LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency, with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new form of the virus spreading. Few vaccine doses are available on the continent.

Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-mpox-monkey-pox-congo-emergency-415d11f9e62d104b4c40dd8fe8e80b47">announced</a>&nbsp;that the mpox outbreaks were a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths, and called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.

“This is something that should concern us all ... The potential for further spread beyond Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Africa CDC previously said that mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been detected in 13 countries this year, and that more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up 160% and deaths are up 19% compared with the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 people have died.

“We are now in a situation where (mpox) poses a risk to many more neighbors in and around central Africa,” said Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases expert who chairs the Africa CDC emergency group. He noted that the new version of mpox spreading from Congo appears to have a death rate of about 3-4%.

During the global 2022 mpox outbreak that affected more than 70 countries, fewer than 1% of people died.

Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said declaring the mpox outbreaks in Africa an emergency is warranted if that might lead to more support to contain them.

“It’s a failure of the global community that things had to get this bad to release the resources needed,” he said.

Officials at the Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths.

Jacques Alonda, an epidemiologist working in Congo with international charities, said he and other experts were particularly worried about the spread of mpox in camps for refugees in the country’s conflict-ridden east.

“The worst case I’ve seen is that of a six-week-old baby who was just two weeks old when he contracted mpox,” Alonda said, adding the baby has been in their care for a month. “He got infected because hospital overcrowding meant he and his mother were forced to share a room with someone else who had the virus, which was undiagnosed.”

Save the Children said Congo’s health system already had been “collapsing” under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said officials were facing several outbreaks of mpox outbreaks in various countries with “different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”

The U.N. health agency said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks are linked to the one in Congo. In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022.

Earlier this year, scientists reported the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mpox-congo-outbreak-who-fda17cea128f46e48110ad7adcd9e5de">emergence of a new form</a>&nbsp;of the deadlier form of mpox, which can kill up to 10% of people, in a Congolese mining town that they feared might spread more easily. Mpox mostly spreads via close contact with infected people, including through sex.

Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they’re infected.

In 2022, WHO declared mpox to be a global emergency after it spread to more than 70 countries that had not previously reported mpox, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men. Before that outbreak, the disease had mostly been seen in sporadic outbreaks in central and West Africa when people came into close contact with infected wild animals.

Western countries mostly shut down the spread of mpox with the help of vaccines and treatments, but very few of those have been available in Africa.

Marks of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said that in the absence of mpox vaccines licensed in the West, officials could consider inoculating people against smallpox, a related disease. “We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk,” he said, adding that would mean sex workers, children and adults living in outbreak regions.

Congolese authorities said they have asked for 4 million doses of mpox vaccine, Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Monkeypox Response Committee, told The Associated Press. Osako said those would mostly be used for children under 18.

“The United States and Japan are the two countries that positioned themselves to give vaccines to our country,” Osako said.

Although WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action, the global response to previous emergency designations has been mixed.

Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, said the last WHO emergency declaration for mpox “did very little to move the needle” on getting things like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to Africa.

“The world has a real opportunity here to act in a decisive manner and not repeat past mistakes, (but) that will take more than an (emergency) declaration,” Titanji said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666205866785.png" alt="This digitally-colorized electron microscopic (EM) image depicted monkeypox virus particles, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from of a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions (Credit: CDC/ Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regnery, Hannah Bullock)." />
 <figcaption>This digitally-colorized electron microscopic (EM) image depicted monkeypox virus particles, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from of a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions (Credit: CDC/ Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regnery, Hannah Bullock).</figcaption>
 </figure>LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency, with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new form of the virus spreading. Few vaccine doses are available on the continent.Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-mpox-monkey-pox-congo-emergency-415d11f9e62d104b4c40dd8fe8e80b47">announced</a>&nbsp;that the mpox outbreaks were a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths, and called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.“This is something that should concern us all ... The potential for further spread beyond Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The Africa CDC previously said that mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been detected in 13 countries this year, and that more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up 160% and deaths are up 19% compared with the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 people have died.“We are now in a situation where (mpox) poses a risk to many more neighbors in and around central Africa,” said Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases expert who chairs the Africa CDC emergency group. He noted that the new version of mpox spreading from Congo appears to have a death rate of about 3-4%.During the global 2022 mpox outbreak that affected more than 70 countries, fewer than 1% of people died.Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said declaring the mpox outbreaks in Africa an emergency is warranted if that might lead to more support to contain them.“It’s a failure of the global community that things had to get this bad to release the resources needed,” he said.Officials at the Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths.Jacques Alonda, an epidemiologist working in Congo with international charities, said he and other experts were particularly worried about the spread of mpox in camps for refugees in the country’s conflict-ridden east.“The worst case I’ve seen is that of a six-week-old baby who was just two weeks old when he contracted mpox,” Alonda said, adding the baby has been in their care for a month. “He got infected because hospital overcrowding meant he and his mother were forced to share a room with someone else who had the virus, which was undiagnosed.”Save the Children said Congo’s health system already had been “collapsing” under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said officials were facing several outbreaks of mpox outbreaks in various countries with “different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”The U.N. health agency said mpox was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks are linked to the one in Congo. In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, health authorities have reported outbreaks of a different and less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022.Earlier this year, scientists reported the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mpox-congo-outbreak-who-fda17cea128f46e48110ad7adcd9e5de">emergence of a new form</a>&nbsp;of the deadlier form of mpox, which can kill up to 10% of people, in a Congolese mining town that they feared might spread more easily. Mpox mostly spreads via close contact with infected people, including through sex.Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they’re infected.In 2022, WHO declared mpox to be a global emergency after it spread to more than 70 countries that had not previously reported mpox, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men. Before that outbreak, the disease had mostly been seen in sporadic outbreaks in central and West Africa when people came into close contact with infected wild animals.Western countries mostly shut down the spread of mpox with the help of vaccines and treatments, but very few of those have been available in Africa.Marks of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said that in the absence of mpox vaccines licensed in the West, officials could consider inoculating people against smallpox, a related disease. “We need a large supply of vaccine so that we can vaccinate populations most at risk,” he said, adding that would mean sex workers, children and adults living in outbreak regions.Congolese authorities said they have asked for 4 million doses of mpox vaccine, Cris Kacita Osako, coordinator of Congo’s Monkeypox Response Committee, told The Associated Press. Osako said those would mostly be used for children under 18.“The United States and Japan are the two countries that positioned themselves to give vaccines to our country,” Osako said.Although WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action, the global response to previous emergency designations has been mixed.Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, said the last WHO emergency declaration for mpox “did very little to move the needle” on getting things like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to Africa.“The world has a real opportunity here to act in a decisive manner and not repeat past mistakes, (but) that will take more than an (emergency) declaration,” Titanji said.<h2>___</h2>

WHO: Mpox outbreak a global health emergency; new form of virus spreads

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement canceled the Amber Alert for a 9-month-old boy. 

At 12:45p.m. Tuesday, officers located the suspect vehicle and the mother identified as 24-year-old Traci Calvin in south Kansas City near the Ruskin area, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp; Calvin advised she had passed the child to another family member. Detectives made contact with that family member and verified the safety of the child. Based on that update detectives requested the AMBER Alert be canceled and it was just before 1:30p..

At 9:50 a.m. Tuesday officers were dispatched to a house near 40th and Hedges in Kansas City on a disturbance call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

On arrival officers made contact with the caller who relayed that she had been in phone contact with her daughter, Traci Calvin, this morning and at that time her daughter had made some statements indicating she intended to harm her 9-month-old son, the callers grandson. 

