SALINE COUNTY—Saline County emergency officials have lifted the evacuation notice was&nbsp; for all those within two miles of Hohneck and Watkins Roads as crews continue fighting a grass fire northwest of Salina.

The large grass fire is roughly 5-7 miles northwest of Salina,&nbsp;according to the National Weather Service.

An evacuation notice had been issued just before 2p.m. for all those within two miles of Hohneck and Watkins Roads.

The fire that started on the south side of Intersate 70 between Muir and Headville Road crossed the interstate and is now burning north toward Culver, prompting the evacuation.

Additionally, the interstate has low to no visibility due to smoke in the area of Interstate 70 west of Interstate 135. Avoid the interstate and take an alternate route if you must travel. Air support is en route to the area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709239509319.jpeg" alt="Thursday afternoon grass fire in Saline County -photo Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C" />
 <figcaption>Thursday afternoon grass fire in Saline County -photo Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Saline County emergency officials have lifted the evacuation notice was&nbsp; for all those within two miles of Hohneck and Watkins Roads as crews continue fighting a grass fire northwest of Salina.The large grass fire is roughly 5-7 miles northwest of Salina,&nbsp;according to the National Weather Service.An evacuation notice had been issued just before 2p.m. for all those within two miles of Hohneck and Watkins Roads.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709240120647.png" alt="photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>The fire that started on the south side of Intersate 70 between Muir and Headville Road crossed the interstate and is now burning north toward Culver, prompting the evacuation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709236113133.png" alt="photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Additionally, the interstate has low to no visibility due to smoke in the area of Interstate 70 west of Interstate 135. Avoid the interstate and take an alternate route if you must travel. Air support is en route to the area.

Evacuation notice lifted as crews fight large grass fire in Saline Co.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-election-campaign-425e275ffbe6da60c9b9e5dbfc590379">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;vowed Thursday to fulfill Moscow’s goals in Ukraine and sternly warned the West against deeper involvement in the fighting, saying that such a move is fraught with the risk of a global nuclear conflict.

Putin's warning came in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-presidential-election-2024-what-to-know-04a363dd56d4b3f15d3048ed8585fe55">election</a>&nbsp;he’s all but certain to win, underlining his readiness to protect Russian gains in Ukraine.

In an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement earlier this week that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paris-conference-support-ukraine-zelenskyy-c458a1df3f9a7626128cdeb84050d469#:~:text=PARIS%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20French%20President,grinds%20into%20a%20third%20year.">should not be “ruled out”</a>, Putin warned that it would lead to “tragic” consequences for the countries who decide to do that.

Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans tp attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were “selecting targets for striking our territory and selecting the most efficient as they think striking assets and talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine.”

“We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country,” the Russian leader said. “Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic.”

Speaking before an audience of lawmakers and top officials, Putin said the West should keep in mind that “we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization.”

“Don't they understand it?” he said, alleging that Western leaders are playing with options of deeper involvement in the conflict, as in a simulation. “Those people haven't been through any tough challenges and they have forgotten what war means.”

The strong statement followed earlier warnings from Putin, who has issued frequent reminders of Russia's nuclear might since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 as he sought to discourage the West from expanding its military support for Kyiv.

Putin emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are in “full readiness,” saying that the military has deployed potent new weapons, some of them tested on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The Kremlin leader said they include the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile that has entered service with Russian nuclear forces, along with the Burevestnik atomic-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon atomic-powered, nuclear-armed drone, which are completing their tests.

He added that the Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles have proven their efficacy on the battlefield in Ukraine.

At the same time, he rejected Western leaders’ statements about the threat of a Russian attack on NATO allies in Europe as “ravings” and again dismissed Washington's claim that Moscow was pondering the deployment of space-based nuclear weapons.

Putin charged that the U.S. allegations were part of a ploy to draw Russia into talks on nuclear arms control on American terms even as Washington continues its efforts to deliver a “strategic defeat” to Moscow in Ukraine.

“Ahead of the U.S. election, they just want to show their citizens, as well as others, that they continue to rule the world,” he said. “It won't work.”

In his speech that focused heavily on economic and social issues ahead of the March 15-17 presidential vote, Putin argued that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine, charging that the Russian forces have the upper hand in the fighting.

He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.

Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression.

The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains.

Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russia’s political system that he has established during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0dc36e0cdf7e6fa3c5e0d735b4c55197">24 years in power</a>.

Prominent critics who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-successors-president-election-kremlin-58154b1f252908e76083c944efc6828e">could challenge him</a>&nbsp;have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putin’s reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-life-timeline-0722708e19e51b10699b2cc73ece0bae">Russia’s best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/alexei-navalny-death-russia-updates">died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony</a>&nbsp;earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalny’s funeral is set for Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="File Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in Moscow (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>File Image from a video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in Moscow (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-election-campaign-425e275ffbe6da60c9b9e5dbfc590379">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;vowed Thursday to fulfill Moscow’s goals in Ukraine and sternly warned the West against deeper involvement in the fighting, saying that such a move is fraught with the risk of a global nuclear conflict.Putin's warning came in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-presidential-election-2024-what-to-know-04a363dd56d4b3f15d3048ed8585fe55">election</a>&nbsp;he’s all but certain to win, underlining his readiness to protect Russian gains in Ukraine.In an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement earlier this week that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paris-conference-support-ukraine-zelenskyy-c458a1df3f9a7626128cdeb84050d469#:~:text=PARIS%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20French%20President,grinds%20into%20a%20third%20year.">should not be “ruled out”</a>, Putin warned that it would lead to “tragic” consequences for the countries who decide to do that.Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans tp attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were “selecting targets for striking our territory and selecting the most efficient as they think striking assets and talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine.”“We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country,” the Russian leader said. “Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic.”Speaking before an audience of lawmakers and top officials, Putin said the West should keep in mind that “we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization.”“Don't they understand it?” he said, alleging that Western leaders are playing with options of deeper involvement in the conflict, as in a simulation. “Those people haven't been through any tough challenges and they have forgotten what war means.”The strong statement followed earlier warnings from Putin, who has issued frequent reminders of Russia's nuclear might since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 as he sought to discourage the West from expanding its military support for Kyiv.Putin emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are in “full readiness,” saying that the military has deployed potent new weapons, some of them tested on the battlefield in Ukraine.The Kremlin leader said they include the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile that has entered service with Russian nuclear forces, along with the Burevestnik atomic-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon atomic-powered, nuclear-armed drone, which are completing their tests.He added that the Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles have proven their efficacy on the battlefield in Ukraine.At the same time, he rejected Western leaders’ statements about the threat of a Russian attack on NATO allies in Europe as “ravings” and again dismissed Washington's claim that Moscow was pondering the deployment of space-based nuclear weapons.Putin charged that the U.S. allegations were part of a ploy to draw Russia into talks on nuclear arms control on American terms even as Washington continues its efforts to deliver a “strategic defeat” to Moscow in Ukraine.“Ahead of the U.S. election, they just want to show their citizens, as well as others, that they continue to rule the world,” he said. “It won't work.”In his speech that focused heavily on economic and social issues ahead of the March 15-17 presidential vote, Putin argued that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine, charging that the Russian forces have the upper hand in the fighting.He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression.The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains.Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russia’s political system that he has established during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0dc36e0cdf7e6fa3c5e0d735b4c55197">24 years in power</a>.Prominent critics who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-russia-successors-president-election-kremlin-58154b1f252908e76083c944efc6828e">could challenge him</a>&nbsp;have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putin’s reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-life-timeline-0722708e19e51b10699b2cc73ece0bae">Russia’s best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/alexei-navalny-death-russia-updates">died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony</a>&nbsp;earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalny’s funeral is set for Friday.

