FORD COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities in SW Kansas captured a suspect wanted for murder in Tennessee.

On July 24,&nbsp;&nbsp;deputies with the Ford County Sheriff’s Office were alerted of a possible murder suspect out of Tennessee in Spearville, Kansas, according to Sheriff Bill Carr.

 Deputies made contact with the suspect later identified as 25-year-old Eric L. Caffey and took him into custody.

He is wanted in connection with a fatal shooting of 42-year-old Christopher Young in Clarksville, Tennessee, according to Clarksville Police.

Just after 12:30a.m. May 13, officers found Young at a home and he had been shot multiple times. 

He was taken to Tennova Medical Center where he died. On June 8,&nbsp; police in Tennessee arrested Amber Lynn Tanner, 24, of Hanceville, Alabama, in connection with the shooting death.

Caffey remains in the Ford County Detention Center pending extradition to Tennessee, according to Carr.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595874822792.png" alt="Caffey photo Ford County" />
 <figcaption>Caffey photo Ford County</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities in SW Kansas captured a suspect wanted for murder in Tennessee.On July 24,&nbsp;&nbsp;deputies with the Ford County Sheriff’s Office were alerted of a possible murder suspect out of Tennessee in Spearville, Kansas, according to Sheriff Bill Carr. Deputies made contact with the suspect later identified as 25-year-old Eric L. Caffey and took him into custody.He is wanted in connection with a fatal shooting of 42-year-old Christopher Young in Clarksville, Tennessee, according to Clarksville Police.Just after 12:30a.m. May 13, officers found Young at a home and he had been shot multiple times. He was taken to Tennova Medical Center where he died. On June 8,&nbsp; police in Tennessee arrested Amber Lynn Tanner, 24, of Hanceville, Alabama, in connection with the shooting death.Caffey remains in the Ford County Detention Center pending extradition to Tennessee, according to Carr.

Deputies in SW Kan. capture Tennessee murder suspect

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1063 to a total of 26,172 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1063 to a total of 26,172 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 335<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595870703940.png" alt="July 27, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>July 27, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — At least 100 people gathered in the Kansas City, Missouri, neighborhood of Westport this weekend to call for police accountability.

The protesters chanted Saturday night the names of men killed by Kansas City police, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article244496057.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Organizer Oluwatoyin Keji Akinmoladun said they there to tell the stories of those killed by Kansas City police: Ryan Stokes, Donnie Sanders, Terrance Bridges and Cameron Lamb.

Another speaker questioned why officers needed to wear riot gear for a group of 30 protesters who came out Friday night in neighboring Overland Park, Kansas.

Four people were arrested in the Overland Park protest. One was charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, but protesters said he was wrongly arrested.

Renald Donahue said he worried the protest movement would fade away after the first week.

“I’m glad it didn’t die out,” he said.

Several mothers in yellow shirts with the Wall of Moms group in Kansas City also showed up for the demonstration. The group got its start this week following protests in Portland.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595861626648.png" alt="Protesters Saturday night in Westport -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Protesters Saturday night in Westport -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — At least 100 people gathered in the Kansas City, Missouri, neighborhood of Westport this weekend to call for police accountability.The protesters chanted Saturday night the names of men killed by Kansas City police, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article244496057.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.Organizer Oluwatoyin Keji Akinmoladun said they there to tell the stories of those killed by Kansas City police: Ryan Stokes, Donnie Sanders, Terrance Bridges and Cameron Lamb.Another speaker questioned why officers needed to wear riot gear for a group of 30 protesters who came out Friday night in neighboring Overland Park, Kansas.Four people were arrested in the Overland Park protest. One was charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, but protesters said he was wrongly arrested.Renald Donahue said he worried the protest movement would fade away after the first week.“I’m glad it didn’t die out,” he said.Several mothers in yellow shirts with the Wall of Moms group in Kansas City also showed up for the demonstration. The group got its start this week following protests in Portland.

Kansas City protesters remember local men killed by police

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal weekend motorcycle crash have identified the victim as 35-year-old Yaihir Vepez Morales of Wichita.

Just after 10p.m. Friday, Morales was driving a Suzuki motorcycle eastbound on 37th Street North with a group of others on motorcycles, according to officer Charley Davidson.

He lost control of the motorcycle on a curve near 37th Street North and Oliver. The motorcycle struck the curb and Morales was ejected from the motorcycle.&nbsp;

It is the fifth fatal motorcycle in Wichita this year, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal weekend motorcycle crash have identified the victim as 35-year-old Yaihir Vepez Morales of Wichita.Just after 10p.m. Friday, Morales was driving a Suzuki motorcycle eastbound on 37th Street North with a group of others on motorcycles, according to officer Charley Davidson.He lost control of the motorcycle on a curve near 37th Street North and Oliver. The motorcycle struck the curb and Morales was ejected from the motorcycle.&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene.It is the fifth fatal motorcycle in Wichita this year, according to Davidson.

Police ID Kansas man who died in motorcycle accident

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press

The world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government -- one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.

There’s still no guarantee that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b614811eef32955180c8260188bc24">experimental vaccine</a>, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.

The needed proof: Volunteers won’t know if they’re getting the real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked.

“Unfortunately for the United States of America, we have plenty of infections right now” to get that answer, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press.

Moderna said the vaccination was done in Savannah, Georgia, the first site to get underway among more than seven dozen trial sites scattered around the country.

In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting said she volunteered as a way “to do my part to help out.”

“I’m excited,” Harting said before she received a study injection Monday morning. Especially with family members in front-line jobs that could expose them to the virus, “doing our part to eradicate it is very important to me.”

Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries earlier this month.

But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate -- each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.

The massive studies aren’t just to test if the shots work — they’re needed to check each potential vaccine’s safety. And following the same study rules will let scientists eventually compare all the shots.

Next up in August, the final U.S. study of the Oxford shot begins, followed by plans to test a candidate from Johnson &amp; Johnson in September and Novavax in October -- if all goes according to schedule. Pfizer Inc. plans its own 30,000-person study this summer.

That’s a stunning number of people needed to roll up their sleeves for science. But in recent weeks, more than 150,000 Americans filled out an online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/clinical-study-volunteer/" target="_blank">registry&nbsp;</a>signaling interest, said Dr. Larry Corey, a virologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle, who helps oversee the study sites.

“These trials need to be multigenerational, they need to be multiethnic, they need to reflect the diversity of the United States population,” Corey told a vaccine meeting last week. He stressed that it’s especially important to ensure enough Black and Hispanic participants as those populations are hard-hit by COVID-19.

It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are setting speed records this time around, spurred by knowledge that vaccination is the world’s best hope against the pandemic. The coronavirus wasn’t even known to exist before late December, and vaccine makers sprang into action Jan. 10 when China shared the virus’ genetic sequence.

Just 65 days later in March, the NIH-made vaccine was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjx2Ulxdkiw" target="_blank">tested in people</a>. The first recipient is encouraging others to volunteer now.

“We all feel so helpless right now. There’s very little that we can do to combat this virus. And being able to participate in this trial has given me a sense of, that I’m doing something,” Jennifer Haller of Seattle told the AP. “Be prepared for a lot of questions from your friends and family about how it’s going, and a lot of thank-you’s.”

That first-stage study that included Haller and 44 others showed the shots revved up volunteers’ immune systems in ways scientists expect will be protective, with some minor side effects such as a brief fever, chills and pain at the injection site. Early testing of other leading candidates have had similarly encouraging results.

If everything goes right with the final studies, it still will take months for the first data to trickle in from the Moderna test, followed by the Oxford one.

Governments around the world are trying to stockpile millions of doses of those leading candidates so if and when regulators approve one or more vaccines, immunizations can begin immediately. But the first available doses will be rationed, presumably reserved for people at highest risk from the virus.

