FINNEY COUNTY—A family pet died in a house fire in southwest Kansas over the weekend.

Just before 4:30 a.m. July 13, crews responded to a house fire at 2706 Belmont Place in Garden City, according to a media release. 

All members of the family were reported to have evacuated but were unsure of the location of their two dogs.

First responders observed the single-family residence with heavy smoke and fire showing on the back side of the structure. Fire personnel from Engine 1 and Engine 2 began fire attack at the rear of the structure.

Personnel from Tower 1 completed primary and secondary search operations and successfully removed one dog to safety. Despite rescue efforts, the second dog was found dead. An Animal Control Officer (ACO) was requested to assist with the animal.

The fire was called under control at approximately 5:05 a.m. Fire Marshal Gene Robertson determined the cause of the fire to be accidental. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

FINNEY COUNTY—A family pet died in a house fire in southwest Kansas over the weekend.Just before 4:30 a.m. July 13, crews responded to a house fire at 2706 Belmont Place in Garden City, according to a media release. All members of the family were reported to have evacuated but were unsure of the location of their two dogs.First responders observed the single-family residence with heavy smoke and fire showing on the back side of the structure. Fire personnel from Engine 1 and Engine 2 began fire attack at the rear of the structure.Personnel from Tower 1 completed primary and secondary search operations and successfully removed one dog to safety. Despite rescue efforts, the second dog was found dead. An Animal Control Officer (ACO) was requested to assist with the animal.The fire was called under control at approximately 5:05 a.m. Fire Marshal Gene Robertson determined the cause of the fire to be accidental. Authorities did not release a damage estimate.

One family pet dies, one rescued from SW Kansas house fire

KANSAS CITY —One adult and four children were injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Monday in Kansas City.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Chevrolet Suburban was southbound on Blue Ridge Boulevard at a high rate of speed., according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The Chevrolet struck a Honda Ridgeline that was stopped for the red traffic control signal to make a left turn onto eastbound Interstate 470 from Blue Ridge. 

After striking the Honda, the Chevrolet continued southbound, traveling up over the concrete median, striking two traffic control signals before coming to rest. 

The driver of the Honda was uninjured in the collision.

EMS transported the driver of the Chevrolet to a local hospital with critical injuries. A juvenile male who was sitting in an unrestrained car seat inside the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries. 

The three other juvenile passengers of the Chevrolet were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet and all of the juvenile passengers were reported in stable condition Monday evening, according to DiMartino.

 The investigation, to include suspected impairment on the behalf of the Chevrolet driver, is ongoing.

KANSAS CITY —One adult and four children were injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Monday in Kansas City.Preliminary investigation revealed that a Chevrolet Suburban was southbound on Blue Ridge Boulevard at a high rate of speed., according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The Chevrolet struck a Honda Ridgeline that was stopped for the red traffic control signal to make a left turn onto eastbound Interstate 470 from Blue Ridge. After striking the Honda, the Chevrolet continued southbound, traveling up over the concrete median, striking two traffic control signals before coming to rest. The driver of the Honda was uninjured in the collision.EMS transported the driver of the Chevrolet to a local hospital with critical injuries. A juvenile male who was sitting in an unrestrained car seat inside the Chevrolet was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries. The three other juvenile passengers of the Chevrolet were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet and all of the juvenile passengers were reported in stable condition Monday evening, according to DiMartino. The investigation, to include suspected impairment on the behalf of the Chevrolet driver, is ongoing.

KCPD: Adult, 4 children hospitalized after violent crash

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two days after surviving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-butler-police-cdfd3f4b163f7f91b05eeefe21caa45a">an attempted assassination</a>, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns.

GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA." That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.

Trump, accompanied by a wall of Secret Service agents, did not address the hall — with his acceptance speech scheduled for Thursday — but smiled silently and occasionally waved as Greenwood sang. He eventually joined his newly announced running mate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vice-president-vance-rubio-burgum-rnc-6cc438a8370a21b2631f5a53b06b71d0">Ohio Sen. JD Vance</a>, to listen to the night’s remaining speeches, often with a subdued expression and muted reactions uncharacteristic for the unabashed showman.

The raucous welcome underscored the depth of the crowd's affection for the man who won the 2016 nomination as an outsider, at odds with the party establishment, but has vanquished all Republican rivals, silenced most conservative critics and now commands loyalty up and down the party ranks.

“We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,” said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday's prime-time national convention session. “We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.”

But Whatley and other Republican leaders made clear that their calls for harmony did not extend to Biden and Democrats, who find themselves still riven by worries that the 81-year-old question is not up to the job of defeating Trump.

“Their policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden four years ago.

Saturday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-what-happened-734900d303fcfbf349162047f8059601">shooting at a Pennsylvania rally</a>, where Trump was injured and one man died, were clearly in mind, but the proceedings were celebratory — a stark contrast to the anger and anxiety that had marked the previous few days. Some delegates chanted “fight, fight, fight” — the same words that Trump was seen shouting to the crowd Saturday as the Secret Service ushered him off the stage, his fist raised and face bloodied.

“We should all be thankful right now that we are able to cast our votes for President Donald J. Trump after what took place on Saturday,” said New Jersey state Sen. Michael Testa as he announced all of his state’s 12 delegates for Trump.

When Trump cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read “OVER THE TOP” while the song “Celebration” played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.

Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.

“The devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,” said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “But an American lion got back up on his feet!”

Wyoming delegate Sheryl Foland was among those who adopted the “fight” chant after seeing Trump survive Saturday in what she called “monumental photos and video.”

“We knew then we were going to adopt that as our chant,” added Foland, a child trauma mental health counselor. “Not just because we wanted him to fight, and that God was fighting for him. We thought, isn’t it our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country?”

