WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccinations-cdc-coronavirus-a785acb4aca8e69f21b6f1a41c021e2c">updated COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains -- and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too.

With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its updated vaccine version to be available a little later.

“We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.

The agency’s decision came a bit earlier than last year’s rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flu-covid-19-respiratory-syncytial-virus-0000018de622d464a99fef7706610000">summer wave of the virus</a>&nbsp;continues in most of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall’s shot for everyone age 6 months and older. Vaccinations could be available within days.

While most Americans have some degree of immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">Last fall’s shots</a>&nbsp;targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that’s no longer circulating -- and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it.

Skipping the new shot is “a hazardous way to go,” because even if your last infection was mild, your next might be worse or leave you with long COVID symptoms, said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

This fall’s vaccine recipe is tailored to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-updated-moderna-pfizer-novavax-72c2c5fafc46ccc9f2fd89fcda5d99df">a newer branch of omicron descendants</a>. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year. While additional offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, now are spreading, they’re closely enough related that the vaccines promise cross-protection. A Pfizer spokesman said the company submitted data to FDA showing its updated vaccine “generates a substantially improved response” against multiple virus subtypes compared to last fall’s vaccine.

The big question: How soon to get vaccinated? This summer’s wave of COVID-19 isn’t over but the inevitable winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.

People who are at high risk from the virus shouldn’t wait but instead schedule vaccinations once shots are available in their area, Hopkins advised.

That includes older adults, people with weak immune systems or other serious medical problems, nursing home residents and pregnant women.

Healthy younger adults and children “can get vaccinated anytime. I don’t think there’s a real reason to wait,” Hopkins said – although it’s OK to seek the shots in the fall, when plenty of doses will have arrived at pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

The exception: The CDC says anyone who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months after they recover before getting vaccinated, until immunity from that infection begins to wane.

Hopkins, who sees patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, calls it vital for more youngsters to get vaccinated this year – especially with schools starting as coronavirus levels are high around the country.

“COVID does not kill many children, thank goodness, but it kills far more children than influenza does,” Hopkins said, adding that teachers, too, should quickly get up to date with the vaccine.

Health authorities say it’s fine to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination at the same time, a convenience so people don’t have to make two trips. But while many drugstores already are advertising flu shots, the prime time for that vaccination tends to be late September through October, just before flu typically starts its cold weather climb.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724349670448.png" alt="Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;LAURAN NEERGAARDWASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccinations-cdc-coronavirus-a785acb4aca8e69f21b6f1a41c021e2c">updated COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains -- and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too.With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its updated vaccine version to be available a little later.“We strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.The agency’s decision came a bit earlier than last year’s rollout of updated COVID-19 vaccines, as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/flu-covid-19-respiratory-syncytial-virus-0000018de622d464a99fef7706610000">summer wave of the virus</a>&nbsp;continues in most of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has recommended this fall’s shot for everyone age 6 months and older. Vaccinations could be available within days.While most Americans have some degree of immunity from prior infections or vaccinations or both, that protection wanes.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">Last fall’s shots</a>&nbsp;targeted a different part of the coronavirus family tree, a strain that’s no longer circulating -- and CDC data shows only about 22.5% of adults and 14% of children received it.Skipping the new shot is “a hazardous way to go,” because even if your last infection was mild, your next might be worse or leave you with long COVID symptoms, said Dr. Robert Hopkins Jr. of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.This fall’s vaccine recipe is tailored to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-updated-moderna-pfizer-novavax-72c2c5fafc46ccc9f2fd89fcda5d99df">a newer branch of omicron descendants</a>. The Pfizer and Moderna shots target a subtype called KP.2 that was common earlier this year. While additional offshoots, particularly KP.3.1.1, now are spreading, they’re closely enough related that the vaccines promise cross-protection. A Pfizer spokesman said the company submitted data to FDA showing its updated vaccine “generates a substantially improved response” against multiple virus subtypes compared to last fall’s vaccine.The big question: How soon to get vaccinated? This summer’s wave of COVID-19 isn’t over but the inevitable winter surges tend to be worse. And while COVID-19 vaccines do a good job preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.People who are at high risk from the virus shouldn’t wait but instead schedule vaccinations once shots are available in their area, Hopkins advised.That includes older adults, people with weak immune systems or other serious medical problems, nursing home residents and pregnant women.Healthy younger adults and children “can get vaccinated anytime. I don’t think there’s a real reason to wait,” Hopkins said – although it’s OK to seek the shots in the fall, when plenty of doses will have arrived at pharmacies and doctor’s offices.The exception: The CDC says anyone who recently had COVID-19 can wait three months after they recover before getting vaccinated, until immunity from that infection begins to wane.Hopkins, who sees patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, calls it vital for more youngsters to get vaccinated this year – especially with schools starting as coronavirus levels are high around the country.“COVID does not kill many children, thank goodness, but it kills far more children than influenza does,” Hopkins said, adding that teachers, too, should quickly get up to date with the vaccine.Health authorities say it’s fine to get a COVID-19 and flu vaccination at the same time, a convenience so people don’t have to make two trips. But while many drugstores already are advertising flu shots, the prime time for that vaccination tends to be late September through October, just before flu typically starts its cold weather climb.<h2>___</h2>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.

The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.

Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.

That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.

But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.

The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”

Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.

Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”

Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.

The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.

That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.

Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.

Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.

But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.

The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.

After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.

Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.

“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."

But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.

“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”

Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.

“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.

Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.

The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.

The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”

In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.

Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.

Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.

Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.

Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688086205294.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has blocked an agreement that would have spared the life of death row inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>&nbsp;and instead ordered a hearing to proceed on Williams' innocence claim, with just a little over a month to go before his scheduled execution.The ruling late Wednesday came hours after St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton approved a plan allowing Williams to enter a new no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle. Though Williams' lawyers said he still maintained he was innocent, the plea acknowledged evidence was sufficient for a conviction.Williams would have been sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday. Instead, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;date is still on, pending a hearing before Hinton on Williams' innocence claim.That hearing had originally been scheduled to begin Wednesday. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell had asked the judge to vacate Williams’ murder conviction based on DNA testing that found other DNA — but not that of Williams — on the knife used to kill Gayle.But a new DNA test report released this week showed that handling of the murder weapon decades ago by a former assistant prosecutor and a former investigator contaminated the evidence so much that it was of no value to Williams’ case. That finding prompted prosecutors to reach the agreement with Williams that Hilton signed off on.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey immediately appealed, arguing that a circuit court lacked authority to override a capital murder sentence.The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, ordering that Hilton “set aside said consent order and judgment and file notice with this Court that you will take action ... including holding the evidentiary hearing previously scheduled and anticipated.”Hilton on Thursday scheduled the new evidentiary hearing for Aug. 28.Bailey, in a statement on Thursday, said people too often “forget about all of the evidence that was used to convict the defendant — the evidence the jury relied on — and the victims. It is in the interest of every Missourian that the rule of law is fought for and upheld.”Messages were left with the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and attorneys for Williams.The courtroom Wednesday was packed with people who included several others who have been exonerated of crimes. For hours, lawyers met behind closed doors. Finally, Matthew Jacober, a special prosecutor for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, announced that the contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.That finding prompted the St. Louis County prosecutors to reach an consent judgment allowing Williams to enter an Alford plea. He also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact,” Williams’ attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement after the hearing. She noted that Gayle’s family supported setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family.Bailey said in a statement Wednesday that “the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends.”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-congress-election-bush-bell-f507703334e182528489ca078bc5ce70">Bell defeated incumbent Cori Bush</a>&nbsp;in Missouri's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary on Aug. 6 and will be heavily favored in the November general election.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. Three other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>&nbsp;— have been freed after decades in prison after prosecutors successfully challenged their convictions.Prosecutors at Williams’ original trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.-------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate on Wednesday dropped his innocence claim and entered a new no-contest plea in an agreement that calls for a new sentence of life in prison without parole.But the Missouri Attorney General's Office opposes the new consent judgment and will appeal in an effort to move ahead with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">scheduled Sept. 24 execution</a>&nbsp;of Marcellus Williams.The complicated turn of events happened on the day that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Bruce Hinton was supposed to oversee a hearing requested by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell</a>&nbsp;aimed at vacating Williams' first-degree murder conviction in the 1998 stabbing death of Lisha Gayle. Bell had cited DNA testing unavailable at the time of the crime that found someone else's DNA — but not that of Williams — on the murder weapon.After a lengthy delay with lawyers meeting behind closed doors, Matthew Jacober, a lawyer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, announced that even newer DNA testing released on Monday found contamination due to handling of the weapon by a former assistant prosecutor and investigator. The contaminated evidence made it impossible to show that someone else may have been the killer.“The murder weapon was handled without proper procedures in place,” Jacober said. The improper handling occurred several years before Bell took office.Williams agreed to an Alford plea, which is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that evidence is sufficient to convict him. Under an agreement reached with St. Louis County prosecutors, Williams entered that plea on Wednesday. He'll be sentenced Thursday — the agreement calls for life in prison without parole. Williams also agreed not to appeal.“Marcellus Williams is an innocent man, and nothing about today’s plea agreement changes that fact," Williams' attorney, Tricia Bushnell, said in a statement. She noted that Gayle's family supports setting aside the death penalty, and the plea “brings a measure of finality” to the family."But the plea doesn't guarantee Williams won't be executed. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is appealing to the Missouri Supreme Court as he seeks to move ahead with the execution, arguing that a circuit court doesn't have authority to overrule the state Supreme Court that set the execution date.“Throughout all the legal games, the defense created a false narrative of innocence in order to get a convicted murderer off of death row and fulfill their political ends," Bailey said in a statement. “Because of the defense’s failure to do their due diligence by testing the evidence that supposedly proved their point, the victims have been forced to relive their horrific loss for the last six years.”Williams, 55, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fea0cfd4d73446c8475ccae31b1ea67">hours away from execution in August 2017</a>&nbsp;when then-Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican, granted a stay after DNA testing unavailable at the time of the killing showed that DNA on the knife matched someone else, not Williams.That evidence prompted Bell to reexamine the case.“This never-before-considered evidence, when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’s conviction and sentence,” Bell's motion stated.Williams, who is Black, was convicted and sentenced to death by a jury consisting of 11 white people and one Black person.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion seeking to vacate a conviction they believe was unjust. The law has resulted in exonerations of three men who spent decades in prison, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-case-conviction-overturned-christopher-dunn-f128653d7b67aa4099faa91d0fcba31c">Christopher Dunn</a>&nbsp;last month.The Missouri Supreme Court set the September execution date on June 4, hours after it ruled that Parson, a Republican, was within his rights when he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-murder-newspaper-dna-governor-innocence-5b068258172e1cd938498e9e8361f01b">dissolved a board of inquiry</a>&nbsp;convened by Greitens after he stopped the 2017 execution.The inquiry board, consisting of five retired judges, never issued a ruling or reached a conclusion on whether the new DNA evidence exonerated Williams. Parson dissolved the board in June 2023, saying it was time to “move forward.”In addition to Dunn, who spent 34 years behind bars for the death of a 15-year-old St. Louis boy, the Missouri law allowing prosecutors to challenge convictions led to freedom for two other men —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-bba67efd61eaa165165e29a7298a1dc3">Kevin Strickland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wrongful-conviction-vacated-3eb7e5fbe6210dbc38b11995902b9947">Lamar Johnson</a>. Bailey was not attorney general when Strickland's case went to a hearing, but his office opposed vacating the convictions of Dunn and Johnson.Bailey also opposed efforts to overturn the conviction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sandra-hemme-conviction-overturned-56831edcb2aa99b0430c0dbf0408dc5d">Sandra Hemme</a>, who spent 43 years in prison for murder, though that case was adjudicated through appeals, not a prosecutor’s motion. A judge ruled in June that Hemme should be freed. Bailey filed multiple appeals to try and keep her behind bars, but Hemme was released in July.Strickland was freed in 2021 after serving more than 40 years for three killings in Kansas City after a judge ruled he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">had been wrongfully convicted in 1979</a>. In 2023, a St. Louis judge overturned Johnson's conviction. He served nearly 28 years for a killing he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-st-louis-missouri-state-government-89e58b911e0dff1eaa79b0c48372abc2">always said he didn’t commit</a>.Williams was the first death row inmate whose innocence claim went before a judge since passage of the 2021 law. Several other people who have been exonerated of crimes were in the courtroom to support him, including another former death row inmate.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">Joseph Amrine spent 17 years on death row</a>&nbsp;before he was freed in 2003 after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that no credible evidence linked him to the killing of another inmate.Prosecutors at Williams' trial said he broke into Gayle’s suburban St. Louis home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard water running in the shower, and found a large butcher knife. When Gayle came downstairs, she was stabbed 43 times. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen. Gayle, who was white, was a social worker who previously worked as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. Williams’ girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. The girlfriend said she later saw the laptop in the car and that Williams sold it a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a St. Louis cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors Williams confessed to the killing and offered details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted felons out for a $10,000 reward.

