JERUSALEM —U.S. Forces continue to face terrorist obstacles in the Red Sea. 

Since Sunday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed seven Iranian-backed Houthi drone boats and and seven aerial drones over the Red Sea or in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Additionally on July 7, partner forces successfully destroyed two Houthi UAVs over the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;the U.S. now is considering abandoning efforts to reinstall the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pier-gaza-israel-humanitarian-aid-c4d464cb01bdf86e71c38519fb635cde">pier that has been used</a>&nbsp;to get badly needed humanitarian aid to starving Palestinians, two U.S. officials said Thursday.

The initial plan earlier this week had been to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-gaza-aid-pier-project-dea570c577272f945cdcbfffab0ac34c">reinstall the pier for a few days</a>&nbsp;to move the final pallets of aid onto the shore and then permanently remove it, but rough seas have prevented the reinstallation.

The White House and the Defense Department both said the pier will cease operations “soon” but would not specify timing. Other U.S. officials said the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command were actively discussing an early end to pier operations because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-pier-humanitarian-aid-f3e21c072630c0d9cb9498d3a0e27a55">weather and some maintenance problems</a>&nbsp;make it far less desirable to reconnect it for just a short time.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there is no final decision yet and that if the weather calms for a bit, there is a slim chance they could reattach it for a short time.

Across Washington, officials were signaling the end of what has been a mission fraught with weather and security problems, but which also has brought more than 19.4 million pounds (8.6 million kilograms) of aid to starving Palestinians in Gaza.

“Look, I see any result that produces more food, more humanitarian goods, getting to the people of Gaza as a success,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Thursday. ”It is additive. It is something additional that otherwise we would not have gotten there when it got there. And that is a good thing.”

Some aid still remains offshore and in Cyprus, but officials said they are looking at alternative plans to take the aid to the Israeli port at Ashdod. The port has been eyed as a likely replacement option for the movement of supplies from Cyprus to Gaza.

The continuing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pier-gaza-israel-humanitarian-aid-c4d464cb01bdf86e71c38519fb635cde">weather problems</a>&nbsp;have forced the military to temporarily remove the pier three times since it was installed in May. And the project has also been hampered by security threats that prompted aid agencies to halt distribution of the food and other supplies into Gaza.

The aid groups have said that while any amount of food for Gaza is welcome, many have criticized the project as a costly distraction, saying the U.S. should concentrate on pressuring Israel to allow more aid through land borders, which have long been considered the most productive option.

The U.N. suspended all World Food Program deliveries from the the pier after a June 8 Israeli military raid that saved four Israeli hostages but killed hundreds of Palestinians, citing concerns that troops used an area near there for flying out the rescued hostages by helicopter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701138062166.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —U.S. Forces continue to face terrorist obstacles in the Red Sea. Since Sunday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed seven Iranian-backed Houthi drone boats and and seven aerial drones over the Red Sea or in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen, according to the U.S. Central Command.Additionally on July 7, partner forces successfully destroyed two Houthi UAVs over the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels.Meanwhile,&nbsp;the U.S. now is considering abandoning efforts to reinstall the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pier-gaza-israel-humanitarian-aid-c4d464cb01bdf86e71c38519fb635cde">pier that has been used</a>&nbsp;to get badly needed humanitarian aid to starving Palestinians, two U.S. officials said Thursday.The initial plan earlier this week had been to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-gaza-aid-pier-project-dea570c577272f945cdcbfffab0ac34c">reinstall the pier for a few days</a>&nbsp;to move the final pallets of aid onto the shore and then permanently remove it, but rough seas have prevented the reinstallation.The White House and the Defense Department both said the pier will cease operations “soon” but would not specify timing. Other U.S. officials said the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command were actively discussing an early end to pier operations because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-pier-humanitarian-aid-f3e21c072630c0d9cb9498d3a0e27a55">weather and some maintenance problems</a>&nbsp;make it far less desirable to reconnect it for just a short time.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there is no final decision yet and that if the weather calms for a bit, there is a slim chance they could reattach it for a short time.Across Washington, officials were signaling the end of what has been a mission fraught with weather and security problems, but which also has brought more than 19.4 million pounds (8.6 million kilograms) of aid to starving Palestinians in Gaza.“Look, I see any result that produces more food, more humanitarian goods, getting to the people of Gaza as a success,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Thursday. ”It is additive. It is something additional that otherwise we would not have gotten there when it got there. And that is a good thing.”Some aid still remains offshore and in Cyprus, but officials said they are looking at alternative plans to take the aid to the Israeli port at Ashdod. The port has been eyed as a likely replacement option for the movement of supplies from Cyprus to Gaza.The continuing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-pier-gaza-israel-humanitarian-aid-c4d464cb01bdf86e71c38519fb635cde">weather problems</a>&nbsp;have forced the military to temporarily remove the pier three times since it was installed in May. And the project has also been hampered by security threats that prompted aid agencies to halt distribution of the food and other supplies into Gaza.The aid groups have said that while any amount of food for Gaza is welcome, many have criticized the project as a costly distraction, saying the U.S. should concentrate on pressuring Israel to allow more aid through land borders, which have long been considered the most productive option.The U.N. suspended all World Food Program deliveries from the the pier after a June 8 Israeli military raid that saved four Israeli hostages but killed hundreds of Palestinians, citing concerns that troops used an area near there for flying out the rescued hostages by helicopter.

U.S. forces continue to face daily terrorist threats in the Red Sea

PAWNEE COUNTY– James Speer, 32, formerly of Larned appeared in the Pawnee County District Court this week for trial regarding two alleged Jessica’s Law sexual offenses alleged to have occurred in 2013, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The matter was originally scheduled to be presented to a jury, but Speer waived his right to a jury trial on July 3, 2024, and asked to proceed with a bench trial. 

Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman presided over the bench trial. Prior to trial, the defendant gave the State notice of his intent to rely on an alibi defense.

The State presented testimony that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. 

