TOPEKA — Democrat State Rep. Jason Probst of Hutchinson joined House Minority Leader Vic Miller of Topeka in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the Statehouse to open up the discussion on warrant policy after the raid on a newspaper publisher and his mother in Marion County, Kansas earlier this month.

"The legislation that will be drafted is designed to say, search warrants have to be signed by a District Court judge and not by a magistrate judge," Probst said. "Part of our motivation for that is to, mostly just to keep a conversation going about what we ought to be thinking about and what needs to happen and hopefully generate some more ideas. Neither Vic nor I feel like this is the answer to the problem, but we think it's a first step in keeping a conversation going about what sort of things we ought to be looking at to make sure we're protecting the free press."

"Anybody that saw the video could see how distressed she was," Probst said. "They were not only in her house, but they were going through things that had no relevance to anything that could be connected to an investigation. It was completely beyond the pale."

Probst, a former editor at the Hutchinson News, does understand that sometimes journalists have to defend their work, but there's a procedure that should be followed to do that.

"There would be some court challenge to getting information, or finding out about our sources or stopping a story, there was never a search warrant involved, it was always a subpoena," Probst said. "Then, we had an opportunity to bring an attorney in, our attorney, to challenge the subpoena and explain why there was an interest in protecting the source, or protecting the information, or going ahead with the story. We always had an opportunity to make those arguments in an open court in front of a judge, not through a search warrant that allowed the authorities to come in and start taking equipment and going through it on their own."

The important piece is to be able to have that discussion in the open air, because there is a reason that the First Amendment is First in the Constitution.

"The press has a specific protection in the Constitution," Probst said. "Clearly it was a very important concept to the framers of our country, that this was critical to the functioning of our democracy. The other thing is that I've always viewed the press largely as an extension of the public. If the press's rights are threatened by powerful institutions, then the public's rights are likewise threatened by those same institutions."

The Kansas Legislature does not gavel in again until January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692785944601.png" alt="Rep. Jason Probs and Rep. Vic Miller during Tuesday's news conference -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Jason Probs and Rep. Vic Miller during Tuesday's news conference -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostTOPEKA — Democrat State Rep. Jason Probst of Hutchinson joined House Minority Leader Vic Miller of Topeka in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the Statehouse to open up the discussion on warrant policy after the raid on a newspaper publisher and his mother in Marion County, Kansas earlier this month."The legislation that will be drafted is designed to say, search warrants have to be signed by a District Court judge and not by a magistrate judge," Probst said. "Part of our motivation for that is to, mostly just to keep a conversation going about what we ought to be thinking about and what needs to happen and hopefully generate some more ideas. Neither Vic nor I feel like this is the answer to the problem, but we think it's a first step in keeping a conversation going about what sort of things we ought to be looking at to make sure we're protecting the free press."<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e50NOlm6dkI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>"Anybody that saw the video could see how distressed she was," Probst said. "They were not only in her house, but they were going through things that had no relevance to anything that could be connected to an investigation. It was completely beyond the pale."Probst, a former editor at the Hutchinson News, does understand that sometimes journalists have to defend their work, but there's a procedure that should be followed to do that."There would be some court challenge to getting information, or finding out about our sources or stopping a story, there was never a search warrant involved, it was always a subpoena," Probst said. "Then, we had an opportunity to bring an attorney in, our attorney, to challenge the subpoena and explain why there was an interest in protecting the source, or protecting the information, or going ahead with the story. We always had an opportunity to make those arguments in an open court in front of a judge, not through a search warrant that allowed the authorities to come in and start taking equipment and going through it on their own."The important piece is to be able to have that discussion in the open air, because there is a reason that the First Amendment is First in the Constitution."The press has a specific protection in the Constitution," Probst said. "Clearly it was a very important concept to the framers of our country, that this was critical to the functioning of our democracy. The other thing is that I've always viewed the press largely as an extension of the public. If the press's rights are threatened by powerful institutions, then the public's rights are likewise threatened by those same institutions."The Kansas Legislature does not gavel in again until January.

2 Kan. lawmakers call for legislation on search warrant reform 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A victim in&nbsp; a Sunday shooting has died from his injuries.

Just after 3:30a.m., police were dispatched on a shooting in the 3700 block of Farrow Avenue in Kansas City, according to a media release from police.

First responders discovered a man with obvious gunshot wounds outside a home. He was transported in critical condition to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Police have not released the name of the victim or possible suspects. This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A victim in&nbsp; a Sunday shooting has died from his injuries.Just after 3:30a.m., police were dispatched on a shooting in the 3700 block of Farrow Avenue in Kansas City, according to a media release from police.First responders discovered a man with obvious gunshot wounds outside a home. He was transported in critical condition to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.Police have not released the name of the victim or possible suspects. This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.&nbsp;

Police: Victim in Kansas shooting has died

NEW YORK (AP) —The union representing 340,000 UPS workers said Tuesday that its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions</a>&nbsp;of businesses and households nationwide.

The Teamsters said in a statement that 86% of the votes casts were in favor of ratifying the contract. They also said it was passed by the highest vote for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS.

The union also said more than 40 supplemental agreements were also ratified, expect for one that covers roughly 170 members in Florida. The national master agreement will go into effect as soon as that supplement is renegotiated and ratified, it said.

“Our members just ratified the most lucrative agreement the Teamsters have ever negotiated at UPS," Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. "This contract will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers.”

He said the contract set a new standard for pay and benefits.

“This is the template for how workers should be paid and protected nationwide, and nonunion companies like Amazon better pay attention,” he said, giving a nod to the union's growing ambitions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-teamsters-delivery-union-ups-0b9a9e2fc06dbb18cb23c476e0c19230">take on the e-commerce behemoth</a>.

Voting on the new five-year contract began Aug. 3 and concluded Tuesday.

After negotiations broke down in early July, Atlanta-based UPS reached a tentative contract agreement with the Teamsters just days before an Aug. 1 deadline.

The company had said it expected bargaining to restart if members rejected the deal, but that could have also opened the door to a strike.

Under the tentative agreement, full- and part-time union workers will get $2.75 more per hour in 2023, and $7.50 more in total by the end of the five-year contract. Starting hourly pay for part-time employees also got bumped up to $21, but some workers said that fell short of their expectations.

UPS says that by the end of the new contract, the average UPS full-time driver will make about $170,000 annually in pay and benefits. It’s not clear how much of that figure benefits account for.

As part of the agreement, the delivery company also agreed to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a full holiday, end forced overtime on drivers’ days off and stop using driver-facing cameras in cabs, among a host of other issues. It eliminated a two-tier wage system for drivers and tentative deals on safety issues were also reached, including equipping more trucks with air conditioning.

Union members, angered by a contract they say union leadership forced on them five years ago, argued that they have shouldered the more than 140% profit growth at UPS as the pandemic increased delivery demand. Unionized workers said they wanted to fix what they saw as a bad contract.

The Teamsters’ leadership was upended two years ago with the election of O’Brien, a vocal critic of union President James Hoffa — son of the famed Teamsters firebrand — who signed off on the previous contract.

The 24 million packages UPS ships daily amount to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. UPS says that’s equivalent to about 6% of the nation’s gross domestic product.

This isn’t the first showdown the union has had with the delivery company. During the last breakdown in labor talks a quarter of a century ago, 185,000 UPS workers walked out for 15 days, crippling the company’s ability to function.