Putin threatens nuclear war if NATO sends troops to Ukraine

KANSAS CITY —Two Kansas City area men have been charged in connection with the late-afternoon Jan. 17, 2024, shootings inside Crown Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Joel Olivas, 23, and Brian Favela, 22, collectively face 26 felony charges. Each defendant faces three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, six counts of Armed Criminal Action, Terroristic Threat in the 1st&nbsp;Degree and three counts of Harassment in the 1st&nbsp;Degree. Both charged defendants are affiliated with the East Side Gang.

According to court records, a total of six persons were wounded in the shooting, including three victims not involved in the disturbance between two groups. Crime scene technicians located 54 spent shell casings, observed live rounds on the ground and recovered eight spent bullets and 22 bullet fragments. Witnesses stated a groups of males could be heard in a verbal disturbance at Crown Center.

 They fired their weapons in a public space with blatant disregard for the safety of many persons inside a mall, including families and children.

Prosecutors worked closely with the police investigative team on the timing of criminal charges in this case to protect officer safety in taking these defendants into custody. The charges were placed under seal this month. The seal was lifted today.

Prosecutors requested a $500,000 cash bond for each defendant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159745533.png" alt="Olivas-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Olivas-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Two Kansas City area men have been charged in connection with the late-afternoon Jan. 17, 2024, shootings inside Crown Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Joel Olivas, 23, and Brian Favela, 22, collectively face 26 felony charges. Each defendant faces three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, six counts of Armed Criminal Action, Terroristic Threat in the 1st&nbsp;Degree and three counts of Harassment in the 1st&nbsp;Degree. Both charged defendants are affiliated with the East Side Gang.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159804082.png" alt="Favela photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Favela photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, a total of six persons were wounded in the shooting, including three victims not involved in the disturbance between two groups. Crime scene technicians located 54 spent shell casings, observed live rounds on the ground and recovered eight spent bullets and 22 bullet fragments. Witnesses stated a groups of males could be heard in a verbal disturbance at Crown Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705578148945.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure> They fired their weapons in a public space with blatant disregard for the safety of many persons inside a mall, including families and children.Prosecutors worked closely with the police investigative team on the timing of criminal charges in this case to protect officer safety in taking these defendants into custody. The charges were placed under seal this month. The seal was lifted today.Prosecutors requested a $500,000 cash bond for each defendant.

Suspects charged for gunfight at Crown Center that injured 6

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — More than 1,000 child care providers and stakeholders from all 105 Kansas counties urged lawmakers to channel more money into the state’s overwhelmed child care programs.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://stage.worklifesystems.com/Kansas?county=all">Child care data</a>&nbsp;in the state suggests only 46% of children in Kansas are receiving child care services, and that an additional 85,000 child care slots are needed to meet demand.&nbsp;

To alleviate some of the financial strain faced by providers, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly introduced a $56 million allocation as part of her proposed budget for<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-fiscal-year-2025-budget/">&nbsp;fiscal year 2025</a>.&nbsp;The funding includes nearly $30 million for the construction of child care facilities and $5 million for a northwest Kansas pilot program seeking to test practices for public-private child care partnerships in rural areas.&nbsp;

Another $15 million will go toward workforce grants to support child care providers struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fiscal year 2025, the money would provide an estimated 3,500 child care organizations with $4,000 grants.

Child care providers and stakeholders signed onto a letter supporting the allocation, calling the move a critical economic development and one that would bolster struggling Kansas families.&nbsp;

“Too many Kansas families are struggling with the high costs of child care,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2024/02/27/file_attachments/2796444/Kansas%20Early%20Childhood%20Sign-On%20Letter.pdf">the letter reads</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Investing in early childhood programs included in the budget will make child care more affordable and more available in communities from Kansas City to Garden City. …We need to invest in early childhood education to make sure all Kansas kids get started on the right track.”&nbsp;

Lawmakers in the Republican-majority Legislature will go through budget items before sending the budget back to Kelly. If enacted, this allocation would be the largest single-year investment in early childhood care and education in Kansas history, according to the governor’s office.&nbsp;

“Early childhood providers are essential to preparing our children for lifelong success and know how critical it is to invest in our state’s early childhood system,” Kelly said in a Wednesday statement. “Legislators should listen to these experts and approve the crucial budget proposals needed to expand access to child care, support our working families and businesses, and grow our economy.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1685738907816.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;File photo-Child care system slots may increase under new funding provisions.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;File photo-Child care system slots may increase under new funding provisions.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — More than 1,000 child care providers and stakeholders from all 105 Kansas counties urged lawmakers to channel more money into the state’s overwhelmed child care programs.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stage.worklifesystems.com/Kansas?county=all">Child care data</a>&nbsp;in the state suggests only 46% of children in Kansas are receiving child care services, and that an additional 85,000 child care slots are needed to meet demand.&nbsp;To alleviate some of the financial strain faced by providers, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly introduced a $56 million allocation as part of her proposed budget for<a target="_blank" href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-fiscal-year-2025-budget/">&nbsp;fiscal year 2025</a>.&nbsp;The funding includes nearly $30 million for the construction of child care facilities and $5 million for a northwest Kansas pilot program seeking to test practices for public-private child care partnerships in rural areas.&nbsp;Another $15 million will go toward workforce grants to support child care providers struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fiscal year 2025, the money would provide an estimated 3,500 child care organizations with $4,000 grants.Child care providers and stakeholders signed onto a letter supporting the allocation, calling the move a critical economic development and one that would bolster struggling Kansas families.&nbsp;“Too many Kansas families are struggling with the high costs of child care,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/KSOG/2024/02/27/file_attachments/2796444/Kansas%20Early%20Childhood%20Sign-On%20Letter.pdf">the letter reads</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Investing in early childhood programs included in the budget will make child care more affordable and more available in communities from Kansas City to Garden City. …We need to invest in early childhood education to make sure all Kansas kids get started on the right track.”&nbsp;Lawmakers in the Republican-majority Legislature will go through budget items before sending the budget back to Kelly. If enacted, this allocation would be the largest single-year investment in early childhood care and education in Kansas history, according to the governor’s office.&nbsp;“Early childhood providers are essential to preparing our children for lifelong success and know how critical it is to invest in our state’s early childhood system,” Kelly said in a Wednesday statement. “Legislators should listen to these experts and approve the crucial budget proposals needed to expand access to child care, support our working families and businesses, and grow our economy.”&nbsp;

‘Families are struggling’: Kansas child care providers ask for funding increase

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;“continues to be fit for duty,” his doctor wrote Wednesday after conducting an annual physical that is being closely watched as the 81-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Joe,president%20for%20another%20four%20years.">seeks reelection</a>&nbsp;in November.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Health-Summary-2.28.pdf">Click here to read the full letter </a>from the physician to the President

(Click below to watch the White House Press secretary respond to questions on the President's lack of a cognitive test)

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden's physician, wrote that the president is adjusting well to a new device that helps control his sleep apnea and has experienced some hip discomfort but also works out five times per week.

“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” O’Connor said in a six-page memo on the president’s health, following a physical that took Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours.

His memo added that Biden “feels well and this year's physical identifies no new concerns.”

The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one. His latest physical mirrored one he had in February last year when O'Connor described Biden as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-health-bdce6c15df6186e06710f2d903a3513e">“healthy, vigorous” and “fit”</a>&nbsp;to handle his White House duties.

Still, voters are approaching this year’s election with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-donald-trump-government-and-politics-ede57ce56fdf7958addec2cf9ef5e0de">misgivings about Biden’s age</a>, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-secret-service-jill-delaware-government-and-politics-d039291d372a38982b533d05d18d7a6f">tumble off his bicycle</a>.

