LOS ANGELES (AP) —Actress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-country-music-c5cd1763c84b551f3294ac7826e84d37">Ashley Judd</a>&nbsp;is adding her voice to calls for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-12-2024">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to step aside from the presidential race following his performance in last month's debate, arguing that she worries he could lose to Republican Donald Trump in November.

In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2024/07/12/replace-biden-beat-trump-election/74375107007/">opinion piece</a>&nbsp;for USA Today published on Friday, Judd called on Biden to “voluntarily, gracefully step aside” so that his party can support a “talented, robust Democrat” for the presidency. She described Biden during the debate as “incapable of countering Trump, while he, unchecked, gushed a firehose of galling lies.”

Judd, who has been an outspoken supporter for Biden and other Democrats across the country, noted the political activism that has accompanied her multi-decade Hollywood career. Her allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein helped spark the #MeToo movement.

Warning that she fears Trump “would wield the power of the presidency with unprecedented, incalculable cruelty and unfairness” if voters return him to the White House, Judd said that time is of the essence for Democrats to replace Biden with a candidate who can defeat him.

“We do not have another day for distraction or division among ourselves," she said.

Judd did not posit a possible replacement for Biden atop the ticket, and a representative did not immediately return a message seeking comment as to whom she might suggest.

Her call comes as Democrats consider whether they want Biden to remain as his party's nominee, following concerns over his age and ability to win the general election against Trump.

Earlier this week, movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any in Congress with him as the nominee. He cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-clooney-joe-biden-presidential-race-2024-2419c5a66aac55a5f3cda1e676e6ffde">what he characterized</a>&nbsp;as a diminished Biden during interactions around a Los Angeles fundraiser last month.

Judd&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emhoff-ashley-judd-suicide-prevention-white-house-56fe0dfd60d27216af879d2662f3a9ba">was at the White House in April</a>&nbsp;to help the Biden administration promote its new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/mental-health-substance-abuse/national-strategy-suicide-prevention/index.html">national strategy to prevent suicide</a>, to which she lost her mother, singer Naomi Judd, in 2022. The Biden campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Ashley Judd's piece.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720800758357.png" alt="President Biden waves off a reporter as he left the stage following the press conference on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden waves off a reporter as he left the stage following the press conference on Thursday night -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Actress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-country-music-c5cd1763c84b551f3294ac7826e84d37">Ashley Judd</a>&nbsp;is adding her voice to calls for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-12-2024">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;to step aside from the presidential race following his performance in last month's debate, arguing that she worries he could lose to Republican Donald Trump in November.In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2024/07/12/replace-biden-beat-trump-election/74375107007/">opinion piece</a>&nbsp;for USA Today published on Friday, Judd called on Biden to “voluntarily, gracefully step aside” so that his party can support a “talented, robust Democrat” for the presidency. She described Biden during the debate as “incapable of countering Trump, while he, unchecked, gushed a firehose of galling lies.”Judd, who has been an outspoken supporter for Biden and other Democrats across the country, noted the political activism that has accompanied her multi-decade Hollywood career. Her allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein helped spark the #MeToo movement.Warning that she fears Trump “would wield the power of the presidency with unprecedented, incalculable cruelty and unfairness” if voters return him to the White House, Judd said that time is of the essence for Democrats to replace Biden with a candidate who can defeat him.“We do not have another day for distraction or division among ourselves," she said.Judd did not posit a possible replacement for Biden atop the ticket, and a representative did not immediately return a message seeking comment as to whom she might suggest.Her call comes as Democrats consider whether they want Biden to remain as his party's nominee, following concerns over his age and ability to win the general election against Trump.Earlier this week, movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare&amp;sgrp=c-cb">New York Times opinion piece</a>&nbsp;that he loves Biden but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any in Congress with him as the nominee. He cited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-clooney-joe-biden-presidential-race-2024-2419c5a66aac55a5f3cda1e676e6ffde">what he characterized</a>&nbsp;as a diminished Biden during interactions around a Los Angeles fundraiser last month.Judd&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emhoff-ashley-judd-suicide-prevention-white-house-56fe0dfd60d27216af879d2662f3a9ba">was at the White House in April</a>&nbsp;to help the Biden administration promote its new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/programs/prevention-and-wellness/mental-health-substance-abuse/national-strategy-suicide-prevention/index.html">national strategy to prevent suicide</a>, to which she lost her mother, singer Naomi Judd, in 2022. The Biden campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Ashley Judd's piece.

Actress adds her voice to those calling on Biden to leave the race

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita.

Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4800 block of South Gordon in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Just after 6p.m, another 911 call reported three additional shooting victims. While en route, officers encountered an unknown man with a gunshot wound at 47th and Seneca.

Upon arrival at the 4800 block of South Gordon, officers found one victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound and three other victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Ford.

 All four victims were transported to St. Francis Hospital; one with non-life-threatening injuries and three with serious injuries.

Investigators are working to determine the circumstances leading to this incident. Police were questioning one of the victims as a person on interest in the case. He is also being treated for his injuries. There was no threat to the community, and the parties involved are known to each other.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720833197351.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita.Just before 6p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4800 block of South Gordon in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.Just after 6p.m, another 911 call reported three additional shooting victims. While en route, officers encountered an unknown man with a gunshot wound at 47th and Seneca.Upon arrival at the 4800 block of South Gordon, officers found one victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound and three other victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Ford. All four victims were transported to St. Francis Hospital; one with non-life-threatening injuries and three with serious injuries.Investigators are working to determine the circumstances leading to this incident. Police were questioning one of the victims as a person on interest in the case. He is also being treated for his injuries. There was no threat to the community, and the parties involved are known to each other.&nbsp;

Police: 1 dead, four injured in Kansas shooting

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

TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education plans to finalize in August parameters of a 30-member task force that would be formed to develop policy recommendations on non-academic use of cellular telephones by prekindergarten through 12th-grade students while at school.

In public and private districts across the United States, officials are limiting or banning smartphones in classrooms to minimize distractions from academic obligations and to lower stress and anxiety among students. Some schools forbid students from accessing phones throughout the day, while others deprive students of devices during class time.

“It’s going to take a concerted effort to address the amount of time our children spend on their own devices during instructional time,” said state Board of Education chair Melanie Haas of Overland Park. “We as parents and elected officials need to help our children use technology and social media in safer, more beneficial ways.”

Randy Watson, the state commissioner of education, was given the task of forming a task force that included least two state school board members, students, classroom teachers, administrators and other education representatives. He suggested the co-chairs could be a student and a principal.

He anticipated the state Board of Education would ask the task force to provide a framework for state policy or guidance for school districts to address the issue. State board members plan to determine at their August meeting boundaries for the task force. The report would be due in late 2024.