A walkout this time would have had much further-reaching implications, with millions of Americans now accustomed to online shopping and speedy delivery. The consulting firm Anderson Economic Group estimated a 10-day UPS strike could have cost the U.S. economy more than $7 billion and triggered “significant and lasting harm” to the business and workers.

When the union and UPS were at a stalemate in July, large and small businesses worked to create contingency plans in the event of a strike.

Labor experts say they see the showdown as a demonstration of labor power at a time of low U.S. union membership. This summer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-100-days-3bea7be9077dba59b5f3b4a705646a84">Hollywood actors and screenwriters</a>&nbsp;have been picketing over pay issues. United Auto Workers are considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-strike-auto-electric-vehicles-contract-wages-f97630a69a3b62079bd65d3821f9a5d8">potential strike</a>.

“Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” Carol Tomé, UPS CEO, said when the tentative deal was announced.

Industry groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor leaders and President Joe Biden also applauded the deal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686070070872.png" alt="The union said all supplemental agreements were also ratified-file photo" />
 <figcaption>The union said all supplemental agreements were also ratified-file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —The union representing 340,000 UPS workers said Tuesday that its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions</a>&nbsp;of businesses and households nationwide.The Teamsters said in a statement that 86% of the votes casts were in favor of ratifying the contract. They also said it was passed by the highest vote for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS.The union also said more than 40 supplemental agreements were also ratified, expect for one that covers roughly 170 members in Florida. The national master agreement will go into effect as soon as that supplement is renegotiated and ratified, it said.“Our members just ratified the most lucrative agreement the Teamsters have ever negotiated at UPS," Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. "This contract will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers.”He said the contract set a new standard for pay and benefits.“This is the template for how workers should be paid and protected nationwide, and nonunion companies like Amazon better pay attention,” he said, giving a nod to the union's growing ambitions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-teamsters-delivery-union-ups-0b9a9e2fc06dbb18cb23c476e0c19230">take on the e-commerce behemoth</a>.Voting on the new five-year contract began Aug. 3 and concluded Tuesday.After negotiations broke down in early July, Atlanta-based UPS reached a tentative contract agreement with the Teamsters just days before an Aug. 1 deadline.The company had said it expected bargaining to restart if members rejected the deal, but that could have also opened the door to a strike.Under the tentative agreement, full- and part-time union workers will get $2.75 more per hour in 2023, and $7.50 more in total by the end of the five-year contract. Starting hourly pay for part-time employees also got bumped up to $21, but some workers said that fell short of their expectations.UPS says that by the end of the new contract, the average UPS full-time driver will make about $170,000 annually in pay and benefits. It’s not clear how much of that figure benefits account for.As part of the agreement, the delivery company also agreed to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a full holiday, end forced overtime on drivers’ days off and stop using driver-facing cameras in cabs, among a host of other issues. It eliminated a two-tier wage system for drivers and tentative deals on safety issues were also reached, including equipping more trucks with air conditioning.Union members, angered by a contract they say union leadership forced on them five years ago, argued that they have shouldered the more than 140% profit growth at UPS as the pandemic increased delivery demand. Unionized workers said they wanted to fix what they saw as a bad contract.The Teamsters’ leadership was upended two years ago with the election of O’Brien, a vocal critic of union President James Hoffa — son of the famed Teamsters firebrand — who signed off on the previous contract.The 24 million packages UPS ships daily amount to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. UPS says that’s equivalent to about 6% of the nation’s gross domestic product.This isn’t the first showdown the union has had with the delivery company. During the last breakdown in labor talks a quarter of a century ago, 185,000 UPS workers walked out for 15 days, crippling the company’s ability to function.A walkout this time would have had much further-reaching implications, with millions of Americans now accustomed to online shopping and speedy delivery. The consulting firm Anderson Economic Group estimated a 10-day UPS strike could have cost the U.S. economy more than $7 billion and triggered “significant and lasting harm” to the business and workers.When the union and UPS were at a stalemate in July, large and small businesses worked to create contingency plans in the event of a strike.Labor experts say they see the showdown as a demonstration of labor power at a time of low U.S. union membership. This summer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-100-days-3bea7be9077dba59b5f3b4a705646a84">Hollywood actors and screenwriters</a>&nbsp;have been picketing over pay issues. United Auto Workers are considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-strike-auto-electric-vehicles-contract-wages-f97630a69a3b62079bd65d3821f9a5d8">potential strike</a>.“Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” Carol Tomé, UPS CEO, said when the tentative deal was announced.Industry groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor leaders and President Joe Biden also applauded the deal.

UPS workers approve historic contract ending strike threat

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers little guidance ahead of controversial law affecting student athletes

By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>

Students are returning to the classroom around Missouri this week, and new laws go into effect Monday.

But state officials are still not clear on how they will enforce&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB39.pdf">restrictions on transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;– one of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/16/missouri-governors-office-hid-bill-signing-on-gender-affirming-care-transgender-athletes/">most controversial new laws</a>&nbsp;approved by Missouri legislators this year.

Neither the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education nor the Missouri State High School Activities Association could say how the restrictions would be administered. Each agency initially directed questions to the other, a situation local school officials say is stoking confusion.

Hanging in the balance is the fate of 10 student athletes who were eligible last year to compete according to their gender identity but who would be prohibited this year.

A separate law that also takes effect Monday,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/10/missouri-house-sends-bill-banning-transgender-health-care-for-minors-to-governor/">banning gender-affirming treatments</a>&nbsp;for minors, is being challenged in a court case being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">heard this week in Springfield.</a>&nbsp;St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer is expected to decide whether to issue an injunction soon after he finishes hearing testimony.

Prior to this school year, a MSHSAA policy allowed transgender athletes to compete as their gender identity if they had undergone hormone treatments for at least one year.

“Once the law goes into effect, the MSHSAA bylaw on transgender participation becomes invalid,” Jason West, the association’s communications director told The Independent. “As for enforcement of the state statute, the local school and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will oversee and administer any penalties. DESE will be determining what type of identification will be required in that regard.”

The new law requires DESE and the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to set the rules for the implementation of the ban. But when asked about administering this new law, DESE initially looked to MSHSAA.

Mallory McGowin, a spokeswoman for the department, said MSHSAA was the “most appropriate” source to ask about enforcement of the new law because the organization“oversees all athletics and activities participation statewide.”

She later told The Independent that the two organizations were in communication.

“As MSHSAA policies dictate, it is the responsibility of MSHSAA member schools to verify student eligibility, whether that’s verifying student residency, academic performance, or gender,” McGowin wrote. “Local school district policy and procedure will dictate how that verification takes place.”

DESE can publish administrative rules for the new law in the Missouri Register in the future. The public could comment on the regulations prior to their enforcement.

Administrators are aware of the new law, but with birth certificates not required as part of students’ enrollment process, schools may not have records of students’ sex as assigned at birth.

Schools may also have students on hormone treatments now competing on teams aligned with their sex as assigned at birth. For transgender men, this means they would compete in women’s sports while increasing their testosterone levels.

According to McGowin, these student athletes with hormone treatments are still allowed to compete.

Enforcement at the college level also relies on schools’ interpretation of the law.

Ryan Koslen, spokesman for the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Department, said in late July that the department was working with its “office of general counsel to determine the best path forward operationally.”

He did not answer a request for an update in August.

While state law bans transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, the NCAA takes a sport by sport approach and looks at the hormone levels of athletes.

The organization has publicly threatened to pull championship competitions from locations where law restricts transgender athletes.

