BOSTON (AP) — Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and “return to the status quo.”

A lawyer representing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said only that the judge’s characterization was correct.

The announcement brings relief to thousands of foreign students who had been at risk of being deported from the country, along with hundreds of universities that were scrambling to reassess their plans for the fall in light of the policy. With the policy rescinded, ICE will revert to a directive from March that suspended typical limits around online education for foreign students.

Under the policy, international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall. New visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, which includes Harvard. Students already in the U.S. would have faced deportation if they didn’t transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily.

Immigration officials issued the policy last week, reversing earlier guidance from March 13 telling colleges that limits around online education would be suspended during the pandemic. University leaders believed the rule was part of President Donald Trump’s effort to pressure the nation’s schools and colleges to reopen this fall even as new virus cases rise.

The policy drew sharp backlash from higher education institutions, with more than 200 signing court briefs supporting the challenge by Harvard and MIT. Colleges said the policy would put students’ safety at risk and hurt schools financially. Many schools rely on tuition from international students, and some stood to lose millions of dollars in revenue if the rule had taken hold.

Harvard and MIT were the first to contest the policy, but at least seven other federal suits had been filed by universities and states opposing the rule.

The unexpected decision was welcome news to students across the country who had been on edge.

“I feel relief,” said Andrea Calderon, a 29-year-old biology graduate student from Ecuador. “It would have been a very big problem if I had to leave the country right now.”

The City College of New York student said returning home would have made it much harder to finish her thesis and pursue a Ph.D. Internet access at home in Ecuador is spotty, and going through the process to come back to the U.S. in the future would be too expensive, she said.

The American Council on Education, which represents university presidents, praised ICE’s pullback of the rule. The group said the policy was misguided from the start and drew unprecedented opposition from colleges.

“There has never been a case where so many institutions sued the federal government,” said Terry Hartle, the group’s senior vice president. “In this case, the government didn’t even try to defend its policymaking.”

Some opponents, however, were hesitant to call it a closed case. Massachusetts’ Democratic attorney general, who is leading a separate lawsuit against the policy, warned that the Trump administration may attempt again to impose limits on international students.

“This is why we sue. The rule was illegal and the Trump Administration knew they didn’t have a chance,” Maura Healey said on Twitter. “They may try this again. We will be ready.”

Harvard and MIT argued that immigration officials violated procedural rules by issuing the guidance without justification and without allowing the public to respond. They also argued that the policy contradicted ICE’s March 13 directive telling schools that existing limits on online education would be suspended “for the duration of the emergency.”

The suit noted that Trump’s national emergency declaration has not been rescinded and that virus cases are spiking in some regions.

Immigration officials, however, argued that they told colleges all along that any guidance prompted by the pandemic was subject to change. They said the rule was consistent with existing law barring international students from taking classes entirely online. Federal officials said they were providing leniency by allowing students to keep their visas even if they study online from abroad.

BOSTON (AP) — Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic.The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and “return to the status quo.”A lawyer representing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said only that the judge’s characterization was correct.The announcement brings relief to thousands of foreign students who had been at risk of being deported from the country, along with hundreds of universities that were scrambling to reassess their plans for the fall in light of the policy. With the policy rescinded, ICE will revert to a directive from March that suspended typical limits around online education for foreign students.Under the policy, international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall. New visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, which includes Harvard. Students already in the U.S. would have faced deportation if they didn’t transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily.Immigration officials issued the policy last week, reversing earlier guidance from March 13 telling colleges that limits around online education would be suspended during the pandemic. University leaders believed the rule was part of President Donald Trump’s effort to pressure the nation’s schools and colleges to reopen this fall even as new virus cases rise.The policy drew sharp backlash from higher education institutions, with more than 200 signing court briefs supporting the challenge by Harvard and MIT. Colleges said the policy would put students’ safety at risk and hurt schools financially. Many schools rely on tuition from international students, and some stood to lose millions of dollars in revenue if the rule had taken hold.Harvard and MIT were the first to contest the policy, but at least seven other federal suits had been filed by universities and states opposing the rule.The unexpected decision was welcome news to students across the country who had been on edge.“I feel relief,” said Andrea Calderon, a 29-year-old biology graduate student from Ecuador. “It would have been a very big problem if I had to leave the country right now.”The City College of New York student said returning home would have made it much harder to finish her thesis and pursue a Ph.D. Internet access at home in Ecuador is spotty, and going through the process to come back to the U.S. in the future would be too expensive, she said.The American Council on Education, which represents university presidents, praised ICE’s pullback of the rule. The group said the policy was misguided from the start and drew unprecedented opposition from colleges.“There has never been a case where so many institutions sued the federal government,” said Terry Hartle, the group’s senior vice president. “In this case, the government didn’t even try to defend its policymaking.”Some opponents, however, were hesitant to call it a closed case. Massachusetts’ Democratic attorney general, who is leading a separate lawsuit against the policy, warned that the Trump administration may attempt again to impose limits on international students.“This is why we sue. The rule was illegal and the Trump Administration knew they didn’t have a chance,” Maura Healey said on Twitter. “They may try this again. We will be ready.”Harvard and MIT argued that immigration officials violated procedural rules by issuing the guidance without justification and without allowing the public to respond. They also argued that the policy contradicted ICE’s March 13 directive telling schools that existing limits on online education would be suspended “for the duration of the emergency.”The suit noted that Trump’s national emergency declaration has not been rescinded and that virus cases are spiking in some regions.Immigration officials, however, argued that they told colleges all along that any guidance prompted by the pandemic was subject to change. They said the rule was consistent with existing law barring international students from taking classes entirely online. Federal officials said they were providing leniency by allowing students to keep their visas even if they study online from abroad.

Trump rescinds rule on foreign students, online classes

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two fatal shootings in Topeka and have identified the victims.&nbsp;

Just after 8p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 1100 block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson.

 Officers located two victims with apparent gunshot wounds. One victim had non-life threatening injuries and 66-year-old Harry T. Jenkins was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Just before 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to another shooting in the 500 Block of SW 5th Street and found two victims identified as Crystal D. Andrews, 37, and Mercedes M. Holford, 13, both of Topeka with gunshot wounds dead inside a home, according to Johnson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police have not announced arrests in either case.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two fatal shootings in Topeka.

 Officers located two victims with apparent gunshot wounds. One victim had non-life threatening injuries and one victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

Just before 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to another shooting in the 500 Block of SW 5th Street and found two victims with gunshot wounds dead inside a home, according to Johnson.

Police have not released the names of any of the victims and have not announced arrests in either case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594724946557.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation on SW Clay in Topeka Monday evening -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation on SW Clay in Topeka Monday evening -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two fatal shootings in Topeka and have identified the victims.&nbsp;Just after 8p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 1100 block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson. Officers located two victims with apparent gunshot wounds. One victim had non-life threatening injuries and 66-year-old Harry T. Jenkins was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;Just before 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to another shooting in the 500 Block of SW 5th Street and found two victims identified as Crystal D. Andrews, 37, and Mercedes M. Holford, 13, both of Topeka with gunshot wounds dead inside a home, according to Johnson.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police have not announced arrests in either case.--------SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two fatal shootings in Topeka.Just after 8p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 1100 block of SW Clay in Topeka, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson. Officers located two victims with apparent gunshot wounds. One victim had non-life threatening injuries and one victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. Just before 2a.m. Tuesday,&nbsp; police responded to another shooting in the 500 Block of SW 5th Street and found two victims with gunshot wounds dead inside a home, according to Johnson.Police have not released the names of any of the victims and have not announced arrests in either case.

