BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;

WASHINGTON — Though the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-plan-reverse-final-title-ix-rule-passes-us-house-biden-says-hed-veto%C2%A0%C2%A0" target="_blank">final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ students went into effect nationwide Thursday, a slew of legal challenges has temporarily blocked over half of all states from enforcing the updated regulations.

After the Department of Education&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">released the final rule</a>&nbsp;in April, 26 states — all with GOP attorneys general — rushed to challenge the measure. Given the myriad legal challenges, the updated regulations only went into effect Thursday in 24 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, celebrated the final rule on Thursday during a briefing.

Cardona said the updated regulations “are the culmination of a lengthy and thorough process that included unprecedented public input from students, parents, educators, administrators, experts and other stakeholders.”

“These regulations make crystal clear that everyone has the right to schools that respect their rights and offer safe, welcoming learning environments,” he added.

Lhamon said it’s “a very fluid legal environment” and the department continues “to defend the rule we believe in in these cases, with the Department of Justice as our counsel in the courts.”

“We anticipated this moment when we were finalizing the 2024 regulations, and we know they are legally sound,” she said, noting that the department has appealed the injunctions that have so far been issued and sought clarification of their application.

“While the appeals of these rulings are pending, we have asked the United States Supreme Court to allow the unchallenged provisions — which are the bulk of the final rule —&nbsp; to take effect in the enjoined states as scheduled,” Lhamon said.

But the Supreme Court has yet to decide on that emergency request, which came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24A78/319569/20240722154922885_Title%20IX%20Louisiana%20Stay%20Application.pdf" target="_blank">pair</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24A79/319576/20240722155838924_Title%20IX%20Tennessee%20Stay%20Application.pdf" target="_blank">filings</a>&nbsp;from U.S. Solicitor General&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/07/federal-government-asks-court-to-allow-enforcement-of-title-ix-rule/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Prelogar</a>&nbsp;last week.

The final rule “protects against discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics,” per the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-final-title-ix-regulations-providing-vital-protections-against-sex-discrimination" target="_blank">department</a>. The updated regulations are also aimed at “restoring and strengthening full protection from sexual violence and other sex-based harassment.”

The administration initially&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/appeals-court-blocks-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-kids-reversing-alabama-federal-judge-0" target="_blank">scored a legal win</a>&nbsp;Tuesday when an Alabama federal judge rejected an attempt by Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to halt enforcement of the final rule. But a federal appeals court granted the states’ request for an administrative injunction Wednesday, which temporarily blocked the final rule from taking effect in those Southern states.

Judge Jodi W. Dishman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma also&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.126841/gov.uscourts.okwd.126841.48.0.pdf" target="_blank">halted the final rule</a>&nbsp;from taking effect in the state on Wednesday after the state individually sued the administration back in May.

The final rule is temporarily blocked in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

But the challenges to Title IX span beyond the 26 states that initially sued the administration —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scag.gov/media/pskl4phx/ks-v-u-s-dept-of-education-list-of-schools-enjoined.pdf" target="_blank">affecting schools</a>&nbsp;across the country.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/03/kansas-judge-issues-injunction-blocking-new-federal-anti-discrimination-rules-in-education/">Judge John Broomes</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">expanded the temporary blockage</a>&nbsp;to also include “the schools attended by the members of Young America’s Foundation or Female Athletes United, as well as the schools attended by the children of the members of Moms for Liberty.”

These groups sued alongside Kansas, Alaska, Utah and Wyoming earlier this year.

Congressional Republicans have fiercely opposed the final rule.

In July, the GOP-controlled House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-plan-reverse-final-title-ix-rule-passes-us-house-biden-says-hed-veto%C2%A0%C2%A0" target="_blank">passed a measure</a>&nbsp;to reverse the updated regulations under the Congressional Review Act — a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.

But the measure is unlikely to find success in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have pushed back against GOP-led efforts to block the final rule from taking effect.

“Every student in this country deserves access to an education without fear of bullying and discrimination,” Brandon Wolf, national press secretary for the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, said in an emailed statement to States Newsroom.

“But MAGA politicians, promoting blatant discrimination, have fueled eight preliminary injunctions blocking enforcement of the Biden administration’s new Title IX rules in 26 states.”

Wolf added that “we must continue to fight for LGBTQ+ students across the country because everyone deserves a safe educational experience — full stop.”