“It’s bigger than Trump,” Foland said. “It’s a mantra for our country.”

Another well-timed development boosted the mood on the convention floor Monday: The federal judge presiding over Trump’s classified documents case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">dismissed the prosecution</a>&nbsp;because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case, handing the former president a major court victory.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721096414787.png" alt="Image from RNC video" />
 <figcaption>Image from RNC video</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two days after surviving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-butler-police-cdfd3f4b163f7f91b05eeefe21caa45a">an attempted assassination</a>, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Donald Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPconvention?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPconvention</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RNCinMKE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RNCinMKE</a> <a href="https://t.co/deqhL9jKIh">pic.twitter.com/deqhL9jKIh</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1813033431749517717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Donald Trump enters 2024 Republican National Convention. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RNCinMKE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RNCinMKE</a> <a href="https://t.co/SmxXjN2pdu">pic.twitter.com/SmxXjN2pdu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1813036533814829429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA." That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.Trump, accompanied by a wall of Secret Service agents, did not address the hall — with his acceptance speech scheduled for Thursday — but smiled silently and occasionally waved as Greenwood sang. He eventually joined his newly announced running mate,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vice-president-vance-rubio-burgum-rnc-6cc438a8370a21b2631f5a53b06b71d0">Ohio Sen. JD Vance</a>, to listen to the night’s remaining speeches, often with a subdued expression and muted reactions uncharacteristic for the unabashed showman.The raucous welcome underscored the depth of the crowd's affection for the man who won the 2016 nomination as an outsider, at odds with the party establishment, but has vanquished all Republican rivals, silenced most conservative critics and now commands loyalty up and down the party ranks.“We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,” said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday's prime-time national convention session. “We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.”But Whatley and other Republican leaders made clear that their calls for harmony did not extend to Biden and Democrats, who find themselves still riven by worries that the 81-year-old question is not up to the job of defeating Trump.“Their policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden four years ago.Saturday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-what-happened-734900d303fcfbf349162047f8059601">shooting at a Pennsylvania rally</a>, where Trump was injured and one man died, were clearly in mind, but the proceedings were celebratory — a stark contrast to the anger and anxiety that had marked the previous few days. Some delegates chanted “fight, fight, fight” — the same words that Trump was seen shouting to the crowd Saturday as the Secret Service ushered him off the stage, his fist raised and face bloodied.“We should all be thankful right now that we are able to cast our votes for President Donald J. Trump after what took place on Saturday,” said New Jersey state Sen. Michael Testa as he announced all of his state’s 12 delegates for Trump.When Trump cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read “OVER THE TOP” while the song “Celebration” played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.“The devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,” said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “But an American lion got back up on his feet!”Wyoming delegate Sheryl Foland was among those who adopted the “fight” chant after seeing Trump survive Saturday in what she called “monumental photos and video.”“We knew then we were going to adopt that as our chant,” added Foland, a child trauma mental health counselor. “Not just because we wanted him to fight, and that God was fighting for him. We thought, isn’t it our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country?”“It’s bigger than Trump,” Foland said. “It’s a mantra for our country.”Another well-timed development boosted the mood on the convention floor Monday: The federal judge presiding over Trump’s classified documents case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c">dismissed the prosecution</a>&nbsp;because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case, handing the former president a major court victory.

🎥Trump gets emotional as he enters the Republican Convention

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend murder have a suspect in custody.

Just before 11:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 1200 Block of NE Monroe in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

First responders located 47-year-old&nbsp;Richard E. Hernandez&nbsp; suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. .

As a result of the investigation police arrested 43-year-old John E. Kyhnell and 39-year-old Steve A. Devries both of Topeka.

Kyhnell is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Kyhnell is jailed on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. He has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Devries was originally jailed on a requested charge of Murder in the 1st degree. He is no longer in custody.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend murder have a suspect in custody.Just before 11:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to report of a shooting in the 1200 Block of NE Monroe in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721043474126.png" alt="Kyhnell -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Kyhnell -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located 47-year-old&nbsp;Richard E. Hernandez&nbsp; suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. .As a result of the investigation police arrested 43-year-old John E. Kyhnell and 39-year-old Steve A. Devries both of Topeka.Kyhnell is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Kyhnell is jailed on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. He has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Devries was originally jailed on a requested charge of Murder in the 1st degree. He is no longer in custody.

Kan. man with a history of crime accused of weekend murder

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just after 10p.m. July 9, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop near 150th and Q Road in rural Jackson County on an Oldsmobile Regency for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the traffic stop, the deputy discovered crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. 

The front seat passenger, Lisa Ann Tisdale, 59, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720659255090.png" alt="Tisdale photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Tisdale photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just after 10p.m. July 9, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop near 150th and Q Road in rural Jackson County on an Oldsmobile Regency for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.During the traffic stop, the deputy discovered crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. The front seat passenger, Lisa Ann Tisdale, 59, of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container.

Kansas deputy found crack cocaine during traffic stop

MILWAUKEE(AP) —Donald Trump&nbsp;has become the official Republican presidential nominee after receiving the votes of enough delegates at the Republican National Convention on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Mike Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Kansas, announced all the state's 39 votes for Donald Trump as former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer stood nearby. Brown announced Kansas as the breadbasket of the world, the air capitol and home of Bob Dole and Dwight Eisenhower.

Donald Trump has been the presumptive nominee for months. But it was the vote of RNC delegates in Milwaukee that made it official Monday afternoon.

