KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that took the life of a teen.

Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.

&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located&nbsp; a 16-year-old employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. 

EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead.  Traffic Investigators are working to reconstruct the scene and gather evidence. 

Police have not released the name of the teen.

The incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that took the life of a teen.Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located&nbsp; a 16-year-old employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead. Traffic Investigators are working to reconstruct the scene and gather evidence. Police have not released the name of the teen.The incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.

16-year-old dies in work accident at KC-area landfill

STONE COUNTY —A child died Wednesday after an incident on Monday at Table Rock Lake.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the 2-year-old from Ozark, Missouri, entered the water in an an unknown manner without a life jacket seven miles north of Blue Eye. 

The girl was transported to Children's Mercy in Kansas City where she was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

STONE COUNTY —A child died Wednesday after an incident on Monday at Table Rock Lake.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the 2-year-old from Ozark, Missouri, entered the water in an an unknown manner without a life jacket seven miles north of Blue Eye. The girl was transported to Children's Mercy in Kansas City where she was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details.

2-year-old has died after incident at Table Rock Lake

NEWTON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Thursday in Newton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Nissan Altima driven by a 17-year-old Seneca boy was westbound on Old 60 Drive just east of Palm Road three miles east of Seneca.

The car crossed the center of the road and the driver overcorrected. The car then traveled off the right side of the road, overturned and struck a tree.

A passenger identified as Steven N. Keith, 18, Seneca, was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; The teen driver and a second passenger Benjamin M. Greene, 18, Seneca, were transported to Freeman West in Joplin. All three were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

NEWTON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Thursday in Newton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Nissan Altima driven by a 17-year-old Seneca boy was westbound on Old 60 Drive just east of Palm Road three miles east of Seneca.The car crossed the center of the road and the driver overcorrected. The car then traveled off the right side of the road, overturned and struck a tree.A passenger identified as Steven N. Keith, 18, Seneca, was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; The teen driver and a second passenger Benjamin M. Greene, 18, Seneca, were transported to Freeman West in Joplin. All three were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

Missouri teen dead, 2 injured after rollover crash

MIAMI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been indicted on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">mishandling classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, a remarkable development that makes him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.

The Justice Department was expected to make public a seven-count indictment ahead of a historic court appearance next week in the midst of a 2024 presidential campaign punctuated by criminal prosecutions in multiple states.

The indictment carries unmistakably grave legal consequences, including the possibility of prison if Trump's convicted.

But it also has enormous political implications, potentially upending a Republican presidential primary that Trump had been dominating and testing anew the willingness of GOP voters and party leaders to stick with a now twice-indicted candidate who could face still more charges. And it sets the stage for a sensational trial centered on claims that a man once entrusted to safeguard the nation's most closely guarded secrets willfully, and illegally, hoarded sensitive national security information.

The Justice Department did not immediately confirm the indictment publicly. But two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said that the indictment included seven criminal counts. One of those people said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced Thursday on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.

Within minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, began fundraising off it for his presidential campaign. He declared his innocence in a video and repeated his familiar refrain that the investigation is a “witch hunt.”

The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he faces, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.

Appearing Thursday night on CNN, Trump attorney James Trusty said the indictment includes charges of willful retention of national defense information — a crime under the Espionage Act, which polices the handling of government secrets — obstruction, false statements and conspiracy.

The inquiry took a major step forward last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, a soft-spoken former federal judge who has long stated that no one person should be regarded as above the law, appointed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Jack Smith</a>, a war crimes prosecutor with an aggressive, hard-charging reputation to lead both the documents probe as well as a separate investigation into efforts to subvert the 2020 election.

The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. The most notable investigation was an earlier special counsel probe into ties between his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">2016 campaign and Russia,</a>&nbsp;but prosecutors in that probe cited Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Once he left office, though, he lost that protection.

The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property</a>, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.

Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.

Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">including the retention of national defense information</a>, destruction of government records and obstruction.

Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-grand-jury-justice-department-623428540a6cff1b5dcdf697cdf45b5d">including his own lawyers</a>. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.

Even so, it remains unclear how much it will damage Trump's standing given that his first indictment generated millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t weaken him in the polls.

The former president has long sought to use his legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.

Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.

Smith is separately investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.

Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-classified-documents-maralago-455e06ae11fecd5fc6aa565bee6b3878">Monday meeting between Trump’s lawyers</a>&nbsp;and Justice Department officials. His lawyers had also recently been notified that he was the target of the investigation, the clearest sign yet that an indictment was looming.

Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors took place.

The Justice Department has said Trump repeatedly resisted efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to get the documents back. After months of back-and-forth, Trump representatives returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, including about 184 documents that officials said had classified markings on them.

FBI and Justice Department investigators issued a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents that remained in Trump’s possession. But after a Trump lawyer provided three dozen records and asserted that a diligent search of the property had been done, officials came to suspect even more documents remained.

The investigation had simmered for months before bursting into front-page news in remarkable fashion last August. That’s when FBI agents served a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago and removed 33 boxes containing classified records, including top-secret documents stashed in a storage room and desk drawer and commingled with personal belongings. Some records were so sensitive that investigators needed upgraded security clearances to review them, the Justice Department has said.

The investigation into Trump had appeared complicated — politically, if not legally — by the discovery of documents with classified markings in the Delaware home and former Washington office of President Joe Biden, as well as in the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence. The Justice Department recently informed Pence that he would not face charges, while a second special counsel continues to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents.

But compared with Trump, there are key differences in the facts and legal issues surrounding Biden’s and Pence’s handling of documents, including that representatives for both men say the documents were voluntarily turned over to investigators as soon as they were found. In contrast, investigators quickly zeroed on whether Trump, who for four years as president expressed disdain for the FBI and Justice Department, had sought to obstruct the inquiry by refusing to turn over all the requested documents.

MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.

The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. But two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's team had been informed that he had been indicted on seven counts and that prosecutors had contacted lawyers to advise them of the indictment shortly before Trump announced it himself on his Truth Social platform.

“This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America,” Trump posted. “We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”

Within 20 minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, had begun fundraising off it for his 2024 presidential campaign.

The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that also could lead to criminal charges. As the prosecution moves forward, it will pit Trump’s claims of sweeping executive power against Attorney General Merrick Garland’s oft-stated mantra that no person, including a former commander in chief, should be regarded as above the law.

The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.

Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation.

Trump and his team have long seen the special counsel investigation as far more perilous than the New York matter — both politically and legally. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.

But it remains unclear what the immediate and long-term political consequences will be for Trump. His first indictment spurred millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t damage Trump in the polls. No matter what, the indictment — and the legal fight that follows -- will throw Trump back into the spotlight, sucking attention away from the other candidates who are trying to build momentum in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump has insisted he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.

The former president has long sought to use mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.

The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024.

