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

Just after 2:30p.m. October 9, a Sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp;

 During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.

Leroy K. Spurgeon, 55, of Livonia, Missouri was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728643951725.png" alt="Spurgeon photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Spurgeon photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 2:30p.m. October 9, a Sheriff's K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.Leroy K. Spurgeon, 55, of Livonia, Missouri was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of selling methamphetamine

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rolled to more records Monday as U.S. stocks added to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-stimulus-fed-korea-rates-7dfc363b1ff32e71a335571cdf8325fb">all-time highs</a>.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.8% to build on its record set on Friday. It’s coming off its fifth straight winning week and is on track for its longest weekly winning streak of the year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% and added 201 points to its own record, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%.

The gains followed relatively quiet trading in Europe, while the U.S. bond market remained closed for the day because of a holiday.

The strongest action in global markets came from China, where the finance minister gave a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-finance-minister-economy-stimulus-96aaf75fe6d75c8550f866783f70b10a">highly anticipated update on Saturday</a>&nbsp;about plans for the world’s second-largest economy. Lan Fo’an said the government is looking at additional ways&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-stocks-factory-jinping-e6db38661b131c9e32179cbe31a67136">to boost the economy</a>, but he stopped short of unveiling a major new stimulus plan that investors were hoping for.

The lack of detail sent markets spinning. Stocks in Shanghai jumped 2.1%, but the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 0.7%. Crude oil prices, meanwhile, sank roughly 2% on worries about demand from China’s slowing economy.

Hopes for big stimulus in China have sent Chinese stocks sharply higher recently after they languished for years. But investors are skeptical about how much it can remake and restore the economy.

“While clearly welcome, the efforts may be insufficient to spur a new reflationary cycle,” according to Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Besides oil, prices also fell for copper and other commodities that a healthy Chinese economy would devour. That helped drive down prices for miners, such as Freeport-McMoRan, which fell 2.3% for one of the larger losses in the S&amp;P 500.

Boeing lost 1.3% in its first trading since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">aerospace giant warned</a>&nbsp;that it expects to report that it burned through $1.3 billion in cash during the latest quarter and lost $9.97 per share. Boeing also said it was laying off 10% of its workforce as it tries to deal with a labor strike that is crippling production of the company’s best-selling airline planes.

On the winning side of Wall Street was SoFi Technologies. It rose 11.4% after announcing a $2 billion loan platform agreement with investment firm Fortress Investment Group, where SoFi will refer pre-qualified borrowers.

Longboard Pharmaceuticals soared 51.6% after H. Lundbeck, a Danish company, said it would buy the biopharmaceutical company in an all-cash deal valuing it at $2.6 billion.

Trump Media &amp; Technology Group jumped 18.5% and is near $30 again for the first time since July. The company behind former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform had briefly dropped below $12 last month. It continues to lose money, but its stock often moves more with Trump’s perceived re-election chances than anything else.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 44.82 points to 5,859.85. The Dow added 201.36 to 43,065.22, and the Nasdaq composite gained 159.75 to 18,502.69.

This upcoming week will have few top-tier economic reports outside of Thursday’s update on sales at U.S. retailers to help guide trading. That will likely leave the emphasis on corporate earnings reports, which will pick up the pace this week after big banks began the reporting season last week.

Bank of America, Johnson &amp; Johnson and UnitedHealth Group will all report their latest results on Tuesday. Later in the week will come United Airlines, Netflix, American Express and Procter &amp; Gamble.

Analysts are looking for S&amp;P 500 companies to deliver overall growth of 4.1% in earnings per share for the latest quarter from a year earlier, according to FactSet. If they’re correct, it would be a fifth straight quarter of growth.

Solid, continued growth in profits for companies would help tamp down criticism that’s built up about how expensive the broad stock market looks, after share prices ran higher faster than earnings.

Stocks have broadly rallied to records on relief that interest rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">finally heading back down</a>, now that the Federal Reserve has widened its focus to include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">keeping the economy humming</a>&nbsp;instead of just&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">fighting high inflation</a>.

Recent reports showing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-87447d5187b37bb0f5cf996e25bad808">U.S. economy remains stronger than expected</a>&nbsp;have also raised optimism that the Fed can pull off a perfect landing where it gets inflation down to 2% without causing a recession that many had thought would be necessary.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rolled to more records Monday as U.S. stocks added to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-china-stimulus-fed-korea-rates-7dfc363b1ff32e71a335571cdf8325fb">all-time highs</a>.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.8% to build on its record set on Friday. It’s coming off its fifth straight winning week and is on track for its longest weekly winning streak of the year.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% and added 201 points to its own record, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.9%.The gains followed relatively quiet trading in Europe, while the U.S. bond market remained closed for the day because of a holiday.The strongest action in global markets came from China, where the finance minister gave a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-finance-minister-economy-stimulus-96aaf75fe6d75c8550f866783f70b10a">highly anticipated update on Saturday</a>&nbsp;about plans for the world’s second-largest economy. Lan Fo’an said the government is looking at additional ways&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-economy-stocks-factory-jinping-e6db38661b131c9e32179cbe31a67136">to boost the economy</a>, but he stopped short of unveiling a major new stimulus plan that investors were hoping for.The lack of detail sent markets spinning. Stocks in Shanghai jumped 2.1%, but the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 0.7%. Crude oil prices, meanwhile, sank roughly 2% on worries about demand from China’s slowing economy.Hopes for big stimulus in China have sent Chinese stocks sharply higher recently after they languished for years. But investors are skeptical about how much it can remake and restore the economy.“While clearly welcome, the efforts may be insufficient to spur a new reflationary cycle,” according to Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.Besides oil, prices also fell for copper and other commodities that a healthy Chinese economy would devour. That helped drive down prices for miners, such as Freeport-McMoRan, which fell 2.3% for one of the larger losses in the S&amp;P 500.Boeing lost 1.3% in its first trading since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">aerospace giant warned</a>&nbsp;that it expects to report that it burned through $1.3 billion in cash during the latest quarter and lost $9.97 per share. Boeing also said it was laying off 10% of its workforce as it tries to deal with a labor strike that is crippling production of the company’s best-selling airline planes.On the winning side of Wall Street was SoFi Technologies. It rose 11.4% after announcing a $2 billion loan platform agreement with investment firm Fortress Investment Group, where SoFi will refer pre-qualified borrowers.Longboard Pharmaceuticals soared 51.6% after H. Lundbeck, a Danish company, said it would buy the biopharmaceutical company in an all-cash deal valuing it at $2.6 billion.Trump Media &amp; Technology Group jumped 18.5% and is near $30 again for the first time since July. The company behind former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform had briefly dropped below $12 last month. It continues to lose money, but its stock often moves more with Trump’s perceived re-election chances than anything else.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 44.82 points to 5,859.85. The Dow added 201.36 to 43,065.22, and the Nasdaq composite gained 159.75 to 18,502.69.This upcoming week will have few top-tier economic reports outside of Thursday’s update on sales at U.S. retailers to help guide trading. That will likely leave the emphasis on corporate earnings reports, which will pick up the pace this week after big banks began the reporting season last week.Bank of America, Johnson &amp; Johnson and UnitedHealth Group will all report their latest results on Tuesday. Later in the week will come United Airlines, Netflix, American Express and Procter &amp; Gamble.Analysts are looking for S&amp;P 500 companies to deliver overall growth of 4.1% in earnings per share for the latest quarter from a year earlier, according to FactSet. If they’re correct, it would be a fifth straight quarter of growth.Solid, continued growth in profits for companies would help tamp down criticism that’s built up about how expensive the broad stock market looks, after share prices ran higher faster than earnings.Stocks have broadly rallied to records on relief that interest rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">finally heading back down</a>, now that the Federal Reserve has widened its focus to include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">keeping the economy humming</a>&nbsp;instead of just&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">fighting high inflation</a>.Recent reports showing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-87447d5187b37bb0f5cf996e25bad808">U.S. economy remains stronger than expected</a>&nbsp;have also raised optimism that the Fed can pull off a perfect landing where it gets inflation down to 2% without causing a recession that many had thought would be necessary.

Wall Street powers higher to more records

CLAY COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford Ranger driven by&nbsp;Richard T.&nbsp;Jackson, 18, Clay Center, was eastbound on U.S. 24 seven miles west of Clay Center. 