“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the NCAA published in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2021/4/12/ncaa-board-of-governors-statement-on-transgender-participation.aspx">April 2021 statement</a>.

Missouri State University, when asked about their plan of enforcement, didn’t provide specifics.

“We are aware of the law and have articulated the information to our coaching staffs,” Athletics Director Kyle Moats wrote in an email. “We will also continue to follow the guidance of the NCAA as its policies evolve.”

Twenty-three states have established restrictions on transgender athletes since 2020 — some of which are currently unenforceable pending litigation.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">The Movement Advancement Project</a>, a nonprofit think tank that maps LGBTQ policies, estimates that 34% of transgender youth ages 13-17 live in states with laws restricting their participation in sports.

In Arkansas, enforcement of its state law on transgender athletes extends to the attorney general’s office. After passing the initial ban on transgender athletes, Arkansas lawmakers created&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB450&amp;ddBienniumSession=2021%2F2021R">the Gender Integrity Reinforcement Legislation for Sports Act</a>&nbsp;to allow the attorney general to sue schools that knowingly violate the law.

Oklahoma, which has had its ban for a year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-united-states-gay-rights-5814b6365cf8f96b6be49e2d4b72616a">requires athletes’ parents to sign an affidavit</a>&nbsp;stating their child’s sex as assigned at birth.

At the federal level, a change to Title IX could reverse Missouri’s restrictions.

In April, the U.S. Department of Education announced proposed changes to Title IX that would prevent “one-size-fits-all” policies regarding transgender athletes. It would allow schools to set their own rules but require them to develop eligibility criteria.

“For older students … the department expects that sex-related criteria that limit participation of some transgender students may be permitted, in some cases, when they enable the school to achieve an important educational objective, such as fairness in competition, and meet the proposed regulation’s other requirements,” the department’s announcement says.

Gov. Mike Parson joined 24 other Republican governors in a letter to the Secretary of Education opposing the proposed regulation.

“The proposed rule could prevent states from enforcing our duly-enacted statutes protecting fairness in women’s and girls’ sports. If not withdrawn, we are gravely concerned about the impact that the Department’s wholesale reinvention of Title IX’s terms would have on states’ ability to enforce their laws and policies as written,” the governors wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686157451251.png" alt="Gov. Mike Parson signs bills on June 7, 2023, banning gender-affirming treatments for minors and limiting participation in school sports based on gender (Photo courtesy of Missouri Governor's office)." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Mike Parson signs bills on June 7, 2023, banning gender-affirming treatments for minors and limiting participation in school sports based on gender (Photo courtesy of Missouri Governor's office).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offers little guidance ahead of controversial law affecting student athletes</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Students are returning to the classroom around Missouri this week, and new laws go into effect Monday.But state officials are still not clear on how they will enforce&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB39.pdf">restrictions on transgender athletes</a>&nbsp;– one of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/16/missouri-governors-office-hid-bill-signing-on-gender-affirming-care-transgender-athletes/">most controversial new laws</a>&nbsp;approved by Missouri legislators this year.Neither the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education nor the Missouri State High School Activities Association could say how the restrictions would be administered. Each agency initially directed questions to the other, a situation local school officials say is stoking confusion.Hanging in the balance is the fate of 10 student athletes who were eligible last year to compete according to their gender identity but who would be prohibited this year.A separate law that also takes effect Monday,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/10/missouri-house-sends-bill-banning-transgender-health-care-for-minors-to-governor/">banning gender-affirming treatments</a>&nbsp;for minors, is being challenged in a court case being&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">heard this week in Springfield.</a>&nbsp;St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer is expected to decide whether to issue an injunction soon after he finishes hearing testimony.Prior to this school year, a MSHSAA policy allowed transgender athletes to compete as their gender identity if they had undergone hormone treatments for at least one year.“Once the law goes into effect, the MSHSAA bylaw on transgender participation becomes invalid,” Jason West, the association’s communications director told The Independent. “As for enforcement of the state statute, the local school and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will oversee and administer any penalties. DESE will be determining what type of identification will be required in that regard.”The new law requires DESE and the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to set the rules for the implementation of the ban. But when asked about administering this new law, DESE initially looked to MSHSAA.Mallory McGowin, a spokeswoman for the department, said MSHSAA was the “most appropriate” source to ask about enforcement of the new law because the organization“oversees all athletics and activities participation statewide.”She later told The Independent that the two organizations were in communication.“As MSHSAA policies dictate, it is the responsibility of MSHSAA member schools to verify student eligibility, whether that’s verifying student residency, academic performance, or gender,” McGowin wrote. “Local school district policy and procedure will dictate how that verification takes place.”DESE can publish administrative rules for the new law in the Missouri Register in the future. The public could comment on the regulations prior to their enforcement.Administrators are aware of the new law, but with birth certificates not required as part of students’ enrollment process, schools may not have records of students’ sex as assigned at birth.Schools may also have students on hormone treatments now competing on teams aligned with their sex as assigned at birth. For transgender men, this means they would compete in women’s sports while increasing their testosterone levels.According to McGowin, these student athletes with hormone treatments are still allowed to compete.Enforcement at the college level also relies on schools’ interpretation of the law.Ryan Koslen, spokesman for the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Department, said in late July that the department was working with its “office of general counsel to determine the best path forward operationally.”He did not answer a request for an update in August.While state law bans transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity, the NCAA takes a sport by sport approach and looks at the hormone levels of athletes.The organization has publicly threatened to pull championship competitions from locations where law restricts transgender athletes.“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the NCAA published in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2021/4/12/ncaa-board-of-governors-statement-on-transgender-participation.aspx">April 2021 statement</a>.Missouri State University, when asked about their plan of enforcement, didn’t provide specifics.“We are aware of the law and have articulated the information to our coaching staffs,” Athletics Director Kyle Moats wrote in an email. “We will also continue to follow the guidance of the NCAA as its policies evolve.”Twenty-three states have established restrictions on transgender athletes since 2020 — some of which are currently unenforceable pending litigation.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">The Movement Advancement Project</a>, a nonprofit think tank that maps LGBTQ policies, estimates that 34% of transgender youth ages 13-17 live in states with laws restricting their participation in sports.In Arkansas, enforcement of its state law on transgender athletes extends to the attorney general’s office. After passing the initial ban on transgender athletes, Arkansas lawmakers created&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB450&amp;ddBienniumSession=2021%2F2021R">the Gender Integrity Reinforcement Legislation for Sports Act</a>&nbsp;to allow the attorney general to sue schools that knowingly violate the law.Oklahoma, which has had its ban for a year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-united-states-gay-rights-5814b6365cf8f96b6be49e2d4b72616a">requires athletes’ parents to sign an affidavit</a>&nbsp;stating their child’s sex as assigned at birth.At the federal level, a change to Title IX could reverse Missouri’s restrictions.In April, the U.S. Department of Education announced proposed changes to Title IX that would prevent “one-size-fits-all” policies regarding transgender athletes. It would allow schools to set their own rules but require them to develop eligibility criteria.“For older students … the department expects that sex-related criteria that limit participation of some transgender students may be permitted, in some cases, when they enable the school to achieve an important educational objective, such as fairness in competition, and meet the proposed regulation’s other requirements,” the department’s announcement says.Gov. Mike Parson joined 24 other Republican governors in a letter to the Secretary of Education opposing the proposed regulation.“The proposed rule could prevent states from enforcing our duly-enacted statutes protecting fairness in women’s and girls’ sports. If not withdrawn, we are gravely concerned about the impact that the Department’s wholesale reinvention of Title IX’s terms would have on states’ ability to enforce their laws and policies as written,” the governors wrote.