“Then I would like the task force to present their recommendations to the board by November, no later than December,” Watson said. “In addition to addressing how our children are using their digital devices for non-academic purposes while they’re in the classroom, we also need to take a hard look at the impact social media is having on children’s mental health.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720819629981.png" alt=" Melanie Haas, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education, says a task force will consider whether to recommend boundaries on non-academic use of cellphones by students in the classroom. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Melanie Haas, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education, says a task force will consider whether to recommend boundaries on non-academic use of cellphones by students in the classroom. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas State Board of Education plans to finalize in August parameters of a 30-member task force that would be formed to develop policy recommendations on non-academic use of cellular telephones by prekindergarten through 12th-grade students while at school.In public and private districts across the United States, officials are limiting or banning smartphones in classrooms to minimize distractions from academic obligations and to lower stress and anxiety among students. Some schools forbid students from accessing phones throughout the day, while others deprive students of devices during class time.“It’s going to take a concerted effort to address the amount of time our children spend on their own devices during instructional time,” said state Board of Education chair Melanie Haas of Overland Park. “We as parents and elected officials need to help our children use technology and social media in safer, more beneficial ways.”Randy Watson, the state commissioner of education, was given the task of forming a task force that included least two state school board members, students, classroom teachers, administrators and other education representatives. He suggested the co-chairs could be a student and a principal.He anticipated the state Board of Education would ask the task force to provide a framework for state policy or guidance for school districts to address the issue. State board members plan to determine at their August meeting boundaries for the task force. The report would be due in late 2024.“Then I would like the task force to present their recommendations to the board by November, no later than December,” Watson said. “In addition to addressing how our children are using their digital devices for non-academic purposes while they’re in the classroom, we also need to take a hard look at the impact social media is having on children’s mental health.”

Kan. Board of Education to study limitations on cellphone use in classrooms

NESS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.

Just after 11:30 p.m. July 11, deputies from the Ness County Sheriffs Office executed an arrest warrant at 414 S Kansas Avenue in Ransom, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Braydan Lee Fringer, 22,&nbsp; was arrested after a cooperative investigation between the Ness County Sheriffs Office and the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KBIKansas?__cft__[0]=AZXYnBtgVGJ0QHx-1EJXjViED43b1Dn-KwE2fQjy3eIpZnPQ_s65RfMGg1pmAJs-SQ3G621PEY5twfelp1DXQN5Dju27M64D4QlQ7Nu27KmfFXF1I7Z6ihkz7iCJ6xjkX9Syn78w92CF-6tRttfgEZMUpQ4M9pVk5JKlPLCPQR362hpbY24h4NZ3fNwHaFM2QYqSAgtxNSBKryDPpBCfmyLP1KVPsdZ0AUNWfXwoyxWDWH3eCE6KvMX-w-zcNrnn3eQ&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R"> Kansas Bureau of Investigatio</a>n.

Fringer was booked into the Ness County Jail for one count of Electronic Solicitation of a Child, and four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp;

NESS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on child sex allegations.Just after 11:30 p.m. July 11, deputies from the Ness County Sheriffs Office executed an arrest warrant at 414 S Kansas Avenue in Ransom, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Braydan Lee Fringer, 22,&nbsp; was arrested after a cooperative investigation between the Ness County Sheriffs Office and the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KBIKansas?__cft__[0]=AZXYnBtgVGJ0QHx-1EJXjViED43b1Dn-KwE2fQjy3eIpZnPQ_s65RfMGg1pmAJs-SQ3G621PEY5twfelp1DXQN5Dju27M64D4QlQ7Nu27KmfFXF1I7Z6ihkz7iCJ6xjkX9Syn78w92CF-6tRttfgEZMUpQ4M9pVk5JKlPLCPQR362hpbY24h4NZ3fNwHaFM2QYqSAgtxNSBKryDPpBCfmyLP1KVPsdZ0AUNWfXwoyxWDWH3eCE6KvMX-w-zcNrnn3eQ&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R"> Kansas Bureau of Investigatio</a>n. Fringer was booked into the Ness County Jail for one count of Electronic Solicitation of a Child, and four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.&nbsp;

KBI: Kansas man accused of child sex crimes

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Friday ruled that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">execution plans</a>&nbsp;for Marcellus Williams will move forward, even as a prosecutor works to overturn his 1998 murder conviction.

Judges on Friday decided against halting Williams’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">execution</a>&nbsp;despite a St. Louis County court hearing set for Aug. 21 to determine whether he is innocent.

Williams was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle during a robbery of her suburban St. Louis home.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in January to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">vacate</a>&nbsp;Williams’ conviction. Bell cited new DNA evidence and said he believed Williams was not involved in Gayle’s death.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion to vacate a conviction if they believe the inmate could be innocent or was otherwise erroneously convicted. The filing prompts a hearing before a judge.

In the meantime, Williams had asked the Supreme Court to stay his execution pending the outcome of the August hearing. He faces execution Sept. 24.

Judges&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=209675">ruled</a>&nbsp;that they do not have the procedural authority to withdraw the execution order at this time.

Williams' attorney Tricia Bushnell in a statement said she's “confident that any court, when presented with all the evidence—including the DNA evidence—will come to the same conclusion as St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell: that Marcellus Williams is innocent and his conviction must be overturned.”

"There is still time to right this wrong," she said. "No one wants to see Missouri execute an innocent man.”

Bell said in a statement that his office is focused on the upcoming innocence hearing.

“While of course we would prefer that this motion before the Missouri Supreme Court had prevailed and there were no longer an execution date looming for Marcellus Williams, our focus is on the motion we filed before the 21st Judicial Circuit and the effort to have our concerns about the conviction of Mr. Williams heard in court,” Bell said.

A spokeswoman for the Missouri Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688086205294.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Friday ruled that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inquiry-board-state-supreme-court-0103d6047d1caa04eefbb6ef262063fb">execution plans</a>&nbsp;for Marcellus Williams will move forward, even as a prosecutor works to overturn his 1998 murder conviction.Judges on Friday decided against halting Williams’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-hearing-marcellus-williams-ceb2b400859cd053ce8c9717dfdf07b5">execution</a>&nbsp;despite a St. Louis County court hearing set for Aug. 21 to determine whether he is innocent.Williams was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1998 death of Lisha Gayle during a robbery of her suburban St. Louis home.St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell filed a motion in January to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">vacate</a>&nbsp;Williams’ conviction. Bell cited new DNA evidence and said he believed Williams was not involved in Gayle’s death.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-kansas-city-kansas-missouri-f73d1486d17a1884ff95ce84af75b00f">A 2021 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;allows prosecuting attorneys to file a motion to vacate a conviction if they believe the inmate could be innocent or was otherwise erroneously convicted. The filing prompts a hearing before a judge.In the meantime, Williams had asked the Supreme Court to stay his execution pending the outcome of the August hearing. He faces execution Sept. 24.Judges&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=209675">ruled</a>&nbsp;that they do not have the procedural authority to withdraw the execution order at this time.Williams' attorney Tricia Bushnell in a statement said she's “confident that any court, when presented with all the evidence—including the DNA evidence—will come to the same conclusion as St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell: that Marcellus Williams is innocent and his conviction must be overturned.”"There is still time to right this wrong," she said. "No one wants to see Missouri execute an innocent man.”Bell said in a statement that his office is focused on the upcoming innocence hearing.“While of course we would prefer that this motion before the Missouri Supreme Court had prevailed and there were no longer an execution date looming for Marcellus Williams, our focus is on the motion we filed before the 21st Judicial Circuit and the effort to have our concerns about the conviction of Mr. Williams heard in court,” Bell said.A spokeswoman for the Missouri Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Friday.

Execution plans move forward for man convicted of killing newspaper reporter

COWLEY COUNTY —A small plane was damaged in a mishap just before 2:30p.m. Friday in Cowley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Kitfox 7 piloted by&nbsp;John Gaston&nbsp;Swofford, 60, Fort Worth, Texas, was enroute from Stol Creek Aviation in Whitewater, Kansas to a final destination at the airport in Fort Worth, Texas.

 Following a 3-point landing at Strother Field 22193 Tupper Street in Winfield, a gust of wind caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.&nbsp; The pilot was unable to correct the aircraft and it came to a rest on the grass embankment east of the taxiway. Aircraft sustained major damage to prop and left wing.

