a new 72-bed mental health inpatient hospital in&nbsp;Olathe, Kansas, jointly operated by KVC Health Systems and Children’s Mercy Hospital, according to a media release from the governor's office.

The mental wellness campus will have the capacity to care for more than 3,400 patients annually and will create approximately 150 new jobs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The $53 million project is supported by a $12.725 million grant from the State of Kansas Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee, which distributed federal American Rescue Plan Act Funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The need to strengthen mental health services is a nonpartisan issue that affects all Kansans, rural and urban alike—and addressing the need pays dividends for everyone,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “A lack of psychiatric beds has been one of the largest barriers to providing mental health care in our state. When completed, this state-of-the-art hospital will take significant pressure off our health care systems.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We are really enthusiastic about the options this project is going to bring to the&nbsp;Olathe&nbsp;community and surrounding region to increase the treatment capacity for those in need of mental health beds,”&nbsp;KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said.&nbsp;“This facility will allow more children and adults to get the inpatient psychiatric care they need and positively impacts our continued efforts as a state to improve mental health in Kansas.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

The joint venture between KVC and Children’s Mercy Hospital will create an additional 48 pediatric beds and 24 adult beds. It will also create six private courtyards, walking paths, and dining and activity spaces. The design and healing environment prioritize staff and patient safety, supportive care and treatment spaces, patient wellness, and connection with nature.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We feel a sense of urgency to partner in new, transformative ways to expand help for children and adults experiencing acute mental health crises,”&nbsp;said Jason Hooper, KVC Health Systems President and CEO.&nbsp;“It’s been absolutely inspiring to see so many steps forward, including Children’s Mercy as our JV collaborator and the Sunderland Foundation and the State of Kansas as lead supporters. Mental health deserves our urgent action, and we want the community to know that there is hope and help for anyone who is hurting.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Our country is facing a mental health crisis. This collaboration demonstrates our joint commitment to providing resources and creating greater capacity across Kansas and Missouri to serve children requiring more complex care,”&nbsp;said Paul Kempinski, Children’s Mercy President and CEO.&nbsp;“We continue to see an increasing need for these services each year. In 2022 alone, Children’s Mercy provided care to nearly 3,000 children in our emergency department with acute mental health needs. This new hospital will take a significant strain off area emergency departments that are not well-suited to facilitate care for patients in mental health crisis by increasing access to acute inpatient care designed specifically for their needs.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688120844603.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE —Governor Laura Kelly joined federal, state, and local leaders on Thursday to break ground on a new 72-bed mental health inpatient hospital in&nbsp;Olathe, Kansas, jointly operated by KVC Health Systems and Children’s Mercy Hospital, according to a media release from the governor's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688080746986.png" alt="&nbsp;The mental wellness campus will have the capacity to care for more than 3,400 patients annually and will create approximately 150 new jobs-courtesy photos " />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The mental wellness campus will have the capacity to care for more than 3,400 patients annually and will create approximately 150 new jobs-courtesy photos </figcaption>
 </figure>The mental wellness campus will have the capacity to care for more than 3,400 patients annually and will create approximately 150 new jobs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688120844603.png" alt="Photo courtesy Children's Mercy" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Children's Mercy</figcaption>
 </figure>The $53 million project is supported by a $12.725 million grant from the State of Kansas Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee, which distributed federal American Rescue Plan Act Funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688080726391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“The need to strengthen mental health services is a nonpartisan issue that affects all Kansans, rural and urban alike—and addressing the need pays dividends for everyone,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “A lack of psychiatric beds has been one of the largest barriers to providing mental health care in our state. When completed, this state-of-the-art hospital will take significant pressure off our health care systems.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“We are really enthusiastic about the options this project is going to bring to the&nbsp;Olathe&nbsp;community and surrounding region to increase the treatment capacity for those in need of mental health beds,”&nbsp;KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said.&nbsp;“This facility will allow more children and adults to get the inpatient psychiatric care they need and positively impacts our continued efforts as a state to improve mental health in Kansas.” &nbsp;&nbsp;The joint venture between KVC and Children’s Mercy Hospital will create an additional 48 pediatric beds and 24 adult beds. It will also create six private courtyards, walking paths, and dining and activity spaces. The design and healing environment prioritize staff and patient safety, supportive care and treatment spaces, patient wellness, and connection with nature.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We feel a sense of urgency to partner in new, transformative ways to expand help for children and adults experiencing acute mental health crises,”&nbsp;said Jason Hooper, KVC Health Systems President and CEO.&nbsp;“It’s been absolutely inspiring to see so many steps forward, including Children’s Mercy as our JV collaborator and the Sunderland Foundation and the State of Kansas as lead supporters. Mental health deserves our urgent action, and we want the community to know that there is hope and help for anyone who is hurting.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“Our country is facing a mental health crisis. This collaboration demonstrates our joint commitment to providing resources and creating greater capacity across Kansas and Missouri to serve children requiring more complex care,”&nbsp;said Paul Kempinski, Children’s Mercy President and CEO.&nbsp;“We continue to see an increasing need for these services each year. In 2022 alone, Children’s Mercy provided care to nearly 3,000 children in our emergency department with acute mental health needs. This new hospital will take a significant strain off area emergency departments that are not well-suited to facilitate care for patients in mental health crisis by increasing access to acute inpatient care designed specifically for their needs.”&nbsp;

Children's Mercy, KVC Health break ground on mental wellness campus

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A death penalty case will continue against a Missouri man who is citing new DNA evidence in his innocence claim for the stabbing death of a former newspaper reporter, the governor announced Thursday.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson dissolved a panel of five former judges who had been tasked with reviewing Marcellus Williams' case and ended a stay on his execution. No execution date has been set yet.

Williams was convicted of killing former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle during a 1998 burglary at her home in University City. Gayle, 42, was a reporter at the Post-Dispatch from 1981 to 1992 before leaving to do social work.

“This Board was established nearly six years ago, and it is time to move forward,” Parson said in a statement. “We could stall and delay for another six years, deferring justice, leaving a victim’s family in limbo, and solving nothing. This administration won’t do that."

Parson said “everyone will receive certainty” once the case is settled in court.

Williams' lawyer did not immediately return an Associated Press request for comment Thursday.

Williams was hours away from execution in 2017 when former Gov. Eric Greitens stepped in and ordered the investigation.