Based on the nature of the threats she called police and requested we respond to the mother’s address on Hedges. Officers gathered all pertinent information from the calling party and relayed that to Juvenile Squad detectives.

Based on the circumstances Juvenile Squad detectives requested an AMBER alert from Missouri Highway Patrol.

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement in Kansas City issued an Amber Alert Wednesday morning for a 9-month old boy, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Police are looking for a White 2015 Nissan Rogue with Kansas license plate 379RGM. The vehicle was last seen at East 40th Street and Hedges Avenue. The vehicle was driven by 24-year-old Traci Calvin. She left the residence with the boy and made statements that she was going to kill the child, according to the patrol.

Just before 10a.m. am officers were dispatched to a house near 40th and Hedges in Kansas City on a disturbance call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

Detectives continue to investigate and ask the public’s help to locate the missing Mother and Son.

Check Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723653458913.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement canceled the Amber Alert for a 9-month-old boy. At 12:45p.m. Tuesday, officers located the suspect vehicle and the mother identified as 24-year-old Traci Calvin in south Kansas City near the Ruskin area, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.&nbsp; Calvin advised she had passed the child to another family member. Detectives made contact with that family member and verified the safety of the child. Based on that update detectives requested the AMBER Alert be canceled and it was just before 1:30p..At 9:50 a.m. Tuesday officers were dispatched to a house near 40th and Hedges in Kansas City on a disturbance call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. On arrival officers made contact with the caller who relayed that she had been in phone contact with her daughter, Traci Calvin, this morning and at that time her daughter had made some statements indicating she intended to harm her 9-month-old son, the callers grandson. Based on the nature of the threats she called police and requested we respond to the mother’s address on Hedges. Officers gathered all pertinent information from the calling party and relayed that to Juvenile Squad detectives.Based on the circumstances Juvenile Squad detectives requested an AMBER alert from Missouri Highway Patrol.--------------&nbsp;KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement in Kansas City issued an Amber Alert Wednesday morning for a 9-month old boy, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.Police are looking for a White 2015 Nissan Rogue with Kansas license plate 379RGM. The vehicle was last seen at East 40th Street and Hedges Avenue. The vehicle was driven by 24-year-old Traci Calvin. She left the residence with the boy and made statements that she was going to kill the child, according to the patrol.Just before 10a.m. am officers were dispatched to a house near 40th and Hedges in Kansas City on a disturbance call, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. On arrival officers made contact with the caller who relayed that she had been in phone contact with her daughter, Traci Calvin, this morning and at that time her daughter had made some statements indicating she intended to harm her 9-month-old son, the callers grandson. Based on the nature of the threats she called police and requested we respond to the mother’s address on Hedges. Officers gathered all pertinent information from the calling party and relayed that to Juvenile Squad detectives.Based on the circumstances Juvenile Squad detectives requested an AMBER alert from Missouri Highway Patrol.Detectives continue to investigate and ask the public’s help to locate the missing Mother and Son.Check Post for additional details as they become available.

Amber Alert canceled: Child is safe, suspect in custody

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged fraud in Riley County.

Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report of fraud in the 300 block of Stockdale Drive in Randolph, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The City of Randolph reported an unknown suspect posed as a consulting group and defrauded the city. 

Total loss associated with this report is $40,000. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged fraud in Riley County.Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, officers filed a report of fraud in the 300 block of Stockdale Drive in Randolph, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The City of Randolph reported an unknown suspect posed as a consulting group and defrauded the city. Total loss associated with this report is $40,000. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rileycountypolice.org/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Police:  Kan. community lost $40,000 in alleged fraud scheme

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities investigating a drowning have identified the victim as 35-year-old Aubrey Mayo of Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;responded to a check welfare call in the 3600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita, according to Moses. First responders learned that Mayo was swimming in a private lake and friends lost sight of her.&nbsp;

Wichita and Sedgwick County Fire and Rescue responded, searched the lake later locating Mayo who was deceased in the lake.

The Sedgwick County Coroner will determine her cause of death. At this time, the death is not believed to be the result of criminal activity, according to Moses.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Authorities investigating a drowning have identified the victim as 35-year-old Aubrey Mayo of Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Just before 10p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;responded to a check welfare call in the 3600 block of S. Broadway in Wichita, according to Moses. First responders learned that Mayo was swimming in a private lake and friends lost sight of her.&nbsp;Wichita and Sedgwick County Fire and Rescue responded, searched the lake later locating Mayo who was deceased in the lake.The Sedgwick County Coroner will determine her cause of death. At this time, the death is not believed to be the result of criminal activity, according to Moses.

Police ID Kansas woman who drowned in private lake

WASHINGTON (AP) — In some corners of the Democratic Party, last week felt like déjà vu.

The party's vice-presidential nominee’s military record was under assault from Republicans — attacks reminiscent of those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">leveled two decades earlier on Sen. John Kerry</a>&nbsp;during his run for the White House.

Democratic strategists who lived through the Kerry onslaught, however, say the political landscape has changed so much since 2004 that they do not believe the attacks will land with the same resonance.

“It is a very different world,” said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Kerry’s 2004 campaign.

Former President Donald Trump's campaign responded to the selection earlier this month of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee by attempting to pick apart his military record. Walz served for 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, but Trump's campaign has criticized him for using imprecise language to describe how he carried a weapon in war and when he retired from service.

Kamala Harris' campaign has pushed back against the attacks, but some Democrats worry Republicans might succeed in turning Walz's military service into a liability. Others accused Republicans of attempting to “swift boat” Walz, a reference to the 2004 campaign and a sign of the campaign's continued relevance.

Kerry’s campaign was caught flatfooted in the summer of 2004 by attacks that questioned whether the presidential candidate had earned his many commendations as a commander of a swift boat during the Vietnam War. Kerry received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

By 2004, America was involved in two wars — in Iraq and Afghanistan — following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, had made his military service a centerpiece of the hard-fought presidential primary campaign, to the point of starting his nomination speech by saying he was “reporting for duty."

Republicans sought to undermine that selling point by raising questions about his Vietnam War service. An outside political group, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, led the anti-Kerry campaign, spending millions of dollars on hard-hitting television ads. One&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">spot</a>&nbsp;featured men who served in Vietnam questioning Kerry's leadership and heroism, as well as his fitness to lead the country;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183495-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">another</a>&nbsp;blasted Kerry’s participation in later anti-war protests.

“I remember being in Ohio and listening to that ad. And I called my campaign headquarters and said, guys, I just heard an ad. And if I heard that ad, I wouldn’t vote for me,” Kerry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/644830886">told NPR in 2018</a>.

Some in Kerry’s campaign wanted to respond more forcefully, while others wanted to take a more cautious approach, concerned that focusing on the attacks would elevate them.

The campaign pushed back in the press but spent little money on costly television ads to address the controversy.

That trepidation, one-time Kerry advisers said, ensured that the public began to question the candidate's ability to handle national security matters.

Chris LaCivita — a top Trump campaign adviser — was one of the top Republican operatives behind the “swift boat” campaign. When Democrats compared the attacks on Walz to those on Kerry, LaCivita posted on X that the 2004 allegations “were never disproven.”

“Two things you don’t do is lie about the medals you received and whether or not you saw combat. Those are the two big sins. And he’s guilty of at least one of them,” LaCivita told The Associated Press last week.

Multiple veterans who served with Kerry refuted the accusations in 2004. Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for the Bush campaign in 2004, said last week that the “swift boat” allegations were “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/matthewjdowd/status/1821607421804212429">nearly all lies</a>.”