Update: Police ID victims including 13-year-old in 2 Topeka shootings

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Voters will decide in November whether to remove the statues of President Andrew Jackson from the downtown Kansas City courthouse and the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence.

The seven white members of the Jackson County legislature voted Monday to put the local question on their general election ballot. Its two Black members voted against it.

Andrew Jackson, for whom Jackson County is named, was both a slave owner and oversaw the forceful removal of Native Americans from their homes.

Chairwoman Theresa Galvin argued the people of the county should decide whether to remove the statues.

But Jalen Anderson, one of the two Black members who voted against it, urged his colleagues to have the courage to make the decision themselves.

“The people put us here to make decisions,” Anderson said.

County Executive Frank White, who is also Black, scolded the legislature for punting on this issue: “This is truly is a body that doesn’t want to do what it was elected to do."

White had called for the removal of the statues last month in the midst of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in the custody of a Minneapolis police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593276153738.png" alt="Protesters used spray paint on the Jackson statued earlier this month -image courtesy KSHB TV" />
 <figcaption>Protesters used spray paint on the Jackson statued earlier this month -image courtesy KSHB TV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Voters will decide in November whether to remove the statues of President Andrew Jackson from the downtown Kansas City courthouse and the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence.The seven white members of the Jackson County legislature voted Monday to put the local question on their general election ballot. Its two Black members voted against it.Andrew Jackson, for whom Jackson County is named, was both a slave owner and oversaw the forceful removal of Native Americans from their homes.Chairwoman Theresa Galvin argued the people of the county should decide whether to remove the statues.But Jalen Anderson, one of the two Black members who voted against it, urged his colleagues to have the courage to make the decision themselves.“The people put us here to make decisions,” Anderson said.County Executive Frank White, who is also Black, scolded the legislature for punting on this issue: “This is truly is a body that doesn’t want to do what it was elected to do."White had called for the removal of the statues last month in the midst of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in the custody of a Minneapolis police.

Voters to decide whether to remove statue from KC courthouse

LOGAN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), along with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI), are conducting an investigation after improvised explosive devices were discovered in Logan County.

Just before 9:30a.m.&nbsp; Monday,&nbsp; the Logan County Sheriff’s Office contacted the KBI to request assistance after explosive devices were discovered on a property at 2504 U.S. Hwy 83 in rural Logan County.

 A search warrant was executed for the area, and KHP’s Hazardous Device Unit and the ATF are working to secure and render the explosives safe.

Also assisting at the scene are the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), Logan County Fire Department, Logan County EMS, and Thomas County Emergency Management. The public is asked to avoid the area.

The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made in the case. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Logan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 671-3288.

LOGAN COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), along with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI), are conducting an investigation after improvised explosive devices were discovered in Logan County.Just before 9:30a.m.&nbsp; Monday,&nbsp; the Logan County Sheriff’s Office contacted the KBI to request assistance after explosive devices were discovered on a property at 2504 U.S. Hwy 83 in rural Logan County. A search warrant was executed for the area, and KHP’s Hazardous Device Unit and the ATF are working to secure and render the explosives safe.Also assisting at the scene are the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), Logan County Fire Department, Logan County EMS, and Thomas County Emergency Management. The public is asked to avoid the area.The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made in the case. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Logan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 671-3288.

KBI: Ivestigation following discovery of explosives in NW Kan.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The mayor of Wichita is warning that the city’s hospitals could hit capacity this month as the number of coronavirus patients surge.

Mayor Brandon Whipple issued his warning Monday as the Sedgwick County Health Department reported that the hospitals are converting rooms to intensive care units, a move that reduces the capacity for other patients.

“Just got off the phone with the leadership at our #Wichita hospitals &amp; admitted patients for covid19 are the highest ever,” Whipple said in a tweet. “If these numbers continue at the same rate our hospitals will reach capacity in 2-3 weeks (sooner if we have a 4th of July bump).T

The Sedgwick County Health Department reported that there were 54 total patients with COVID-19 in Wichita area hospitals on Monday. That is an increase of about 69% from last Monday, when there were 32.

Statewide, there was another record coronavirus spike Monday, with 1,447 new cases reported since Friday, an increase of 7.8%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 20,058. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and people can be infected without feeling sick.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The mayor of Wichita is warning that the city’s hospitals could hit capacity this month as the number of coronavirus patients surge.Mayor Brandon Whipple issued his warning Monday as the Sedgwick County Health Department reported that the hospitals are converting rooms to intensive care units, a move that reduces the capacity for other patients.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just got off the phone with the leadership at our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wichita?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wichita</a> hospitals &amp; admitted patients for covid19 are the highest ever. If these numbers continue at the same rate our hospitals will reach compacity in 2-3 weeks (sooner if we have a 4th of July bump). Please wear your mask.&mdash; Dr. Brandon Whipple (@BWhippleKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BWhippleKS/status/1282726406858964995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Just got off the phone with the leadership at our #Wichita hospitals &amp; admitted patients for covid19 are the highest ever,” Whipple said in a tweet. “If these numbers continue at the same rate our hospitals will reach capacity in 2-3 weeks (sooner if we have a 4th of July bump).T“Please wear your mask.”The Sedgwick County Health Department reported that there were 54 total patients with COVID-19 in Wichita area hospitals on Monday. That is an increase of about 69% from last Monday, when there were 32.Statewide, there was another record coronavirus spike Monday, with 1,447 new cases reported since Friday, an increase of 7.8%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 20,058. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and people can be infected without feeling sick.

Mayor: Wichita hospitals could hit capacity this month

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal motorcycle accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;&nbsp;29-year-old John Bonner of Wichita.

Just after 9:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to an injury accident at Museum Boulevard and Stackman in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; 

Upon arrival, officers located Bonner lying in the street with critical injuries.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed, Bonner was operating a red 2012 Kawasaki Motorcycle westbound on Museum Boulevard with a group of other motorcyclists.&nbsp; 

Bonner was unable to manipulate a curve and struck the curb.&nbsp; He was ejected from his motorcycle, causing his fatal injuries.&nbsp; No other vehicles were involved in the incident, and no one else was injured.

Bonner was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.&nbsp; Investigators believe speed was a factor in the accident, according to Davidson.

This accident is the 14th&nbsp;vehicle fatality of 2020, and the fifth fatality involving a motorcycle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594743404652.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal motorcycle crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal motorcycle crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal motorcycle accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;&nbsp;29-year-old John Bonner of Wichita.Just after 9:30 p.m. Monday, police responded to an injury accident at Museum Boulevard and Stackman in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located Bonner lying in the street with critical injuries.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed, Bonner was operating a red 2012 Kawasaki Motorcycle westbound on Museum Boulevard with a group of other motorcyclists.&nbsp; Bonner was unable to manipulate a curve and struck the curb.&nbsp; He was ejected from his motorcycle, causing his fatal injuries.&nbsp; No other vehicles were involved in the incident, and no one else was injured.Bonner was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.&nbsp; Investigators believe speed was a factor in the accident, according to Davidson.This accident is the 14th&nbsp;vehicle fatality of 2020, and the fifth fatality involving a motorcycle.