The pickup crossed over the center line, entered the westbound lane and struck a 2004 Toyota Sienna driven by&nbsp;Johnathan L.&nbsp;Wright, 47, Shawnee,&nbsp;head-on.

Two passenger in the Toyota Robert M.&nbsp;McCollum, 72 and Alma J. Wright, 79, both of Gardner were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home.

EMS transported&nbsp;Jackson to Salina Regional Health Center and two other passengers in Toyota Sharmen S.&nbsp;McCollum, 55, and Gary W. Wright, 80, both of Gardner to Stormont Vail. Jonathan Wright was not injured. Robert McCollum and Alma Wright were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

CLAY COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 5p.m. Saturday in Clay County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford Ranger driven by&nbsp;Richard T.&nbsp;Jackson, 18, Clay Center, was eastbound on U.S. 24 seven miles west of Clay Center. The pickup crossed over the center line, entered the westbound lane and struck a 2004 Toyota Sienna driven by&nbsp;Johnathan L.&nbsp;Wright, 47, Shawnee,&nbsp;head-on.Two passenger in the Toyota Robert M.&nbsp;McCollum, 72 and Alma J. Wright, 79, both of Gardner were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to&nbsp;Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home.EMS transported&nbsp;Jackson to Salina Regional Health Center and two other passengers in Toyota Sharmen S.&nbsp;McCollum, 55, and Gary W. Wright, 80, both of Gardner to Stormont Vail. Jonathan Wright was not injured. Robert McCollum and Alma Wright were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kansas man and woman dead, 3 injured after head-on crash

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.

Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.

During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.

Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. 

The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation.

"We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Missouri—Two deputies were injured and a suspect is dead following a traffic stop and gun fight early Monday in Callaway County, Missouri.Just after 3:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 70 just east of the Route&nbsp;DD&nbsp;/ Route&nbsp;J- Millersburg exit, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A second deputy arrived shortly afterward to assist.During the stop, deputies identified the driver, a 37-year-old man from Texas, as the sole occupant of the vehicle. Callaway County Joint Communications (CCJC) informed the deputies that the driver had multiple felony warrants from out of state. When deputies attempted to take the driver into custody, they notified CCJC that the driver was resisting arrest.Moments later, deputies reported shots fired. Both deputies were struck by gunfire. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fulton Police Department, and Columbia Police Department quickly responded to provide assistance. The injured deputies were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office has requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) to lead the investigation."We ask the public to keep both deputies in their thoughts during this difficult time. One deputy is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery, while the other is in stable condition."

Two deputies injured, suspect dead after I-70 traffic stop gun fight

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and DAVID A. LIEB&nbsp;</a>

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — After introducing herself at their front doors, Vanessa Vaughn West began her pitch to voters with a question: What issues are important to you? She heard frustration about rising local property taxes, a desire for smaller government and questions about affordable housing.

West is a Democrat making her second run for a Kansas House seat representing a western Kansas City neighborhood where Republicans have held sway since the construction of homes began in the late 1990s.

Despite that history, West’s race against Republican state Rep. Angela Stiens is on the national Democratic Party’s radar, as is the Kansas Legislature. Democrats need to gain just two seats in the 125-member House or three in the 40-member Senate to break a supermajority that has enabled Republicans to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's vetoes of measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-law-states-kansas-lousiana-81e9da53aaa0903fdd958421bd941a3a">restricting abortion providers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/states-define-sex-transgender-dc8c48669aef760c68d2fb7abde10e8c">transgender rights</a>.

A similar battle is playing out in North Carolina, where the flip of a single seat in either the House or Senate could cost Republicans a veto-proof majority that has repeatedly imposed its will over the objections of a Democratic governor. In Nevada, meanwhile, it's Democrats who stand to gain a veto-proof majority over a Republican governor, if they can pick up just one more state Senate seat without losing one in the Assembly.

Nationwide, more than 5,800&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-state-legislatures-3ca47e37a87fe5647d1b80f8e5e295f3">state legislative seats</a>&nbsp;in 44 states are up election this year in the background of higher profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">contests for president</a>, Congress and governor. Groups aligned with Democrats and Republicans are expected to pour a couple hundred million dollars into the state legislative battles, focusing most intensely on states where control of a chamber is in play: Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

But they also are paying attention to some states where there is little doubt about which party will prevail, because there is still plenty at stake.

The Associated Press identified 14 states where a swing of just three or fewer seats could determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-legislatures-supermajorities-extreme-policies-5cff2be330289aa034dce295fa0a3a56">a party holds a supermajority</a>, meaning a margin so dominant that a party is able to enact laws despite a governor’s veto, convene special sessions or place constitutional amendments on the ballot without needing any support from lawmakers of an opposing party.

“Having a party in power is really important — the most import thing,” said Wesley Hussey, a political science professor at California State University, Sacramento. But “having a supermajority can give you additional tools to enact policy.”

GOP districts in Kansas draw Democrats' attention

In Kansas, Stiens was appointed to fill a House vacancy this spring in time to help override Kelly’s veto of a bill requiring abortion providers to ask patients&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-reporting-rule-kansas-lawsuit-4cbbcf2ce5770b6c7f8259451d5c5636">why they want to end their pregnancies</a>&nbsp;and submit that data to the state health department. The law isn't being enforced amid legal challenges.

But West said the Legislature’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kansas-reporting-patients-data-3025f009a076868f7c31dc2cd67860fe">continued push</a>&nbsp;for restrictions on abortion providers is one reason she is running against Stiens, just two years after narrowly losing to Stiens' predecessor. West strongly supports abortion rights and residents in her home of Johnson County voted by nearly 69% in favor of abortion rights during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">a decisive 2022 statewide vote</a>.

“This is why we need parity, right?” West said as she walked from home to home talking to prospective voters. “And this is why we need support for what I would call the voice of the people — making sure that when the people vote on things like that, that we as legislators reinforce those sentiments with our votes.”

Though still leaning Republican and largely white, the Kansas City suburbs have become more racially diverse and friendlier to Democrats since former President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. But national Democrats also are targeting a portion of southwestern Topeka, a longtime Republican area where GOP state Rep. Jesse Borjon is seeking a third term against Democrat Jacquie Lightcap, a local school board member.

Campaigning door-to-door recently in a neighborhood of late-1980s homes with three-car garages, Borjon emphasized his support for public schools and tax cuts enacted this year. His vote for eliminating the state income tax on Social Security benefits resonated with Bob Schmidt, a retired computer company executive who chatted with Borjon about rising property taxes.

Regardless of party label, Schmidt said he wants a representative who will “maintain conservative values.”

A change of one seat could affect North Carolina laws

North Carolina provides a clear example of how legislative supermajorities can affect laws.

When North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cotham-north-carolina-party-switch-republican-abe32788b89eba63cffd68917b8bb5d7">state Rep. Tricia Cotham</a>&nbsp;switched from the Democratic to Republican party in 2023, it gave Republicans the final seat they needed to obtain a veto-proof majority in both legislative chambers. Republicans quickly flexed their new powers to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-veto-override-north-carolina-4282913637b499490494dd3e3cce3478">legislation barring most abortions</a>&nbsp;after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Republicans have since enacted two dozen additional laws by overriding Cooper's vetoes, including ones weakening the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-elections-governor-legislature-vetoes-5c22afdce6b92171f64cbde047748b78">election oversight</a>, restricting medical treatments and sports activities for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2">transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and limiting school lessons about gender identity in early grades.

“Republicans have been easily overriding his vetoes and basically putting their stamp on the state in terms of public policies,” said Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Though Cooper is term-limited, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is leading in the race to replace him. That makes it critical for Republicans to retain a supermajority, “or else they have to deal with the governor,” Bitzer said.

Supermajorities are at their highest point in decades

The number of states with legislative supermajorities is at its highest level since at least 1982, according to research by Saint Louis University political scientist Steven Rogers. Democrats hold nine veto-proof majorities. But Republicans hold 20, including in Nebraska, where the single-chamber Legislature is officially nonpartisan but two-thirds of members identify as Republicans.

Democrats need a gain of three or fewer seats this election to break Republican supermajorities in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and North Carolina while a similar flip for Republicans could end Democratic supermajorities in Delaware and New York.

Meanwhile, a gain of three or fewer seats could create new supermajorities for Republicans in Iowa and South Carolina and for Democrats in Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada and New Mexico.