Trump hit the necessary threshold with votes from his home state of Florida.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721074515136.png" alt="With former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer looking on, Mike Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Kansas announced all the state's 39 votes for Donald Trump" />
 <figcaption>With former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer looking on, Mike Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Kansas announced all the state's 39 votes for Donald Trump</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE(AP) —Donald Trump&nbsp;has become the official Republican presidential nominee after receiving the votes of enough delegates at the Republican National Convention on Monday afternoon.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721075462529.png" alt="View from the video provided by the Republic National Committee" />
 <figcaption>View from the video provided by the Republic National Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>Mike Brown, chairman of the Republican Party of Kansas, announced all the state's 39 votes for Donald Trump as former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer stood nearby. Brown announced Kansas as the breadbasket of the world, the air capitol and home of Bob Dole and Dwight Eisenhower.Donald Trump has been the presumptive nominee for months. But it was the vote of RNC delegates in Milwaukee that made it official Monday afternoon.Trump hit the necessary threshold with votes from his home state of Florida.

Kansas gives all 39 votes for Trump at Republican National Convention

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden has ordered the U.S. Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

On Social media Trump demanded Kennedy get the protection. On his social media page Trump wrote, "In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!"

Kennedy is a longshot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency. But his campaign events have drawn large crowds of supporters and people interested in his message.

Trump was not seriously injured in the shooting over the weekend in Pennsylvania. There is an independent review of the attack.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715712591224.png" alt="File photo Robert F. Kennedy campaign" />
 <figcaption>File photo Robert F. Kennedy campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden has ordered the U.S. Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.On Social media Trump demanded Kennedy get the protection. On his social media page Trump wrote, "In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!"<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecMayorkas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecMayorkas</a>: &quot;In light of this weekend&#39;s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy, Jr.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/i2IjKcPTwk">pic.twitter.com/i2IjKcPTwk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1812926991169122524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kennedy is a longshot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency. But his campaign events have drawn large crowds of supporters and people interested in his message.Trump was not seriously injured in the shooting over the weekend in Pennsylvania. There is an independent review of the attack.

🎥 Biden: Secret Service to protect candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have identified the victim as&nbsp;29-year-old Deontre Lawrence of Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4800 block of South Gordon in Wichita.&nbsp;While en route to that location, officers encountered another shooting victim in a vehicle at the intersection of 47th and Seneca.

It was later discovered that this incident was connected to the shooting that occurred at 4800 S. Gordon. All four injured victims were transported to a local hospital and are expected to survive their injuries.

The incident is currently under investigation as authorities work to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting. One victim previously considered a person of interest is no longer being considered. 

All the parties involved are known to each other, according to Ford. The details of this case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720833197351.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita have identified the victim as&nbsp;29-year-old Deontre Lawrence of Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4800 block of South Gordon in Wichita.&nbsp;While en route to that location, officers encountered another shooting victim in a vehicle at the intersection of 47th and Seneca.It was later discovered that this incident was connected to the shooting that occurred at 4800 S. Gordon. All four injured victims were transported to a local hospital and are expected to survive their injuries.The incident is currently under investigation as authorities work to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting. One victim previously considered a person of interest is no longer being considered. All the parties involved are known to each other, according to Ford. The details of this case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office.

Police: Victim in Kan. shooting no longer a suspect

MILWAUKEE (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">Sen. JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.

But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.

But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.

In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.

Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”

But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.

“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”

Vance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.

Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.

He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”

“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.

Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.

Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-ohio-8c7a70bad96c48df9544049a38584cb8">insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America</a>, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.

The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”

With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”

Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-health-175153d8a80d93b2c9c6654a6a730de9">failed at that mission</a>&nbsp;and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.

As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-games-video-games-cb3e3a36f48416a25b5d00baa405f91a">$20 billion chip facility Intel is building</a>&nbsp;in central Ohio and introducing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">rail safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721071246145.png" alt="File photo Senator JD Vance -courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Senator JD Vance -courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;named&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">Sen. JD Vance</a>&nbsp;of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721072505896.png" alt="Photo courtesy Trump campaign" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Trump campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”Vance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-ohio-8c7a70bad96c48df9544049a38584cb8">insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America</a>, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-entertainment-health-175153d8a80d93b2c9c6654a6a730de9">failed at that mission</a>&nbsp;and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-lifestyle-games-video-games-cb3e3a36f48416a25b5d00baa405f91a">$20 billion chip facility Intel is building</a>&nbsp;in central Ohio and introducing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">rail safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in response to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591">fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio</a>.

Trump picks Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his GOP running mate

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">CAMI KOONS</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Early this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227574179/amelia-earharts-lost-plane-howland-island" target="_blank">news outlets circulated&nbsp;</a>a sonar image of what explorers believe to be Amelia Earhart’s lost Lockheed Electra plane.

Earhart enthusiasts in Atchison were excited to see the discovery, and also to see the expedition’s leader, Tony Romeo, sporting a T-shirt from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.

The founder of Deep Sea Vision, the exploration company that took the sonar image at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, had visited the Atchison museum to see Muriel, a plane identical to the one Earhart took on her last flight.

Romeo will return July 19-20 to Atchison with a slate of other explorers, Earhart theorists and a Smithsonian curator for a panel discussion.

The events are presented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum</a>&nbsp;as part of the annual Amelia Earhart Festival.

“It’s very exciting to get internationally known people searching for Amelia’s plane into Atchison, where she was born,” said Karen Seaberg, the museum’s founder.

“Adventure Amelia: A Conversation with Explorers in the Search for Amelia Earhart” will be moderated by Dorothy Cochrane, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Romeo and his brother, Lloyd Romeo, are panelists alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-links-search-for-amelia-earhart-s-plane-with-iss-crew-classroom" target="_blank">Rod Blocksome</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://earharttruth.wordpress.com/tag/gary-lapook/" target="_blank">Gary LaPook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.datelinetheory.com/p/about-author.html" target="_blank">Liz Smith</a>.