Greitens’ action followed the release of new DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing: DNA found on the murder weapon matched another unknown person, not Williams.

The former St. Louis County prosecutor has said that there is no chance Williams is innocent, citing ample amounts of other evidence.

Prosecutors said Williams broke a window pane to get inside Gayle’s home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on such a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors that Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688086205294.png" alt="Williams-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A death penalty case will continue against a Missouri man who is citing new DNA evidence in his innocence claim for the stabbing death of a former newspaper reporter, the governor announced Thursday.Republican Gov. Mike Parson dissolved a panel of five former judges who had been tasked with reviewing Marcellus Williams' case and ended a stay on his execution. No execution date has been set yet.Williams was convicted of killing former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Lisha Gayle during a 1998 burglary at her home in University City. Gayle, 42, was a reporter at the Post-Dispatch from 1981 to 1992 before leaving to do social work.“This Board was established nearly six years ago, and it is time to move forward,” Parson said in a statement. “We could stall and delay for another six years, deferring justice, leaving a victim’s family in limbo, and solving nothing. This administration won’t do that."Parson said “everyone will receive certainty” once the case is settled in court.Williams' lawyer did not immediately return an Associated Press request for comment Thursday.Williams was hours away from execution in 2017 when former Gov. Eric Greitens stepped in and ordered the investigation.Greitens’ action followed the release of new DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing: DNA found on the murder weapon matched another unknown person, not Williams.The former St. Louis County prosecutor has said that there is no chance Williams is innocent, citing ample amounts of other evidence.Prosecutors said Williams broke a window pane to get inside Gayle’s home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on such a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors that Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

Mo. Gov. allows death penalty case to continue for murder of reporter

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have located the owner of a young Kangaroo that was injured on a KC-area highway.

&nbsp;Edwardsville Officers, Animal Control Officers and Bonner Springs police worked together to capture an injured Kangaroo on Interstate 435, according to a social media report from Edwardsville Police.

The Kangaroo received veterinary care to determine the extent of its injuries.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688077152469.png" alt="Photos Edwardsville Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Edwardsville Police</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities have located the owner of a young Kangaroo that was injured on a KC-area highway.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688077122353.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Edwardsville Officers, Animal Control Officers and Bonner Springs police worked together to capture an injured Kangaroo on Interstate 435, according to a social media report from Edwardsville Police.The Kangaroo received veterinary care to determine the extent of its injuries.&nbsp;

 Kangaroo found running loose on Kansas highway

SEDGWICK COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of 34-year-old Nicholas Hardcastle of Wichita, stemming from a shooting investigation, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Just after 1a.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 200 block of S. Minnesota in Wichita. The initial investigation revealed that there was a verbal argument, which led to a physical altercation. 

During that altercation, Hardcastle was shot, according to Gupilan.

Hardcastle was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The two people involved in this incident were known to each other. Police are not looking for another suspect and will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

SEDGWICK COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of 34-year-old Nicholas Hardcastle of Wichita, stemming from a shooting investigation, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.Just after 1a.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 200 block of S. Minnesota in Wichita. The initial investigation revealed that there was a verbal argument, which led to a physical altercation. During that altercation, Hardcastle was shot, according to Gupilan.Hardcastle was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The two people involved in this incident were known to each other. Police are not looking for another suspect and will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Police ID Kansas man who died after shooting during argument

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday used the case of a Christian mailman who didn't want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-174_k536.pdf">unanimous decision</a>&nbsp;the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” to the business.

The court made clear that businesses must cite more than minor costs — so-called “de minimis” costs — to reject requests for religious accommodations at work. Unlike most cases before the court, both sides in the case had agreed businesses needed to show more.

The case before the court involved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-post-office-christian-85291b805b5630e958ac1200ef711cf2">mail carrier in rural Pennsylvania</a>. The man was told that as part of his job he’d need to start delivering Amazon packages on Sundays. He declined, saying his Sundays are for church and family. U.S. Postal Service officials initially tried to get substitutes for the man’s shifts, but they couldn’t always accommodate him. When he didn’t show, that meant more work for others. Ultimately, the man quit and sued for religious discrimination.

The case is the latest religious confrontation the high court has been asked to referee. In recent years, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority has been particularly sensitive to the concerns of religious plaintiffs. Last year, the court split&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">along ideological lines</a>&nbsp;in ruling for public high school football coach who wanted to pray on the field after games.

Other recent religious cases have drawn wide agreement among the justices, such as upholding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6157d29563584c35a2adf6a004f89117">cross-shaped monument</a>&nbsp;on public grounds and ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-religion-boston-massachusetts-a872f0bfe945ca59d5077515449ec4b4">Boston had violated</a>&nbsp;the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a City Hall flagpole.

In the latest case, a federal law — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would be an “undue hardship” for the business. But a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, says in part that employers can deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose “more than a de minimis cost” on the business.

During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-mail-carrier-christian-sunday-work-f883ca60eff5a5deaa342149d47f9462">arguments in the case in April</a>&nbsp;the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who was representing the Post Office, told the justices that the Hardison case as a whole actually requires an employer who wants to deny an accommodation to show more.

But Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion for the court that while some lower courts have understood Hardison the way the Biden administration suggested, other courts incorrectly latched on to the “de minimis” language “as the governing standard.”

“In this case, both parties agree that the ‘de minimis’ test is not right, but they differ slightly in the alternative language they prefer. ... We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,” Alito wrote.

The Biden administration has said that requests for religious accommodation come up most often when employees seek schedule changes like the Sabbath off or midday prayer breaks or exemptions from a company’s dress code or grooming policies. They also come up when an employee wants to display a religious symbol in the workplace.

As for the particular dispute in front of them, the justices sent the case back to a lower court for another look in light of their decision. The case involves Gerald Groff, a former employee of the U.S. Postal Service in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country. For years, Groff was a fill-in mail carrier who worked on days when other mail carriers were off.

But when an Amazon.com contract with the Postal Service required carriers to start delivering packages on Sundays, Groff balked. Initially, to avoid the shifts, Groff transferred to a more rural post office not yet doing Sunday deliveries, but eventually that post office was required to do them, too.