Meanwhile, the department has yet to decide on a separate rule establishing new criteria regarding transgender athletes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711150983660.png" alt="File photo U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus in 2023-photo KU" />
 <figcaption>File photo U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus in 2023-photo KU</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — Though the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-plan-reverse-final-title-ix-rule-passes-us-house-biden-says-hed-veto%C2%A0%C2%A0" target="_blank">final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;extending federal protections for LGBTQ students went into effect nationwide Thursday, a slew of legal challenges has temporarily blocked over half of all states from enforcing the updated regulations.After the Department of Education&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">released the final rule</a>&nbsp;in April, 26 states — all with GOP attorneys general — rushed to challenge the measure. Given the myriad legal challenges, the updated regulations only went into effect Thursday in 24 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, celebrated the final rule on Thursday during a briefing.Cardona said the updated regulations “are the culmination of a lengthy and thorough process that included unprecedented public input from students, parents, educators, administrators, experts and other stakeholders.”“These regulations make crystal clear that everyone has the right to schools that respect their rights and offer safe, welcoming learning environments,” he added.Lhamon said it’s “a very fluid legal environment” and the department continues “to defend the rule we believe in in these cases, with the Department of Justice as our counsel in the courts.”“We anticipated this moment when we were finalizing the 2024 regulations, and we know they are legally sound,” she said, noting that the department has appealed the injunctions that have so far been issued and sought clarification of their application.“While the appeals of these rulings are pending, we have asked the United States Supreme Court to allow the unchallenged provisions — which are the bulk of the final rule —&nbsp; to take effect in the enjoined states as scheduled,” Lhamon said.But the Supreme Court has yet to decide on that emergency request, which came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24A78/319569/20240722154922885_Title%20IX%20Louisiana%20Stay%20Application.pdf" target="_blank">pair</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24A79/319576/20240722155838924_Title%20IX%20Tennessee%20Stay%20Application.pdf" target="_blank">filings</a>&nbsp;from U.S. Solicitor General&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/07/federal-government-asks-court-to-allow-enforcement-of-title-ix-rule/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Prelogar</a>&nbsp;last week.<h2>Discrimination protection</h2>The final rule “protects against discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics,” per the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-final-title-ix-regulations-providing-vital-protections-against-sex-discrimination" target="_blank">department</a>. The updated regulations are also aimed at “restoring and strengthening full protection from sexual violence and other sex-based harassment.”The administration initially&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/appeals-court-blocks-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-kids-reversing-alabama-federal-judge-0" target="_blank">scored a legal win</a>&nbsp;Tuesday when an Alabama federal judge rejected an attempt by Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to halt enforcement of the final rule. But a federal appeals court granted the states’ request for an administrative injunction Wednesday, which temporarily blocked the final rule from taking effect in those Southern states.Judge Jodi W. Dishman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma also&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.126841/gov.uscourts.okwd.126841.48.0.pdf" target="_blank">halted the final rule</a>&nbsp;from taking effect in the state on Wednesday after the state individually sued the administration back in May.The final rule is temporarily blocked in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.<h2>Challenges affect more schools</h2>But the challenges to Title IX span beyond the 26 states that initially sued the administration —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scag.gov/media/pskl4phx/ks-v-u-s-dept-of-education-list-of-schools-enjoined.pdf" target="_blank">affecting schools</a>&nbsp;across the country.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/03/kansas-judge-issues-injunction-blocking-new-federal-anti-discrimination-rules-in-education/">Judge John Broomes</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">expanded the temporary blockage</a>&nbsp;to also include “the schools attended by the members of Young America’s Foundation or Female Athletes United, as well as the schools attended by the children of the members of Moms for Liberty.”These groups sued alongside Kansas, Alaska, Utah and Wyoming earlier this year.<h2>House GOP tries to stop rule</h2>Congressional Republicans have fiercely opposed the final rule.In July, the GOP-controlled House&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-plan-reverse-final-title-ix-rule-passes-us-house-biden-says-hed-veto%C2%A0%C2%A0" target="_blank">passed a measure</a>&nbsp;to reverse the updated regulations under the Congressional Review Act — a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.But the measure is unlikely to find success in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.<h2>LGBTQ+ students</h2>LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have pushed back against GOP-led efforts to block the final rule from taking effect.“Every student in this country deserves access to an education without fear of bullying and discrimination,” Brandon Wolf, national press secretary for the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, said in an emailed statement to States Newsroom.“But MAGA politicians, promoting blatant discrimination, have fueled eight preliminary injunctions blocking enforcement of the Biden administration’s new Title IX rules in 26 states.”Wolf added that “we must continue to fight for LGBTQ+ students across the country because everyone deserves a safe educational experience — full stop.”Meanwhile, the department has yet to decide on a separate rule establishing new criteria regarding transgender athletes.

Much-attacked final Title IX rule goes into effect while still blocked in 26 states

SEDGWICK COUNTY —City Manager Robert Layton declared that Wichita is moving to Stage 2 of the City’s drought response plan, according to a statement released Thursday.

 In July, levels at Cheney Reservoir dropped below the original Stage 2 trigger of a 12-month average of Cheney conservation pool water levels below 69% full.

Staff determined that the most prudent action at this time is to enact Stage 2 restrictions for two months to get the City past prime irrigation season with a goal to reduce community-wide usage by 10%. The City will monitor levels and will extend Stage 2 into the fall months if necessary.

Beginning August 5, all City of Wichita water customers, including residential users, businesses, wholesale and commercial customers, will be limited to watering their lawns to once a week, based on their location.

Outdoor water usage is limited to one day per week, determined by location:

o Monday - Northwest of Central and Broadway intersection

o Tuesday - Northeast of Central and Broadway intersection

o Wednesday - Southwest of Central and Broadway intersection

o Thursday - Southeast of Central and Broadway intersection

o Friday, Saturday, Sunday - no outdoor water usage allowed

Some exemptions for businesses dependent on water use for their operations such as nurseries, hospitals, car washes and more are applicable. Wichita Public Works staff will monitor accounts of excessive water users and send a warning letter should water use continue to be high throughout Stage 2 restrictions. 

If high water use continues after they receive a letter, water users will be levied a $50 penalty the next time they exceed their average winter consumption, and a $100 penalty for each subsequent violation.

Consumers with water usage or drought concerns may report them on the Wichita Report app or by contacting the call center at (316) 942-4482.

Residents on well water or who use well water for irrigation are encouraged to continue to conserve water but are exempt from outdoor watering restrictions.

The City enacted Stage 2 water restrictions for its operations voluntarily in 2023. Stage 3 would be discussed should water levels within Cheney’s conservation pool reach a 12-month average of below 50%.

<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/499/Save-Wichita-Water">Click here for more</a> tips and information on Wichita’s drought response.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722530622759.png" alt="Stage 2 drought watering schedule-image city of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Stage 2 drought watering schedule-image city of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —City Manager Robert Layton declared that Wichita is moving to Stage 2 of the City’s drought response plan, according to a statement released Thursday. In July, levels at Cheney Reservoir dropped below the original Stage 2 trigger of a 12-month average of Cheney conservation pool water levels below 69% full.Staff determined that the most prudent action at this time is to enact Stage 2 restrictions for two months to get the City past prime irrigation season with a goal to reduce community-wide usage by 10%. The City will monitor levels and will extend Stage 2 into the fall months if necessary.Beginning August 5, all City of Wichita water customers, including residential users, businesses, wholesale and commercial customers, will be limited to watering their lawns to once a week, based on their location.Outdoor water usage is limited to one day per week, determined by location:o Monday - Northwest of Central and Broadway intersectiono Tuesday - Northeast of Central and Broadway intersectiono Wednesday - Southwest of Central and Broadway intersectiono Thursday - Southeast of Central and Broadway intersectiono Friday, Saturday, Sunday - no outdoor water usage allowedSome exemptions for businesses dependent on water use for their operations such as nurseries, hospitals, car washes and more are applicable. Wichita Public Works staff will monitor accounts of excessive water users and send a warning letter should water use continue to be high throughout Stage 2 restrictions. If high water use continues after they receive a letter, water users will be levied a $50 penalty the next time they exceed their average winter consumption, and a $100 penalty for each subsequent violation.Consumers with water usage or drought concerns may report them on the Wichita Report app or by contacting the call center at (316) 942-4482.Residents on well water or who use well water for irrigation are encouraged to continue to conserve water but are exempt from outdoor watering restrictions.The City enacted Stage 2 water restrictions for its operations voluntarily in 2023. Stage 3 would be discussed should water levels within Cheney’s conservation pool reach a 12-month average of below 50%.<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/499/Save-Wichita-Water">Click here for more</a> tips and information on Wichita’s drought response.