Police ID Kan. man who died after being ejected from motorcycle 

By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-13/outsider-kansas-republican-congressman-faces-a-challenge-from-fellow-conservatives">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — Freshman U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins is in an 
unusual situation: His re-election bid for the 2nd Congressional 
District seat is being complicated by two primary challengers and 
opposition from some in the GOP establishment.

Typically, sitting 
members of Congress will be challenged over ideological differences. But
 in this case, the man who ran in 2018 as a conservative outsider in the
 mold of President Donald Trump is up against a fellow conservative, 
Republican Jake LaTurner, and longtime government official Dennis 
Taylor.

Former Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer publicly called for LaTurner, who is currently Kansas’ treasurer, to <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJeffColyer/status/1166380168346312705" target="_blank">run against Watkins</a>, saying LaTurner had the best chance of keeping the seat in Republican hands.

Watkins, who <a href="https://apnews.com/34882545094f4e83b9117dba13b6b7e3" target="_blank">narrowly won</a>
 in the 2018 general election with the help of big ad spending from his 
father, isn’t concerned by some political lifers lining up behind 
LaTurner.

“They just want to cling to power,” Watkins said. “That’s why we’ve seen the support behind Jake that we’ve seen.”

LaTurner believes Watkins hasn’t supported Trump enough.

“What
 this race is actually about is a real conservative who’s going to get 
things done versus someone who’s posing as a conservative,” LaTurner 
said, “and who in his first year has made bad votes and put himself in a
 terrible position to win this seat and keep it in Republican hands.”

Watkins’
 ads include video of Trump endorsing him during an event in Topeka 
before the 2018 election, and he frequently mentions he’s an honorary 
co-chair of Trump’s re-election campaign in Kansas.

“I vote with Trump 96% of the time,” Watkins said. “I’ve met with Trump. I've been in the Oval Office.”

But LaTurner said there’s more to it, pointing to a voter registration scandal involving Watkins, when Watkins <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20191203/us-rep-steve-watkins-tangled-in-voter-fraud-perjury-allegations-for-listing-ups-store-as-residence" target="_blank">registered to vote at a UPS store</a> instead of his home address.

“There
 are major concerns that people of the 2nd District should have with 
their current congressman,” LaTurner said in an interview. “We hear it 
every day. We think people are hungry for a change.”

Watkins told 
the Kansas News Service that LaTurner is trying to leverage a simple 
mistake, and that he accidentally listed a mailing address instead of 
his home address.

Former state Senator Steve Fitzgerald was one of the six Republicans that Watkins <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/seven-gop-candidates-compete-kansas-2nd-district-vote" target="_blank">beat in the 2018 primary</a>. He’s backing LaTurner.

Fitzgerald
 said he’s not vindictive — he just thinks LaTurner has a better chance 
to win and has experience on tax and gun rights issues from his time in 
the Kansas Senate.

“LaTurner is the type of person we want,” 
Fitzgerald said in an interview. “He’s got a beautiful family, a solid 
reputation in his community and he’s got not a hint of scandal at all.”

To Watkins, the difference is he’s still new to politics, while LaTurner seems to be climbing the political ladder.

“This
 is the story of the lifetime of service, which I’ve done both in the 
military and now new into politics, versus the lifetime of self 
service,” Watkins said. “He’s never had a job outside politics.”

In
 addition to touting his ties to Trump, Watkins is touting his work to 
approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA 
and involves trade markets that are important to Kansas agriculture. 
Watkins was responsible for counting votes among freshman lawmakers and 
working to convince them to support the plan.

The third Republican
 in the race, Taylor, said LaTurner and Watkins aren’t talking enough 
about the biggest issue: the coronavirus.

“Our economy, if it’s 
not in the ditch, it’s heading that direction,” Taylor said in an 
interview. “And they’re not speaking, either one of them, to what really
 is the crisis of the moment.”

Taylor worked in the 
administrations of Republican governors Mike Hayden and Sam Brownback. 
He calls himself a pragmatic conservative who would support the 
president when it makes sense for Kansas.

The government should be
 investing in infrastructure, Taylor said, and a national coronavirus 
tracing program that will create jobs and identify coronavirus hot 
spots.

“We’re going in the wrong direction, and a lot of that is 
because we haven’t put the manpower into trying to figure out where the 
virus is and isolate it and kill it,” Taylor said.

The winner of the Aug. 4 Republican primary will face the winner of the Democratic contest between <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/democratic-topeka-mayor-announces-run-congress" target="_blank">Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla</a> and James Windholz from Lawrence.

Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank">@kprkoranda</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594663682669.png" alt="The Democratic (left) and Republican candidates for the Aug. 4 primary for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. Crysta Henthorne / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>The Democratic (left) and Republican candidates for the Aug. 4 primary for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. Crysta Henthorne / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-13/outsider-kansas-republican-congressman-faces-a-challenge-from-fellow-conservatives">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — Freshman U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins is in an 
unusual situation: His re-election bid for the 2nd Congressional 
District seat is being complicated by two primary challengers and 
opposition from some in the GOP establishment.Typically, sitting 
members of Congress will be challenged over ideological differences. But
 in this case, the man who ran in 2018 as a conservative outsider in the
 mold of President Donald Trump is up against a fellow conservative, 
Republican Jake LaTurner, and longtime government official Dennis 
Taylor.Former Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer publicly called for LaTurner, who is currently Kansas’ treasurer, to <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJeffColyer/status/1166380168346312705" target="_blank">run against Watkins</a>, saying LaTurner had the best chance of keeping the seat in Republican hands.Watkins, who <a href="https://apnews.com/34882545094f4e83b9117dba13b6b7e3" target="_blank">narrowly won</a>
 in the 2018 general election with the help of big ad spending from his 
father, isn’t concerned by some political lifers lining up behind 
LaTurner.“They just want to cling to power,” Watkins said. “That’s why we’ve seen the support behind Jake that we’ve seen.”LaTurner believes Watkins hasn’t supported Trump enough.“What
 this race is actually about is a real conservative who’s going to get 
things done versus someone who’s posing as a conservative,” LaTurner 
said, “and who in his first year has made bad votes and put himself in a
 terrible position to win this seat and keep it in Republican hands.”Watkins’
 ads include video of Trump endorsing him during an event in Topeka 
before the 2018 election, and he frequently mentions he’s an honorary 
co-chair of Trump’s re-election campaign in Kansas.“I vote with Trump 96% of the time,” Watkins said. “I’ve met with Trump. I've been in the Oval Office.”But LaTurner said there’s more to it, pointing to a voter registration scandal involving Watkins, when Watkins <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20191203/us-rep-steve-watkins-tangled-in-voter-fraud-perjury-allegations-for-listing-ups-store-as-residence" target="_blank">registered to vote at a UPS store</a> instead of his home address.“There
 are major concerns that people of the 2nd District should have with 
their current congressman,” LaTurner said in an interview. “We hear it 
every day. We think people are hungry for a change.”Watkins told 
the Kansas News Service that LaTurner is trying to leverage a simple 
mistake, and that he accidentally listed a mailing address instead of 
his home address.Former state Senator Steve Fitzgerald was one of the six Republicans that Watkins <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/seven-gop-candidates-compete-kansas-2nd-district-vote" target="_blank">beat in the 2018 primary</a>. He’s backing LaTurner.Fitzgerald
 said he’s not vindictive — he just thinks LaTurner has a better chance 
to win and has experience on tax and gun rights issues from his time in 
the Kansas Senate.“LaTurner is the type of person we want,” 
Fitzgerald said in an interview. “He’s got a beautiful family, a solid 
reputation in his community and he’s got not a hint of scandal at all.”To Watkins, the difference is he’s still new to politics, while LaTurner seems to be climbing the political ladder.“This
 is the story of the lifetime of service, which I’ve done both in the 
military and now new into politics, versus the lifetime of self 
service,” Watkins said. “He’s never had a job outside politics.”In
 addition to touting his ties to Trump, Watkins is touting his work to 
approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA 
and involves trade markets that are important to Kansas agriculture. 
Watkins was responsible for counting votes among freshman lawmakers and 
working to convince them to support the plan.The third Republican
 in the race, Taylor, said LaTurner and Watkins aren’t talking enough 
about the biggest issue: the coronavirus.“Our economy, if it’s 
not in the ditch, it’s heading that direction,” Taylor said in an 
interview. “And they’re not speaking, either one of them, to what really
 is the crisis of the moment.”Taylor worked in the 
administrations of Republican governors Mike Hayden and Sam Brownback. 
He calls himself a pragmatic conservative who would support the 
president when it makes sense for Kansas.The government should be
 investing in infrastructure, Taylor said, and a national coronavirus 
tracing program that will create jobs and identify coronavirus hot 
spots.“We’re going in the wrong direction, and a lot of that is 
because we haven’t put the manpower into trying to figure out where the 
virus is and isolate it and kill it,” Taylor said.The winner of the Aug. 4 Republican primary will face the winner of the Democratic contest between <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/democratic-topeka-mayor-announces-run-congress" target="_blank">Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla</a> and James Windholz from Lawrence.Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank">@kprkoranda</a>.