Court blocks agreement that would have halted convicted killer's execution

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend accident involving a bicyclist have identified the victim as 44-year-old&nbsp;Shaunta Rodgers, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, a Honda Civic was northbound on Van Brunt Boulevard and stopped at the red traffic control signal at Truman Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

The light turned green and the Honda entered the intersection. A westbound BMW 535XI was traveling&nbsp; very high rate of speed. The BMW ran the red light and struck the Honda.

 The driver of the BMW lost control after the initial impact with the Honda. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a wooden utility pole, shearing it out of the ground.

 A pedestrian was walking in the bicycle lane, on the south side of Truman Road. The BMW struck the pedestrian as it was flipping.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants of the BMW ran from the scene, westbound on Truman Road. 

The driver of the Honda was not injured. The intersection lost power and Evergy responded to repair.&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal weekend accident involving a bicyclist have identified the victim as 44-year-old&nbsp;Shaunta Rodgers, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, a Honda Civic was northbound on Van Brunt Boulevard and stopped at the red traffic control signal at Truman Road, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The light turned green and the Honda entered the intersection. A westbound BMW 535XI was traveling&nbsp; very high rate of speed. The BMW ran the red light and struck the Honda. The driver of the BMW lost control after the initial impact with the Honda. The vehicle traveled off the roadway to the left and struck a wooden utility pole, shearing it out of the ground. A pedestrian was walking in the bicycle lane, on the south side of Truman Road. The BMW struck the pedestrian as it was flipping.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants of the BMW ran from the scene, westbound on Truman Road. The driver of the Honda was not injured. The intersection lost power and Evergy responded to repair.&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

KCPD IDs pedestrian killed when struck after car flipped in violent crash

DOUGLAS COUNTY –Investigators have determined the cause of fire on Monday at the&nbsp;at Brandon Woods senior living residence in Lawrence.

The origin of the fire was determined to be on the 3rd floor balcony deck and the fire extended into the attic of the structure. The cause of the fire was accidental due to improper discarding of smoking material, according to a media release from Lawrence Po.ice.

Forty-eight residential units have been reported as damaged. Approximately 8,200 square feet of roofs have been reported as damaged.&nbsp; Two of the unites are reported to have heavy damage by fire, smoke, and water. Five units have moderate damage by fire, smoke, and water and Five units have minimal damage by smoke and water

Just after noon Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to the fire at the senior living residence, 1501 Inverness Drive in Lawrence.

Multiple reports of heavy smoke and fire with flames were reported by residents and bystanders.

First responders arrived to find occupants being evacuated by facility staff and Lawrence Kansas Police Department.&nbsp;There was a large amount of dense smoke coming from the structure.

Fire was found in the attic and crews performed venting efforts upon arrival. Additional resources such as department chief officers, the mobile integrated health (MIH) team, and the logistics technician responded to the incident to assist with moving residents to designated safety spaces.

The fire was declared under control at 2:20 p.m. LDCFM crews will continue to perform fire watch on the building overnight.

Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical coordinated with the Lawrence Transit Department and LKPD to transport approximately 85 residents to Bella Sera Condominiums. The residents were connected to resources with the Red Cross and Douglas County Emergency Management to identify alternative housing options.

One LKPD officer was transported for smoke inhalation. No other injuries have been reported.

Resources through mutual aid were provided from Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, Olathe Fire Department, Overland Park Fire Department, and Johnson County MED-ACT. These resources assisted with additional coverage for the City of Lawrence and Douglas County during this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724105638159.png" alt="Photos Lawrence Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Lawrence Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY –Investigators have determined the cause of fire on Monday at the&nbsp;at Brandon Woods senior living residence in Lawrence.The origin of the fire was determined to be on the 3rd floor balcony deck and the fire extended into the attic of the structure. The cause of the fire was accidental due to improper discarding of smoking material, according to a media release from Lawrence Po.ice.Forty-eight residential units have been reported as damaged. Approximately 8,200 square feet of roofs have been reported as damaged.&nbsp; Two of the unites are reported to have heavy damage by fire, smoke, and water. Five units have moderate damage by fire, smoke, and water and Five units have minimal damage by smoke and waterJust after noon Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to the fire at the senior living residence, 1501 Inverness Drive in Lawrence.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLawrenceKansasPolice%2Fvideos%2F1676278606560133%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Multiple reports of heavy smoke and fire with flames were reported by residents and bystanders.First responders arrived to find occupants being evacuated by facility staff and Lawrence Kansas Police Department.&nbsp;There was a large amount of dense smoke coming from the structure.Fire was found in the attic and crews performed venting efforts upon arrival. Additional resources such as department chief officers, the mobile integrated health (MIH) team, and the logistics technician responded to the incident to assist with moving residents to designated safety spaces.The fire was declared under control at 2:20 p.m. LDCFM crews will continue to perform fire watch on the building overnight.Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical coordinated with the Lawrence Transit Department and LKPD to transport approximately 85 residents to Bella Sera Condominiums. The residents were connected to resources with the Red Cross and Douglas County Emergency Management to identify alternative housing options.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724105670101.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One LKPD officer was transported for smoke inhalation. No other injuries have been reported.Resources through mutual aid were provided from Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1, Olathe Fire Department, Overland Park Fire Department, and Johnson County MED-ACT. These resources assisted with additional coverage for the City of Lawrence and Douglas County during this incident.