Mandatory water restrictions set to begin in Wichita 

KANSAS CITY —A man and woman have been charged with failing to protect a toddler from substantial risk, resulting&nbsp;&nbsp;in the death of the child, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Moses Lee Bass, 31, and Destiny Leeann Randle, 29, of both of Independence each faced the class A felony of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree.

According to court records, on the morning of July 29, police officers in&nbsp; responded to a call that an infant had fallen from an apartment window, eight stories above the ground.

Officers arrived as fire crews were conducting life-saving measures on the child, located on the ground next to children's toys. 

The father of the child told police he had left the child with his girlfriend and gone to take the dog out. Randle told police she was in a bedroom in the apartment and the window that the child fell from was closed and secured. She told police she knew the window did not properly lock. She and Bass usually secure it with a blue pole, she stated.&nbsp; When officers checked the room they saw no blue pole. Three children were placed in custody of Children's Division and transported to the Child Protection Center for forensic interviews. Defendants told police they knew of the safety hazards with the window that couldn't be kept closed or locked.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722474041203.png" alt="Bass photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bass photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A man and woman have been charged with failing to protect a toddler from substantial risk, resulting&nbsp;&nbsp;in the death of the child, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Moses Lee Bass, 31, and Destiny Leeann Randle, 29, of both of Independence each faced the class A felony of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722283328393.png" alt="Independence Towers where the tragedy occurred -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Independence Towers where the tragedy occurred -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, on the morning of July 29, police officers in&nbsp; responded to a call that an infant had fallen from an apartment window, eight stories above the ground.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722474098361.png" alt="Randle photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Randle photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers arrived as fire crews were conducting life-saving measures on the child, located on the ground next to children's toys. The father of the child told police he had left the child with his girlfriend and gone to take the dog out. Randle told police she was in a bedroom in the apartment and the window that the child fell from was closed and secured. She told police she knew the window did not properly lock. She and Bass usually secure it with a blue pole, she stated.&nbsp; When officers checked the room they saw no blue pole. Three children were placed in custody of Children's Division and transported to the Child Protection Center for forensic interviews. Defendants told police they knew of the safety hazards with the window that couldn't be kept closed or locked.Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond.

Records: Father knew window was broken before toddler fell to his death

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A look at some of those released Thursday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-d803e266cb4e60135ec5d668d684529f">largest East-West civilian prisoner swap</a>&nbsp;since the Cold War:

EVAN GERSHKOVICH,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1">a Wall Street Journal reporter</a>, was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023. Without providing evidence, authorities accused him of “gathering secret information” at the CIA’s behest about a military equipment factory — an allegation that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently denied. Jailed since then, a court convicted Gershkovich, 32, of espionage in July after a closed trial and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.

PAUL WHELAN, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-politics-paul-whelan-united-states-government-russia-12269e0de0292a5cd590f034b2700b36">corporate security executive</a>&nbsp;from Michigan, was arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he was attending a friend’s wedding. He was accused of espionage, convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan, 54, has rejected the charges as fabricated.

ILYA YASHIN is a prominent Kremlin critic who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-moscow-ukraine-government-ilya-yashin-russia-2967e1e91816f74eaab8cb7cd661eec6">serving an 8 1/2-year sentence</a>&nbsp;for criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Yashin, a former member of a Moscow municipal council, was one of the few well-known opposition activists to stay in Russia since the war.

RICO KRIEGER,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">a German medical worker</a>, was convicted in Belarus of terrorism charges in June, and sentenced to death. He was pardoned Tuesday by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

VADIM KRASIKOV was convicted in 2021 of shooting to death Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity, in a Berlin park. The German judges concluded it was an assassination ordered by the Russian security services.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-krasikov-navalny-prisoner-swap-russia-germany-db84e1f39b8c5dc0cbeedf3bcd22860c">Krasikov, 58,</a>&nbsp;was sentenced to life imprisonment. President Vladimir Putin this year hinted at a possible swap for Krasikov.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American former U.S. Marine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>&nbsp;in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.

The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.

The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries. But the release of Americans has come at a price: Russia has secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and other Westerners convicted and sentenced in a highly politicized legal system on charges the U.S. considers bogus.

In a statement posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist working for the broadcaster,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, would be released as part of the deal.

Capus said the broadcaster welcomed ’’news of Alsu’s imminent release and are grateful to the American government and all who worked tirelessly to end her unjust treatment by Russia.” Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.

The deal would be the latest exchange in the last two years between Washington and Moscow, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-middle-east-united-states-government-and-politics-5b4736d2428014066683605731affa8a">a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout and a swap earlier that year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

President Joe Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In his Oval Office address to the American people discussing his recent decision to drop his bid for a second term, the Democrat said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”

Russia has long been interested in getting back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startingly quick trial and conviction for Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;that Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.

Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.

Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

He had more than a dozen closed hearings over the extension of his pretrial detention or appeals for his release. He was taken to the courthouse in handcuffs and appeared in the defendants’ cage, often smiling for the many cameras.

U.S. officials last year made an offer to swap Gershkovich that was rejected by Russia, and Biden’s Democratic administration had not made public any possible deals since then.

Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. have also said were false and trumped up, and he is serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Whelan had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including those involving Reed and Griner.

Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lee from Mongolia. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681820900687.png" alt="File photo Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)</figcaption>
 </figure>TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A look at some of those released Thursday in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-gershkovich-whelan-d803e266cb4e60135ec5d668d684529f">largest East-West civilian prisoner swap</a>&nbsp;since the Cold War:<h2>Released by Russia and Belarus</h2>EVAN GERSHKOVICH,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1">a Wall Street Journal reporter</a>, was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023. Without providing evidence, authorities accused him of “gathering secret information” at the CIA’s behest about a military equipment factory — an allegation that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently denied. Jailed since then, a court convicted Gershkovich, 32, of espionage in July after a closed trial and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.PAUL WHELAN, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-politics-paul-whelan-united-states-government-russia-12269e0de0292a5cd590f034b2700b36">corporate security executive</a>&nbsp;from Michigan, was arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he was attending a friend’s wedding. He was accused of espionage, convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan, 54, has rejected the charges as fabricated.ILYA YASHIN is a prominent Kremlin critic who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-moscow-ukraine-government-ilya-yashin-russia-2967e1e91816f74eaab8cb7cd661eec6">serving an 8 1/2-year sentence</a>&nbsp;for criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Yashin, a former member of a Moscow municipal council, was one of the few well-known opposition activists to stay in Russia since the war.RICO KRIEGER,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">a German medical worker</a>, was convicted in Belarus of terrorism charges in June, and sentenced to death. He was pardoned Tuesday by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.<h2>Released by Germany</h2>VADIM KRASIKOV was convicted in 2021 of shooting to death Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity, in a Berlin park. The German judges concluded it was an assassination ordered by the Russian security services.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vadim-krasikov-navalny-prisoner-swap-russia-germany-db84e1f39b8c5dc0cbeedf3bcd22860c">Krasikov, 58,</a>&nbsp;was sentenced to life imprisonment. President Vladimir Putin this year hinted at a possible swap for Krasikov.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/evan-gershkovich">Evan Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;and fellow American former U.S. Marine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan</a>&nbsp;in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine</a>.The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries. But the release of Americans has come at a price: Russia has secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and other Westerners convicted and sentenced in a highly politicized legal system on charges the U.S. considers bogus.In a statement posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist working for the broadcaster,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e">Alsu Kurmasheva</a>, would be released as part of the deal.Capus said the broadcaster welcomed ’’news of Alsu’s imminent release and are grateful to the American government and all who worked tirelessly to end her unjust treatment by Russia.” Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military, accusations her family and employer have rejected.The deal would be the latest exchange in the last two years between Washington and Moscow, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-middle-east-united-states-government-and-politics-5b4736d2428014066683605731affa8a">a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout and a swap earlier that year of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trevor-reed-russia-prisoner-marine-ukraine-bdfe9b245571f479c25a09d1872ac726">Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.President Joe Biden placed securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top of his foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In his Oval Office address to the American people discussing his recent decision to drop his bid for a second term, the Democrat said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”Russia has long been interested in getting back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/belarus-german-sentenced-krieger-lukashenko-krasikov-f7d3d4c18245487557623c27664aedaf">Vadim Krasikov</a>, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.">a startingly quick trial and conviction for Gershkovich</a>&nbsp;that Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.Also in recent days,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-prisoners-dissident-yashin-06e10d17e2552393b6c517e6022103cf">several other figures imprisoned</a>&nbsp;in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work with the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, he moved to the country in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times newspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.He had more than a dozen closed hearings over the extension of his pretrial detention or appeals for his release. He was taken to the courthouse in handcuffs and appeared in the defendants’ cage, often smiling for the many cameras.U.S. officials last year made an offer to swap Gershkovich that was rejected by Russia, and Biden’s Democratic administration had not made public any possible deals since then.Gershkovich was designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. have also said were false and trumped up, and he is serving a 16-year prison sentence.Whelan had been excluded from prior high-profile deals involving Russia, including those involving Reed and Griner.____Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lee from Mongolia. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

History: Reporter, ex-Marine free after massive U.S., Russia prisoner swap 

KANSAS CITY—Two Texas men made their initial appearances after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment on charges related to stolen merchandise, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Gerald Ditz, 31, and Michael Alaniz, 35, both of El Paso, Texas, are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of mail fraud.

Between May 2023 and May 2024, Ditz and Alaniz are accused of using their employment at a freight-contracting company that serves a train station in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, to unlawfully obtain Garmin brand watches that were in transit to Garmin’s warehouse in Olathe, Kansas. Ditz and Alaniz allegedly sold dozens of the stolen Garmin watches over the Internet to unwitting buyers.

According to the indictment, in addition to the watches allegedly associated with or sold by Ditz and Alaniz, other watches stolen from the Garmin shipping container have registrations that appear to be connected to more than a dozen individuals (approximately fifteen percent of the workforce) assigned or formerly assigned at the Santa Teresa train station.

Ditz made his initial court appearance on July 29, 2024, before a Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Texas. Alaniz made his initial court appearance July 30, 2024, before a Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Texas.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722457994982.png" alt="Photo Garmin" />
 <figcaption>Photo Garmin</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Two Texas men made their initial appearances after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment on charges related to stolen merchandise, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Gerald Ditz, 31, and Michael Alaniz, 35, both of El Paso, Texas, are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, one count of mail and wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of mail fraud.Between May 2023 and May 2024, Ditz and Alaniz are accused of using their employment at a freight-contracting company that serves a train station in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, to unlawfully obtain Garmin brand watches that were in transit to Garmin’s warehouse in Olathe, Kansas. Ditz and Alaniz allegedly sold dozens of the stolen Garmin watches over the Internet to unwitting buyers.According to the indictment, in addition to the watches allegedly associated with or sold by Ditz and Alaniz, other watches stolen from the Garmin shipping container have registrations that appear to be connected to more than a dozen individuals (approximately fifteen percent of the workforce) assigned or formerly assigned at the Santa Teresa train station.Ditz made his initial court appearance on July 29, 2024, before a Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Texas. Alaniz made his initial court appearance July 30, 2024, before a Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Texas.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case

Two accused of selling watches stolen from Kan. based company

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-1e96aa530e88013ed6f577feaf89ccb6">false assertions about her race</a>&nbsp;were the “same old show" as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November.

Addressing the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — one of "Divine Nine" historically Black fraternities and sororities — in Houston, Harris told the crowd, "When I look out at everyone here, I see family.”

She drew knowing chuckles from the audience as she mentioned Trump’s comments earlier in the day at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists. Trump said Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past promoted only her Indian heritage.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the NABJ in Chicago</a>.

Harris responded briefly during her address to the sorority, saying Trump's display was "the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect.”

She added: “And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better.”

“Our differences do not divide us, they are an essential source of our strength,” Harris said.

Referencing the combative tone of Trump's interview at the NABJ convention, she said, “The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts.”

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Speaking to Sigma Gamma Rho members, Harris said, “Our nation is counting on you" to register people to vote and ensure they go to the polls. “When we organize, mountains move," she said.

Black Greek life is often seen as a lifelong involvement, leading many members to return to regular gatherings — or “boulés” in the organizations’ phrasing — that gather tens of thousands of members each. Harris has attended three such events in the last month, including the boulé for her own sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

The Divine Nine organizations, which are officially apolitical, emphasize public service as a mission and have deep networks in politics, business and media.

June Penny, 66, of Georgia, an attendee at Harris' speech in Houston, said Trump’s comments about Harris’ race reminded her of how he tried to discredit then-President Barack Obama.

“I’m not surprised he would try to find something like that,” Penny said.

She said Trump’s views don’t reflect the reality of race in the country, noting, “I have biracial grandchildren” -- her son-in-law is white -- “and the world views them as black.”