Outsider Kan. GOP rep faces conservative challenge in 2nd District

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas reported Monday that another record coronavirus spike pushed the state past 20,000 total cases for the pandemic, shadowing plans for reopening public K-12 schools just a month before fall classes are set to begin.

The state Department of Health and Environment said that Kansas had another 1,447 coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 7.8%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 20,058. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and people can be infected without feeling sick.

Kansas reported an average of 451 new coronavirus cases a day during the seven-day period ending Monday, the worst seven-day average yet. That figure has climbed each of the seven times the department has reported new data starting on June 29.

The health department also reported four additional COVID-19-related deaths making its reported total for the pandemic 288, a 1.4% increase. However, Johns Hopkins University put the state’s number of deaths at 297.

Kansas saw its its growth in reported coronavirus cases bottom out five weeks ago, before beginning to climb again, according to an AP analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project. Kansas schools typically open by mid-August for the fall.

“We just understand the importance of getting kids back, and if that’s at all possible, we’ve got to plan for that,” said Ron Wilson, the superintendent of schools in Hays, where classes are set to resume Aug. 13. “Ultimately, I think public health officials will probably be making calls in terms of whether our schools should be open or not, and I think they’re going to be basing that on science.”

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;July 2 directing the state’s residents to wear masks in public and at their workplaces. She said as she issued the order that if Kansas didn’t get its resurgence of new reported coronavirus cases under control, public schools for 519,000 K-12 students might not be able to reopen safely.

But state law allows counties to opt out of the mask mandate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f8a90aa492568e092ec4bb5057129bde">Most have,</a>&nbsp;exempting about 40% of the state’s population.

“The benefits of the statewide mask mandate will remain unknown because of the patchwork quilt of counties that adopted it,” Dr. Lee Norman, the health department’s top administrator, said in a statement texted to The Associated Press.

The State Board of Education plans to meet Tuesday to review proposed guidelines for reopening schools and to vote on them Wednesday. Kelly planned to have a Statehouse news conference Wednesday with education and public health officials to discuss reopening schools.

Local districts also have been working for weeks on their own plans. The Shawnee Heights district east of Topeka, has had a task force discussing reopening issues since June and hopes to have its plan ready next week.

Local school board President Lauren Tice Miller said one key issue is predicting how much time parents might need to prepare for whatever the district plans. The district plans to start fall classes Aug. 13, but it’s still possibly to early to make final decisions about how to reopen, she said.

“There’s still just a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “We all want to bring our kids back and our teachers back, but we have to be able to do it safely.”

During the past two weeks, the Kansas health department has reported 5,615 new coronavirus cases, an increase of 39%. Reported COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations have risen more slowly, 6.7% for deaths and 16.6% for hospitalizations, which totaled 1,343 as of Monday.

The Kansas State Fair’s board&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1ad7c34b7cd29646cde4f0d1d06b833f">canceled the annual event</a>&nbsp;in Hutchinson, which had been set for September.

Twenty-eight of the state’s 105 counties have seen reported coronavirus cases at last double in the past two weeks. They include Ellis County, home to the Hays school district, where reported cases rose from 21 to 57 over the two weeks, and Saline County, where cases jumped from 94 to 220.

The Salina school district in Saline County plans to start online enrollment Tuesday and is giving parents the option of choosing online classes. Superintendent Linn Exline said the possibilities for the new semester include having some students attend in-person classes Monday and Tuesday and others, Wednesday and Thursday, with remote teaching Fridays. Its first classes start Aug. 11.