Seaberg said the explorers and theorists might have a little bit of competitive tension as they take the stage at 11 a.m. Feb. 19 at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atchison.

“The panel itself is going to be fun, because all of these people are searching, or have ideas about Amelia Earhart’s lost plane, but they all are going about it a little different way,” Seaberg said.

At 9 a.m. July 20, Tony and Lloyd Romeo will share more about their expedition, which used marine robotics to scan more than 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor.

This conversation at the O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College will be moderated by pilot and author Amelia Rose Earhart, who circumnavigated the globe in 2014.

Tickets are free but limited, so Seaberg urges folks to&nbsp;<a href="https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/event/adventure-amelia/" target="_blank">register online</a>.

In addition to the panels, the<a href="https://visitatchison.com/listing/amelia-earhart-festival" target="_blank">&nbsp;Amelia Earhart Festival&nbsp;</a>offers craft vendors, live music, an airshow and fireworks above the Missouri River.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720819312481.png" alt="Tony Romeo shows off his shirt from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum while on his 90-day expedition searching for Amelia Earhart’s lost plane. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Tony Romeo shows off his shirt from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum while on his 90-day expedition searching for Amelia Earhart’s lost plane. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">CAMI KOONS</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>Early this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227574179/amelia-earharts-lost-plane-howland-island" target="_blank">news outlets circulated&nbsp;</a>a sonar image of what explorers believe to be Amelia Earhart’s lost Lockheed Electra plane.Earhart enthusiasts in Atchison were excited to see the discovery, and also to see the expedition’s leader, Tony Romeo, sporting a T-shirt from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.The founder of Deep Sea Vision, the exploration company that took the sonar image at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, had visited the Atchison museum to see Muriel, a plane identical to the one Earhart took on her last flight.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720819354535.png" alt="Sonar images of the floor of the Pacific Ocean reveal an object that looks to be around the shape and size of the Lockheed Electra 10-E that Amelia Earhart took on her fated attempt to circumnavigate the globe. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Sonar images of the floor of the Pacific Ocean reveal an object that looks to be around the shape and size of the Lockheed Electra 10-E that Amelia Earhart took on her fated attempt to circumnavigate the globe. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Romeo will return July 19-20 to Atchison with a slate of other explorers, Earhart theorists and a Smithsonian curator for a panel discussion.The events are presented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum</a>&nbsp;as part of the annual Amelia Earhart Festival.“It’s very exciting to get internationally known people searching for Amelia’s plane into Atchison, where she was born,” said Karen Seaberg, the museum’s founder.“Adventure Amelia: A Conversation with Explorers in the Search for Amelia Earhart” will be moderated by Dorothy Cochrane, a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Romeo and his brother, Lloyd Romeo, are panelists alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-links-search-for-amelia-earhart-s-plane-with-iss-crew-classroom" target="_blank">Rod Blocksome</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://earharttruth.wordpress.com/tag/gary-lapook/" target="_blank">Gary LaPook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.datelinetheory.com/p/about-author.html" target="_blank">Liz Smith</a>.Seaberg said the explorers and theorists might have a little bit of competitive tension as they take the stage at 11 a.m. Feb. 19 at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Atchison.“The panel itself is going to be fun, because all of these people are searching, or have ideas about Amelia Earhart’s lost plane, but they all are going about it a little different way,” Seaberg said.At 9 a.m. July 20, Tony and Lloyd Romeo will share more about their expedition, which used marine robotics to scan more than 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor.This conversation at the O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium at Benedictine College will be moderated by pilot and author Amelia Rose Earhart, who circumnavigated the globe in 2014.Tickets are free but limited, so Seaberg urges folks to&nbsp;<a href="https://ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org/event/adventure-amelia/" target="_blank">register online</a>.In addition to the panels, the<a href="https://visitatchison.com/listing/amelia-earhart-festival" target="_blank">&nbsp;Amelia Earhart Festival&nbsp;</a>offers craft vendors, live music, an airshow and fireworks above the Missouri River.

High-profile Amelia Earhart explorers coming to Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman with previous convictions of forgery on new forgery allegaions.

On&nbsp;July 10, police responded to a reported fraudulent check at Azura Credit Union, 1129 S Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

The bank reported Tina M. Funk, 31, of Topeka, was attempting to cash a check that was fraudulent.

It was then found that Funk had four outstanding warrants. As a result of the investigation, Funk was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Forgery; Making or altering a written instrument; unknown conviction, Identity theft, Theft by deception; Value less than $1,500, Theft by deception; Value $1,500 to $25,000 and the Warrants.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Funk has previous forgery convictions in Atchison and Jefferson County. She has an ID theft conviction in Morris County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720815041351.png" alt="Funk photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Funk photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman with previous convictions of forgery on new forgery allegaions.On&nbsp;July 10, police responded to a reported fraudulent check at Azura Credit Union, 1129 S Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.The bank reported Tina M. Funk, 31, of Topeka, was attempting to cash a check that was fraudulent.It was then found that Funk had four outstanding warrants. As a result of the investigation, Funk was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Forgery; Making or altering a written instrument; unknown conviction, Identity theft, Theft by deception; Value less than $1,500, Theft by deception; Value $1,500 to $25,000 and the Warrants.&nbsp;&nbsp;Funk has previous forgery convictions in Atchison and Jefferson County. She has an ID theft conviction in Morris County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. woman with forgery convictions stopped while cashing a check 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge presiding over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in Florida dismissed the prosecution on Monday, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.672.0_2.pdf">Click here to read</a> the full ruling

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24807236-trump-classified-documents-case-dismissed">The decision</a>&nbsp;by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, which can be appealed and may be overruled by a higher court, brings at least for now a stunning and abrupt conclusion to a criminal case that at the time it was filed was widely regarded as the most perilous of all the legal threats the Republican former president confronted.