Swofford was not injured. The NTSB and FAA will investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720834377356.png" alt="Strother Field 22193 Tupper Street in Winfield-Google map" />
 <figcaption>Strother Field 22193 Tupper Street in Winfield-Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —A small plane was damaged in a mishap just before 2:30p.m. Friday in Cowley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Kitfox 7 piloted by&nbsp;John Gaston&nbsp;Swofford, 60, Fort Worth, Texas, was enroute from Stol Creek Aviation in Whitewater, Kansas to a final destination at the airport in Fort Worth, Texas. Following a 3-point landing at Strother Field 22193 Tupper Street in Winfield, a gust of wind caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.&nbsp; The pilot was unable to correct the aircraft and it came to a rest on the grass embankment east of the taxiway. Aircraft sustained major damage to prop and left wing.Swofford was not injured. The NTSB and FAA will investigate.

Small plane suffers major damage after mishap at Kan. airport

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case last week.

Peter McKinney, 22 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Police also arrested McKinney's father at the scene on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.&nbsp;&nbsp;More investigation is needed before further charges are filed against him, according to the district attorney's office.

Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney.

At this time, police believe that Crawford and Peter McKinney knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.

Peter McKinney remains jailed on a half-million dollar bond. His next court hearing is July 15, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; His father remains jailed on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.

&nbsp;This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921077048.png" alt="Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Peter McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting in Wichita made his first court appearance in the case last week. Peter McKinney, 22 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Police also arrested McKinney's father at the scene on a requested charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.&nbsp;&nbsp;More investigation is needed before further charges are filed against him, according to the district attorney's office.Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719885319829.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>First responders located 25-year-old Sebastian Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Multiple other individuals, including two juveniles, were located inside the apartment. EMS transported a woman to an area hospital to be evaluated for a condition apparently unrelated to the shooting.&nbsp;No other injuries were reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921323757.png" alt="Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Jeffrey McKinney-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Homicide investigators responded to the scene and worked with patrol officers to understand what led up to the shooting. According to Sedgwick County booking records, police arrested 22-year-old Peter McKinney and 50-year-old Jeffrey McKinney.At this time, police believe that Crawford and Peter McKinney knew each other and were involved in an argument before the shooting.Peter McKinney remains jailed on a half-million dollar bond. His next court hearing is July 15, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp; His father remains jailed on a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;This is the 18th criminal homicide in Wichita this year, according to Ford.

Father, son remain jailed after Kan. apartment complex killing

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prop-gun-shooting-entertainment-shootings-movies-santa-fe-4a8e63727b0824d7a402f731b6ec54ea">involuntary manslaughter case</a>&nbsp;against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor's trial and saying it cannot be filed again.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the 2021 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-trial-rust-movie-shooting-2867079fbe45d9edb73f6c58d5b313e7">cinematographer Halyna Hutchins</a>&nbsp;on the set of the film “Rust.”

Baldwin cried, hugged his two attorneys, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria, the mother of seven of his eight children, holding the embrace for 12 seconds. He climbed into an SUV outside the Santa Fe courthouse without speaking to media.

“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Marlowe Sommer said. “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching.”

The decision ends the criminal culpability of the 66-year-old Baldwin after a nearly three-year saga that began when a revolver he was pointing at Hutchins during a rehearsal went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

The career of the “Hunt for Red October” and “30 Rock” star and frequent “Saturday Night Live” host — who has been a household name for more than three decades — had been put into doubt, and he could have gotten 18 months in prison if convicted.

He and other producers still face civil lawsuits from Hutchins' parents and sister.

Sommer put a pause on the trial earlier Friday while she considered the defense motion to dismiss the case over ammunition evidence they say prosecutors hid from them that may have been related to the shooting on the set of the Western “Rust” in 2021. The defense said they should have had the ability to determine its importance.

The prosecution said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.

The issue emerged Thursday on the second day of the actor’s trial during defense questioning of sheriff’s crime scene technician Marissa Poppell. Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro asked whether a “good Samaritan” had come into the sheriff’s office with the ammunition earlier this year at the end of the trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-trial-rust-movie-shooting-2867079fbe45d9edb73f6c58d5b313e7">Hannah Gutierrez-Reed</a>, the film’s armorer, for her role in Hutchins’ death. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/armorer-appeals-conviction-alec-baldwin-shooting-8de3805214440508dbc2d325f0b559c4">appealing</a>.

The evidence was not put into the same file as the rest of the “Rust” case, and was not presented to Baldwin's defense team when they examined the ballistics evidence in April.

The man who supplied ammunition was a close friend of Gutierrez-Reed's father, movie armorer Thell Reed. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that the move from the men was part of an attempt by Reed to shift blame away from his daughter.

“This is a wild goose chase that has no evidentiary value whatsoever,” Morrissey told the judge Friday. “This is just a man trying to protect his daughter.”

The case's other special prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, resigned from the case earlier Friday. Spiro asked whether she had resigned based on the evidence issues being discussed. Morrissey said she believed it was over the holding of the public hearing itself.

Speaking outside the courthouse doors, Morrissey said she respects the judge’s decision but that there was no reason to believe the undisclosed evidence in question was related to the set of “Rust.”

“The importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” she said. “We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and to her family and we’re proud of the work we did."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720822837599.jpeg" alt="Hilaria Baldwin speaks to her husband, actor Alec Baldwin, during his trial for involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Hilaria Baldwin speaks to her husband, actor Alec Baldwin, during his trial for involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, at Santa Fe County District Court in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge on Friday brought a sudden and stunning end to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prop-gun-shooting-entertainment-shootings-movies-santa-fe-4a8e63727b0824d7a402f731b6ec54ea">involuntary manslaughter case</a>&nbsp;against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor's trial and saying it cannot be filed again.Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defense in the 2021 shooting of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-trial-rust-movie-shooting-2867079fbe45d9edb73f6c58d5b313e7">cinematographer Halyna Hutchins</a>&nbsp;on the set of the film “Rust.”Baldwin cried, hugged his two attorneys, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria, the mother of seven of his eight children, holding the embrace for 12 seconds. He climbed into an SUV outside the Santa Fe courthouse without speaking to media.“The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings,” Marlowe Sommer said. “If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching.”The decision ends the criminal culpability of the 66-year-old Baldwin after a nearly three-year saga that began when a revolver he was pointing at Hutchins during a rehearsal went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.The career of the “Hunt for Red October” and “30 Rock” star and frequent “Saturday Night Live” host — who has been a household name for more than three decades — had been put into doubt, and he could have gotten 18 months in prison if convicted.He and other producers still face civil lawsuits from Hutchins' parents and sister.Sommer put a pause on the trial earlier Friday while she considered the defense motion to dismiss the case over ammunition evidence they say prosecutors hid from them that may have been related to the shooting on the set of the Western “Rust” in 2021. The defense said they should have had the ability to determine its importance.The prosecution said that the ammunition was not connected to the case and was not hidden.The issue emerged Thursday on the second day of the actor’s trial during defense questioning of sheriff’s crime scene technician Marissa Poppell. Baldwin lawyer Alex Spiro asked whether a “good Samaritan” had come into the sheriff’s office with the ammunition earlier this year at the end of the trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-trial-rust-movie-shooting-2867079fbe45d9edb73f6c58d5b313e7">Hannah Gutierrez-Reed</a>, the film’s armorer, for her role in Hutchins’ death. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction, which she is now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/armorer-appeals-conviction-alec-baldwin-shooting-8de3805214440508dbc2d325f0b559c4">appealing</a>.The evidence was not put into the same file as the rest of the “Rust” case, and was not presented to Baldwin's defense team when they examined the ballistics evidence in April.The man who supplied ammunition was a close friend of Gutierrez-Reed's father, movie armorer Thell Reed. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that the move from the men was part of an attempt by Reed to shift blame away from his daughter.“This is a wild goose chase that has no evidentiary value whatsoever,” Morrissey told the judge Friday. “This is just a man trying to protect his daughter.”The case's other special prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, resigned from the case earlier Friday. Spiro asked whether she had resigned based on the evidence issues being discussed. Morrissey said she believed it was over the holding of the public hearing itself.Speaking outside the courthouse doors, Morrissey said she respects the judge’s decision but that there was no reason to believe the undisclosed evidence in question was related to the set of “Rust.”“The importance of the evidence was misconstrued by the defense attorneys,” she said. “We did everything humanly possible to bring justice to Halyna and to her family and we’re proud of the work we did."___

Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case dismissed; cannot be filed again

MCPHERSON COUNTY —The Marion/USD 408 activity bus caught fire returning from the Kansas Wesleyan Football Camp, just south of the rest area north of McPherson on Friday, according to a social media report from the school district.

All coaches, players and the bus driver are safe and unharmed.

USD 408 Superintendent Justin Wasmuth was traveling to pick up the team and bring them home safely. 

The district said they would&nbsp;provide more updates as soon as possible and thanked parents "for your patience and understanding."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720817182557.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kyla Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kyla Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —The Marion/USD 408 activity bus caught fire returning from the Kansas Wesleyan Football Camp, just south of the rest area north of McPherson on Friday, according to a social media report from the school district.All coaches, players and the bus driver are safe and unharmed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720817619478.png" alt="The Marion football team waiting for new transportation on a hot Friday afternoon -photo courtesy Kyla Johnson" />
 <figcaption>The Marion football team waiting for new transportation on a hot Friday afternoon -photo courtesy Kyla Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>USD 408 Superintendent Justin Wasmuth was traveling to pick up the team and bring them home safely. The district said they would&nbsp;provide more updates as soon as possible and thanked parents "for your patience and understanding."

Bus fire left Kansas high school football team stranded

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue working to identify the body of a man found in the Arkansas River on Thursday.

Just after 4p.m., first responders were called to a location on the river near Pawnee and Broadway in south Wichita. The victim, described as possibly in his 30s, was pulled from the water and pronounced deceased.

On Friday afternoon, police investigators were still working with the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death and learn his identity, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720813873343.png" alt="Firs responders on the scene Thursday along the Arkansas River-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Firs responders on the scene Thursday along the Arkansas River-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue working to identify the body of a man found in the Arkansas River on Thursday.Just after 4p.m., first responders were called to a location on the river near Pawnee and Broadway in south Wichita. The victim, described as possibly in his 30s, was pulled from the water and pronounced deceased.On Friday afternoon, police investigators were still working with the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death and learn his identity, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Investigators working to ID body found in river in Kansas

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

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed&nbsp;a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.

House passage of the resolution on a party-line vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024354?Page=2" target="_blank">210-205</a>, is part of a barrage of GOP pushback at the state and federal levels to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-betsy-devos-lead-attack-title-ix-rule-protects-lgbtq-kids" target="_blank">Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;since its April release. For all schools that receive federal funding, the rule protects against discrimination for students based on “sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”

Twenty-six states with GOP attorneys general have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">sued to block</a>&nbsp;the rule, and courts have temporarily blocked it from going into effect in 14 states on August 1.

The 14 states with temporary blocks are: Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-title-ix-regulation-targeted-republicans-congress" target="_blank">introduced the legislation</a>&nbsp;in early June. A week later, the Republican-controlled House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved it. Miller’s resolution seeks to reverse the rule through the&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10023" target="_blank">Congressional Review Act</a>, a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.

In the Senate, Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/96" target="_blank">also introduced legislation</a>&nbsp;in June to try to block the final rule under the same tool. The Senate version has gathered over 30 Republican cosponsors.

Rep. Virginia Foxx — chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a fierce opponent of the administration’s final rule — said during the floor debate Wednesday that she wanted to preserve Title IX, which helped equalize funding for women’s sports and education programs beginning in 1972.

“Title IX ushered in a golden era for women’s competition and education,” the North Carolina Republican said. “There is sanctity in the community and tradition of these memories, these spaces and these opportunities for young girls.”

Regardless of whether the attempt to roll back the measure is successful in the Democratic-controlled Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HJRes-165.pdf" target="_blank">Biden</a>’s veto threat leaves virtually no possibility it could be adopted this year.

Democrats, LGBTQ advocates in opposition&nbsp;

Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have described the effort to overturn the rule as motivated by misinformation and fear.

“Unfortunately, this resolution has been clouded by misinformation, unfounded fears and with some, just hatred of transgender individuals,” said Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, during the debate.

Oregon’s Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education — said the resolution was “another attempt to undercut this administration’s efforts to empower survivors and protect all Americans from discrimination.”

“If Republicans truly cared about protecting women and children, they would stop this prejudiced rhetoric and take action on bills that would actually protect women from discrimination and harassment and defend women’s reproductive health care, make child care more affordable, preserve opportunities in workplaces for all parents, especially women,” Bonamici said.

Scott called on the House to “reject these narratives and focus on real issues of safety and equity.”

Meanwhile, challenges to the rule are playing out in a handful of federal courts.

Last week, Judge John Broomes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas temporarily blocked the measure from taking effect in the Sunflower State, along with Alaska, Utah and Wyoming.

Broomes also halted the rule from taking effect in “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,” all groups that sued alongside the four states, per the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>.

Under Broomes’ order, the rule is also halted in an Oklahoma public school attended by a minor who is one of the plaintiffs.

In June, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/title-ix-transgender/" target="_blank">issued a temporary injunction</a>&nbsp;barring the final rule from taking effect there, along with Idaho, Mississippi and Montana.

In Kentucky federal court, Chief Judge Danny Reeves&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/06/17/us-judge-in-kentucky-blocks-biden-title-ix-rules-says-sex-gender-identity-not-the-same-thing/" target="_blank">temporarily blocked the final rule</a>&nbsp;in the Bluegrass State, plus Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia. Reeves rejected the department’s request for a partial stay of the injunction while its appeal plays out, per a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801.117.0.pdf" target="_blank">Wednesday court filing</a>.

The Education Department has confirmed it is appealing the other two rulings but did not have an update Wednesday on whether it is filing a notice of appeal on the most recent ruling in the Kansas federal court.

The spokesperson reiterated earlier this week that the agency has “asked the trial courts to allow the bulk of the final rule to take effect in these states as scheduled, on August 1, while the appeals are pending.”

LGBTQ advocacy groups push back on GOP effort

Allen Morris, policy director for the advocacy group National LGBTQ Task Force, said the vote was part of a pattern of anti-LGBTQ policy measures.

“When you look at the rise in hatred and the rise in violence and the rise of young LGBTQ individuals not having the support that they need, where suicide rates are high, it is disappointing to see our opposition go against us with such a high level of intention,” he said.

Morris told States Newsroom that “a lot of what is happening with this extremism is not founded in truth.”

“It is founded in ways to spew hate and to spew fear. It is a lot of fear mongering, and it’s anything to make people feel like their backs are up against the wall, or as if they don’t have the power,” he said.

Echoing a previous statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said it “does not comment on pending legislation” and emphasized that all schools receiving federal funding are obligated to comply with the new regulations as a condition of receiving those funds.