Investigators determine cause of fire at Kan. senior living residence

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects new allegations after a victim in the case died.

On Wednesday police reported 37-year-old&nbsp;Kyle E. Higgins of Topeka had died.

Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.

A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man, later identified as Higgins, in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.

As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department. Both are now are being held on updated requested&nbsp; charges that include murder, of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

The incident is the city’s 13th homicide investigation of 2024.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243340231.png" alt="Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Pattmon-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects new allegations after a victim in the case died.On Wednesday police reported 37-year-old&nbsp;Kyle E. Higgins of Topeka had died.Just after 4 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported aggravated robbery of a vehicle near SW 29th and Macvicar Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.It was reported that the vehicle was stolen by individuals who are known to the vehicle owner and a child was inside. The child was quickly located in the 3200 block of SW Central Park and was taken into police custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724243427663.png" alt="Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boatwright -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near SE 35th and Indiana in Topeka and initiated a traffic stop. The driver fled and initiated a short pursuit, which ended when the vehicle struck a pole near SE 29th and Minnesota where two suspects ran from the crash. Officers then located and took them into custody. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Around 8:30 a.m., police received the report of an unresponsive man, later identified as Higgins, in the 2200 block of SE 29th Street.&nbsp; He was transported to a local hospital where he died. Police investigators believe the two incidents are related.As a result of the investigation, Lorenzo A. Pattmon III, 21, and Rammelo H. Boatwright, 24, both of Topeka, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department. Both are now are being held on updated requested&nbsp; charges that include murder, of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Child Endangerment.The incident is the city’s 13th homicide investigation of 2024.&nbsp;

Kan. man connected to stolen vehicle with child inside has died

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

CHICAGO — Actress and climate activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus asked eight Democratic women governors Wednesday if she would be ready for public office after playing a vice president and president on the hit cable TV show “Veep.”

“You’re more qualified than Donald Trump, don’t worry about it,” New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly replied, to laughter in the packed room.

Louis-Dreyfus moderated a panel made up of the Democratic women governors at the Democratic National Convention. The political leaders in their roughly hour-long discussion touched on the unique benefits of being a woman in politics, and talked about how they are planning for potential interference and problems in the upcoming presidential elections.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she’s working closely with the secretary of state and attorney general to ensure that Arizona’s electoral votes are cast and to prepare for “every single scenario that comes our way.”

“I think the challenges that we saw in 2020 are going to look like kindergarten compared to what we see now,” she said. “But we are ready.”

<a href="https://azmirror.com/2024/04/25/who-are-the-five-unindicted-co-conspirators-in-arizonas-fake-elector-criminal-case/" target="_blank">A grand jury indicted 18 people in a fake elector scheme</a>&nbsp;that aimed to install Donald Trump as president after he lost the state of Arizona in the 2020 election.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced a similar scenario, in which&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/exams-begin-for-next-group-of-people-charged-in-fake-electors-scheme/" target="_blank">six individuals now face felony charges</a>&nbsp;for submitting false electoral votes for Trump in 2020.

Whitmer said her state legislature has worked to pass legislation to protect election workers and make it easier for people to partake in early voting.

“We know that there are going to be all sorts of efforts” to influence the results, she said.

Louis-Dreyfus noted during Whitmer’s term she’s had to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and an attempted kidnapping and assassination plot.

“How do you stay afloat … under those circumstances?” she asked.

Whitmer said she keeps a gratitude journal and every day writes down three things that give her joy. She said sometimes the list stretches to 10 items, but other days it is not so long.

“Some days it is just my dog and my bed and tequila,” she said.

Louis-Dreyfus asked why it was important to support women down the ballot, and not just on the national level.

Hobbs said early support is important, and noted that’s how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, got her start as a San Francisco district attorney in 2003.

“Down ballot races are critical,” Hobbs said.

Several of the governors agreed, noting that’s how they were able to enter politics, through their local elections.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she got her start in the state legislature. Kotek was the longest-serving speaker in the Oregon House of Representatives and the first openly lesbian speaker, elected in 2013.

“When I became speaker, all the other leadership at the time was male, and you notice when you’re the only one in the room,” she said.

It’s an occurrence that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey knows, noting last year she became the first woman and open member of the LGBTQ community elected governor in her state.

Whitmer said as a woman in politics, she was often underestimated, which she said she sees as a strength, rather than a limitation.

“There are a lot of different ways that we are treated as compared to male candidates, but I would also say that it is a huge advantage to be underestimated,” she said.

Kansas Gov. and Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly said she thinks the underestimation that women face in politics “will fade away over time.”

Whitmer nodded: “With President Harris, it will.”

Louis-Dreyfus, who is also a comedian and starred in “Seinfeld,” asked how humor can find a place in politics.

“I think humor is an effective tool when things are hot and tense,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.

Louis-Dreyfus asked the governors why are Republicans “so f****** weird?”

Maine Governor Janet Mills laughed and said she knows Republicans in her state who are planning to vote for Harris because “they don’t have a place to go.”

“They’re not all weird,” she said. “They know the traditional (Republican) party is not about Trump.”

Louis-Dreyfus asked how the overturning of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision has affected abortion access in the governors’ states.

Since the conservative Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Democrats have campaigned on it at the state and federal level. Reproductive right advocates have also led grassroots campaigns to put measures on state ballots to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

In four states — California, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont — measures to amend the state constitutions to enshrine abortion protections passed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/ballot-tracker-status-of-abortion-related-state-constitutional-amendment-measures/" target="_blank">according to health policy organization KFF’s abortion ballot tracker.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>There are currently seven states with citizen-initiated measures on the ballot in November that will protect abortion access, in Arizona, Nevada, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri and Florida.