Enforcement unclear as Mo. approaches transgender athlete restrictions

MARION, Kan. (AP) — Newly released video shows the 98-year-old mother of a Kansas newspaper publisher confronting police officers as they searched her home in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">raid that has drawn national scrutiny</a>, at one point demanding: “Get out of my house!”

Video released by the newspaper Monday shows Joan Meyer shouting at the six officers inside the Marion, Kansas, home she shared with her son, Marion County Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer. Standing with the aid of a walker and dressed in a long robe or gown and slippers, she seems visibly upset.

“Get out of my house ... I don't want you in my house!” she said at one point. “Don't touch any of that stuff! This is my house!” she said at another.

The raids of the newspaper and the homes of the Meyers and a City Council member happened on Aug. 11, after a local restaurant owner accused the newspaper of illegally accessing information about her. Joan Meyer died a day later. Her son said he believes that the stress contributed to her death.

A prosecutor said later that there was insufficient evidence to justify the raids, and some of the seized computers and cellphones have been returned. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-ce9a8b98f05e2c4faef14e7ad6948316">initial online search</a>&nbsp;of a state website that the police chief cited to justify the raid was legal, a spokesperson for the agency that maintains the site said Monday.

The raid on the Record put it and its hometown of about 1,900 residents in the center of a debate about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Kansas’ Bill of Rights. It also exposed divisions in the town over local politics and the newspaper’s coverage of the community, and put an intense spotlight on Police Chief Gideon Cody, who led the raids after the newspaper had asked questions about his background.

“As far as Chief Cody goes, he can take his high horse he brought into this community and giddy-up on out of town,” Darvin Markley, a Marion resident, said during a Monday afternoon City Council meeting. “The man needs to go. He needs to be fired.”

Cody did not attend Monday's meeting or respond to email and cellphone messages seeking comment. He said in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">affidavits</a>&nbsp;used to obtain the warrants that he had probable cause to believe that the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.

Both Herbel and the newspaper have said they received a copy of a document about the status of the restaurant owner’s license without soliciting it. The document disclosed the woman's license number and date of birth, which are required to check the status of a person’s license online and gain access to a more complete driving record. The police chief maintains they broke state laws to do that, while the newspaper and Herbel’s attorneys say they didn’t.

Herbel, the city's vice mayor, presided over the City Council's meeting Monday, its first since the raids. It lasted less than an hour, and Herbel announced that council members would not discuss the raids — something its agenda already had said in an all-caps statement in red followed by 47 exclamation points. She said the council will address the raids in a future meeting.

While Herbel said after the meeting that she agrees that Cody should resign, other City Council members declined to comment. Mike Powers, a retired district court judge who is the only candidate for mayor this fall, said it’s premature to make any judgments.

The meeting came after Kansas Department of Revenue spokesperson Zack Denney said it's legal to access the driver's license database online to check the status of a person's license using information obtained independently. The department's Division of Vehicles issues licenses.

“The website is public-facing, and anyone can use it,” he said.

Meyer said the newspaper plans to file a lawsuit over the raid of its offices and his home.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation continues to examine the newspaper's actions. The KBI reports to state Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, while the Department of Revenue is under Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's authority.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the police raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.

Meyer has noted that among the items seized were a computer tower and personal cellphone of a reporter who was uninvolved in the dispute with the local restaurant owner — but who had been investigating why Cody left a Kansas City, Missouri, police captain's job in April before becoming Marion police chief.

By JOHN HANNA and JIM SALTER&nbsp;MARION, Kan. (AP) — Newly released video shows the 98-year-old mother of a Kansas newspaper publisher confronting police officers as they searched her home in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">raid that has drawn national scrutiny</a>, at one point demanding: “Get out of my house!”<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e50NOlm6dkI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Video released by the newspaper Monday shows Joan Meyer shouting at the six officers inside the Marion, Kansas, home she shared with her son, Marion County Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer. Standing with the aid of a walker and dressed in a long robe or gown and slippers, she seems visibly upset.“Get out of my house ... I don't want you in my house!” she said at one point. “Don't touch any of that stuff! This is my house!” she said at another.The raids of the newspaper and the homes of the Meyers and a City Council member happened on Aug. 11, after a local restaurant owner accused the newspaper of illegally accessing information about her. Joan Meyer died a day later. Her son said he believes that the stress contributed to her death.A prosecutor said later that there was insufficient evidence to justify the raids, and some of the seized computers and cellphones have been returned. Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-ce9a8b98f05e2c4faef14e7ad6948316">initial online search</a>&nbsp;of a state website that the police chief cited to justify the raid was legal, a spokesperson for the agency that maintains the site said Monday.The raid on the Record put it and its hometown of about 1,900 residents in the center of a debate about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-county-record-kansas-newspaper-raid-f1e49c4e542ddb3cf19c9ca02a0a21fb">press freedoms</a>&nbsp;protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Kansas’ Bill of Rights. It also exposed divisions in the town over local politics and the newspaper’s coverage of the community, and put an intense spotlight on Police Chief Gideon Cody, who led the raids after the newspaper had asked questions about his background.“As far as Chief Cody goes, he can take his high horse he brought into this community and giddy-up on out of town,” Darvin Markley, a Marion resident, said during a Monday afternoon City Council meeting. “The man needs to go. He needs to be fired.”Cody did not attend Monday's meeting or respond to email and cellphone messages seeking comment. He said in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">affidavits</a>&nbsp;used to obtain the warrants that he had probable cause to believe that the newspaper and City Council member Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.Both Herbel and the newspaper have said they received a copy of a document about the status of the restaurant owner’s license without soliciting it. The document disclosed the woman's license number and date of birth, which are required to check the status of a person’s license online and gain access to a more complete driving record. The police chief maintains they broke state laws to do that, while the newspaper and Herbel’s attorneys say they didn’t.Herbel, the city's vice mayor, presided over the City Council's meeting Monday, its first since the raids. It lasted less than an hour, and Herbel announced that council members would not discuss the raids — something its agenda already had said in an all-caps statement in red followed by 47 exclamation points. She said the council will address the raids in a future meeting.While Herbel said after the meeting that she agrees that Cody should resign, other City Council members declined to comment. Mike Powers, a retired district court judge who is the only candidate for mayor this fall, said it’s premature to make any judgments.The meeting came after Kansas Department of Revenue spokesperson Zack Denney said it's legal to access the driver's license database online to check the status of a person's license using information obtained independently. The department's Division of Vehicles issues licenses.“The website is public-facing, and anyone can use it,” he said.Meyer said the newspaper plans to file a lawsuit over the raid of its offices and his home.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation continues to examine the newspaper's actions. The KBI reports to state Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, while the Department of Revenue is under Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's authority.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the police raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.Meyer has noted that among the items seized were a computer tower and personal cellphone of a reporter who was uninvolved in the dispute with the local restaurant owner — but who had been investigating why Cody left a Kansas City, Missouri, police captain's job in April before becoming Marion police chief.

🎥98-year-old Kan. newspaper owner defiant in video of police raid

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have made an arrest.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department has identified the victim, and arrested and charged a suspect in the August 17 homicide in the 7300 block of Troup Avenue, according to a media release.

Walter Sawyer, III, 51, a resident of Kansas City, Kan. was pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives tracked the suspect identified as 50-year-old John Noel, to San Antonio, Texas, where United States Marshals took him into custody.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office has charged him with second degree murder and theft. Bond has been set at $300,000. Noel remains in custody in Texas as he awaits extradition back to Wyandotte County.