After he returned to the White House on Wednesday, Biden attended an event on combating crime and suggested that when it came to his health “everything is squared away” and "there is nothing different than last year.”

He also joked about his age and people thinking "I look too young.”

Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, 77, is the favorite to lock up the Republican nomination later this month, which would bring him closer to a November rematch against Biden. Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated — until Biden broke his record by being inaugurated at 78 in 2021.

O'Connor's report said that Biden’s stiff walking was no worse than last year and was the result of arthritic changes in his spine. He said the president also noted “some increased left hip discomfort.” There were no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or other similar conditions in what the report called an “extremely detailed neurologic exam.”

Biden, last summer, began using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to help with sleep apnea, and O'Connor wrote that the president had responded well to that treatment and is “diligently compliant" about using it.

A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">special counsel’s report on the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents</a>&nbsp;repeatedly derided Biden's memory, calling it “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations.” It also noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.

Still, addressing reporters the evening of the report's release, Biden said "my memory is fine” and grew visibly angry as he denied forgetting when his son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">died of brain cancer in 2015</a>&nbsp;at the age of 46.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that O’Connor was one of a team of 20 different medical specialists who helped complete the physical.

Asked why Biden wasn't undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Jean-Pierre said that O'Connor and Biden's neurologist “don't believe he needs one.”

“He passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics,” Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden tackled such diverse issues as Wednesday's crime prevention event before his planned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-joe-biden-immigration-border-trump-2024-734b45dd77b70a41471c9c843c36cc49">trip to the U.S.-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;on Thursday and next week's State of the Union address.

“This is a very rigorous job," she added.

That picture of the president doesn’t reflect the type of struggles with routine tasks that might indicate the need for further tests, said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

“Constantly questioning older folks who may have an occasional lapse is a form of ageism,” Rosenbloom said.

From sleep apnea to arthritis, Biden’s health report “seems pretty run of the mill for an 81-year-old person,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“His doctors are in a unique position to assess his cognitive ability on a daily basis,” Linder said. "These doctors are able to see how he’s functioning day to day. That’s much more useful” than a cognitive assessment.

Many Americans, including Democrats, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">expressed reservations about Biden</a>&nbsp;seeking a second term during this fall's election. Only 37% of Democrats say Biden should pursue reelection, down from 52% before the 2022 midterm elections, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Biden counters that his age brings wisdom, and he has begun to criticize Trump for the former president’s recent public gaffes.

The president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-seth-meyers-donors-2024-3ba258c294d0697f2f2963f3025dd529">joked</a>&nbsp;that his age was classified information and suggested during a taping in New York on Monday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seth-meyers-late-night-10-years-237f12c227cd2de1f25528b3249bd61e">“Late Night With Seth Meyers</a>&nbsp;″ that Trump mistakenly called his wife Melania, “Mercedes” during a weekend speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference -- though the Trump campaign says he was correctly referring to political commentator Mercedes Schlapp.

Trump has indeed had his share of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-age-biden-trump-gaffes-flubs-c46427d30471f79ee695d3e76f4d17f4">verbal miscues</a>, mixing up the city and state where he was campaigning, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the leader of Turkey and repeatedly mispronouncing the militant group Hamas as “hummus.” More recently, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-trump-mental-fitness-pelosi-522c3cddcaf7b85df5a64658c5041e96">confused</a>&nbsp;his Republican primary rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

While he was president, Trump's annual physical in 2019 revealed that he had gained weight and was up to 243 pounds. With his 6-foot, 3-inch frame, that meant Trump's Body Mass Index was 30.4. An index rating of 30 is the level at which doctors consider someone obese under this commonly used formula.

Wednesday's report listed Biden as 6-foot tall and weighing 178 pounds.

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;“continues to be fit for duty,” his doctor wrote Wednesday after conducting an annual physical that is being closely watched as the 81-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Joe,president%20for%20another%20four%20years.">seeks reelection</a>&nbsp;in November.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Health-Summary-2.28.pdf">Click here to read the full letter </a>from the physician to the President(Click below to watch the White House Press secretary respond to questions on the President's lack of a cognitive test)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1445488582723636%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=643" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden's physician, wrote that the president is adjusting well to a new device that helps control his sleep apnea and has experienced some hip discomfort but also works out five times per week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709157235123.png" alt="Page 1 of&nbsp;Dr. Kevin O’Connor's memo on the President's health" />
 <figcaption>Page 1 of&nbsp;Dr. Kevin O’Connor's memo on the President's health</figcaption>
 </figure>“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” O’Connor said in a six-page memo on the president’s health, following a physical that took Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours.His memo added that Biden “feels well and this year's physical identifies no new concerns.”The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one. His latest physical mirrored one he had in February last year when O'Connor described Biden as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-health-bdce6c15df6186e06710f2d903a3513e">“healthy, vigorous” and “fit”</a>&nbsp;to handle his White House duties.Still, voters are approaching this year’s election with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-donald-trump-government-and-politics-ede57ce56fdf7958addec2cf9ef5e0de">misgivings about Biden’s age</a>, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-secret-service-jill-delaware-government-and-politics-d039291d372a38982b533d05d18d7a6f">tumble off his bicycle</a>.After he returned to the White House on Wednesday, Biden attended an event on combating crime and suggested that when it came to his health “everything is squared away” and "there is nothing different than last year.”He also joked about his age and people thinking "I look too young.”Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, 77, is the favorite to lock up the Republican nomination later this month, which would bring him closer to a November rematch against Biden. Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated — until Biden broke his record by being inaugurated at 78 in 2021.O'Connor's report said that Biden’s stiff walking was no worse than last year and was the result of arthritic changes in his spine. He said the president also noted “some increased left hip discomfort.” There were no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or other similar conditions in what the report called an “extremely detailed neurologic exam.”Biden, last summer, began using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to help with sleep apnea, and O'Connor wrote that the president had responded well to that treatment and is “diligently compliant" about using it.A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec">special counsel’s report on the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents</a>&nbsp;repeatedly derided Biden's memory, calling it “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations.” It also noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president.Still, addressing reporters the evening of the report's release, Biden said "my memory is fine” and grew visibly angry as he denied forgetting when his son&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">died of brain cancer in 2015</a>&nbsp;at the age of 46.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that O’Connor was one of a team of 20 different medical specialists who helped complete the physical.Asked why Biden wasn't undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Jean-Pierre said that O'Connor and Biden's neurologist “don't believe he needs one.”“He passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics,” Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden tackled such diverse issues as Wednesday's crime prevention event before his planned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-joe-biden-immigration-border-trump-2024-734b45dd77b70a41471c9c843c36cc49">trip to the U.S.-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;on Thursday and next week's State of the Union address.“This is a very rigorous job," she added.That picture of the president doesn’t reflect the type of struggles with routine tasks that might indicate the need for further tests, said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.“Constantly questioning older folks who may have an occasional lapse is a form of ageism,” Rosenbloom said.From sleep apnea to arthritis, Biden’s health report “seems pretty run of the mill for an 81-year-old person,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.“His doctors are in a unique position to assess his cognitive ability on a daily basis,” Linder said. "These doctors are able to see how he’s functioning day to day. That’s much more useful” than a cognitive assessment.Many Americans, including Democrats, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">expressed reservations about Biden</a>&nbsp;seeking a second term during this fall's election. Only 37% of Democrats say Biden should pursue reelection, down from 52% before the 2022 midterm elections, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Biden counters that his age brings wisdom, and he has begun to criticize Trump for the former president’s recent public gaffes.The president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-seth-meyers-donors-2024-3ba258c294d0697f2f2963f3025dd529">joked</a>&nbsp;that his age was classified information and suggested during a taping in New York on Monday of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seth-meyers-late-night-10-years-237f12c227cd2de1f25528b3249bd61e">“Late Night With Seth Meyers</a>&nbsp;″ that Trump mistakenly called his wife Melania, “Mercedes” during a weekend speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference -- though the Trump campaign says he was correctly referring to political commentator Mercedes Schlapp.Trump has indeed had his share of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-age-biden-trump-gaffes-flubs-c46427d30471f79ee695d3e76f4d17f4">verbal miscues</a>, mixing up the city and state where he was campaigning, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán the leader of Turkey and repeatedly mispronouncing the militant group Hamas as “hummus.” More recently, he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-trump-mental-fitness-pelosi-522c3cddcaf7b85df5a64658c5041e96">confused</a>&nbsp;his Republican primary rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.While he was president, Trump's annual physical in 2019 revealed that he had gained weight and was up to 243 pounds. With his 6-foot, 3-inch frame, that meant Trump's Body Mass Index was 30.4. An index rating of 30 is the level at which doctors consider someone obese under this commonly used formula.Wednesday's report listed Biden as 6-foot tall and weighing 178 pounds.