Though the case had long been stalled, and the prospect of a trial before the November election already was an unrealistic scenario, the judge's order is a mammoth legal victory for Trump as he recovers from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">a weekend assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;and prepares to accept the Republican nomination in Milwaukee this week.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">one of four criminal cases against Trump</a>, he had faced dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. He had pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

Defense lawyers filed multiple challenges to the case, including a legally technical one that asserted that special counsel Jack Smith had been illegally appointed under the Constitution's Appointments Clause because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">he was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, rather than being confirmed by Congress, and that his office was improperly funded by the Justice Department.

“The Special Counsel’s position effectively usurps that important legislative authority, transferring it to a Head of Department, and in the process threatening the structural liberty inherent in the separation of powers,” Cannon wrote in a 93-page order granting a defense request to dismiss the case.

“If the political branches wish to grant the Attorney General power to appoint Special Counsel Smith to investigate and prosecute this action with the full powers of a United States Attorney, there is a valid means by which to do so," she added.

That mechanism is through congressional approval, she said.

The order is the latest example of Cannon, a Trump appointee, handling the case in ways that have benefited the ex-president.

She generated intense scrutiny during the FBI's investigation when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-bc980316f80f88620b92e5666f96251c">she appointed an independent arbiter</a>&nbsp;to inspect the classified documents recovered during the August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, a decision that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-16748b82a502c0eec977d3ec51390027">was overturned months later by a unanimous federal appeals panel</a>.

Since then, she has been slow to issue rulings — favoring Trump's strategy of securing delays — and has entertained defense arguments that experts said other judges would have dismissed without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues.

Smith's team had vigorously contested the Appointments Clause argument during hearings before Cannon last month and told the judge that even if she ruled in the defense team's favor, the proper correction would not be to dismiss the case. Smith's team had also noted that the position had been rejected in other courts involving other prosecutions brought by other Justice Department special counsels.

But Cannon remained unpersuaded, and she called the prosecution's claims “strained.”

“Both the Appointments and Appropriations challenges as framed in the Motion raise the following threshold question: is there a statute in the United States Code that authorizes the appointment of Special Counsel Smith to conduct this prosecution?” she said. “After careful study of this seminal issue, the answer is no.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="FILE This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>FILE This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge presiding over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in Florida dismissed the prosecution on Monday, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652/gov.uscourts.flsd.648652.672.0_2.pdf">Click here to read</a> the full ruling<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721052323058.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24807236-trump-classified-documents-case-dismissed">The decision</a>&nbsp;by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, which can be appealed and may be overruled by a higher court, brings at least for now a stunning and abrupt conclusion to a criminal case that at the time it was filed was widely regarded as the most perilous of all the legal threats the Republican former president confronted.Though the case had long been stalled, and the prospect of a trial before the November election already was an unrealistic scenario, the judge's order is a mammoth legal victory for Trump as he recovers from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">a weekend assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;and prepares to accept the Republican nomination in Milwaukee this week.In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">one of four criminal cases against Trump</a>, he had faced dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. He had pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.Defense lawyers filed multiple challenges to the case, including a legally technical one that asserted that special counsel Jack Smith had been illegally appointed under the Constitution's Appointments Clause because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">he was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland</a>, rather than being confirmed by Congress, and that his office was improperly funded by the Justice Department.“The Special Counsel’s position effectively usurps that important legislative authority, transferring it to a Head of Department, and in the process threatening the structural liberty inherent in the separation of powers,” Cannon wrote in a 93-page order granting a defense request to dismiss the case.“If the political branches wish to grant the Attorney General power to appoint Special Counsel Smith to investigate and prosecute this action with the full powers of a United States Attorney, there is a valid means by which to do so," she added.That mechanism is through congressional approval, she said.The order is the latest example of Cannon, a Trump appointee, handling the case in ways that have benefited the ex-president.She generated intense scrutiny during the FBI's investigation when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-bc980316f80f88620b92e5666f96251c">she appointed an independent arbiter</a>&nbsp;to inspect the classified documents recovered during the August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, a decision that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-16748b82a502c0eec977d3ec51390027">was overturned months later by a unanimous federal appeals panel</a>.Since then, she has been slow to issue rulings — favoring Trump's strategy of securing delays — and has entertained defense arguments that experts said other judges would have dismissed without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues.Smith's team had vigorously contested the Appointments Clause argument during hearings before Cannon last month and told the judge that even if she ruled in the defense team's favor, the proper correction would not be to dismiss the case. Smith's team had also noted that the position had been rejected in other courts involving other prosecutions brought by other Justice Department special counsels.But Cannon remained unpersuaded, and she called the prosecution's claims “strained.”“Both the Appointments and Appropriations challenges as framed in the Motion raise the following threshold question: is there a statute in the United States Code that authorizes the appointment of Special Counsel Smith to conduct this prosecution?” she said. “After careful study of this seminal issue, the answer is no.”

Read the ruling: Judge dismisses Trump classified documents case

WASHINGTON —Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley on Sunday&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2024%2f07%2fHawley-Letter-to-Chairman-Peters-re-Attempted-Assassination-of-Trump.pdf&amp;redir_log=659204414725889" target="_blank">sent</a>&nbsp;a letter to U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), calling on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Chairman to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1812462184728846842&amp;redir_log=967991304406288" target="_blank">launch</a>&nbsp;an investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday.

“This HSGAC investigation must include public testimony, hearings, and robust oversight over the relevant federal departments as they respond to this assassination attempt. Sworn testimony must be heard from Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. Nothing should be classified or withheld from the public,”&nbsp;wrote Senator Hawley.