Hochul said that after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the first thing she did was go to a vigil.

Hochul said she called the state legislature back for an emergency session to pass legislation to protect medical professionals and patients who travel to New York to access abortion care.

“We let women from other states know this is a safe harbor for you to come here,” she said. “I’m going to fight like hell to get back (abortion rights) for my granddaughter.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724328694166.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. and DGA chairwoman Laura Kelly during a Democratic Women Governors panel with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Aug. 21, 2024, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>CHICAGO — Actress and climate activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus asked eight Democratic women governors Wednesday if she would be ready for public office after playing a vice president and president on the hit cable TV show “Veep.”“You’re more qualified than Donald Trump, don’t worry about it,” New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly replied, to laughter in the packed room.Louis-Dreyfus moderated a panel made up of the Democratic women governors at the Democratic National Convention. The political leaders in their roughly hour-long discussion touched on the unique benefits of being a woman in politics, and talked about how they are planning for potential interference and problems in the upcoming presidential elections.<h2>Fake electors</h2>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she’s working closely with the secretary of state and attorney general to ensure that Arizona’s electoral votes are cast and to prepare for “every single scenario that comes our way.”“I think the challenges that we saw in 2020 are going to look like kindergarten compared to what we see now,” she said. “But we are ready.”<a href="https://azmirror.com/2024/04/25/who-are-the-five-unindicted-co-conspirators-in-arizonas-fake-elector-criminal-case/" target="_blank">A grand jury indicted 18 people in a fake elector scheme</a>&nbsp;that aimed to install Donald Trump as president after he lost the state of Arizona in the 2020 election.Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced a similar scenario, in which&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/28/exams-begin-for-next-group-of-people-charged-in-fake-electors-scheme/" target="_blank">six individuals now face felony charges</a>&nbsp;for submitting false electoral votes for Trump in 2020.Whitmer said her state legislature has worked to pass legislation to protect election workers and make it easier for people to partake in early voting.“We know that there are going to be all sorts of efforts” to influence the results, she said.Louis-Dreyfus noted during Whitmer’s term she’s had to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and an attempted kidnapping and assassination plot.“How do you stay afloat … under those circumstances?” she asked.Whitmer said she keeps a gratitude journal and every day writes down three things that give her joy. She said sometimes the list stretches to 10 items, but other days it is not so long.“Some days it is just my dog and my bed and tequila,” she said.<h2>Women in state and local politics</h2>Louis-Dreyfus asked why it was important to support women down the ballot, and not just on the national level.Hobbs said early support is important, and noted that’s how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, got her start as a San Francisco district attorney in 2003.“Down ballot races are critical,” Hobbs said.Several of the governors agreed, noting that’s how they were able to enter politics, through their local elections.Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she got her start in the state legislature. Kotek was the longest-serving speaker in the Oregon House of Representatives and the first openly lesbian speaker, elected in 2013.“When I became speaker, all the other leadership at the time was male, and you notice when you’re the only one in the room,” she said.It’s an occurrence that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey knows, noting last year she became the first woman and open member of the LGBTQ community elected governor in her state.Whitmer said as a woman in politics, she was often underestimated, which she said she sees as a strength, rather than a limitation.“There are a lot of different ways that we are treated as compared to male candidates, but I would also say that it is a huge advantage to be underestimated,” she said.Kansas Gov. and Democratic Governors Association Chair Laura Kelly said she thinks the underestimation that women face in politics “will fade away over time.”Whitmer nodded: “With President Harris, it will.”Louis-Dreyfus, who is also a comedian and starred in “Seinfeld,” asked how humor can find a place in politics.“I think humor is an effective tool when things are hot and tense,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.Louis-Dreyfus asked the governors why are Republicans “so f****** weird?”Maine Governor Janet Mills laughed and said she knows Republicans in her state who are planning to vote for Harris because “they don’t have a place to go.”“They’re not all weird,” she said. “They know the traditional (Republican) party is not about Trump.”<h2>Reproductive rights</h2>Louis-Dreyfus asked how the overturning of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision has affected abortion access in the governors’ states.Since the conservative Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Democrats have campaigned on it at the state and federal level. Reproductive right advocates have also led grassroots campaigns to put measures on state ballots to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.In four states — California, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont — measures to amend the state constitutions to enshrine abortion protections passed,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/ballot-tracker-status-of-abortion-related-state-constitutional-amendment-measures/" target="_blank">according to health policy organization KFF’s abortion ballot tracker.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>There are currently seven states with citizen-initiated measures on the ballot in November that will protect abortion access, in Arizona, Nevada, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri and Florida.Hochul said that after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the first thing she did was go to a vigil.“It broke my heart,” she said.Hochul said she called the state legislature back for an emergency session to pass legislation to protect medical professionals and patients who travel to New York to access abortion care.“We let women from other states know this is a safe harbor for you to come here,” she said. “I’m going to fight like hell to get back (abortion rights) for my granddaughter.”

Democratic women governors showcased at DNC event with ‘Veep’ star Julia Louis-Dreyfus

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A family of three, including a baby, is safe after officers broke through a window to help them escape the room they barricading themselves in to get away from a man with a knife on the other side of a door, according to the Lawrence Police Department.

Just before 3a.m. Wednesday, the woman called 911 but didn’t say much.  Officers rushed to the 3100 block of W. 22nd and attempted to enter the front of the residence.

 After receiving no answer, they climbed the fence around back and eventually window shades opened, and officers saw the family inside. 

The woman had her entire body pushed against an interior door.  Officers motioned to the man to open the window, but he wasn’t able. Both appeared the be in a state of panic. 

 Officers broke the window and were able to safely help the family climb out.  Once the family was safe, officers entered the apartment with the couple’s key and found a man armed with a knife who refused to drop his weapon. 