Among the various state and federal investigations that Trump faces, legal experts — including Trump’s own former attorney general — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as one of the most likely to result in indictment and the one where evidence seemed to favor the government. Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed, including the retention of national defense information, destruction of government records and obstruction of an investigation.

Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump, including his own lawyers. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.

Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a June 5 meeting between Trump’s lawyers and Justice Department officials. After that meeting, Trump said on social media that he anticipated he could be charged, even as he insisted he had done nothing wrong.

Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors — including efforts to move the boxes — took place.

The special counsel has a separate probe underway focused on efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.

The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment.

Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.

Trump said he is due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; &nbsp;(Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.&nbsp; &nbsp;(Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has been indicted on charges of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">mishandling classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, a remarkable development that makes him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges by the federal government that he once oversaw.The Justice Department was expected to make public a seven-count indictment ahead of a historic court appearance next week in the midst of a 2024 presidential campaign punctuated by criminal prosecutions in multiple states.<figure>
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 </figure>The indictment carries unmistakably grave legal consequences, including the possibility of prison if Trump's convicted.But it also has enormous political implications, potentially upending a Republican presidential primary that Trump had been dominating and testing anew the willingness of GOP voters and party leaders to stick with a now twice-indicted candidate who could face still more charges. And it sets the stage for a sensational trial centered on claims that a man once entrusted to safeguard the nation's most closely guarded secrets willfully, and illegally, hoarded sensitive national security information.The Justice Department did not immediately confirm the indictment publicly. But two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said that the indictment included seven criminal counts. One of those people said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced Thursday on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.Within minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, began fundraising off it for his presidential campaign. He declared his innocence in a video and repeated his familiar refrain that the investigation is a “witch hunt.”The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-charges-classified-documents-d822569227ea882cedfeffd3284f9d4c">additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta</a>&nbsp;that also could lead to criminal charges. But among the various investigations he faces, legal experts — as well as Trump's own aides — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as the most perilous threat and the one most ripe for prosecution. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.Appearing Thursday night on CNN, Trump attorney James Trusty said the indictment includes charges of willful retention of national defense information — a crime under the Espionage Act, which polices the handling of government secrets — obstruction, false statements and conspiracy.The inquiry took a major step forward last November when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/merrick-garland">Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, a soft-spoken former federal judge who has long stated that no one person should be regarded as above the law, appointed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Jack Smith</a>, a war crimes prosecutor with an aggressive, hard-charging reputation to lead both the documents probe as well as a separate investigation into efforts to subvert the 2020 election.The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. The most notable investigation was an earlier special counsel probe into ties between his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-politics-russia-48f9d5132d7a4e2d823edad8fc407979">2016 campaign and Russia,</a>&nbsp;but prosecutors in that probe cited Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Once he left office, though, he lost that protection.The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property</a>, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation. Trump has repeatedly insisted that he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">including the retention of national defense information</a>, destruction of government records and obstruction.Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-grand-jury-justice-department-623428540a6cff1b5dcdf697cdf45b5d">including his own lawyers</a>. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.Even so, it remains unclear how much it will damage Trump's standing given that his first indictment generated millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t weaken him in the polls.The former president has long sought to use his legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.Smith is separately investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-classified-documents-maralago-455e06ae11fecd5fc6aa565bee6b3878">Monday meeting between Trump’s lawyers</a>&nbsp;and Justice Department officials. His lawyers had also recently been notified that he was the target of the investigation, the clearest sign yet that an indictment was looming.Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors took place.The Justice Department has said Trump repeatedly resisted efforts by the National Archives and Records Administration to get the documents back. After months of back-and-forth, Trump representatives returned 15 boxes of records in January 2022, including about 184 documents that officials said had classified markings on them.FBI and Justice Department investigators issued a subpoena in May 2022 for classified documents that remained in Trump’s possession. But after a Trump lawyer provided three dozen records and asserted that a diligent search of the property had been done, officials came to suspect even more documents remained.The investigation had simmered for months before bursting into front-page news in remarkable fashion last August. That’s when FBI agents served a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago and removed 33 boxes containing classified records, including top-secret documents stashed in a storage room and desk drawer and commingled with personal belongings. Some records were so sensitive that investigators needed upgraded security clearances to review them, the Justice Department has said.The investigation into Trump had appeared complicated — politically, if not legally — by the discovery of documents with classified markings in the Delaware home and former Washington office of President Joe Biden, as well as in the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence. The Justice Department recently informed Pence that he would not face charges, while a second special counsel continues to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents.But compared with Trump, there are key differences in the facts and legal issues surrounding Biden’s and Pence’s handling of documents, including that representatives for both men say the documents were voluntarily turned over to investigators as soon as they were found. In contrast, investigators quickly zeroed on whether Trump, who for four years as president expressed disdain for the FBI and Justice Department, had sought to obstruct the inquiry by refusing to turn over all the requested documents.--------------MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump said Thursday he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-merrick-garland-government-and-politics-f63c018b600e1539ff3660a896a132d0">classified documents</a>&nbsp;at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. But two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's team had been informed that he had been indicted on seven counts and that prosecutors had contacted lawyers to advise them of the indictment shortly before Trump announced it himself on his Truth Social platform.<figure>
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 </figure>“This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America,” Trump posted. “We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!”Within 20 minutes of his announcement, Trump, who said he was due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami, had begun fundraising off it for his 2024 presidential campaign.The case adds to deepening legal jeopardy for Trump, who has already been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arraignment-hush-money-81225510ef7638494852816878f612f0">indicted in New York</a>&nbsp;and faces additional investigations in Washington and Atlanta that also could lead to criminal charges. As the prosecution moves forward, it will pit Trump’s claims of sweeping executive power against Attorney General Merrick Garland’s oft-stated mantra that no person, including a former commander in chief, should be regarded as above the law.The indictment arises from a monthslong investigation by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;into whether Trump broke the law by holding onto hundreds of documents marked classified at his Palm Beach property, Mar-a-Lago, and whether Trump took steps to obstruct the government’s efforts to recover the records.Prosecutors have said that Trump took roughly 300 classified documents to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">including some 100 that were seized by the FBI last August</a>&nbsp;in a search of the home that underscored the gravity of the Justice Department’s investigation.Trump and his team have long seen the special counsel investigation as far more perilous than the New York matter — both politically and legally. Campaign aides had been bracing for the fallout since Trump’s attorneys were notified that he was the target of the investigation, assuming it was not a matter of if charges would be brought, but when.But it remains unclear what the immediate and long-term political consequences will be for Trump. His first indictment spurred millions of dollars in contributions from angry supporters and didn’t damage Trump in the polls. No matter what, the indictment — and the legal fight that follows -- will throw Trump back into the spotlight, sucking attention away from the other candidates who are trying to build momentum in the 2024 presidential race.Trump has insisted he was entitled to keep the classified documents when he left the White House, and has also claimed without evidence that he had declassified them.The former president has long sought to use mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, complaining on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign. He is likely to rely on that playbook again, reviving his longstanding claims that the Justice Department — which, during his presidency, investigated whether his 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia — is somehow weaponized against him.The case is a milestone for a Justice Department that had investigated Trump for years — as president and private citizen — but had never before charged him with a crime. Garland was appointed by President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024.Among the various state and federal investigations that Trump faces, legal experts — including Trump’s own former attorney general — had long seen the Mar-a-Lago probe as one of the most likely to result in indictment and the one where evidence seemed to favor the government. Court records unsealed last year showed federal investigators believed they had probable cause that multiple crimes had been committed, including the retention of national defense information, destruction of government records and obstruction of an investigation.Since then, the Justice Department has amassed additional evidence and secured grand jury testimony from people close to Trump, including his own lawyers. The statutes governing the handling of classified records and obstruction are felonies that could carry years in prison in the event of a conviction.Signs had mounted for weeks that an indictment was near, including a June 5 meeting between Trump’s lawyers and Justice Department officials. After that meeting, Trump said on social media that he anticipated he could be charged, even as he insisted he had done nothing wrong.Though the bulk of the investigative work had been handled in Washington, with a grand jury meeting there for months, it recently emerged that prosecutors were presenting evidence before a separate panel in Florida, where many of the alleged acts of obstruction scrutinized by prosecutors — including efforts to move the boxes — took place.Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond the New York indictment and classified documents case.The special counsel has a separate probe underway focused on efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. And the district attorney in Georgia’s Fulton County is investigating Trump over alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election in that state.The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment.Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.Trump said he is due in court Tuesday afternoon in Miami.