She stated the assault occurred when a man asked her to sit on his lap near a bonfire. The girl also told her mother that they ultimately spent the night at the party because her father had been drinking heavily. After she had fallen asleep, the victim remembered being awakened to find the same man’s face and he was assaulting her. The victim told her mother that she did not know that man that did it, but she would “definitely remember his face if she saw it again.”

The mother testified at trial that after her daughter’s disclosure she reached out to the girl’s father and was able to determine the party in question occurred sometime in 2013 in Garfield, Kansas. While the father could not remember the names of the men at the party, he did remember the names of a couple woman that he had attended the party with. The mother further testified that she utilized social media to reach out to the women. One of the women responded to her and gave her the names of two men at the party, one of whom was James Speer. The mother was able to obtain pictures of Speer and the other man and sent the photos to her daughter electronically. The girl testified at trial that when she opened the photo of the other man, she thought it kind of looked like the assailant, but not exactly. However, when she opened the photo of Speer she instantly couldn’t breathe, and she had a panic attack.

The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother after the victim identified James Speer as her assailant. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.

Law enforcement testified at trial their investigation revealed that the father had in fact learned of the allegation the day following the party and had told the women he had attended the party with about the allegation. His daughter, however, later downplayed the actual touching after the father said he was going to kill the man. As such, the father never notified law enforcement.

When law enforcement interviewed the two women identified by the father, they learned that one of the two women had been the live-in girlfriend of James Speer at the time of the party. Both women testified that Speer was at the party, that they saw the girl on his lap, that Speer was the only person’s lap the girl sat on, and that they had also saw Speer carry the girl into the house after she fell asleep. They further testified the other man identified at the party had left before anyone had gone to bed. The other man identified at the party died in 2015.

 The victim’s father also testified at the trial about remembering Speer being at the party and how his daughter had sat on Speer’s lap.

Additionally, law enforcement discovered that after Speer’s girlfriend learned about the allegation against Speer the day following the party in question, the woman immediately took her own daughter, who was two year old at the time, to the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) for a sexual assault exam. 

The medical records reflected that the exam took place on May 26, 2013. The records also indicated the exam was being requested due to an allegation that the child’s mother’s boyfriend, James Speer, had put his hands on a 7 year old girl the night before. The records also indicated that the mother lived with James Speer in Garfield but did not intend to return to the home. Based on the information provided, PVCH made referrals to law enforcement and DCF.

A current detective for the sheriff’s department assigned to the case testified that based on his review of the file it appeared no follow-up was done on the referral as Speer was arrested on July 2, 2013, and subsequently charged with having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl. Speer has been in custody since that time.

As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury of twelve persons convicted, James Edwin Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found (1) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 24th day of May to on or about the 7th day of June, 2013; and (2) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 7th day of June to on or about the 30th day of June, 2013.

Following the presentation of the State’s case, the defendant took the stand on his own behalf. Speer testified that he had not been at the party in question as he had already moved out of the home on May 1st and that based on the evidence presented at the jury trial in his 2015 conviction it was impossible for him to have committed the crimes currently charged as he was having a sexual relationship with the 14 year old during that time frame. Defense counsel then asked in support of their alibi defense that the Court to take judicial notice of the trial testimony of the prior jury trial.

The parties presented closing arguments on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

On Wednesday afternoon Judge Gatterman announced that as the trier of fact he found the victim’s identification of Speer being her assailant persuasive and when combining that with the eyewitness testimony placing Speer at the party, the victim being on Speer’s lap, and there being no other identifiable possible perpetrator, the Court found the State had proven beyond a reasonable that on or about May 25 or 26, 2013, in Pawnee County, Kansas, the defendant James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse as defined by Kansas law and then engaged in oral sodomy as defined by Kansas law with a child under the age of 14 years of age at a time when the defendant was 18 years of age or older. Accordingly, the Court found the defendant guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and guilty of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.

Following the reading of his verdicts, Judge Gatterman advised Speer of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and ordered a presentence investigation report be completed to determine the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.

Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Speer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 147 months and 653 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Based on his prior sex offenses, Speer now also faces the possibility of a mandatory 40 year sentence under the Jessica’s Law sentencing provisions.

Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 convictions.

Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720657861287.png" alt="Speer has four previous convictions for sex crime and convictions for criminal threat, obstruction and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Speer has four previous convictions for sex crime and convictions for criminal threat, obstruction and aggravated intimidation of a witness, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>EDITOR'S NOTE: Caution graphic contentPAWNEE COUNTY– James Speer, 32, formerly of Larned appeared in the Pawnee County District Court this week for trial regarding two alleged Jessica’s Law sexual offenses alleged to have occurred in 2013, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The matter was originally scheduled to be presented to a jury, but Speer waived his right to a jury trial on July 3, 2024, and asked to proceed with a bench trial. Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman presided over the bench trial. Prior to trial, the defendant gave the State notice of his intent to rely on an alibi defense.The State presented testimony that during a conversation with her mother in August of 2020 the victim disclosed that, when she was approximately 8 years old, she had been sexually assaulted at party her father took her to. She stated the assault occurred when a man asked her to sit on his lap near a bonfire. The girl also told her mother that they ultimately spent the night at the party because her father had been drinking heavily. After she had fallen asleep, the victim remembered being awakened to find the same man’s face and he was assaulting her. The victim told her mother that she did not know that man that did it, but she would “definitely remember his face if she saw it again.”The mother testified at trial that after her daughter’s disclosure she reached out to the girl’s father and was able to determine the party in question occurred sometime in 2013 in Garfield, Kansas. While the father could not remember the names of the men at the party, he did remember the names of a couple woman that he had attended the party with. The mother further testified that she utilized social media to reach out to the women. One of the women responded to her and gave her the names of two men at the party, one of whom was James Speer. The mother was able to obtain pictures of Speer and the other man and sent the photos to her daughter electronically. The girl testified at trial that when she opened the photo of the other man, she thought it kind of looked like the assailant, but not exactly. However, when she opened the photo of Speer she instantly couldn’t breathe, and she had a panic attack.The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department was then notified about the allegations by the mother after the victim identified James Speer as her assailant. A formal forensic interview of the girl was performed by the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend, Kansas.Law enforcement testified at trial their investigation revealed that the father had in fact learned of the allegation the day following the party and had told the women he had attended the party with about the allegation. His daughter, however, later downplayed the actual touching after the father said he was going to kill the man. As such, the father never notified law enforcement.When law enforcement interviewed the two women identified by the father, they learned that one of the two women had been the live-in girlfriend of James Speer at the time of the party. Both women testified that Speer was at the party, that they saw the girl on his lap, that Speer was the only person’s lap the girl sat on, and that they had also saw Speer carry the girl into the house after she fell asleep. They further testified the other man identified at the party had left before anyone had gone to bed. The other man identified at the party died in 2015. The victim’s father also testified at the trial about remembering Speer being at the party and how his daughter had sat on Speer’s lap.Additionally, law enforcement discovered that after Speer’s girlfriend learned about the allegation against Speer the day following the party in question, the woman immediately took her own daughter, who was two year old at the time, to the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) for a sexual assault exam. The medical records reflected that the exam took place on May 26, 2013. The records also indicated the exam was being requested due to an allegation that the child’s mother’s boyfriend, James Speer, had put his hands on a 7 year old girl the night before. The records also indicated that the mother lived with James Speer in Garfield but did not intend to return to the home. Based on the information provided, PVCH made referrals to law enforcement and DCF.A current detective for the sheriff’s department assigned to the case testified that based on his review of the file it appeared no follow-up was done on the referral as Speer was arrested on July 2, 2013, and subsequently charged with having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl. Speer has been in custody since that time.As part of the evidence at trial, the parties stipulated that in 2015 a jury of twelve persons convicted, James Edwin Speer, of two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14 year old child. Specifically, the jury found (1) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 24th day of May to on or about the 7th day of June, 2013; and (2) James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse with a 14 year old child in an apartment in Larned, Kansas, on or about 7th day of June to on or about the 30th day of June, 2013.Following the presentation of the State’s case, the defendant took the stand on his own behalf. Speer testified that he had not been at the party in question as he had already moved out of the home on May 1st and that based on the evidence presented at the jury trial in his 2015 conviction it was impossible for him to have committed the crimes currently charged as he was having a sexual relationship with the 14 year old during that time frame. Defense counsel then asked in support of their alibi defense that the Court to take judicial notice of the trial testimony of the prior jury trial.The parties presented closing arguments on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;On Wednesday afternoon Judge Gatterman announced that as the trier of fact he found the victim’s identification of Speer being her assailant persuasive and when combining that with the eyewitness testimony placing Speer at the party, the victim being on Speer’s lap, and there being no other identifiable possible perpetrator, the Court found the State had proven beyond a reasonable that on or about May 25 or 26, 2013, in Pawnee County, Kansas, the defendant James Edwin Speer had sexual intercourse as defined by Kansas law and then engaged in oral sodomy as defined by Kansas law with a child under the age of 14 years of age at a time when the defendant was 18 years of age or older. Accordingly, the Court found the defendant guilty of Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and guilty of Aggravated Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age.Following the reading of his verdicts, Judge Gatterman advised Speer of his duty to register as sex offender under the Kansas Offender Registration Act and ordered a presentence investigation report be completed to determine the defendant’s criminal history. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.Under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines, Speer faces a presumptive prison sentence between 147 months and 653 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history. Based on his prior sex offenses, Speer now also faces the possibility of a mandatory 40 year sentence under the Jessica’s Law sentencing provisions.Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections serving a sentence for his 2015 convictions.Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett presented the State’s case. Speer was represented by Joe Shepack of Great Bend, Kansas.

Judge rules Kan. felon guilty of another child sex crime

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.

(Click below to watch a replay of the news conferenc)

“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.

Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.

“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.

The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."

As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.

Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”

Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”

Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.

“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”

Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.

The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.

“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.

While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.

But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.

But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.

Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.

“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.

The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.

The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this year

One Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."

At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”

Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.

__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720742007717.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;What concerns do you have about Vice President Harris&#39; ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket? President Biden: Look, I wouldn&#39;t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn&#39;t think she was not qualified to be vice president. <a href="https://t.co/TqqSKBsyQu">pic.twitter.com/TqqSKBsyQu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811546437567586658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>(Click below to watch a replay of the news conferenc)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4YF3ksozMBw?si=3XavzsHKEhlly8DY&amp;start=4321" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I always have an inclination...just to keep going. I just got to pace myself a bit more.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vYsoeTip1J">pic.twitter.com/vYsoeTip1J</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811559314382868719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I am not opposed if my doctors tell me I should have another neurological exam, I&#39;ll do it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7glZeatRyP">pic.twitter.com/7glZeatRyP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811559403511824708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on <a href="https://twitter.com/NATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NATO</a> Summit: &quot;I thought it was the most successful conference I&#39;ve attended in a long time and find me a world leader who didn&#39;t think it was.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7rZDnwXhGv">pic.twitter.com/7rZDnwXhGv</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811549885809783207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I will not bow down to Putin. I will not walk away from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong. That&#39;s exactly what we did and exactly what we will continue to do.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LSDp2dPd7G">pic.twitter.com/LSDp2dPd7G</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811550403399463028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeterAlexander</a>: &quot;You referred to Vice President Harris as Vice President Trump. Right now Donald Trump is using that to mock your age and your memory. How do you combat that criticism from tonight? President Biden: &quot;Listen to him.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/hJPpXbvDFi">pic.twitter.com/hJPpXbvDFi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811560186022142094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this yearOne Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

🎥Highlights from President Biden's first news conference in 8 months

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. 

The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720659174156.png" alt="White-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 4a.m. July 9,&nbsp; a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Cadillac CTS for multiple driving infractions near 158th and Q. Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the traffic stop, a Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. The deputy arrested 39-year-old Sarah Diane White of Council Grove and her booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, driving under the influence and no insurance.