But gaining a supermajority is no guarantee legislative leaders will always get their way.

Democrats dominate in California. Yet Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-ai-safety-measures-veto-newsom-92a715a5765d1738851bb26b247bf493">Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed</a>&nbsp;numerous bills, none of which have been overridden by the Democratic legislative supermajority. The legislature also has at times failed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to pass tax increases.

In Missouri, where Republicans hold a supermajority, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/freedom-caucus-republican-states-conservative-59561a5fe67c52f2a47f0106172d9b5b">conservative Senate faction</a>&nbsp;has repeatedly clashed with GOP leadership. Ultimately, Republicans mired in tensions have failed to pass some of their own priority measures.

“Having a veto-proof majority can matter,” said Ben Williams, associate director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. But “the larger a legislative majority gets, the more factions you get within that majority, and sometimes they don’t necessarily agree.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728919162420.png" alt="Kansas 3rd District congresswoman Sharice Davids and State District 39 candidate Vanessa Vaughn West- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas 3rd District congresswoman Sharice Davids and State District 39 candidate Vanessa Vaughn West- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20HANNA%20and%20DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN HANNA and DAVID A. LIEB&nbsp;</a>SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — After introducing herself at their front doors, Vanessa Vaughn West began her pitch to voters with a question: What issues are important to you? She heard frustration about rising local property taxes, a desire for smaller government and questions about affordable housing.West is a Democrat making her second run for a Kansas House seat representing a western Kansas City neighborhood where Republicans have held sway since the construction of homes began in the late 1990s.Despite that history, West’s race against Republican state Rep. Angela Stiens is on the national Democratic Party’s radar, as is the Kansas Legislature. Democrats need to gain just two seats in the 125-member House or three in the 40-member Senate to break a supermajority that has enabled Republicans to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's vetoes of measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-law-states-kansas-lousiana-81e9da53aaa0903fdd958421bd941a3a">restricting abortion providers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/states-define-sex-transgender-dc8c48669aef760c68d2fb7abde10e8c">transgender rights</a>.A similar battle is playing out in North Carolina, where the flip of a single seat in either the House or Senate could cost Republicans a veto-proof majority that has repeatedly imposed its will over the objections of a Democratic governor. In Nevada, meanwhile, it's Democrats who stand to gain a veto-proof majority over a Republican governor, if they can pick up just one more state Senate seat without losing one in the Assembly.Nationwide, more than 5,800&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-state-legislatures-3ca47e37a87fe5647d1b80f8e5e295f3">state legislative seats</a>&nbsp;in 44 states are up election this year in the background of higher profile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">contests for president</a>, Congress and governor. Groups aligned with Democrats and Republicans are expected to pour a couple hundred million dollars into the state legislative battles, focusing most intensely on states where control of a chamber is in play: Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.But they also are paying attention to some states where there is little doubt about which party will prevail, because there is still plenty at stake.The Associated Press identified 14 states where a swing of just three or fewer seats could determine whether&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-legislatures-supermajorities-extreme-policies-5cff2be330289aa034dce295fa0a3a56">a party holds a supermajority</a>, meaning a margin so dominant that a party is able to enact laws despite a governor’s veto, convene special sessions or place constitutional amendments on the ballot without needing any support from lawmakers of an opposing party.“Having a party in power is really important — the most import thing,” said Wesley Hussey, a political science professor at California State University, Sacramento. But “having a supermajority can give you additional tools to enact policy.”<h2>GOP districts in Kansas draw Democrats' attention</h2>In Kansas, Stiens was appointed to fill a House vacancy this spring in time to help override Kelly’s veto of a bill requiring abortion providers to ask patients&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-reporting-rule-kansas-lawsuit-4cbbcf2ce5770b6c7f8259451d5c5636">why they want to end their pregnancies</a>&nbsp;and submit that data to the state health department. The law isn't being enforced amid legal challenges.But West said the Legislature’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-kansas-reporting-patients-data-3025f009a076868f7c31dc2cd67860fe">continued push</a>&nbsp;for restrictions on abortion providers is one reason she is running against Stiens, just two years after narrowly losing to Stiens' predecessor. West strongly supports abortion rights and residents in her home of Johnson County voted by nearly 69% in favor of abortion rights during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">a decisive 2022 statewide vote</a>.“This is why we need parity, right?” West said as she walked from home to home talking to prospective voters. “And this is why we need support for what I would call the voice of the people — making sure that when the people vote on things like that, that we as legislators reinforce those sentiments with our votes.”Though still leaning Republican and largely white, the Kansas City suburbs have become more racially diverse and friendlier to Democrats since former President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. But national Democrats also are targeting a portion of southwestern Topeka, a longtime Republican area where GOP state Rep. Jesse Borjon is seeking a third term against Democrat Jacquie Lightcap, a local school board member.Campaigning door-to-door recently in a neighborhood of late-1980s homes with three-car garages, Borjon emphasized his support for public schools and tax cuts enacted this year. His vote for eliminating the state income tax on Social Security benefits resonated with Bob Schmidt, a retired computer company executive who chatted with Borjon about rising property taxes.Regardless of party label, Schmidt said he wants a representative who will “maintain conservative values.”<h2>A change of one seat could affect North Carolina laws</h2>North Carolina provides a clear example of how legislative supermajorities can affect laws.When North Carolina&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cotham-north-carolina-party-switch-republican-abe32788b89eba63cffd68917b8bb5d7">state Rep. Tricia Cotham</a>&nbsp;switched from the Democratic to Republican party in 2023, it gave Republicans the final seat they needed to obtain a veto-proof majority in both legislative chambers. Republicans quickly flexed their new powers to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-veto-override-north-carolina-4282913637b499490494dd3e3cce3478">legislation barring most abortions</a>&nbsp;after 12 weeks of pregnancy.Republicans have since enacted two dozen additional laws by overriding Cooper's vetoes, including ones weakening the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-elections-governor-legislature-vetoes-5c22afdce6b92171f64cbde047748b78">election oversight</a>, restricting medical treatments and sports activities for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2">transgender youths</a>&nbsp;and limiting school lessons about gender identity in early grades.“Republicans have been easily overriding his vetoes and basically putting their stamp on the state in terms of public policies,” said Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina.Though Cooper is term-limited, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is leading in the race to replace him. That makes it critical for Republicans to retain a supermajority, “or else they have to deal with the governor,” Bitzer said.<h2>Supermajorities are at their highest point in decades</h2>The number of states with legislative supermajorities is at its highest level since at least 1982, according to research by Saint Louis University political scientist Steven Rogers. Democrats hold nine veto-proof majorities. But Republicans hold 20, including in Nebraska, where the single-chamber Legislature is officially nonpartisan but two-thirds of members identify as Republicans.Democrats need a gain of three or fewer seats this election to break Republican supermajorities in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and North Carolina while a similar flip for Republicans could end Democratic supermajorities in Delaware and New York.Meanwhile, a gain of three or fewer seats could create new supermajorities for Republicans in Iowa and South Carolina and for Democrats in Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada and New Mexico.But gaining a supermajority is no guarantee legislative leaders will always get their way.Democrats dominate in California. Yet Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-ai-safety-measures-veto-newsom-92a715a5765d1738851bb26b247bf493">Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed</a>&nbsp;numerous bills, none of which have been overridden by the Democratic legislative supermajority. The legislature also has at times failed to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to pass tax increases.In Missouri, where Republicans hold a supermajority, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/freedom-caucus-republican-states-conservative-59561a5fe67c52f2a47f0106172d9b5b">conservative Senate faction</a>&nbsp;has repeatedly clashed with GOP leadership. Ultimately, Republicans mired in tensions have failed to pass some of their own priority measures.“Having a veto-proof majority can matter,” said Ben Williams, associate director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. But “the larger a legislative majority gets, the more factions you get within that majority, and sometimes they don’t necessarily agree.”

Legislative majorities giving 1 party all the power are in play in several states

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i63oZu7Gvkk">NASA spacecraft</a>&nbsp;rocketed away Monday on a quest to explore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-europa-clipper-jupiter-f2a8f35f807f18eba447b518c289a552">Jupiter’s tantalizing moon Europa</a>&nbsp;and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys to life.