Trump indicted in classified documents case; historic first for a former president

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Leavenworth man accused of killing his two sons before fleeing to Oklahoma with his two young daughters could face the death penalty if he is convicted.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said Wednesday he will seek the death penalty against Donald Ray Jackson Jr., 43, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-leavenworth-cbf7ad5d94bcb20112d9b6e1f82184e5">charged with capital murder</a>&nbsp;in his sons' death.

Jackson stood silent for his arraignment on Wednesday and a not guilty plea was entered for him, Thompson said in a statement.

At the hearing, Jackson’s defense team announced it is unlikely to be ready to face a jury until 2025.

Jackson has been jailed in Leavenworth County since November 2020. Prosecutors allege he shot his sons — 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan — at their home in rural Leavenworth on Oct. 24, 2020.

The boys' bodies were found after Jackson and his sons didn't show up for a soccer game. An Amber Alert was issued for Jackson and his two daughters, ages 3 and 7.

Jackson was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-kansas-leavenworth-c03f7c571db80021218b3f96f4b21c72">stopped hours later</a>&nbsp;in Beckham County, Oklahoma, with the two girls inside his car.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686252737322.png" alt="Jackson-photo Leavenworth Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jackson-photo Leavenworth Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Leavenworth man accused of killing his two sons before fleeing to Oklahoma with his two young daughters could face the death penalty if he is convicted.Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said Wednesday he will seek the death penalty against Donald Ray Jackson Jr., 43, who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arrests-kansas-leavenworth-cbf7ad5d94bcb20112d9b6e1f82184e5">charged with capital murder</a>&nbsp;in his sons' death.Jackson stood silent for his arraignment on Wednesday and a not guilty plea was entered for him, Thompson said in a statement.At the hearing, Jackson’s defense team announced it is unlikely to be ready to face a jury until 2025.Jackson has been jailed in Leavenworth County since November 2020. Prosecutors allege he shot his sons — 12-year-old Austin and 14-year-old Logan — at their home in rural Leavenworth on Oct. 24, 2020.The boys' bodies were found after Jackson and his sons didn't show up for a soccer game. An Amber Alert was issued for Jackson and his two daughters, ages 3 and 7.Jackson was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-kansas-leavenworth-c03f7c571db80021218b3f96f4b21c72">stopped hours later</a>&nbsp;in Beckham County, Oklahoma, with the two girls inside his car.

Kansas man accused of killing two sons faces death penalty

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Emporia State University has asked a district court judge to review and reverse the reinstatement of five professors fired last year as part of a university-wide restructuring.

The Office of Administrative Hearings ordered the reversal of the terminations of Amanda Miracle, Robert Catlett, Michael Behrens, Lynette Sievert and Dan Colson because the university failed to provide a specific reason for firing them.&nbsp;ESU responded with petitions in Lyon County District Court seeking to reverse the OAH orders and rule in favor of the university.

“It was kind of a short-lived victory, I guess, in that we then have to go to district court,” said Sievert, a professor of biological sciences. “They’re appealing the fact that we won.”

In October 2022, ESU and the OAH signed an interagency agreement outlining the appeals assignments and service agreements. Kansas Reflector obtained a copy of the contract, which shows ESU agreed to pay a service bill of $115 per hour for OAH services.

Gwen Larson, spokeswoman for ESU, said the university has not yet received any billing statements from the OAH so she does not know the cost of the hearings. OAH didn’t immediately respond to a Kansas Open Records Act request for related documents.

Four additional professors who appealed their terminations are still waiting for decisions on their cases, and two other professors’ terminations were affirmed by OAH.

The university informed some of the professors they were being placed on administrative leave and told them to clear out their offices at the end of the school year.

ESU president Ken Hush went before the Kansas Board of Regents in September 2022 to adopt the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/esubulletin.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/52/75242d50-2f8e-11ed-940c-dbfa9ec4e384/631a1046d2625.pdf.pdf">Framework for Workforce Management</a>, a document allowing the termination of professors on campus regardless of their tenure status. The next day, the university fired 33 faculty members, effective May 16.

“Honestly, I did not think what they did could be done,” Sievert said. “It was such a shock, because I thought tenure actually meant something, not that people could come along and just say, well, we’re going to ignore it for a little while.”

A spokesman for KBOR did not respond to a request for an interview.

As outlined in the framework, the fired faculty members had 30 days to file an appeal to OAH. Once the administrative officer assigned to a professor’s case decided on the appeal, the ruling would be final and neither KBOR nor the university could appeal the case. However, state law allows the university or employee to seek judicial review of the administrative officer’s legal reasoning.

“An appeal under this policy will not stay the effective date of the suspension, dismissal, or termination,” read the last section of the framework. “An employee who wins their appeal will be entitled to reinstatement, back pay and restoration of other lost benefits.”

Larson objected to Kansas Reflector’s use of the word “reinstated” to describe faculty members who won their appeal. Larson said the final decision regarding the status of the professors has not been made, despite the terminations being “reversed” through the appeals decisions.

“We’re not really using the term reinstatement,” Larson said. “I know that that is the easiest description for what it looks like happened with some of those wage decisions, but essentially, what some of those decisions said is that the administrative judge ruled that we did not follow our procedure to terminate these appointments. That does not necessarily give a person their position back.”