Sheriff: Kan. woman accused of DUI, transporting cocaine

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.

Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. 

First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.

Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper back

All three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.

Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.

The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720713878829.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Wichita that sent four teens to the hospital.Just before 3:30a.m., police were dispatched to a shooting call at 2300 E. Murdock in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. First responders located a 15-year-old boy who had been shot in the upper thigh and lower torso. Sedgwick County EMS transported him to Wesley Medical Center under Code Red status.Shortly after that, three additional shooting victims arrived at Wesley Medical Center in a private vehicle including a 17-year-old boy shot in the left thigh, an 18-year-old boy shot in the left elbow and a 19-year-old man shot in the upper backAll three of these individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720730443437.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were walking west on Murdock at Spruce with a group when two males brandished a firearm and opened fire. Prior to the shooting, a separate incident occurred at Central and Oliver, where a Black male, not involved in the shooting, was assaulted following an exchange of words between his group walking east and another group walking west. It was after this confrontation that the group walking west initiated the shooting.Additionally, investigators have learned that this incident has a possible gang nexus, according to Ford. This development underscores the serious nature of the gun violence affecting the Wichita community.The Wichita Police Department is actively working to determine the circumstances that led to this incident. We ask anyone with information to come forward and call Wichita Police Investigators at 316-268-4407. You can also remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 and collect a reward if your tip leads to an arrest.

Police: Kansas gang gunfight sent four teens to the hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;ability to run for reelection faced crucial tests Thursday as he prepared for questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated press conference</a>&nbsp;and his team met privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill. More House Democrats called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>, and he made a notable flub ahead of the press conference.

Biden is seeking to show during his whirlwind day with world leaders at NATO, and the evening press conference that he is up for another four years. Voters are watching, and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.

But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his recent debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.

Biden campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.

The number of House Democrats asking that Biden step aside grew to a dozen on Thursday. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself.

The fresh emphasis on the “blue wall” states by the campaign, which has heavily invested in other battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia, acknowledges that the path to defeating Trump in November is narrowing, even as the team insists the Sun Belt states are “not out of reach.”

Though senior campaign aides write in the memo that Biden could clinch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">270 electoral votes</a>&nbsp;in a number of ways, it also says those three states are critical and that is why Biden has prioritized the areas in his recent travels. He went to Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend. He's going to Detroit on Friday.

Polls conducted after the debate have largely agreed that Democrats nationwide have doubts about Biden’s ability to lead the ticket in November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden’s</a>&nbsp;ability to run for reelection faced crucial tests Thursday as he prepared for questions at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated press conference</a>&nbsp;and his team met privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill. More House Democrats called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>, and he made a notable flub ahead of the press conference.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentleman, President Putin.&quot; He immediately corrects himself, &quot;He&#39;s going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VIqDxC8NCS">pic.twitter.com/VIqDxC8NCS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811522378280894803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let’s set the record straight: Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine. Putin is the President of Russia. Donald Trump is not our current VP, but he will be our next President.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1811548018413314284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden is seeking to show during his whirlwind day with world leaders at NATO, and the evening press conference that he is up for another four years. Voters are watching, and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his recent debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.Biden campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.The number of House Democrats asking that Biden step aside grew to a dozen on Thursday. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself.The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this yearOne Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.The fresh emphasis on the “blue wall” states by the campaign, which has heavily invested in other battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia, acknowledges that the path to defeating Trump in November is narrowing, even as the team insists the Sun Belt states are “not out of reach.”Though senior campaign aides write in the memo that Biden could clinch&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">270 electoral votes</a>&nbsp;in a number of ways, it also says those three states are critical and that is why Biden has prioritized the areas in his recent travels. He went to Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend. He's going to Detroit on Friday.Polls conducted after the debate have largely agreed that Democrats nationwide have doubts about Biden’s ability to lead the ticket in November.__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

🎥 Biden flubs 'Putin' for 'Zelenskyy' in praising Ukraine leader

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. —Three people died in an accident just before 12:30a.m. Thursday in Platte County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Edge driven by Kyle A. Mendez, 37, Topeka, was northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 just south of the Route E exit.

The SUV struck a southbound 2007 Honda Odyssey driven by Joel Similien, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on. After impact the van traveled off the road and struck a concrete barrier.

Similien and passengers in the van Sheyla Similien, 54, and Michelet Metellus, 52, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Northland Regional EMS transported Mendez and three of the six passengers in the van Herilert Bellot, Jacnert Lubin, 37 and Franckel Francois, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri, to North Kansas City Hospital. Buchanan County EMS transported one passenger in the van Vladimyr Mercier, 33, Kansas City, Missouri, to Mosaic in St. Joseph.

Mercier and Metellus were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol also did not have the age of Heirlert Bellot.

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. —Three people died in an accident just before 12:30a.m. Thursday in Platte County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Edge driven by Kyle A. Mendez, 37, Topeka, was northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29 just south of the Route E exit.The SUV struck a southbound 2007 Honda Odyssey driven by Joel Similien, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, head-on. After impact the van traveled off the road and struck a concrete barrier.Similien and passengers in the van Sheyla Similien, 54, and Michelet Metellus, 52, both of Kansas City, Missouri, were pronounced dead at the scene. Northland Regional EMS transported Mendez and three of the six passengers in the van Herilert Bellot, Jacnert Lubin, 37 and Franckel Francois, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri, to North Kansas City Hospital. Buchanan County EMS transported one passenger in the van Vladimyr Mercier, 33, Kansas City, Missouri, to Mosaic in St. Joseph.Mercier and Metellus were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol also did not have the age of Heirlert Bellot.

3 dead after wrong-way, head-on crash with Kansas driver

Astronaut Joe Engle, the first astronaut to fly in space aboard two different winged vehicles, died on July 10, at 91.