Whenever Groff was scheduled on a Sunday, another carrier had to work or his spot went unfilled. Officials said Groff’s absences created a tense environment and contributed to morale problems. It also meant other carriers had to deliver more Sunday mail than they otherwise would.

Groff resigned in 2019 rather than wait to be fired. He sued the Postal service for failing to accommodate his religious practice. Lower courts ruled against him previously. As a result of the court’s ruling, his case will get another look.

Groff said in a statement after the ruling that he was grateful the court heard his case. “I hope this decision allows others to be able to maintain their convictions without living in fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday used the case of a Christian mailman who didn't want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-174_k536.pdf">unanimous decision</a>&nbsp;the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” to the business.The court made clear that businesses must cite more than minor costs — so-called “de minimis” costs — to reject requests for religious accommodations at work. Unlike most cases before the court, both sides in the case had agreed businesses needed to show more.The case before the court involved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-post-office-christian-85291b805b5630e958ac1200ef711cf2">mail carrier in rural Pennsylvania</a>. The man was told that as part of his job he’d need to start delivering Amazon packages on Sundays. He declined, saying his Sundays are for church and family. U.S. Postal Service officials initially tried to get substitutes for the man’s shifts, but they couldn’t always accommodate him. When he didn’t show, that meant more work for others. Ultimately, the man quit and sued for religious discrimination.The case is the latest religious confrontation the high court has been asked to referee. In recent years, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority has been particularly sensitive to the concerns of religious plaintiffs. Last year, the court split&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-coach-prayer-2981a8073ea82a1a688c367270c941aa">along ideological lines</a>&nbsp;in ruling for public high school football coach who wanted to pray on the field after games.Other recent religious cases have drawn wide agreement among the justices, such as upholding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6157d29563584c35a2adf6a004f89117">cross-shaped monument</a>&nbsp;on public grounds and ruling that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-religion-boston-massachusetts-a872f0bfe945ca59d5077515449ec4b4">Boston had violated</a>&nbsp;the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a City Hall flagpole.In the latest case, a federal law — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would be an “undue hardship” for the business. But a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, says in part that employers can deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose “more than a de minimis cost” on the business.During&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-mail-carrier-christian-sunday-work-f883ca60eff5a5deaa342149d47f9462">arguments in the case in April</a>&nbsp;the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who was representing the Post Office, told the justices that the Hardison case as a whole actually requires an employer who wants to deny an accommodation to show more.But Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion for the court that while some lower courts have understood Hardison the way the Biden administration suggested, other courts incorrectly latched on to the “de minimis” language “as the governing standard.”“In this case, both parties agree that the ‘de minimis’ test is not right, but they differ slightly in the alternative language they prefer. ... We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business,” Alito wrote.The Biden administration has said that requests for religious accommodation come up most often when employees seek schedule changes like the Sabbath off or midday prayer breaks or exemptions from a company’s dress code or grooming policies. They also come up when an employee wants to display a religious symbol in the workplace.As for the particular dispute in front of them, the justices sent the case back to a lower court for another look in light of their decision. The case involves Gerald Groff, a former employee of the U.S. Postal Service in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country. For years, Groff was a fill-in mail carrier who worked on days when other mail carriers were off.But when an Amazon.com contract with the Postal Service required carriers to start delivering packages on Sundays, Groff balked. Initially, to avoid the shifts, Groff transferred to a more rural post office not yet doing Sunday deliveries, but eventually that post office was required to do them, too.Whenever Groff was scheduled on a Sunday, another carrier had to work or his spot went unfilled. Officials said Groff’s absences created a tense environment and contributed to morale problems. It also meant other carriers had to deliver more Sunday mail than they otherwise would.Groff resigned in 2019 rather than wait to be fired. He sued the Postal service for failing to accommodate his religious practice. Lower courts ruled against him previously. As a result of the court’s ruling, his case will get another look.Groff said in a statement after the ruling that he was grateful the court heard his case. “I hope this decision allows others to be able to maintain their convictions without living in fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe,” he said.The case is Groff v. DeJoy, 22-174.

Supreme Court rules for Christian mail carrier who refused to work Sundays

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Democratic governor in Kansas declared Thursday that the state will keep allowing transgender residents to alter their driver's licenses and birth certificates, despite a new law aimed at preventing it.

Gov. Laura Kelly issued a directive that allows agencies under her control to defy a legal opinion issued earlier this week by Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach, telling them to follow their lawyers’ narrower view of the law. Kobach has told reporters that if Kelly's administration did not follow his opinion, he might sue her.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">The new law</a>&nbsp;is set to take effect Saturday and legally defines a person's sex as male or female based on their “biological reproductive system” at birth, a standard that would apply to “any” law or state regulation. Kansas driver's licenses and birth certificates list a person's sex, and Kobach said they can't contradict what doctors assigned at birth.

He also said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-birth-certificates-kansas-df1e4120921749561ded2535263be223">the state must undo changes</a>&nbsp;in its records — more than 1,200 in the past four years. Lawyers in Kelly's administration rejected that idea, saying the law is not retroactive.

Kelly, a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, took office in 2019 after defeating Kobach, then the Kansas secretary of state, for her first term. Kobach narrowly won the attorney general's race last year.

An attorney general's legal opinions are not binding on state agencies, and the new law does not specifically mention driver's licenses or birth certificates. Also, in 2019, a federal judge ordered the state to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates to settle a lawsuit over a Republican governor's no-changes policy, and that order remains in effect.

Kelly said in a statement that lawyers for state agencies disagree with the attorney general about the law's "impacts on their operations and will instead keep in place their policies regarding gender markers on birth certificates and driver’s licenses.”

Only a few U.S. states don't allow transgender people to change their birth certificates. Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;policies were upheld earlier this month by federal judges, and a Montana rule is expected to face a legal challenge in that state's courts.

The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature enacted the new law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">over Kelly's veto.</a>&nbsp;It also includes provisions to restrict transgender people's use of restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-laws-enforcement-e96e94b8935eb6bd23a42562cdeeec6c">At least nine other states</a>&nbsp;have bathroom laws.

LGBTQ+ rights advocates said the Kansas law would legally erase transgender people's gender identities, and Kobach's opinion confirmed that it would if the law is enforced as intended. Supporters also acknowledged during a Statehouse news conference this week that they don't see transgender women and girls as women and girls.