If a Lyon County District Court judge upholds the decision made by OAH, the university may file additional legal action. If the judge disagrees with the decision to reverse the termination, the case may be sent back to OAH for reconsideration.

Jess Mack, legal assistant for OAH, said the university filing the petition is standard and all decisions made by the office are subject to appeal.

Four professors who appealed their terminations are still waiting for rulings from OAH, months after the appeals began.

Three of the appealing professors decided to drop their appeals and retire. Factors that may have contributed to their decisions include unused sick leave that is not available after being fired, the possibility of teaching as an adjunct professor, eligibility for emeritus status, and financial strain through the continual appeals process.

The OAH officers affirmed the decisions to terminate two professors, Christopher Lovett and Sheryl Lidzy, because the university provided explanations for their dismissals, as required by the framework policy adopted by KBOR. Lovett and Lidzy have been removed from the university directory.

The American Association of University Professors found KBOR members and ESU administrators “<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/01/emporia-state-university-kansas-board-of-regents-members-unfit-to-lead-investigation-finds/">unfit to lead</a>” following a monthslong investigation into the university’s restructuring and firing of tenured professors.

ESU is the only Kansas institution to be&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aaup.org/our-programs/academic-freedom/censure-list">censured by the AAUP</a>&nbsp;and is one of three U.S. institutions censured in 2023.

The investigative report was released May 1, just days after ESU announced its plan to restructure the university into large schools, eliminating departments and department chairs.

Michael Smith, a political science professor and former chairman of the department of social sciences, sociology and criminology, said he was notified via email at 1 p.m. the day grades were due for the spring semester that his duties as chairman of the department would conclude at 5 p.m. that afternoon.

When asked if Smith was the only department chair asked to step down before the end of the fiscal year, Larson said ESU does not comment on personnel-related matters.

Smith said that while he is grateful he is still getting paid as a department chairman through the end of the fiscal year, he doesn’t understand the university’s rush. One of his duties as chairman was to file the assessment report on the previous year that reviews the learning outcomes of the program and uses assessment data in order to determine how well those outcomes were achieved. Based on the findings, recommendations for the following year are offered.

Larson said the reports will still be completed through the restructuring.

The assessment report is critical for the Higher Learning Commission accreditation, Smith said.

Accreditation “validates the quality” of an institution’s academic programs and instruction at all degree levels, according to the HLC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hlcommission.org/Accreditation/accreditation-overview.html">website</a>. A degree from an unaccredited institution is not transferable to other institutions.

ESU is scheduled for its 10-year&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hlcommission.org/Accreditation/comprehensive-evaluation.html">comprehensive evaluation</a>&nbsp;to reaffirm accreditation by HLC in 2024-25, said Laura Janota, HLC spokeswoman. The university will host a visit from reviewers in fall 2024.

The AAUP finding ESU administration unfit to lead will be a consideration in the HLC evaluation, said Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, a Kansas AAUP committee officer.

“If the institution loses accreditation, then essentially the degree from ESU would become worthless,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “So right now, in many ways, the AAUP censure is the canary in the coal mine, and the canary has basically died.”

What has happened at ESU was “brutal to teachers,” Barrett-Gonzalez said.

ESU was listed as one of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thefire.org/news/10-worst-colleges-free-speech-2023?utm_source=FIRE_Update&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Update&amp;fb_subscribed=true">10 worst colleges for free speech</a>&nbsp;in February by The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

Smith said he has entered the job market and is hoping to find an institution that is not censured by AAUP and values free speech where he can continue working in academia.