The Trump campaign has sought to take a similar approach in criticizing Walz's service. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has led the charge, accusing Walz of lying about his record. Vance, a Marine veteran, also accused Walz of abandoning his unit before it deployed to Iraq.

The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the criticism. A campaign spokesperson told the AP that Walz “misspoke” in 2018 when he attempted to make a point on gun control by saying he carried weapons in a war. Walz did not see combat during his tenure in the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz’s first congressional campaign in March 2005&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">issued a statement saying</a>&nbsp;he planned to run despite a possible mobilization that might send his soldiers to Iraq. According to the Guard, Walz retired from service in May 2005. Three months later, the Army issued a mobilization order for Walz’s unit. It was sent to Iraq in March 2006. The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the Republican characterizations that Walz retired to avoid deploying to a war zone.

Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major. But because he did not finish certain coursework before his retirement after 24 years in the National Guard, he retired as a master sergeant, a lower rank, for benefits purposes.

It is unclear how effective these GOP attacks will be. Democrats who worked on the Kerry campaign said they are likely not going to be as potent because so much has changed since 2004.

The main reason: Campaigns are now flush with cash, making it easier to fight back.

In 2004, Kerry and President George W. Bush, the Republican nominee, took public funding,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/updates/2004-presidential-campaign-finance-activity-summarized/">receiving $74.6 million each</a>&nbsp;from the government, barring them from private donations. The decision, said Devine and others, handcuffed a campaign that wanted to focus on its preferred message.

“We were living in a world of limited resources where we had to make decisions about should we go on the air now, should we go on later,” said Steve Elmendorf, Kerry’s deputy campaign manager. The Harris-Walz campaign "doesn’t have those constraints.”

Public funding is a thing of the past, and Harris' operation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-fundraising-democrats-trump-fbc14aa926444b4f961f579c63811766">raised</a>&nbsp;a staggering $310 million in July. The Democratic campaign, aided by what President Joe Biden collected before he stepped aside, is expected to raise well over $1 billion.

“If we were going to respond to those attacks in the paid media, we were going to need to spend money that we were going to need in October,” said Devine.

The strategists pointed to other differences in today's environment.

Whereas the “swift boat” attacks were generated by an outside group relying on advertising, Republicans have largely hit Walz on social media and in interviews. Such broadsides may reach the GOP base but not the independent voters who will decide the election.

Walz is also not the presidential nominee — as Kerry was. Voters tend to focus on the candidates at the top of a ticket,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vp-pick-no-impact-jd-vance-political-experts-disagree-2024-8">something Trump himself has noted.</a>

And then there is the issue of Trump. Could attacks on Walz’s 24 years of military service boomerang on the Republican standard-bearer? The former president has been criticized for avoiding military service over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html">claims he suffered from bone spurs</a>.

Despite the differences in the two campaigns, veterans of Kerry's run said Democrats should take to heart a lesson they learned the hard way: They waited too long to counterattack. Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, said Democrats should be particularly concerned about attacks on Walz's integrity, a key selling point of his candidacy. “To the extent that image is damaged,” Mellman said, “it can be quite problematic.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723596135448.png" alt="Gov. Tim Walz spoke at the Government Employee Union Convention in Los Angeles Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Tim Walz spoke at the Government Employee Union Convention in Los Angeles Tuesday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In some corners of the Democratic Party, last week felt like déjà vu.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Let me be clear: I am damn proud of my service to this country. <a href="https://t.co/9a9rJSQurQ">pic.twitter.com/9a9rJSQurQ</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1823469160891855266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The party's vice-presidential nominee’s military record was under assault from Republicans — attacks reminiscent of those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">leveled two decades earlier on Sen. John Kerry</a>&nbsp;during his run for the White House.Democratic strategists who lived through the Kerry onslaught, however, say the political landscape has changed so much since 2004 that they do not believe the attacks will land with the same resonance.“It is a very different world,” said Tad Devine, a senior adviser to Kerry’s 2004 campaign.Former President Donald Trump's campaign responded to the selection earlier this month of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee by attempting to pick apart his military record. Walz served for 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, but Trump's campaign has criticized him for using imprecise language to describe how he carried a weapon in war and when he retired from service.Kamala Harris' campaign has pushed back against the attacks, but some Democrats worry Republicans might succeed in turning Walz's military service into a liability. Others accused Republicans of attempting to “swift boat” Walz, a reference to the 2004 campaign and a sign of the campaign's continued relevance.<h2>The origin of "swift boating"</h2>Kerry’s campaign was caught flatfooted in the summer of 2004 by attacks that questioned whether the presidential candidate had earned his many commendations as a commander of a swift boat during the Vietnam War. Kerry received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.By 2004, America was involved in two wars — in Iraq and Afghanistan — following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, had made his military service a centerpiece of the hard-fought presidential primary campaign, to the point of starting his nomination speech by saying he was “reporting for duty."Republicans sought to undermine that selling point by raising questions about his Vietnam War service. An outside political group, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, led the anti-Kerry campaign, spending millions of dollars on hard-hitting television ads. One&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183127-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">spot</a>&nbsp;featured men who served in Vietnam questioning Kerry's leadership and heroism, as well as his fitness to lead the country;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?183495-1/swift-boat-veterans-political-ad">another</a>&nbsp;blasted Kerry’s participation in later anti-war protests.The ads were effective.“I remember being in Ohio and listening to that ad. And I called my campaign headquarters and said, guys, I just heard an ad. And if I heard that ad, I wouldn’t vote for me,” Kerry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/644830886">told NPR in 2018</a>.Some in Kerry’s campaign wanted to respond more forcefully, while others wanted to take a more cautious approach, concerned that focusing on the attacks would elevate them.The campaign pushed back in the press but spent little money on costly television ads to address the controversy.That trepidation, one-time Kerry advisers said, ensured that the public began to question the candidate's ability to handle national security matters.Chris LaCivita — a top Trump campaign adviser — was one of the top Republican operatives behind the “swift boat” campaign. When Democrats compared the attacks on Walz to those on Kerry, LaCivita posted on X that the 2004 allegations “were never disproven.”“Two things you don’t do is lie about the medals you received and whether or not you saw combat. Those are the two big sins. And he’s guilty of at least one of them,” LaCivita told The Associated Press last week.Multiple veterans who served with Kerry refuted the accusations in 2004. Matthew Dowd, the chief strategist for the Bush campaign in 2004, said last week that the “swift boat” allegations were “&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/matthewjdowd/status/1821607421804212429">nearly all lies</a>.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723596192711.png" alt="Gov. Tim Walz image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Tim Walz image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Walz pushes back</h2>The Trump campaign has sought to take a similar approach in criticizing Walz's service. Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, has led the charge, accusing Walz of lying about his record. Vance, a Marine veteran, also accused Walz of abandoning his unit before it deployed to Iraq.The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the criticism. A campaign spokesperson told the AP that Walz “misspoke” in 2018 when he attempted to make a point on gun control by saying he carried weapons in a war. Walz did not see combat during his tenure in the Minnesota National Guard.Walz’s first congressional campaign in March 2005&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7">issued a statement saying</a>&nbsp;he planned to run despite a possible mobilization that might send his soldiers to Iraq. According to the Guard, Walz retired from service in May 2005. Three months later, the Army issued a mobilization order for Walz’s unit. It was sent to Iraq in March 2006. The Harris-Walz campaign has pushed back against the Republican characterizations that Walz retired to avoid deploying to a war zone.Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major. But because he did not finish certain coursework before his retirement after 24 years in the National Guard, he retired as a master sergeant, a lower rank, for benefits purposes.It is unclear how effective these GOP attacks will be. Democrats who worked on the Kerry campaign said they are likely not going to be as potent because so much has changed since 2004.<h2>Flush with cash</h2>The main reason: Campaigns are now flush with cash, making it easier to fight back.In 2004, Kerry and President George W. Bush, the Republican nominee, took public funding,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/updates/2004-presidential-campaign-finance-activity-summarized/">receiving $74.6 million each</a>&nbsp;from the government, barring them from private donations. The decision, said Devine and others, handcuffed a campaign that wanted to focus on its preferred message.“We were living in a world of limited resources where we had to make decisions about should we go on the air now, should we go on later,” said Steve Elmendorf, Kerry’s deputy campaign manager. The Harris-Walz campaign "doesn’t have those constraints.”Public funding is a thing of the past, and Harris' operation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-fundraising-democrats-trump-fbc14aa926444b4f961f579c63811766">raised</a>&nbsp;a staggering $310 million in July. The Democratic campaign, aided by what President Joe Biden collected before he stepped aside, is expected to raise well over $1 billion.“If we were going to respond to those attacks in the paid media, we were going to need to spend money that we were going to need in October,” said Devine.<h2>Walz is not the presidential nominee</h2>The strategists pointed to other differences in today's environment.Whereas the “swift boat” attacks were generated by an outside group relying on advertising, Republicans have largely hit Walz on social media and in interviews. Such broadsides may reach the GOP base but not the independent voters who will decide the election.Walz is also not the presidential nominee — as Kerry was. Voters tend to focus on the candidates at the top of a ticket,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-vp-pick-no-impact-jd-vance-political-experts-disagree-2024-8">something Trump himself has noted.</a>And then there is the issue of Trump. Could attacks on Walz’s 24 years of military service boomerang on the Republican standard-bearer? The former president has been criticized for avoiding military service over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html">claims he suffered from bone spurs</a>.Despite the differences in the two campaigns, veterans of Kerry's run said Democrats should take to heart a lesson they learned the hard way: They waited too long to counterattack. Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster, said Democrats should be particularly concerned about attacks on Walz's integrity, a key selling point of his candidacy. “To the extent that image is damaged,” Mellman said, “it can be quite problematic.”___