“Our prayers are with President Trump, the family of the slain American, and the innocent civilians who were injured. We owe it to the victims and the American people to get to the bottom of what happened. The American people have questions. And they deserve answers,”&nbsp;he concluded.

Senator Hawley previously&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fhawley-statement-on-attempted-assassination-of-president-trump%2f&amp;redir_log=558475836707660" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;statements following the shooting,&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2farticles%2f2024%2f07%2f14%2ftrump_survives_assassination_attempt_shooter_dead__151259.html&amp;redir_log=115496052595803" target="_blank">condemning</a>&nbsp;the political violence and demanding answers from President Biden’s Justice Department on the identity of the shooter.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720975879185.jpeg" alt="Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures while surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley on Sunday&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2024%2f07%2fHawley-Letter-to-Chairman-Peters-re-Attempted-Assassination-of-Trump.pdf&amp;redir_log=659204414725889" target="_blank">sent</a>&nbsp;a letter to U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), calling on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Chairman to immediately&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fx.com%2fHawleyMO%2fstatus%2f1812462184728846842&amp;redir_log=967991304406288" target="_blank">launch</a>&nbsp;an investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721008784101.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“This HSGAC investigation must include public testimony, hearings, and robust oversight over the relevant federal departments as they respond to this assassination attempt. Sworn testimony must be heard from Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. Nothing should be classified or withheld from the public,”&nbsp;wrote Senator Hawley.“Our prayers are with President Trump, the family of the slain American, and the innocent civilians who were injured. We owe it to the victims and the American people to get to the bottom of what happened. The American people have questions. And they deserve answers,”&nbsp;he concluded.Senator Hawley previously&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fhawley-statement-on-attempted-assassination-of-president-trump%2f&amp;redir_log=558475836707660" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;statements following the shooting,&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14386QQQ9225034QQQ8082554QQQ8019990&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2farticles%2f2024%2f07%2f14%2ftrump_survives_assassination_attempt_shooter_dead__151259.html&amp;redir_log=115496052595803" target="_blank">condemning</a>&nbsp;the political violence and demanding answers from President Biden’s Justice Department on the identity of the shooter.&nbsp;

Senator demands full-scale investigation on attempted assassination of Trump

KANSAS CITY—A suspect is in custody after a violent incident inside a Kansas City hospital.

Just after 9p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of gunshots fired inside St. Luke's hospital, 4401 Wornall Road, according to Officer&nbsp; Alayna Gonzalez.

&nbsp;Security was notified of a subject who entered the hospital and assaulted a staff member. When attempting to take him into custody, the suspect produced a handgun and fired off a shot. 

The suspect was placed in handcuffs until police arrived on scene. There were no injuries as a result of the shot being fired, according to Gonzalez. Police did not release the name of the suspect.

An arrest was made after one man walked into a Kansas City hospital, assaulted a healthcare worker and then fired a gun.

Just after 9p.m. on Friday, emergency crews were called to St. Luke’s Hospital at 4401 Wornall Road with reports of shots fired inside the hospital.

First responders indicated that security was told about an individual who entered the hospital and assaulted a staff member. When they attempted to take him into custody, the man pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot.

KCPD said the man was put in handcuffs until officers arrived. No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting. No further information has been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720906851450.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A suspect is in custody after a violent incident inside a Kansas City hospital.Just after 9p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of gunshots fired inside St. Luke's hospital, 4401 Wornall Road, according to Officer&nbsp; Alayna Gonzalez.&nbsp;Security was notified of a subject who entered the hospital and assaulted a staff member. When attempting to take him into custody, the suspect produced a handgun and fired off a shot. The suspect was placed in handcuffs until police arrived on scene. There were no injuries as a result of the shot being fired, according to Gonzalez. Police did not release the name of the suspect.An arrest was made after one man walked into a Kansas City hospital, assaulted a healthcare worker and then fired a gun.Just after 9p.m. on Friday, emergency crews were called to St. Luke’s Hospital at 4401 Wornall Road with reports of shots fired inside the hospital.First responders indicated that security was told about an individual who entered the hospital and assaulted a staff member. When they attempted to take him into custody, the man pulled out a handgun and fired a single shot.KCPD said the man was put in handcuffs until officers arrived. No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting. No further information has been released.

 Police: Staff member assaulted, gun fired inside KC hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 20-year-old man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">who tried to assassinate</a>&nbsp;former President Donald Trump first came to law enforcement’s attention at Saturday's rally when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. The tip sparked a frantic search but officers were unable to find him before he managed to get on a roof, where he opened fire.

In the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">the shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack. The FBI said they were investigating it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-assassination-attempt-db24c5bfbbe7d09fa2437c3c836bb434">potential act of domestic terrorism</a>, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;led conspiracy theories to flourish.

“I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-shooting-election-2024-704592d02c3421a767112f0bf6d25eb9">said in remarks Sunday from the White House</a>. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”

The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone. Investigators have found no threatening comments on social media accounts or ideological positions that could help explain what led him to target Trump before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/pennsylvania-butler-national-national-decb43c08e0f497bb4ce70c2fbd625b5">Secret Service rushed</a>&nbsp;the presumptive Republican presidential nominee off the stage, his face smeared with blood.

Trump said on social media the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting, but advisers said he was “great spirits" ahead of his arrival Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. Two spectators were critically injured, while a former fire chief from the area, Corey Comperatore was killed. Pennsylvania's governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-victim-fire-chief-11e1aa65e6e45584f49577686d38766e">Comperatore, 50, died a hero</a>&nbsp;by diving onto his family to protect them.

Relatives of Crooks didn’t respond to numerous messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/us/trump-shooting-thomas-matthew-crooks-intl-hnk/index.html">told CNN late Saturday</a>&nbsp;that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.