“What we are really working on is to develop plans where we limit risk as much as possible,” she said. “There is no such thing as a risk-free environment. That’s true any day of the week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593465508296.png" alt="On July 2, Gov. Laura Kelly directed the state’s residents to wear masks in public and at work" />
 <figcaption>On July 2, Gov. Laura Kelly directed the state’s residents to wear masks in public and at work</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas reported Monday that another record coronavirus spike pushed the state past 20,000 total cases for the pandemic, shadowing plans for reopening public K-12 schools just a month before fall classes are set to begin.The state Department of Health and Environment said that Kansas had another 1,447 coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 7.8%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 20,058. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and people can be infected without feeling sick.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594726988398.png" alt="KDHE July 13, 2020" />
 <figcaption>KDHE July 13, 2020</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas reported an average of 451 new coronavirus cases a day during the seven-day period ending Monday, the worst seven-day average yet. That figure has climbed each of the seven times the department has reported new data starting on June 29.The health department also reported four additional COVID-19-related deaths making its reported total for the pandemic 288, a 1.4% increase. However, Johns Hopkins University put the state’s number of deaths at 297.Kansas saw its its growth in reported coronavirus cases bottom out five weeks ago, before beginning to climb again, according to an AP analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project. Kansas schools typically open by mid-August for the fall.“We just understand the importance of getting kids back, and if that’s at all possible, we’ve got to plan for that,” said Ron Wilson, the superintendent of schools in Hays, where classes are set to resume Aug. 13. “Ultimately, I think public health officials will probably be making calls in terms of whether our schools should be open or not, and I think they’re going to be basing that on science.”Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;July 2 directing the state’s residents to wear masks in public and at their workplaces. She said as she issued the order that if Kansas didn’t get its resurgence of new reported coronavirus cases under control, public schools for 519,000 K-12 students might not be able to reopen safely.But state law allows counties to opt out of the mask mandate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f8a90aa492568e092ec4bb5057129bde">Most have,</a>&nbsp;exempting about 40% of the state’s population.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594727612359.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his July 8 press briefing on the virus" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his July 8 press briefing on the virus</figcaption>
 </figure>“The benefits of the statewide mask mandate will remain unknown because of the patchwork quilt of counties that adopted it,” Dr. Lee Norman, the health department’s top administrator, said in a statement texted to The Associated Press.The State Board of Education plans to meet Tuesday to review proposed guidelines for reopening schools and to vote on them Wednesday. Kelly planned to have a Statehouse news conference Wednesday with education and public health officials to discuss reopening schools.Local districts also have been working for weeks on their own plans. The Shawnee Heights district east of Topeka, has had a task force discussing reopening issues since June and hopes to have its plan ready next week.Local school board President Lauren Tice Miller said one key issue is predicting how much time parents might need to prepare for whatever the district plans. The district plans to start fall classes Aug. 13, but it’s still possibly to early to make final decisions about how to reopen, she said.“There’s still just a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “We all want to bring our kids back and our teachers back, but we have to be able to do it safely.”During the past two weeks, the Kansas health department has reported 5,615 new coronavirus cases, an increase of 39%. Reported COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations have risen more slowly, 6.7% for deaths and 16.6% for hospitalizations, which totaled 1,343 as of Monday.The Kansas State Fair’s board&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1ad7c34b7cd29646cde4f0d1d06b833f">canceled the annual event</a>&nbsp;in Hutchinson, which had been set for September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594660032388.png" alt="July 13, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>July 13, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-eight of the state’s 105 counties have seen reported coronavirus cases at last double in the past two weeks. They include Ellis County, home to the Hays school district, where reported cases rose from 21 to 57 over the two weeks, and Saline County, where cases jumped from 94 to 220.The Salina school district in Saline County plans to start online enrollment Tuesday and is giving parents the option of choosing online classes. Superintendent Linn Exline said the possibilities for the new semester include having some students attend in-person classes Monday and Tuesday and others, Wednesday and Thursday, with remote teaching Fridays. Its first classes start Aug. 11.“What we are really working on is to develop plans where we limit risk as much as possible,” she said. “There is no such thing as a risk-free environment. That’s true any day of the week.”

Kansas facing worst-ever spike in coronavirus cases

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man arrested in connection with the drowning death of his 2-year-old son made his first court appearance Monday.

&nbsp;44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita is charged with first-degree felony murder or in the alternative, 2nd&nbsp;degree felony murder. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated endangering a child. 

Just after 10 p.m., July 8, police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. 

Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp; 

Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911.

Police booked Kabutu into the Sedgwick County Jail Friday afternoon, according to Davidson.

Cases can be charged alternatively if there are two or more theories of how the crime was committed.

Each charge can be presented to a jury and a defendant may be convicted of more than one of the alternative charges. However, the defendant can only be sentenced for one of the alternative counts, that being the most severe offense.

Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Christopher Magana on July 23. Kabutu is being held on a $150,000 bond.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the drowning death of a 2-year-old boy have arrested&nbsp;44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita.

Just after 10 p.m., Tuesday, police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. 

Police booked Kabutu into the Sedgwick County Jail Friday afternoon&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20042730">on a requested charge </a>of felony murder and two counts of aggravated child endangerment, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drowning of 2-year-old boy.

Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a home in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South in Wichita for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party who reported observing the boy floating in the neighborhood pool and calling 911. 

Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and the Wichita Fire Department (WFD) pulled the boy from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child died.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed the boy was with his 44-year-old father and 4-year-old brother in the neighborhood when he managed to by-pass the fence surrounding the pool, and fell into the water, according to Cruz.

Police released no additional details Wednesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594423107291.png" alt="Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man arrested in connection with the drowning death of his 2-year-old son made his first court appearance Monday.&nbsp;44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita is charged with first-degree felony murder or in the alternative, 2nd&nbsp;degree felony murder. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated endangering a child. Just after 10 p.m., July 8, police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594241055278.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the drowning Tuesday evening -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the drowning Tuesday evening -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp; Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911.Police booked Kabutu into the Sedgwick County Jail Friday afternoon, according to Davidson.Cases can be charged alternatively if there are two or more theories of how the crime was committed.Each charge can be presented to a jury and a defendant may be convicted of more than one of the alternative charges. However, the defendant can only be sentenced for one of the alternative counts, that being the most severe offense.Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Christopher Magana on July 23. Kabutu is being held on a $150,000 bond.--------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating the drowning death of a 2-year-old boy have arrested&nbsp;44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita.Just after 10 p.m., Tuesday, police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594423107291.png" alt="Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kabutu photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp; Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911.Police booked Kabutu into the Sedgwick County Jail Friday afternoon&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20042730">on a requested charge </a>of felony murder and two counts of aggravated child endangerment, according to Davidson.----------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the drowning of 2-year-old boy.Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a home in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South in Wichita for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party who reported observing the boy floating in the neighborhood pool and calling 911. Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and the Wichita Fire Department (WFD) pulled the boy from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child died.&nbsp;The investigation revealed the boy was with his 44-year-old father and 4-year-old brother in the neighborhood when he managed to by-pass the fence surrounding the pool, and fell into the water, according to Cruz.Police released no additional details Wednesday afternoon.

Kan. father charged with murder in drowning of 2-year-old 

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A federal judge agreed Monday to suspend a rule that requires women during the COVID-19 pandemic to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland concluded that the “in-person requirements” for patients seeking medication abortion care impose a “substantial obstacle” to abortion patients and are likely unconstitutional under the circumstances of the pandemic.

"Particularly in light of the limited timeframe during which a medication abortion or any abortion must occur, such infringement on the right to an abortion would constitute irreparable harm," the judge wrote in his 80-page decision.

Chuang's ruling will allow healthcare providers to arrange for mifepristone to be mailed or delivered to patients during the public health emergency declared by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.

“By causing certain patients to decide between forgoing or substantially delaying abortion care, or risking exposure to COVID-19 for themselves, their children, and family members, the In-Person Requirements present a serious burden to many abortion patients,” Chuang wrote.

The states of Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska and Oklahoma had asked to intervene in the lawsuit. The 10 states argued that the case could impact how they enforce their own state laws that relate to or reference the FDA’s regulation of mifepristone.

Chuang rejected their request last month. The judge said the federal case would not eliminate any state’s ability to continue to regulate abortion medication “above and beyond” the FDA’s requirements.

“Nevertheless, this is a tremendous victory for abortion patients and for science and common sense,” said American Civil Liberties Union attorney Julia Kaye.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups sued HHS and the FDA in May to challenge the rule. ACLU lawyers represent the groups.

Skye Perryman, chief legal officer for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the FDA’s restrictions on mifepristone are not medically necessary and “do not advance the health and safety of patients.”

“Today’s ruling recognizes the hardship and undue burden that many women have faced obtaining essential health care during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Perryman said.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that the FDA’s in-person requirements infringe on a woman’s constitutional rights to an abortion and violates the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.

Government lawyers have argued that the requirements are necessary to ensure that patients safely use mifepristone. The FDA rule requires patients to pick up the single tablet of mifepristone at a hospital, clinic or medical office and sign a form that includes information about the medication's potential risks.

The judge said suspending the requirements aligns with public health guidance to eliminate unnecessary travel and in-person contact.