Engle was the commander of two&nbsp;Space Shuttle&nbsp;missions including&nbsp;STS-2&nbsp;in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. Engle also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977&nbsp;Approach and Landing Tests. 

Engle, a Chapman, Kansas native, was one of just twelve pilots who flew the&nbsp;North American X-15, an experimental&nbsp;spaceplane&nbsp;jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.

Joe Engle was born in Chapman, Kansas and attended the University of Kansas where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program, he earned his pilot's wings in 1958 and was assigned to fly F-100s for the 474th Fighter Day Squadron and, later, the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California.

Although in command of another squadron, then-Lt. Col. Chuck Yeager had frequent opportunities to fly with Engle -- and against him in mock dogfights -- and he was extremely impressed by the young fighter pilot's attitude and ability. When Engle applied for admission to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, Yeager recommended his selection. 

By the time he graduated from the school in 1962, Yeager had become the commandant and, because he considered Engle "one of the sharpest pilots we had in the program," he immediately selected him for admission to the new Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) which was being established at Edwards to train military astronauts. 

Engle graduated from ARPS in 1963 and was selected as a project pilot for the X-15 program. He completed 16 flights in the rocket-powered hypersonic airplane, exceeding Mach 5 on ten of those flights and attaining a top speed of Mach 5.71 (3,886 mph). In June of 1965, he also climbed to an altitude of 280,600 feet and became one of only eight pilots from the X-15 program-who have qualified for astronaut's wings by flying an airplane into space.

Engle went on to exceed the Air Force's 50-mile threshold for astronaut rating on two subsequent X-15 flights. At 32, he was the youngest man to become an astronaut. 

When NASA selected him as one of 19 new astronaut candidates in 1966, he was truly in an unusual position; he was the only one who had already engaged in spaceflight operations. First assigned to the Apollo program, he served on the support crew for Apollo X and then as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo XIV. In 1977, he was commander of one of two crews who were launched from atop a modified Boeing 747 in order to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise. 

Then in November 1981, he commanded the second flight of the Shuttle Columbia and manually flew the re-entry-performing 29 flight test maneuvers-from Mach 25 through landing roll out. This was the first and, so far, only time that a winged aerospace vehicle has been manually flown from orbit through landing. 

He accumulated the last of his 224 hours in space when he commanded the Shuttle Discovery during Mission 51-I in August of 1985.

In his retirement from NASA, the Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, he served as an engineering consultant and simulation evaluation pilot for Space Shuttle modifications and other advanced piloted re-entry vehicles.

Engle flew more than 180 different aircraft types and logged nearly 14,000 flight hours. His military decorations include the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, USAF Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. 

Among his many honors, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, as well as the Harmon International, Collier, Lawrence Sperry, Iven C. Kinchloe, Robert H. Goddard and Thomas D. White aviation and space trophies. 

In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720720028168.jpeg" alt="Joe Engle in front of an X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft.&nbsp;Image Courtesy The Cosmosphere" />
 <figcaption>Joe Engle in front of an X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft.&nbsp;Image Courtesy The Cosmosphere</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTAstronaut Joe Engle, the first astronaut to fly in space aboard two different winged vehicles, died on July 10, at 91.Engle was the commander of two&nbsp;Space Shuttle&nbsp;missions including&nbsp;STS-2&nbsp;in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. Engle also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977&nbsp;Approach and Landing Tests. Engle, a Chapman, Kansas native, was one of just twelve pilots who flew the&nbsp;North American X-15, an experimental&nbsp;spaceplane&nbsp;jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720720547019.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Information courtesy of NASAJoe Engle was born in Chapman, Kansas and attended the University of Kansas where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program, he earned his pilot's wings in 1958 and was assigned to fly F-100s for the 474th Fighter Day Squadron and, later, the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California.Although in command of another squadron, then-Lt. Col. Chuck Yeager had frequent opportunities to fly with Engle -- and against him in mock dogfights -- and he was extremely impressed by the young fighter pilot's attitude and ability. When Engle applied for admission to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, Yeager recommended his selection. By the time he graduated from the school in 1962, Yeager had become the commandant and, because he considered Engle "one of the sharpest pilots we had in the program," he immediately selected him for admission to the new Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) which was being established at Edwards to train military astronauts. Engle graduated from ARPS in 1963 and was selected as a project pilot for the X-15 program. He completed 16 flights in the rocket-powered hypersonic airplane, exceeding Mach 5 on ten of those flights and attaining a top speed of Mach 5.71 (3,886 mph). In June of 1965, he also climbed to an altitude of 280,600 feet and became one of only eight pilots from the X-15 program-who have qualified for astronaut's wings by flying an airplane into space.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkscosmosphere%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02V1EWPeaWxHsBVsHeT9K3CYreFGiUDMVCi8hmu6tYppnp3qQAiuvBFSaKXVKGrAFNl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Engle went on to exceed the Air Force's 50-mile threshold for astronaut rating on two subsequent X-15 flights. At 32, he was the youngest man to become an astronaut. When NASA selected him as one of 19 new astronaut candidates in 1966, he was truly in an unusual position; he was the only one who had already engaged in spaceflight operations. First assigned to the Apollo program, he served on the support crew for Apollo X and then as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo XIV. In 1977, he was commander of one of two crews who were launched from atop a modified Boeing 747 in order to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Then in November 1981, he commanded the second flight of the Shuttle Columbia and manually flew the re-entry-performing 29 flight test maneuvers-from Mach 25 through landing roll out. This was the first and, so far, only time that a winged aerospace vehicle has been manually flown from orbit through landing. He accumulated the last of his 224 hours in space when he commanded the Shuttle Discovery during Mission 51-I in August of 1985.In his retirement from NASA, the Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, he served as an engineering consultant and simulation evaluation pilot for Space Shuttle modifications and other advanced piloted re-entry vehicles.Engle flew more than 180 different aircraft types and logged nearly 14,000 flight hours. His military decorations include the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, USAF Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. Among his many honors, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, as well as the Harmon International, Collier, Lawrence Sperry, Iven C. Kinchloe, Robert H. Goddard and Thomas D. White aviation and space trophies. In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Astronaut Joe Engle, pioneer of winged spacecraft — Kansas native, dies at 91

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. —A four-year-old Wathena, Kansas boy has succumbed to injuries sustained while submerged in a backyard swimming pool.&nbsp; Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports the boy was pronounced dead Thursday morning at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

His name is not being released, because he is a juvenile.