🎥 Harris-Walz push back against criticism of his military service 

KANSAS CITY — A third person has died from injuries in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

A Kia Soul was eastbound on 35th Street at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The Kia came upon an eastbound Chevy Tahoe. As the Chevy Tahoe approached Norton Street, the driver slowed to make the left turn to go North on Norton, according to Becchina.

The driver of the Kia had pulled over into the westbound lanes to pass the Chevy Tahoe just as the Chevy Tahoe was starting his turn. The vehicles collided in the westbound lanes of travel. The Chevy Tahoe was spun around and south on Norton.

 The driver was transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries. The Kia Soul crashed into a large wooden utility pole and then flipped onto the roof.

 The Kia Soul had eight occupants in the vehicle. The 16-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The 37-year-old front seat passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The second left front passenger was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, according to Becchina.

 A 20-year-old man was sitting in the second right passenger seat, with a 4-year-old child sitting on his lap. In the middle second row seat was a 6-year-old child. In the rear cargo area were a 12-year-old and 13-year-old, not in any type of seat.&nbsp; All were transported to area hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. 

Prior to the crash, an officer had stopped the Kia at 31st and Cleveland, for a traffic violation. 

The Kia driver pulled over, but after the officer exited his vehicle, the Kia driver took off at a high rate of speed. The officer did not follow. The Kia responded back as a stolen auto, taken August 2nd.&nbsp; Police have not released the names of those who died.

 This is the 59th traffic fatality in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024 total compared to 56 at this time last year, according to Becchina.

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in a two vehicle accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.

The accident occurred at the intersection of 35th&nbsp;and Norton, according to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews transported&nbsp; 3 adults and 4 children to local hospitals in serious condition. Two men also died.&nbsp; Kansas City Police are investigating the cause of the accident.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the names of the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723594321991.png" alt="Photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — A third person has died from injuries in an accident that occurred just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.A Kia Soul was eastbound on 35th Street at a high rate of speed, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The Kia came upon an eastbound Chevy Tahoe. As the Chevy Tahoe approached Norton Street, the driver slowed to make the left turn to go North on Norton, according to Becchina.The driver of the Kia had pulled over into the westbound lanes to pass the Chevy Tahoe just as the Chevy Tahoe was starting his turn. The vehicles collided in the westbound lanes of travel. The Chevy Tahoe was spun around and south on Norton. The driver was transported to an area hospital, with non-life-threatening injuries. The Kia Soul crashed into a large wooden utility pole and then flipped onto the roof. The Kia Soul had eight occupants in the vehicle. The 16-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The 37-year-old front seat passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The second left front passenger was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, according to Becchina. A 20-year-old man was sitting in the second right passenger seat, with a 4-year-old child sitting on his lap. In the middle second row seat was a 6-year-old child. In the rear cargo area were a 12-year-old and 13-year-old, not in any type of seat.&nbsp; All were transported to area hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Prior to the crash, an officer had stopped the Kia at 31st and Cleveland, for a traffic violation. The Kia driver pulled over, but after the officer exited his vehicle, the Kia driver took off at a high rate of speed. The officer did not follow. The Kia responded back as a stolen auto, taken August 2nd.&nbsp; Police have not released the names of those who died. This is the 59th traffic fatality in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024 total compared to 56 at this time last year, according to Becchina.------------KANSAS CITY —Two people died in a two vehicle accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in Kansas City.The accident occurred at the intersection of 35th&nbsp;and Norton, according to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.Crews transported&nbsp; 3 adults and 4 children to local hospitals in serious condition. Two men also died.&nbsp; Kansas City Police are investigating the cause of the accident.&nbsp; Authorities have not released the names of the victims.

KCPD: 3rd person dies after crash in stolen car that injured 4 children

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays USD 489 school board members and members of the public toured the construction site for the new Hays High School on Aug. 5.

The school is part of $143 million in bond projects. The new high school, located adjacent to the current high school on 13th Street, is scheduled to be completed by fall 2025.

The current high school will be remodeled into a middle school when the new high school is complete.

Special education will have four large classrooms, including a life skills area with a kitchen in the new high school.

The high school will have an area, including a small playground, where family studies students can work with small children

The school will have an industrial kitchen for culinary arts students. The walls facing the hallway will be glass so that other students can observe what is happening in those classrooms.

A new metals shop is being constructed in the new high school, while the wood shop will stay in its current location in what will be the middle school.

Superintendent Ron Wilson said the district could not economically replicate the classroom and storage space needed for that discipline in the new high school. Hays Middle and Hays High students will both use the wood shop space in the former Hays High School CTE building.

The new school will have teacher workrooms and collaborative space for students.

Animal science and STEM will have connected classrooms on the second floor.