🎥 Biden fit for duty: Read his physician's memo; no cognitive test

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused in a double murder of a man and woman at Wichita motel made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=746460">John Aurthur Griffin</a>&nbsp;III, 20, Wichita, was charged with capital murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, aggravated endangering a child, and two counts of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 9:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting call&nbsp; in the 7300 block of E. Kellogg, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located two shooting victims in a motel room identified as&nbsp;35-year-old Christopher Harrell and 35-year-old Natisha Phillips both of Wichita.

EMS transported Harrell to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Phillips was pronounced deceased on the scene. 

Officers also located a young child at the scene, who was unharmed, and police are using resources to address any psychological or medical needs for the child.&nbsp;

Subsequent investigation led the arrest of Griffin. He had been in prison for portion of 2022 and 2023 after a conviction for Battery of a Juvenile Corrections Facility officer, Employer person confined, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. During his time his approximately 18 months in prison, Griffin had been disciplined nearly three dozen times for battery, theft, fighting and other crimes, according to the KDOC

His next court appearance is March 13. He is being held on a bond of six-million dollars.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708953115181.png" alt="Griffin-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Griffin-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused in a double murder of a man and woman at Wichita motel made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=746460">John Aurthur Griffin</a>&nbsp;III, 20, Wichita, was charged with capital murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, aggravated endangering a child, and two counts of aggravated battery, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708804201051.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>Just before 9:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting call&nbsp; in the 7300 block of E. Kellogg, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located two shooting victims in a motel room identified as&nbsp;35-year-old Christopher Harrell and 35-year-old Natisha Phillips both of Wichita.EMS transported Harrell to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Phillips was pronounced deceased on the scene. Officers also located a young child at the scene, who was unharmed, and police are using resources to address any psychological or medical needs for the child.&nbsp;Subsequent investigation led the arrest of Griffin. He had been in prison for portion of 2022 and 2023 after a conviction for Battery of a Juvenile Corrections Facility officer, Employer person confined, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. During his time his approximately 18 months in prison, Griffin had been disciplined nearly three dozen times for battery, theft, fighting and other crimes, according to the KDOCHis next court appearance is March 13. He is being held on a bond of six-million dollars.

Violent felon charged with capital murder in Kan. motel killings

FORD COUNTY —It's been a busy week for fire crews in Kansas. According to a social media report from Ford County Fire and EMS, they sent a truck, on Tuesday, along with the SW Kansas Wildland Taskforce to Harper County Oklahoma to help with a very large grass fire.

Just before noon Wednesday, Ford County crews were dispatched to a grass fire northeast of Bucklin.  While heading to that fire another fire was reported by the small rural Ford County community of Wilroads Garden. 

The initial report was for a grass fire with multiple structures being threatened.  Some trucks were diverted from the first fire and additional resources were requested at the second fire. 

There were no houses lost but there were some out buildings, vehicles and livestock losses. Fire crews continue to monitor for hot spots at this time.&nbsp;

Departments from&nbsp;Dodge City Fire Department&nbsp;, Jetmore,&nbsp;Fowler Fire Department&nbsp;,&nbsp;Minneola Fire Department&nbsp;,&nbsp;Ashland Kansas Fire Department&nbsp;, Ford County Road &amp; Bridge,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064581137044&amp;__cft__[0]=AZWzgFNJrJJJ7RtWhHGNUWVekvhiu9q0hQfUv0PB_g4Jmsk-Giko63VJ69dT_V7LogjslJRq39DS8sHpSg7TFNv9uIvyGwzQFEI1jfRJHSVjh8ay_nhRfudRTik0XIzt6L32nA-URjRD7QiEFuZfMwdLZsyRlMgPG8TIWBPLOvwDqDq3lGKS2dCN234oI21dp5M&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Ford County Sheriff's Office</a>&nbsp;, Pride Ag and&nbsp; and Victory Electric assisted with this fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709211368458.png" alt="Photo courtesy Ford County Fire and EMS" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Ford County Fire and EMS</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —It's been a busy week for fire crews in Kansas. According to a social media report from Ford County Fire and EMS, they sent a truck, on Tuesday, along with the SW Kansas Wildland Taskforce to Harper County Oklahoma to help with a very large grass fire.Just before noon Wednesday, Ford County crews were dispatched to a grass fire northeast of Bucklin. While heading to that fire another fire was reported by the small rural Ford County community of Wilroads Garden. The initial report was for a grass fire with multiple structures being threatened. Some trucks were diverted from the first fire and additional resources were requested at the second fire. There were no houses lost but there were some out buildings, vehicles and livestock losses. Fire crews continue to monitor for hot spots at this time.&nbsp;Departments from&nbsp;Dodge City Fire Department&nbsp;, Jetmore,&nbsp;Fowler Fire Department&nbsp;,&nbsp;Minneola Fire Department&nbsp;,&nbsp;Ashland Kansas Fire Department&nbsp;, Ford County Road &amp; Bridge,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064581137044&amp;__cft__[0]=AZWzgFNJrJJJ7RtWhHGNUWVekvhiu9q0hQfUv0PB_g4Jmsk-Giko63VJ69dT_V7LogjslJRq39DS8sHpSg7TFNv9uIvyGwzQFEI1jfRJHSVjh8ay_nhRfudRTik0XIzt6L32nA-URjRD7QiEFuZfMwdLZsyRlMgPG8TIWBPLOvwDqDq3lGKS2dCN234oI21dp5M&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Ford County Sheriff's Office</a>&nbsp;, Pride Ag and&nbsp; and Victory Electric assisted with this fire.

Livestock lost in southwest Kansas wildfires

KANSAS CITY —A family is very thankful a Kansas City police detective was in the right place at the right time earlier this month.

Detective Lauren Montgomery and Officer Brett Ussary were leaving University Health after conducting interviews when they encountered a family that needed immediate help.

On Tuesday KCPD released a video showing Montgomery (gray jacket) administer back blows to the baby who was choking and not breathing. "The parents were frantic." Officer Brett Ussary, meanwhile, rushed into University Health for help. 

"While he was doing so Montgomery dislodged an object from the baby’s airway, who began gasping for air and crying."

"Great job, Detective Montgomery and Officer Ussary!" KCPD wrote in their post on the department's social media page.