The father and grandfather of the child pulled the boy from the pool at a residence on Southwest 36th Road the evening of an Independence Day party on the 4th. &nbsp;The two performed CPR until emergency workers arrived and rushed the boy to Mosaic Life Care. He then was transferred to Children’s Mercy.

By BRENT MARTIN, St. Joseph PostBUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. —A four-year-old Wathena, Kansas boy has succumbed to injuries sustained while submerged in a backyard swimming pool.&nbsp; Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports the boy was pronounced dead Thursday morning at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.His name is not being released, because he is a juvenile.The father and grandfather of the child pulled the boy from the pool at a residence on Southwest 36th Road the evening of an Independence Day party on the 4th. &nbsp;The two performed CPR until emergency workers arrived and rushed the boy to Mosaic Life Care. He then was transferred to Children’s Mercy.

4-year-old Kansas boy dies week after falling into pool

NEW YORK (AP) —Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75.

Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications of diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night," Gilroy said in a statement. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”

Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman's crew members, preparing to film “Brewster McCloud,” encountered her as at a party in Houston in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her “Brewster McCloud” and made her his protege.

Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville, “Popeye,” “Three Women” and “McCabe &amp; Ms. Miller.”

“He offers me damn good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”

Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguiling frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.”

At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s. In “The Shining,” she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack (Jack Nicholson), goes crazy while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image, along with Jack’s axe coming through the door.

Kubrick, a famous perfectionist, was notoriously hard on Duvall in making “The Shining.” His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. Some saw Kubrick’s treatment as bordering on torture; one scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes.

Duvall, in an interview in 1981 with People magazine said she was crying “12 hours a day for weeks on end" during the film's production.

“I will never give that much again,” said Duvall. “If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”

Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.

“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?” Duvall told the Times earlier this year. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”

Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert worked in law and her mother, Bobbie, in real estate.

Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy “Manna from Heaven,” she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for “The Shining.” Another was that the damage to her home after the Northridge Earthquake was the last straw.

To those living in Texas Hill Country, where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in “hiding” nor a recluse; But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for the Dr. Phil show tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. “I’m very sick. I need help," Duvall said on the program, which was widely criticized for being exploitative.

“I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.

THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because, “it didn’t feel right for McGraw’s insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.”

Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror “The Forest Hills” that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720713573617.png" alt="FILE - Shelley Duvall is shown on Oct. 27, 1983, in Los Angeles. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Shelley Duvall is shown on Oct. 27, 1983, in Los Angeles. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” has died. She was 75.Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications of diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night," Gilroy said in a statement. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman's crew members, preparing to film “Brewster McCloud,” encountered her as at a party in Houston in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her “Brewster McCloud” and made her his protege.Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville, “Popeye,” “Three Women” and “McCabe &amp; Ms. Miller.”“He offers me damn good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguiling frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.”At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s. In “The Shining,” she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack (Jack Nicholson), goes crazy while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. It was Duvall’s screaming face that made up half of the film’s most iconic image, along with Jack’s axe coming through the door.Kubrick, a famous perfectionist, was notoriously hard on Duvall in making “The Shining.” His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. Some saw Kubrick’s treatment as bordering on torture; one scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes.Duvall, in an interview in 1981 with People magazine said she was crying “12 hours a day for weeks on end" during the film's production.“I will never give that much again,” said Duvall. “If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?” Duvall told the Times earlier this year. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert worked in law and her mother, Bobbie, in real estate.Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy “Manna from Heaven,” she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for “The Shining.” Another was that the damage to her home after the Northridge Earthquake was the last straw.To those living in Texas Hill Country, where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in “hiding” nor a recluse; But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for the Dr. Phil show tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. “I’m very sick. I need help," Duvall said on the program, which was widely criticized for being exploitative.“I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because, “it didn’t feel right for McGraw’s insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.”Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror “The Forest Hills” that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.

Shelley Duvall, star of 'The Shining,' 'Nashville,' dies at 75

NEW YORK (AP) —Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-clooney-roberts-ukraine-summit-40081471c93faa68de5c4aa30455303b">a record single-night haul</a>&nbsp;for the president's reelection campaign.

On his Truth Social account, former President Donald Trump criticized the actor's statement.

Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee.

“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private,” wrote Clooney. He's hosted several high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers, including for Biden last month.

Clooney argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month, saying the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor, mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris and Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California among those from who the country should now hear.

Focusing much of his piece around Biden's age, Clooney noted differences he saw in the 81-year-old president during their recent Los Angeles event compared to years past.

“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Last month, Clooney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/julia-roberts">Julia Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbra-streisand">Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;were among those who took the stage for a fundraiser that took in a record $30 million-plus for Biden, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.

Clooney isn't alone in his characterization of his recent exchange with Biden.

A person who interacted closely with Biden described the president as vibrant and engaging at a fundraiser in March but, at the Los Angeles event months later, said they noticed a notable diminishment in Biden’s presence.

The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions with the president, recalled being struck by how tired and “out of it” the president seemed during backstage conversations at the Los Angeles event, adding that they gave Biden the benefit of the doubt for not being as voluble and showing lower energy off-stage because he arrived in Los Angeles after traveling from Italy where he had attended an international summit.

Asked for comment on Clooney’s essay, Biden’s campaign pointed to the president’s letter to congressional Democrats earlier in the week vowing to stay in the race.

His team also disputed the actor's representation of Biden’s demeanor during the Los Angeles fundraiser, with campaign officials who attended the event pointing out that the president stayed for more than three hours at the event, despite just having returned from Europe.