The school will have two creative commons where students can work on hands-on projects. Henderson described it as a miniature Hobby Lobby.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays USD 489 school board members and members of the public toured the construction site for the new Hays High School on Aug. 5.The school is part of $143 million in bond projects. The new high school, located adjacent to the current high school on 13th Street, is scheduled to be completed by fall 2025.The current high school will be remodeled into a middle school when the new high school is complete.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722980801469.jpeg" alt="Members of the school board, community and construction team stand in front of what will be locker rooms on the lower floor and the wrestling room on the upper floor. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Members of the school board, community and construction team stand in front of what will be locker rooms on the lower floor and the wrestling room on the upper floor. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722981138061.jpeg" alt="The wrestling room can be seen on the upper floor. On the right is the walls of the new main gym of the new Hays High School.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The wrestling room can be seen on the upper floor. On the right is the walls of the new main gym of the new Hays High School.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722981234615.jpeg" alt="Locker rooms are under construction on the west side of what will be the new football stadium. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Locker rooms are under construction on the west side of what will be the new football stadium. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723049937497.jpeg" alt="Behind Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson, right, and Superintendent Ron Wilson, left, is the new high school's second gym. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Behind Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson, right, and Superintendent Ron Wilson, left, is the new high school's second gym. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722981338510.jpeg" alt="To the left is Hays High School's new science and math wing. A commons will connect the two wings. The new auditorium is taking shape on the right. The arts and language wing is behind the auditorium. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>To the left is Hays High School's new science and math wing. A commons will connect the two wings. The new auditorium is taking shape on the right. The arts and language wing is behind the auditorium. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722981515746.jpeg" alt="The large door will be the opening for the concession stand for the new high school. It faces the new football stadium for Hays High School. Outdoor seating will be available for students for lunch during the school day and for concessions during football games. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The large door will be the opening for the concession stand for the new high school. It faces the new football stadium for Hays High School. Outdoor seating will be available for students for lunch during the school day and for concessions during football games. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722983178796.jpeg" alt="Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson in the cafeteria serving area of the new Hays High School. Students will receive their food here and eat in the adjacent commons. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson in the cafeteria serving area of the new Hays High School. Students will receive their food here and eat in the adjacent commons. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722983280444.jpeg" alt="The framing for individual bathrooms off the commons at the new Hays High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The framing for individual bathrooms off the commons at the new Hays High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Special education will have four large classrooms, including a life skills area with a kitchen in the new high school.The high school will have an area, including a small playground, where family studies students can work with small childrenThe school will have an industrial kitchen for culinary arts students. The walls facing the hallway will be glass so that other students can observe what is happening in those classrooms.A new metals shop is being constructed in the new high school, while the wood shop will stay in its current location in what will be the middle school.Superintendent Ron Wilson said the district could not economically replicate the classroom and storage space needed for that discipline in the new high school. Hays Middle and Hays High students will both use the wood shop space in the former Hays High School CTE building.The new school will have teacher workrooms and collaborative space for students.Animal science and STEM will have connected classrooms on the second floor.The school will have two creative commons where students can work on hands-on projects. Henderson described it as a miniature Hobby Lobby.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722983728690.jpeg" alt="A classroom in the science and math wing is taking shape. Principal Shawn Henderson said the new school has been outfitted with abundant windows to take advantage of natural light, something that the current high school is lacking. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A classroom in the science and math wing is taking shape. Principal Shawn Henderson said the new school has been outfitted with abundant windows to take advantage of natural light, something that the current high school is lacking. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722983803475.jpeg" alt="More classroom space.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>More classroom space.&nbsp;Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722984001310.jpeg" alt="The new auditorium can be seen on the new Hays High School site. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The new auditorium can be seen on the new Hays High School site. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722984102561.jpeg" alt="A bridge will connect the science and math wing of the new Hays High School to the new auditorium and arts and language wing. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A bridge will connect the science and math wing of the new Hays High School to the new auditorium and arts and language wing. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722984271173.jpeg" alt="The beginning of the new football field can be seen from the second floor of the new Hays High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The beginning of the new football field can be seen from the second floor of the new Hays High School. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723049378880.jpeg" alt="These are "learning stairs," which are adjacent to the commons in the new high school. They can be used as flexible study space for students or for presentations. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>These are "learning stairs," which are adjacent to the commons in the new high school. They can be used as flexible study space for students or for presentations. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723049587579.jpeg" alt="Tour participants walk through what will be the new Hays High School commons. The auditorium can be seen in the distance. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Tour participants walk through what will be the new Hays High School commons. The auditorium can be seen in the distance. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723049678314.jpeg" alt="Inside the new Hays High auditorium, which will be attached to the arts and language wing of the school. This view faces the stage. The auditorium will have 800 seats. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Inside the new Hays High auditorium, which will be attached to the arts and language wing of the school. This view faces the stage. The auditorium will have 800 seats. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723050170486.jpeg" alt="The new high school offices will be on the lower floor of the area being framed here. The offices will have windows that look onto the student commons. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The new high school offices will be on the lower floor of the area being framed here. The offices will have windows that look onto the student commons. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays USD 489 BOE members tour new high school site

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police.

 Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.

Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.

If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719693545861.png" alt="Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police." />
 <figcaption>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police. Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719001082126.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

Search continues for Kansas teen homicide suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.

Congress was notified of the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles and comes at a time of intense concern that Israel may become involved in a wider Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war</a>.

However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon, they are contracts that will take years to fulfill. Much of what is being sold is to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a release on the sale.

The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to curb military support there due to the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curbed one delivery of 2,000-pound weapons amid continued airstrikes by Israel in densely populated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-war-and-unrest-gaza-gaza-strip-israel-government-1b8e8e69471e4a7cb1563e785fdc454d">civilian areas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583511919.png" alt="File photo&nbsp;EA-18G Growler fighter jet photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp;EA-18G Growler fighter jet photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel">Israel</a>, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.Congress was notified of the impending sale, which includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120 mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles and comes at a time of intense concern that Israel may become involved in a wider Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">war</a>.However, the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon, they are contracts that will take years to fulfill. Much of what is being sold is to help Israel increase its military capability in the long term.“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department said in a release on the sale.The Biden administration has had to balance its continued support for Israel with a growing number of calls from lawmakers and the U.S. public to curb military support there due to the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. It has curbed one delivery of 2,000-pound weapons amid continued airstrikes by Israel in densely populated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/israel-hamas-war-war-and-unrest-gaza-gaza-strip-israel-government-1b8e8e69471e4a7cb1563e785fdc454d">civilian areas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza.

U.S. OKs $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel amid threat of wider Middle East war

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday set a December execution date for Christopher Collings, who was convicted of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl nearly two decades ago.

Collings is scheduled to die by a chemical injection at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. He was convicted in the death of Rowan Ford, a fourth-grade student who went missing from her home in Stella, Missouri, on Nov. 3, 2007. Her body was found in a cave six days later. Police said the child had been strangled.

A message was left Tuesday with Collings' attorney.

Two men have been executed in Missouri this year —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;on April 9 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-hosier-execution-missouri-angela-gilpin-901d8028e3b1f2ddd46b7503b9775966">David Hosier</a>&nbsp;on June 11. A third execution is scheduled on Sept. 24 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-execution-missouri-innocent-6682d62c804425f6e19f3bb2190343c2">Marcellus Williams</a>.

Williams has long claimed innocence and St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell has filed a motion to vacate the sentence, arguing new evidence shows that someone else's DNA — but not Williams' — was on the knife used in the killing.