Several rallygoers reported to local officers that Crooks was acting suspiciously and pacing near the magnetometers, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Officers were then told Crooks was climbing a ladder, the official said. Officers searched for him but were unable to find him before he made it to the roof, the official added.

Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told the AP that a local officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the officer and turned toward him just before the officer dropped down to safety. Slupe said the officer couldn’t have wielded his own gun under the circumstances. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

FBI officials said Sunday that they were combing Crooks' background and social media activities while working to get access to his phone. The chatting app Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games, said Crooks appears to have had an account but used it rarely and not in the last several months. There's no evidence he used his account to promote violence or discuss his political views, a Discord spokesperson said.

Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day Biden was sworn into office.

Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to receive his diploma, appearing slight of build and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. His senior year, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://triblive.com/local/awards-and-recognition-program-honors-bethel-park-graduates/">Tribune-Review</a>&nbsp;story at the time.

Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.

Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share any classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied at school and sat alone at lunch time. Other students mocked him for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, Kohler said.

“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was just a outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.”

Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide, a job that generally involves food preparation. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had a clean background check when he was hired.

A blockade had been set up Sunday preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses in the hills outside Pittsburgh and about an hour's drive from the site of the Trump rally. Police cars were stationed at an intersection near the house and officers were seen walking through the neighborhood.

Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father. Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said that investigators do not yet know if he took the gun without his father's permission.

A video posted to social media and geolocated by AP shows Crooks wearing a gray t-shirt with a black American flag on the right arm lying motionless on the roof of a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump’s rally was held.

The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. That is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle.

Images of Crooks’ body reviewed by AP show he appears to have been wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DemolitionRanch/videos">a popular YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;that regularly posts videos of its creator firing off handguns and assault rifles at targets that include human mannequins.

Matt Carriker, the Texas-based creator of Demolition Ranch, did not respond to a phone message or email on Sunday, but posted a photo of Crooks' bloody corpse wearing his brand's T-shirt on social media with the comment “What the hell.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720972888448.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The 20-year-old man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">who tried to assassinate</a>&nbsp;former President Donald Trump first came to law enforcement’s attention at Saturday's rally when spectators noticed him acting strangely outside the campaign event. The tip sparked a frantic search but officers were unable to find him before he managed to get on a roof, where he opened fire.In the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024">the shooting</a>&nbsp;that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack. The FBI said they were investigating it as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-assassination-attempt-db24c5bfbbe7d09fa2437c3c836bb434">potential act of domestic terrorism</a>, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">Secret Service</a>&nbsp;led conspiracy theories to flourish.“I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations," President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-shooting-election-2024-704592d02c3421a767112f0bf6d25eb9">said in remarks Sunday from the White House</a>. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone. Investigators have found no threatening comments on social media accounts or ideological positions that could help explain what led him to target Trump before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/pennsylvania-butler-national-national-decb43c08e0f497bb4ce70c2fbd625b5">Secret Service rushed</a>&nbsp;the presumptive Republican presidential nominee off the stage, his face smeared with blood.Trump said on social media the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting, but advisers said he was “great spirits" ahead of his arrival Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. Two spectators were critically injured, while a former fire chief from the area, Corey Comperatore was killed. Pennsylvania's governor said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-victim-fire-chief-11e1aa65e6e45584f49577686d38766e">Comperatore, 50, died a hero</a>&nbsp;by diving onto his family to protect them.Relatives of Crooks didn’t respond to numerous messages from The Associated Press. His father, Matthew Crooks,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/us/trump-shooting-thomas-matthew-crooks-intl-hnk/index.html">told CNN late Saturday</a>&nbsp;that he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but wouldn’t speak about his son until after he talked to law enforcement. An FBI official told reporters that Crooks' family is cooperating with investigators.Several rallygoers reported to local officers that Crooks was acting suspiciously and pacing near the magnetometers, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Officers were then told Crooks was climbing a ladder, the official said. Officers searched for him but were unable to find him before he made it to the roof, the official added.Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe told the AP that a local officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who saw the officer and turned toward him just before the officer dropped down to safety. Slupe said the officer couldn’t have wielded his own gun under the circumstances. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, according to two officials who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.FBI officials said Sunday that they were combing Crooks' background and social media activities while working to get access to his phone. The chatting app Discord, a social media platform popular with people playing online games, said Crooks appears to have had an account but used it rarely and not in the last several months. There's no evidence he used his account to promote violence or discuss his political views, a Discord spokesperson said.Crooks’ political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day Biden was sworn into office.Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video of the school’s graduation ceremony posted online, Crooks can be seen crossing the stage to receive his diploma, appearing slight of build and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. His senior year, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://triblive.com/local/awards-and-recognition-program-honors-bethel-park-graduates/">Tribune-Review</a>&nbsp;story at the time.Crooks tried out for the school's rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school.Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school but did not share any classes with Crooks, said Crooks was bullied at school and sat alone at lunch time. Other students mocked him for the clothes he wore, which included hunting outfits, Kohler said.“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was just a outcast, and you know how kids are nowadays.”Crooks worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide, a job that generally involves food preparation. Marcie Grimm, the administrator of Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, said in a statement she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.” Grimm added that Crooks had a clean background check when he was hired.A blockade had been set up Sunday preventing traffic near Crooks’ house, which is in an enclave of modest brick houses in the hills outside Pittsburgh and about an hour's drive from the site of the Trump rally. Police cars were stationed at an intersection near the house and officers were seen walking through the neighborhood.Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father. Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said that investigators do not yet know if he took the gun without his father's permission.A video posted to social media and geolocated by AP shows Crooks wearing a gray t-shirt with a black American flag on the right arm lying motionless on the roof of a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump’s rally was held.The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. That is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle.Images of Crooks’ body reviewed by AP show he appears to have been wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DemolitionRanch/videos">a popular YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;that regularly posts videos of its creator firing off handguns and assault rifles at targets that include human mannequins.Matt Carriker, the Texas-based creator of Demolition Ranch, did not respond to a phone message or email on Sunday, but posted a photo of Crooks' bloody corpse wearing his brand's T-shirt on social media with the comment “What the hell.”