Luminaries from the entertainment world&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-obama-clooney-roberts-democrats-594132165b20d73e61d76eb2259295fb">have increasingly lined up to help Biden’s campaign</a>. Leading up to the fundraiser, Clooney's name appeared on numerous fundraising missives from the campaign, which he called “the fight of our lives.”

Representatives for Clooney did not immediately return a message seeking comment on insight into his decision, when precisely he had made it or how recently he had spoken with Biden.

Biden has refused to end his reelection bid after his weak debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710295653190.png" alt="File photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>File photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-clooney-roberts-ukraine-summit-40081471c93faa68de5c4aa30455303b">a record single-night haul</a>&nbsp;for the president's reelection campaign.On his Truth Social account, former President Donald Trump criticized the actor's statement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720706379389.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee.“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private,” wrote Clooney. He's hosted several high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers, including for Biden last month.Clooney argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month, saying the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor, mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris and Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California among those from who the country should now hear.Focusing much of his piece around Biden's age, Clooney noted differences he saw in the 81-year-old president during their recent Los Angeles event compared to years past.“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”Last month, Clooney,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/julia-roberts">Julia Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barbra-streisand">Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;were among those who took the stage for a fundraiser that took in a record $30 million-plus for Biden, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.Clooney isn't alone in his characterization of his recent exchange with Biden.A person who interacted closely with Biden described the president as vibrant and engaging at a fundraiser in March but, at the Los Angeles event months later, said they noticed a notable diminishment in Biden’s presence.The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private interactions with the president, recalled being struck by how tired and “out of it” the president seemed during backstage conversations at the Los Angeles event, adding that they gave Biden the benefit of the doubt for not being as voluble and showing lower energy off-stage because he arrived in Los Angeles after traveling from Italy where he had attended an international summit.Asked for comment on Clooney’s essay, Biden’s campaign pointed to the president’s letter to congressional Democrats earlier in the week vowing to stay in the race.His team also disputed the actor's representation of Biden’s demeanor during the Los Angeles fundraiser, with campaign officials who attended the event pointing out that the president stayed for more than three hours at the event, despite just having returned from Europe.Luminaries from the entertainment world&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hollywood-fundraiser-obama-clooney-roberts-democrats-594132165b20d73e61d76eb2259295fb">have increasingly lined up to help Biden’s campaign</a>. Leading up to the fundraiser, Clooney's name appeared on numerous fundraising missives from the campaign, which he called “the fight of our lives.”Representatives for Clooney did not immediately return a message seeking comment on insight into his decision, when precisely he had made it or how recently he had spoken with Biden.Biden has refused to end his reelection bid after his weak debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on June 27.

Trump responds to actor George Clooney asking Biden to leave race

WICHITA – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Arizona man with kidnapping then holding a victim for ransom, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Martin Brandon Gillen, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of sexual exploitation of a child (production), and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720647510208.png" alt="Gillen-is being held in Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Gillen-is being held in Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Arizona man with kidnapping then holding a victim for ransom, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Martin Brandon Gillen, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of sexual exploitation of a child (production), and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity.Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Arizona man indicted in Kansas for kidnapping, child porn

Committees granted 56 days to debate policy issues ahead of 2025 session

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg made a compelling case for scheduling joint House and Senate hearings on options for developing medical marijuana legislation in advance of convening the 2025 Kansas Legislature.

The Legislative Coordinating Council, comprised of Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers, granted Tuesday the Senate Utilities Committee chairman’s request for two days of interim meetings to hash out opportunities for Kansas to join the 14 states that legalized medical consumption of marijuana. Two dozen other states, including Missouri and Colorado, allow recreational consumption of pot.

“Although the Legislature has worked to address medical marijuana, further study is needed,” Fagg said.

He said a conversation about medical marijuana was warranted after announcement in May by the U.S. Department of Justice that it proposed to move cannabis with THC content over 0.3% from designation as a Schedule I drug, viewed as having no medical benefit, to the less-restrictive Schedule III. The result could ease some restrictions on cannabis-related research, promote cannabinoid drug development and alter the legal framework for cannabis growers and distributors.

The change would be the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades, but it didn’t mean commerce permitted under state law for medical or recreational marijuana would be matched under federal law.

“The special committee would also study the impact of this reclassification,” Fagg said.

In part, the committee would also consider how other states handled medical marijuana access for military veterans and patients suffering end-of-life medical challenges. Another element of the hearings could be the structure of CBD enforcement in Kansas.

The Legislative Coordinating Council received requests from state legislators for 72 interim committee meeting days, but the council trimmed the list to 56 days of meetings.

One day was approved for work of a special committee tasked with examining potential changes to case management services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These services help individuals enrolled in Medicaid find success in their home communities.

Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, said the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly may alter case management offerings in response to demands of the federal government.

“Numerous concerns have been raised by our constituents regarding the direction the administration appears to be headed on such changes,” Blasi said. “We believe that the Legislature should exercise oversight in order to ensure that this vital service is not disrupted.”

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, requested six days, but received four days, for work of the Bethel Committee on Home and Community-Based Services for Medicaid recipients. A portion would be devoted to reviewing decisions by the Kelly administration to select three contractors to manage the $4 billion KanCare program serving more than 400,000 elderly, disabled, pregnant and low-income Kansans, she said.

A special House-Senate committee was allowed to meet two days to examine housing availability and affordability and the relationship of those realities to economic development. The panel would produce recommendations for broadening ownership of homes priced under $200,000 in urban and rural areas. Other issues, including availability of rental housing and the status of fixed-income seniors, would be on the agenda.

The joint committee on Kansas security was granted two days of hearings to dive into issues relevant to state employees, buildings and infrastructure.

“Such topics may include security protocols planned for the 2026 World Cup games,” said Sen. Mike Petersen, a Wichita Republican and chair of the Joint Kansas Security Committee.

One day would involve legislative tours of the Joint Forces Headquarters at Forbes Field, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s laboratory, the rebuilt Docking State Office Building and the Kansas State University campus in Salina.