More than 30 members of Congress are affiliated with a Black Greek letter organization. Close advisers to President Joe Biden, including Stephen Benjamin, Cedric Richmond and Keisha Lance Bottoms, are members of Divine Nine organizations. Harris has welcomed such connections to staff her operation and build her own network in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-1e96aa530e88013ed6f577feaf89ccb6">false assertions about her race</a>&nbsp;were the “same old show" as she emphasized the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> reacts to former President Trump: &quot;The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1tqNGPIpLo">pic.twitter.com/1tqNGPIpLo</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818817157704061039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Addressing the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. — one of "Divine Nine" historically Black fraternities and sororities — in Houston, Harris told the crowd, "When I look out at everyone here, I see family.”She drew knowing chuckles from the audience as she mentioned Trump’s comments earlier in the day at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists. Trump said Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past promoted only her Indian heritage.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on Vice President Kamala Harris: &quot;She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person. I think somebody should look into that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RpEuRq6p5m">pic.twitter.com/RpEuRq6p5m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818717916285509891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the NABJ in Chicago</a>.Harris responded briefly during her address to the sorority, saying Trump's display was "the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect.”She added: “And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better.”“Our differences do not divide us, they are an essential source of our strength,” Harris said.Referencing the combative tone of Trump's interview at the NABJ convention, she said, “The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts.”Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.Speaking to Sigma Gamma Rho members, Harris said, “Our nation is counting on you" to register people to vote and ensure they go to the polls. “When we organize, mountains move," she said.Black Greek life is often seen as a lifelong involvement, leading many members to return to regular gatherings — or “boulés” in the organizations’ phrasing — that gather tens of thousands of members each. Harris has attended three such events in the last month, including the boulé for her own sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.The Divine Nine organizations, which are officially apolitical, emphasize public service as a mission and have deep networks in politics, business and media.June Penny, 66, of Georgia, an attendee at Harris' speech in Houston, said Trump’s comments about Harris’ race reminded her of how he tried to discredit then-President Barack Obama.“I’m not surprised he would try to find something like that,” Penny said.She said Trump’s views don’t reflect the reality of race in the country, noting, “I have biracial grandchildren” -- her son-in-law is white -- “and the world views them as black.”More than 30 members of Congress are affiliated with a Black Greek letter organization. Close advisers to President Joe Biden, including Stephen Benjamin, Cedric Richmond and Keisha Lance Bottoms, are members of Divine Nine organizations. Harris has welcomed such connections to staff her operation and build her own network in Washington.

🎥Vice President Harris blasts Trump’s claim that she 'became Black'

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting in Wichita.

Just before&nbsp; 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, police officers conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of Hillside, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

 During the stop, the officers told the rear-seat passenger, who was a suspect, that he was going to be detained and asked him to get out of the vehicle. 

The suspect refused multiple verbal commands, leading to a struggle. The suspect was able to free himself from the officers while still seated in the vehicle and then produced a firearm. 

The officers retreated to the rear of the vehicle while shouting "gun, gun, gun."&nbsp; As they did so, a gunshot was heard from inside the vehicle. This caused the officers to fear for their safety, prompting them to return fire inside the vehicle, striking the suspect. 

The suspect was pronounced dead on scene at 11:26p.m. by Sedgwick County EMS.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722508150709.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting in Wichita.Just before&nbsp; 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, police officers conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of Hillside, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford. During the stop, the officers told the rear-seat passenger, who was a suspect, that he was going to be detained and asked him to get out of the vehicle. The suspect refused multiple verbal commands, leading to a struggle. The suspect was able to free himself from the officers while still seated in the vehicle and then produced a firearm. The officers retreated to the rear of the vehicle while shouting "gun, gun, gun."&nbsp; As they did so, a gunshot was heard from inside the vehicle. This caused the officers to fear for their safety, prompting them to return fire inside the vehicle, striking the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead on scene at 11:26p.m. by Sedgwick County EMS.The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the investigation.

Man dead after Kansas officer-involved shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife attack outside a gentlemen's club in Derby.

At approximately 2:18 a.m. on Wednesday, police were dispatched to a cutting call at 1430 N. Nelson Drive in Derby, according to a media release.

On arrival, officers made contact with two 29-year-old men in a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had injuries consistent with those from a knife. The victims reported being in an altercation in the parking lot of Michelle’s Beach House in the 200 block of W. Greenway. 

The victims were transported to Wesley Hospital. One was treated and released; the other was still in the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Detectives and police officers conducted further investigation, interviews and evidence collection. All individuals involved have been contacted and interviewed.&nbsp; A 21-year-old woman from Newton identified as Kayndal Jo Peck, according to arrest records, was taken into custody.&nbsp;

A knife was found in a vehicle associated with Peck, according to Police. Derby Detectives are following up with any potential witnesses. Peck is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Derby Police Department at 316-788-1557 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722509132457.png" alt="Peck-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peck-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent knife attack outside a gentlemen's club in Derby.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722453695356.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>At approximately 2:18 a.m. on Wednesday, police were dispatched to a cutting call at 1430 N. Nelson Drive in Derby, according to a media release.On arrival, officers made contact with two 29-year-old men in a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had injuries consistent with those from a knife. The victims reported being in an altercation in the parking lot of Michelle’s Beach House in the 200 block of W. Greenway. The victims were transported to Wesley Hospital. One was treated and released; the other was still in the hospital Wednesday afternoon.Detectives and police officers conducted further investigation, interviews and evidence collection. All individuals involved have been contacted and interviewed.&nbsp; A 21-year-old woman from Newton identified as Kayndal Jo Peck, according to arrest records, was taken into custody.&nbsp;A knife was found in a vehicle associated with Peck, according to Police. Derby Detectives are following up with any potential witnesses. Peck is being held on requested charges of aggravated battery on a $75,000 bond, according to online jail records.All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Anyone with information is asked to call the Derby Police Department at 316-788-1557 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Kan. woman jailed for stabbing outside gentlemen's club

JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. —Fire crews 60 miles southeast of Kansas City made a daring rescue this week.

On Tuesday afternoon,&nbsp; the Warrensburg Fire Department responded to a mutual aid request from the Higginsville Fire Protection District to rescue of a worker that was stuck on the side of a water tower due to a safety equipment malfunction, according to a media release.

 The worker was in a safety harness with fall protection devices.  One of the devices locked or seized up.  The worker was stranded approximately 100 feet off the ground.

 Crews responded in a tower ladder truck with technical rescue equipment and were able to quickly remove him from the side of the water tower. 