“A birth certificate is a record of what happened on a particular day when a particular baby came out of the womb,” Kobach told reporters. “Similarly, a driver’s license is not a canvas on which one may paint one’s expression of oneself.”

Kobach also argued that the state law supersedes the 2019 federal judge's order on birth certificates, something strongly disputed by LGBTQ+ rights advocates. Kobach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">has asked the judge</a>&nbsp;to formally rescind it.

The attorney general suggested that keeping transgender people from having state documents or records reflect their gender identities would have little practical effect for them. He said they still could present themselves publicly — and get photographed for driver's licenses — in line with their identities.

But Jenna Bellemere, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, called such statements “condescending.” She said having an ID that conflicts with her identity has complicated getting through airport security or even using a credit card.

“I’ve had experiences where checking my ID is like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t look right,'” said Bellemere, who changed her birth certificate and driver’s license last year. “I had to stop and be like, ‘No, it’s just a very long story.’”

LGBTQ+ rights advocates and the nonprofit legal aid group Kansas Legal Services have viewed the state's legal climate as uncertain and encouraged transgender people to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates before Saturday. They held seminars to help them.

State data shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-identities-attacked-bathroom-laws-kansas-e8fc5f209f03f8d55a7491c071283bfb">that four times as many people</a>&nbsp;made changes this year than from 2019 through 2022. The monthly average this year is 58 birth certificates and 27 driver's licenses.

The law says “important governmental objectives” of protecting people’s health, safety and privacy justify sex-segregated spaces. It applies to public schools, jails, prisons, rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.

Adam Kellogg, another 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, said Kobach's legal opinion calls for a change in his Kansas driver's license, but his birth certificate from Illinois wouldn't change.

“It’s going to be hard to determine what you should put on my driver’s license because according to my birth certificate, I am male,” he said. “What, are they going to take me in for genetic testing?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623429479600.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Democratic governor in Kansas declared Thursday that the state will keep allowing transgender residents to alter their driver's licenses and birth certificates, despite a new law aimed at preventing it.Gov. Laura Kelly issued a directive that allows agencies under her control to defy a legal opinion issued earlier this week by Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach, telling them to follow their lawyers’ narrower view of the law. Kobach has told reporters that if Kelly's administration did not follow his opinion, he might sue her.<a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">The new law</a>&nbsp;is set to take effect Saturday and legally defines a person's sex as male or female based on their “biological reproductive system” at birth, a standard that would apply to “any” law or state regulation. Kansas driver's licenses and birth certificates list a person's sex, and Kobach said they can't contradict what doctors assigned at birth.He also said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-birth-certificates-kansas-df1e4120921749561ded2535263be223">the state must undo changes</a>&nbsp;in its records — more than 1,200 in the past four years. Lawyers in Kelly's administration rejected that idea, saying the law is not retroactive.Kelly, a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, took office in 2019 after defeating Kobach, then the Kansas secretary of state, for her first term. Kobach narrowly won the attorney general's race last year.An attorney general's legal opinions are not binding on state agencies, and the new law does not specifically mention driver's licenses or birth certificates. Also, in 2019, a federal judge ordered the state to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates to settle a lawsuit over a Republican governor's no-changes policy, and that order remains in effect.Kelly said in a statement that lawyers for state agencies disagree with the attorney general about the law's "impacts on their operations and will instead keep in place their policies regarding gender markers on birth certificates and driver’s licenses.”Only a few U.S. states don't allow transgender people to change their birth certificates. Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificate-tennessee-lawsuit-47243ba14ab01fa227e0b60d7591675b">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;policies were upheld earlier this month by federal judges, and a Montana rule is expected to face a legal challenge in that state's courts.The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature enacted the new law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-law-kansas-b3d068afa2bc02bb15314ee04e8e3899">over Kelly's veto.</a>&nbsp;It also includes provisions to restrict transgender people's use of restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-laws-enforcement-e96e94b8935eb6bd23a42562cdeeec6c">At least nine other states</a>&nbsp;have bathroom laws.LGBTQ+ rights advocates said the Kansas law would legally erase transgender people's gender identities, and Kobach's opinion confirmed that it would if the law is enforced as intended. Supporters also acknowledged during a Statehouse news conference this week that they don't see transgender women and girls as women and girls.“A birth certificate is a record of what happened on a particular day when a particular baby came out of the womb,” Kobach told reporters. “Similarly, a driver’s license is not a canvas on which one may paint one’s expression of oneself.”Kobach also argued that the state law supersedes the 2019 federal judge's order on birth certificates, something strongly disputed by LGBTQ+ rights advocates. Kobach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-transgender-birth-certificates-f9723de7460ab5fe71b3e80ba7854046">has asked the judge</a>&nbsp;to formally rescind it.The attorney general suggested that keeping transgender people from having state documents or records reflect their gender identities would have little practical effect for them. He said they still could present themselves publicly — and get photographed for driver's licenses — in line with their identities.But Jenna Bellemere, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, called such statements “condescending.” She said having an ID that conflicts with her identity has complicated getting through airport security or even using a credit card.“I’ve had experiences where checking my ID is like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t look right,'” said Bellemere, who changed her birth certificate and driver’s license last year. “I had to stop and be like, ‘No, it’s just a very long story.’”LGBTQ+ rights advocates and the nonprofit legal aid group Kansas Legal Services have viewed the state's legal climate as uncertain and encouraged transgender people to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates before Saturday. They held seminars to help them.State data shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-identities-attacked-bathroom-laws-kansas-e8fc5f209f03f8d55a7491c071283bfb">that four times as many people</a>&nbsp;made changes this year than from 2019 through 2022. The monthly average this year is 58 birth certificates and 27 driver's licenses.The law says “important governmental objectives” of protecting people’s health, safety and privacy justify sex-segregated spaces. It applies to public schools, jails, prisons, rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.Adam Kellogg, another 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student, said Kobach's legal opinion calls for a change in his Kansas driver's license, but his birth certificate from Illinois wouldn't change.“It’s going to be hard to determine what you should put on my driver’s license because according to my birth certificate, I am male,” he said. “What, are they going to take me in for genetic testing?”