“I love being chair and would have been happy to continue doing that, or I’d like to be maybe a different kind of administrator,” Smith said. “The glitch there is since I’m strongly opposed to ESU’s new direction, I don’t see any role for me there, and so it becomes a question of looking to do that role at another school.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686254914902.png" alt=" Emporia State University is asking a Lyon County District Court judge to review and reverse decisions by state appeals officers to reinstate professors who were fired last fall. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Emporia State University is asking a Lyon County District Court judge to review and reverse decisions by state appeals officers to reinstate professors who were fired last fall. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Emporia State University has asked a district court judge to review and reverse the reinstatement of five professors fired last year as part of a university-wide restructuring.The Office of Administrative Hearings ordered the reversal of the terminations of Amanda Miracle, Robert Catlett, Michael Behrens, Lynette Sievert and Dan Colson because the university failed to provide a specific reason for firing them.&nbsp;ESU responded with petitions in Lyon County District Court seeking to reverse the OAH orders and rule in favor of the university.“It was kind of a short-lived victory, I guess, in that we then have to go to district court,” said Sievert, a professor of biological sciences. “They’re appealing the fact that we won.”In October 2022, ESU and the OAH signed an interagency agreement outlining the appeals assignments and service agreements. Kansas Reflector obtained a copy of the contract, which shows ESU agreed to pay a service bill of $115 per hour for OAH services.Gwen Larson, spokeswoman for ESU, said the university has not yet received any billing statements from the OAH so she does not know the cost of the hearings. OAH didn’t immediately respond to a Kansas Open Records Act request for related documents.Four additional professors who appealed their terminations are still waiting for decisions on their cases, and two other professors’ terminations were affirmed by OAH.The university informed some of the professors they were being placed on administrative leave and told them to clear out their offices at the end of the school year.<h2>Appealing termination</h2>ESU president Ken Hush went before the Kansas Board of Regents in September 2022 to adopt the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/esubulletin.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/52/75242d50-2f8e-11ed-940c-dbfa9ec4e384/631a1046d2625.pdf.pdf">Framework for Workforce Management</a>, a document allowing the termination of professors on campus regardless of their tenure status. The next day, the university fired 33 faculty members, effective May 16.“Honestly, I did not think what they did could be done,” Sievert said. “It was such a shock, because I thought tenure actually meant something, not that people could come along and just say, well, we’re going to ignore it for a little while.”A spokesman for KBOR did not respond to a request for an interview.As outlined in the framework, the fired faculty members had 30 days to file an appeal to OAH. Once the administrative officer assigned to a professor’s case decided on the appeal, the ruling would be final and neither KBOR nor the university could appeal the case. However, state law allows the university or employee to seek judicial review of the administrative officer’s legal reasoning.“An appeal under this policy will not stay the effective date of the suspension, dismissal, or termination,” read the last section of the framework. “An employee who wins their appeal will be entitled to reinstatement, back pay and restoration of other lost benefits.”Larson objected to Kansas Reflector’s use of the word “reinstated” to describe faculty members who won their appeal. Larson said the final decision regarding the status of the professors has not been made, despite the terminations being “reversed” through the appeals decisions.“We’re not really using the term reinstatement,” Larson said. “I know that that is the easiest description for what it looks like happened with some of those wage decisions, but essentially, what some of those decisions said is that the administrative judge ruled that we did not follow our procedure to terminate these appointments. That does not necessarily give a person their position back.”If a Lyon County District Court judge upholds the decision made by OAH, the university may file additional legal action. If the judge disagrees with the decision to reverse the termination, the case may be sent back to OAH for reconsideration.Jess Mack, legal assistant for OAH, said the university filing the petition is standard and all decisions made by the office are subject to appeal.Four professors who appealed their terminations are still waiting for rulings from OAH, months after the appeals began.Three of the appealing professors decided to drop their appeals and retire. Factors that may have contributed to their decisions include unused sick leave that is not available after being fired, the possibility of teaching as an adjunct professor, eligibility for emeritus status, and financial strain through the continual appeals process.The OAH officers affirmed the decisions to terminate two professors, Christopher Lovett and Sheryl Lidzy, because the university provided explanations for their dismissals, as required by the framework policy adopted by KBOR. Lovett and Lidzy have been removed from the university directory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686254820369.png" alt="Fired history professor Chris Lovett appears at an April 18, 2023, meeting of the faculty senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Fired history professor Chris Lovett appears at an April 18, 2023, meeting of the faculty senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Unfit to lead’</h2>The American Association of University Professors found KBOR members and ESU administrators “<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/01/emporia-state-university-kansas-board-of-regents-members-unfit-to-lead-investigation-finds/">unfit to lead</a>” following a monthslong investigation into the university’s restructuring and firing of tenured professors.ESU is the only Kansas institution to be&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aaup.org/our-programs/academic-freedom/censure-list">censured by the AAUP</a>&nbsp;and is one of three U.S. institutions censured in 2023.The investigative report was released May 1, just days after ESU announced its plan to restructure the university into large schools, eliminating departments and department chairs.Michael Smith, a political science professor and former chairman of the department of social sciences, sociology and criminology, said he was notified via email at 1 p.m. the day grades were due for the spring semester that his duties as chairman of the department would conclude at 5 p.m. that afternoon.When asked if Smith was the only department chair asked to step down before the end of the fiscal year, Larson said ESU does not comment on personnel-related matters.Smith said that while he is grateful he is still getting paid as a department chairman through the end of the fiscal year, he doesn’t understand the university’s rush. One of his duties as chairman was to file the assessment report on the previous year that reviews the learning outcomes of the program and uses assessment data in order to determine how well those outcomes were achieved. Based on the findings, recommendations for the following year are offered.Larson said the reports will still be completed through the restructuring.The assessment report is critical for the Higher Learning Commission accreditation, Smith said.Accreditation “validates the quality” of an institution’s academic programs and instruction at all degree levels, according to the HLC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hlcommission.org/Accreditation/accreditation-overview.html">website</a>. A degree from an unaccredited institution is not transferable to other institutions.ESU is scheduled for its 10-year&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hlcommission.org/Accreditation/comprehensive-evaluation.html">comprehensive evaluation</a>&nbsp;to reaffirm accreditation by HLC in 2024-25, said Laura Janota, HLC spokeswoman. The university will host a visit from reviewers in fall 2024.The AAUP finding ESU administration unfit to lead will be a consideration in the HLC evaluation, said Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, a Kansas AAUP committee officer.“If the institution loses accreditation, then essentially the degree from ESU would become worthless,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “So right now, in many ways, the AAUP censure is the canary in the coal mine, and the canary has basically died.”What has happened at ESU was “brutal to teachers,” Barrett-Gonzalez said.ESU was listed as one of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thefire.org/news/10-worst-colleges-free-speech-2023?utm_source=FIRE_Update&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Update&amp;fb_subscribed=true">10 worst colleges for free speech</a>&nbsp;in February by The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.Smith said he has entered the job market and is hoping to find an institution that is not censured by AAUP and values free speech where he can continue working in academia.“I love being chair and would have been happy to continue doing that, or I’d like to be maybe a different kind of administrator,” Smith said. “The glitch there is since I’m strongly opposed to ESU’s new direction, I don’t see any role for me there, and so it becomes a question of looking to do that role at another school.”

‘Short-lived victory:’ Emporia State takes reinstated professors to court

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused in a fatal shooting last month made her first court appearance in the case Wednesday and is out of jail after meeting the requirements of a $500,000 bond, according to online jail records.

La’Niha Banks, 19 of Wichita, is charged with 1st degree murder, attempted 1st degree murder, two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm, and four counts of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Tuesday, police arrested&nbsp; Banks after a 17 day search.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 11 pm May 20, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1000 block of E 1st Street N. in Wichita. Upon arrival, officers located&nbsp; 19-year-old Lationna Johnson &nbsp;with two gunshot wounds to her upper body. 

EMS transported Johnson to an area hospital in critical condition and with life-threatening injuries. She died on May 23, according to Rebolledo. 

The investigation revealed that Johnson was trying to break up a physical altercation between an acquaintance of hers and Banks in a parking lot. After the victim managed to stop the fight, she started to drive away, but the Banks produced a handgun and started to shoot into the occupied vehicle.

&nbsp;Attorneys in the case are scheduled to discuss future dates on June 22, according to the. District Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686138861430.png" alt="Banks photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Banks photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused in a fatal shooting last month made her first court appearance in the case Wednesday and is out of jail after meeting the requirements of a $500,000 bond, according to online jail records.La’Niha Banks, 19 of Wichita, is charged with 1st degree murder, attempted 1st degree murder, two counts of criminal discharge of a firearm, and four counts of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On Tuesday, police arrested&nbsp; Banks after a 17 day search.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 11 pm May 20, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1000 block of E 1st Street N. in Wichita. Upon arrival, officers located&nbsp; 19-year-old Lationna Johnson &nbsp;with two gunshot wounds to her upper body. EMS transported Johnson to an area hospital in critical condition and with life-threatening injuries. She died on May 23, according to Rebolledo. The investigation revealed that Johnson was trying to break up a physical altercation between an acquaintance of hers and Banks in a parking lot. After the victim managed to stop the fight, she started to drive away, but the Banks produced a handgun and started to shoot into the occupied vehicle.&nbsp;Attorneys in the case are scheduled to discuss future dates on June 22, according to the. District Attorney's office.----------

Kan. murder suspect who hid from from police 17 days is out of jail

WASHINGTON (AP) — Willa Cather, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author renowned for her portrayal of the lives of pioneer settlers in the U.S. Heartland, was honored Wednesday with the unveiling of a bronze statue in her likeness in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.

The statue’s creator, Littleton Alston, a professor of sculpture at Creighton University, is the first Black artist to have work represented in the national collection.

Cather, whose works include “My Ántonia” and “O Pioneers,” spent her young years in Red Cloud, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1895. She won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel “One of Ours.”

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, a Republican from Nebraska, noted that Cather was a trailblazer in the literary world who has earned a lasting place among the great American writers.