Meanwhile, the Jennings Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee was granted three days to grapple with programs, activities and plans of the Kansas Department of Corrections. The committee proposed to set aside time to study nursery programs for incarcerated mothers and to learn about an program adopted in Nebraska.

The House-Senate committee on child welfare was provided four days for meetings to broaden the Legislature’s understanding of “child maltreatment” and to look at demographic trends influencing the welfare system. That would be combined with reviews of four state agencies engaged in child welfare issues, and the views of law enforcement and the judicial system on the topic.

The appropriations committees of the Senate and House were given permission to devote two days to hearings on a salary study of employees at universities under direction of the Kansas Board of Regents and Washburn University in Topeka.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720703041140.png" alt="Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, was granted two days for joint House and Senate meetings to discuss implications of passing a medical marijuana law in Kansas. The meetings would occur later this year to prepare for the January opening of the 2025 Legislature. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, was granted two days for joint House and Senate meetings to discuss implications of passing a medical marijuana law in Kansas. The meetings would occur later this year to prepare for the January opening of the 2025 Legislature. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Committees granted 56 days to debate policy issues ahead of 2025 session</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg made a compelling case for scheduling joint House and Senate hearings on options for developing medical marijuana legislation in advance of convening the 2025 Kansas Legislature.The Legislative Coordinating Council, comprised of Republican and Democratic leadership in both chambers, granted Tuesday the Senate Utilities Committee chairman’s request for two days of interim meetings to hash out opportunities for Kansas to join the 14 states that legalized medical consumption of marijuana. Two dozen other states, including Missouri and Colorado, allow recreational consumption of pot.“Although the Legislature has worked to address medical marijuana, further study is needed,” Fagg said.He said a conversation about medical marijuana was warranted after announcement in May by the U.S. Department of Justice that it proposed to move cannabis with THC content over 0.3% from designation as a Schedule I drug, viewed as having no medical benefit, to the less-restrictive Schedule III. The result could ease some restrictions on cannabis-related research, promote cannabinoid drug development and alter the legal framework for cannabis growers and distributors.The change would be the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades, but it didn’t mean commerce permitted under state law for medical or recreational marijuana would be matched under federal law.“The special committee would also study the impact of this reclassification,” Fagg said.In part, the committee would also consider how other states handled medical marijuana access for military veterans and patients suffering end-of-life medical challenges. Another element of the hearings could be the structure of CBD enforcement in Kansas.<h2>KanCare and housing</h2>The Legislative Coordinating Council received requests from state legislators for 72 interim committee meeting days, but the council trimmed the list to 56 days of meetings.One day was approved for work of a special committee tasked with examining potential changes to case management services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These services help individuals enrolled in Medicaid find success in their home communities.Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, said the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly may alter case management offerings in response to demands of the federal government.“Numerous concerns have been raised by our constituents regarding the direction the administration appears to be headed on such changes,” Blasi said. “We believe that the Legislature should exercise oversight in order to ensure that this vital service is not disrupted.”Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, requested six days, but received four days, for work of the Bethel Committee on Home and Community-Based Services for Medicaid recipients. A portion would be devoted to reviewing decisions by the Kelly administration to select three contractors to manage the $4 billion KanCare program serving more than 400,000 elderly, disabled, pregnant and low-income Kansans, she said.A special House-Senate committee was allowed to meet two days to examine housing availability and affordability and the relationship of those realities to economic development. The panel would produce recommendations for broadening ownership of homes priced under $200,000 in urban and rural areas. Other issues, including availability of rental housing and the status of fixed-income seniors, would be on the agenda.<h2>World Cup, salaries</h2>The joint committee on Kansas security was granted two days of hearings to dive into issues relevant to state employees, buildings and infrastructure.“Such topics may include security protocols planned for the 2026 World Cup games,” said Sen. Mike Petersen, a Wichita Republican and chair of the Joint Kansas Security Committee.One day would involve legislative tours of the Joint Forces Headquarters at Forbes Field, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s laboratory, the rebuilt Docking State Office Building and the Kansas State University campus in Salina.Meanwhile, the Jennings Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee was granted three days to grapple with programs, activities and plans of the Kansas Department of Corrections. The committee proposed to set aside time to study nursery programs for incarcerated mothers and to learn about an program adopted in Nebraska.The House-Senate committee on child welfare was provided four days for meetings to broaden the Legislature’s understanding of “child maltreatment” and to look at demographic trends influencing the welfare system. That would be combined with reviews of four state agencies engaged in child welfare issues, and the views of law enforcement and the judicial system on the topic.The appropriations committees of the Senate and House were given permission to devote two days to hearings on a salary study of employees at universities under direction of the Kansas Board of Regents and Washburn University in Topeka.

Kansas legislative leadership devoting two days of interim hearings to medical marijuana

TOPEKA– In 2024, the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Investigation Division completed 202 firework stand inspections during the Independence Holiday, according to a media release from the agency.

 Investigators found 124 deficiencies, with most being fixed on site.

Examples of deficiencies include exits, fire extinguishers and trash. There were 9 separate seizures of illegal fireworks,&nbsp;bottle rockets, at fireworks stands.

The Fire Marshal investigated one case of an injury.

In 2023, the OSFM Investigation Division completed 60 firework stand inspections, with 12 violations found that were corrected on site, and 5 seizures of illegal fireworks

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 </figure>TOPEKA– In 2024, the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Investigation Division completed 202 firework stand inspections during the Independence Holiday, according to a media release from the agency. Investigators found 124 deficiencies, with most being fixed on site.Examples of deficiencies include exits, fire extinguishers and trash. There were 9 separate seizures of illegal fireworks,&nbsp;bottle rockets, at fireworks stands.The Fire Marshal investigated one case of an injury.In 2023, the OSFM Investigation Division completed 60 firework stand inspections, with 12 violations found that were corrected on site, and 5 seizures of illegal fireworks