Gov. says transgender Kan. residents can keep updating  docs despite new law

COWLEY COUNTY - A Kansas man drowned in the Walnut River, Tunnell Mill Dam early Thursday, according to the Winfield&nbsp;

Just before 12:30 a.m., police were dispatched to check on a man in the water at Tunnel Mill Dam,&nbsp;West Tunnel Mill Road in&nbsp; the southwest portion of Winfield,&nbsp;according to a media release.

First responders learned the man later identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Sonesiri Phengsengkham of Winfield was possibly experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Officers found him in the water yelling for help and acting erratically. They attempted to guide him back to shore, but they said he swam farther away. Winfield Fire/EMS responded to assist and followed the man along the shore to monitor his well-being and position. 

While waiting for more help to arrive, Phengsengkham went under the water and did not resurface, according to the release.

First responders jumped into the water and began searching for Phengsengkham. Rescue crews found him and removed him from the river. Resuscitation efforts were performed, and&nbsp; he was transported to William Newton Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688065286913.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY - A Kansas man drowned in the Walnut River, Tunnell Mill Dam early Thursday, according to the Winfield&nbsp;Just before 12:30 a.m., police were dispatched to check on a man in the water at Tunnel Mill Dam,&nbsp;West Tunnel Mill Road in&nbsp; the southwest portion of Winfield,&nbsp;according to a media release.First responders learned the man later identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Sonesiri Phengsengkham of Winfield was possibly experiencing a mental health crisis. Officers found him in the water yelling for help and acting erratically. They attempted to guide him back to shore, but they said he swam farther away. Winfield Fire/EMS responded to assist and followed the man along the shore to monitor his well-being and position. While waiting for more help to arrive, Phengsengkham went under the water and did not resurface, according to the release.First responders jumped into the water and began searching for Phengsengkham. Rescue crews found him and removed him from the river. Resuscitation efforts were performed, and&nbsp; he was transported to William Newton Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Police: Kansas man drowns in Kansas river, dam

NEW YORK (AP) — Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond will live on, online at least, after Overstock.com acquired the bankrupt retail chain’s intellectual property assets for $21.5 million.

The online retailer Overstock.com is dumping its name online and will become Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">declared bankruptcy earlier this year</a>.

The switcheroo to a very recognizable brand was cheered on Wall Street. Shares of Overstock.com Inc., based in Midvale, Utah, soared 20%.

The deal doesn't include Bed Bath &amp; Beyond stores, the last of which are expected to be shuttered Friday, nor the Buybuy Baby chain.

The name change will roll out in Canada next month and in August, a relaunch of the company's website and mobile app as Bed Bath &amp; Beyond will appear in the U.S. Those visiting ovestock.com will be redirected to bedbathandbeyond.com.

"Combining the strengths of the Overstock operational model and the Bed Bath &amp; Beyond brand will create a powerful synergy,” Overstock.com's CEO Jonathan Johnson said in a prepared statement. “I’m excited for consumers to experience the new Bed Bath and an even bigger and better Beyond.”

Bed Bath &amp; Beyond - one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets - filed for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">bankruptcy protection</a>&nbsp;in April. The filing followed years of dismal sales and numerous attempts to turn the flailing business around.=

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661994970208.png" alt="The online retailer Overstock.com is dumping its name online and will become Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">declared bankruptcy earlier this year</a>.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>The online retailer Overstock.com is dumping its name online and will become Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">declared bankruptcy earlier this year</a>.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond will live on, online at least, after Overstock.com acquired the bankrupt retail chain’s intellectual property assets for $21.5 million.The online retailer Overstock.com is dumping its name online and will become Bed &amp; Bath &amp; Beyond, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">declared bankruptcy earlier this year</a>.The switcheroo to a very recognizable brand was cheered on Wall Street. Shares of Overstock.com Inc., based in Midvale, Utah, soared 20%.The deal doesn't include Bed Bath &amp; Beyond stores, the last of which are expected to be shuttered Friday, nor the Buybuy Baby chain.The name change will roll out in Canada next month and in August, a relaunch of the company's website and mobile app as Bed Bath &amp; Beyond will appear in the U.S. Those visiting ovestock.com will be redirected to bedbathandbeyond.com."Combining the strengths of the Overstock operational model and the Bed Bath &amp; Beyond brand will create a powerful synergy,” Overstock.com's CEO Jonathan Johnson said in a prepared statement. “I’m excited for consumers to experience the new Bed Bath and an even bigger and better Beyond.”Bed Bath &amp; Beyond - one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets - filed for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy-filing-a597c1013b2f641b7b32e87ad81be6d8">bankruptcy protection</a>&nbsp;in April. The filing followed years of dismal sales and numerous attempts to turn the flailing business around.=

Bed Bath & Beyond lives on!(line). Overstock.com buys retailer, changes name

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a> the opinion&nbsp;

Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation's second Black justice who had long called for an end to affirmative action, wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667264915999.jpeg" alt="Activists demonstrate as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a pair of cases on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Oct. 31, 2022. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 29, 2023, that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)" />
 <figcaption>Activists demonstrate as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on a pair of cases on affirmative action in college admissions, in Washington, Oct. 31, 2022. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 29, 2023, that colleges and universities must stop considering race in admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday struck down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/affirmative-action">affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf">Click here to read</a> the opinion&nbsp;The court's conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation's oldest private and public colleges, respectively.Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation's second Black justice who had long called for an end to affirmative action, wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.The Supreme Court had twice upheld&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-harvard-university-95be5363a3245fbf185babe8423426a4">race-conscious college admissions programs</a>&nbsp;in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.But that was before the three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.The affirmative action cases were brought by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.Blum formed Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.Roberts' opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation's military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children of alumni and major donors.The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities</a>.They are among nine states that already prohibit any consideration of race in admissions to their public colleges and universities. The others are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.In 2020, California voters easily rejected a ballot measure to bring back affirmative action.A poll last month by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnorc.org/">The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;showed 63% of U.S. adults say the court should allow colleges to consider race as part of the admissions process, yet few believe students’ race should ultimately play a major role in decisions. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that half of Americans disapprove of considerations of applicants’ race, while a third approve.The chief justice and Jackson received their undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. Two other justices, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch, went to law school there, and Kagan was the first woman to serve as the law school’s dean.Every U.S. college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.Those schools — Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Notre Dame and Holy Cross — joined briefs in defense of Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions plans.Only Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s undergraduate alma mater, Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, was not involved in the cases.