“We’re optimistic, cautiously optimistic” that the vaccine will work and that “toward the end of the year” there will be data to prove it, Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Massachusetts-based Moderna, told a House subcommittee last week.

Until then, Haller, the volunteer vaccinated back in March, wears a mask in public and takes the same distancing precautions advised for everyone -- while hoping that one of the shots in the pipeline pans out.

“I don’t know what the chances are that this is the exact right vaccine. But thank goodness that there are so many others out there battling this right now,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595858673337.png" alt="Photo courtesy Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. " />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. </figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MICHAEL HILL, Associated PressThe world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government -- one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.There’s still no guarantee that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b614811eef32955180c8260188bc24">experimental vaccine</a>, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.The needed proof: Volunteers won’t know if they’re getting the real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked.“Unfortunately for the United States of America, we have plenty of infections right now” to get that answer, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press.Moderna said the vaccination was done in Savannah, Georgia, the first site to get underway among more than seven dozen trial sites scattered around the country.In Binghamton, New York, nurse Melissa Harting said she volunteered as a way “to do my part to help out.”“I’m excited,” Harting said before she received a study injection Monday morning. Especially with family members in front-line jobs that could expose them to the virus, “doing our part to eradicate it is very important to me.”Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries earlier this month.But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate -- each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.The massive studies aren’t just to test if the shots work — they’re needed to check each potential vaccine’s safety. And following the same study rules will let scientists eventually compare all the shots.Next up in August, the final U.S. study of the Oxford shot begins, followed by plans to test a candidate from Johnson &amp; Johnson in September and Novavax in October -- if all goes according to schedule. Pfizer Inc. plans its own 30,000-person study this summer.That’s a stunning number of people needed to roll up their sleeves for science. But in recent weeks, more than 150,000 Americans filled out an online&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/clinical-study-volunteer/" target="_blank">registry&nbsp;</a>signaling interest, said Dr. Larry Corey, a virologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle, who helps oversee the study sites.“These trials need to be multigenerational, they need to be multiethnic, they need to reflect the diversity of the United States population,” Corey told a vaccine meeting last week. He stressed that it’s especially important to ensure enough Black and Hispanic participants as those populations are hard-hit by COVID-19.It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are setting speed records this time around, spurred by knowledge that vaccination is the world’s best hope against the pandemic. The coronavirus wasn’t even known to exist before late December, and vaccine makers sprang into action Jan. 10 when China shared the virus’ genetic sequence.Just 65 days later in March, the NIH-made vaccine was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjx2Ulxdkiw" target="_blank">tested in people</a>. The first recipient is encouraging others to volunteer now.“We all feel so helpless right now. There’s very little that we can do to combat this virus. And being able to participate in this trial has given me a sense of, that I’m doing something,” Jennifer Haller of Seattle told the AP. “Be prepared for a lot of questions from your friends and family about how it’s going, and a lot of thank-you’s.”That first-stage study that included Haller and 44 others showed the shots revved up volunteers’ immune systems in ways scientists expect will be protective, with some minor side effects such as a brief fever, chills and pain at the injection site. Early testing of other leading candidates have had similarly encouraging results.If everything goes right with the final studies, it still will take months for the first data to trickle in from the Moderna test, followed by the Oxford one.Governments around the world are trying to stockpile millions of doses of those leading candidates so if and when regulators approve one or more vaccines, immunizations can begin immediately. But the first available doses will be rationed, presumably reserved for people at highest risk from the virus.“We’re optimistic, cautiously optimistic” that the vaccine will work and that “toward the end of the year” there will be data to prove it, Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Massachusetts-based Moderna, told a House subcommittee last week.Until then, Haller, the volunteer vaccinated back in March, wears a mask in public and takes the same distancing precautions advised for everyone -- while hoping that one of the shots in the pipeline pans out.“I don’t know what the chances are that this is the exact right vaccine. But thank goodness that there are so many others out there battling this right now,” she said.___

Virus vaccine put to final test in thousands of volunteers

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries and have made an arrest.

Just after 2:30 a.m. July 22, police responded to the 5100 block of E. Harry for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains with a serious but non-life-threatening injury.

The investigation revealed that the 32-year-old victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a suspect identified as 30-year-old Terrell J. Parker. 

Parker fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the 32-year-old.

Police reported over the weekend they arrested Parker and booked him&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of attempted first-degree murder. He is being held on a $250,000 bond, according to online jail records.

Parker has been arrested and convicted on additional charges that include aggravated battery and possession of drugs, according to officer Paul Cruz.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office this week.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 5100 Block of E. Harry in Wichita for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The investigation revealed that the victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a known male suspect. 

The suspect fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the victim in the face. The suspect left the area in a vehicle and has not been located.

This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to locate the suspect, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595775677152.png" alt="Parker photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Parker photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries and have made an arrest.Just after 2:30 a.m. July 22, police responded to the 5100 block of E. Harry for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains with a serious but non-life-threatening injury.The investigation revealed that the 32-year-old victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a suspect identified as 30-year-old Terrell J. Parker. Parker fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the 32-year-old.Police reported over the weekend they arrested Parker and booked him&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of attempted first-degree murder. He is being held on a $250,000 bond, according to online jail records.Parker has been arrested and convicted on additional charges that include aggravated battery and possession of drugs, according to officer Paul Cruz.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office this week.--------SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.&nbsp;Just after 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 5100 Block of E. Harry in Wichita for a shooting call, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 32-year-old man who had a gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains with a serious but non-life-threatening injury.The investigation revealed that the victim was in the area, and a disturbance ensued between him and a known male suspect. The suspect fired a gun during the disturbance, striking the victim in the face. The suspect left the area in a vehicle and has not been located.This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to locate the suspect, according to Davidson.

Police: Kansas man accused of shooting victim in the face

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Health department officials in Kansas City and its surrounding three counties are pleading with residents to follow safety precautions amid an increase of coronavirus cases that they say could lead to further shutdowns and overwhelmed hospitals.

The officials from Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, and from Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas <a href="https://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/PressRelease/HealthOfficerLetterFINAL072420.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3qoxbx3DXsSh3-UAV-XiaHbOqcRoZmOzEOJaKBFNhZHrWOADuxcKkMc4U">issued a letter saying</a> it is important to wear masks, social distance and limit group gatherings to slow the virus’ spread.

“We are extremely concerned that hospitalizations will continue to escalate in the coming weeks and months,” officials said, “and that the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 will lead to increasing ventilator use and deaths. Despite hoping this would not occur, we predicted that this was a possibility at some point after the relaxation of the stay-at-home orders.”

On Sunday, Missouri reported 15 more deaths from coronavirus, according the state department of health and senior services and over 2400 new positive cases of the virus since Friday.

The Kansas Department of <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Health reported over</a> 1000 new cases Friday and 18 additional deaths.

According to the letter, "If we do not	act	quickly as	a community and region, future shutdowns	will	be inevitable."

"It may be important in	the coming days to limit the interactions of individuals in	bars,	restaurants, and	other indoor shopping	venues – particularly where masks cannot be worn	when	eating	and	drinking. We prefer these	businesses	provide patrons with	curbside	or outdoor service&nbsp; whenever and wherever possible as they have done before. We support creative	ideas	such	as	serving patrons	in new outdoor spaces	such	as	car-side&nbsp; in	parking	lots,	or	on	sidewalks	wherever	possible."