 From arrival on scene to the patient being transferred to EMS care was 18 minutes. 

The Warrensburg Fire Department wrote, "We are glad we could assist our neighboring department and bring the situation to a positive outcome. "

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722473584826.png" alt="Photo Warrensburg Fire Dept." />
 <figcaption>Photo Warrensburg Fire Dept.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. —Fire crews 60 miles southeast of Kansas City made a daring rescue this week.On Tuesday afternoon,&nbsp; the Warrensburg Fire Department responded to a mutual aid request from the Higginsville Fire Protection District to rescue of a worker that was stuck on the side of a water tower due to a safety equipment malfunction, according to a media release. The worker was in a safety harness with fall protection devices. One of the devices locked or seized up. The worker was stranded approximately 100 feet off the ground.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722473823597.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> Crews responded in a tower ladder truck with technical rescue equipment and were able to quickly remove him from the side of the water tower. From arrival on scene to the patient being transferred to EMS care was 18 minutes. The Warrensburg Fire Department wrote, "We are glad we could assist our neighboring department and bring the situation to a positive outcome. "

 Firefighters rescue stranded utility worker trapped on water tower

KYIV (AP)— <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;has received the first F-16 fighter jets that it has sought for months to fight back against an onslaught of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian</a>&nbsp;missile strikes, a U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press.

A Ukrainian lawmaker also confirmed Ukraine had received a small number of F-16 fighter jets. The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the subject publicly.

Ukraine has been pushing its Western allies for F-16s for Ukraine for months, saying they were critically needed to fight back against the onslaught of missiles Russia has fired against it. The F-16 is specialized in suppressing enemy air defenses. The West has hesitantly moved toward providing the jets, after previous concerns that arming Ukraine with advanced weaponry would further escalate the war with Russia.

The U.S. has also been training Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the jets and has already graduated the first group of pilots on its operation.

During his visit to Washington earlier this month for the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed NATO allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-summit-ukraine-russia-china-biden-66656f03cd5e203d4074bdb2ead8abd8">remove all limitations</a>&nbsp;on how Western-provided weapons are used, specifically allowing Ukraine to fire Western-provided weapons against an expanded set of Russian targets.

It’s not clear how many jets were provided in the first tranche or which nations provided them. The Ukrainian government has not confirmed receipt of the jets.

U.S. President Joe Biden authorized sending the U.S.-built warplanes to Ukraine in August 2023. That came after months of pressure from Kyiv and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-f16-decision-russia-64538af7c10489d7c2243dadbad31008">internal debate</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. administration where officials feared the move could escalate tensions with the Kremlin.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway — all NATO members — have committed to providing Ukraine with more than 60 planes. That number is dwarfed by the Russian jet fighter fleet, which is estimated to be around 10 times larger.

Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-offensive-aid-16e276766b7100485fe97b674700ac6c">needs at least 130</a>&nbsp;F-16 fighter jets to neutralize Russian air power, Ukrainian officials say. F-16s can fly up to twice the speed of sound and have a maximum range of more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers).

The arrival of the jets was first reported by Bloomberg.

Andrew Meldrum in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this story.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718381433841.png" alt="File photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TARA%20COPP%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By TARA COPP&nbsp;</a>KYIV (AP)— <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;has received the first F-16 fighter jets that it has sought for months to fight back against an onslaught of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russian</a>&nbsp;missile strikes, a U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press.A Ukrainian lawmaker also confirmed Ukraine had received a small number of F-16 fighter jets. The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the subject publicly.Ukraine has been pushing its Western allies for F-16s for Ukraine for months, saying they were critically needed to fight back against the onslaught of missiles Russia has fired against it. The F-16 is specialized in suppressing enemy air defenses. The West has hesitantly moved toward providing the jets, after previous concerns that arming Ukraine with advanced weaponry would further escalate the war with Russia.The U.S. has also been training Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the jets and has already graduated the first group of pilots on its operation.During his visit to Washington earlier this month for the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed NATO allies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-summit-ukraine-russia-china-biden-66656f03cd5e203d4074bdb2ead8abd8">remove all limitations</a>&nbsp;on how Western-provided weapons are used, specifically allowing Ukraine to fire Western-provided weapons against an expanded set of Russian targets.It’s not clear how many jets were provided in the first tranche or which nations provided them. The Ukrainian government has not confirmed receipt of the jets.U.S. President Joe Biden authorized sending the U.S.-built warplanes to Ukraine in August 2023. That came after months of pressure from Kyiv and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-f16-decision-russia-64538af7c10489d7c2243dadbad31008">internal debate</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. administration where officials feared the move could escalate tensions with the Kremlin.Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway — all NATO members — have committed to providing Ukraine with more than 60 planes. That number is dwarfed by the Russian jet fighter fleet, which is estimated to be around 10 times larger.Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-offensive-aid-16e276766b7100485fe97b674700ac6c">needs at least 130</a>&nbsp;F-16 fighter jets to neutralize Russian air power, Ukrainian officials say. F-16s can fly up to twice the speed of sound and have a maximum range of more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers).The arrival of the jets was first reported by Bloomberg.—-Andrew Meldrum in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this story.

Ukraine finally has  American-made F-16 jets to fight Russia

KANSAS CITY—One person died in standing outside a vehicle after accident&nbsp; Wednesday in Kansas City.

 A Ram 1500 was westbound on 210 Highway and had stopped in traffic and just prior to the light at North Norfleet, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez

A westbound Hyundai Accent was unable to stop in time and rear-ended f the Ram 1500. Both drivers exited their vehicles and 9-1-1 was called. 

While waiting for the Police to arrive, the driver of the Hyundai was standing by his driver's door, on the yellow line, south shoulder of the roadway. 

Just after 6a.m., the driver of a westbound Chevy Silverado did not see the flashers on the Hyundai until the last second.&nbsp; The Silverado swerved to the left and struck the driver of the Hyundai.&nbsp;

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy Silverado was not injured in the collision. All lanes of westbound 210 Highway were closed for about 3 1/2 hours. This is traffic death 55 in 2024 compared to 51 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in standing outside a vehicle after accident&nbsp; Wednesday in Kansas City. A Ram 1500 was westbound on 210 Highway and had stopped in traffic and just prior to the light at North Norfleet, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Officer Alayna GonzalezA westbound Hyundai Accent was unable to stop in time and rear-ended f the Ram 1500. Both drivers exited their vehicles and 9-1-1 was called. While waiting for the Police to arrive, the driver of the Hyundai was standing by his driver's door, on the yellow line, south shoulder of the roadway. Just after 6a.m., the driver of a westbound Chevy Silverado did not see the flashers on the Hyundai until the last second.&nbsp; The Silverado swerved to the left and struck the driver of the Hyundai.&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy Silverado was not injured in the collision. All lanes of westbound 210 Highway were closed for about 3 1/2 hours. This is traffic death 55 in 2024 compared to 51 at this time last year, according to Gonzalez.