It will take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jupiter-europa-clipper-nasa-d5b5a724b1802c601400e6d38fef06dd">Europa Clipper</a>&nbsp;5 1/2 years to reach Jupiter, where it will slip into orbit around the giant gas planet and sneak close to Europa during dozens of radiation-drenched flybys.

Scientists are almost certain a deep, global ocean exists beneath&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-exploration-science-business-jupiter-910a2cfff7501e45e3e167c4b22cc428">Europa’s icy crust</a>. And where there is water, there could be life, making the moon one of the most promising places out there to hunt for it.

Europa Clipper won’t look for life; it has no life detectors. Instead, the spacecraft will zero in on the ingredients necessary to sustain life, searching for organic compounds and other clues as it peers beneath the ice for suitable conditions.

SpaceX started Clipper on its 1.8 million-mile (3 billion-kilometer) journey, launching the spacecraft on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. An hour later, the spacecraft separated from the upper stage, floated off and called home.

“Please say goodbye to Clipper on its way to Europa,” NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's flight director announced from Southern California.

"The science on this is really captivating,” NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free told The Associated Press back at the launch site. Scientists are still learning about the depths of our own ocean, “and here we are looking that far out.”

The $5.2 billion mission almost got derailed by transistors.

NASA didn’t learn until spring that Clipper’s transistors might be more vulnerable to Jupiter’s intense radiation field than anticipated. Clipper will endure the equivalent of several million chest X-rays during each of the 49 Europa flybys. The space agency spent months reviewing everything before concluding in September that the mission could proceed as planned.

Hurricane Milton added to the anxiety, delaying the launch by several days.

“What a great day. We’re so excited,” JPL Director Laurie Leshin said after liftoff.

About the size of a basketball court with its solar wings unfurled, Clipper will swing past Mars and then Earth on its way to Jupiter for gravity assists. The nearly 13,000-pound (5,700-kilogram) probe should reach the solar system’s biggest planet in 2030.

Clipper will circle Jupiter every 21 days. One of those days will bring it close to Europa, among 95 known moons at Jupiter and close to our own moon in size.

The spacecraft will skim as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) above Europa — much closer than the few previous visitors. Onboard radar will attempt to penetrate the moon’s ice sheet, believed to be 10 miles to 15 miles or more (15 kilometers to 24 kilometers) thick. The ocean below could be 80 miles (120 kilometers) or more deep.

The spacecraft holds nine instruments, with its sensitive electronics stored in a vault with dense zinc and aluminum walls for protection against radiation. Exploration will last until 2034.

“Ocean worlds like Europa are not only unique because they might be habitable, but they might be habitable today,” NASA’s Gina DiBraccio said on the eve of launch.

If conditions are found to be favorable for life at Europa, then that opens up the possibility of life at other ocean worlds in our solar system and beyond, according to scientists. With an underground ocean and geysers, Saturn’s moon Enceladus is another top candidate.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jupiter-europa-clipper-nasa-d5b5a724b1802c601400e6d38fef06dd">NASA spacecraft</a>&nbsp;has set sail for Jupiter and its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-exploration-science-business-jupiter-910a2cfff7501e45e3e167c4b22cc428">moon Europa</a>, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth.

Europa Clipper will peer beneath the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88e5387a194104711f4be663b7dd6e31">moon’s icy crust</a>&nbsp;where an ocean is thought to be sloshing fairly close to the surface. It won’t search for life, but rather determine whether conditions there could support it. Another mission would be needed to flush out any microorganisms lurking there.

“It’s a chance for us to explore not a world that might have been habitable billions of years ago, but a world that might be habitable today — right now,” said program scientist Curt Niebur.

Its massive solar panels make Clipper the biggest craft built by NASA to investigate another planet. It will take 5 1/2 years to reach Jupiter and will sneak within 16 miles (25 kilometers) of Europa's surface — considerably closer than any other spacecraft.

Clipper lifted off Monday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Mission cost: $5.2 billion.

Europa, the superstar among Jupiter’s many moons

One of Jupiter’s 95 known moons, Europa is almost the size of our own moon. It's encased in an ice sheet estimated to be 10 miles to 15 miles or more (15 kilometers to 24 kilometers) thick. Scientists believe this frozen crust hides an ocean that could be 80 miles (120 kilometers) or more deep. The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted what appear to be geysers erupting from the surface. Discovered by Galileo in 1610, Europa is one of the four so-called Galilean moons of Jupiter, along with Ganymede, Io and Callisto.

What type of life might Europa harbor? Besides water, organic compounds are needed for life as we know it, plus an energy source. In Europa’s case that could be thermal vents on the ocean floor. Deputy project scientist Bonnie Buratti imagines any life would be primitive like the bacterial life that originated in Earth’s deep ocean vents. “We will not know from this mission because we can’t see that deep,” she said. Unlike missions to Mars where habitability is one of many questions, Clipper’s sole job is to establish whether the moon could support life in its ocean or possibly in any pockets of water in the ice.

When its solar wings and antennas are unfurled, Clipper is about the size of a basketball court — more than 100 feet (30 meters) end to end — and weighs nearly 13,000 pounds (6,000 kilograms). The supersized solar panels are needed because of Jupiter’s distance from the sun. The main body — about the size of a camper — is packed with nine science instruments, including radar that will penetrate the ice, cameras that will map virtually the entire moon and tools to tease out the contents of Europa’s surface and tenuous atmosphere. The name hearkens to the swift sailing ships of centuries past.

The roundabout trip to Jupiter will span 1.8 billion miles (3 billion kilometers). For extra oomph, the spacecraft will swing past Mars early next year and then Earth in late 2026. It arrives at Jupiter in 2030 and begins science work the next year. While orbiting Jupiter, it will cross paths with Europa 49 times. The mission ends in 2034 with a planned crash into Ganymede — Jupiter’s biggest moon and the solar system's too.

There’s more radiation around Jupiter than anywhere else in our solar system, besides the sun. Europa passes through Jupiter’s bands of radiation as it orbits the gas giant, making it especially menacing for spacecraft. That’s why Clipper’s electronics are inside a vault with dense aluminum and zinc walls. All this radiation would nix any life on Europa’s surface. But it could break down water molecules and, perhaps, release oxygen all the way down into the ocean that could possibly fuel sea life.

Earlier this year, NASA was in a panic that the spacecraft's many transistors might not withstand the intense radiation. But after months of analysis, engineers concluded the mission could proceed as planned.

NASA’s twin Pioneer spacecraft and then two Voyagers swept past Jupiter in the 1970s. The Voyagers provided the first detailed photos of Europa but from quite a distance. NASA’s Galileo spacecraft had repeated flybys of the moon during the 1990s, passing as close as 124 miles (200 kilometers). Still in action around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has added to Europa’s photo album. Arriving at Jupiter a year after Clipper will be the European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft, launched last year.

Like Europa, Jupiter’s jumbo moon Ganymede is thought to host an underground ocean. But its frozen shell is much thicker — possibly 100 miles (160 kilometers) thick — making it tougher to probe the environment below. Callisto’s ice sheet may be even thicker, possibly hiding an ocean. Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers shooting up, but it’s much farther than Jupiter. Ditto for Saturn’s moon Titan, also suspected of having a subterranean sea. While no ocean worlds have been confirmed beyond our solar system, scientists believe they’re out there — and may even be relatively common.