Read the decision: Supreme Court rejects use of race for college admissions

FRANKLIN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; alleged meth distribution and have made an arrest.

On Tuesday, the Franklin County drug enforcement unit executed a search warrant in the 100 Block of Monroe Street in the city of Pomoma, according to Sheriff Jeff Richards.

Deputies arrested 33-year-old Taylor Larsh on requested charges of possession of meth with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and not drug tax stamp.

The case will be presented to the Franklin County Attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687976763408.png" alt="Larsh-photo Franklin Co." />
 <figcaption>Larsh-photo Franklin Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; alleged meth distribution and have made an arrest.On Tuesday, the Franklin County drug enforcement unit executed a search warrant in the 100 Block of Monroe Street in the city of Pomoma, according to Sheriff Jeff Richards.Deputies arrested 33-year-old Taylor Larsh on requested charges of possession of meth with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and not drug tax stamp.The case will be presented to the Franklin County Attorney.

Sheriff: Kansas man intended to sell meth

CHICAGO (AP) — President Joe Biden made his pitch Wednesday to a skeptical public that the U.S. economy is thriving under what he now touts as “Bidenomics” -- even as a new poll showed that could be a hard sell as the foundation for his 2024 reelection campaign.

In a major economic speech in Chicago, Biden said his administration's efforts were sparking recovery after Republican policies had crushed America's middle class. But the poll said only one in three U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall didn't hesitate to comment on&nbsp; Bidenomics.

(Click below to watch the President's Chicago speech)

That 34% figure is even lower than his overall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-harris-survey-economy-354924a2ed1e4833668a2554f12c7f9f">approval rating of 41%</a>, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Biden's approval figures have barely moved for the past year and a half, a source of concern for a president pursuing a second term on his ability to govern and focus on workers. He wants voters to connect local roads and bridge projects, factory construction and the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy to the millions of dollars in initiatives he signed into law during the first two years of his administration.

“Bidenomics is about the future,” he declared in his Wednesday speech to cheering supporters. “Bidenomics is just another way of saying: Restore the American dream.”

At the same time, he sought to paint previous Republican tax cuts as deeply flawed, saying they helped the rich but failed the middle class for decades as the promised “trickle down” benefits never seemed to come to the less wealthy.

“The trickle down approach failed the middle class,” he said. “It failed America. It blew up the deficit. It increased inequity. And it weakened our infrastructure. It stripped the dignity, pride and hope out of communities, one after another.”

As he was departing Washington on Wednesday, Biden said he believes the U.S. will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recession-economy-inflation-jobs-unemployment-2ad91e65f4c0c79ebd2518e351934605">avoid the recession</a>&nbsp;that many economic analysts have been expecting. Republican leaders such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said last year that the high inflation under Biden's watch meant that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.speaker.gov/the-biden-recession/">“we are in a recession,"</a>&nbsp;but that is not the case under economic definitions.

GOP officials say their tax cuts have encouraged business investments and profits that have improved pay for workers and bolstered the stock market, while greater government spending would cause prices to keep rising and waste money.

Indeed, the economy has steadily improved over the past year of Biden's term in the White House.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumer confidence this month reached the highest level since January 2022.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-e1ec3c376117935a0d85e466e3a20af4">Unemployment</a>&nbsp;stands near a historic low at 3.7%. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-4c0ea8315ab90c1b832ef6fa67dc0c7a">inflation</a>&nbsp;that has plagued Biden's presidency has fallen to 4% from a peak of 9.1% last June. But prices are still rising significantly faster than the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, a worry for voters and a line of attack for Republican lawmakers and other presidential candidates.

And smoke from Canadian wildfires, evident in Chicago on Wednesday, has added a new cloud for workers and shoppers in the U.S. The White House said it's monitoring the air quality in Chicago but would not cancel the president's scheduled events, which included a campaign reception in addition to the speech on the economy.

The new poll identifies a weakness within Biden's own base. Many of the Democrats he needs to marshal in 2024 are comparatively unenthusiastic about his economic record. Seventy-two percent within his party say they approve of his handling of his job overall, but just 60% say they approve of his handling of the economy.

By comparison, during the depths of the pandemic as unemployment spiked, Republicans approved by overwhelming numbers of then-President Donald Trump's economic leadership. Only about 1 in 10 Republicans now approve of Biden overall or on the economy, a testament to the polarization that defines modern U.S. politics.

Sarah Husted, 40, said she voted in 2020 for Biden, but “I wasn't thrilled with either candidate.”

Living in Lincoln, Nebraska, Husted said that she feels as though inflation is getting worse, especially with regard to utilities and housing. But she largely believes the economic turmoil still reflects the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

“I don’t think that President Biden is helping the situation as much as he could, but I don’t think it’s all his fault,” she said.

That take was shared by other poll respondents interviewed by AP who voted for Biden in 2020. They generally saw him as a president grappling with partisan divisions, global competition and the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

“He’s doing the best he can, but he can’t do anything without Congress,” said Alice Banner, 86, a retired nurse from Baltimore County, Maryland.

Ben Will, 34, noted the solid job growth during Biden's presidency and said the infrastructure spending that Biden signed into law would help with growth.

"He’s doing a fantastic job with the cards that were dealt to him,” said Will, a marketing and advertising director from Reading, Pennsylvania.

Overall, 30% of U.S. adults say they think the national economy is good, up slightly from the 25% who said that last month, when the president and congressional Republicans were in the midst of negotiations over raising the nation’s debt limit and a historic government default was a risk. No more than about a third have called the economy good since 2021.

The administration is making a data-driven argument in addition to Biden's speech. The Treasury Department released an analysis showing that spending on factory-related construction has doubled since 2021 after adjusting for inflation. White House economists issued a report that shows inflation is lower in the U.S. than the rest of industrialized nations in the Group of Seven.

White House aides believe that Biden's speech on Wednesday can generate greater awareness of his policies and increase Democratic voters' appreciation of the economy. While the president's allies acknowledge that many Americans still hold dim views of the economy, they note that the actual economic data was far worse last November, when Democrats mounted a stronger-than-expected showing in the midterm elections.