Chuang granted the ACLU’s request for a preliminary injunction on due process grounds. He noted that federal regulators have waived in-person requirements for many other drugs “for the specific purpose of protecting public health.”

The group’s lawsuit says mifepristone is the only one of more than 20,000 FDA-regulated drugs that patients must receive in person at a hospital, clinic, or medical office “yet may self-administer, unsupervised, at a location of their choosing.”

The judge didn’t set any geographic limitations on the injunction. Referring to the nature of the pandemic, he said that “crafting relief that attempts to account for both the unpredictable changes and nuanced regional differences across 50 different states over an extended period of time is simply infeasible.”

More than 4 million people in the U.S. have used mifepristone and misoprostol to end an early pregnancy; the two-drug combination accounted for 39% of all U.S. abortions in 2017, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit says the FDA rule has “particularly severe implications for low-income people and people of color, who comprise a disproportionate share of impacted patients and who are already suffering and dying from COVID-19 at substantially higher rates.”

In March, dozens of anti-abortion advocates signed a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar in which they called for halting abortion procedures during the pandemic. “Their continued operation depletes sorely needed personal protective equipment and leads to complications that will further overwhelm already overextended emergency rooms,” the letter said.

Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn also were named as defendants in the suit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt=" About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> About 60% of abortions in Kansas involve the abortion pill. Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A federal judge agreed Monday to suspend a rule that requires women during the COVID-19 pandemic to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill.U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland concluded that the “in-person requirements” for patients seeking medication abortion care impose a “substantial obstacle” to abortion patients and are likely unconstitutional under the circumstances of the pandemic."Particularly in light of the limited timeframe during which a medication abortion or any abortion must occur, such infringement on the right to an abortion would constitute irreparable harm," the judge wrote in his 80-page decision.Chuang's ruling will allow healthcare providers to arrange for mifepristone to be mailed or delivered to patients during the public health emergency declared by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.“By causing certain patients to decide between forgoing or substantially delaying abortion care, or risking exposure to COVID-19 for themselves, their children, and family members, the In-Person Requirements present a serious burden to many abortion patients,” Chuang wrote.The states of Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska and Oklahoma had asked to intervene in the lawsuit. The 10 states argued that the case could impact how they enforce their own state laws that relate to or reference the FDA’s regulation of mifepristone.Chuang rejected their request last month. The judge said the federal case would not eliminate any state’s ability to continue to regulate abortion medication “above and beyond” the FDA’s requirements.“Nevertheless, this is a tremendous victory for abortion patients and for science and common sense,” said American Civil Liberties Union attorney Julia Kaye.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups sued HHS and the FDA in May to challenge the rule. ACLU lawyers represent the groups.Skye Perryman, chief legal officer for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the FDA’s restrictions on mifepristone are not medically necessary and “do not advance the health and safety of patients.”“Today’s ruling recognizes the hardship and undue burden that many women have faced obtaining essential health care during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Perryman said.Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that the FDA’s in-person requirements infringe on a woman’s constitutional rights to an abortion and violates the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.Government lawyers have argued that the requirements are necessary to ensure that patients safely use mifepristone. The FDA rule requires patients to pick up the single tablet of mifepristone at a hospital, clinic or medical office and sign a form that includes information about the medication's potential risks.The judge said suspending the requirements aligns with public health guidance to eliminate unnecessary travel and in-person contact.Chuang granted the ACLU’s request for a preliminary injunction on due process grounds. He noted that federal regulators have waived in-person requirements for many other drugs “for the specific purpose of protecting public health.”The group’s lawsuit says mifepristone is the only one of more than 20,000 FDA-regulated drugs that patients must receive in person at a hospital, clinic, or medical office “yet may self-administer, unsupervised, at a location of their choosing.”The judge didn’t set any geographic limitations on the injunction. Referring to the nature of the pandemic, he said that “crafting relief that attempts to account for both the unpredictable changes and nuanced regional differences across 50 different states over an extended period of time is simply infeasible.”More than 4 million people in the U.S. have used mifepristone and misoprostol to end an early pregnancy; the two-drug combination accounted for 39% of all U.S. abortions in 2017, the lawsuit says.The lawsuit says the FDA rule has “particularly severe implications for low-income people and people of color, who comprise a disproportionate share of impacted patients and who are already suffering and dying from COVID-19 at substantially higher rates.”In March, dozens of anti-abortion advocates signed a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar in which they called for halting abortion procedures during the pandemic. “Their continued operation depletes sorely needed personal protective equipment and leads to complications that will further overwhelm already overextended emergency rooms,” the letter said.Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn also were named as defendants in the suit.___

Judge: Women can get abortion pill without doctor visits

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A former Boy Scout leader was charged with rape and child abuse for crimes dating back years, court records show.

Andrew Rowland, 45, of Overland Park faces charges of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child involving sex, and two counts of child abuse, the Kansas City Star reported.

The allegations in a July 4 criminal complaint date from 2010 to 2018.

Rowland, the owner of antique and estate sale businesses in Overland Park, was the scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 284 in Overland Park. He was arrested July 5.

The regional Boy Scouts organization said was removed from his position as a scoutmaster following the allegations.

That action came at least three months after Rowland had been under investigation by police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594654192031.png" alt="Rowland photo Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Rowland photo Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A former Boy Scout leader was charged with rape and child abuse for crimes dating back years, court records show.Andrew Rowland, 45, of Overland Park faces charges of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child involving sex, and two counts of child abuse, the Kansas City Star reported.The allegations in a July 4 criminal complaint date from 2010 to 2018.Rowland, the owner of antique and estate sale businesses in Overland Park, was the scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 284 in Overland Park. He was arrested July 5.The regional Boy Scouts organization said was removed from his position as a scoutmaster following the allegations.That action came at least three months after Rowland had been under investigation by police.

Former Boy Scout leader in Kan. charged with rape, child abuse

CHEYENNE COUNTY, NE. —State Troopers are investigating a Maryland man after they seized 42 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 80.

Just after 7p.m. CDT Sunday, a Nebraska State Trooper observed a Hyundai Genesis speeding on Interstate 80 near Sidney, according to a media release.

During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. A search of the vehicle revealed 42 pounds of marijuana concealed in trash bags in the trunk.

The driver, Ryan Chun, 29, of Bladensburg, Maryland, was arrested on requested charges for possession of marijuana. Chun was being held in Cheyenne County Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594671046548.jpeg" alt="Photo Nebraska State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Nebraska State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>CHEYENNE COUNTY, NE. —State Troopers are investigating a Maryland man after they seized 42 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 80.Just after 7p.m. CDT Sunday, a Nebraska State Trooper observed a Hyundai Genesis speeding on Interstate 80 near Sidney, according to a media release.During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. A search of the vehicle revealed 42 pounds of marijuana concealed in trash bags in the trunk.The driver, Ryan Chun, 29, of Bladensburg, Maryland, was arrested on requested charges for possession of marijuana. Chun was being held in Cheyenne County Corrections.

Troopers find 42 pounds of pot hidden in driver's car trunk

By ROD ZOOK &amp; NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>

HUTCHINSON — Two world wars, The Great Depression and 9/11 could not stop the Kansas State Fair from holding its annual get-together. But the pandemic has won out.