An evidentiary hearing for Williams begins on Aug. 21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723583895173.png" alt="Collings photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Collings photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday set a December execution date for Christopher Collings, who was convicted of raping and killing a 9-year-old girl nearly two decades ago.Collings is scheduled to die by a chemical injection at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. He was convicted in the death of Rowan Ford, a fourth-grade student who went missing from her home in Stella, Missouri, on Nov. 3, 2007. Her body was found in a cave six days later. Police said the child had been strangled.A message was left Tuesday with Collings' attorney.Two men have been executed in Missouri this year —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-brian-dorsey-1a7801bb6fc42e666d95daa68a2b2ce1">Brian Dorsey</a>&nbsp;on April 9 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/david-hosier-execution-missouri-angela-gilpin-901d8028e3b1f2ddd46b7503b9775966">David Hosier</a>&nbsp;on June 11. A third execution is scheduled on Sept. 24 for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-execution-missouri-innocent-6682d62c804425f6e19f3bb2190343c2">Marcellus Williams</a>.Williams has long claimed innocence and St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell has filed a motion to vacate the sentence, arguing new evidence shows that someone else's DNA — but not Williams' — was on the knife used in the killing.An evidentiary hearing for Williams begins on Aug. 21.

Execution date set for sex assault, murder of 9-year-old

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement who made three arrests and recovered illegal explosives and drugs at a home in north Kansas City August 2, reported finding additional illegal explosives, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;

As detectives continued their investigation they located a storage unit 46-year-old Cory Young had apparently rented under a relative's name. Inside detectives found 13 more homemade hand grenades, 17 guns and 31 cases of ammunition. Young is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition.

Last week, acting on tips a Drug Task Force recovered a large amount of illegal explosives and drugs from the Kansas City house while serving a search warrant, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.

The STAR (Special Tactics and Response) Team arrested three people in the 6500 block of North Hickory Street in Kansas City. A search of the home turned up&nbsp; 107 pounds of explosive powder, two pipe bombs,&nbsp; 15 grenades,&nbsp; 20 grams of fentanyl paste,&nbsp; 15 grams of meth,&nbsp; Psychedelic mushrooms, Seven guns, including an Uzi and&nbsp; a large amount of ammunition.

An elementary school-aged child also was in the home. The child was placed with relatives.

Cory D. Young faces new charges in addition to charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm and child endangerment. He is being held on a bond of $350,000 cash only.

Erika Lahr, 32, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and child endangerment. She is being held on a bond of $250,000 cash only.

Tammie L. Bindel Cole, 52, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held on a bond of $150,000 cash only.

Additional federal charges could be forthcoming related to the explosives and weapons.

This was a joint investigation by the Clay County Drug Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Bomb Squad assisted with the removal and processing of the explosives. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708820689.png" alt="Young-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Young-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement who made three arrests and recovered illegal explosives and drugs at a home in north Kansas City August 2, reported finding additional illegal explosives, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.&nbsp;As detectives continued their investigation they located a storage unit 46-year-old Cory Young had apparently rented under a relative's name. Inside detectives found 13 more homemade hand grenades, 17 guns and 31 cases of ammunition. Young is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing guns or ammunition.Last week, acting on tips a Drug Task Force recovered a large amount of illegal explosives and drugs from the Kansas City house while serving a search warrant, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708853161.png" alt="Lahr photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Lahr photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The STAR (Special Tactics and Response) Team arrested three people in the 6500 block of North Hickory Street in Kansas City. A search of the home turned up&nbsp; 107 pounds of explosive powder, two pipe bombs,&nbsp; 15 grenades,&nbsp; 20 grams of fentanyl paste,&nbsp; 15 grams of meth,&nbsp; Psychedelic mushrooms, Seven guns, including an Uzi and&nbsp; a large amount of ammunition.An elementary school-aged child also was in the home. The child was placed with relatives.Cory D. Young faces new charges in addition to charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm and child endangerment. He is being held on a bond of $350,000 cash only.Erika Lahr, 32, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and child endangerment. She is being held on a bond of $250,000 cash only.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722708899567.png" alt="Cole ph oto Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Cole ph oto Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Tammie L. Bindel Cole, 52, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held on a bond of $150,000 cash only.Additional federal charges could be forthcoming related to the explosives and weapons.This was a joint investigation by the Clay County Drug Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s Bomb Squad assisted with the removal and processing of the explosives. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.

More grenades, guns found connected to arrests at KC home

DETROIT (AP) — Ford and Mazda are warning the owners of more than 475,000 older vehicles in the U.S. not to drive them because they have dangerous Takata air bag inflators that have not been replaced.

The warning issued Tuesday covers more than 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from the 2003 through 2015 model years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, blowing apart a metal canister and shooting fragments that can severely injure or kill people. All were recalled previously but repairs have not been completed.

Ford models covered by the warning include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.

Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include the Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.

Mazdas covered by the warning are the 2004 to 2009 B-Series pickup, 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6, the 2006 and 2007 Speed6 and the 2004 through 2011 RX-8. Also included are the 2004 through 2006 MPV, the 2007 through 2012 CX-7 and the 2007 through 2015 CX-9.

The government says 27 people have been killed in the U.S. by faulty Takata inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.

Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.

Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.

Owners can check to see if their vehicles are covered by going to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls">NHTSA website and keying in their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.</a><a href="https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/">Ford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/">Mazda</a>&nbsp;also have recall websites.

If a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop driving them and call a dealer to set up a repair appointment. Ford and Mazda are offering free towing or mobile repairs and loaner vehicles if necessary, NHTSA says.

“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk.”

Ford says more than 765,000 inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles worldwide should not be driven until the air bag inflators have been replaced. In the U.S., the company has made more than 121 million attempts to contact owners including emails, phone calls, text messages and visits to customer homes. The company says over 95% of its U.S. customers have had their inflators replaced.

Nissan, Honda, Stellantis, Ford, BMW and Toyota and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have previously issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576782225717.png" alt="Photo courtesy NHTSA" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy NHTSA</figcaption>
 </figure>DETROIT (AP) — Ford and Mazda are warning the owners of more than 475,000 older vehicles in the U.S. not to drive them because they have dangerous Takata air bag inflators that have not been replaced.The warning issued Tuesday covers more than 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from the 2003 through 2015 model years.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, blowing apart a metal canister and shooting fragments that can severely injure or kill people. All were recalled previously but repairs have not been completed.Ford models covered by the warning include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include the Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.Mazdas covered by the warning are the 2004 to 2009 B-Series pickup, 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6, the 2006 and 2007 Speed6 and the 2004 through 2011 RX-8. Also included are the 2004 through 2006 MPV, the 2007 through 2012 CX-7 and the 2007 through 2015 CX-9.The government says 27 people have been killed in the U.S. by faulty Takata inflators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/takata-air-bag-inflator-explosion-killed-ram-pickup-2003-571d22e2f6682f01f149f592d8c1c78b">which used volatile ammonium nitrate</a>&nbsp;to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. The chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. More than 400 people in the U.S. have been hurt.Worldwide at least 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.Potential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. The U.S. government says many have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4e456cf44b454cf581e4fc06dc8ad338">into bankruptcy</a>.Owners can check to see if their vehicles are covered by going to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls">NHTSA website and keying in their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.</a><a href="https://www.ford.com/support/recalls/">Ford</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mazdarecallinfo.com/">Mazda</a>&nbsp;also have recall websites.If a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop driving them and call a dealer to set up a repair appointment. Ford and Mazda are offering free towing or mobile repairs and loaner vehicles if necessary, NHTSA says.“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk.”Ford says more than 765,000 inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles worldwide should not be driven until the air bag inflators have been replaced. In the U.S., the company has made more than 121 million attempts to contact owners including emails, phone calls, text messages and visits to customer homes. The company says over 95% of its U.S. customers have had their inflators replaced.Nissan, Honda, Stellantis, Ford, BMW and Toyota and Mazda&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toyota-takata-air-bag-explode-shrapnel-3c03be0d9454856cf52e48aaa6bda711">have previously issued similar “do not drive”</a>&nbsp;warnings for some of their vehicles equipped with Takata inflators.