The department has yet to finalize a separate rule establishing new criteria for transgender athletes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720781223271.png" alt=" The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed&nbsp;a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.House passage of the resolution on a party-line vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024354?Page=2" target="_blank">210-205</a>, is part of a barrage of GOP pushback at the state and federal levels to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-betsy-devos-lead-attack-title-ix-rule-protects-lgbtq-kids" target="_blank">Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;since its April release. For all schools that receive federal funding, the rule protects against discrimination for students based on “sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”Twenty-six states with GOP attorneys general have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">sued to block</a>&nbsp;the rule, and courts have temporarily blocked it from going into effect in 14 states on August 1.The 14 states with temporary blocks are: Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-title-ix-regulation-targeted-republicans-congress" target="_blank">introduced the legislation</a>&nbsp;in early June. A week later, the Republican-controlled House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved it. Miller’s resolution seeks to reverse the rule through the&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10023" target="_blank">Congressional Review Act</a>, a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.In the Senate, Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/96" target="_blank">also introduced legislation</a>&nbsp;in June to try to block the final rule under the same tool. The Senate version has gathered over 30 Republican cosponsors.Rep. Virginia Foxx — chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a fierce opponent of the administration’s final rule — said during the floor debate Wednesday that she wanted to preserve Title IX, which helped equalize funding for women’s sports and education programs beginning in 1972.“Title IX ushered in a golden era for women’s competition and education,” the North Carolina Republican said. “There is sanctity in the community and tradition of these memories, these spaces and these opportunities for young girls.”Regardless of whether the attempt to roll back the measure is successful in the Democratic-controlled Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HJRes-165.pdf" target="_blank">Biden</a>’s veto threat leaves virtually no possibility it could be adopted this year.<h2>Democrats, LGBTQ advocates in opposition&nbsp;</h2>Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have described the effort to overturn the rule as motivated by misinformation and fear.“Unfortunately, this resolution has been clouded by misinformation, unfounded fears and with some, just hatred of transgender individuals,” said Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, during the debate.Oregon’s Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education — said the resolution was “another attempt to undercut this administration’s efforts to empower survivors and protect all Americans from discrimination.”“If Republicans truly cared about protecting women and children, they would stop this prejudiced rhetoric and take action on bills that would actually protect women from discrimination and harassment and defend women’s reproductive health care, make child care more affordable, preserve opportunities in workplaces for all parents, especially women,” Bonamici said.Scott called on the House to “reject these narratives and focus on real issues of safety and equity.”<h2>Final rule blocked in more states&nbsp;</h2>Meanwhile, challenges to the rule are playing out in a handful of federal courts.Last week, Judge John Broomes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas temporarily blocked the measure from taking effect in the Sunflower State, along with Alaska, Utah and Wyoming.Broomes also halted the rule from taking effect in “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,” all groups that sued alongside the four states, per the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>.Under Broomes’ order, the rule is also halted in an Oklahoma public school attended by a minor who is one of the plaintiffs.In June, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/title-ix-transgender/" target="_blank">issued a temporary injunction</a>&nbsp;barring the final rule from taking effect there, along with Idaho, Mississippi and Montana.In Kentucky federal court, Chief Judge Danny Reeves&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/06/17/us-judge-in-kentucky-blocks-biden-title-ix-rules-says-sex-gender-identity-not-the-same-thing/" target="_blank">temporarily blocked the final rule</a>&nbsp;in the Bluegrass State, plus Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia. Reeves rejected the department’s request for a partial stay of the injunction while its appeal plays out, per a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801.117.0.pdf" target="_blank">Wednesday court filing</a>.The Education Department has confirmed it is appealing the other two rulings but did not have an update Wednesday on whether it is filing a notice of appeal on the most recent ruling in the Kansas federal court.The spokesperson reiterated earlier this week that the agency has “asked the trial courts to allow the bulk of the final rule to take effect in these states as scheduled, on August 1, while the appeals are pending.”<h2>LGBTQ advocacy groups push back on GOP effort</h2>Allen Morris, policy director for the advocacy group National LGBTQ Task Force, said the vote was part of a pattern of anti-LGBTQ policy measures.“When you look at the rise in hatred and the rise in violence and the rise of young LGBTQ individuals not having the support that they need, where suicide rates are high, it is disappointing to see our opposition go against us with such a high level of intention,” he said.Morris told States Newsroom that “a lot of what is happening with this extremism is not founded in truth.”“It is founded in ways to spew hate and to spew fear. It is a lot of fear mongering, and it’s anything to make people feel like their backs are up against the wall, or as if they don’t have the power,” he said.Echoing a previous statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said it “does not comment on pending legislation” and emphasized that all schools receiving federal funding are obligated to comply with the new regulations as a condition of receiving those funds.The department has yet to finalize a separate rule establishing new criteria for transgender athletes.

GOP plan to reverse final Title IX rule passed U.S. House, but Biden says he’d veto

OSAGE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just before 11a.m. July 9,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of northwest Maple and northwest Roberts Streets in Melvern for a domestic disturbance, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During a subsequent follow-up on the incident, a male subject was contacted in the 200 block of northwest Main Street and Illegal narcotics were in his possession.

Dustin R. Davis, 33, of Emporia was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Arrest warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720560755800.png" alt="Davis-photo Osage County." />
 <figcaption>Davis-photo Osage County.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY –Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 11a.m. July 9,&nbsp; Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of northwest Maple and northwest Roberts Streets in Melvern for a domestic disturbance, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During a subsequent follow-up on the incident, a male subject was contacted in the 200 block of northwest Main Street and Illegal narcotics were in his possession.Dustin R. Davis, 33, of Emporia was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Arrest warrant.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of selling methamphetamine

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a Latino majority's voting rights aren't violated by the election system in the former Wild West town in Kansas that inspired the long-running television series “Gunsmoke.”

U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren concluded that Dodge City's practice of electing all five of its city commissioners at large does not prevent candidates backed by Latino voters from holding office. He issued his decision Wednesday evening in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-american-civil-liberties-union-dodge-city-bd52bd1685f33081a6e84736aab38c03">lawsuit filed in 2022</a>&nbsp;by two Latino residents who argued that the system is discriminatory and violated both the U.S. Constitution and the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.

The two residents, Miguel Coca and Alejandro Rangel-Lopez, argued that the city should be required to have each commissioner elected from a separate district. About 64% of the city's 27,000 residents are Latino, and it's possible that Latinos would be a majority of residents in three of five single-member districts.

Their lawsuit argued that the city hadn't elected a Latino commissioner since at least 2000, though a commissioner serving in 2022 said he is Latino. Melgren concluded that a review of local elections since 2014 showed that candidates backed by the highest percentages of Latino voters, including non-Latino ones, won “at least half of the time.”

“The Court cannot conclude that white bloc voting prevents Latino-preferred candidates from being elected most of the time,” Melgren wrote.

Dodge City, about 320 miles southwest of Kansas City draws thousands of tourists each year because of its wild history in the 1870s and early 1880s and the images of saloons, cowboys and gunfights created by the stories about fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke” in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. It's also home to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/some-doubt-dodge-city-casino-plan-is-a-winner-1833983.php">a state-owned casino.</a>

Growth in the meatpacking industry in southwestern Kansas transformed the area by drawing job-seeking immigrants. Seven of the eight Kansas communities identified by the 2020 U.S. census as majority Latino are in the region.

The city issued a statement Thursday saying that Melgren’s ruling “recognizes our effort to represent everyone who makes Dodge City their home” and said the city commission seeks to build “a stronger, more vibrant, and diverse community where all viewpoints are valued.”