After repeated requested, an officer deployed a taser.  The man was taken into custody, then to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution, before being booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility. 

The family told police they had just met the man that evening.  One officer went to the hospital and received stitches for a hand injury but was expected back at work Wednesday night.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A family of three, including a baby, is safe after officers broke through a window to help them escape the room they barricading themselves in to get away from a man with a knife on the other side of a door, according to the Lawrence Police Department.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLawrenceKansasPolice%2Fvideos%2F1546901712844180%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Just before 3a.m. Wednesday, the woman called 911 but didn’t say much. Officers rushed to the 3100 block of W. 22nd and attempted to enter the front of the residence. After receiving no answer, they climbed the fence around back and eventually window shades opened, and officers saw the family inside. The woman had her entire body pushed against an interior door. Officers motioned to the man to open the window, but he wasn’t able. Both appeared the be in a state of panic. Officers broke the window and were able to safely help the family climb out. Once the family was safe, officers entered the apartment with the couple’s key and found a man armed with a knife who refused to drop his weapon. After repeated requested, an officer deployed a taser. The man was taken into custody, then to the hospital to be checked out as a precaution, before being booked into the Douglas County Correctional Facility. The family told police they had just met the man that evening. One officer went to the hospital and received stitches for a hand injury but was expected back at work Wednesday night.

🎥Officers rescue Kan. family from a man with a knife in their home

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.&nbsp;

Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting&nbsp;in the 8600 block of North Boardwalk Avenue, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The initial investigation indicates that the shooting followed a verbal dispute in the parking lot. The victim is an adult male and a suspect was detained near the scene.

Authorities interviewed witnesses, collected evidence and are reviewing surveillance footage.&nbsp; Police have not released the identity of the man who died.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724292793851.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.&nbsp;Just after 4p.m. Wednesday, police responded to a shooting&nbsp;in the 8600 block of North Boardwalk Avenue, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The initial investigation indicates that the shooting followed a verbal dispute in the parking lot. The victim is an adult male and a suspect was detained near the scene.Authorities interviewed witnesses, collected evidence and are reviewing surveillance footage.&nbsp; Police have not released the identity of the man who died.Anyone with information is urged to contact Homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Man dead after shooting outside Kansas City shopping center

CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;accepted his party's nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.

Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris made him her running mate, and the speech was an opportunity to introduce himself. He leaned into his experiences as a football coach, his time in the National Guard and his recounting of his family's fertility struggles — all parts of his biography that Republicans have questioned in the days since Harris picked him.

While it's unclear if the speech will attract new voters, he further charmed Democratic supporters with his background and helped to balance Harris’ coastal roots as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.

The Harris campaign said Walz had worked on his speech for multiple days and he used a teleprompter for the first time, practicing to ensure he was prepared. He told the crowd, “I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks."

“Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor,” Walz said. “Take Donald Trump and JD Vance.”

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, bashed the convention as a “charade” earlier Wednesday and noted that he has been a frequent topic of conversation. He also singled out his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for a highly critical convention speech Tuesday night, saying Obama had been “nasty.”

Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”

But he also criticized Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, and took several swipes at Republican policies. “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said.

Walz has been accused of embellishing his background. His wife this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-walz-ivf-fertility-jd-vance-fc5ebf8f37adb28cf45d0af51224a938">clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization</a>, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">2018 comment</a>&nbsp;he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.

Walz has made his family’s struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the U.S. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI.

“If you’ve never experienced infertility, I guarantee you know someone who has," Tim Walz said Wednesday.

His daughter, Hope, made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest.

His son, Gus, openly wept throughout the speech, wiping his eyes with tissues while watching from the front row.

Through tears he mouthed, “That’s my dad.”

Two prominent Harris boosters on Wednesday were people Trump has crossed paths during their shared decades in public life: Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd president, and Oprah Winfrey, the iconic talk-show host.

Ironically, she suggested years ago that Trump could be president one day, while Clinton was once close enough to Trump that he attended his 2005 wedding to his wife Melania.

In a convention designed to needle Trump, Clinton and Winfrey portrayed Trump as selfish and Harris as focused on the needs of everyday Americans rather than her own.

“We’ve got a pretty clear choice it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said.

Clinton returned to a place he knows well, the Democratic convention stage, firing up his party with his trademark off-the-cuff flourishes. He spoke about 10 minutes longer than Walz did in the headliner’s spot.

Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton's delivery was sometimes halting, his movements slower, and he mispronounced Harris' first name twice. His left hand often shook when he wasn't using it to grip the lectern.

Still, he delivered several memorable, homespun pronouncements including asking: "What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I's.”

Winfrey — who long filmed her famous talk show in Chicago — offered a full-throated endorsement of Harris and characterized her campaign by singing out, “Joy!”

“Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said, adding, “Let us chose common sense over nonsense.”

The night's theme was “a fight for our freedoms," with the programming focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms while Republicans want to take them away.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-book-mcmorrow-trump-15d0b5d14b635b61906e1575e1f9a332">oversized book</a>&nbsp;meant to represent the Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right, if Trump wins. Polis even ripped a page from the ceremonial volume and said he was going to keep it and show it to undecided voters.

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the story of a woman in her state, which enacted new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.

Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021</a>. He chaired a congressional committee that investigated the mob overrunning the Capitol, saying, “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.”

“Thank God they failed,” Thompson said.

Democrats also recognized the hostages still being held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin brought some in the arena to tears as they paid tribute to their son Hersh, who was abducted in the attack.

Freeing hostages “is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jon Goldberg-Polin said, adding that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”

The Israel-Hamas war has split the Democratic base, with pro-Palestinian protesters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f">demonstrating</a>&nbsp;outside the United Center and several speakers this week acknowledging civilian deaths in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities.

Some of the loudest cheers of the night were for Clinton, who seemed to relish being a warmup act for Walz. A two-term president and generational leader of his party, he noted that he attended his first convention in 1976 — then corrected himself by saying it was actually 1972.

“I have no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to,” Clinton said.

Still, he implored delegates about the Harris-Walz ticket, “If you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life.”