"Research from Goldman	Sachs suggests a national mask	mandate would	slow the growth	rate of new COVID-19 infections	and	prevent a	5%	GDP	loss	caused	by	additional lockdown&nbsp; measures.&nbsp;

The researchers go	on	to	estimate	that	a national mandate	would	increase	the&nbsp; portion	of people wearing	masks by 15	percentage points and	cut the daily growth	of new cases by	1.0	percentage	point to	0.6%. Reducing the spread of the	virus	through mask-wearing, the analysts found, could be a substitute for strict	lockdown measures	that	would otherwise	shave	$1 trillion off	the	U.S.&nbsp; GDP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595848915739.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Health department officials in Kansas City and its surrounding three counties are pleading with residents to follow safety precautions amid an increase of coronavirus cases that they say could lead to further shutdowns and overwhelmed hospitals.The officials from Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, and from Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas <a href="https://www.jocogov.org/sites/default/files/PressRelease/HealthOfficerLetterFINAL072420.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3qoxbx3DXsSh3-UAV-XiaHbOqcRoZmOzEOJaKBFNhZHrWOADuxcKkMc4U">issued a letter saying</a> it is important to wear masks, social distance and limit group gatherings to slow the virus’ spread.“We are extremely concerned that hospitalizations will continue to escalate in the coming weeks and months,” officials said, “and that the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 will lead to increasing ventilator use and deaths. Despite hoping this would not occur, we predicted that this was a possibility at some point after the relaxation of the stay-at-home orders.”On Sunday, Missouri reported 15 more deaths from coronavirus, according the state department of health and senior services and over 2400 new positive cases of the virus since Friday.The Kansas Department of <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Health reported over</a> 1000 new cases Friday and 18 additional deaths.According to the letter, "If we do not	act	quickly as	a community and region, future shutdowns	will	be inevitable.""It may be important in	the coming days to limit the interactions of individuals in	bars,	restaurants, and	other indoor shopping	venues – particularly where masks cannot be worn	when	eating	and	drinking. We prefer these	businesses	provide patrons with	curbside	or outdoor service&nbsp; whenever and wherever possible as they have done before. We support creative	ideas	such	as	serving patrons	in new outdoor spaces	such	as	car-side&nbsp; in	parking	lots,	or	on	sidewalks	wherever	possible.""Research from Goldman	Sachs suggests a national mask	mandate would	slow the growth	rate of new COVID-19 infections	and	prevent a	5%	GDP	loss	caused	by	additional lockdown&nbsp; measures.&nbsp;The researchers go	on	to	estimate	that	a national mandate	would	increase	the&nbsp; portion	of people wearing	masks by 15	percentage points and	cut the daily growth	of new cases by	1.0	percentage	point to	0.6%. Reducing the spread of the	virus	through mask-wearing, the analysts found, could be a substitute for strict	lockdown measures	that	would otherwise	shave	$1 trillion off	the	U.S.&nbsp; GDP.------------

Officials: Future shutdowns inevitable in Kansas City due to virus

ST. LOUIS (AP) — One police officer was shot and wounded, while two others were injured Sunday when a man fired at them and later rammed into one of their vehicles, authorities said.

Peter Webb, 23, was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of resisting, news outlets reported.

St. Louis Metropolitan police said the three officers were at a gas station around 1 a.m. dispersing loiterers when Webb drove past them and fired at the police cruisers.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said the officers thought the shots were fireworks and didn't notice they were being shot at until a back passenger window shattered.

Police said the officers pursued Webb, while he continued to shoot at them. Hayden said the chase ended when Webb pulled a U-turn and rammed into one of the police vehicles before crashing into a traffic light.

Webb fled on foot but was later captured by two officers. One of the officers was shot in the elbow and the other injured his knee during the arrest. Both officers were hospitalized and later released.

The officer in the crash had head injuries but didn't seek treatment.

Police said a sawed-off shotgun was found in Webb's car. Hayden said the attack seems random.

It's unclear whether Webb had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595845575209.png" alt="Webb photo St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>Webb photo St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS (AP) — One police officer was shot and wounded, while two others were injured Sunday when a man fired at them and later rammed into one of their vehicles, authorities said.Peter Webb, 23, was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of resisting, news outlets reported.St. Louis Metropolitan police said the three officers were at a gas station around 1 a.m. dispersing loiterers when Webb drove past them and fired at the police cruisers.St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said the officers thought the shots were fireworks and didn't notice they were being shot at until a back passenger window shattered.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595845754875.png" alt="Photo St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Police said the officers pursued Webb, while he continued to shoot at them. Hayden said the chase ended when Webb pulled a U-turn and rammed into one of the police vehicles before crashing into a traffic light.Webb fled on foot but was later captured by two officers. One of the officers was shot in the elbow and the other injured his knee during the arrest. Both officers were hospitalized and later released.The officer in the crash had head injuries but didn't seek treatment.Police said a sawed-off shotgun was found in Webb's car. Hayden said the attack seems random.It's unclear whether Webb had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Police officer shot, 2 injured during suspected random attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Suggesting a narrower&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">pandemic&nbsp;</a>relief package may be all that’s possible, the White House still pushed ahead with Monday’s planned rollout of the Senate Republicans’ $1 trillion effort as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assailed the GOP “disarray” as time-wasting during the crisis.

The administration’s chief negotiators — White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — spent the weekend on Capitol Hill to put what Meadows described as “final touches” on the relief bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to bring forward Monday afternoon.

“We’re done,” Mnuchin said as he and Meadows left Capitol Hill on Sunday after meeting with GOP staff.

But looming deadlines may force them to consider other options. By Friday, millions of out-of-work Americans will lose an $600 federal unemployment benefit that is expiring and federal eviction protections for many renters are also coming to an end. President Donald Trump’s standing is at one of the lowest points of his term, according to a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/43a096bc2bcf376de04b696c5143ee99">AP-NORC poll</a>.

“They’re in disarray and that delay is causing suffering for America’s families,” Pelosi said.

Pelosi panned the Trump administration’s desire to trim the $600 weekly unemployment boost to about 70% of pre-pandemic wages. She also said she opposes tackling a relief package in piecemeal fashion.

With the virus death toll climbing and 4.2 million infections nationwide, the administration officials converged on the Capitol to revive the Republican package that unraveled last week. Republican senators and the White House are at odds over various items, including how to cutback the jobless benefit without fully doing away with it.

Meadows said as the White House was “looking for clarity” on a “handful” of remaining issues with Republicans, but they had yet to talk to McConnell. “We have an agreement in principle,” he said.

Both Mnuchin and Meadows said earlier Sunday that narrower legislation might need to be passed first to ensure that enhanced unemployment benefits don’t run out for millions of Americans. They cited unemployment benefits, money to help schools reopen, tax credits to keep people from losing their jobs, and lawsuit protections for schools and businesses as priorities.

“We can move very quickly with the Democrats on these issues,” Mnuchin said.

But negotiations with Democrats have yet to begin with billions at stake and deadlines near.

Separately, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said a federal eviction moratorium on millions of rental units, due to expire at the end of the month, will be extended. “We will lengthen it,” he said, without specifying for how long.

On the jobless benefits, Republicans have argued that federal jobless benefits should be trimmed because the combination of state and federal unemployment assistance left many people better off financially than they were before the pandemic and therefore disinclined to return to their jobs.

Many Democrats contend that a lot of people don’t feel safe going back to work when the coronavirus is surging again around the country.

Meadows, a former congressman who was the head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he is working with Mnuchin and Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia to address complaints that outdated state computer systems will make it difficult for the jobless to get their benefits in a timely fashion if the formula is changed.

“It’s our goal to make sure that it’s not antiquated computers that keep people from getting their benefits,” Meadows said.

Pelosi criticized the hold-up on the GOP side. House Democrats passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/:%20https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6" target="_blank">$3 trillion relief package&nbsp;</a>a couple of months ago, with the aim of jump-starting negotiations.

The White House and Senate Republicans were racing to regroup after plans to introduce a $1 trillion virus rescue bill collapsed Thursday during GOP infighting over its size, scope and details.