Like many robotic explorers before it, Clipper bears messages from Earth. Attached to the electronics vault is a triangular metal plate. On one side is a design labeled “water words” with representations of the word for water in 104 languages. On the opposite side: a poem about the moon by U.S. poet laureate Ada Limon and a silicon chip containing the names of 2.6 million people who signed up to vicariously ride along.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i63oZu7Gvkk">NASA spacecraft</a>&nbsp;rocketed away Monday on a quest to explore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-europa-clipper-jupiter-f2a8f35f807f18eba447b518c289a552">Jupiter’s tantalizing moon Europa</a>&nbsp;and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys to life.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Liftoff of Europa Clipper! The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuropaClipper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuropaClipper</a> spacecraft lifted off at 12:06pm ET Oct. 14 from Launch Pad 39A aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The mission will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our… <a href="https://t.co/rzqbmqvyBh">pic.twitter.com/rzqbmqvyBh</a>&mdash; NASA&#39;s Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/1845860335154086212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It will take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jupiter-europa-clipper-nasa-d5b5a724b1802c601400e6d38fef06dd">Europa Clipper</a>&nbsp;5 1/2 years to reach Jupiter, where it will slip into orbit around the giant gas planet and sneak close to Europa during dozens of radiation-drenched flybys.Scientists are almost certain a deep, global ocean exists beneath&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-exploration-science-business-jupiter-910a2cfff7501e45e3e167c4b22cc428">Europa’s icy crust</a>. And where there is water, there could be life, making the moon one of the most promising places out there to hunt for it.Europa Clipper won’t look for life; it has no life detectors. Instead, the spacecraft will zero in on the ingredients necessary to sustain life, searching for organic compounds and other clues as it peers beneath the ice for suitable conditions.SpaceX started Clipper on its 1.8 million-mile (3 billion-kilometer) journey, launching the spacecraft on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. An hour later, the spacecraft separated from the upper stage, floated off and called home.“Please say goodbye to Clipper on its way to Europa,” NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's flight director announced from Southern California."The science on this is really captivating,” NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free told The Associated Press back at the launch site. Scientists are still learning about the depths of our own ocean, “and here we are looking that far out.”The $5.2 billion mission almost got derailed by transistors.NASA didn’t learn until spring that Clipper’s transistors might be more vulnerable to Jupiter’s intense radiation field than anticipated. Clipper will endure the equivalent of several million chest X-rays during each of the 49 Europa flybys. The space agency spent months reviewing everything before concluding in September that the mission could proceed as planned.Hurricane Milton added to the anxiety, delaying the launch by several days.“What a great day. We’re so excited,” JPL Director Laurie Leshin said after liftoff.About the size of a basketball court with its solar wings unfurled, Clipper will swing past Mars and then Earth on its way to Jupiter for gravity assists. The nearly 13,000-pound (5,700-kilogram) probe should reach the solar system’s biggest planet in 2030.Clipper will circle Jupiter every 21 days. One of those days will bring it close to Europa, among 95 known moons at Jupiter and close to our own moon in size.The spacecraft will skim as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) above Europa — much closer than the few previous visitors. Onboard radar will attempt to penetrate the moon’s ice sheet, believed to be 10 miles to 15 miles or more (15 kilometers to 24 kilometers) thick. The ocean below could be 80 miles (120 kilometers) or more deep.The spacecraft holds nine instruments, with its sensitive electronics stored in a vault with dense zinc and aluminum walls for protection against radiation. Exploration will last until 2034.“Ocean worlds like Europa are not only unique because they might be habitable, but they might be habitable today,” NASA’s Gina DiBraccio said on the eve of launch.If conditions are found to be favorable for life at Europa, then that opens up the possibility of life at other ocean worlds in our solar system and beyond, according to scientists. With an underground ocean and geysers, Saturn’s moon Enceladus is another top candidate.------------------CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jupiter-europa-clipper-nasa-d5b5a724b1802c601400e6d38fef06dd">NASA spacecraft</a>&nbsp;has set sail for Jupiter and its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-space-exploration-science-business-jupiter-910a2cfff7501e45e3e167c4b22cc428">moon Europa</a>, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth.Europa Clipper will peer beneath the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/88e5387a194104711f4be663b7dd6e31">moon’s icy crust</a>&nbsp;where an ocean is thought to be sloshing fairly close to the surface. It won’t search for life, but rather determine whether conditions there could support it. Another mission would be needed to flush out any microorganisms lurking there.“It’s a chance for us to explore not a world that might have been habitable billions of years ago, but a world that might be habitable today — right now,” said program scientist Curt Niebur.Its massive solar panels make Clipper the biggest craft built by NASA to investigate another planet. It will take 5 1/2 years to reach Jupiter and will sneak within 16 miles (25 kilometers) of Europa's surface — considerably closer than any other spacecraft.Clipper lifted off Monday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Mission cost: $5.2 billion.<h2>Europa, the superstar among Jupiter’s many moons</h2>One of Jupiter’s 95 known moons, Europa is almost the size of our own moon. It's encased in an ice sheet estimated to be 10 miles to 15 miles or more (15 kilometers to 24 kilometers) thick. Scientists believe this frozen crust hides an ocean that could be 80 miles (120 kilometers) or more deep. The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted what appear to be geysers erupting from the surface. Discovered by Galileo in 1610, Europa is one of the four so-called Galilean moons of Jupiter, along with Ganymede, Io and Callisto.<h2>Seeking conditions that support life</h2>What type of life might Europa harbor? Besides water, organic compounds are needed for life as we know it, plus an energy source. In Europa’s case that could be thermal vents on the ocean floor. Deputy project scientist Bonnie Buratti imagines any life would be primitive like the bacterial life that originated in Earth’s deep ocean vents. “We will not know from this mission because we can’t see that deep,” she said. Unlike missions to Mars where habitability is one of many questions, Clipper’s sole job is to establish whether the moon could support life in its ocean or possibly in any pockets of water in the ice.<h2>Supersized spacecraft</h2>When its solar wings and antennas are unfurled, Clipper is about the size of a basketball court — more than 100 feet (30 meters) end to end — and weighs nearly 13,000 pounds (6,000 kilograms). The supersized solar panels are needed because of Jupiter’s distance from the sun. The main body — about the size of a camper — is packed with nine science instruments, including radar that will penetrate the ice, cameras that will map virtually the entire moon and tools to tease out the contents of Europa’s surface and tenuous atmosphere. The name hearkens to the swift sailing ships of centuries past.<h2>Circling Jupiter to fly by Europa</h2>The roundabout trip to Jupiter will span 1.8 billion miles (3 billion kilometers). For extra oomph, the spacecraft will swing past Mars early next year and then Earth in late 2026. It arrives at Jupiter in 2030 and begins science work the next year. While orbiting Jupiter, it will cross paths with Europa 49 times. The mission ends in 2034 with a planned crash into Ganymede — Jupiter’s biggest moon and the solar system's too.<h2>Europa flybys pose huge radiation risk</h2>There’s more radiation around Jupiter than anywhere else in our solar system, besides the sun. Europa passes through Jupiter’s bands of radiation as it orbits the gas giant, making it especially menacing for spacecraft. That’s why Clipper’s electronics are inside a vault with dense aluminum and zinc walls. All this radiation would nix any life on Europa’s surface. But it could break down water molecules and, perhaps, release oxygen all the way down into the ocean that could possibly fuel sea life.Earlier this year, NASA was in a panic that the spacecraft's many transistors might not withstand the intense radiation. But after months of analysis, engineers concluded the mission could proceed as planned.<h2>Other visitors to Jupiter and Europa</h2>NASA’s twin Pioneer spacecraft and then two Voyagers swept past Jupiter in the 1970s. The Voyagers provided the first detailed photos of Europa but from quite a distance. NASA’s Galileo spacecraft had repeated flybys of the moon during the 1990s, passing as close as 124 miles (200 kilometers). Still in action around Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has added to Europa’s photo album. Arriving at Jupiter a year after Clipper will be the European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft, launched last year.<h2>Ganymede and other possible ocean worlds</h2>Like Europa, Jupiter’s jumbo moon Ganymede is thought to host an underground ocean. But its frozen shell is much thicker — possibly 100 miles (160 kilometers) thick — making it tougher to probe the environment below. Callisto’s ice sheet may be even thicker, possibly hiding an ocean. Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers shooting up, but it’s much farther than Jupiter. Ditto for Saturn’s moon Titan, also suspected of having a subterranean sea. While no ocean worlds have been confirmed beyond our solar system, scientists believe they’re out there — and may even be relatively common.<h2>Messages in a cosmic bottle</h2>Like many robotic explorers before it, Clipper bears messages from Earth. Attached to the electronics vault is a triangular metal plate. On one side is a design labeled “water words” with representations of the word for water in 104 languages. On the opposite side: a poem about the moon by U.S. poet laureate Ada Limon and a silicon chip containing the names of 2.6 million people who signed up to vicariously ride along.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

🎥NASA spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter in search of the right conditions for life

Lawyer questions company’s claim of a bird flu outbreak

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;

A group of Midwest egg suppliers are embroiled in litigation over egg prices, with an Iowa company arguing it shouldn’t be forced to disclose its pricing information.

A central element of the case is whether a fabricated claim of a bird flu outbreak is to blame for one supplier raising its egg prices and canceling orders.