KCPD: Man waiting outside car after crash is struck, killed 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused as the mastermind of al-Qaida’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/9-11-a-world-changed">Sept. 11, 2001, attacks</a>&nbsp;on the United States, has agreed to plead guilty, the Defense Department said Wednesday. The development points to a long-delayed resolution in an attack that killed thousands and altered the course of the United States and much of the Middle East.

Mohammed and two accomplices, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, are expected to enter the pleas at the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as soon as next week.

Defense lawyers have requested the men receive life sentences in exchange for the guilty pleas, according to letters from the federal government received by relatives of some of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright on the morning of Sept. 11.

Terry Strada, the head of one group of families of the nearly 3,000 direct victims of the 9/11 attacks, invoked the dozens of relatives who have died while awaiting justice for the killings when she heard news of the plea agreement.

“They were cowards when they planned the attack," she said of the defendants. "And they’re cowards today."

Pentagon officials declined to immediately release the full terms of the plea bargains.

The U.S. agreement with the men comes more than 16 years after their prosecution began for al-Qaida's attack. It comes more than 20 years after militants commandeered four commercial airliners to use as fuel-filled missiles, flying them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.

Al-Qaida hijackers headed a fourth plane to Washington, but crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit, and the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

The attack triggered what President George W. Bush's administration called its war on terror, prompting the U.S. military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and years of U.S. operations against armed extremist groups elsewhere in the Middle East.

The attack and U.S. retaliation brought the overthrow of two governments outright, devastated communities and countries caught in the battle, and played a role in inspiring the 2011 Arab Spring popular uprisings against authoritarian Middle East governments.

At home, the attacks inspired a sharply more militaristic and nationalist turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-20-years-world-affairs-cc497f11743fcbd48b0b3e0c3ed2da5f">American society and culture</a>.

U.S. authorities point to Mohammed as the source of the idea to use planes as weapons. He allegedly received approval from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, whom U.S. forces killed in 2011, to craft what became the 9/11 hijackings and killings.

Authorities captured Mohammed in 2003. Mohammed was subjected to waterboarding 183 times while in CIA custody before coming to Guantanamo, and targeted by other forms of torture and coercive questioning.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guantanamo-detainees-un-investigator-d79ecc69131ea790d95ac901fecb581c">use of torture has proven one of the most formidable obstacles in U.S. efforts</a>&nbsp;to try the men in the military commission at Guantanamo, owing to the inadmissibility of evidence linked to abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/al-qaida-politics-united-states-government-belize-cuba-6037c1e52408df0576ef4e502fda01a4">Torture</a>&nbsp;has accounted for much of the delay of the proceedings, along with the courtroom's location a plane ride away from the United States.

Daphne Eviatar, a director at the Amnesty International USA rights group, said Wednesday she welcomed news of some accountability in the attacks.

She urged the Biden administration to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which holds people taken into custody in the so-called war on terror. Many have since been cleared, but are awaiting approval to leave for other countries.

Additionally, Eviatar said, “the Biden administration must also take all necessary measures to ensure that a program of state-sanctioned enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment will never be perpetrated by the United States again."

Strada, national chairperson of a group of families of victims called 9/11 Families United, had been at Manhattan federal court for a hearing on one of many civil lawsuits when she heard news of the plea agreement.

Strada said many families have just wanted to see the men admit guilt.

“For me personally, I wanted to see a trial,” she said. “And they just took away the justice I was expecting, a trial and the punishment.”

Michael Burke, one of the family members receiving the government notice of the plea bargain, condemned the long wait for justice, and the outcome.

“It took months or a year at the Nuremberg trials,” said Burke, whose fire captain brother Billy died in the collapse of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. “To me, it always been disgraceful that these guys, 23 years later, have not been convicted and punished for their attacks, or the crime. I never understood how it took so long.”

“I think people would be shocked if you could go back in time and tell the people who just watched the towers go down, ‘Oh, hey, in 23 years, these guys who are responsible for this crime we just witnessed are going to be getting plea deals so they can avoid death and serve life in prison," he said.