It was expected to bring $105 billion to help schools reopen, new money for virus testing and benefits for businesses, including a fresh round of loans, tax breaks and a sweeping liability shield from COVID-19-related lawsuits.

The expiration of the $600 weekly jobless benefits boost had been propelling the Republicans to act, bracing to prevent social and economic fallout.

The White House floated plans to cut the additional aid back to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4965723ba65a47582f384c185680a29c">$100 a week</a>, while Senate Republicans preferred $200, with general GOP agreement about phasing out the flat boost in favor of one that ensures no more than 70% of an employee’s previous pay.

Apart from jobless benefits, Mnuchin said Saturday that new $1,200 direct payments would be based on the same formula from the earlier aid bill. Then, people making $75,000 or less received the full amount and those making more than $75,000 received less, depending on their income. People earning above $100,000 did not qualify for the payment.

The jobless benefit officially expires July 31, but due to the way states process unemployment payments, the cutoff was effectively Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595844870529.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows following their meetings on Sunday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows following their meetings on Sunday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Suggesting a narrower&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">pandemic&nbsp;</a>relief package may be all that’s possible, the White House still pushed ahead with Monday’s planned rollout of the Senate Republicans’ $1 trillion effort as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assailed the GOP “disarray” as time-wasting during the crisis.The administration’s chief negotiators — White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — spent the weekend on Capitol Hill to put what Meadows described as “final touches” on the relief bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to bring forward Monday afternoon.“We’re done,” Mnuchin said as he and Meadows left Capitol Hill on Sunday after meeting with GOP staff.But looming deadlines may force them to consider other options. By Friday, millions of out-of-work Americans will lose an $600 federal unemployment benefit that is expiring and federal eviction protections for many renters are also coming to an end. President Donald Trump’s standing is at one of the lowest points of his term, according to a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/43a096bc2bcf376de04b696c5143ee99">AP-NORC poll</a>.“They’re in disarray and that delay is causing suffering for America’s families,” Pelosi said.Pelosi panned the Trump administration’s desire to trim the $600 weekly unemployment boost to about 70% of pre-pandemic wages. She also said she opposes tackling a relief package in piecemeal fashion.With the virus death toll climbing and 4.2 million infections nationwide, the administration officials converged on the Capitol to revive the Republican package that unraveled last week. Republican senators and the White House are at odds over various items, including how to cutback the jobless benefit without fully doing away with it.Meadows said as the White House was “looking for clarity” on a “handful” of remaining issues with Republicans, but they had yet to talk to McConnell. “We have an agreement in principle,” he said.Both Mnuchin and Meadows said earlier Sunday that narrower legislation might need to be passed first to ensure that enhanced unemployment benefits don’t run out for millions of Americans. They cited unemployment benefits, money to help schools reopen, tax credits to keep people from losing their jobs, and lawsuit protections for schools and businesses as priorities.“We can move very quickly with the Democrats on these issues,” Mnuchin said.But negotiations with Democrats have yet to begin with billions at stake and deadlines near.Separately, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said a federal eviction moratorium on millions of rental units, due to expire at the end of the month, will be extended. “We will lengthen it,” he said, without specifying for how long.On the jobless benefits, Republicans have argued that federal jobless benefits should be trimmed because the combination of state and federal unemployment assistance left many people better off financially than they were before the pandemic and therefore disinclined to return to their jobs.Many Democrats contend that a lot of people don’t feel safe going back to work when the coronavirus is surging again around the country.Meadows, a former congressman who was the head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he is working with Mnuchin and Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia to address complaints that outdated state computer systems will make it difficult for the jobless to get their benefits in a timely fashion if the formula is changed.“It’s our goal to make sure that it’s not antiquated computers that keep people from getting their benefits,” Meadows said.Pelosi criticized the hold-up on the GOP side. House Democrats passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/:%20https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6" target="_blank">$3 trillion relief package&nbsp;</a>a couple of months ago, with the aim of jump-starting negotiations.The White House and Senate Republicans were racing to regroup after plans to introduce a $1 trillion virus rescue bill collapsed Thursday during GOP infighting over its size, scope and details.It was expected to bring $105 billion to help schools reopen, new money for virus testing and benefits for businesses, including a fresh round of loans, tax breaks and a sweeping liability shield from COVID-19-related lawsuits.The expiration of the $600 weekly jobless benefits boost had been propelling the Republicans to act, bracing to prevent social and economic fallout.The White House floated plans to cut the additional aid back to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4965723ba65a47582f384c185680a29c">$100 a week</a>, while Senate Republicans preferred $200, with general GOP agreement about phasing out the flat boost in favor of one that ensures no more than 70% of an employee’s previous pay.Apart from jobless benefits, Mnuchin said Saturday that new $1,200 direct payments would be based on the same formula from the earlier aid bill. Then, people making $75,000 or less received the full amount and those making more than $75,000 received less, depending on their income. People earning above $100,000 did not qualify for the payment.The jobless benefit officially expires July 31, but due to the way states process unemployment payments, the cutoff was effectively Saturday.___

Extra unemployment aid expires, federal eviction moratorium to end

OVERLAND PARK, Kan (AP) — A Shawnee man who was arrested during a protest in Overland Park against racism and police violence was charged Saturday with battery of a law enforcement officer.

Darrien Richmond, 26, was one of four people arrested Friday night during the protest, which involved about 30 people. He was released from jail on $2,500 bond. County court records do not name an attorney for Richmond.

Overland Park spokesman Sean Reilly said Richmond caused cuts and bruises to an officer’s hands but did not have details of the confrontation.

Other protesters, including Richmond’s wife, Marisa Richmond, said Richmond was arrested as he ran to help his wife as she was being arrested. They say he did not attack the officer.

The other three people arrested, including Richmond’s wife, were charged in municipal court and released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595726770912.png" alt="Richmond photo Johnson Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Richmond photo Johnson Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan (AP) — A Shawnee man who was arrested during a protest in Overland Park against racism and police violence was charged Saturday with battery of a law enforcement officer.Darrien Richmond, 26, was one of four people arrested Friday night during the protest, which involved about 30 people. He was released from jail on $2,500 bond. County court records do not name an attorney for Richmond.Overland Park spokesman Sean Reilly said Richmond caused cuts and bruises to an officer’s hands but did not have details of the confrontation.Other protesters, including Richmond’s wife, Marisa Richmond, said Richmond was arrested as he ran to help his wife as she was being arrested. They say he did not attack the officer.The other three people arrested, including Richmond’s wife, were charged in municipal court and released.

1 man charged after racial justice protest in Kansas 

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was indicted this week on a federal robbery charge, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Raymond Paul Stilley, 31, Topeka who is in custody, was charged with one count of robbery. 

The indictment alleges that on July 12, 2020, Stilley threatened two victims in Lawrence, Kan., with violence to force them to provide PIN numbers to debit and credit cards he had taken from them. 

He was going to use the cards to withdraw cash at ATM machines in Topeka and Lawrence.

Topeka police reported arresting Stilley after a standoff in which he refused to get out of his car.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595705666428.png" alt="Stilley photo Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>Stilley photo Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man was indicted this week on a federal robbery charge, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.Raymond Paul Stilley, 31, Topeka who is in custody, was charged with one count of robbery. The indictment alleges that on July 12, 2020, Stilley threatened two victims in Lawrence, Kan., with violence to force them to provide PIN numbers to debit and credit cards he had taken from them. He was going to use the cards to withdraw cash at ATM machines in Topeka and Lawrence.Topeka police reported arresting Stilley after a standoff in which he refused to get out of his car.If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.&nbsp;

Indictment: Kan. man threatened victims  after stealing their ATM cards

TOPEKA, KAN.&nbsp;– A Kansas man pleaded guilty Thursday to driving a getaway car in two robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Ernesto Negrete Jr.,&nbsp;30, Topeka, Kan., pleaded to two counts of robbery. In his plea, he admitted being involved in a robbery at Panderia Monterrey Bakery, 3154 S.E. 6th&nbsp;Avenue in Topeka, and a robbery at Pablanos Grille, 3035 S.E. 6th&nbsp;Avenue in Topeka. Negrete said that in both cases he drove the car while co-defendants&nbsp;Javier Martinez and Victor Arellano entered the stores masked and brandishing handguns. Martinez and Arellano are awaiting trial.