“Your children will be proud of it,” he said. “Your grandchildren will be proud of it.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;accepted his party's nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;It&#39;s the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNCConvention?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNCConvention</a> <a href="https://t.co/d0H937CWBV">pic.twitter.com/d0H937CWBV</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826461306938917223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” Walz said as thousands of delegates hoisted vertical placards reading “Coach Walz” in red, white and blue.Many Americans had never heard of Walz until Harris made him her running mate, and the speech was an opportunity to introduce himself. He leaned into his experiences as a football coach, his time in the National Guard and his recounting of his family's fertility struggles — all parts of his biography that Republicans have questioned in the days since Harris picked him.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> on reproductive freedom: &quot;It took Gwen and I years but we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope. Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world and I love you!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v881Wq3QRm">pic.twitter.com/v881Wq3QRm</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826476167458947211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>While it's unclear if the speech will attract new voters, he further charmed Democratic supporters with his background and helped to balance Harris’ coastal roots as a cultural representative of Midwestern states whose voters she needs this fall.The Harris campaign said Walz had worked on his speech for multiple days and he used a teleprompter for the first time, practicing to ensure he was prepared. He told the crowd, “I haven’t given a lot of speeches like this but I’ve given a lot of pep talks."“Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor,” Walz said. “Take Donald Trump and JD Vance.”Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, bashed the convention as a “charade” earlier Wednesday and noted that he has been a frequent topic of conversation. He also singled out his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for a highly critical convention speech Tuesday night, saying Obama had been “nasty.”<h2>Walz lays out his biography</h2>Walz described his upbringing in Nebraska and teaching and coaching football in Minnesota and told the crowd, “Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight.”But he also criticized Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, and took several swipes at Republican policies. “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours,” he said.Walz has been accused of embellishing his background. His wife this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-walz-ivf-fertility-jd-vance-fc5ebf8f37adb28cf45d0af51224a938">clarified that she did not undergo in vitro fertilization</a>, as Walz has repeatedly claimed, but used other fertility treatments. Republicans also have criticized Walz for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">2018 comment</a>&nbsp;he made about carrying weapons in war. Though he served in the National Guard for 24 years, he did not deploy to a war zone.Walz has made his family’s struggle with fertility a central part of his narrative, a tangible way to connect with voters alarmed at the erosion of reproductive rights in the U.S. But Gwen Walz on Tuesday issued a statement that detailed the experience more comprehensively and disclosed that they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI.“If you’ve never experienced infertility, I guarantee you know someone who has," Tim Walz said Wednesday.His daughter, Hope, made a heart with her hands and held it over her chest.His son, Gus, openly wept throughout the speech, wiping his eyes with tissues while watching from the front row.Through tears he mouthed, “That’s my dad.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Stevie Wonder speaks and performs &quot;Higher Ground&quot; at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a>. <a href="https://t.co/QsDRqZeYCA">pic.twitter.com/QsDRqZeYCA</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826429321507958986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>The Bill and Oprah Show</h2>Two prominent Harris boosters on Wednesday were people Trump has crossed paths during their shared decades in public life: Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd president, and Oprah Winfrey, the iconic talk-show host.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oprah</a>: Soon, and very soon, we&#39;re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother &amp; a Jamaican father, two idealist energetic immigrants...how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States. That is the best of America. <a href="https://t.co/WCY4xwPnvX">pic.twitter.com/WCY4xwPnvX</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826452010897408007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ironically, she suggested years ago that Trump could be president one day, while Clinton was once close enough to Trump that he attended his 2005 wedding to his wife Melania.In a convention designed to needle Trump, Clinton and Winfrey portrayed Trump as selfish and Harris as focused on the needs of everyday Americans rather than her own.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President <a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillClinton</a> addresses <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DNC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DNC</a> – LIVE on C-SPAN <a href="https://t.co/g1TYhenzmT">https://t.co/g1TYhenzmT</a> <a href="https://t.co/oZOYYbXiVs">pic.twitter.com/oZOYYbXiVs</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826429602920530072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We’ve got a pretty clear choice it seems to me. Kamala Harris, for the people. And the other guy who has proved, even more than the first go-around, that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said.Clinton returned to a place he knows well, the Democratic convention stage, firing up his party with his trademark off-the-cuff flourishes. He spoke about 10 minutes longer than Walz did in the headliner’s spot.Now 78 — the same age as Trump — Clinton's delivery was sometimes halting, his movements slower, and he mispronounced Harris' first name twice. His left hand often shook when he wasn't using it to grip the lectern.Still, he delivered several memorable, homespun pronouncements including asking: "What does her opponent do with his voice? He mostly talks about himself. So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I's.”Winfrey — who long filmed her famous talk show in Chicago — offered a full-throated endorsement of Harris and characterized her campaign by singing out, “Joy!”“Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said, adding, “Let us chose common sense over nonsense.”<h2>A focus on ‘freedoms’</h2>The night's theme was “a fight for our freedoms," with the programming focusing on abortion access and other rights that Democrats want to center in their campaign against Trump. Speaker after speaker argued that their party wants to defend freedoms while Republicans want to take them away.Colorado Gov. Jared Polis used a prop that has become a convention staple, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-book-mcmorrow-trump-15d0b5d14b635b61906e1575e1f9a332">oversized book</a>&nbsp;meant to represent the Heritage Foundation's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981">Project 2025</a>, a sweeping set of goals to shrink government and push it to the right, if Trump wins. Polis even ripped a page from the ceremonial volume and said he was going to keep it and show it to undecided voters.Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told the story of a woman in her state, which enacted new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, who was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021</a>. He chaired a congressional committee that investigated the mob overrunning the Capitol, saying, “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.”“Thank God they failed,” Thompson said.Democrats also recognized the hostages still being held by Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed. Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin brought some in the arena to tears as they paid tribute to their son Hersh, who was abducted in the attack.Freeing hostages “is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” Jon Goldberg-Polin said, adding that “in a competition of pain there are no winners.”The Israel-Hamas war has split the Democratic base, with pro-Palestinian protesters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-convention-chicago-protests-israel-hamas-war-ea3bc9193cc99a5c95ebfd1a42db924f">demonstrating</a>&nbsp;outside the United Center and several speakers this week acknowledging civilian deaths in the Israeli offensive in Gaza. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local health authorities.<h2>The man from Hope talks about joy</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillClinton</a> on Kamala Harris: &quot;When she was young, she worked at McDonald&#39;s...I will be so happy when she actually enters the White House as president because she will break my record as the president who spent the most time at <a href="https://twitter.com/McDonalds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@McDonalds</a>. <a href="https://t.co/OcMGynwe7t">pic.twitter.com/OcMGynwe7t</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1826438561186677103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Some of the loudest cheers of the night were for Clinton, who seemed to relish being a warmup act for Walz. A two-term president and generational leader of his party, he noted that he attended his first convention in 1976 — then corrected himself by saying it was actually 1972.“I have no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to,” Clinton said.Still, he implored delegates about the Harris-Walz ticket, “If you can get them elected and let them bring in this breath of fresh air, you will be proud of it for the rest of your life.”“Your children will be proud of it,” he said. “Your grandchildren will be proud of it.”___