This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have made an arrest.The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department has identified the victim, and arrested and charged a suspect in the August 17 homicide in the 7300 block of Troup Avenue, according to a media release.Walter Sawyer, III, 51, a resident of Kansas City, Kan. was pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives tracked the suspect identified as 50-year-old John Noel, to San Antonio, Texas, where United States Marshals took him into custody.The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office has charged him with second degree murder and theft. Bond has been set at $300,000. Noel remains in custody in Texas as he awaits extradition back to Wyandotte County.This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit.

 U.S. Marshals catch Kansas murder suspect in Texas 

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Monday approved the first <a href="https://www.abrysvo.com/older-adults?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVh-g26INhZhSQt_7IjswNAD_o5eyYXRDGnJzbg2QCLyILXYAPDr-4MaAmelEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">RSV vaccine </a>for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the scary respiratory infection.

RSV is notorious for filling hospitals with wheezing babies every fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-ec1dae2bd47d604712fc2a4a842591a8">babies are most vulnerable</a>&nbsp;— from birth through 6 months of age.

The next step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must issue recommendations for using the vaccine, <a href="https://www.abrysvo.com/older-adults?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVh-g26INhZhSQt_7IjswNAD_o5eyYXRDGnJzbg2QCLyILXYAPDr-4MaAmelEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">named Abrysvo,</a> during pregnancy. (Vaccinations for older adults, also at high risk, are getting underway this fall using the same Pfizer shot plus another from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-respiratory-virus-60a8b859c692a593b652f68ff25738be">competitor GSK</a>.)

“Maternal vaccination is an incredible way to protect the infants,” said Dr. Elizabeth Schlaudecker of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a researcher in Pfizer’s international study of the vaccine. If shots begin soon, “I do think we could see an impact for this RSV season.”

RSV is a coldlike nuisance for most healthy people but it can be life-threatening for the very young. It inflames babies’ tiny airways so it’s hard to breathe or causes pneumonia. In the U.S. alone, between 58,000 and 80,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized each year, and several hundred die, from the respiratory syncytial virus.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">Last year’s RSV season</a>&nbsp;was extremely harsh in the U.S., and it began sickening tots in the summer, far earlier than usual.

Babies are born with an immature immune system, dependent for their first few months on protection from mom. How the RSV vaccination will work: A single injection late in pregnancy gives enough time for the mom-to-be to develop virus-fighting antibodies that pass through the placenta to the fetus — ready to work at birth.

It’s the same way pregnant women pass along protection against other infections. Pregnant women have long been urged to get a flu shot and a whooping cough vaccine — and more recently, COVID-19 vaccination.

Pfizer's study included nearly 7,400 pregnant women plus their babies. Maternal vaccination didn’t prevent mild RSV infection — but it proved 82% effective at preventing a severe case during babies’ first three months of life. At age 6 months, it still was proving 69% effective against severe illness.

Vaccine reactions were mostly injection-site pain and fatigue. In the study, there was a slight difference in premature birth — just a few weeks early — between vaccinated moms and those given a dummy shot, something Pfizer has said was due to chance. The FDA said to avoid the possibility, the vaccine should be given only between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy, a few weeks later than during the clinical trial.

If enough pregnant women get vaccinated, Pfizer has predicted the U.S. could prevent as many as 20,000 infant hospitalizations a year and 320,000 doctor visits.

The only other option to guard babies from RSV: Giving them lab-made antibodies. The FDA recently approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-babies-drug-cdc-astrazeneca-sanofi-shot-c03b72aaa51e59176cfa3feb3ceac06c">new drug</a>&nbsp;that’s the first one-dose version, recommended for all infants younger than 8 months before their first RSV season starts. Beyfortus, from Sanofi and AstraZeneca, is expected to be available this fall.

Cincinnati’s Schlaudecker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said both the new antibody drug and the maternal vaccine are eagerly anticipated, and predicted doctors will try a combination to provide the best protection for babies depending on their age and risk during RSV season.

Another Cincinnati Children’s physician who's cared for seriously ill RSV patients volunteered to participate in Pfizer’s vaccine study when she became pregnant.

“The last thing a parent wants to see is their kid struggling to breathe,” Dr. Maria Deza Leon said. “I was also at risk of being the person that could get RSV and give it to my son without even realizing.”

Deza Leon received her shot in late January 2022 and her son Joaquin was born the following month. While she hasn’t yet learned if she received the vaccine or a dummy shot, Joaquin now is a healthy toddler who’s never been diagnosed with RSV.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692713892557.png" alt="Photo Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Photo Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Monday approved the first <a href="https://www.abrysvo.com/older-adults?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVh-g26INhZhSQt_7IjswNAD_o5eyYXRDGnJzbg2QCLyILXYAPDr-4MaAmelEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">RSV vaccine </a>for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the scary respiratory infection.RSV is notorious for filling hospitals with wheezing babies every fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-ec1dae2bd47d604712fc2a4a842591a8">babies are most vulnerable</a>&nbsp;— from birth through 6 months of age.The next step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must issue recommendations for using the vaccine, <a href="https://www.abrysvo.com/older-adults?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVh-g26INhZhSQt_7IjswNAD_o5eyYXRDGnJzbg2QCLyILXYAPDr-4MaAmelEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">named Abrysvo,</a> during pregnancy. (Vaccinations for older adults, also at high risk, are getting underway this fall using the same Pfizer shot plus another from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-vaccine-respiratory-virus-60a8b859c692a593b652f68ff25738be">competitor GSK</a>.)“Maternal vaccination is an incredible way to protect the infants,” said Dr. Elizabeth Schlaudecker of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a researcher in Pfizer’s international study of the vaccine. If shots begin soon, “I do think we could see an impact for this RSV season.”RSV is a coldlike nuisance for most healthy people but it can be life-threatening for the very young. It inflames babies’ tiny airways so it’s hard to breathe or causes pneumonia. In the U.S. alone, between 58,000 and 80,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized each year, and several hundred die, from the respiratory syncytial virus.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">Last year’s RSV season</a>&nbsp;was extremely harsh in the U.S., and it began sickening tots in the summer, far earlier than usual.Babies are born with an immature immune system, dependent for their first few months on protection from mom. How the RSV vaccination will work: A single injection late in pregnancy gives enough time for the mom-to-be to develop virus-fighting antibodies that pass through the placenta to the fetus — ready to work at birth.It’s the same way pregnant women pass along protection against other infections. Pregnant women have long been urged to get a flu shot and a whooping cough vaccine — and more recently, COVID-19 vaccination.Pfizer's study included nearly 7,400 pregnant women plus their babies. Maternal vaccination didn’t prevent mild RSV infection — but it proved 82% effective at preventing a severe case during babies’ first three months of life. At age 6 months, it still was proving 69% effective against severe illness.Vaccine reactions were mostly injection-site pain and fatigue. In the study, there was a slight difference in premature birth — just a few weeks early — between vaccinated moms and those given a dummy shot, something Pfizer has said was due to chance. The FDA said to avoid the possibility, the vaccine should be given only between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy, a few weeks later than during the clinical trial.If enough pregnant women get vaccinated, Pfizer has predicted the U.S. could prevent as many as 20,000 infant hospitalizations a year and 320,000 doctor visits.The only other option to guard babies from RSV: Giving them lab-made antibodies. The FDA recently approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rsv-babies-drug-cdc-astrazeneca-sanofi-shot-c03b72aaa51e59176cfa3feb3ceac06c">new drug</a>&nbsp;that’s the first one-dose version, recommended for all infants younger than 8 months before their first RSV season starts. Beyfortus, from Sanofi and AstraZeneca, is expected to be available this fall.Cincinnati’s Schlaudecker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said both the new antibody drug and the maternal vaccine are eagerly anticipated, and predicted doctors will try a combination to provide the best protection for babies depending on their age and risk during RSV season.Another Cincinnati Children’s physician who's cared for seriously ill RSV patients volunteered to participate in Pfizer’s vaccine study when she became pregnant.“The last thing a parent wants to see is their kid struggling to breathe,” Dr. Maria Deza Leon said. “I was also at risk of being the person that could get RSV and give it to my son without even realizing.”Deza Leon received her shot in late January 2022 and her son Joaquin was born the following month. While she hasn’t yet learned if she received the vaccine or a dummy shot, Joaquin now is a healthy toddler who’s never been diagnosed with RSV.