Negrete’s sentencing is set for Oct. 27. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595420242524.png" alt="Negrete" />
 <figcaption>Negrete</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KAN.&nbsp;– A Kansas man pleaded guilty Thursday to driving a getaway car in two robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.Ernesto Negrete Jr.,&nbsp;30, Topeka, Kan., pleaded to two counts of robbery. In his plea, he admitted being involved in a robbery at Panderia Monterrey Bakery, 3154 S.E. 6th&nbsp;Avenue in Topeka, and a robbery at Pablanos Grille, 3035 S.E. 6th&nbsp;Avenue in Topeka. Negrete said that in both cases he drove the car while co-defendants&nbsp;Javier Martinez and Victor Arellano entered the stores masked and brandishing handguns. Martinez and Arellano are awaiting trial.Negrete’s sentencing is set for Oct. 27. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Kansas man admits driving getaway car in robberies 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ open Senate race has generated close to $14 million worth of ads, with two-thirds of the spending coming from political action committees as establishment Republicans fight to keep hard-right conservative Kris Kobach from winning the GOP nomination.

The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyT1ziQz_Fs" target="_blank">television</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64ACHZoCg0" target="_blank">radio</a>&nbsp;spots this past week praising western Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/81b17238e1d74d8b3049f30fc7e99b9a">the GOP establishment’s pick&nbsp;</a>in an 11-person field in the Aug. 4 primary. The American Bankers Association’s PAC also began running a pro-Marshall&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPr95qP5vME&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">television ad&nbsp;</a>featuring the Kansas Bankers Association’s CEO.

Political committees are spending more than $9.3 million so far on ads, according to the media tracking firm Advertising Analytics. That compares to the candidates’ $4.6 million, the firm said. Another firm, Media Buying, put the groups’ spending at nearly $9.6 million.

Establishment Republicans and supporters of Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, are waging a fierce campaign because many GOP leaders and activists fear the seat will be in play if Kobach is the nominee. Known nationally for advocating tough immigration policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c2a150d5705044aeb44174c1ef359ae5">a take-no-prisoners style,</a>&nbsp;Kobach alienated independent and moderate GOP voters in losing the Kansas governor’s race in 2018.

Spending by the PACs has easily outpaced the candidates’ fundraising in recent weeks. The top three Republicans and the presumed Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, have raised more than $1.1 million since June 30, but Advertising Analytics said the Senate Leadership Fund’s advertising alone is more — and it’s just one of three groups spending more than $1 million.

“I am just shocked about the amount of outside money,” said Kelly Arnold, a former Kansas Republican Party chairman. “These are numbers that you normally would see in a general election where it’s very competitive, and the national Democrats and national Republicans are battling it out in the state.”

Republicans want to avoid a hot fall race in Kansas as they battle for their 53-47 Senate majority with competitive contests in other states, including Arizona, Colorado and Maine.

The GOP hasn’t lost a Senate race in Kansas since 1932, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/da472b57128ec86d01540e6cd85cd1ca">Republicans are worried&nbsp;</a>about the fundraising prowess of Bollier, a retired Kansas City anesthesiologist and former moderate Republican who switched parties at the end of 2018. She has raised more than $7.9 million for her campaign, including nearly $730,000 since June 30, easily outdoing the Republicans.

“If I’m a Republican looking at this race, I would increasingly be disabusing myself of the notion that this election is over on primary day even if Marshall is the nominee,” said Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist. “This race is going to have to be on the radar.”

A PAC with Democratic ties, Sunflower State, is doing more than $4 million worth of advertising, according to the two media tracking firms. Sunflower State this week had a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4T5_KcVb2s&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">30-second spot&nbsp;</a>describing Marshall as a “creature of the D.C. swamp.”

Many Republicans see Sunflower State’s efforts as meddling in the Republican race to steer the nomination to Kobach. The GOP also has complained that Bollier is enjoying a gusher of dollars from outside Kansas, and Marshall spokesman Eric Pahls said neither Kobach’s nor Bollier’s supporters “care about the state” itself.

“They’re relying solely on help from Democrats, Hollywood and New York City,” Pahls wrote in a message to The Associated Press.

Kobach also is getting a boost from the Free Forever PAC and did in the past from the small-government free-market Club for Growth, to the tune of $1.1 million in all, according to Advertising Analytics.

But well-funded groups also are attacking Kobach, including the Senate Leadership Fund. The Kansas City area-based Plains PAC has a campaign attacking Kobach so far worth more than $2 million, and the Keep Kansas Great PAC is attacking both Kobach and another top GOP candidate, Bob Hamilton, the founder of a Kansas City-area plumbing firm. The latter group, the bankers’ association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are together spending $666,000 to boost Marshall, according to Advertising Analytics.

“The Swamp is showing they are willing to spend an ENDLESS amount of money,” Kobach said in a fundraising email earlier this week.

Hamilton is largely self-funding his campaign with a $3.5 million personal loan, and he’s flooded the airwaves with 15 different television spots. The two tracking firms said his advertising is worth roughly $2.1 million, the most of any Republican running in Kansas.

Marshall is spending about $1.2 million and Kobach, about $200,000. Bollier’s advertising is worth about $858,000 so far, according to Advertising Analytics.

Marshall has raised about $247,000 since June 30 to bring his total fundraising to $2.8 million, and he had $1 million in campaign cash on July 15, according to online finance reports.

Meanwhile, Kobach has raised about $136,000 since June 30, bringing his total to nearly $964,000. He had about $136,000 in cash on July 15.