Biden aides say they are encouraged by data showing Americans’ views can be changed by a consistent message reinforced on multiple fronts, which is what the president and his Cabinet are setting out to do by touring the U.S. over the next three weeks. Their hope is that repetition of Biden’s accomplishments, coupled with a contrast to GOP proposals to undo those initiatives, will stick with voters for 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687982189464.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — President Joe Biden made his pitch Wednesday to a skeptical public that the U.S. economy is thriving under what he now touts as “Bidenomics” -- even as a new poll showed that could be a hard sell as the foundation for his 2024 reelection campaign.In a major economic speech in Chicago, Biden said his administration's efforts were sparking recovery after Republican policies had crushed America's middle class. But the poll said only one in three U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership.Kansas Senator Roger Marshall didn't hesitate to comment on&nbsp; Bidenomics.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is the reality, Mr. President: Real wages are down⬇️ Americans&#39; savings are slashed⬇️ Economic confidence is down⬇️ Inflation is sky high ⬆️ Credit card debt is soaring⬆️ Interest rates are through the roof⬆️ No matter how you spin it, &#39;Bidenomics&#39; does not work.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1674138094289801236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(Click below to watch the President's Chicago speech)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F660788902570893%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=360" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>That 34% figure is even lower than his overall&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-harris-survey-economy-354924a2ed1e4833668a2554f12c7f9f">approval rating of 41%</a>, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Biden's approval figures have barely moved for the past year and a half, a source of concern for a president pursuing a second term on his ability to govern and focus on workers. He wants voters to connect local roads and bridge projects, factory construction and the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy to the millions of dollars in initiatives he signed into law during the first two years of his administration.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is Bidenomics, folks. <a href="https://t.co/nmATaelkw4">pic.twitter.com/nmATaelkw4</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1674076443607719943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Bidenomics is about the future,” he declared in his Wednesday speech to cheering supporters. “Bidenomics is just another way of saying: Restore the American dream.”At the same time, he sought to paint previous Republican tax cuts as deeply flawed, saying they helped the rich but failed the middle class for decades as the promised “trickle down” benefits never seemed to come to the less wealthy.“The trickle down approach failed the middle class,” he said. “It failed America. It blew up the deficit. It increased inequity. And it weakened our infrastructure. It stripped the dignity, pride and hope out of communities, one after another.”As he was departing Washington on Wednesday, Biden said he believes the U.S. will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/recession-economy-inflation-jobs-unemployment-2ad91e65f4c0c79ebd2518e351934605">avoid the recession</a>&nbsp;that many economic analysts have been expecting. Republican leaders such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said last year that the high inflation under Biden's watch meant that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.speaker.gov/the-biden-recession/">“we are in a recession,"</a>&nbsp;but that is not the case under economic definitions.GOP officials say their tax cuts have encouraged business investments and profits that have improved pay for workers and bolstered the stock market, while greater government spending would cause prices to keep rising and waste money.Indeed, the economy has steadily improved over the past year of Biden's term in the White House.The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumer confidence this month reached the highest level since January 2022.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-inflation-layoffs-economy-federal-reserve-e1ec3c376117935a0d85e466e3a20af4">Unemployment</a>&nbsp;stands near a historic low at 3.7%. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-4c0ea8315ab90c1b832ef6fa67dc0c7a">inflation</a>&nbsp;that has plagued Biden's presidency has fallen to 4% from a peak of 9.1% last June. But prices are still rising significantly faster than the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, a worry for voters and a line of attack for Republican lawmakers and other presidential candidates.And smoke from Canadian wildfires, evident in Chicago on Wednesday, has added a new cloud for workers and shoppers in the U.S. The White House said it's monitoring the air quality in Chicago but would not cancel the president's scheduled events, which included a campaign reception in addition to the speech on the economy.The new poll identifies a weakness within Biden's own base. Many of the Democrats he needs to marshal in 2024 are comparatively unenthusiastic about his economic record. Seventy-two percent within his party say they approve of his handling of his job overall, but just 60% say they approve of his handling of the economy.By comparison, during the depths of the pandemic as unemployment spiked, Republicans approved by overwhelming numbers of then-President Donald Trump's economic leadership. Only about 1 in 10 Republicans now approve of Biden overall or on the economy, a testament to the polarization that defines modern U.S. politics.Sarah Husted, 40, said she voted in 2020 for Biden, but “I wasn't thrilled with either candidate.”Living in Lincoln, Nebraska, Husted said that she feels as though inflation is getting worse, especially with regard to utilities and housing. But she largely believes the economic turmoil still reflects the disruptions caused by the pandemic.“I don’t think that President Biden is helping the situation as much as he could, but I don’t think it’s all his fault,” she said.That take was shared by other poll respondents interviewed by AP who voted for Biden in 2020. They generally saw him as a president grappling with partisan divisions, global competition and the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.“He’s doing the best he can, but he can’t do anything without Congress,” said Alice Banner, 86, a retired nurse from Baltimore County, Maryland.Ben Will, 34, noted the solid job growth during Biden's presidency and said the infrastructure spending that Biden signed into law would help with growth."He’s doing a fantastic job with the cards that were dealt to him,” said Will, a marketing and advertising director from Reading, Pennsylvania.Overall, 30% of U.S. adults say they think the national economy is good, up slightly from the 25% who said that last month, when the president and congressional Republicans were in the midst of negotiations over raising the nation’s debt limit and a historic government default was a risk. No more than about a third have called the economy good since 2021.The administration is making a data-driven argument in addition to Biden's speech. The Treasury Department released an analysis showing that spending on factory-related construction has doubled since 2021 after adjusting for inflation. White House economists issued a report that shows inflation is lower in the U.S. than the rest of industrialized nations in the Group of Seven.White House aides believe that Biden's speech on Wednesday can generate greater awareness of his policies and increase Democratic voters' appreciation of the economy. While the president's allies acknowledge that many Americans still hold dim views of the economy, they note that the actual economic data was far worse last November, when Democrats mounted a stronger-than-expected showing in the midterm elections.Biden aides say they are encouraged by data showing Americans’ views can be changed by a consistent message reinforced on multiple fronts, which is what the president and his Cabinet are setting out to do by touring the U.S. over the next three weeks. Their hope is that repetition of Biden’s accomplishments, coupled with a contrast to GOP proposals to undo those initiatives, will stick with voters for 2024.

🎥 Kansas U.S. Senator critical of Bidenomics

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force was in Hays Wednesday to discuss how Kansas can better meet children's and family's needs.