Grand Prairie Foods of South Dakota, which supplies hotels and convenience stores with breakfast sandwiches, is suing Echo Lake Foods, a Wisconsin company that manufactures precooked egg entrees, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

At the same time, a third company, Oskaloosa Food Products in Iowa, is attempting to quash a subpoena for company records related to its pricing.

Court records indicate Grand Prairie has purchased egg patties and other products from Echo Lake since at least 2005. In early 2022, Echo Lake’s supplier of raw eggs experienced an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu, resulting in the destruction of more than 6 million laying hens.

Echo Lake then notified its customers, including Grand Prairie, that existing purchase orders for egg patties and other egg products would have to be revised to reflect increased pricing.

According to Grand Prairie’s lawsuit, Echo Lake Foods then doubled the price of its egg patties, and while the nationwide market price of eggs eventually decreased, Echo Lake allegedly refused to reduce the price of its egg patties.

Court exhibits show that on July 12, 2022, Grand Prairie’s president, Kurt Loudenback, e-mailed Echo Lake’s director of national sales, Justin Milbradt, writing, “Justin – I don’t understand why we continue to see these high prices,” noting that Grand Prairie could purchase eggs from other suppliers at a significantly lower price. “I’m sure you buy WAY more eggs than we do,” Loudenback added.

The next day, Loudenback emailed Echo Lake again, proposing that his company sell tankers of whole eggs to Echo Lake for $1.28 per pound — significantly less than the $3.60 per pound Echo Lake was charging Grand Prairie for its finished egg products.

“Just trying to get your eggs at (a) lower price to lower my cost,” Loudenback explained in his email. “$3.60 seems pretty high for a $1.28 input cost.”

The two companies eventually agreed on an arrangement whereby Grand Prairie would sell two truckloads of raw eggs each week to Echo Lake. Court records show Echo Lake agreed to pay a “premium price,” $1.70 per pound, for the raw eggs from Grand Prairie. In return, the records show, Echo Lake would sell the finished, processed eggs back to Grand Prairie for $3.60 per pound — the same price Grand Prairie had previously objected to as being out of line with market prices.

Within a few months, however, Grand Prairie told Echo Lake that an avian flu outbreak had affected its egg supplier, Oskaloosa Food Products, and so Grand Prairie would have to raise its prices. A few weeks later, Grand Prairie said it was unable to find a new supplier and wouldn’t be able to fulfill Echo Lake’s orders.

Echo Lake then began acquiring eggs elsewhere — but at a higher price. In court documents, Echo Lake says Grand Prairie’s failure to deliver eggs at the promised price cost Echo Lake more than $1.1 million.

Court exhibits show that in an effort to offset the added expense, Echo Lake withheld payments to Grand Prairie totaling $567,460. Grand Prairie then sued Echo Lake to recover the $567,460 it was owed, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

Echo Lake countersued, claiming Grand Prairie had breached the contract.

Recently filed court records show that attorneys for Echo Lake are questioning Grand Prairie’s stated rationale for its price hike and the eventual cancellation of orders — an avian flu outbreak that affected the Oskaloosa plant.

In July, an Echo Lake attorney wrote to a lawyer for Oskaloosa Food Products, stating that while “Grand Prairie claims it had no choice other than to cancel the remaining purchase orders because of an outbreak of avian influenza among its suppliers, including Oskaloosa,” an independent investigation had concluded Oskaloosa reported no such outbreak at that time, despite legal requirements for such reporting.

In addition, the lawyer wrote, the chief operating officer of the Oskaloosa plant had confirmed for Echo Lake that “Oskaloosa did not experience the Al outbreak described by Grand Prairie.”

In late May, Echo Lake subpoenaed Oskaloosa Food Products to obtain access to the contract between Grand Prairie and the Oskaloosa company.

Oskaloosa has since filed a motion to quash that subpoena, arguing the agreement includes trade secrets. Echo Lake has responded in court by arguing that the price of eggs is not a trade secret.

That issue is now before a judge in the U.S. District Court for Southern Iowa, while the underlying lawsuit between Grand Prairie and Echo Lake continues to move forward in South Dakota federal court.

Iowa Capital Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/egg-suppliers-battle-over-pricing-claims-of-bird-flu-outbreak/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

<h2>Lawyer questions company’s claim of a bird flu outbreak</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/clarkkauffman/">CLARK KAUFFMAN</a>&nbsp;A group of Midwest egg suppliers are embroiled in litigation over egg prices, with an Iowa company arguing it shouldn’t be forced to disclose its pricing information.A central element of the case is whether a fabricated claim of a bird flu outbreak is to blame for one supplier raising its egg prices and canceling orders.Grand Prairie Foods of South Dakota, which supplies hotels and convenience stores with breakfast sandwiches, is suing Echo Lake Foods, a Wisconsin company that manufactures precooked egg entrees, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.At the same time, a third company, Oskaloosa Food Products in Iowa, is attempting to quash a subpoena for company records related to its pricing.Court records indicate Grand Prairie has purchased egg patties and other products from Echo Lake since at least 2005. In early 2022, Echo Lake’s supplier of raw eggs experienced an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu, resulting in the destruction of more than 6 million laying hens.Echo Lake then notified its customers, including Grand Prairie, that existing purchase orders for egg patties and other egg products would have to be revised to reflect increased pricing.According to Grand Prairie’s lawsuit, Echo Lake Foods then doubled the price of its egg patties, and while the nationwide market price of eggs eventually decreased, Echo Lake allegedly refused to reduce the price of its egg patties.Court exhibits show that on July 12, 2022, Grand Prairie’s president, Kurt Loudenback, e-mailed Echo Lake’s director of national sales, Justin Milbradt, writing, “Justin – I don’t understand why we continue to see these high prices,” noting that Grand Prairie could purchase eggs from other suppliers at a significantly lower price. “I’m sure you buy WAY more eggs than we do,” Loudenback added.The next day, Loudenback emailed Echo Lake again, proposing that his company sell tankers of whole eggs to Echo Lake for $1.28 per pound — significantly less than the $3.60 per pound Echo Lake was charging Grand Prairie for its finished egg products.“Just trying to get your eggs at (a) lower price to lower my cost,” Loudenback explained in his email. “$3.60 seems pretty high for a $1.28 input cost.”The two companies eventually agreed on an arrangement whereby Grand Prairie would sell two truckloads of raw eggs each week to Echo Lake. Court records show Echo Lake agreed to pay a “premium price,” $1.70 per pound, for the raw eggs from Grand Prairie. In return, the records show, Echo Lake would sell the finished, processed eggs back to Grand Prairie for $3.60 per pound — the same price Grand Prairie had previously objected to as being out of line with market prices.Within a few months, however, Grand Prairie told Echo Lake that an avian flu outbreak had affected its egg supplier, Oskaloosa Food Products, and so Grand Prairie would have to raise its prices. A few weeks later, Grand Prairie said it was unable to find a new supplier and wouldn’t be able to fulfill Echo Lake’s orders.Echo Lake then began acquiring eggs elsewhere — but at a higher price. In court documents, Echo Lake says Grand Prairie’s failure to deliver eggs at the promised price cost Echo Lake more than $1.1 million.Court exhibits show that in an effort to offset the added expense, Echo Lake withheld payments to Grand Prairie totaling $567,460. Grand Prairie then sued Echo Lake to recover the $567,460 it was owed, alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.Echo Lake countersued, claiming Grand Prairie had breached the contract.<h2>Was company’s bird-flu claim false?</h2>Recently filed court records show that attorneys for Echo Lake are questioning Grand Prairie’s stated rationale for its price hike and the eventual cancellation of orders — an avian flu outbreak that affected the Oskaloosa plant.In July, an Echo Lake attorney wrote to a lawyer for Oskaloosa Food Products, stating that while “Grand Prairie claims it had no choice other than to cancel the remaining purchase orders because of an outbreak of avian influenza among its suppliers, including Oskaloosa,” an independent investigation had concluded Oskaloosa reported no such outbreak at that time, despite legal requirements for such reporting.In addition, the lawyer wrote, the chief operating officer of the Oskaloosa plant had confirmed for Echo Lake that “Oskaloosa did not experience the Al outbreak described by Grand Prairie.”In late May, Echo Lake subpoenaed Oskaloosa Food Products to obtain access to the contract between Grand Prairie and the Oskaloosa company.Oskaloosa has since filed a motion to quash that subpoena, arguing the agreement includes trade secrets. Echo Lake has responded in court by arguing that the price of eggs is not a trade secret.That issue is now before a judge in the U.S. District Court for Southern Iowa, while the underlying lawsuit between Grand Prairie and Echo Lake continues to move forward in South Dakota federal court.Iowa Capital Dispatch, a States Newsroom affiliate,&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/10/11/egg-suppliers-battle-over-pricing-claims-of-bird-flu-outbreak/" target="_blank">produced this story</a>.