“It is unfortunate that we have spent significant taxpayer dollars to defend our position, taking away from our ability to utilize the funds to make our community better,” the statement said.

The two residents’ attorneys said they presented “clear evidence” that the system violated the Voting Rights Act. Their legal team included the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the ACLU’s national Voting Rights Project and UCLA’s Voting Rights Project.

“We are currently exploring next steps in this case and will continue to work for a truly representative democracy that ensures Latino voters can have their voices heard in Dodge City,” they said in a statement Thursday.

The ACLU also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/77cc6cd0f1254d2eb0ef0bbed751c247">sued the top local elections official</a>&nbsp;in 2018 after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70e4a2665b0644bf884c60c25405c076">moved Dodge City’s only polling site</a>&nbsp;outside of the city. The suit argued that doing so made it more difficult for Latino residents who often rely on public transportation to vote. The lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3b2ecff514544bfd9fd72a6bb667aabf">was dismissed</a>&nbsp;after the elections clerk agreed to maintain two polling sites for future elections.

Melgren did conclude that Coca and Rangel-Lopez showed that Dodge City's Latino population is large enough and concentrated enough in certain parts of the city to control at least one hypothetical commission district. An expert presented 14 proposed maps in which Latinos were a majority in three of the five districts.

The judge also concluded that the plaintiffs also showed that Latinos in Dodge City “vote in significant numbers for the same candidates.”

But Melgren noted that a test set decades ago by the U.S. Supreme Court required the two Dodge City residents to demonstrate that Latino voters “usually” cannot elect candidates they prefer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720804417642.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a Latino majority's voting rights aren't violated by the election system in the former Wild West town in Kansas that inspired the long-running television series “Gunsmoke.”U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren concluded that Dodge City's practice of electing all five of its city commissioners at large does not prevent candidates backed by Latino voters from holding office. He issued his decision Wednesday evening in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-american-civil-liberties-union-dodge-city-bd52bd1685f33081a6e84736aab38c03">lawsuit filed in 2022</a>&nbsp;by two Latino residents who argued that the system is discriminatory and violated both the U.S. Constitution and the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.The two residents, Miguel Coca and Alejandro Rangel-Lopez, argued that the city should be required to have each commissioner elected from a separate district. About 64% of the city's 27,000 residents are Latino, and it's possible that Latinos would be a majority of residents in three of five single-member districts.Their lawsuit argued that the city hadn't elected a Latino commissioner since at least 2000, though a commissioner serving in 2022 said he is Latino. Melgren concluded that a review of local elections since 2014 showed that candidates backed by the highest percentages of Latino voters, including non-Latino ones, won “at least half of the time.”“The Court cannot conclude that white bloc voting prevents Latino-preferred candidates from being elected most of the time,” Melgren wrote.Dodge City, about 320 miles southwest of Kansas City draws thousands of tourists each year because of its wild history in the 1870s and early 1880s and the images of saloons, cowboys and gunfights created by the stories about fictional U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke” in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. It's also home to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/some-doubt-dodge-city-casino-plan-is-a-winner-1833983.php">a state-owned casino.</a>Growth in the meatpacking industry in southwestern Kansas transformed the area by drawing job-seeking immigrants. Seven of the eight Kansas communities identified by the 2020 U.S. census as majority Latino are in the region.The city issued a statement Thursday saying that Melgren’s ruling “recognizes our effort to represent everyone who makes Dodge City their home” and said the city commission seeks to build “a stronger, more vibrant, and diverse community where all viewpoints are valued.”“It is unfortunate that we have spent significant taxpayer dollars to defend our position, taking away from our ability to utilize the funds to make our community better,” the statement said.The two residents’ attorneys said they presented “clear evidence” that the system violated the Voting Rights Act. Their legal team included the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the ACLU’s national Voting Rights Project and UCLA’s Voting Rights Project.“We are currently exploring next steps in this case and will continue to work for a truly representative democracy that ensures Latino voters can have their voices heard in Dodge City,” they said in a statement Thursday.The ACLU also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/77cc6cd0f1254d2eb0ef0bbed751c247">sued the top local elections official</a>&nbsp;in 2018 after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/70e4a2665b0644bf884c60c25405c076">moved Dodge City’s only polling site</a>&nbsp;outside of the city. The suit argued that doing so made it more difficult for Latino residents who often rely on public transportation to vote. The lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3b2ecff514544bfd9fd72a6bb667aabf">was dismissed</a>&nbsp;after the elections clerk agreed to maintain two polling sites for future elections.Melgren did conclude that Coca and Rangel-Lopez showed that Dodge City's Latino population is large enough and concentrated enough in certain parts of the city to control at least one hypothetical commission district. An expert presented 14 proposed maps in which Latinos were a majority in three of the five districts.The judge also concluded that the plaintiffs also showed that Latinos in Dodge City “vote in significant numbers for the same candidates.”But Melgren noted that a test set decades ago by the U.S. Supreme Court required the two Dodge City residents to demonstrate that Latino voters “usually” cannot elect candidates they prefer.

Federal judge: Dodge City's elections don't discriminate against Latinos

NEW YORK (AP) ‚The data of nearly all customers of the telecommunications giant AT&amp;T was downloaded to a third-party platform in a 2022 security breach, the company said Friday, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-dealerships-cyberattack-cdk-outage-3f7c81f6be0e212172b33cdc9f49feba">cyberattacks against businesses</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticutt-school-district-cyber-attack-new-haven-f7fad8a63916a1a80a3885a92d326964">schools</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-nhs-ransomware-attack-qilin-2dfa0d0426ce640e5a3782900b9596f9">health systems</a>&nbsp;continue to spread globally.

The breach hit customers of AT&amp;T's cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators using AT&amp;T’s wireless network, as well as its landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers.

AT&amp;T said that it currently doesn’t believe that the data is publicly available.

“The data does not contain the content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information,” AT&amp;T said Friday.

The compromised data also doesn’t include some information typically seen in usage details, such as the time stamp of calls or texts, the company said, or customer names. AT&amp;T, however, said that there are often ways using publicly available online tools to find the name associated with a specific telephone number.

An internal investigation determined that compromised data includes files containing AT&amp;T records of calls and texts between May 1, 2022 and Oct. 31, 2022.

AT&amp;T has more than 100 million customers in the U.S. and almost 2.5 million business accounts.

The company said Friday that it has launched an investigation and engaged with cybersecurity experts to understand the nature and scope of the criminal breach.

Compromised data also includes records from Jan. 2, 2023, for a very small number of customers. The records identify the telephone numbers an AT&amp;T or MVNO cellular number interacted with during these periods. For a subset of records, one or more cell site identification number(s) associated with the interactions are also included.

The company continues to cooperate with law enforcement on the incident and that it understands that at least one person has been apprehended so far.

The year has already been marked by several major data breaches, including an earlier attack on AT&amp;T. In March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-data-breach-dark-web-passcodes-fbef4afe0c1deec9ffb470f2ec134f41">AT&amp;T</a>&nbsp;said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contained information such as Social Security numbers for about 7.6 million current AT&amp;T account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

Some auto dealerships are still using pens and paper to close deals after back-to-back cyberattacks last month on a company that supplies them with software. That company,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-dealerships-cyberattack-cdk-outage-3f7c81f6be0e212172b33cdc9f49feba">CDK Global</a>, is still attempting to reestablish normal operations.