FDA approves RSV vaccine for moms-to-be to protect newborns

WASHINGTON —Senator Roger Marshall is leading a Fentanyl Crisis Awareness Campaign with the entire Federal Congressional Delegation as well as over 100 Kansas organizations, including law enforcement across the state, educators, parents who have lost a child to fentanyl poisoning, KBI, health care organizations, state representatives and more.&nbsp;

" Kansas and our nation are experiencing the worst opioid crisis we have seen. Fentanyl has killed tens of thousands of people and is the #1 killer of young adults."

"I am working across the aisle and in Kansas to spread awareness and resources on the fentanyl crisis poisoning our youth across the nation. Throughout August, we will examine where fentanyl is coming from, where it is being sold, the dangers of it, how it is impacting our community, and finally, resources."

This is a&nbsp;nonpartisan campaign&nbsp;will run through August 27.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl">Click her</a>e for more information.

WASHINGTON —Senator Roger Marshall is leading a Fentanyl Crisis Awareness Campaign with the entire Federal Congressional Delegation as well as over 100 Kansas organizations, including law enforcement across the state, educators, parents who have lost a child to fentanyl poisoning, KBI, health care organizations, state representatives and more.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are united in Kansas &amp; D.C. to fight back against the deadliest drug our nation has ever seen. The fentanyl crisis is not going away - it takes all of us working together to raise awareness. Follow along all week <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePillCanKill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePillCanKill</a>. For information visit <a href="https://t.co/sTyLJyv8XB">https://t.co/sTyLJyv8XB</a> <a href="https://t.co/YA5NRh5yaY">pic.twitter.com/YA5NRh5yaY</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1693623637431947687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>" Kansas and our nation are experiencing the worst opioid crisis we have seen. Fentanyl has killed tens of thousands of people and is the #1 killer of young adults.""I am working across the aisle and in Kansas to spread awareness and resources on the fentanyl crisis poisoning our youth across the nation. Throughout August, we will examine where fentanyl is coming from, where it is being sold, the dangers of it, how it is impacting our community, and finally, resources."This is a&nbsp;nonpartisan campaign&nbsp;will run through August 27.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl">Click her</a>e for more information.

🎥Kan. congressional delegation launches fentanyl awareness campaign

CHEROKEE COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred just after 11:30p.m. Saturday in Cherokee County and after asking the public for help have successfuly located the truck and driver involved.

According to the KHP, a light colored, maroon or red 2017 or 2018 Ford Raptor truck driven by Rocco H. Joseph, 17, Joplin, Missouri,&nbsp; was eastbound on Kansas 66 on the west edge of the city of Galena and struck a pedestrian identified as Gary Wayne&nbsp;Laturner, 60, Galena, The KHP did release details on possible charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692572107679.png" alt="Image KHP" />
 <figcaption>Image KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>CHEROKEE COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred just after 11:30p.m. Saturday in Cherokee County and after asking the public for help have successfuly located the truck and driver involved.According to the KHP, a light colored, maroon or red 2017 or 2018 Ford Raptor truck driven by Rocco H. Joseph, 17, Joplin, Missouri,&nbsp; was eastbound on Kansas 66 on the west edge of the city of Galena and struck a pedestrian identified as Gary Wayne&nbsp;Laturner, 60, Galena, The KHP did release details on possible charges.

KHP: Teen driver accused of hit-and-run that killed Kansas man

ATLANTA (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss</a>&nbsp;in the state.

“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after his bond was set at $200,000.

It will be Trump’s fourth arrest since April, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to face indictment. Since then, Trump, who remains the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has had what has seemed like an endless procession of bookings and arraignments in jurisdictions across the country. His appearances in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., have drawn enormous media attention, with news helicopters tracking his every move.

Trump's announcement came hours after his attorneys met with prosecutors in Atlanta to discuss the details of his release on bond. The former president is barred from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media — according to the bond agreement signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump’s defense attorneys and the judge. It explicitly includes “posts on social media or reposts of posts” made by others.

Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. He has been railing against Willis since before he was indicted, and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election — by name in a social media post Monday morning.

The agreement also prohibits the former president from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against witnesses or co-defendants, and from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with them, except through attorneys.

The order sets Trump's bond for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations</a>&nbsp;— or RICO — charge at $80,000, and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Bond is the amount defendants must pay as a form of collateral to ensure they show up for required court appearances.

Willis set a deadline of noon Friday for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to be booked. The prosecutor has proposed that arraignments for the defendants follow during the week of Sept. 5. She has said she wants to try the defendants collectively and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-georgia-election-willis-892156d8658d9fe86d47ae3828c54cb9">bring the case to trial in March of next year,</a>&nbsp;which would put it in the heat of the presidential nominating season.

A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing. A phone message seeking comment was also left for an attorney for the former president.

Trump's appearance in Georgia will come a day after the first Republican primary debate, which he has decided to skip.

He is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, which has long been plagued with problems. The Department of Justice last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fulton-county-jail-investigation-6851ae2610d8265ce793abde99695fd8">opened a civil rights investigation</a>&nbsp;into conditions, citing filthy cells, violence and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects in the main jail’s psychiatric wing. Three people have died in Fulton County custody in the past month.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area surrounding the jail.

But Trump is not expected to spend much time there.

When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. During the booking process, defendants are typically photographed and fingerprinted and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trump’s bond has already been set, he will be released from custody once the booking process is complete.

Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments — where a defendant first appears in court — are generally set after a defendant completes the booking process and do not happen on the same day.

Booking a former president, who still has 24-hour Secret Service protection, has created myriad security and logistical issues in other jurisdictions.

In his past appearances in a New York state court and federal courts in Miami and Washington, Trump was not handcuffed while in custody. He was also not required to pose for a mugshot, with officials instead using existing photographs of the former president.

Georgia officials have said Trump will be treated like others charged with crimes in their state.

“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at a news conference earlier this month.

Trump was charged last week in the case alongside a slew of allies, who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and he characterizes the case — and the three others he is facing — as efforts to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. He has regularly used his Truth Social platform to single out prosecutors and others involved in his cases, and to continue to spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

In a post on Monday, Trump called the Fulton County district attorney “crooked, incompetent, &amp; highly partisan.” He also attacked Kemp, whom he has long targeted for the governor's refusal to intervene after the 2020 election. Kemp has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump, writing in social media last week: “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen."

Bond was also set Monday for three lawyers who were indicted along with Trump. For each of them, the bond for the RICO charge was set at $20,000, with varying amounts for the other charges they face. John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro each had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smith’s bond is $50,000.

Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, had his bond set at $10,000.

Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>, and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who aided the then-president’s efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.

The Georgia indictment came just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged Trump in a separate case in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>. Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686700913232.png" alt="Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House -AP photo" />
 <figcaption>Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House -AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-georgia-election-investigation-grand-jury-willis-d39562cedfc60d64948708de1b011ed3">scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss</a>&nbsp;in the state.“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after his bond was set at $200,000.<figure>
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 </figure>It will be Trump’s fourth arrest since April, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to face indictment. Since then, Trump, who remains the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has had what has seemed like an endless procession of bookings and arraignments in jurisdictions across the country. His appearances in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., have drawn enormous media attention, with news helicopters tracking his every move.<figure>
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 </figure>Trump's announcement came hours after his attorneys met with prosecutors in Atlanta to discuss the details of his release on bond. The former president is barred from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case — including on social media — according to the bond agreement signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump’s defense attorneys and the judge. It explicitly includes “posts on social media or reposts of posts” made by others.Trump has repeatedly used social media to attack people involved in the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. He has been railing against Willis since before he was indicted, and singled out Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — a Republican who rebuffed his efforts to overturn the election — by name in a social media post Monday morning.The agreement also prohibits the former president from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against witnesses or co-defendants, and from communicating in any way about the facts of the case with them, except through attorneys.The order sets Trump's bond for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-trump-election-investigation-indictment-rico-willis-2b18a1c1ed6a4ce22b1a2ca88ea861e3">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations</a>&nbsp;— or RICO — charge at $80,000, and adds $10,000 for each of the 12 other counts he is facing. Bond is the amount defendants must pay as a form of collateral to ensure they show up for required court appearances.Willis set a deadline of noon Friday for Trump and his 18 co-defendants to turn themselves in to be booked. The prosecutor has proposed that arraignments for the defendants follow during the week of Sept. 5. She has said she wants to try the defendants collectively and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-georgia-election-willis-892156d8658d9fe86d47ae3828c54cb9">bring the case to trial in March of next year,</a>&nbsp;which would put it in the heat of the presidential nominating season.A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filing. A phone message seeking comment was also left for an attorney for the former president.Trump's appearance in Georgia will come a day after the first Republican primary debate, which he has decided to skip.He is expected to turn himself in at the Fulton County jail, which has long been plagued with problems. The Department of Justice last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fulton-county-jail-investigation-6851ae2610d8265ce793abde99695fd8">opened a civil rights investigation</a>&nbsp;into conditions, citing filthy cells, violence and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects in the main jail’s psychiatric wing. Three people have died in Fulton County custody in the past month.The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday afternoon that when Trump surrenders there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area surrounding the jail.But Trump is not expected to spend much time there.When defendants arrive at the building, they typically pass through a security checkpoint before checking in for formal booking in the lobby. During the booking process, defendants are typically photographed and fingerprinted and asked to provide certain personal information. Since Trump’s bond has already been set, he will be released from custody once the booking process is complete.Unlike in other jurisdictions, in Fulton County, arraignments — where a defendant first appears in court — are generally set after a defendant completes the booking process and do not happen on the same day.Booking a former president, who still has 24-hour Secret Service protection, has created myriad security and logistical issues in other jurisdictions.In his past appearances in a New York state court and federal courts in Miami and Washington, Trump was not handcuffed while in custody. He was also not required to pose for a mugshot, with officials instead using existing photographs of the former president.Georgia officials have said Trump will be treated like others charged with crimes in their state.“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices, and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mugshot ready for you,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said at a news conference earlier this month.Trump was charged last week in the case alongside a slew of allies, who prosecutors say conspired to subvert the will of voters in a desperate bid to keep the Republican in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and he characterizes the case — and the three others he is facing — as efforts to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. He has regularly used his Truth Social platform to single out prosecutors and others involved in his cases, and to continue to spread falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen from him.In a post on Monday, Trump called the Fulton County district attorney “crooked, incompetent, &amp; highly partisan.” He also attacked Kemp, whom he has long targeted for the governor's refusal to intervene after the 2020 election. Kemp has been outspoken in pushing back against Trump, writing in social media last week: “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen."Bond was also set Monday for three lawyers who were indicted along with Trump. For each of them, the bond for the RICO charge was set at $20,000, with varying amounts for the other charges they face. John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro each had a bond set at $100,000, while Ray Smith’s bond is $50,000.Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, had his bond set at $10,000.Other defendants include former White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mark-meadows">Mark Meadows</a>; Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/rudolph-giuliani">Rudy Giuliani</a>, and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who aided the then-president’s efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.The Georgia indictment came just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged Trump in a separate case in a vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">conspiracy to overturn the election</a>. Besides the two election-related cases, Trump faces a federal indictment accusing him of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-documents-maralago-politics-florida-charges-bee867f48da593d351c5a91e87c356a9">illegally hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">New York state case</a>&nbsp;charging him with falsifying business records.____

Read Trump’s $200K bond deal and social media restrictions

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

Just after 12 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 1200 Block of N. Broadway in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan

First responders located a man lying on the ground unresponsive. Life-saving measures were performed on the victim until EMS arrived on the scene, but ultimately the victim would be pronounced deceased.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim sustained fatal injuries and the cause is still unknown. Police have not released his name or any suspect details.

Investigators are following up on promising leads and have been working on this case since the early hours of Monday morning.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide in Wichita.Just after 12 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 1200 Block of N. Broadway in Wichita, according to Officer Kris GupilanFirst responders located a man lying on the ground unresponsive. Life-saving measures were performed on the victim until EMS arrived on the scene, but ultimately the victim would be pronounced deceased.The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim sustained fatal injuries and the cause is still unknown. Police have not released his name or any suspect details.Investigators are following up on promising leads and have been working on this case since the early hours of Monday morning.

Homicide: Police working to determine how Kansas man died

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Maui “for as long as it takes” to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. As many as 850 people are still unaccounted for, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.

Standing near a severely burned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-hawaii-fires-banyan-tree-3a9c76dcbdb01386691cc24b54c8ef15">150-year-old banyan tree</a>, the president acknowledged the “overwhelming” devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy.

“Today it’s burned but it’s still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.”

Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, charred cars and singed trees left in the wake of the blaze.

The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as well as members of Hawaii's congressional delegation who came to the airport to greet them. The president and first lady embraced each of their greeters before boarding Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage.

They spent most of their visit in Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">a historic town</a>&nbsp;of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. His motorcade wound through the community of block upon block of hollowed out homes and structures, palm trees burnt to a crisp and endless debris.

The Bidens also met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.

The Bidens interrupted a weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the five-hour flight to Lahaina.

The White House announced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.

“We’re going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to rebuild,” said Biden, adding that his administration would be focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.

Dozens gathered on the streets of Lahaina to watch Biden's motorcade wind its way through the streets. Some greeted the president enthusiastically, but others appeared to be waving their middle fingers at the motorcade. Other island residents held up signs urging Biden “to listen to the people of Lahaina” and to send more aid to the island.

During a community event at the Lahaina civic center, Biden praised the “remarkable resilience” among community members he had witnessed during his few hours on the ground.

The president also spoke, as he often does when addressing communities impacted by tragedy, of understanding the personal weight of devastating loss and the slow and painful process of recovering. Biden's wife Neilia Hunter Biden and one-year-old daughter, Naomi, died in a car accident in 1972.