 Egg suppliers battle over pricing, claims of bird flu outbreak

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects in connection with a business burglary.

Just before 1 a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported burglary at Evergy Security Center, 4001 NW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

 It was reported that three individuals had broken into the property and had stolen property.

Officers located one of the suspects, identified as Tyler A. Moore, 26, of Topeka, near 14th and Gage and took him into custody. Deputies from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office then located the two other suspects, identified as 45-year-old Wesley D. Meade and 32-year-old McKinley G. Hopkins both of Topeka, near Lower Silverlake Road and U.S. 75 Highway and took them into custody.&nbsp;

All three face requested charges of Burglary; Non-dwelling to commit felony, theft, DV, or sexually motivated crime Theft &gt;$1,500 &lt;$25,000 From Building; Trespass on property w/ critical infrastructure; clearly marked

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728853672309.png" alt="Meade-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Meade-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three suspects in connection with a business burglary.Just before 1 a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported burglary at Evergy Security Center, 4001 NW 14th Street in Topeka, according to Police Spokesperson Rosie Nichols. It was reported that three individuals had broken into the property and had stolen property.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728853582709.png" alt="Moore-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Moore-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers located one of the suspects, identified as Tyler A. Moore, 26, of Topeka, near 14th and Gage and took him into custody. Deputies from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office then located the two other suspects, identified as 45-year-old Wesley D. Meade and 32-year-old McKinley G. Hopkins both of Topeka, near Lower Silverlake Road and U.S. 75 Highway and took them into custody.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728853953613.png" alt="Hopkins photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Hopkins photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>All three face requested charges of Burglary; Non-dwelling to commit felony, theft, DV, or sexually motivated crime Theft &gt;$1,500 &lt;$25,000 From Building; Trespass on property w/ critical infrastructure; clearly marked

Suspects accused of burglary at Kan. utility company security center

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;is announcing a plan to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.

Harris' plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.

Harris already has said she supports legalizing marijuana and her plan calls for working to ensure that Black men have opportunities to participate as a “national cannabis industry takes shape.” She also is calling for better regulating cryptocurrency to protect Black men and others who invest in digital assets.

The vice president's so-called “opportunity agenda for Black men” is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the election rather than vote for Harris or her opponent, Republican former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

The vice president unveiled the plan Monday, ahead of an evening campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she was to appear with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman. Her push comes after former President Barack Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obama-harris-trump-2024-election-d9874edf5ae646bf632dc463bcee3625">suggested</a>&nbsp;last week that some Black men “aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president.”

The Harris campaign also has been working to increase support among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-male-voters-sexism-trump-support-obama-bcf8dbcce4700ba24725ca178f7753b0">other male voting blocs</a>, including Hispanics, by founding the group “Hombres con Harris,” Spanish for “Men with Harris.” The latest policy rollout is notable because it comes with the stated purpose of motivating Black men to vote mere weeks before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">Election Day</a>.

As her campaign has done with the “Hombres” group, Harris’ team plans to organize gender-specific gatherings. Those include “Black Men Huddle Up” events in battleground states featuring African American male celebrities for things like watch parties for NFL and NCAA football games. The campaign says it also plans new testimonial ads in battleground states that feature local Black male voices.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cedric-richmond">Cedric Richmond</a>, co-chair of the Harris campaign and a former Louisiana congressman who is Black, said Harris wants to build an economy "where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, provide for our families, start a business and build wealth.”

Black Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-virus-outbreak-georgia-7a843bbce00713cfde6c3fdbc2e31eb7">strongly supported</a>&nbsp;Joe Biden when he beat Trump in 2020. Harris advisers say they are less worried about losing large percentages of Black male support to the former president than that some will choose not to turn out at all.

Trump, too, has stepped up efforts to win over Black and Hispanic voters of both genders. He has held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-michigan-black-voters-far-right-activists-2ddab35eceecb42ee8899f0720715b32">roundtables</a>&nbsp;with Black entrepreneurs in swing states and will sit for a townhall sponsored by Spanish-language Univision this week. He also has sought to openly stoke racial divisions, repeatedly suggesting that immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-harris-employment-jobs-economy-immigration-db0bdbc6a029068389b31d8d148b9d3a">taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans</a>.

Harris' new round of proposals includes a promise that, if elected, she will help distribute 1 million loans of up to $20,000 that can be fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others who have strong ideas to start businesses. The loans would come via new partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community leaders and banks “with a proven commitment to their communities,” her campaign says.

The vice president also wants to offer federal incentives to encourage more African American men to train to be teachers, citing statistics that Black males made up only a bit more than 1% of the nation's public school teaching ranks in 2020-21, according to data from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps/participants_2021.asp">National Teacher and Principal Survey</a>.

Harris also is pledging to expand existing federal programs that forgive some educational loans for public service to further encourage more Black male teachers. She also wants to use organizations like the National Urban League, local governments and the private sector to expand apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities in Black communities.

The vice president's advisers have been urging her to talk more about cryptocurrency as a way to appeal to male voters. Her campaign said that as president, Harris will back a regulatory framework meant to better protect investors in cryptocurrency and other digital assets, which are popular with Black men.

Harris also promised to create a national initiative to better fund efforts to detect, research and combat sickle cell disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, mental health challenges and other health issues that disproportionately affect Black men.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-election-black-voters-biden-78e344ddea4886dd23582f4a51eb0da6">A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;found about 7 in 10 Black voters had a favorable view of Harris and preferred her leadership to that of Trump on major policy issues including the economy, health care, abortion, immigration and the war between Israel and Hamas.

There was little difference in support for Harris between Black men and Black women.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728903414625.png" alt="Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;is announcing a plan to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.Harris' plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.Harris already has said she supports legalizing marijuana and her plan calls for working to ensure that Black men have opportunities to participate as a “national cannabis industry takes shape.” She also is calling for better regulating cryptocurrency to protect Black men and others who invest in digital assets.The vice president's so-called “opportunity agenda for Black men” is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the election rather than vote for Harris or her opponent, Republican former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.The vice president unveiled the plan Monday, ahead of an evening campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she was to appear with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman. Her push comes after former President Barack Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obama-harris-trump-2024-election-d9874edf5ae646bf632dc463bcee3625">suggested</a>&nbsp;last week that some Black men “aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president.”The Harris campaign also has been working to increase support among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-male-voters-sexism-trump-support-obama-bcf8dbcce4700ba24725ca178f7753b0">other male voting blocs</a>, including Hispanics, by founding the group “Hombres con Harris,” Spanish for “Men with Harris.” The latest policy rollout is notable because it comes with the stated purpose of motivating Black men to vote mere weeks before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">Election Day</a>.As her campaign has done with the “Hombres” group, Harris’ team plans to organize gender-specific gatherings. Those include “Black Men Huddle Up” events in battleground states featuring African American male celebrities for things like watch parties for NFL and NCAA football games. The campaign says it also plans new testimonial ads in battleground states that feature local Black male voices.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cedric-richmond">Cedric Richmond</a>, co-chair of the Harris campaign and a former Louisiana congressman who is Black, said Harris wants to build an economy "where Black men are equipped with the tools to thrive: to buy a home, provide for our families, start a business and build wealth.”Black Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-virus-outbreak-georgia-7a843bbce00713cfde6c3fdbc2e31eb7">strongly supported</a>&nbsp;Joe Biden when he beat Trump in 2020. Harris advisers say they are less worried about losing large percentages of Black male support to the former president than that some will choose not to turn out at all.Trump, too, has stepped up efforts to win over Black and Hispanic voters of both genders. He has held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-michigan-black-voters-far-right-activists-2ddab35eceecb42ee8899f0720715b32">roundtables</a>&nbsp;with Black entrepreneurs in swing states and will sit for a townhall sponsored by Spanish-language Univision this week. He also has sought to openly stoke racial divisions, repeatedly suggesting that immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-harris-employment-jobs-economy-immigration-db0bdbc6a029068389b31d8d148b9d3a">taking jobs from Black and Hispanic Americans</a>.Harris' new round of proposals includes a promise that, if elected, she will help distribute 1 million loans of up to $20,000 that can be fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others who have strong ideas to start businesses. The loans would come via new partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community leaders and banks “with a proven commitment to their communities,” her campaign says.The vice president also wants to offer federal incentives to encourage more African American men to train to be teachers, citing statistics that Black males made up only a bit more than 1% of the nation's public school teaching ranks in 2020-21, according to data from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps/participants_2021.asp">National Teacher and Principal Survey</a>.Harris also is pledging to expand existing federal programs that forgive some educational loans for public service to further encourage more Black male teachers. She also wants to use organizations like the National Urban League, local governments and the private sector to expand apprenticeships and credentialing opportunities in Black communities.The vice president's advisers have been urging her to talk more about cryptocurrency as a way to appeal to male voters. Her campaign said that as president, Harris will back a regulatory framework meant to better protect investors in cryptocurrency and other digital assets, which are popular with Black men.Harris also promised to create a national initiative to better fund efforts to detect, research and combat sickle cell disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, mental health challenges and other health issues that disproportionately affect Black men.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-election-black-voters-biden-78e344ddea4886dd23582f4a51eb0da6">A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research</a>&nbsp;found about 7 in 10 Black voters had a favorable view of Harris and preferred her leadership to that of Trump on major policy issues including the economy, health care, abortion, immigration and the war between Israel and Hamas.There was little difference in support for Harris between Black men and Black women.