KANSAS CITY —A family is very thankful a Kansas City police detective was in the right place at the right time earlier this month.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Baby saved! In this video, you see Detective Lauren Montgomery (gray jacket) administer back blows to a baby that was choking and not breathing. The parents were frantic. Officer Brett Ussary, meanwhile, rushed into University Health for help. While he was doing so… 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/6mwi9Wgfqw">pic.twitter.com/6mwi9Wgfqw</a>&mdash; kcpolice (@kcpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1762527635861623269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Detective Lauren Montgomery and Officer Brett Ussary were leaving University Health after conducting interviews when they encountered a family that needed immediate help.On Tuesday KCPD released a video showing Montgomery (gray jacket) administer back blows to the baby who was choking and not breathing. "The parents were frantic." Officer Brett Ussary, meanwhile, rushed into University Health for help. "While he was doing so Montgomery dislodged an object from the baby’s airway, who began gasping for air and crying.""Great job, Detective Montgomery and Officer Ussary!" KCPD wrote in their post on the department's social media page.

🎥 Kansas City police detective saves life of choking baby

NEW YORK (AP) — Leap year. It's a delight for the calendar and math nerds among us. So how did it all begin and why?

Have a look at some of the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every four year phenom that adds a 29th day to February.

The math is mind-boggling in a layperson sort of way and down to fractions of days and minutes. There's even a leap second occasionally, but there's no hullabaloo when that happens.

The thing to know is that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2020/2/21/doing-the-math-on-why-we-have-leap-day/">leap year exists,</a>&nbsp;in large part, to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

It's a correction to counter the fact that Earth's orbit isn't precisely 365 days a year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/calendar_calculations.htm">The trip takes about six hours longer than that, NASA says.</a>

Contrary to what some might believe, however, not every four years is a leaper. Adding a leap day every four years would make the calendar longer by more than 44 minutes, according to the National Air &amp; Space Museum.

Later, on a calendar yet to come (we'll get to it), it was decreed that years divisible by 100 not follow the four-year leap day rule unless they are also divisible by 400, the JPL notes. In the past 500 years, there was no leap day in 1700, 1800 and 1900, but 2000 had one. In the next 500 years, if the practice is followed, there will be no leap day in 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500.

The next leap years are 2028, 2032 and 2036.

Eventually, nothing good in terms of when major events fall, when farmers plant and how seasons align with the sun and the moon.

“Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November,” said Younas Khan, a physics instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Christmas will be in summer. There will be no snow. There will be no feeling of Christmas.”

Ancient civilizations used the cosmos to plan their lives, and there are calendars dating back to the Bronze Age. They were based on either the phases of the moon or the sun, as various calendars are today. Usually they were “lunisolar,” using both.

Now hop on over to the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar. He was dealing with major seasonal drift on calendars used in his neck of the woods. They dealt badly with drift by adding months. He was also navigating a vast array of calendars starting in a vast array of ways in the vast Roman Empire.

He introduced his Julian calendar in 46 BCE. It was purely solar and counted a year at 365.25 days, so once every four years an extra day was added. Before that, the Romans counted a year at 355 days, at least for a time.

But still, under Julius, there was drift. There were too many leap years! The solar year isn't precisely 365.25 days! It's 365.242 days, said Nick Eakes, an astronomy educator at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Thomas Palaima, a classics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said adding periods of time to a year to reflect variations in the lunar and solar cycles was done by the ancients. The Athenian calendar, he said, was used in the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries with 12 lunar months.

That didn't work for seasonal religious rites. The drift problem led to “intercalating” an extra month periodically to realign with lunar and solar cycles, Palaima said.

The Julian calendar was 0.0078 days (11 minutes and 14 seconds) longer than the tropical year, so errors in timekeeping still gradually accumulated, according to NASA. But stability increased, Palaima said.

The Julian calendar was the model used by the Western world for hundreds of years. Enter Pope Gregory XIII, who calibrated further. His Gregorian calendar took effect in the late 16th century. It remains in use today and, clearly, isn't perfect or there would be no need for leap year. But it was a big improvement, reducing drift to mere seconds.

Why did he step in? Well, Easter. It was coming later in the year over time, and he fretted that events related to Easter like the Pentecost might bump up against pagan festivals. The pope wanted Easter to remain in the spring.

He eliminated some extra days accumulated on the Julian calendar and tweaked the rules on leap day. It's Pope Gregory and his advisers who came up with the really gnarly math on when there should or shouldn't be a leap year.

“If the solar year was a perfect 365.25 then we wouldn’t have to worry about the tricky math involved,” Eakes said.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH LEAP YEAR AND MARRIAGE?

Bizarrely, leap day comes with lore about women popping the marriage question to men. It was mostly benign fun, but it came with a bite that reinforced gender roles.

There’s distant European folklore. One story places the idea of women proposing in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St. Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, according to historian Katherine Parkin in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2012/02/29/leap-year-marriage-proposals">2012 paper in the Journal of Family History.</a>

In 1904, syndicated columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix, summed up the tradition this way: “Of course people will say ... that a woman’s leap year prerogative, like most of her liberties, is merely a glittering mockery.”

The pre-Sadie Hawkins tradition, however serious or tongue-in-cheek, could have empowered women but merely perpetuated stereotypes. The proposals were to happen via postcard, but many such cards turned the tables and poked fun at women instead.

Advertising perpetuated the leap year marriage game. A 1916 ad by the American Industrial Bank and Trust Co. read thusly: “This being Leap Year day, we suggest to every girl that she propose to her father to open a savings account in her name in our own bank.”

There was no breath of independence for women due to leap day.

Being born in a leap year on a leap day certainly is a talking point. But it can be kind of a pain from a paperwork perspective. Some governments and others requiring forms to be filled out and birthdays to be stated stepped in to declare what date was used by leaplings for such things as drivers licenses, whether Feb. 28 or March 1.

Technology has made it far easier for leap babies to jot down their Feb. 29 milestones, though there can be glitches in terms of health systems, insurance policies and with other businesses and organization that don't have that date built in.

There are about 5 million people worldwide who share the leap birthday out of about 8 billion people on the planet. Shelley Dean, 23, in Seattle, Washington, chooses a rosy attitude about being a leapling. Growing up, she had normal birthday parties each year, but an extra special one when leap years rolled around. Since, as an adult, she marks that non-leap period between Feb. 28 and March 1 with a low-key “whew.”