What police know about man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department reported that 2-year-old Ryan Ramones was located safe. Richard Ramones is currently in custody. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation canceled the Amber Alert.&nbsp;

At 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Ryan Ramones was physically taken from his mother by his father, Richard Ramones, who assaulted the mother. She was holding Ryan at the time of the assault and the father fell into furniture with the child, possibly causing injury to him. 

Richard took the boy and left the residence of 7101 West Shade Apt. 515, in Wichita. He was on foot headed in an unknown direction. The child was believed to be injured and in imminent danger. Police did not release details on the condition of the boy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721037613565.png" alt="Photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department reported that 2-year-old Ryan Ramones was located safe. Richard Ramones is currently in custody. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation canceled the Amber Alert.&nbsp;At 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Ryan Ramones was physically taken from his mother by his father, Richard Ramones, who assaulted the mother. She was holding Ryan at the time of the assault and the father fell into furniture with the child, possibly causing injury to him. Richard took the boy and left the residence of 7101 West Shade Apt. 515, in Wichita. He was on foot headed in an unknown direction. The child was believed to be injured and in imminent danger. Police did not release details on the condition of the boy.

Police: Suspect in Kansas Amber Alert is in custody

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. —Two people died and five others were injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Jackson County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by Connor J. Souther, 20, Lexington, Missouri, was eastbound on Interstate 70 near the Blue Springs exit. 

The car traveled off the left side of the road, crossed the median, traveled into the westbound lanes and struck a westbound 2018 Chevy Traverse driven by Garret D. Brumley, 56, Lee's Summit, head-on.&nbsp;

Souther and Brumley were pronounced dead at the scene and they were transported to the Medical Examiner's office.

EMS transported five passengers in the Chevy including Gary D. Brumley, 80 and Glenna Brumley, 79; both of Louisburg, Kansas; Juneitta F. Brumley, 58; Kayla M. Mcenroe, 25 and Justin Mcenroe, 25, all of Lee's Summit to Centerpoint Medical Center. All seven were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. —Two people died and five others were injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Sunday in Jackson County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by Connor J. Souther, 20, Lexington, Missouri, was eastbound on Interstate 70 near the Blue Springs exit. The car traveled off the left side of the road, crossed the median, traveled into the westbound lanes and struck a westbound 2018 Chevy Traverse driven by Garret D. Brumley, 56, Lee's Summit, head-on.&nbsp;Souther and Brumley were pronounced dead at the scene and they were transported to the Medical Examiner's office.EMS transported five passengers in the Chevy including Gary D. Brumley, 80 and Glenna Brumley, 79; both of Louisburg, Kansas; Juneitta F. Brumley, 58; Kayla M. Mcenroe, 25 and Justin Mcenroe, 25, all of Lee's Summit to Centerpoint Medical Center. All seven were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Kan. couple hospitalized, 2 dead after I-70 head-on crash

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>, Department of Defense

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;summit in Washington concluded last week, the U.S. announced its latest security package for Ukraine.&nbsp;

"The Defense Department announced the 61st presidential drawdown authority package, which has an estimated value of $225 million," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing Friday. "This package will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs and includes one Patriot battery, munitions for rocket systems, and artillery and antitank weapons."

Also among the materials in the latest security assistance package are 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds; Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems; and small-arms ammunition.&nbsp;

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the United States has committed more than $53.7 billion in security assistance through both presidential drawdown authority and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717851301558.png" alt="File photo White House -Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the United States has committed more than $53.7 billion in security assistance" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House -Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the United States has committed more than $53.7 billion in security assistance</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Author/42773/c-todd-lopez/">C. Todd Lopez</a>, Department of DefenseAs the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nato.int/" target="_blank">NATO</a>&nbsp;summit in Washington concluded last week, the U.S. announced its latest security package for Ukraine.&nbsp;"The Defense Department announced the 61st presidential drawdown authority package, which has an estimated value of $225 million," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing Friday. "This package will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs and includes one Patriot battery, munitions for rocket systems, and artillery and antitank weapons."Also among the materials in the latest security assistance package are 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds; Javelin and AT-4 antiarmor systems; and small-arms ammunition.&nbsp;Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the United States has committed more than $53.7 billion in security assistance through both presidential drawdown authority and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

$53.7 Billion: U.S. spending more on weapons for Ukraine

Late Sunday morning Former first lady Melania Trump released a letter following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

In a post on his social media network, former President Donald Trump also thanked “everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” he said.

Trump also said, “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families” and he said he’s praying “for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”

“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” he adds.

“I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” he said in his Sunday morning social media post.&nbsp;&nbsp;The convention kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.

An online fundraiser for victims of the Trump rally shooting has raised more than $1 million.

The fund created by Trump campaign officials is “a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed” in Saturday’s assassination attempt."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602762449332.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Late Sunday morning Former first lady Melania Trump released a letter following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720974759727.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720974789176.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In a post on his social media network, former President Donald Trump also thanked “everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” he said.Trump also said, “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families” and he said he’s praying “for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” he adds.“I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” he said in his Sunday morning social media post.&nbsp;&nbsp;The convention kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.An online fundraiser for victims of the Trump rally shooting has raised more than $1 million.The fund created by Trump campaign officials is “a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed” in Saturday’s assassination attempt."