On Monday, the fair board decided to cancel the fair ending 107 consecutive runs.&nbsp;

"I got a couple of letters that were just really frustrated that we would make a decision about the state fair over finances, when it's really about the 4-H and the kids coming up here," said Fair General Manager Robin Jennison Monday. "That's great, but people need to understand that what makes it possible for us to do all of that are the vendors and the sponsors that are in partnership with the Kansas State Fair. When we don't have those, it's really going to limit our ability to do some of those things."

Although officials believed they could run the fair in a safe manner, many vendors opted not to attend since many area fairs were canceled.

The fair announced Monday that all gate admission tickets, packages and food tickets already purchased will be valid for the 2021 Kansas State Fair.&nbsp;

Staff is currently working to reschedule the 2020 Nex-Tech Wireless Grandstand lineup. If rescheduled, those tickets will also be honored at next year’s fair. How to obtain refunds will be announced soon.&nbsp;

While there will not be a 2020 Kansas State Fair, the fair will have 4-H and FFA youth livestock competitions, plus open class livestock exhibitions in September. The board is also considering having youth static competitions. The board will reconvene Aug. 4 to gather more information.

Livestock events begin Thursday, Sept. 3, and continue for three weekends, ending Sunday, Sept. 20. Event rules will be modified.

Grand Drive: FFA and 4-H youth from across the state compete to be the best of the best in this premier Kansas livestock competition. The Grand Drive is Sept. 11-13 and features the market beef, sheep, swine and goat shows. These shows are closed to outside spectators but can be viewed on Walton Webcasting. The event is sponsored by Midwest Ford and other great partners.

Deadline to enter the Grand Drive is July 15.

Champion Livestock Show: The Kansas State Fair is partnering with Special Olympics Kansas to introduce a new event: the Champion Livestock Show. The competition takes place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11.

Ten athletes will be selected by Special Olympics and paired with 4-H or FFA members to show a meat goat. The athletes will have time to work with their mentor and animal the morning of the event. Open Range Trailer Sales and Services and Cimarron Trailers is the event sponsor. Key Apparel will provide T-shirts for participating competitors and mentor exhibitors. This show is closed to outside spectators but can be viewed on Walton Webcasting.

Mustang Days: Youth train untamed yearlings in the Mustang Beginnings Youth Challenge. They work to gentle the Bureau of Land Management wild horses over the summer then demonstrate their training skills. The event is Sept. 12-13.

Supreme Drive: The Supreme Drive recognizes the best bull and female of each breed in the open beef shows. The event is Sept. 19.

4-H Horse Show: This annual event will occur Sept. 17-20.

Many of these events will happen this year thanks to the fair’s great partnership with 4-H and FFA and these organizations’ staff and volunteers. This includes the fair’s Grand Drive event.

All shows will be closed to the public to help create a safe event. Entry deadline is July 15 for the 4-H/FFA Grand Drive and Aug. 15 for all open livestock shows.

On June 30, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman advised the State Fair Board that they should cancel this year's fair.

"If I were only talking about it from a public health perspective, it would be best to not have the State Fair," Norman said. "There's no question, it will engender illness." Norman didn't think fairgoers would wear masks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594652217162.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas State Fair" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas State Fair</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOK &amp; NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>HUTCHINSON — Two world wars, The Great Depression and 9/11 could not stop the Kansas State Fair from holding its annual get-together. But the pandemic has won out.On Monday, the fair board decided to cancel the fair ending 107 consecutive runs.&nbsp;"I got a couple of letters that were just really frustrated that we would make a decision about the state fair over finances, when it's really about the 4-H and the kids coming up here," said Fair General Manager Robin Jennison Monday. "That's great, but people need to understand that what makes it possible for us to do all of that are the vendors and the sponsors that are in partnership with the Kansas State Fair. When we don't have those, it's really going to limit our ability to do some of those things."Although officials believed they could run the fair in a safe manner, many vendors opted not to attend since many area fairs were canceled.The fair announced Monday that all gate admission tickets, packages and food tickets already purchased will be valid for the 2021 Kansas State Fair.&nbsp;Staff is currently working to reschedule the 2020 Nex-Tech Wireless Grandstand lineup. If rescheduled, those tickets will also be honored at next year’s fair. How to obtain refunds will be announced soon.&nbsp;While there will not be a 2020 Kansas State Fair, the fair will have 4-H and FFA youth livestock competitions, plus open class livestock exhibitions in September. The board is also considering having youth static competitions. The board will reconvene Aug. 4 to gather more information.Livestock events begin Thursday, Sept. 3, and continue for three weekends, ending Sunday, Sept. 20. Event rules will be modified.Competitions include:Grand Drive: FFA and 4-H youth from across the state compete to be the best of the best in this premier Kansas livestock competition. The Grand Drive is Sept. 11-13 and features the market beef, sheep, swine and goat shows. These shows are closed to outside spectators but can be viewed on Walton Webcasting. The event is sponsored by Midwest Ford and other great partners.Deadline to enter the Grand Drive is July 15.Champion Livestock Show: The Kansas State Fair is partnering with Special Olympics Kansas to introduce a new event: the Champion Livestock Show. The competition takes place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11.Ten athletes will be selected by Special Olympics and paired with 4-H or FFA members to show a meat goat. The athletes will have time to work with their mentor and animal the morning of the event. Open Range Trailer Sales and Services and Cimarron Trailers is the event sponsor. Key Apparel will provide T-shirts for participating competitors and mentor exhibitors. This show is closed to outside spectators but can be viewed on Walton Webcasting.Mustang Days: Youth train untamed yearlings in the Mustang Beginnings Youth Challenge. They work to gentle the Bureau of Land Management wild horses over the summer then demonstrate their training skills. The event is Sept. 12-13.Supreme Drive: The Supreme Drive recognizes the best bull and female of each breed in the open beef shows. The event is Sept. 19.4-H Horse Show: This annual event will occur Sept. 17-20.Many of these events will happen this year thanks to the fair’s great partnership with 4-H and FFA and these organizations’ staff and volunteers. This includes the fair’s Grand Drive event.All shows will be closed to the public to help create a safe event. Entry deadline is July 15 for the 4-H/FFA Grand Drive and Aug. 15 for all open livestock shows.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590778958989.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 30, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman advised the State Fair Board that they should cancel this year's fair."If I were only talking about it from a public health perspective, it would be best to not have the State Fair," Norman said. "There's no question, it will engender illness." Norman didn't think fairgoers would wear masks.

Update: Board votes to cancel 2020 Kansas State Fair

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-13/with-deal-for-mcclatchy-kansas-city-star-will-see-its-fifth-owner-in-four-decades">Kansas News Service</a>

The McClatchy Company, the nation’s second largest newspaper chain 
and the owner of The Kansas City Star, Wichita Eagle, Miami Herald, 
Charlotte Observer and more than two dozen other daily newspapers, 
announced on Sunday that Chatham Asset Management had submitted the 
winning bid for the company at a bankruptcy auction.

McClatchy, 
burdened by debt it incurred in 2006 when it bought newspaper chain 
Knight Ridder for $4.5 billion and by pension obligations to 24,000 
employees and retirees, sought Chapter 11 protection in February in the 
Southern District of New York.

Chatham
 is a $4.4 billion hedge fund based in New Jersey. It is McClatchy’s 
biggest creditor and shareholder. The company, which was founded in 
2002, is secretive; its managing partner, Anthony Melchiorre, a one-time
 head of Morgan Stanley’s junk bond trading division, almost never 
grants interviews.