🎥 Highlights of 3rd night of Democratic National Convention

KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Pet Project Animal Services Division rescued 31 animals from a property in historic northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, where they were found living in deplorable conditions, according to a social media report.

The animals—8 ducks, 6 roosters, 8 hens, 8 cats, and 1 pigeon—were surrendered by their owner. One duck had to be euthanized due to its injuries, and one kitten passed away. Several of the cats are sick and receiving medical attention. KC Pet Project found placement for most of the birds. There are roosters that are available for adoption.

Animal Services officers responded to complaints about potential neglect of the animals. Their investigation uncovered that the property was littered with trash, animal carcasses, and dead birds. The living animals were found in inadequate housing with no access to water or ventilation and displayed signs of neglect. These circumstances are not only inhumane but also in violation of the city code.

In addition to rescuing the animals, Animal Services will be issuing citations to the owner for multiple violations, including failure to provide adequate care. The owner also has outstanding warrants related to prior animal-related offenses.

“We are grateful to our officers who continued to investigate this case and glad to have these animals in our care now, where they will receive the attention and love they deserve," said Tori Fugate, chief communications officer at KC Pet Project. 

"We set up little pools of water for the ducks and it was a heartwarming scene to see them immediately jump into the water to clean themselves off. This case is another example of why it is important to report any suspected cases of animal neglect to help us protect animals who cannot speak for themselves."

Some of the animals on the property could not be captured, so officers will continue to visit the property to work to capture them. 

If you are interested in adopting the roosters, you may visit them starting August 20th at the KC Campus for Animal Care, located at 7077 Elmwood Avenue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724290125314.png" alt="Photos KC Pet Project" />
 <figcaption>Photos KC Pet Project</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Pet Project Animal Services Division rescued 31 animals from a property in historic northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, where they were found living in deplorable conditions, according to a social media report.The animals—8 ducks, 6 roosters, 8 hens, 8 cats, and 1 pigeon—were surrendered by their owner. One duck had to be euthanized due to its injuries, and one kitten passed away. Several of the cats are sick and receiving medical attention. KC Pet Project found placement for most of the birds. There are roosters that are available for adoption.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724290257543.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Animal Services officers responded to complaints about potential neglect of the animals. Their investigation uncovered that the property was littered with trash, animal carcasses, and dead birds. The living animals were found in inadequate housing with no access to water or ventilation and displayed signs of neglect. These circumstances are not only inhumane but also in violation of the city code.In addition to rescuing the animals, Animal Services will be issuing citations to the owner for multiple violations, including failure to provide adequate care. The owner also has outstanding warrants related to prior animal-related offenses.“We are grateful to our officers who continued to investigate this case and glad to have these animals in our care now, where they will receive the attention and love they deserve," said Tori Fugate, chief communications officer at KC Pet Project. "We set up little pools of water for the ducks and it was a heartwarming scene to see them immediately jump into the water to clean themselves off. This case is another example of why it is important to report any suspected cases of animal neglect to help us protect animals who cannot speak for themselves."Some of the animals on the property could not be captured, so officers will continue to visit the property to work to capture them. If you are interested in adopting the roosters, you may visit them starting August 20th at the KC Campus for Animal Care, located at 7077 Elmwood Avenue.

31 animals rescued from 'deplorable conditions' in Kansas City

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Drivers continue traveling far above the posted speed limits across Kansas. Since August 19, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported on social media five instances of driver stopped and cited for speeds well over 100mph

On Wednesday KHP Lieutenant Davis stopped a driver traveling 104 mph in a 75 mph zone in Dickinson County. 

Excessive speed endangers everyone. Please slow down and drive safely.&nbsp;Report aggressive drivers on the highways to *47.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724271796346.png" alt="photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Drivers continue traveling far above the posted speed limits across Kansas. Since August 19, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported on social media five instances of driver stopped and cited for speeds well over 100mphOn Wednesday KHP Lieutenant Davis stopped a driver traveling 104 mph in a 75 mph zone in Dickinson County. Excessive speed endangers everyone. Please slow down and drive safely.&nbsp;Report aggressive drivers on the highways to *47.

KHP reports driver traveling 104mhp in a 75mph zone

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2022 killing at a Kansas gas station.

Last week, Judge Michael Joyce sentenced 27-year-old Zarrell Finley to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723816973690.png" alt="Finley-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Finley-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a 2022 killing at a Kansas gas station.Last week, Judge Michael Joyce sentenced 27-year-old Zarrell Finley to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In July, a jury found Finley guilty of first degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723924030852.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 4:30p.m. July 31, 2022, police responded to report of a shooting at a BP gas station in the 8600 Block of College Boulevard, according to a media release from Overland Park police.They found&nbsp; 26-year-old Shaquille Jackson of Kansas City, Missouri with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.An FBI Fugitive task force tracked Finley down and arrested him.&nbsp;