And U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska said Cather’s fiction “truly feels like it grew from the soil of Nebraska.”

“For decades until her death in 1947, Cather was unable to shake her creative spirit away from its home on the open plains of the Heartland,” Fischer said.

“You’re work inspires us, and hopefully this experience can inspire all of us in this room to go home and to do a little bit more than we ever thought we could,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told the crowd that Cather’s prose is still celebrated because it gave a voice to pioneers who chose to take a chance for a better life.

“Nebraskans are lucky to call Willa Cather one of their own,” McCarthy said. “But ultimately, her work belongs here because it is American to the core. Her authenticity, emotion, artistry spoke of Americans’ fundamental values. Ultimately, it reminds us that this is a land of opportunity.”

Each state has two statues at the U.S. Capitol, with many in the Statuary Hall. Nebraska’s other statue, of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, was unveiled in 2019.

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic minority leader of the House, said Cather was the first Pulitzer Prize winner and 12th woman recognized in the collection. He said she and Standing Bear captured “the heart and soul of the great state of Nebraska.”

“Her stories are the stories of people who risked everything,” Jeffries said. “She captured in such a powerful way the story of America and our country’s exceptionalism.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Willa Cather, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author renowned for her portrayal of the lives of pioneer settlers in the U.S. Heartland, was honored Wednesday with the unveiling of a bronze statue in her likeness in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall.(click below to watch the ceremony)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/icmwM9y618o?start=511" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The statue’s creator, Littleton Alston, a professor of sculpture at Creighton University, is the first Black artist to have work represented in the national collection.Cather, whose works include “My Ántonia” and “O Pioneers,” spent her young years in Red Cloud, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1895. She won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel “One of Ours.”U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, a Republican from Nebraska, noted that Cather was a trailblazer in the literary world who has earned a lasting place among the great American writers.And U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska said Cather’s fiction “truly feels like it grew from the soil of Nebraska.”“For decades until her death in 1947, Cather was unable to shake her creative spirit away from its home on the open plains of the Heartland,” Fischer said.Officials also recognized Alston.“You’re work inspires us, and hopefully this experience can inspire all of us in this room to go home and to do a little bit more than we ever thought we could,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said.Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told the crowd that Cather’s prose is still celebrated because it gave a voice to pioneers who chose to take a chance for a better life.“Nebraskans are lucky to call Willa Cather one of their own,” McCarthy said. “But ultimately, her work belongs here because it is American to the core. Her authenticity, emotion, artistry spoke of Americans’ fundamental values. Ultimately, it reminds us that this is a land of opportunity.”Each state has two statues at the U.S. Capitol, with many in the Statuary Hall. Nebraska’s other statue, of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, was unveiled in 2019.U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic minority leader of the House, said Cather was the first Pulitzer Prize winner and 12th woman recognized in the collection. He said she and Standing Bear captured “the heart and soul of the great state of Nebraska.”“Her stories are the stories of people who risked everything,” Jeffries said. “She captured in such a powerful way the story of America and our country’s exceptionalism.”___

🎥 Statue of noted author Willa Cather unveiled in US Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;unveiled new initiatives Thursday to protect LGBTQ+ communities but hastily postponed a big Pride Month celebration on the White House lawn with thousands of guests from around the country because of poor air quality from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-3291016eaa4905177c90feae02a139c5">the Canadian wildfires</a>.

The event, which will now be held on Saturday, was intended to be a high-profile show of support at a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community feel under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.

The Biden administration announced initiatives designed to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attack, help young people with mental health issues and homelessness, and counter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans</a>, though the effects may be limited. Biden was to discuss them at the event, which the White House had said would be the largest Pride Month celebration ever held there.

Thousands of guests had been invited from around the country for an evening filled with food, games and other activities on the South Lawn. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music, and singer Betty Who was on tap to perform.

But the nation’s capital by late morning Thursday was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that everyone limit their exposure to the hazardous smoke wafting south from Canada. District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday, and the National Zoo also closed.

The White House initially resisted altering its plans for the celebration, saying there were no changes, even as the air quality steadily worsened along the East Coast on Wednesday and into Thursday.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions. She said LGBTQ+ people need to know Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.

Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.

Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education.

"This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”

Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.

Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.

To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.

The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. He has appointed many to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and throughout the federal government. He signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>&nbsp;and continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.

Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.

But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.

At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.

Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions.

She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”

The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-air-quality-8af805b127ba4d4f5933463cf8fdc746">Canadian wildfires</a>&nbsp;to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation's capital was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.

Hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-transgender-rights-rainbow-flag-gay-pride-bbab91ca858e13b3aca88afbbef35843">bills have been proposed</a>&nbsp;restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/restrictions-targeting-transgender-people-legislative-updates-df66b5a86be47b03dd5a50449d239275">in statehouses</a>.

The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.

After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>. He continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.

The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign's declaration of a “state of emergency” as a “PR stunt so ignorantly detached” from the community's progress over the past decade.

Charles Moran, the group's president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of “destructively redefining” support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women’s sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.

“While these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented ‘state of emergency’ to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,” Moran said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656015992947.png" alt="President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception in June of 2022-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception in June of 2022-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;unveiled new initiatives Thursday to protect LGBTQ+ communities but hastily postponed a big Pride Month celebration on the White House lawn with thousands of guests from around the country because of poor air quality from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-3291016eaa4905177c90feae02a139c5">the Canadian wildfires</a>.The event, which will now be held on Saturday, was intended to be a high-profile show of support at a time when members of the LGBTQ+ community feel under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.The Biden administration announced initiatives designed to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attack, help young people with mental health issues and homelessness, and counter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">book bans</a>, though the effects may be limited. Biden was to discuss them at the event, which the White House had said would be the largest Pride Month celebration ever held there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671017343149.png" alt="In December the White House lit up&nbsp; rainbow to celebrate Biden's signature on a gay marriage bill- White House&nbsp; photo" />
 <figcaption>In December the White House lit up&nbsp; rainbow to celebrate Biden's signature on a gay marriage bill- White House&nbsp; photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Thousands of guests had been invited from around the country for an evening filled with food, games and other activities on the South Lawn. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music, and singer Betty Who was on tap to perform.But the nation’s capital by late morning Thursday was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that everyone limit their exposure to the hazardous smoke wafting south from Canada. District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday, and the National Zoo also closed.The White House initially resisted altering its plans for the celebration, saying there were no changes, even as the air quality steadily worsened along the East Coast on Wednesday and into Thursday.Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Wednesday that Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions. She said LGBTQ+ people need to know Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education."This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals. He has appointed many to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and throughout the federal government. He signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>&nbsp;and continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.___WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions.She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-air-quality-8af805b127ba4d4f5933463cf8fdc746">Canadian wildfires</a>&nbsp;to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation's capital was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/">U.S. air quality index</a>, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-emergency-human-rights-campaign-guidebook-5a1195f8a6759bdfd37cd7f5a6c5ee34">state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals</a>&nbsp;in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.Just a few days into June's Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.Kelley Robinson, the campaign's president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education."This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education's civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.Hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-transgender-rights-rainbow-flag-gay-pride-bbab91ca858e13b3aca88afbbef35843">bills have been proposed</a>&nbsp;restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/restrictions-targeting-transgender-people-legislative-updates-df66b5a86be47b03dd5a50449d239275">in statehouses</a>.The White House points to Biden's support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman's constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-marriage-united-states-government-virginia-state-4968ff59107e511609fc3e301890942e">marriage equality</a>. He continues to urge Congress to send him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-lgbtq-protections-9347578b80d3ad3ac4b92365da81096e">the Equality Act</a>, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign's declaration of a “state of emergency” as a “PR stunt so ignorantly detached” from the community's progress over the past decade.Charles Moran, the group's president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of “destructively redefining” support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women’s sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.“While these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented ‘state of emergency’ to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,” Moran said.___