“It will be the first birthday that I’m going to celebrate with my family in eight years, which is super exciting, because the last leap day I was on the other side of the country in New York for college,” she said. “It's a very big year.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709168477060.png" alt="Leap years were created to keep the human calendar in line with Earth's rotation around the sun. (AP Digital Embed)" />
 <figcaption>Leap years were created to keep the human calendar in line with Earth's rotation around the sun. (AP Digital Embed)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Leap year. It's a delight for the calendar and math nerds among us. So how did it all begin and why?<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708881735016.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Have a look at some of the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every four year phenom that adds a 29th day to February.BY THE NUMBERSThe math is mind-boggling in a layperson sort of way and down to fractions of days and minutes. There's even a leap second occasionally, but there's no hullabaloo when that happens.The thing to know is that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2020/2/21/doing-the-math-on-why-we-have-leap-day/">leap year exists,</a>&nbsp;in large part, to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.It's a correction to counter the fact that Earth's orbit isn't precisely 365 days a year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/calendar_calculations.htm">The trip takes about six hours longer than that, NASA says.</a>Contrary to what some might believe, however, not every four years is a leaper. Adding a leap day every four years would make the calendar longer by more than 44 minutes, according to the National Air &amp; Space Museum.Later, on a calendar yet to come (we'll get to it), it was decreed that years divisible by 100 not follow the four-year leap day rule unless they are also divisible by 400, the JPL notes. In the past 500 years, there was no leap day in 1700, 1800 and 1900, but 2000 had one. In the next 500 years, if the practice is followed, there will be no leap day in 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500.Still with us?The next leap years are 2028, 2032 and 2036.WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT A LEAP DAY?Eventually, nothing good in terms of when major events fall, when farmers plant and how seasons align with the sun and the moon.“Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November,” said Younas Khan, a physics instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Christmas will be in summer. There will be no snow. There will be no feeling of Christmas.”WHO CAME UP WITH LEAP YEAR?The short answer: It evolved.Ancient civilizations used the cosmos to plan their lives, and there are calendars dating back to the Bronze Age. They were based on either the phases of the moon or the sun, as various calendars are today. Usually they were “lunisolar,” using both.Now hop on over to the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar. He was dealing with major seasonal drift on calendars used in his neck of the woods. They dealt badly with drift by adding months. He was also navigating a vast array of calendars starting in a vast array of ways in the vast Roman Empire.He introduced his Julian calendar in 46 BCE. It was purely solar and counted a year at 365.25 days, so once every four years an extra day was added. Before that, the Romans counted a year at 355 days, at least for a time.But still, under Julius, there was drift. There were too many leap years! The solar year isn't precisely 365.25 days! It's 365.242 days, said Nick Eakes, an astronomy educator at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.Thomas Palaima, a classics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said adding periods of time to a year to reflect variations in the lunar and solar cycles was done by the ancients. The Athenian calendar, he said, was used in the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries with 12 lunar months.That didn't work for seasonal religious rites. The drift problem led to “intercalating” an extra month periodically to realign with lunar and solar cycles, Palaima said.The Julian calendar was 0.0078 days (11 minutes and 14 seconds) longer than the tropical year, so errors in timekeeping still gradually accumulated, according to NASA. But stability increased, Palaima said.The Julian calendar was the model used by the Western world for hundreds of years. Enter Pope Gregory XIII, who calibrated further. His Gregorian calendar took effect in the late 16th century. It remains in use today and, clearly, isn't perfect or there would be no need for leap year. But it was a big improvement, reducing drift to mere seconds.Why did he step in? Well, Easter. It was coming later in the year over time, and he fretted that events related to Easter like the Pentecost might bump up against pagan festivals. The pope wanted Easter to remain in the spring.He eliminated some extra days accumulated on the Julian calendar and tweaked the rules on leap day. It's Pope Gregory and his advisers who came up with the really gnarly math on when there should or shouldn't be a leap year.“If the solar year was a perfect 365.25 then we wouldn’t have to worry about the tricky math involved,” Eakes said.WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH LEAP YEAR AND MARRIAGE?Bizarrely, leap day comes with lore about women popping the marriage question to men. It was mostly benign fun, but it came with a bite that reinforced gender roles.There’s distant European folklore. One story places the idea of women proposing in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St. Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, according to historian Katherine Parkin in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2012/02/29/leap-year-marriage-proposals">2012 paper in the Journal of Family History.</a>Nobody really knows where it all began.In 1904, syndicated columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix, summed up the tradition this way: “Of course people will say ... that a woman’s leap year prerogative, like most of her liberties, is merely a glittering mockery.”The pre-Sadie Hawkins tradition, however serious or tongue-in-cheek, could have empowered women but merely perpetuated stereotypes. The proposals were to happen via postcard, but many such cards turned the tables and poked fun at women instead.Advertising perpetuated the leap year marriage game. A 1916 ad by the American Industrial Bank and Trust Co. read thusly: “This being Leap Year day, we suggest to every girl that she propose to her father to open a savings account in her name in our own bank.”There was no breath of independence for women due to leap day.SHOULD WE PITY THE LEAPLINGS?Being born in a leap year on a leap day certainly is a talking point. But it can be kind of a pain from a paperwork perspective. Some governments and others requiring forms to be filled out and birthdays to be stated stepped in to declare what date was used by leaplings for such things as drivers licenses, whether Feb. 28 or March 1.Technology has made it far easier for leap babies to jot down their Feb. 29 milestones, though there can be glitches in terms of health systems, insurance policies and with other businesses and organization that don't have that date built in.There are about 5 million people worldwide who share the leap birthday out of about 8 billion people on the planet. Shelley Dean, 23, in Seattle, Washington, chooses a rosy attitude about being a leapling. Growing up, she had normal birthday parties each year, but an extra special one when leap years rolled around. Since, as an adult, she marks that non-leap period between Feb. 28 and March 1 with a low-key “whew.”This year is different.“It will be the first birthday that I’m going to celebrate with my family in eight years, which is super exciting, because the last leap day I was on the other side of the country in New York for college,” she said. “It's a very big year.”

The 'why' behind leap year

KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire at a homeless camp that sent two to the hospital.

Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, crews&nbsp;initially responded to a reported building fire in the area of 20th and Troost, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

&nbsp;A passerby reported smoke from the building.&nbsp; Crews identified that the smoke was actually from a homeless camp at the rear of the building under the bridge near the railroad tracks. 

Additional responding units diverted to 20th and Forest for better access and were able to extinguish the large fire. Initial reports indicated possibly 8 to 10 homeless individuals injured, which triggered the large ambulance response. 

EMS transported only two patients from the incident, one in critical condition and one in serious condition. The Troost bridge at 20th street is being inspected by public works for damage and is currently closed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709154395283.png" alt="The Troost bridge at 20th street is being inspected by public works for damage and is currently closed.- Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>The Troost bridge at 20th street is being inspected by public works for damage and is currently closed.- Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire at a homeless camp that sent two to the hospital.Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, crews&nbsp;initially responded to a reported building fire in the area of 20th and Troost, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.&nbsp;A passerby reported smoke from the building.&nbsp; Crews identified that the smoke was actually from a homeless camp at the rear of the building under the bridge near the railroad tracks. Additional responding units diverted to 20th and Forest for better access and were able to extinguish the large fire. Initial reports indicated possibly 8 to 10 homeless individuals injured, which triggered the large ambulance response. EMS transported only two patients from the incident, one in critical condition and one in serious condition. The Troost bridge at 20th street is being inspected by public works for damage and is currently closed.

2 hospitalized after fire at Kansas City homeless camp 

BUTLER COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen for alleged child sex crimes.

&nbsp;A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children prompted an investigation by El Dorado Police and the Kansas ICAC Task Force in Wichita alleging the sexual exploitation of children through the use of electronic devices.&nbsp; Investigators then arrested 18-year-old Lillian Bagley of El Dorado.

She is being held on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709080587675.png" alt="Bagley photo Butler Co." />
 <figcaption>Bagley photo Butler Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas teen for alleged child sex crimes.&nbsp;A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children prompted an investigation by El Dorado Police and the Kansas ICAC Task Force in Wichita alleging the sexual exploitation of children through the use of electronic devices.&nbsp; Investigators then arrested 18-year-old Lillian Bagley of El Dorado.She is being held on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated internet trading in child pornography.

Kansas teen accused of internet trading in child pornography

ST. LOUIS (AP) —Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch has reached a contract agreement with the Teamsters union that avoids a strike at its U.S. plants.

The union had threatened a strike at the brewer’s 12 U.S. plants if an agreement on a new five-year contract wasn’t reached by 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday. The Teamsters union represents 5,000 Anheuser-Busch workers who brew and package beer and even take care of the company’s legendary Clydesdale horses.

But the two sides said late Wednesday they had reached a tentative agreement that boosts wages and increases vacation days and pension contributions.

“Teamsters make the beer, Teamsters make Anheuser-Busch successful and our members deserve the best contract. That is what we fought for and won today,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement.

Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the contract also makes significant job security commitments.

"Our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the company for long-term success,” Whitworth said in a statement.

The union said the full tentative agreement will be shared with workers prior to a ratification vote, which is expected to happen next week.

The strike would have been the first in the U.S. against Anheuser-Busch since 1976.

The union said earlier this month it was angered by a company proposal that would close breweries and lay off workers.