Alabama’s education superintendent said earlier this month that some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/data-breach-alabama-education-department-7c1e1019c0848de328483548d568b9f8">data</a>&nbsp;was “breached”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alabamaachieves.org/databreach/">during a hacking attempt</a>&nbsp;at the Alabama State Department of Education.

Cybersecurity experts are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattacks-hospital-lurie-childrens-ransom-eb6f9528198b4e3c2a5e82f74c4cb7e9">warning</a>&nbsp;that hospital systems around the country, which have already been targeted, are at risk for more attacks and that the U.S. government is doing too little to prevent breaches.

AT&amp;T customers can visit&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4210451-1&amp;h=3774011407&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fatt.com%2Fdataincident&amp;a=att.com%2FDataIncident">att.com/DataIncident</a>&nbsp;for more information.

Shares of AT&amp;T Inc., based in Dallas, fell slightly on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711934822314.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) ‚The data of nearly all customers of the telecommunications giant AT&amp;T was downloaded to a third-party platform in a 2022 security breach, the company said Friday, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-dealerships-cyberattack-cdk-outage-3f7c81f6be0e212172b33cdc9f49feba">cyberattacks against businesses</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/connecticutt-school-district-cyber-attack-new-haven-f7fad8a63916a1a80a3885a92d326964">schools</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-nhs-ransomware-attack-qilin-2dfa0d0426ce640e5a3782900b9596f9">health systems</a>&nbsp;continue to spread globally.The breach hit customers of AT&amp;T's cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators using AT&amp;T’s wireless network, as well as its landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers.AT&amp;T said that it currently doesn’t believe that the data is publicly available.“The data does not contain the content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information,” AT&amp;T said Friday.The compromised data also doesn’t include some information typically seen in usage details, such as the time stamp of calls or texts, the company said, or customer names. AT&amp;T, however, said that there are often ways using publicly available online tools to find the name associated with a specific telephone number.An internal investigation determined that compromised data includes files containing AT&amp;T records of calls and texts between May 1, 2022 and Oct. 31, 2022.AT&amp;T has more than 100 million customers in the U.S. and almost 2.5 million business accounts.The company said Friday that it has launched an investigation and engaged with cybersecurity experts to understand the nature and scope of the criminal breach.Compromised data also includes records from Jan. 2, 2023, for a very small number of customers. The records identify the telephone numbers an AT&amp;T or MVNO cellular number interacted with during these periods. For a subset of records, one or more cell site identification number(s) associated with the interactions are also included.The company continues to cooperate with law enforcement on the incident and that it understands that at least one person has been apprehended so far.The year has already been marked by several major data breaches, including an earlier attack on AT&amp;T. In March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/att-data-breach-dark-web-passcodes-fbef4afe0c1deec9ffb470f2ec134f41">AT&amp;T</a>&nbsp;said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contained information such as Social Security numbers for about 7.6 million current AT&amp;T account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.Some auto dealerships are still using pens and paper to close deals after back-to-back cyberattacks last month on a company that supplies them with software. That company,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-dealerships-cyberattack-cdk-outage-3f7c81f6be0e212172b33cdc9f49feba">CDK Global</a>, is still attempting to reestablish normal operations.Alabama’s education superintendent said earlier this month that some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/data-breach-alabama-education-department-7c1e1019c0848de328483548d568b9f8">data</a>&nbsp;was “breached”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alabamaachieves.org/databreach/">during a hacking attempt</a>&nbsp;at the Alabama State Department of Education.Cybersecurity experts are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cyberattacks-hospital-lurie-childrens-ransom-eb6f9528198b4e3c2a5e82f74c4cb7e9">warning</a>&nbsp;that hospital systems around the country, which have already been targeted, are at risk for more attacks and that the U.S. government is doing too little to prevent breaches.AT&amp;T customers can visit&nbsp;<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4210451-1&amp;h=3774011407&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fatt.com%2Fdataincident&amp;a=att.com%2FDataIncident">att.com/DataIncident</a>&nbsp;for more information.Shares of AT&amp;T Inc., based in Dallas, fell slightly on Friday.

Massive AT&T data breach exposes ‘nearly all’ customers 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden faced a test Thursday that he had avoided so far this year — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-president-trump-election-2024-democrats-9e1781a17b3313f525ef70f8a00c310a">solo news conference</a>&nbsp;with questions from the White House press corps.

The news conference was meant to reassure a disheartened group of Democratic lawmakers, allies and persuadable voters in this year's election that Biden still has the strength and stamina to be president. Biden has tried to defend his feeble and tongue-tied performance in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Republican Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as an outlier rather than evidence that at 81 he lacks the vigor and commanding presence that the public expects from the commander in chief.

On his social media account Former President Trump mocked Biden's flubs.

Biden made at least two notable flubs, referring at an event beforehand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin" and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” when asked about her by a reporter. But he also gave detailed responses about his work to preserve NATO and his plans for a second term. And he insisted he's not leaving the race even as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers ask him to step aside.

Here are some highlights from the press conference:

He bungled key names — and remained defiant

Perhaps Biden’s biggest slip-up in the press conference came early on when he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump,” in saying he picked her because he believed she could beat Trump.

Even before the news conference, Biden had bungled an important name at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-summit-ukraine-russia-china-biden-66656f03cd5e203d4074bdb2ead8abd8">NATO summit</a>&nbsp;and instantly lowered expectations for his performance.

“Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said as he was introducing Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is most definitely not Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gaffe immediately prompted gasps, as Biden caught himself and said to Zelenskyy: “President Putin? You’re going to beat President Putin.”

But he was defiant when a reporter brought up his reference to “Vice President Trump” and noted the presumptive Republican nominee's campaign was already promoting the slip-up. “Listen to him,” he said, before walking off the stage.

One House Democrat, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, issued a statement minutes later calling on the president to withdraw.

He insisted, ‘I’ve got to finish this job'

It’s a delicate dance between the president and vice president, with many Democrats openly pining for Harris to replace Biden on the ticket. Biden didn’t acknowledge that tension, but only brought Harris up in response to pointed questions about whether he believed she had the capability to replace him.

“I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president,” Biden said, citing Harris’ resume from prosecutor to the U.S. Senate.

But in response to a later question he acknowledged he’d moved on from his 2020 campaign promise to be a “bridge” to a new generation of Democrats. “What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited,” he said, without a word about his vice president.

Repeatedly, he said, “I've got to finish this job.”

The press conference ended with Biden being asked directly whether he’d step down for Harris if he saw polling showing she had a better chance of beating Trump. “No, unless they come back and said there’s no way you can win,” Biden responded. Then he added, in a stage whisper, “No poll’s saying that.”

He argued he's delivered results over rhetoric

Biden tried to make the case that what he’s doing matters more than how he talks about it.

He praised the just finished NATO summit as elevating America’s standing. “Have you ever seen a more successful conference?” Biden said to a group of reporters who often only got to see the conference during prepared remarks.

He drilled down on how inflation has eased from its 2022 peak as he reeled off stats such as the creation of 800,000 manufacturing jobs under his watch, saying that world leaders would want to trade their own economies for what United States has. He also said he would cap how much rent could grow for tenants of landlords who are part of a tax-credit program for low-income housing.

It’s the same pitch Biden has made in stump speeches without necessarily doing much to move his own popularity. His team believes it will sink in if repeated constantly.

Biden kicked off the press conference by talking at length about NATO and its value to the United States — one of his strongest political issues against Trump, who has been openly skeptical of the alliance and once suggested he'd encourage Russia to attack NATO members whom he considered delinquent.

Biden tied himself to an American tradition stretching “from Truman to Reagan to me” of defending NATO. “Every American must ask herself or himself, is the world safer with NATO?” he asked.