Hamilton had $964,000 in cash on July 15, and less than $200,000 of his $3.7 million in funds has come from others’ contributions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145252311.png" alt=" Barbara Bollier, a former Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. Credit Jim McLean" />
 <figcaption> Barbara Bollier, a former Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. Credit Jim McLean</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ open Senate race has generated close to $14 million worth of ads, with two-thirds of the spending coming from political action committees as establishment Republicans fight to keep hard-right conservative Kris Kobach from winning the GOP nomination.The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyT1ziQz_Fs" target="_blank">television</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64ACHZoCg0" target="_blank">radio</a>&nbsp;spots this past week praising western Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/81b17238e1d74d8b3049f30fc7e99b9a">the GOP establishment’s pick&nbsp;</a>in an 11-person field in the Aug. 4 primary. The American Bankers Association’s PAC also began running a pro-Marshall&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPr95qP5vME&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">television ad&nbsp;</a>featuring the Kansas Bankers Association’s CEO.Political committees are spending more than $9.3 million so far on ads, according to the media tracking firm Advertising Analytics. That compares to the candidates’ $4.6 million, the firm said. Another firm, Media Buying, put the groups’ spending at nearly $9.6 million.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593083581441.png" alt="Senate candidate Kris Kobach during a GOP debate in June." />
 <figcaption>Senate candidate Kris Kobach during a GOP debate in June.</figcaption>
 </figure>Establishment Republicans and supporters of Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, are waging a fierce campaign because many GOP leaders and activists fear the seat will be in play if Kobach is the nominee. Known nationally for advocating tough immigration policies and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c2a150d5705044aeb44174c1ef359ae5">a take-no-prisoners style,</a>&nbsp;Kobach alienated independent and moderate GOP voters in losing the Kansas governor’s race in 2018.Spending by the PACs has easily outpaced the candidates’ fundraising in recent weeks. The top three Republicans and the presumed Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, have raised more than $1.1 million since June 30, but Advertising Analytics said the Senate Leadership Fund’s advertising alone is more — and it’s just one of three groups spending more than $1 million.“I am just shocked about the amount of outside money,” said Kelly Arnold, a former Kansas Republican Party chairman. “These are numbers that you normally would see in a general election where it’s very competitive, and the national Democrats and national Republicans are battling it out in the state.”Republicans want to avoid a hot fall race in Kansas as they battle for their 53-47 Senate majority with competitive contests in other states, including Arizona, Colorado and Maine.The GOP hasn’t lost a Senate race in Kansas since 1932, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/da472b57128ec86d01540e6cd85cd1ca">Republicans are worried&nbsp;</a>about the fundraising prowess of Bollier, a retired Kansas City anesthesiologist and former moderate Republican who switched parties at the end of 2018. She has raised more than $7.9 million for her campaign, including nearly $730,000 since June 30, easily outdoing the Republicans.“If I’m a Republican looking at this race, I would increasingly be disabusing myself of the notion that this election is over on primary day even if Marshall is the nominee,” said Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist. “This race is going to have to be on the radar.”A PAC with Democratic ties, Sunflower State, is doing more than $4 million worth of advertising, according to the two media tracking firms. Sunflower State this week had a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4T5_KcVb2s&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">30-second spot&nbsp;</a>describing Marshall as a “creature of the D.C. swamp.”Many Republicans see Sunflower State’s efforts as meddling in the Republican race to steer the nomination to Kobach. The GOP also has complained that Bollier is enjoying a gusher of dollars from outside Kansas, and Marshall spokesman Eric Pahls said neither Kobach’s nor Bollier’s supporters “care about the state” itself.“They’re relying solely on help from Democrats, Hollywood and New York City,” Pahls wrote in a message to The Associated Press.Kobach also is getting a boost from the Free Forever PAC and did in the past from the small-government free-market Club for Growth, to the tune of $1.1 million in all, according to Advertising Analytics.But well-funded groups also are attacking Kobach, including the Senate Leadership Fund. The Kansas City area-based Plains PAC has a campaign attacking Kobach so far worth more than $2 million, and the Keep Kansas Great PAC is attacking both Kobach and another top GOP candidate, Bob Hamilton, the founder of a Kansas City-area plumbing firm. The latter group, the bankers’ association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are together spending $666,000 to boost Marshall, according to Advertising Analytics.“The Swamp is showing they are willing to spend an ENDLESS amount of money,” Kobach said in a fundraising email earlier this week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590269312750.png" alt="Candidates Koback, Hamilton and Marshall at a debate last month" />
 <figcaption>Candidates Koback, Hamilton and Marshall at a debate last month</figcaption>
 </figure>Hamilton is largely self-funding his campaign with a $3.5 million personal loan, and he’s flooded the airwaves with 15 different television spots. The two tracking firms said his advertising is worth roughly $2.1 million, the most of any Republican running in Kansas.Marshall is spending about $1.2 million and Kobach, about $200,000. Bollier’s advertising is worth about $858,000 so far, according to Advertising Analytics.Marshall has raised about $247,000 since June 30 to bring his total fundraising to $2.8 million, and he had $1 million in campaign cash on July 15, according to online finance reports.Meanwhile, Kobach has raised about $136,000 since June 30, bringing his total to nearly $964,000. He had about $136,000 in cash on July 15.Hamilton had $964,000 in cash on July 15, and less than $200,000 of his $3.7 million in funds has come from others’ contributions.

Kansas Senate race ads approach $14M, two-thirds from PACs

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>, Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Nancy Jensen struggled for nearly two decades to convince state and local government officials and church leaders that a Newton couple operating residential facilities for mentally disabled adults engaged in bizarre physical and sexual abuse under the guise of therapy.

She eventually fled the group homes and experienced the restorative power of a U.S. District Court jury rendering guilty verdicts and of a federal judge dropping the hammer on the husband and wife team of Arlan and Linda Kaufman. They were sentenced in 2006 to lengthy terms in prison from a long-overdue investigation exposing involuntary servitude, health care fraud, forced labor and mail fraud.

When former registered nurse Linda Kaufman sought early release from a 15-year term due to illness, Jensen endorsed that act of compassion. Jensen declined to do the same for Arlan Kaufman, a former social worker who led the Kaufman House business and was ordered to serve 30 years in prison and pay $534,000 in restitution. He petitioned the court for release from a Butner, N.C., prison medical center to seek prostate cancer treatment and elude potential infection with COVID-19.

“I want him to die in prison,” Jensen said. “My heart is sick with the idea of his release.”

On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Marten issued a five-page ruling that denied Kaufman’s request for a compassionate release. The judge said Kaufman was at an elevated risk of contracting COVID-19 due to his serious medical challenges, but the heinous nature of his crimes didn’t justify cutting his prison sentence in half.

“Reduction of the sentence to time served, under the circumstances of this case, would be a windfall to the defendant, which would fail to promote respect for the law and would undermine just punishment,” Marten’s order said. “Such a windfall would fail to produce a sentence relative to the nature of seriousness of his many underlying crimes.”

He was convicted of conspiracy, forced labor, involuntary servitude, health care fraud, mail fraud, making a false writing and obstructing a federal audit.

Jensen said she was grateful to judge’s decision served the interests of justice.

“This denial of release says our lives mattered, what happen to us mattered. He has to pay the consequences of what he did to us,” she said.

Former Kaufman House resident Lynn Kohr submitted a letter to the court expressing concern that anyone would seriously contemplate the premature release of Kaufman. She said he shouldn’t be viewed as a victim or allowed to live out the remainder of his life in the comforting arms of family.

“I was often locked in a room with no furniture, not even a bed or chair, and had no access to a toilet,” she said. “I was not even allowed the dignity of being able to wear clothes. I was always naked in that room. He entered the darkened room daily for ‘therapy.’ I was forced to be alone in that room the rest of the time with my hopeless and severely depressed thoughts at the very times I needed to be around people and support.”

Kaufman’s attorneys, Zachary Newland, of Rutland, Vermont, and James Pratt, of Wichita, submitted a 31-page brief in June requesting a federal judge reduce the sentence to time served rather than adhere to a scheduled release date in 2031. His appeal was based in part on passage of the First Step Act, a law signed in 2018 by President Donald Trump to remove obstacles from judicial review of sentences to determine whether “extraordinary and compelling” reasons existed to trim incarceration times.

“A reduction in his sentence is consistent with U.S. sentencing policy and he poses no danger to society,” the document said. “This court should conclude that Dr. Kaufman satisfies the requirements for compassionate release. It is inhumane and unnecessarily punitive to keep an 83-year old man with stage four prostate cancer imprisoned.”

The legal brief argued Kaufman was a “first-time offender,” had a 1% chance of surviving five years and was at high risk of being infected with coronavirus due to his compromised health and advanced age. Those arguments were unconvincing to the warden at the Federal Correctional Facility in Texas. The warden denied his plea for release in April, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons transferred him to North Carolina.

Oncologist Clinton Merrill Jr., who produced a report for Kaufman’s attorneys based on examination of his medical records, confirmed the inmate had terminal metastatic prostate cancer. The doctor said Kaufman’s condition would benefit from more aggressive health care, which Kaufman would have access to if he was freed and allowed to live with a son in St. Louis.

“Due to his age and stage of his disease, Mr. Kaufman has at best a 40% predicted one-year survival,” Merrill said. “It is, therefore, more likely than not, that he will survive for less than one year.”

Linda Kaufman was granted early parole in 2016 due to health complications and died in 2019.

Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, said the organization opposed Kaufman’s early release due to the nature of his crimes and his failure to express remorse for years of reprehensible conduct.