Pride Month: Biden unveils updated LGBTQ+ initiatives 

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas denounced the decision of manufacturers to stop installing AM radio systems in new vehicles, arguing millions of people rely on that format for weather, agriculture and emergency information as well as conservative news and talk shows.

LaTurner, a Republican who serves the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, introduced a two-page nonbinding resolution with U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, to amplify criticism of manufacturers that made the decision or were contemplating removal of AM radio technology from new vehicles, especially electric cars.

“Millions of Americans across the country rely on AM radio for crucial information or as an alternative to mainstream media outlets,” LaTurner said. “Not only is AM radio vital to the freedom of expression and ideas, but it also provides weather updates, crop reports, and emergency alerts to rural communities across America that can’t access cellular or broadband networks.”

Alford, the 4th District congressman in Missouri and a former television news anchor in the Kansas City market, said commercial radio on the AM dial was a vital communications tool.

“This isn’t a dying medium,” he said. “It’s a vibrant network that connects diverse communities across our nation. As members of Congress, it is our duty to protect this resource at all costs.”

Volvo, BMW, Tesla, Volkswagen and Mazda were among companies that moved to drop AM radio from new electric cars in wake of consternation with the irritating buzz of electromagnetic interference with audio from AM stations.

In May, bills were introduced in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to step into the marketplace with a rule requiring automakers to install AM radio in vehicles without assessing customers a special payment, fee or surcharge.

That legislation also would mandate the Government Accountability Office determine whether alternative communication systems could replicate effectiveness of AM radio in alerting the public to local, state and federal emergencies.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey and sponsor of the federal AM for Every Vehicle Act, said if Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk could buy Twitter and run SpaceX rocket company it shouldn’t be a problem for him to include AM radio in Tesla vehicles.

“The importance of AM radio during large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated,” Gottheimer said. “When the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off or the television doesn’t work because of no electricity or power to your house, you can still turn on your AM radio.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686074395960.png" alt=" U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Kansas Republican, introduced a nonbinding resolution supporting an effort to convince vehicle manufacturers to continue installing AM radio technology at the factory. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Kansas Republican, introduced a nonbinding resolution supporting an effort to convince vehicle manufacturers to continue installing AM radio technology at the factory. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas denounced the decision of manufacturers to stop installing AM radio systems in new vehicles, arguing millions of people rely on that format for weather, agriculture and emergency information as well as conservative news and talk shows.LaTurner, a Republican who serves the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, introduced a two-page nonbinding resolution with U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, to amplify criticism of manufacturers that made the decision or were contemplating removal of AM radio technology from new vehicles, especially electric cars.“Millions of Americans across the country rely on AM radio for crucial information or as an alternative to mainstream media outlets,” LaTurner said. “Not only is AM radio vital to the freedom of expression and ideas, but it also provides weather updates, crop reports, and emergency alerts to rural communities across America that can’t access cellular or broadband networks.”Alford, the 4th District congressman in Missouri and a former television news anchor in the Kansas City market, said commercial radio on the AM dial was a vital communications tool.“This isn’t a dying medium,” he said. “It’s a vibrant network that connects diverse communities across our nation. As members of Congress, it is our duty to protect this resource at all costs.”Volvo, BMW, Tesla, Volkswagen and Mazda were among companies that moved to drop AM radio from new electric cars in wake of consternation with the irritating buzz of electromagnetic interference with audio from AM stations.In May, bills were introduced in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to step into the marketplace with a rule requiring automakers to install AM radio in vehicles without assessing customers a special payment, fee or surcharge.That legislation also would mandate the Government Accountability Office determine whether alternative communication systems could replicate effectiveness of AM radio in alerting the public to local, state and federal emergencies.U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey and sponsor of the federal AM for Every Vehicle Act, said if Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk could buy Twitter and run SpaceX rocket company it shouldn’t be a problem for him to include AM radio in Tesla vehicles.“The importance of AM radio during large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated,” Gottheimer said. “When the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off or the television doesn’t work because of no electricity or power to your house, you can still turn on your AM radio.”

Kan. Rep. turns up volume on opposition to elimination of AM radio from new vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have canceled his plan to forgive student debt.

The measure had been pushed by Republicans, but it garnered a handful of Democratic votes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-cancellation-debt-college-biden-veto-df3b377dd651153cbc7d5e04bfb7094f">in the Senate</a>&nbsp;as well. Kansas Senators voted to end Biden's plan.

Despite the veto, Biden’s plan still isn’t secure. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will have the final say on the issue. A decision from the court is expected this summer.

“It is a shame for working families across the country that lawmakers continue to pursue this unprecedented attempt to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents,” Biden said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/06/07/message-to-the-house-of-representatives-presidents-veto-of-h-j-res-45/">in a statement</a>&nbsp;when announcing his veto.

If enacted, Biden’s plan would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year.

Student loan payments were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-repayment-a6560bab75419007049cba34a30d6657">they will resume</a>&nbsp;in August for anyone whose debt is not wiped out by Biden’s plan.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have canceled his plan to forgive student debt.The measure had been pushed by Republicans, but it garnered a handful of Democratic votes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-cancellation-debt-college-biden-veto-df3b377dd651153cbc7d5e04bfb7094f">in the Senate</a>&nbsp;as well. Kansas Senators voted to end Biden's plan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Congressional Republicans led an effort to pass a bill blocking my Administration’s plan to provide up to $20,000 in student debt relief to working and middle class Americans. I won’t back down on helping hardworking folks. That’s why I’m vetoing this bill. <a href="https://t.co/ZeYEm4LOjz">pic.twitter.com/ZeYEm4LOjz</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1666567992929394689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite the veto, Biden’s plan still isn’t secure. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;will have the final say on the issue. A decision from the court is expected this summer.“It is a shame for working families across the country that lawmakers continue to pursue this unprecedented attempt to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents,” Biden said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/06/07/message-to-the-house-of-representatives-presidents-veto-of-h-j-res-45/">in a statement</a>&nbsp;when announcing his veto.If enacted, Biden’s plan would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year.Student loan payments were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-repayment-a6560bab75419007049cba34a30d6657">they will resume</a>&nbsp;in August for anyone whose debt is not wiped out by Biden’s plan.