Later, to assure a European journalist asking about governments on that continent worrying Trump could win, Biden launched into a detailed recounting of how he helped shepherd Finland into the alliance. After that, he went into detail about how to push back against China for supporting Russia during its war against Ukraine and contended he will continue to be able to deal with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Overall, Biden spoke forcefully and fluently about foreign policy, one of his favorite subjects. But the news conference’s focus wasn’t really foreign policy, it was reassuring Democrats and the world that Biden is still able to be president and beat Trump.

That shows how even Biden’s strengths are being overshadowed by questions about his capabilities.

When possible, he went back to the stump speech

Every politician has a stock set of lines. And whenever Biden could, he went back to his favorite talking points. It was a way to answer the question without necessarily needing to say anything spontaneous or new.

He went after trickle-down economics, borrowing a line about his father never benefiting much from tax cuts aimed at the wealthy (“I don’t remember much trickling down to his kitchen table”). He hailed Delaware for leading the country in corporations. He said he’s the “most pro-union labor president in history.” He explained his decision to run for a second term with a variation on his “finish the job” catchphrase. He went into his standard spiel about computer chips.

With no time limit on his answers like he faced at the debate, Biden went on for several minutes at a time telling stories about his interactions with foreign leaders and making the case for his reelection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710295653190.png" alt="Photo Associated Press" />
 <figcaption>Photo Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden faced a test Thursday that he had avoided so far this year — a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-president-trump-election-2024-democrats-9e1781a17b3313f525ef70f8a00c310a">solo news conference</a>&nbsp;with questions from the White House press corps.The news conference was meant to reassure a disheartened group of Democratic lawmakers, allies and persuadable voters in this year's election that Biden still has the strength and stamina to be president. Biden has tried to defend his feeble and tongue-tied performance in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Republican Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as an outlier rather than evidence that at 81 he lacks the vigor and commanding presence that the public expects from the commander in chief.On his social media account Former President Trump mocked Biden's flubs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720749875023.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden made at least two notable flubs, referring at an event beforehand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin" and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” when asked about her by a reporter. But he also gave detailed responses about his work to preserve NATO and his plans for a second term. And he insisted he's not leaving the race even as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers ask him to step aside.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;And now I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentleman, President Putin.&quot; He immediately corrects himself, &quot;He&#39;s going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/VIqDxC8NCS">pic.twitter.com/VIqDxC8NCS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811522378280894803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Here are some highlights from the press conference:<h2>He bungled key names — and remained defiant</h2>Perhaps Biden’s biggest slip-up in the press conference came early on when he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump,” in saying he picked her because he believed she could beat Trump.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;What concerns do you have about Vice President Harris&#39; ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket? President Biden: Look, I wouldn&#39;t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn&#39;t think she was not qualified to be vice president. <a href="https://t.co/TqqSKBsyQu">pic.twitter.com/TqqSKBsyQu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1811546437567586658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Even before the news conference, Biden had bungled an important name at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-summit-ukraine-russia-china-biden-66656f03cd5e203d4074bdb2ead8abd8">NATO summit</a>&nbsp;and instantly lowered expectations for his performance.“Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said as he was introducing Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is most definitely not Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gaffe immediately prompted gasps, as Biden caught himself and said to Zelenskyy: “President Putin? You’re going to beat President Putin.”But he was defiant when a reporter brought up his reference to “Vice President Trump” and noted the presumptive Republican nominee's campaign was already promoting the slip-up. “Listen to him,” he said, before walking off the stage.One House Democrat, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, issued a statement minutes later calling on the president to withdraw.<h2>He insisted, ‘I’ve got to finish this job'</h2>It’s a delicate dance between the president and vice president, with many Democrats openly pining for Harris to replace Biden on the ticket. Biden didn’t acknowledge that tension, but only brought Harris up in response to pointed questions about whether he believed she had the capability to replace him.“I wouldn’t have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president,” Biden said, citing Harris’ resume from prosecutor to the U.S. Senate.But in response to a later question he acknowledged he’d moved on from his 2020 campaign promise to be a “bridge” to a new generation of Democrats. “What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited,” he said, without a word about his vice president.Repeatedly, he said, “I've got to finish this job.”The press conference ended with Biden being asked directly whether he’d step down for Harris if he saw polling showing she had a better chance of beating Trump. “No, unless they come back and said there’s no way you can win,” Biden responded. Then he added, in a stage whisper, “No poll’s saying that.”<h2>He argued he's delivered results over rhetoric</h2>Biden tried to make the case that what he’s doing matters more than how he talks about it.He praised the just finished NATO summit as elevating America’s standing. “Have you ever seen a more successful conference?” Biden said to a group of reporters who often only got to see the conference during prepared remarks.He drilled down on how inflation has eased from its 2022 peak as he reeled off stats such as the creation of 800,000 manufacturing jobs under his watch, saying that world leaders would want to trade their own economies for what United States has. He also said he would cap how much rent could grow for tenants of landlords who are part of a tax-credit program for low-income housing.It’s the same pitch Biden has made in stump speeches without necessarily doing much to move his own popularity. His team believes it will sink in if repeated constantly.<h2>He brought up his work on NATO</h2>Biden kicked off the press conference by talking at length about NATO and its value to the United States — one of his strongest political issues against Trump, who has been openly skeptical of the alliance and once suggested he'd encourage Russia to attack NATO members whom he considered delinquent.Biden tied himself to an American tradition stretching “from Truman to Reagan to me” of defending NATO. “Every American must ask herself or himself, is the world safer with NATO?” he asked.Later, to assure a European journalist asking about governments on that continent worrying Trump could win, Biden launched into a detailed recounting of how he helped shepherd Finland into the alliance. After that, he went into detail about how to push back against China for supporting Russia during its war against Ukraine and contended he will continue to be able to deal with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.Overall, Biden spoke forcefully and fluently about foreign policy, one of his favorite subjects. But the news conference’s focus wasn’t really foreign policy, it was reassuring Democrats and the world that Biden is still able to be president and beat Trump.That shows how even Biden’s strengths are being overshadowed by questions about his capabilities.<h2>When possible, he went back to the stump speech</h2>Every politician has a stock set of lines. And whenever Biden could, he went back to his favorite talking points. It was a way to answer the question without necessarily needing to say anything spontaneous or new.He went after trickle-down economics, borrowing a line about his father never benefiting much from tax cuts aimed at the wealthy (“I don’t remember much trickling down to his kitchen table”). He hailed Delaware for leading the country in corporations. He said he’s the “most pro-union labor president in history.” He explained his decision to run for a second term with a variation on his “finish the job” catchphrase. He went into his standard spiel about computer chips.With no time limit on his answers like he faced at the debate, Biden went on for several minutes at a time telling stories about his interactions with foreign leaders and making the case for his reelection.<h2>He answered questions in detail — unlike at the debate</h2>There were few fireworks in Biden’s answers -- with the highly anticipated event at times coming across as more of a think tank lecture than an effort to grab voters’ attention. He went into granular detail on geopolitics and rattled off numbers — asking at one moment, though, to not be held to the precise figure.While it didn’t erase the stumbles and blank stares from the debate, it showed that he could engage with reporters’ questions on a range of issues without losing focus.There was still regular coughing and throat clearing. And at times he lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper that evoked the rasp of his voice on debate night.Overall, his presentation was a reminder that people are focused on him now with an almost clinical eye toward possible slip-ups and mistakes, the kind of pressure that is unlikely to go away for as long as Biden insists he’ll stay in the race.___Riccardi reported from Denver.