Ford warns: Stop driving older vehicles with dangerous air bag inflators

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday to one of their best days of the year after the first of several highly anticipated reports on the economy this week came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-6b6e155d06e531336052810a65cf2d81">better than expected</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for its third-best day of 2024 after the U.S. government reported inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month by more than economists expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 408 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite clambered 2.3% higher.

High inflation has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumers-economy-spending-federal-reserve-c69408f05baeffac0023ceb76b747999">scourge of shoppers</a>&nbsp;and financial markets for years. It finally looks to be slowing enough to get the Federal Reserve to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-interest-rates-04d2877f47f3913acc2f992d8ef1581b">ease up on high interest rates</a>, which the Fed has been keeping at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-recession-jobs-unemployment-c7f1985b1ab3a7b781920c2693cd0438">economy-crunching levels</a>&nbsp;in order to stifle inflation.

Treasury yields eased in the bond market following the inflation data, as traders remain convinced the Fed’s meeting next month will bring the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-economy-jobs-f43eff13abf862ac84cd9f3ef89201db">cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;since the COVID crash of 2020. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.84% from 3.91% late Monday.

All is not clear, though. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will deliver the latest monthly update on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling, which could be less encouraging. And on Thursday will come a report showing how much U.S. shoppers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-july-inflation-economy-268b1edeb99a1320ad0b084d58bfeeef">spending at retailers</a>.

A growing worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may have kept interest rates too high for too long and undercut the U.S. economy by making it so expensive to borrow money. The economy is still growing, and many economists don’t expect a recession, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring</a>&nbsp;last month raised questions about its strength.

Such questions weigh because even cuts to interest rates haven't been enough for stocks to rise significantly in the ensuing 18 months if a recession hits, according to Chris Haverland, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-depot-atlanta-7f5fa32c46a1efcb11a215faf69a056d">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday delivered stronger profit for the spring quarter than analysts expected, but it also said high interest rates and uncertainty about the economy are keeping some customers from spending on home improvement projects.

The retail giant lowered its full-year forecasts for an important measure of sales and for profit, even though it topped expectations for the second quarter. Its stock rose 1.2% after flipping earlier between modest gains and losses.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, Starbucks soared 24.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-narasimhan-chipotle-0173c2b9189c808968613b1285c1c366">it convinced Brian Niccol</a>&nbsp;to leave his job as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill to take over the coffee chain. He will start as chairman and chief executive next month and will replace Laxman Narasimhan, who is stepping down immediately.

Chipotle, meanwhile, dropped 7.5%. Niccol has been its chief executive since 2018 and its chairman since 2020, and he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chipotle-stock-split-nyse-9dc26a24bf5c356a188a992fff0ca2ca">its stock rise</a>&nbsp;more than 240% for the five years through Monday. That tower’s over the S&amp;P 500’s 96% return including dividends. Chipotle said its chief operating officer, Scott Boatwright, would be its interim CEO.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly higher across much of Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was an outlier and jumped 3.4%.

Japan’s market has been viciously volatile recently, including the worst drop for the Nikkei 225 since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>. It’s been swinging since a hike to interest rates by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">the Bank of Japan</a>&nbsp;forced many hedge funds and other investors to abandon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">a popular trade</a>&nbsp;all at once, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere. The forced selling that followed the surge in the Japanese yen’s value&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">reverberated around the world</a>.

But a promise last week by a top Bank of Japan official not to raise rates further as long as markets are “unstable” has helped calm the market.

Another worry that’s made Wall Street so shaky the last month is concerns that investors went overboard in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">mania around artificial-intelligence technology</a>&nbsp;and took the prices of Big Tech and AI-related stocks too high.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>, the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, has been at the center of the action. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, it plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.

On Tuesday, Nvidia rose 6.5% and was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500. All the other stocks in the small group known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">the “Magnificent Seven”</a>&nbsp;also climbed. They almost singlehandedly pushed the S&amp;P 500 to dozens of all-time highs earlier this year, even as high interest rates weighed on much of the rest of the stock market.

Unlike much of the early part of this year, it wasn’t just the Magnificent Seven rising Tuesday. Wall Street’s rally was more widespread, and nearly 85% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 rose. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index also climbed 1.6%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 90.04 points to 5,434.43. The Dow added 408.63 to 39,765.64, and the Nasdaq composite gained 407.00 to 17,187.61.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720472023257.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday to one of their best days of the year after the first of several highly anticipated reports on the economy this week came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-6b6e155d06e531336052810a65cf2d81">better than expected</a>.The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.7% for its third-best day of 2024 after the U.S. government reported inflation at the wholesale level slowed last month by more than economists expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 408 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite clambered 2.3% higher.High inflation has been the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumers-economy-spending-federal-reserve-c69408f05baeffac0023ceb76b747999">scourge of shoppers</a>&nbsp;and financial markets for years. It finally looks to be slowing enough to get the Federal Reserve to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-federal-reserve-interest-rates-04d2877f47f3913acc2f992d8ef1581b">ease up on high interest rates</a>, which the Fed has been keeping at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-recession-jobs-unemployment-c7f1985b1ab3a7b781920c2693cd0438">economy-crunching levels</a>&nbsp;in order to stifle inflation.Treasury yields eased in the bond market following the inflation data, as traders remain convinced the Fed’s meeting next month will bring the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-interest-rates-federal-reserve-economy-jobs-f43eff13abf862ac84cd9f3ef89201db">cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;since the COVID crash of 2020. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.84% from 3.91% late Monday.All is not clear, though. On Wednesday, the U.S. government will deliver the latest monthly update on inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling, which could be less encouraging. And on Thursday will come a report showing how much U.S. shoppers are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retail-sales-july-inflation-economy-268b1edeb99a1320ad0b084d58bfeeef">spending at retailers</a>.A growing worry on Wall Street is that the Fed may have kept interest rates too high for too long and undercut the U.S. economy by making it so expensive to borrow money. The economy is still growing, and many economists don’t expect a recession, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring</a>&nbsp;last month raised questions about its strength.Such questions weigh because even cuts to interest rates haven't been enough for stocks to rise significantly in the ensuing 18 months if a recession hits, according to Chris Haverland, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-depot-atlanta-7f5fa32c46a1efcb11a215faf69a056d">Home Depot</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday delivered stronger profit for the spring quarter than analysts expected, but it also said high interest rates and uncertainty about the economy are keeping some customers from spending on home improvement projects.The retail giant lowered its full-year forecasts for an important measure of sales and for profit, even though it topped expectations for the second quarter. Its stock rose 1.2% after flipping earlier between modest gains and losses.Elsewhere on Wall Street, Starbucks soared 24.5% after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-ceo-narasimhan-chipotle-0173c2b9189c808968613b1285c1c366">it convinced Brian Niccol</a>&nbsp;to leave his job as CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill to take over the coffee chain. He will start as chairman and chief executive next month and will replace Laxman Narasimhan, who is stepping down immediately.Chipotle, meanwhile, dropped 7.5%. Niccol has been its chief executive since 2018 and its chairman since 2020, and he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chipotle-stock-split-nyse-9dc26a24bf5c356a188a992fff0ca2ca">its stock rise</a>&nbsp;more than 240% for the five years through Monday. That tower’s over the S&amp;P 500’s 96% return including dividends. Chipotle said its chief operating officer, Scott Boatwright, would be its interim CEO.In stock markets abroad, indexes were modestly higher across much of Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was an outlier and jumped 3.4%.Japan’s market has been viciously volatile recently, including the worst drop for the Nikkei 225 since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>. It’s been swinging since a hike to interest rates by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">the Bank of Japan</a>&nbsp;forced many hedge funds and other investors to abandon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">a popular trade</a>&nbsp;all at once, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere. The forced selling that followed the surge in the Japanese yen’s value&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">reverberated around the world</a>.But a promise last week by a top Bank of Japan official not to raise rates further as long as markets are “unstable” has helped calm the market.Another worry that’s made Wall Street so shaky the last month is concerns that investors went overboard in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">mania around artificial-intelligence technology</a>&nbsp;and took the prices of Big Tech and AI-related stocks too high.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>, the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, has been at the center of the action. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, it plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.On Tuesday, Nvidia rose 6.5% and was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500. All the other stocks in the small group known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">the “Magnificent Seven”</a>&nbsp;also climbed. They almost singlehandedly pushed the S&amp;P 500 to dozens of all-time highs earlier this year, even as high interest rates weighed on much of the rest of the stock market.Unlike much of the early part of this year, it wasn’t just the Magnificent Seven rising Tuesday. Wall Street’s rally was more widespread, and nearly 85% of the stocks in the S&amp;P 500 rose. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index also climbed 1.6%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 90.04 points to 5,434.43. The Dow added 408.63 to 39,765.64, and the Nasdaq composite gained 407.00 to 17,187.61.___