<a href="https://fortune.com/2019/03/18/chatham-asset-management-michael-cohen-ipayment-holidings-lawsuit/" target="_blank">In a profile of Chatham last year</a>,
 Fortune magazine said that during his stint at Morgan Stanley, 
Melchiorre “could be foul-mouthed and loud, and would berate fellow 
traders as he bopped around the trading floor in his stocking feet.”

Chatham
 already has investments in a stable of newspapers. It is a major 
shareholder of the publisher of several Canadian papers, including The 
Montreal Gazette, The Ottawa Citizen and The National Post. It also owns
 a major stake in American Media Inc., the parent company of The 
National Enquirer supermarket tabloid.

McClatchy entered into a 
debt refinancing deal with Chatham in 2018 that unsecured creditors of 
McClatchy claim unfairly benefited Chatham. A recent report by a law 
firm charged with investigating the matter concluded that McClatchy did 
not act improperly when it refinanced the debt, and did not give 
favorable treatment to Chatham.

U.S.
 Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Wiles of the Southern District of New York,
 where McClatchy filed for bankruptcy, must approve the sale. He is 
expected to rule after a hearing set for July 24. The deal also must 
pass muster with the U.S. Justice Department, which will review it for 
antitrust issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594678126879.png" alt="The Kansas City Star staff moved from its historic quarters at 1729 Grand into new space in its printing plant across McGee Street, pictured here, two years ago. Wikimedia Commons/Kansas City Star" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Star staff moved from its historic quarters at 1729 Grand into new space in its printing plant across McGee Street, pictured here, two years ago. Wikimedia Commons/Kansas City Star</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-13/with-deal-for-mcclatchy-kansas-city-star-will-see-its-fifth-owner-in-four-decades">Kansas News Service</a>The McClatchy Company, the nation’s second largest newspaper chain 
and the owner of The Kansas City Star, Wichita Eagle, Miami Herald, 
Charlotte Observer and more than two dozen other daily newspapers, 
announced on Sunday that Chatham Asset Management had submitted the 
winning bid for the company at a bankruptcy auction.McClatchy, 
burdened by debt it incurred in 2006 when it bought newspaper chain 
Knight Ridder for $4.5 billion and by pension obligations to 24,000 
employees and retirees, sought Chapter 11 protection in February in the 
Southern District of New York.Who is Chatham Asset Management?Chatham
 is a $4.4 billion hedge fund based in New Jersey. It is McClatchy’s 
biggest creditor and shareholder. The company, which was founded in 
2002, is secretive; its managing partner, Anthony Melchiorre, a one-time
 head of Morgan Stanley’s junk bond trading division, almost never 
grants interviews.<a href="https://fortune.com/2019/03/18/chatham-asset-management-michael-cohen-ipayment-holidings-lawsuit/" target="_blank">In a profile of Chatham last year</a>,
 Fortune magazine said that during his stint at Morgan Stanley, 
Melchiorre “could be foul-mouthed and loud, and would berate fellow 
traders as he bopped around the trading floor in his stocking feet.”Chatham
 already has investments in a stable of newspapers. It is a major 
shareholder of the publisher of several Canadian papers, including The 
Montreal Gazette, The Ottawa Citizen and The National Post. It also owns
 a major stake in American Media Inc., the parent company of The 
National Enquirer supermarket tabloid.McClatchy entered into a 
debt refinancing deal with Chatham in 2018 that unsecured creditors of 
McClatchy claim unfairly benefited Chatham. A recent report by a law 
firm charged with investigating the matter concluded that McClatchy did 
not act improperly when it refinanced the debt, and did not give 
favorable treatment to Chatham.What happens next?U.S.
 Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Wiles of the Southern District of New York,
 where McClatchy filed for bankruptcy, must approve the sale. He is 
expected to rule after a hearing set for July 24. The deal also must 
pass muster with the U.S. Justice Department, which will review it for 
antitrust issues.The sale will allow McClatchy to emerge from 
Chapter 11, having restructured its debt and pension obligations, but 
ends its family ownership of newspapers dating back to 1857, when James 
McClatchy founded the Sacramento Bee during the California Gold Rush.McClatchy
 said it would contribute $1.4 billion in pension assets to the federal 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation fund and expects the PBGC, which 
takes over pensions of troubled companies, to assume McClatchy’s 
qualified pension plan.Why would a hedge fund be interested in owning newspapers?For
 the last decade, hedge funds and private equity firms have been buying 
up media companies, which they’ve been able to snatch up at fire sale 
prices because of their declining circulation and ad revenues. Once 
acquired, they typically cut costs by slashing reporting staffs, with 
the idea of eventually selling the companies at a profit.Journalists
 tend to see them as financial predators focused on short-term profits, 
with little interest in the idea of journalism as a public trust. Alden 
Global Capital, a New York-based hedge fund, has become notorious as the
 face of rapacious newspaper-devouring hedge funds, having acquired 
newspapers like the Denver Post and cut their reporting staffs to the 
bone.Were there any other bidders for McClatchy?Chatham
 was the only publicly identified bidder until Alden challenged 
Chatham’s bid in court last Wednesday. McClatchy says “multiple bidders”
 submitted bids by the July 1 deadline but has not identified them.Chatham
 submitted its bid a few months ago, establishing a floor for other 
bids. McClatchy’s board of directors must still approve the Chatham 
deal, but that’s expected to be a formality that will take place this 
week.What will happen to McClatchy’s newspapers if the sale to Chatham is approved?All
 of McClatchy’s newspapers will become the property of Chatham, which 
can do with them as it sees fit. McClatchy was a publicly traded 
company; with the sale, the newspapers will be owned by a privately held
 company. That means the general public will no longer have access to 
the kind of detailed corporate information publicly traded companies are
 required to file.This isn’t the first change of ownership for The Kansas City Star, right?In
 fact, it will be the fifth for The Star since 1977, when Capital Cities
 Inc. bought the newspaper, which was then owned by its employees, for 
$125 million. Not long after Capital Cities bought the ABC television 
network, the Walt Disney Co. acquired Capital in 1996.Disney had 
no interest in owning newspapers, however, so in 1997 it sold The Star 
and a handful of other newspapers it had acquired as part of the Capital
 Cities deal to Knight Ridder, a traditional newspaper company.Nearly
 two decades later, under shareholder pressure to raise its stock price,
 Knight Ridder sold all of its newspapers in 2006, more than two dozen 
in all, to McClatchy for $4.5 billion.The timing proved to be 
bad. Two years later, the U.S. descended into a steep recession, which 
led to a severe contraction in newspaper advertising. And the internet 
had already begun eating into newspapers’ biggest sources of revenue: 
classified and display advertising. The combined blows proved 
debilitating. Between 2004 and 2018, more than 1,800 newspapers across 
the United States disappeared. And since 2008, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/20/u-s-newsroom-employment-has-dropped-by-a-quarter-since-2008/#:~:text=Between%202008%20and%202014%2C%20the,over%20the%20five%2Dyear%20period." target="_blank">newsroom employment has fallen by half</a>.The
 Kansas City Star newsroom once boasted nearly 300 employees. It’s about
 a quarter of that number today. The Wichita Eagle has seen a similar 
drop in numbers.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.&nbsp;