But Anheuser-Busch is facing declining beer sales in the U.S., where drinkers are increasingly opting for spirits, hard seltzers and alcohol-free beverages.

It’s also trying to win back consumers. Bud Light, its best-selling brand, faced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">conservative backlash</a>&nbsp;last year after it sent a commemorative can to transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Transgender rights supporters also deserted the brand, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-transgender-dylan-mulvaney-442d6d4c3f41d706586de8edd01ac13d">didn't do enough</a>&nbsp;to support Mulvaney.

Anheuser-Busch shipments to U.S. wholesalers dropped 13.8% last year, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. Overall, U.S. beer shipments were down 5%.

The company, part of Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, brews more than a dozen brands at its U.S. plants, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch has reached a contract agreement with the Teamsters union that avoids a strike at its U.S. plants.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">TEAMSTERS REACH MAJOR NEW AGREEMENT WITH ANHEUSER-BUSCH, BOOSTING WAGES, PROTECTING JOBS Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a five-year tentative agreement significantly raising pay, improving health care and retirement benefits, and providing critical job… <a href="https://t.co/9jlVAdxxfU">pic.twitter.com/9jlVAdxxfU</a>&mdash; Teamsters (@Teamsters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Teamsters/status/1762980659478352118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The union had threatened a strike at the brewer’s 12 U.S. plants if an agreement on a new five-year contract wasn’t reached by 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday. The Teamsters union represents 5,000 Anheuser-Busch workers who brew and package beer and even take care of the company’s legendary Clydesdale horses.But the two sides said late Wednesday they had reached a tentative agreement that boosts wages and increases vacation days and pension contributions.“Teamsters make the beer, Teamsters make Anheuser-Busch successful and our members deserve the best contract. That is what we fought for and won today,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement.Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the contract also makes significant job security commitments."Our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the company for long-term success,” Whitworth said in a statement.The union said the full tentative agreement will be shared with workers prior to a ratification vote, which is expected to happen next week.The strike would have been the first in the U.S. against Anheuser-Busch since 1976.The union said earlier this month it was angered by a company proposal that would close breweries and lay off workers.But Anheuser-Busch is facing declining beer sales in the U.S., where drinkers are increasingly opting for spirits, hard seltzers and alcohol-free beverages.It’s also trying to win back consumers. Bud Light, its best-selling brand, faced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">conservative backlash</a>&nbsp;last year after it sent a commemorative can to transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Transgender rights supporters also deserted the brand, saying it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-transgender-dylan-mulvaney-442d6d4c3f41d706586de8edd01ac13d">didn't do enough</a>&nbsp;to support Mulvaney.Anheuser-Busch shipments to U.S. wholesalers dropped 13.8% last year, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. Overall, U.S. beer shipments were down 5%.The company, part of Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, brews more than a dozen brands at its U.S. plants, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois.

Anheuser-Busch, Teamsters reach agreement that avoids US strike

JOHNSON COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly Kansas crash has entered a plea in the case.

On Jan. 16, Alexander G. Kohrs, 25, pleaded guilty to reckless second degree murder in the October 2022 automobile crash that killed 62-year-old Karla O'Malley, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

"On the night of the crash, Karla had dinner with her daughter and granddaughters – the two little lights of her life," according to her obituary.&nbsp;

She helped with bath, playtime and bed before heading home, only to be hit from behind by a drunk driver on a residential street near her home, near 95th Street and Moody Park Drive in Overland Park.

"In an instant she went from being a vibrant, healthy woman to enduring severe full-body injuries. Her medical team at Research Medical Center took heroic measures to save her life and heal her body. She fought courageously for nearly 40 days to survive for her family, but she never again regained consciousness. "

Kohrs is scheduled for sentencing April 16, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708530349576.png" alt="Kohrs-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Kohrs-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A man accused in a deadly Kansas crash has entered a plea in the case.On Jan. 16, Alexander G. Kohrs, 25, pleaded guilty to reckless second degree murder in the October 2022 automobile crash that killed 62-year-old Karla O'Malley, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office."On the night of the crash, Karla had dinner with her daughter and granddaughters – the two little lights of her life," according to her obituary.&nbsp;She helped with bath, playtime and bed before heading home, only to be hit from behind by a drunk driver on a residential street near her home, near 95th Street and Moody Park Drive in Overland Park."In an instant she went from being a vibrant, healthy woman to enduring severe full-body injuries. Her medical team at Research Medical Center took heroic measures to save her life and heal her body. She fought courageously for nearly 40 days to survive for her family, but she never again regained consciousness. "Kohrs is scheduled for sentencing April 16, according to the district attorney's office.

Man admits role in crash that killed Kansas grandmother

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-superfan-accused-bank-robberies-kansas-city-f7b764389a54a9e0812ac50eceafa033">Kansas City Chiefs superfan</a>&nbsp;known as “ChiefsAholic” pleaded guilty Wednesday to a string of robberies and attempted robberies of banks and credit unions in multiple states.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, to one count each of money laundering, transporting stolen property across state lines, and bank robbery. Sentencing was scheduled for July 10.

“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions in seven states,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a news release.

Federal prosecutors said Babudar admitted to a string of robberies or attempted robberies in 2022 and 2023. Much of the stolen money was laundered through casinos and online gambling, prosecutors said.

As part of the plea agreement, Babudar must pay at least $532,675 in restitution. He also must forfeit property — including an autographed painting of Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes that was recovered by the FBI.

Prior to his arrest, Babudar was a well-known figure on social media for his rabid support of the Chiefs. He attended several games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs’ clothing.

Prosecutors said the robberies and attempted robberies occurred in Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nevada and California.

Babudar has taken responsibility for his crimes, his attorney, Matthew Merryman, said in an emailed statement to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article286028366.html">Kansas City Star</a>.

“Today Xaviar stood humble and repentant before the eyes of the Court and the eyes of the Chiefs Kingdom,” Merryman said. “Xaviar loves the Chiefs Kingdom, he loves his family, and he loves Kansas City. He only hopes that you will all rally to his support.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689010403536.png" alt="Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County" />
 <figcaption>Babudar from an earlier arrest in Tulsa County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-superfan-accused-bank-robberies-kansas-city-f7b764389a54a9e0812ac50eceafa033">Kansas City Chiefs superfan</a>&nbsp;known as “ChiefsAholic” pleaded guilty Wednesday to a string of robberies and attempted robberies of banks and credit unions in multiple states.Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, to one count each of money laundering, transporting stolen property across state lines, and bank robbery. Sentencing was scheduled for July 10.“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions in seven states,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a news release.Federal prosecutors said Babudar admitted to a string of robberies or attempted robberies in 2022 and 2023. Much of the stolen money was laundered through casinos and online gambling, prosecutors said.As part of the plea agreement, Babudar must pay at least $532,675 in restitution. He also must forfeit property — including an autographed painting of Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes that was recovered by the FBI.Prior to his arrest, Babudar was a well-known figure on social media for his rabid support of the Chiefs. He attended several games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs’ clothing.Prosecutors said the robberies and attempted robberies occurred in Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nevada and California.Babudar has taken responsibility for his crimes, his attorney, Matthew Merryman, said in an emailed statement to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article286028366.html">Kansas City Star</a>.“Today Xaviar stood humble and repentant before the eyes of the Court and the eyes of the Chiefs Kingdom,” Merryman said. “Xaviar loves the Chiefs Kingdom, he loves his family, and he loves Kansas City. He only hopes that you will all rally to his support.”

Chiefs superfan 'ChiefsAholic' pleads guilty to bank robberies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">charges he interfered with the 2020 election</a>&nbsp;and set a course for a quick resolution.

The justices’ order maintains a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June.