🎥 Supreme Court will have final say on student debt loan relief plan

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.

Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.

Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.

For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.

The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.

His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.

″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″

Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.

Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.

By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.

Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With great sadness, we announce that Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson has gone home to be with his Lord and Savior today, June 8, 2023. Thank you for your prayers for the Robertson family and the ministry of CBN at this time. For more details on Pat’s life and legacy, visit… <a href="https://t.co/vxbvrNxEG8">pic.twitter.com/vxbvrNxEG8</a>&mdash; CBN News (@CBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBNNews/status/1666776042969653249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Robertson's death Thursday was announced by his broadcasting network. No cause was given.Robertson’s enterprises also included Regent University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia Beach; the American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of religious people; and Operation Blessing, an international humanitarian organization.For more than a half-century, Robertson was a familiar presence in American living rooms, known for his “700 Club” television show, and in later years, his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment, blaming natural disasters on everything from homosexuality to the teaching of evolution.The money poured in as he solicited donations, his influence soared, and he brought a huge following with him when he moved directly into politics by seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 1988.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-evangelical-abortion-iowa-0707607982651226d6859733637a453e">Robertson pioneered the now-common strategy</a>&nbsp;of courting Iowa’s network of evangelical Christian churches, and finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush.His masterstroke was insisting that three million followers across the U.S. sign petitions before he would decide to run, Robertson biographer Jeffrey K. Hadden said. The tactic gave him an army.″He asked people to pledge that they’d work for him, pray for him and give him money,” Hadden, a University of Virginia sociologist,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3265228b1b14e865922bd51ac0bf1bc9">told The Associated Press in 1988</a>. ″Political historians may view it as one of the most ingenious things a candidate ever did.″Robertson later endorsed Bush, who won the presidency. Pursuit of Iowa’s evangelicals is now a ritual for Republican hopefuls, including those currently seeking the White House in 2024.Robertson started the Christian Coalition in Chesapeake in 1989, saying it would further his campaign’s ideals. The coalition became a major political force in the 1990s, mobilizing conservative voters through grass-roots activities.By the time of his resignation as the coalition's president in 2001 — Robertson said he wanted to concentrate on ministerial work — his impact on both religion and politics in the U.S. was “enormous,” according to John C. Green, an emeritus political science professor at The University of Akron.Many followed the path Robertson cut in religious broadcasting,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-robertson-700-club-steps-down-as-host-cf058279cc326ce21e089fef05357382#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20will%20no%20longer%20be,to%20thank%20all%20of%20you.%E2%80%9D">Green told the AP in 2021</a>. In American politics, Robertson helped “cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party.”Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson was born March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, to Absalom Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill Robertson. His father served for 36 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Virginia.After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he served as assistant adjutant of the 1st Marine Division in Korea.He received a law degree from Yale University Law School, but failed the bar exam and chose not to pursue a law career.Robertson met his wife, Adelia “Dede” Elmer, at Yale in 1952. He was a Southern Baptist, she was a Catholic, earning a master’s in nursing. Eighteen months later, they ran off to be married by a justice of the peace, knowing neither family would approve.Robertson was interested in politics until he found religion, Dede Robertson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">told the AP in 1987</a>. He stunned her by pouring out their liquor, tearing a nude print off the wall and declaring he had found the Lord.They moved into a commune in New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood because Robertson said God told him to sell all his possessions and minister to the poor. She was tempted to return home to Ohio, “but I realized that was not what the Lord would have me do ... I had promised to stay, so I did,” she told the AP.Robertson received a master’s in divinity from New York Theological Seminary in 1959, then drove south with his family to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth, Va. He said he had just $70 in his pocket, but soon found investors, and CBN went on the air on Oct. 1, 1961. Established as a tax-exempt religious nonprofit, CBN brought in hundreds of millions, disclosing $321 million in “ministry support” in 2022 alone.One of Robertson’s innovations was to use the secular talk-show format on the network’s flagship show, the “700 Club,” which grew out of a telethon when Robertson asked 700 viewers for monthly $10 contributions. It was more suited to television than traditional revival meetings or church services, and gained a huge audience.“Here’s a well-educated person having sophisticated conversations with a wide variety of guests on a wide variety of topics,” said Green, the University of Akron political science professor. “It was with a religious inflection to be sure. But it was an approach that took up everyday concerns.”His guests eventually included several U.S. presidents — Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump.At times, his on-air pronouncements drew criticism.He claimed that the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were caused by God, angered by the federal courts, pornography, abortion rights and church-state separation. Talking again about 9-11 on his TV show a year later, Robertson described Islam as a violent religion that wants to “dominate” and “destroy,” prompting President George W. Bush to distance himself and say Islam is a peaceful and respectful religion.He called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005. Later that year, he warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design” over evolution. And in 1998, he said Orlando, Florida, should beware of hurricanes after allowing the annual Gay Days event.In 2014, he angered Kenyans when he warned that towels in Kenya could transmit AIDS. CBN issued a correction, saying Robertson “misspoke about the possibility of getting AIDS through towels.”Robertson also could be unpredictable: In 2010, he called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions. Two years later, he said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol because the government’s war on drugs had failed.Robertson condemned Democrats caught up in sex scandals, saying for example that President Bill Clinton turned the White House into a playpen for sexual freedom. But he helped solidify evangelical support for Donald Trump, dismissing the candidate's sexually predatory comments about women as an attempt “to look like he’s macho.”After Trump took office, Robertson interviewed the president at the White House. And CBN welcomed Trump advisers, such as Kellyanne Conway, as guests.But after President Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, Robertson said Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and should “move on,” news outlets reported.Robertson’s son, Gordon, succeeded him in December 2007 as chief executive of CBN, which is now based in Virginia Beach. Robertson remained chairman of the network and continued to appear on the “700 Club.”Robertson stepped down as host of the show after half a century in 2021, with his son Gordon taking over the weekday show.Robertson also was founder and chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc., parent of The Family Channel basic cable TV network. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought IFE in 1997.Regent University, where classes began in Virginia Beach in 1978, now has more than 30,000 alumni, CBN said in a statement.Robertson wrote 15 books, including “The Turning Tide” and “The New World Order.”His wife Dede, who was a founding board member of CBN,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-television-united-states-virginia-norfolk-b345bab8c17c66e7836ff7db3488ebd7#:~:text=NORFOLK%2C%20Va.,Robertson%20was%2094.">died last year at the age of 94</a>. The couple had four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, CBN said in a statement.