“Mr.&nbsp;Kaufman&nbsp;continually minimized his role throughout the trial, sentencing and resentencing phases, but the evidence was overwhelming that he was the architect of the horrific abuse suffered by the victims,” Nichols said.

In 2004, the Disability Rights Center started providing&nbsp;legal representation to mentally ill individuals at&nbsp;Kaufman&nbsp;group homes in Newton who were subjected to abuse. DRC’s special investigative authority under federal law was relied upon to start a chain reaction that contributed to the arrest and filing of dozens of charges against the Kaufmans.

The Kaufmans served as landlord, counselor, nurse and guardian of the severely mentally disabled men and women under their direct care. The residents were at times compelled to do housework, farm chores and endure treatment while nude and under observation by the Kaufmans. Former residents testified Arlan Kaufman forced them to fondle each other, shave each other’s genitals and to masturbate in front of their peers. Witnesses also said both Kaufmans used a stun gun on the genitals of at least one resident.

Involuntary sexual activities among male and female residents were videotaped and added to the pornography collection found by investigators in the Kaufmans’ possession. All the while, the couple billed Medicare for their unorthodox work.

During the criminal case, several Mennonite churches circulated petitions and sent letters to the federal court seeking leniency for the Kaufmans.

Nichols pointed to the words of U.S. District Court Judge Monti Belot, who presided at the Wichita trial of Linda and Arlan Kaufman, to amplify his opposition to early release.

The judge said: “I have never had a case where an inmate even claimed, much less proved, treatment by prison officials remotely similar to that inflicted upon the residents at Kaufman house.The closest parallel which comes to mind is the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.”

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican representing the Wichita area, added his voice to those opposing Kaufman’s prompt release from prison on humanitarian grounds. In a letter to the Texas prison warden, Estes said granting freedom to Kaufman would trigger a special kind of agony for his victims.

“I plead with you not to inflict further pain upon the mentally ill victims of Arlan Kaufman by setting this evil man free,” the congressman said. “The horrendous nature of Mr. Kaufman’s crimes do not merit a compassionate release.”

After the Kaufmans were arrested, the Kansas Legislature reformed state law to provide greater oversight of group homes for the disabled and to address potential conflicts of interest by operators of those facilities. Credit for that work rests with the Disability Rights Center and with former residents, including Kohr and Jensen. Both women have been nationally recognized for their advocacy.

Jensen said she could still hear Arlan Kaufman’s voice telling her that she would never succeed in life. Affirming his petition for early release would be an insult and renew suffering former residents have worked hard to overcome, she said.

“My heart is sick at the idea of Kaufman’s release,” Jensen said. “Most hurtful is that both he and his family would view his early release as a victory, as vindication and as proof that he did no wrong. We survivors know better. This is not about compassion. If he is released, in his mind, he wins. If he is released, in our experience, we lose.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Jensen-pic.jpg" alt="&nbsp;Nancy Jensen, center, a former resident of a Newton home for mentally ill adults led by Arlan Kaufman, objected to Kaufman's request to be released from federal prison due to poor health after serving 15 years of a 30-year sentence. A federal judge denied the request for compassionate release. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Nancy Jensen, center, a former resident of a Newton home for mentally ill adults led by Arlan Kaufman, objected to Kaufman's request to be released from federal prison due to poor health after serving 15 years of a 30-year sentence. A federal judge denied the request for compassionate release. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a>, Kansas ReflectorTOPEKA — Nancy Jensen struggled for nearly two decades to convince state and local government officials and church leaders that a Newton couple operating residential facilities for mentally disabled adults engaged in bizarre physical and sexual abuse under the guise of therapy.She eventually fled the group homes and experienced the restorative power of a U.S. District Court jury rendering guilty verdicts and of a federal judge dropping the hammer on the husband and wife team of Arlan and Linda Kaufman. They were sentenced in 2006 to lengthy terms in prison from a long-overdue investigation exposing involuntary servitude, health care fraud, forced labor and mail fraud.When former registered nurse Linda Kaufman sought early release from a 15-year term due to illness, Jensen endorsed that act of compassion. Jensen declined to do the same for Arlan Kaufman, a former social worker who led the Kaufman House business and was ordered to serve 30 years in prison and pay $534,000 in restitution. He petitioned the court for release from a Butner, N.C., prison medical center to seek prostate cancer treatment and elude potential infection with COVID-19.“I want him to die in prison,” Jensen said. “My heart is sick with the idea of his release.”On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Marten issued a five-page ruling that denied Kaufman’s request for a compassionate release. The judge said Kaufman was at an elevated risk of contracting COVID-19 due to his serious medical challenges, but the heinous nature of his crimes didn’t justify cutting his prison sentence in half.“Reduction of the sentence to time served, under the circumstances of this case, would be a windfall to the defendant, which would fail to promote respect for the law and would undermine just punishment,” Marten’s order said. “Such a windfall would fail to produce a sentence relative to the nature of seriousness of his many underlying crimes.”He was convicted of conspiracy, forced labor, involuntary servitude, health care fraud, mail fraud, making a false writing and obstructing a federal audit.Jensen said she was grateful to judge’s decision served the interests of justice.“This denial of release says our lives mattered, what happen to us mattered. He has to pay the consequences of what he did to us,” she said.Former Kaufman House resident Lynn Kohr submitted a letter to the court expressing concern that anyone would seriously contemplate the premature release of Kaufman. She said he shouldn’t be viewed as a victim or allowed to live out the remainder of his life in the comforting arms of family.“I was often locked in a room with no furniture, not even a bed or chair, and had no access to a toilet,” she said. “I was not even allowed the dignity of being able to wear clothes. I was always naked in that room. He entered the darkened room daily for ‘therapy.’ I was forced to be alone in that room the rest of the time with my hopeless and severely depressed thoughts at the very times I needed to be around people and support.”<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/KaufmanOrder-1024x576.jpg" alt="&nbsp;A U.S. District Court judge rejected an application by former Newton social worker Arlan Kaufman to be released 15 years early from prison due to poor health and risk of COVID-19. Kaufman was convicted with his wife of forced labor, involuntary servitude and other offenses for abusing mentally ill adults under their care. (Illustration/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;A U.S. District Court judge rejected an application by former Newton social worker Arlan Kaufman to be released 15 years early from prison due to poor health and risk of COVID-19. Kaufman was convicted with his wife of forced labor, involuntary servitude and other offenses for abusing mentally ill adults under their care. (Illustration/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Pleas for freedomKaufman’s attorneys, Zachary Newland, of Rutland, Vermont, and James Pratt, of Wichita, submitted a 31-page brief in June requesting a federal judge reduce the sentence to time served rather than adhere to a scheduled release date in 2031. His appeal was based in part on passage of the First Step Act, a law signed in 2018 by President Donald Trump to remove obstacles from judicial review of sentences to determine whether “extraordinary and compelling” reasons existed to trim incarceration times.“A reduction in his sentence is consistent with U.S. sentencing policy and he poses no danger to society,” the document said. “This court should conclude that Dr. Kaufman satisfies the requirements for compassionate release. It is inhumane and unnecessarily punitive to keep an 83-year old man with stage four prostate cancer imprisoned.”The legal brief argued Kaufman was a “first-time offender,” had a 1% chance of surviving five years and was at high risk of being infected with coronavirus due to his compromised health and advanced age. Those arguments were unconvincing to the warden at the Federal Correctional Facility in Texas. The warden denied his plea for release in April, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons transferred him to North Carolina.Oncologist Clinton Merrill Jr., who produced a report for Kaufman’s attorneys based on examination of his medical records, confirmed the inmate had terminal metastatic prostate cancer. The doctor said Kaufman’s condition would benefit from more aggressive health care, which Kaufman would have access to if he was freed and allowed to live with a son in St. Louis.“Due to his age and stage of his disease, Mr. Kaufman has at best a 40% predicted one-year survival,” Merrill said. “It is, therefore, more likely than not, that he will survive for less than one year.”Linda Kaufman was granted early parole in 2016 due to health complications and died in 2019.Criminally offensiveRocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, said the organization opposed Kaufman’s early release due to the nature of his crimes and his failure to express remorse for years of reprehensible conduct.“Mr.&nbsp;Kaufman&nbsp;continually minimized his role throughout the trial, sentencing and resentencing phases, but the evidence was overwhelming that he was the architect of the horrific abuse suffered by the victims,” Nichols said.In 2004, the Disability Rights Center started providing&nbsp;legal representation to mentally ill individuals at&nbsp;Kaufman&nbsp;group homes in Newton who were subjected to abuse. DRC’s special investigative authority under federal law was relied upon to start a chain reaction that contributed to the arrest and filing of dozens of charges against the Kaufmans.The Kaufmans served as landlord, counselor, nurse and guardian of the severely mentally disabled men and women under their direct care. The residents were at times compelled to do housework, farm chores and endure treatment while nude and under observation by the Kaufmans. Former residents testified Arlan Kaufman forced them to fondle each other, shave each other’s genitals and to masturbate in front of their peers. Witnesses also said both Kaufmans used a stun gun on the genitals of at least one resident.Involuntary sexual activities among male and female residents were videotaped and added to the pornography collection found by investigators in the Kaufmans’ possession. All the while, the couple billed Medicare for their unorthodox work.During the criminal case, several Mennonite churches circulated petitions and sent letters to the federal court seeking leniency for the Kaufmans.Nichols pointed to the words of U.S. District Court Judge Monti Belot, who presided at the Wichita trial of Linda and Arlan Kaufman, to amplify his opposition to early release.The judge said: “I have never had a case where an inmate even claimed, much less proved, treatment by prison officials remotely similar to that inflicted upon the residents at Kaufman house.The closest parallel which comes to mind is the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.”‘Survivors know’U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican representing the Wichita area, added his voice to those opposing Kaufman’s prompt release from prison on humanitarian grounds. In a letter to the Texas prison warden, Estes said granting freedom to Kaufman would trigger a special kind of agony for his victims.“I plead with you not to inflict further pain upon the mentally ill victims of Arlan Kaufman by setting this evil man free,” the congressman said. “The horrendous nature of Mr. Kaufman’s crimes do not merit a compassionate release.”After the Kaufmans were arrested, the Kansas Legislature reformed state law to provide greater oversight of group homes for the disabled and to address potential conflicts of interest by operators of those facilities. Credit for that work rests with the Disability Rights Center and with former residents, including Kohr and Jensen. Both women have been nationally recognized for their advocacy.Jensen said she could still hear Arlan Kaufman’s voice telling her that she would never succeed in life. Affirming his petition for early release would be an insult and renew suffering former residents have worked hard to overcome, she said.“My heart is sick at the idea of Kaufman’s release,” Jensen said. “Most hurtful is that both he and his family would view his early release as a victory, as vindication and as proof that he did no wrong. We survivors know better. This is not about compassion. If he is released, in his mind, he wins. If he is released, in our experience, we lose.”