Child care funding and oversight are very fragmented in the Kansas government. The task force has been directed to evaluate if child care needs to be under the oversight of a single agency in Kansas in order to reduce duplication and bureaucratic complexity for families and providers.&nbsp;

The listening session in Hays was one of a series across the state of Kansas. The board room at Rockwell Administration Center was filled to capacity Wednesday with about 40 people broken into eight groups.

Each group was asked to discuss three questions: • What are the challenges, gaps or barriers your community has faced? • What services and programs are working and are bright spots? • How would you evaluate the state's efficiency in providing support to you and your community?

Participants expressed concern about a gap between what child care providers charge and what some families can pay.&nbsp; Families should be paying no more than 7 percent of their income for child care, according to a staff member from Child Care Aware.

Jennifer Hecker, an Ellis County Child Care Task Force member, said although cost is a challenge for many families, wages for child care providers remain low. This has resulted in child care workers leaving the profession in droves, she said.

Child care providers have been able to receive pandemic sustainability funding, but that is now ending.

Brett Schmidt, owner of Learning Cross Child Care in Hays, said he is concerned as that pandemic funding disappears, communities like Hays will see a sharp decrease in providers.

Mason Ruder is a Hays city commissioner and his wife runs a child care home. During the pandemic, all providers participating in the Children and Adult Care Food Program received the same level of funding.&nbsp;

With the end of the pandemic, that funding has gone back to a tiered system. Tori Ruder, Ruder's wife, is now receiving less food funding even though food prices have increased significantly.

Infant care is not sustainable in for-profit models, Schmidt said. This has led to extreme shortages in most communities in the state. The state requires small staff-to-infant ratios, which drive up costs.

The going rate for care for an infant is $1,000 per month.&nbsp;

Group members also expressed concerns about a lack of care for children with disabilities or mental health issues. Care is also lacking for parents who do shift work.

The inability to find quality child care spills over into the workforce, participants said.

When a child care home closes because of illness, a worker may have to take a leave of absence to care for a child. Workers who can't find or afford child care, including potential paraprofessional educators, nurses and teachers have to remove themselves from the workforce to take care of their children, a participant said.

The participants pointed out some bright spots in the child care system. Some of these included intergenerational child care programs, the Ellis County Child Care Task Force, cooperative programs with businesses to provide child care and new professional development opportunities for child care providers.

The participants gave the facilitators multiple suggestions on how state oversight could be improved.

Participants said opening a new child care center or home was a lengthy process that required approval of multiple officials.

They said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website is difficult to navigate.

Although some participants said the background check system had become easier, but others said it historically had been a slow and expensive process.&nbsp;

One participant said she needed three different background checks for her job.

One of the facilitators said because different certifications have different requirements, they can't use the same background checks for each certification.

Kyle Carlin, director of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative, said each funding source has different requirements. This results in more administrative costs for the entities that receive the funding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687990159785.jpeg" alt="Participants from across the region met in Hays on Wednesday to discuss child care. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Participants from across the region met in Hays on Wednesday to discuss child care. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force was in Hays Wednesday to discuss how Kansas can better meet children's and family's needs.Child care funding and oversight are very fragmented in the Kansas government. The task force has been directed to evaluate if child care needs to be under the oversight of a single agency in Kansas in order to reduce duplication and bureaucratic complexity for families and providers.&nbsp;The listening session in Hays was one of a series across the state of Kansas. The board room at Rockwell Administration Center was filled to capacity Wednesday with about 40 people broken into eight groups.Each group was asked to discuss three questions: • What are the challenges, gaps or barriers your community has faced? • What services and programs are working and are bright spots? • How would you evaluate the state's efficiency in providing support to you and your community?Participants expressed concern about a gap between what child care providers charge and what some families can pay.&nbsp; Families should be paying no more than 7 percent of their income for child care, according to a staff member from Child Care Aware.Jennifer Hecker, an Ellis County Child Care Task Force member, said although cost is a challenge for many families, wages for child care providers remain low. This has resulted in child care workers leaving the profession in droves, she said.Child care providers have been able to receive pandemic sustainability funding, but that is now ending.Brett Schmidt, owner of Learning Cross Child Care in Hays, said he is concerned as that pandemic funding disappears, communities like Hays will see a sharp decrease in providers.Mason Ruder is a Hays city commissioner and his wife runs a child care home. During the pandemic, all providers participating in the Children and Adult Care Food Program received the same level of funding.&nbsp;With the end of the pandemic, that funding has gone back to a tiered system. Tori Ruder, Ruder's wife, is now receiving less food funding even though food prices have increased significantly.Infant care is not sustainable in for-profit models, Schmidt said. This has led to extreme shortages in most communities in the state. The state requires small staff-to-infant ratios, which drive up costs.The going rate for care for an infant is $1,000 per month.&nbsp;Group members also expressed concerns about a lack of care for children with disabilities or mental health issues. Care is also lacking for parents who do shift work.The inability to find quality child care spills over into the workforce, participants said.When a child care home closes because of illness, a worker may have to take a leave of absence to care for a child. Workers who can't find or afford child care, including potential paraprofessional educators, nurses and teachers have to remove themselves from the workforce to take care of their children, a participant said.The participants pointed out some bright spots in the child care system. Some of these included intergenerational child care programs, the Ellis County Child Care Task Force, cooperative programs with businesses to provide child care and new professional development opportunities for child care providers.The participants gave the facilitators multiple suggestions on how state oversight could be improved.Participants said opening a new child care center or home was a lengthy process that required approval of multiple officials.They said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website is difficult to navigate.Although some participants said the background check system had become easier, but others said it historically had been a slow and expensive process.&nbsp;One participant said she needed three different background checks for her job.One of the facilitators said because different certifications have different requirements, they can't use the same background checks for each certification.Kyle Carlin, director of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative, said each funding source has different requirements. This results in more administrative costs for the entities that receive the funding.Sarah Wasinger, facilitator for the Ellis County Child Care Task Force, said applications for state funding have had short turnaround times. She also expressed frustration that the criteria for the programs have been changed in the middle of the application process.Hecker also added grant funds are often based on population, which means rural areas of the state are left out."We can't compete body-wise," she said. "I would hope that they could look a square mileage."