“When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith," Biden said.

Biden has faced criticism from Republicans, including 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, for saying too little during the first days after the catastrophe. The White House, however, has pushed back against the criticism, saying the president kept in close touch with the governor and other emergency officials throughout the unfolding crisis.

Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brian-schatz">Brian Schatz</a>, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.

While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, ID and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.

During his tour, Biden walked down a road from which many Lahaina residents made their harrowing escape from the flames.

An army of search and rescue teams with dozens of dogs have blanketed the affected area to try to recover the remains of some 500 to 800 people who are unaccounted for, said White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. Mayor Richard Bissen earlier Monday put the number of unaccounted for at 850. Sherwood-Randall added that the FBI has dispatched specialists to Maui to help assist the identification efforts.

She added that Biden, who has repeatedly visited communities ravaged by extreme weather disasters during his presidency, was focused during the visit “on the human experience,” and is “very impatient with bureaucracy.”

“How fast can we move to help people in need, and in particular, how can we help those in need who have the hardest time getting access to that help?" Sherwood-Randall said of Biden's focus.

More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground to respond to the wildfires in Hawaii, according to the White House. The administration has distributed more than $8.5 million in aid to some 8,000 affected families, including $3.6 million in rental assistance, said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

Schatz, who joined Biden on Monday, stressed that officials were “still responding to the disaster" and "we are not yet in a recovery phase.”

“As bad as this looks, it’s actually worse,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday. “What you can’t see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you can’t see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can’t see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692667220568.png" alt="The Bidens&nbsp; met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The Bidens&nbsp; met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Maui “for as long as it takes” to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on the federal response to Maui wildfires. Watch his full remarks here: <a href="https://t.co/LTx6vGgZM2">https://t.co/LTx6vGgZM2</a> <a href="https://t.co/689KeeUFan">pic.twitter.com/689KeeUFan</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1693772975940726841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. As many as 850 people are still unaccounted for, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.Standing near a severely burned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lahaina-hawaii-fires-banyan-tree-3a9c76dcbdb01386691cc24b54c8ef15">150-year-old banyan tree</a>, the president acknowledged the “overwhelming” devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy.“Today it’s burned but it’s still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.”Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, charred cars and singed trees left in the wake of the blaze.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier today, Jill and I paid our respects at the sacred site of Mokuʻula and participated in a blessing ceremony with Native Hawaiian leaders. In times like these, marred by struggle and strife, we turn to prayer to seek guidance, bolster our faith, and brace our spirts. <a href="https://t.co/v2IzAgxkm2">pic.twitter.com/v2IzAgxkm2</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1693802279617310891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green as well as members of Hawaii's congressional delegation who came to the airport to greet them. The president and first lady embraced each of their greeters before boarding Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage.They spent most of their visit in Lahaina,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hawaii-lahaina-historic-kindom-capital-396463f6eba6580bfc80d75538b0adf3">a historic town</a>&nbsp;of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. His motorcade wound through the community of block upon block of hollowed out homes and structures, palm trees burnt to a crisp and endless debris.The Bidens also met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692667130648.png" alt="President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The Bidens interrupted a weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the five-hour flight to Lahaina.The White House announced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.“We’re going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to rebuild,” said Biden, adding that his administration would be focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.Dozens gathered on the streets of Lahaina to watch Biden's motorcade wind its way through the streets. Some greeted the president enthusiastically, but others appeared to be waving their middle fingers at the motorcade. Other island residents held up signs urging Biden “to listen to the people of Lahaina” and to send more aid to the island.During a community event at the Lahaina civic center, Biden praised the “remarkable resilience” among community members he had witnessed during his few hours on the ground.The president also spoke, as he often does when addressing communities impacted by tragedy, of understanding the personal weight of devastating loss and the slow and painful process of recovering. Biden's wife Neilia Hunter Biden and one-year-old daughter, Naomi, died in a car accident in 1972.“When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith," Biden said.Biden has faced criticism from Republicans, including 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, for saying too little during the first days after the catastrophe. The White House, however, has pushed back against the criticism, saying the president kept in close touch with the governor and other emergency officials throughout the unfolding crisis.Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brian-schatz">Brian Schatz</a>, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, ID and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.During his tour, Biden walked down a road from which many Lahaina residents made their harrowing escape from the flames.An army of search and rescue teams with dozens of dogs have blanketed the affected area to try to recover the remains of some 500 to 800 people who are unaccounted for, said White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. Mayor Richard Bissen earlier Monday put the number of unaccounted for at 850. Sherwood-Randall added that the FBI has dispatched specialists to Maui to help assist the identification efforts.She added that Biden, who has repeatedly visited communities ravaged by extreme weather disasters during his presidency, was focused during the visit “on the human experience,” and is “very impatient with bureaucracy.”“How fast can we move to help people in need, and in particular, how can we help those in need who have the hardest time getting access to that help?" Sherwood-Randall said of Biden's focus.More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground to respond to the wildfires in Hawaii, according to the White House. The administration has distributed more than $8.5 million in aid to some 8,000 affected families, including $3.6 million in rental assistance, said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.Schatz, who joined Biden on Monday, stressed that officials were “still responding to the disaster" and "we are not yet in a recovery phase.”“As bad as this looks, it’s actually worse,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday. “What you can’t see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you can’t see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can’t see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.”___

🎥Bidens visit fire-ravaged Maui; 800 people still missing

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just after 9:30 p.m. Friday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant on a residence in the 1100 block of East 301st Street, near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

The sheriff's office took three subjects into custody and transported them the Osage County Jail. Terry J. Criqui, 69, of Melvern, is being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Cultivation/distribution of controlled substance,&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia to cultivate controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia and No drug tax stamp

Christopher L. Winters, 55, of Melvern is being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Cultivation/distribution of controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia to cultivate controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No drug tax stamp and Possession of marijuana

Kim L. Salzman, 66, of Melvern is jailed on requested charges of , Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana and No drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692540372687.png" alt="Criqui-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Criqui-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just after 9:30 p.m. Friday, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant on a residence in the 1100 block of East 301st Street, near Melvern, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.The sheriff's office took three subjects into custody and transported them the Osage County Jail. Terry J. Criqui, 69, of Melvern, is being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Cultivation/distribution of controlled substance,&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia to cultivate controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia and No drug tax stamp<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692540565209.png" alt="Winters-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Winters-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Christopher L. Winters, 55, of Melvern is being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Cultivation/distribution of controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia to cultivate controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No drug tax stamp and Possession of marijuana<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692540298348.png" alt="Salzman" />
 <figcaption>Salzman</figcaption>
 </figure>Kim L. Salzman, 66, of Melvern is jailed on requested charges of , Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana and No drug tax stamp.

Sheriff: 3 accused of growing, selling drugs from Kansas home

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and have identified the victim.

Just before 1:30 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 7000 Eastwood Trafficway in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.&nbsp;&nbsp; First responders located a man later identified as 31-year-old Stephen C. Carter, lying in the parking lot of the laundry mat suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp;

Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS pronounced Carter deceased on scene. The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time. Police have no reason to believe there is an immediate risk to the public.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and have identified the victim.Just before 1:30 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting at 7000 Eastwood Trafficway in Kansas City, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.&nbsp;&nbsp; First responders located a man later identified as 31-year-old Stephen C. Carter, lying in the parking lot of the laundry mat suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS pronounced Carter deceased on scene. The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time. Police have no reason to believe there is an immediate risk to the public.