Wall Street rallies to one of its best days of the year

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a driver involved in a wrong-way crash alleged DUI.

Early Tuesday, deputies arrested a 22-year-old woman on requested charges of driving under the influence after a crash occurred while driving the wrong way on the eastbound ramp from 23rd Street to Kansas Highway 10, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's office.

Fortunately there were no injuries when her vehicle struck the barrier.&nbsp; &nbsp;The sheriff's office did not release the name of the driver.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a driver involved in a wrong-way crash alleged DUI.Early Tuesday, deputies arrested a 22-year-old woman on requested charges of driving under the influence after a crash occurred while driving the wrong way on the eastbound ramp from 23rd Street to Kansas Highway 10, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's office.Fortunately there were no injuries when her vehicle struck the barrier.&nbsp; &nbsp;The sheriff's office did not release the name of the driver.

Kan. woman accused of DUI after wrong-way crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri voters will decide in November whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban on the procedure.

The secretary of state’s office certified Tuesday that an initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.

Missouri will join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ballot-measures-states-2024-84c6fa8c778c1aea2b40071057a69aa8">at least a half-dozen states</a>&nbsp;voting on abortion rights during the presidential election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-ff88d989019a1e4bf10fabd5d7acc801">Arizona’s secretary of state certified</a>&nbsp;an abortion-rights measure for the ballot on Monday. Measures also will go before voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota. While not explicitly addressing abortion rights, a New York ballot measure would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-womens-rights-new-york-5ae2968ab80098246978af10765ed9ae">bar discrimination</a>&nbsp;based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare,” among other things.

Initiative supporters had expressed confidence the measure will make the ballot after submitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">more than double the necessary number</a>&nbsp;of signatures.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said there also were sufficient signatures to hold November elections on initiatives raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing sports betting.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">nationwide right to abortion</a>&nbsp;in 2022, sparking a state-by-state battle in legislatures and a new push to let voters decide the issue. Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;in effect while most Democratic-led states have measures protecting abortion access.

Abortion rights supporters have prevailed in all seven states that already have decided ballot measures since 2022: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.

The high court’s decision overturning its Roe v. Wade precedent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">triggered a 2019 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;to take effect prohibiting abortion “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion, though a woman undergoing an abortion cannot be prosecuted.

Since then, almost no abortions have occurred in Missouri. But that doesn’t mean Missouri residents aren’t having abortions. They can still travel to out-of-state abortion clinics, including ones just across the border in Illinois and Kansas.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf">Missouri ballot measure</a>&nbsp;would create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures. Fetal viability generally has been considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy but has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">shifted downward</a>&nbsp;with medical advances. The ballot measure would allow abortions after fetal viability if a health care professional determines it’s necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.

The number of states considering abortion ballot measures could grow. Officials in Montana and Nebraska have yet to determine whether proposed abortion-rights initiatives qualified for a November vote. Nebraska officials also are evaluating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">competing constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would enshrine the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714753237039.png" alt="photo Missourians for constitutional freedom" />
 <figcaption>photo Missourians for constitutional freedom</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri voters will decide in November whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban on the procedure.The secretary of state’s office certified Tuesday that an initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.Missouri will join&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-ballot-measures-states-2024-84c6fa8c778c1aea2b40071057a69aa8">at least a half-dozen states</a>&nbsp;voting on abortion rights during the presidential election.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-ff88d989019a1e4bf10fabd5d7acc801">Arizona’s secretary of state certified</a>&nbsp;an abortion-rights measure for the ballot on Monday. Measures also will go before voters in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota. While not explicitly addressing abortion rights, a New York ballot measure would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-womens-rights-new-york-5ae2968ab80098246978af10765ed9ae">bar discrimination</a>&nbsp;based on “pregnancy outcomes” and “reproductive healthcare,” among other things.Initiative supporters had expressed confidence the measure will make the ballot after submitting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">more than double the necessary number</a>&nbsp;of signatures.Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said there also were sufficient signatures to hold November elections on initiatives raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing sports betting.The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">nationwide right to abortion</a>&nbsp;in 2022, sparking a state-by-state battle in legislatures and a new push to let voters decide the issue. Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion restrictions</a>&nbsp;in effect while most Democratic-led states have measures protecting abortion access.Abortion rights supporters have prevailed in all seven states that already have decided ballot measures since 2022: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.The high court’s decision overturning its Roe v. Wade precedent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">triggered a 2019 Missouri law</a>&nbsp;to take effect prohibiting abortion “except in cases of medical emergency.” That law makes it a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison to perform or induce an abortion, though a woman undergoing an abortion cannot be prosecuted.Since then, almost no abortions have occurred in Missouri. But that doesn’t mean Missouri residents aren’t having abortions. They can still travel to out-of-state abortion clinics, including ones just across the border in Illinois and Kansas.The&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf">Missouri ballot measure</a>&nbsp;would create a right to abortion until a fetus could likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary medical measures. Fetal viability generally has been considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy but has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-science-health-birmingham-7fc806f3c06aeae94c5d6ed1b06a6461">shifted downward</a>&nbsp;with medical advances. The ballot measure would allow abortions after fetal viability if a health care professional determines it’s necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.The number of states considering abortion ballot measures could grow. Officials in Montana and Nebraska have yet to determine whether proposed abortion-rights initiatives qualified for a November vote. Nebraska officials also are evaluating a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">competing constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that would enshrine the state’s current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Missouri voters will decide whether to legalize abortion in November

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Fire investigators are investigating an arson fire in Topeka.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723567362915.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Fire investigators are investigating an arson fire in Topeka.Just after 11p.m. August 10,&nbsp;&nbsp;crews responded to a reported house fire at 1245 SW Randolph Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release. Crews found smoke and flames coming from the porch of a two-story house, and were able to extinguish it.&nbsp; where it originated. No occupants were found at the time of the incident.Investigators determined the cause of the fire was was intentionally set.&nbsp;Estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $30,000 with around $20,000 in structural damage and around $10,000 in content loss. Working smoke detectors were not located in the house. The incident remains under investigation.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.