Victims: 15 years in prison not enough for architect of Kaufman House terror

WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church’s request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court refused to grant the request from the Christian church east of Reno to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada that allow casinos, restaurants and other businesses to operate at 50% of capacity with proper social distancing.

Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley argued that the hard cap on religious gatherings was an unconstitutional violation of its parishioners’ First Amendment rights to express and exercise their beliefs.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal majority in denying the request without explanation.

Three justices wrote strongly worded dissenting opinions on behalf of the four conservatives who said they would have granted the injunctive relief while the court fully considers the merits of the case.

“That Nevada would discriminate in favor of the powerful gaming industry and its employees may not come as a surprise, but this Court’s willingness to allow such discrimination is disappointing,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a dissent joined by Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.

“We have a duty to defend the Constitution, and even a public health emergency does not absolve us of that responsibility,” Alito said. “The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine or to engage in any other game of chance.”

Kavanaugh also wrote his own dissent, as did Justice Neil Gorsuch, who said today’s world “with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges.”

“But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel,” Gorsuch wrote.

David Cortman, senior counsel for Georgia-based Alliance Defending Freedom representing the church, said in an email sent to The Associated Press late Friday that they were disappointed in the ruling but will continue to work to protect Calvary Chapel and others “from discriminatory policies that put religious groups at the back of the line for reopening.”

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588794154314.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church’s request late Friday to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus.In a 5-4 decision, the high court refused to grant the request from the Christian church east of Reno to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada that allow casinos, restaurants and other businesses to operate at 50% of capacity with proper social distancing.Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley argued that the hard cap on religious gatherings was an unconstitutional violation of its parishioners’ First Amendment rights to express and exercise their beliefs.Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal majority in denying the request without explanation.Three justices wrote strongly worded dissenting opinions on behalf of the four conservatives who said they would have granted the injunctive relief while the court fully considers the merits of the case.“That Nevada would discriminate in favor of the powerful gaming industry and its employees may not come as a surprise, but this Court’s willingness to allow such discrimination is disappointing,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a dissent joined by Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.“We have a duty to defend the Constitution, and even a public health emergency does not absolve us of that responsibility,” Alito said. “The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine or to engage in any other game of chance.”Kavanaugh also wrote his own dissent, as did Justice Neil Gorsuch, who said today’s world “with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges.”“But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel,” Gorsuch wrote.David Cortman, senior counsel for Georgia-based Alliance Defending Freedom representing the church, said in an email sent to The Associated Press late Friday that they were disappointed in the ruling but will continue to work to protect Calvary Chapel and others “from discriminatory policies that put religious groups at the back of the line for reopening.”“When the government treats churches worse than casinos, gyms, and indoor amusement parks in its COVID-19 response, it clearly violates the Constitution,” he said.The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month after a U.S. judge in Nevada upheld the state’s policy that allows casinos and other businesses to operate at 50% of normal capacity.The appellate court in San Francisco is still considering the appeal, but it has denied the church’s request for an emergency injunction in the meantime. Its ruling July 2 pointed to the Supreme Court’s refusal in May to strike down California’s limit on the size of religious gatherings.The church in Nevada’s Lyon County appealed to the Supreme Court six days later, asking for an emergency injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the cap on religious gatherings at least temporarily while the justices consider the merits of the case.“The governor allows hundreds to thousands to assemble in pursuit of financial fortunes but only 50 to gather in pursuit of spiritual ones. That is unconstitutional,” its lawyers wrote in their most recent filing to the high court last week.The church wants to allow as many as 90 people to attend services at the same time — with masks required, sitting 6-feet apart — at the sanctuary with a capacity of 200. Other secular businesses in the state that are allowed to operate at half capacity include gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and water parks.Nevada’s lawyers said last week several courts nationwide have followed the Supreme Court’s lead in upholding state authority to impose emergency restrictions in response to COVID-19.“Temporarily narrowing restrictions on the size of mass gatherings, including for religious services, protects the health and well-being of Nevada citizens during a global pandemic,” they wrote.Alito said in the lead dissent that by allowing thousands to gather in casinos, the state cannot claim to have a compelling interest in limiting religious gatherings to 50 people — regardless of the size of the facility and the measures adopted to prevent the spread of the virus.“The idea that allowing Calvary Chapel to admit 90 worshipers present a greater public health risk than allowing casinos to operate at 50% capacity is hard to swallow,” he wrote.Kavanaugh said he agreed that courts should be “very deferential to the states’ line-drawing in opening businesses and allowing certain activities during the pandemic.”“But COVID-19 is not a blank check for a state to discriminate against religious people, religious organizations and religious services,” he wrote in his own dissent. “Nevada is discriminating against religion.”___