Burke’s brother, New York City fire captain Billy Burke, ordered his men out but remained on the 27th floor of the North Tower with two men who’d stayed behind: a quadriplegic who, because the elevators had gone out, was essentially stuck there in his wheelchair and that man’s friend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722465359811.jpeg" alt="FILE - This Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 courtroom drawing by artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. military, shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, center, and co-defendant Walid Bin Attash, left, attending a pre-trial session at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The man accused of being the main plotter in al-Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has agreed to plead guilty, The Defense Department said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - This Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 courtroom drawing by artist Janet Hamlin and reviewed by the U.S. military, shows Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, center, and co-defendant Walid Bin Attash, left, attending a pre-trial session at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The man accused of being the main plotter in al-Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has agreed to plead guilty, The Defense Department said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Janet Hamlin, Pool, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused as the mastermind of al-Qaida’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/9-11-a-world-changed">Sept. 11, 2001, attacks</a>&nbsp;on the United States, has agreed to plead guilty, the Defense Department said Wednesday. The development points to a long-delayed resolution in an attack that killed thousands and altered the course of the United States and much of the Middle East.Mohammed and two accomplices, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, are expected to enter the pleas at the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as soon as next week.Defense lawyers have requested the men receive life sentences in exchange for the guilty pleas, according to letters from the federal government received by relatives of some of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright on the morning of Sept. 11.Terry Strada, the head of one group of families of the nearly 3,000 direct victims of the 9/11 attacks, invoked the dozens of relatives who have died while awaiting justice for the killings when she heard news of the plea agreement.“They were cowards when they planned the attack," she said of the defendants. "And they’re cowards today."Pentagon officials declined to immediately release the full terms of the plea bargains.The U.S. agreement with the men comes more than 16 years after their prosecution began for al-Qaida's attack. It comes more than 20 years after militants commandeered four commercial airliners to use as fuel-filled missiles, flying them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.Al-Qaida hijackers headed a fourth plane to Washington, but crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit, and the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.The attack triggered what President George W. Bush's administration called its war on terror, prompting the U.S. military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and years of U.S. operations against armed extremist groups elsewhere in the Middle East.The attack and U.S. retaliation brought the overthrow of two governments outright, devastated communities and countries caught in the battle, and played a role in inspiring the 2011 Arab Spring popular uprisings against authoritarian Middle East governments.At home, the attacks inspired a sharply more militaristic and nationalist turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-20-years-world-affairs-cc497f11743fcbd48b0b3e0c3ed2da5f">American society and culture</a>.U.S. authorities point to Mohammed as the source of the idea to use planes as weapons. He allegedly received approval from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, whom U.S. forces killed in 2011, to craft what became the 9/11 hijackings and killings.Authorities captured Mohammed in 2003. Mohammed was subjected to waterboarding 183 times while in CIA custody before coming to Guantanamo, and targeted by other forms of torture and coercive questioning.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/guantanamo-detainees-un-investigator-d79ecc69131ea790d95ac901fecb581c">use of torture has proven one of the most formidable obstacles in U.S. efforts</a>&nbsp;to try the men in the military commission at Guantanamo, owing to the inadmissibility of evidence linked to abuse.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/al-qaida-politics-united-states-government-belize-cuba-6037c1e52408df0576ef4e502fda01a4">Torture</a>&nbsp;has accounted for much of the delay of the proceedings, along with the courtroom's location a plane ride away from the United States.Daphne Eviatar, a director at the Amnesty International USA rights group, said Wednesday she welcomed news of some accountability in the attacks.She urged the Biden administration to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which holds people taken into custody in the so-called war on terror. Many have since been cleared, but are awaiting approval to leave for other countries.Additionally, Eviatar said, “the Biden administration must also take all necessary measures to ensure that a program of state-sanctioned enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment will never be perpetrated by the United States again."Strada, national chairperson of a group of families of victims called 9/11 Families United, had been at Manhattan federal court for a hearing on one of many civil lawsuits when she heard news of the plea agreement.Strada said many families have just wanted to see the men admit guilt.“For me personally, I wanted to see a trial,” she said. “And they just took away the justice I was expecting, a trial and the punishment.”Michael Burke, one of the family members receiving the government notice of the plea bargain, condemned the long wait for justice, and the outcome.“It took months or a year at the Nuremberg trials,” said Burke, whose fire captain brother Billy died in the collapse of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. “To me, it always been disgraceful that these guys, 23 years later, have not been convicted and punished for their attacks, or the crime. I never understood how it took so long.”“I think people would be shocked if you could go back in time and tell the people who just watched the towers go down, ‘Oh, hey, in 23 years, these guys who are responsible for this crime we just witnessed are going to be getting plea deals so they can avoid death and serve life in prison," he said.Burke’s brother, New York City fire captain Billy Burke, ordered his men out but remained on the 27th floor of the North Tower with two men who’d stayed behind: a quadriplegic who, because the elevators had gone out, was essentially stuck there in his wheelchair and that man’s friend.

9/11 alleged mastermind and 2 other terrorists reach plea deal

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas woman has admitted selling drugs in 2022.

Last week, Angela Lynn Johnson, 52, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to halt the flow of dangerous narcotics coming into our community,” District Attorney Valdez said. Charges stemmed from a multi-agency law enforcement investigation led by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722110685233.png" alt="Johnson photo Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas woman has admitted selling drugs in 2022.Last week, Angela Lynn Johnson, 52, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to five counts of unlawful distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to halt the flow of dangerous narcotics coming into our community,” District Attorney Valdez said. Charges stemmed from a multi-agency law enforcement investigation led by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in 2022.

Kansas woman admits selling methamphetamine

CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;had misled voters about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-black-asian-multiracial-b57f251022d549e38b3c17946347f025">her race</a>&nbsp;as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.

The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the group's annual convention</a>.

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.

Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.

Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris' campaign, said in a statement that “the hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.”

“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in," Tyler said. "Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump's remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”

Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.

During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”

Trump's appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.

“I think it’s disgraceful," Trump said. "I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."

Trump continued his attacks on Scott's network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.

The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying "a Black job is anybody that has a job," drawing groans from the room.

At one point, he said, "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”

The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.

Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.

Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722460473060.png" alt="Image from CSPAN video" />
 <figcaption>Image from CSPAN video</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;had misled voters about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-election-black-asian-multiracial-b57f251022d549e38b3c17946347f025">her race</a>&nbsp;as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on Vice President Kamala Harris: &quot;She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person. I think somebody should look into that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RpEuRq6p5m">pic.twitter.com/RpEuRq6p5m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818717916285509891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-vice-president-f86d6be83bf83fe9b823ae7e21f94796">the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president</a>, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-journalists-convention-nabj-c84311a4e3bec3fe3052236151597d81">addressing the group's annual convention</a>.Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris' campaign, said in a statement that “the hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.”“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in," Tyler said. "Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump's remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”Trump's appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.“I think it’s disgraceful," Trump said. "I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country."Trump continued his attacks on Scott's network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying "a Black job is anybody that has a job," drawing groans from the room.At one point, he said, "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.“Well, they were convicted by a very, very tough system,” he said.At one point, when he was defending his supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said, “Nothing is perfect in life.”He compared the 2021 insurrection to the protests in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-protests-us-news-arrests-minnesota-burglary-bb2404f9b13c8b53b94c73f818f6a0b7">Minneapolis and other cities in 2020</a>&nbsp;following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-gaza-war-congress-joint-session-9a7885972989b2397b49e5b971ffe0e0">more recent protests at the Capitol last week</a>&nbsp;by demonstrators opposed to the war in Gaza. Trump falsely claiming that no one was arrested in those other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.As Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted out: “Sir, have you no shame?”The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among NABJ that spilled online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings in election years.As he campaigns for the White House a third time, Trump has sought to appear outside his traditional strongholds of support and his campaign has touted his efforts to try to win over Black Americans, who have been Democrats’ most committed voting bloc.His campaign has emphasized his messages on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African Americans would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-black-conservative-south-carolina-primary-aa1155c31bfc3b397a32b33eff04ada8">empathize with the criminal charges he has faced</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sneakers-sneaker-con-philadelphia-4de093eda6f8d1c68baf8fe8095f777b">promotion of branded sneakers</a>.Trump and NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words such as “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” to describe Black women journalists.The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in conversation with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in person for a conversation in September.Trump posted on his social media network that he was told he could not do the event virtually.“She declined, and I am getting ready to land in Chicago in order to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I am told that she is doing the Event on ZOOM. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”Trump later Wednesday is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. EDT.