Harris is laying out a new plan to empower Black men

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another shooting in Kansas City.

Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found a victim in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS. 

Emergency medical personnel pronounced the victim deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide. 

Detectives worked to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police released released no additional details including the name of the victim or any suspect details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728902794443.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another shooting in Kansas City.Just after 5:30p.m. Sunday patrol officers were dispatched to a shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store at 35th and Cleveland, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found a victim in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began performing life saving measures and ordered EMS. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the victim deceased at the scene, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. This is being investigated as a homicide. Detectives worked to determine the events that led up to the shooting and interviewing witnesses. Police released released no additional details including the name of the victim or any suspect details.

Homicide: Man shot in KC convenience store parking lot

WASHINGTON&nbsp; —At the direction of the President, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command

The announcement from Washington came after Iran warned the U.S. to keep its military forces out of Israel.

 The THAAD Battery is a defensive system that shoots down incoming ballistic missiles and will augment Israel's integrated air defense system. 

This action underscores the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.&nbsp;

This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region, according to the U.S. Central Command. The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region. The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728866585354.png" alt="-A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mobile launcher sits on display in the new Lt. Gen. C.J. LeVan THAAD Instructional Facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)" />
 <figcaption>-A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) mobile launcher sits on display in the new Lt. Gen. C.J. LeVan THAAD Instructional Facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp; —At the direction of the President, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's unprecedented attacks against Israel on April 13 and again on October 1, according to a statement from the U.S. Central CommandThe announcement from Washington came after Iran warned the U.S. to keep its military forces out of Israel. The THAAD Battery is a defensive system that shoots down incoming ballistic missiles and will augment Israel's integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias.&nbsp;This is not the first time the United States has deployed a THAAD battery to the region, according to the U.S. Central Command. The President directed the military to deploy a THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the October 7th attacks to defend American troops and interests in the region. The United States previously deployed a THAAD battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an integrated air defense exercise.

Despite Iranian threat, US sending troops, missile defense system to Israel  

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 8a.m. Saturday in Kansas City.

A Ford Escape was northbound on Hillcrest Road and Fairlane Drive, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The SUV struck a large trash dumpster that was in the roadway. Both the driver and passenger were transported to an area hospital.The passenger was pronounced dead of her injuries on Saturday evening, according to DeMartino.&nbsp;

This is fatal crash #74 in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 8a.m. Saturday in Kansas City.A Ford Escape was northbound on Hillcrest Road and Fairlane Drive, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The SUV struck a large trash dumpster that was in the roadway. Both the driver and passenger were transported to an area hospital.The passenger was pronounced dead of her injuries on Saturday evening, according to DeMartino.&nbsp;This is fatal crash #74 in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024.

KCPD: Woman dead after SUV crash into large trash dumpster

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-california-coachella-nevada-arizona-newsom-4557c2f98ffc179178fe5b6ec5bcf8aa">Donald Trump's rally Saturday night</a>&nbsp;in the Southern California desert, authorities said. He was released Saturday on $5,000 bail. (Click below to watch the sheriff's press conference)

The suspect, identified as Vem Miller 49, of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a Sunday news conference.

The driver claimed to be a journalist but it was unclear if he had the proper credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, along with multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, Bianco said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said in a statement.

“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday statement said. Trump had not yet arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest, the sheriff said Sunday.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.

Bianco declined to speculate about the suspect's motives or frame of mind. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be," Bianco said.

Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.

Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the arrest.

Security is very tight at Trump rallies following two recent assassination attempts. Last month, a man was indicted on an attempted assassination charge after authorities said he staked out the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">for 12 hours</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-florida-fbi-justice-department-1295144a65f46059ce39b4ccd7288fbc">wrote of his desire to kill him</a>. The Florida arrest came two months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728861603734.png" alt="Donald Trump during the Southern California rally on Saturday-image from the campaign video" />
 <figcaption>Donald Trump during the Southern California rally on Saturday-image from the campaign video</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-california-coachella-nevada-arizona-newsom-4557c2f98ffc179178fe5b6ec5bcf8aa">Donald Trump's rally Saturday night</a>&nbsp;in the Southern California desert, authorities said. He was released Saturday on $5,000 bail. (Click below to watch the sheriff's press conference)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Friversidecountysheriff%2Fvideos%2F1472199187069887%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=34" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The suspect, identified as Vem Miller 49, of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a Sunday news conference.The driver claimed to be a journalist but it was unclear if he had the proper credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, along with multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, Bianco said.The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said in a statement.“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday statement said. Trump had not yet arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest, the sheriff said Sunday.The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.Bianco declined to speculate about the suspect's motives or frame of mind. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be," Bianco said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728859767560.png" alt="Image from the rally via Trump for President web site" />
 <figcaption>Image from the rally via Trump for President web site</figcaption>
 </figure>Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the arrest.Security is very tight at Trump rallies following two recent assassination attempts. Last month, a man was indicted on an attempted assassination charge after authorities said he staked out the former president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-assassination-attempt-fee81d8bcf737bfcde2ee8e5cea88465">for 12 hours</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-florida-fbi-justice-department-1295144a65f46059ce39b4ccd7288fbc">wrote of his desire to kill him</a>. The Florida arrest came two months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

🎥Sheriff: Deputies ‘probably’ prevented 3rd assassination attempt on Trump

KANSAS CITY – A couple was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for victimizing three children to produce child pornography.

Jeremy James Cudney, 34, and his wife, Cassandra Elaine Cudney, 34, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Missouri, according to the United State's Attorney.

The indictment alleges that Jeremy and Cassandra Cudney participated in a conspiracy to produce child pornography from August 25, 2019, to April 25, 2022. They are also charged together in three counts of producing child pornography involving two child victims, one of whom was under the age of 12 and two of whom were under the age of 16.

In addition, Jeremy Cudney is charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Cassandra Cudney is also charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728565850381.png" alt="Cudney photo Howard Co." />
 <figcaption>Cudney photo Howard Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A couple was indicted by a federal grand jury this week for victimizing three children to produce child pornography.Jeremy James Cudney, 34, and his wife, Cassandra Elaine Cudney, 34, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Missouri, according to the United State's Attorney.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728565828283.png" alt="Cudney-photo Howard County" />
 <figcaption>Cudney-photo Howard County</figcaption>
 </figure>The indictment alleges that Jeremy and Cassandra Cudney participated in a conspiracy to produce child pornography from August 25, 2019, to April 25, 2022. They are also charged together in three counts of producing child pornography involving two child victims, one of whom was under the age of 12 and two of whom were under the age of 16.In addition, Jeremy Cudney is charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Cassandra Cudney is also charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.