The court said in an unsigned statement that it will consider “whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”

The Supreme Court has previously held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trump’s lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">criminal prosecution</a>&nbsp;as well.

Lower&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">courts have so far rejected</a>&nbsp;Trump’s novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. A panel of appellate judges in Washington ruled earlier in February that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who would preside over the election interference trial, was right to say that the case could proceed and that Trump can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The case is separate from the high court’s consideration of Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-insurrection-trump-2024-election-397a481d2886b64bba06b24ff3d03f37">appeal to remain on the presidential ballot</a>&nbsp;despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. During arguments on Feb. 8, the court seemed likely to side with Trump. A decision could come any time.

The high court also will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-5cf0db4a71766f0b40ec199dd0d5a1ab">hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in April from one of the more than 1,200 people charged in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Capitol riot</a>. The case could upend a charge prosecutors have brought against more than 300 people, including Trump.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690926987746.png" alt="File photo- President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 addressed supporters&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo- President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 addressed supporters&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">charges he interfered with the 2020 election</a>&nbsp;and set a course for a quick resolution.The justices’ order maintains a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June.The court said in an unsigned statement that it will consider “whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”The Supreme Court has previously held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trump’s lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">criminal prosecution</a>&nbsp;as well.Lower&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-special-counsel-immunity-appeal-64eec975e6a602949eb4b90315239318">courts have so far rejected</a>&nbsp;Trump’s novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. A panel of appellate judges in Washington ruled earlier in February that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who would preside over the election interference trial, was right to say that the case could proceed and that Trump can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a mob of his supporters</a>&nbsp;stormed the U.S. Capitol.The case is separate from the high court’s consideration of Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-insurrection-trump-2024-election-397a481d2886b64bba06b24ff3d03f37">appeal to remain on the presidential ballot</a>&nbsp;despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. During arguments on Feb. 8, the court seemed likely to side with Trump. A decision could come any time.The high court also will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-capitol-riot-obstruction-charge-trump-5cf0db4a71766f0b40ec199dd0d5a1ab">hear an appeal</a>&nbsp;in April from one of the more than 1,200 people charged in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Capitol riot</a>. The case could upend a charge prosecutors have brought against more than 300 people, including Trump.

Supreme Court agrees to hear argument in Trump immunity case

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76.

Lewis, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/richard-lewis-parkinsons-b61b2a314bc230d933903ff67ca1cbff">revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease</a>&nbsp;in 2023, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham.

A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.

“I'm paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I'm not thrilled about,” he once joked onstage. To Jimmy Kimmel he said: “This morning, I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I counted sheep but I only had six of them and they all had hip replacements.”

Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he earned a berth in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.” He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.

“Watching his stand-up is like sitting in on a very funny and often dark therapy session,” the Los Angeles Times said in 2014. The Philadelphia’s City Paper called him “the Jimi Hendrix of monologists.” Mel Brooks once said he "may just be the Franz Kafka of modern-day comedy.”

Comedians took to social media Wednesday to share their thoughts, including Albert Books who called Lewis “a brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever” on X, formerly Twitter. Other tributes came from Bette Midler, Michael McKean and Paul Feig, who called Lewis "one of the funniest people on the planet."

Following his graduation from The Ohio State University in 1969, the New York-born Lewis began a stand-up career, honing his craft on the circuit with other contemporaries also just starting out like Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze and Billy Crystal.

He recalled Rodney Dangerfield hiring him for $75 to fill in at his New York club, Dangerfield’s. “I had a lot of great friends early on who believed in me, and I met pretty iconic people who really helped me, told me to keep working on my material. And I never looked back,” he told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2010.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709156751673.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76.Lewis, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/richard-lewis-parkinsons-b61b2a314bc230d933903ff67ca1cbff">revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease</a>&nbsp;in 2023, died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham.A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.“I'm paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I'm not thrilled about,” he once joked onstage. To Jimmy Kimmel he said: “This morning, I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I counted sheep but I only had six of them and they all had hip replacements.”Comedy Central named Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he earned a berth in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.” He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.“Watching his stand-up is like sitting in on a very funny and often dark therapy session,” the Los Angeles Times said in 2014. The Philadelphia’s City Paper called him “the Jimi Hendrix of monologists.” Mel Brooks once said he "may just be the Franz Kafka of modern-day comedy.”Comedians took to social media Wednesday to share their thoughts, including Albert Books who called Lewis “a brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever” on X, formerly Twitter. Other tributes came from Bette Midler, Michael McKean and Paul Feig, who called Lewis "one of the funniest people on the planet."Following his graduation from The Ohio State University in 1969, the New York-born Lewis began a stand-up career, honing his craft on the circuit with other contemporaries also just starting out like Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze and Billy Crystal.He recalled Rodney Dangerfield hiring him for $75 to fill in at his New York club, Dangerfield’s. “I had a lot of great friends early on who believed in me, and I met pretty iconic people who really helped me, told me to keep working on my material. And I never looked back,” he told The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2010.Unlike contemporary Robin Williams, Lewis allowed audiences into his world and melancholy, pouring his torment and pain onto the stage. Fans favorably compared him to the ground-breaking comedian Lenny Bruce.“I take great pains not to be mean-spirited,” Lewis told The Palm Beach Post in 2007. “I don’t like to take real handicaps that people have to overcome with no hope in sight. I steer clear of that. That’s not funny to me. Tragedy is funny to other humorists, but it’s not to me, unless you can make a point that’s helpful.”Singer Billy Joel has said he was referring to Lewis when he sang in “My Life” of an old friend who “bought a ticket to the West Coast/Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.”In 1989 at Carnegie Hall, he appeared with six feet of yellow legal sheets filled with material and taped together for a 2½-hour set that led to two standing ovations. The night was “the highlight of my career,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.Lewis told GQ his signature look came incidentally, saying his obsession with dressing in black came from watching the television Western “Have Gun – Will Travel,” with a cowboy in all-black, when he was a kid. He also popularized the term “from hell” — as in “the date from hell” or “the job from hell.”“That just came out of my brain one day and I kept repeating it a lot for some reason. Same thing with the black clothes. I just felt really comfortable from the early ’80s on and I never wore anything else. I never looked back.”After getting sober from drugs and alcohol in 1994, Lewis put out his 2008 memoir, “The Other Great Depression” — a collection of fearless, essay style riffs on his life — and “Reflections from Hell.”Lewis was the youngest of three siblings — his brother was older than him by six years, and his sister by nine. His father died young and his mother had emotional problems. “She didn’t get me at all. I owe my career to my mother. I should have given her my agent’s commission,” he told The Washington Post in 2020.“Looking back on it now, as a full-blown, middle-aged, functioning anxiety collector, I can admit without cringing that my parents had their fair share of tremendous qualities, yet, being human much of the day, had more than just a handful of flaws as well,” he wrote in his memoir.Lewis quickly found a new family performing at New York’s Improv. “I was 23, and all sorts of people were coming in and out and watching me, like Steve Allen and Bette Midler. David Brenner certainly took me under his wing. To drive home to my little dump in New Jersey often knowing that Steve Allen said, ‘You got it,’ that validation kept me going in a big, big way.”He had a cameo in “Leaving Las Vegas,” which led to his first major dramatic role as Jimmy Epstein, an addict fighting for his life in the indie film, “Drunks.” He played Don Rickles’ son on one season of “Daddy Dearest” and a rabbi on “7th Heaven.”Lewis’ recurring role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” can be credited directly to his friendship with fellow comedian, producer and series star Larry David. Both native Brooklynites — born in the same Brooklyn hospital — they first met and became friends as rivals while attending the same summer camp at age 13. He was cast from the beginning, bickering with David on unpaid bills and common courtesies.He is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky.