WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the Secret Service said Tuesday she is resigning following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">agency tasked with protecting current and former presidents</a>&nbsp;could fail in its core mission.

Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, had been facing growing calls to resign and several investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">how the shooter was able to get so close</a>&nbsp;to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff, obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”

Cheatle’s departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised continued investigation, along with an inspector general probe and an independent and bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden’s behest that will keep the agency in the spotlight.

“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” Cheatle said in her note to staff.

Cheatle’s resignation comes a day after appeared before a congressional committee and was berated by hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and said she took full responsibility for the security lapses, but she angered lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.

At the hearing Monday, Cheatle remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility the security failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, “No, thank you.”

The 20-year-old shooter,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-drone-fbi-733811e02b1e609de6a9bc35f6b8c141">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a>, was able to get within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage where the former president was speaking when he opened fire. That’s despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attempted-assassination-iran-threat-secret-service-87f9a1e6e74c2ac18636334e9b2e03a3">a threat on Trump’s life from Iran leading to additional security</a>&nbsp;for the former president in the days before the July 13 rally.

Cheatle acknowledged Monday that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. But she failed to answer many questions about what happened, including why there no agents stationed on the roof.

A bloodied Trump was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and agency snipers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">killed the shooter</a>. Trump said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. One rallygoer was killed, and two others were critically wounded.

“The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle told members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. “As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.”

Details continue to unfold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-butler-police-cdfd3f4b163f7f91b05eeefe21caa45a">about signs of trouble that day</a>&nbsp;and what role both the Secret Service and local authorities played in security. The agency routinely relies on local law enforcement to secure the perimeter of events where people it is protecting appear. Former top Secret Service agents said the gunman should never have been allowed to gain access to the roof.

Two days after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he supported Cheatle “100%.”

But there were calls for accountability across the political spectrum, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-congress-investigation-hearing-efcf80835d37fe6a80b2260b19416b7c">congressional committees immediately moving to investigate</a>, issuing a subpoena to testify and the top Republican leaders from both the House and the Senate saying she should step down. President Joe Biden also has ordered an independent review into security at the rally and the Secret Service’s inspector general opened an investigation. The agency is also reviewing its counter sniper team’s “preparedness and operations.”

In an interview with ABC News two days after the shooting, Cheatle said she wasn’t resigning. She called the shooting “unacceptable” and something that no Secret Service agent wants to happen. She said her agency is responsible for the former president’s protection: “The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service.”

Cheatle served in the Secret Service for 27 years. She left in 2021 for a job as a security executive at PepsiCo before Biden asked her to return in 2022 to head the agency with a workforce of 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staff.

She took over amid a controversy over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-united-states-government-and-politics-e5b67d9a848b76a3803e9f7e3546bb51">missing text messages</a>&nbsp;from around the time thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

During her time in the agency, Cheatle was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations, the division that provides protection to the president and other dignitaries where she oversaw a $133.5 million budget. She is the second woman to lead the agency overall.

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/statement-from-president-biden-on-the-appointment-of-kimberly-cheatle-to-be-the-next-director-of-the-united-states-secret-service/">he announced her appointment</a>, Biden said Cheatle had served on his detail when he was vice president and he and his wife “came to trust her judgment and counsel.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721678298947.png" alt="Kimberly Cheatle during the hearing on Monday-photo from the Oversight Committee video" />
 <figcaption>Kimberly Cheatle during the hearing on Monday-photo from the Oversight Committee video</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the Secret Service said Tuesday she is resigning following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">agency tasked with protecting current and former presidents</a>&nbsp;could fail in its core mission.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Cheatle’s resignation is only step one of cleaning house. Everyone who is involved in the oversight and massive failures that left President Trump within centimeters of losing his life and killed an American hero, Corey Comperatore, should follow suit immediately. We will not…&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1815760677471973413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, had been facing growing calls to resign and several investigations into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">how the shooter was able to get so close</a>&nbsp;to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff, obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”Cheatle’s departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised continued investigation, along with an inspector general probe and an independent and bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden’s behest that will keep the agency in the spotlight.“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” Cheatle said in her note to staff.Cheatle’s resignation comes a day after appeared before a congressional committee and was berated by hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and said she took full responsibility for the security lapses, but she angered lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.At the hearing Monday, Cheatle remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility the security failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, “No, thank you.”The 20-year-old shooter,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-drone-fbi-733811e02b1e609de6a9bc35f6b8c141">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a>, was able to get within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage where the former president was speaking when he opened fire. That’s despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-attempted-assassination-iran-threat-secret-service-87f9a1e6e74c2ac18636334e9b2e03a3">a threat on Trump’s life from Iran leading to additional security</a>&nbsp;for the former president in the days before the July 13 rally.Cheatle acknowledged Monday that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. But she failed to answer many questions about what happened, including why there no agents stationed on the roof.A bloodied Trump was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and agency snipers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">killed the shooter</a>. Trump said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. One rallygoer was killed, and two others were critically wounded.“The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle told members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. “As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.”Details continue to unfold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-butler-police-cdfd3f4b163f7f91b05eeefe21caa45a">about signs of trouble that day</a>&nbsp;and what role both the Secret Service and local authorities played in security. The agency routinely relies on local law enforcement to secure the perimeter of events where people it is protecting appear. Former top Secret Service agents said the gunman should never have been allowed to gain access to the roof.Two days after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he supported Cheatle “100%.”But there were calls for accountability across the political spectrum, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-congress-investigation-hearing-efcf80835d37fe6a80b2260b19416b7c">congressional committees immediately moving to investigate</a>, issuing a subpoena to testify and the top Republican leaders from both the House and the Senate saying she should step down. President Joe Biden also has ordered an independent review into security at the rally and the Secret Service’s inspector general opened an investigation. The agency is also reviewing its counter sniper team’s “preparedness and operations.”In an interview with ABC News two days after the shooting, Cheatle said she wasn’t resigning. She called the shooting “unacceptable” and something that no Secret Service agent wants to happen. She said her agency is responsible for the former president’s protection: “The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service.”Cheatle served in the Secret Service for 27 years. She left in 2021 for a job as a security executive at PepsiCo before Biden asked her to return in 2022 to head the agency with a workforce of 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staff.She took over amid a controversy over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-united-states-government-and-politics-e5b67d9a848b76a3803e9f7e3546bb51">missing text messages</a>&nbsp;from around the time thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.During her time in the agency, Cheatle was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations, the division that provides protection to the president and other dignitaries where she oversaw a $133.5 million budget. She is the second woman to lead the agency overall.When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/statement-from-president-biden-on-the-appointment-of-kimberly-cheatle-to-be-the-next-director-of-the-united-states-secret-service/">he announced her appointment</a>, Biden said Cheatle had served on his detail when he was vice president and he and his wife “came to trust her judgment and counsel.”

Kan. U.S. Senator responds to Secret Service director's resignation

The House GOP Oversight Committee released a statement on what they learned during the 5-h0ur hearing on Monday with U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle.&nbsp; The statement is below.

While U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle refused to answer most of the questions asked of her, here are a few things we did learn:

Nine days after an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, the director of the U.S. Secret Service does not have a comprehensive timeline of events.

She has not visited the site in Butler, PA.

The roof the shooter used was outside the perimeter the Secret Service was monitoring.

She thinks that the assassination attempt was “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,” yet she still believes she is the best person to lead the Secret Service.

She was more forthcoming with her TV interview appearances than our hearing and even had her opening statement“leaked” to journalists hours before the committee received a copy.

Click below to watch a replay of the hearing.

She believes this tragedy, which claimed a life, almost killed President Trump, and injured two others, was preventable.

She admits to multiple lapses in security under her leadership of the law enforcement agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;She believes there were sufficient resources given to President Trump on the day he was shot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721658019683.png" alt="Image from House Oversight Committee video" />
 <figcaption>Image from House Oversight Committee video</figcaption>
 </figure>The House GOP Oversight Committee released a statement on what they learned during the 5-h0ur hearing on Monday with U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle.&nbsp; The statement is below.While U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle refused to answer most of the questions asked of her, here are a few things we did learn:Nine days after an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, the director of the U.S. Secret Service does not have a comprehensive timeline of events.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721678257128.png" alt="Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers asked the director to resign" />
 <figcaption>Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers asked the director to resign</figcaption>
 </figure>She has not visited the site in Butler, PA.The roof the shooter used was outside the perimeter the Secret Service was monitoring.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720913971898.png" alt="Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" />
 <figcaption>Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)</figcaption>
 </figure>She thinks that the assassination attempt was “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,” yet she still believes she is the best person to lead the Secret Service.She was more forthcoming with her TV interview appearances than our hearing and even had her opening statement“leaked” to journalists hours before the committee received a copy.Click below to watch a replay of the hearing.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hyP3tKtgtnw?si=Pqhet5TaSu_xleoJ&amp;start=999" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>She believes this tragedy, which claimed a life, almost killed President Trump, and injured two others, was preventable.She admits to multiple lapses in security under her leadership of the law enforcement agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;She believes there were sufficient resources given to President Trump on the day he was shot.

What committee learned on assassination attempt from Secret Service Director

KANSAS CITY—Police are working to identify a body found in a creek recovered from a Kansas City area creek.

Just before 8p.m. Monday a Kansas City Fire Department Rescue unit returning to their station near Emanual Cleaver and Cleveland spotted what appeared to be a body in brush creek, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

The company stopped and confirmed the information and requested additional resources. KC Fire Department crews entered the water and retrieved the individual. Due to the body temperature and condition of the body, crews-initiated CPR on the victim. 

The individual was transported to St. Lukes with CPR in progress. Patient care was transferred to ER staff, who after several minutes of CPR ceased care and pronounced the individual deceased. 

The victim was an African American male approximately 40 to 50 years old with no identification. It is unknown if a medical emergency caused the individual to end up in the creek or the creek caused the medical emergency. Kansas City Police are in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721736661928.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Police are working to identify a body found in a creek recovered from a Kansas City area creek.Just before 8p.m. Monday a Kansas City Fire Department Rescue unit returning to their station near Emanual Cleaver and Cleveland spotted what appeared to be a body in brush creek, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.The company stopped and confirmed the information and requested additional resources. KC Fire Department crews entered the water and retrieved the individual. Due to the body temperature and condition of the body, crews-initiated CPR on the victim. The individual was transported to St. Lukes with CPR in progress. Patient care was transferred to ER staff, who after several minutes of CPR ceased care and pronounced the individual deceased. The victim was an African American male approximately 40 to 50 years old with no identification. It is unknown if a medical emergency caused the individual to end up in the creek or the creek caused the medical emergency. Kansas City Police are in charge of the investigation.

Man dies after pulled from Kansas City creek

WASHINGTON (AP) —Shortly after securing the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she is looking forward to formally accepting the nomination while also making her case against a second Donald Trump presidency.

“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top," Harris said.

The 2024 election is about two different visions for America's future, Harris said.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights," she said. "I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.”

The AP is not calling Harris the new presumptive nominee because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721737749444.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Shortly after securing the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she is looking forward to formally accepting the nomination while also making her case against a second Donald Trump presidency.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721737632143.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top," Harris said.The 2024 election is about two different visions for America's future, Harris said.“Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights," she said. "I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.”The AP is not calling Harris the new presumptive nominee because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

Read statement from Kamala Harris on accepting the nomination soon

PHILLIPS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder that occurred on Valentine's Day three years ago have a suspect in custody.

On February 14, 2021, deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 600 block of 7th Street in Phillipsburg, according to a media release from the Phillips County Sheriff.

 The incident resulted in the death of 43-year-old Janna Lea Constable.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, the Phillips County Sheriffs Office executed an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Phillipsburg resident Kevin Lee Hadley. 

Hadley was arrested on requested charges of second degree murder, interference with a law enforcement officer and possession of a Firearm.&nbsp;He remains in custody with a $125,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721730738856.png" alt="Hadley-photo Phillips County" />
 <figcaption>Hadley-photo Phillips County</figcaption>
 </figure>PHILLIPS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder that occurred on Valentine's Day three years ago have a suspect in custody.On February 14, 2021, deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 600 block of 7th Street in Phillipsburg, according to a media release from the Phillips County Sheriff. The incident resulted in the death of 43-year-old Janna Lea Constable.Just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, the Phillips County Sheriffs Office executed an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Phillipsburg resident Kevin Lee Hadley. Hadley was arrested on requested charges of second degree murder, interference with a law enforcement officer and possession of a Firearm.&nbsp;He remains in custody with a $125,000 bond.

NW Kan. man jailed for Valentine's Day murder in 2021

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Investigators found the body of a fatal Kansas&nbsp; motorcycle crash.

Just after 8a.m. Monday,&nbsp; the Topeka Police Department requested assistance from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office in searching for a missing Topeka man.

Just before 10a.m., deputies with the Sheriff’s Office located the body of 80-year-old Lowell W. Lence of Topeka in the 4400 block of SW Auburn Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

An investigation determined a 2011 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Lence southbound on SW Auburn Road when it left the roadway. Both the motorcycle and driver were located several yards off the roadway near the bottom of a ravine, in a heavily wooded area. The final resting place of Lence and motorcycle were not visible from the roadway. Lence was pronounced deceased at the scene.

SW Auburn Road was shut down between approximately 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. while investigators were on scene investigating.

This incident is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721682741770.png" alt="Investigators on the scene photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators on the scene photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Investigators found the body of a fatal Kansas&nbsp; motorcycle crash.Just after 8a.m. Monday,&nbsp; the Topeka Police Department requested assistance from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office in searching for a missing Topeka man.Just before 10a.m., deputies with the Sheriff’s Office located the body of 80-year-old Lowell W. Lence of Topeka in the 4400 block of SW Auburn Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.An investigation determined a 2011 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Lence southbound on SW Auburn Road when it left the roadway. Both the motorcycle and driver were located several yards off the roadway near the bottom of a ravine, in a heavily wooded area. The final resting place of Lence and motorcycle were not visible from the roadway. Lence was pronounced deceased at the scene.SW Auburn Road was shut down between approximately 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. while investigators were on scene investigating.This incident is still under investigation.

Sheriff: Victim of fatal Kan. motorcycle crash found in ravine

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause an apartment fire in Kansas City.

Just before 11a.m. Monday, crews responded to an apartment fire at 116th&nbsp;and Winchester, according to&nbsp;Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First arriving crews reported heavy black smoke.&nbsp; After several minutes of interior firefighting the crews had to evacuate the structure. A second alarm was ordered, and fly-pipe operations were initiated. 

The fire was brought under control at approximately 11:30 a.m.. The building houses 12 apartment units. Eight units were occupied. A total of ten residents requested Red Cross assistance. One resident was treated and released on the scene and one firefighter was transported for evaluation due to heat related issues. A damage estimate has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721680731932.png" alt="Photo KC Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo KC Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause an apartment fire in Kansas City. Just before 11a.m. Monday, crews responded to an apartment fire at 116th&nbsp;and Winchester, according to&nbsp;Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.First arriving crews reported heavy black smoke.&nbsp; After several minutes of interior firefighting the crews had to evacuate the structure. A second alarm was ordered, and fly-pipe operations were initiated. The fire was brought under control at approximately 11:30 a.m.. The building houses 12 apartment units. Eight units were occupied. A total of ten residents requested Red Cross assistance. One resident was treated and released on the scene and one firefighter was transported for evaluation due to heat related issues. A damage estimate has not been released.

Cause of 2 alarm Kansas City apartment fire under investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-the-treasury">The Treasury Department</a>&nbsp;is warning that state laws that restrict banks from considering environmental, social and governance factors could harm efforts to address money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter sent to lawmakers. The letter singled out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-desantis-climate-change-environment-b8230e47da342b9379fa054d197b278a">a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;in May that says it would be an “unsafe and unsound practice” for banks to consider non-financial factors when doing business. The letter concludes that “such laws create uncertainty and may inhibit” national security efforts.

Conservative Republicans such as DeSantis have sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-desantis-climate-change-environment-a3bee6775476d6f3e00b8c6cd500a3b1">block environmental and socially conscious standards for investing</a>, saying that such initiatives can lead to unfair discrimination based on political beliefs and harm legitimate businesses. They say that considering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-business-esg-investing-c1342634d0d3d4df4db797c562fe1a71">environmental, social and corporate-governance issues</a>, or ESG, before deciding whether to invest is woke behavior gone amok.

Tennessee recently enacted a similar law, although it was not mentioned in the Treasury letter. State legislatures in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota also have measures along these same lines under consideration.

DeSantis has said the law being questioned by the Treasury Department would protect the access that conservative groups and the firearms industry have to the financial sector, arguing that such organizations have at times had their accounts frozen or closed.

The Treasury Department letter said that the Florida law could, however, undermine the work of federal agencies, heightening “the risk that international drug traffickers, transnational organized criminals, terrorists, and corrupt foreign officials will use the U.S. financial system to launder money, evade sanctions, and threaten our national security.”

The Treasury Department letter was a response to a July 8 request from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., and Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif.

Gottheimer said he was pleased that the Treasury Department shared his concerns.

“To any states that are considering similar laws, I urge them to think twice before putting America’s national security at risk,” the congressman said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705324613627.png" alt="File photo Florida Governor Ron Desantis-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Florida Governor Ron Desantis-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-the-treasury">The Treasury Department</a>&nbsp;is warning that state laws that restrict banks from considering environmental, social and governance factors could harm efforts to address money laundering and terrorism financing.The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter sent to lawmakers. The letter singled out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-desantis-climate-change-environment-b8230e47da342b9379fa054d197b278a">a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>&nbsp;in May that says it would be an “unsafe and unsound practice” for banks to consider non-financial factors when doing business. The letter concludes that “such laws create uncertainty and may inhibit” national security efforts.Conservative Republicans such as DeSantis have sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-desantis-climate-change-environment-a3bee6775476d6f3e00b8c6cd500a3b1">block environmental and socially conscious standards for investing</a>, saying that such initiatives can lead to unfair discrimination based on political beliefs and harm legitimate businesses. They say that considering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-business-esg-investing-c1342634d0d3d4df4db797c562fe1a71">environmental, social and corporate-governance issues</a>, or ESG, before deciding whether to invest is woke behavior gone amok.Tennessee recently enacted a similar law, although it was not mentioned in the Treasury letter. State legislatures in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota also have measures along these same lines under consideration.DeSantis has said the law being questioned by the Treasury Department would protect the access that conservative groups and the firearms industry have to the financial sector, arguing that such organizations have at times had their accounts frozen or closed.The Treasury Department letter said that the Florida law could, however, undermine the work of federal agencies, heightening “the risk that international drug traffickers, transnational organized criminals, terrorists, and corrupt foreign officials will use the U.S. financial system to launder money, evade sanctions, and threaten our national security.”The Treasury Department letter was a response to a July 8 request from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., and Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif.Gottheimer said he was pleased that the Treasury Department shared his concerns.“To any states that are considering similar laws, I urge them to think twice before putting America’s national security at risk,” the congressman said in a statement.

U.S. Treasury warns: Anti-woke banking laws are national security risk

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of a deadly overdose death is guilty, according to a jury in Johnson County.

Last week, a jury convicted 48-year-old Trina L. Golden of distribution of drugs causing death and use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe.

The victim was 19-year-old Maddelyn Miller who died of an overdose in July of 2020 at her home in Overland Park.

According to her obituary,&nbsp;Miller attended Olathe East High School, graduated in 2019 and&nbsp; planned to study at Johnson County Community College. Golden is scheduled for sentencing in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721483651727.png" alt="Golden -photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Golden -photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas woman accused of a deadly overdose death is guilty, according to a jury in Johnson County.Last week, a jury convicted 48-year-old Trina L. Golden of distribution of drugs causing death and use of a communication facility during a drug felony, according to Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe.The victim was 19-year-old Maddelyn Miller who died of an overdose in July of 2020 at her home in Overland Park.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721484305174.png" alt="Maddelyn Miller courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Maddelyn Miller courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>According to her obituary,&nbsp;Miller attended Olathe East High School, graduated in 2019 and&nbsp; planned to study at Johnson County Community College. Golden is scheduled for sentencing in September.

Jury: Woman guilty in drug deal death of Kansas teen

JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for the murder of a Kansas woman and her unborn child.

On July 15, Judge T. Kelly Ryan sentenced 30-year-old Doniel Sublett, Jr., to life with no possibility of parole until he has serves 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In November, Sublett plead guilty to pre meditated first-degree murder of Kathleen Jane Dampier and her unborn baby boy.

In September of 2022,&nbsp;&nbsp;police responded to report of a medical emergency at an apartment in the 7400 Block of Flint in Olathe, according to a media release from police.

At the scene, officers located 25-year-old Kathleen J. Dampier with gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took Sublette into custody for questioning and made an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663757512945.png" alt="Sublett photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Sublett photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A Kansas man is going to prison for the murder of a Kansas woman and her unborn child.On July 15, Judge T. Kelly Ryan sentenced 30-year-old Doniel Sublett, Jr., to life with no possibility of parole until he has serves 50-years, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In November, Sublett plead guilty to pre meditated first-degree murder of Kathleen Jane Dampier and her unborn baby boy.In September of 2022,&nbsp;&nbsp;police responded to report of a medical emergency at an apartment in the 7400 Block of Flint in Olathe, according to a media release from police.At the scene, officers located 25-year-old Kathleen J. Dampier with gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took Sublette into custody for questioning and made an arrest.

Hard 50: Kansas man killed woman, her unborn child

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-secret-service-cheatle-biden-48d384057a894b71859f945034092902">Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle</a>&nbsp;said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump, as lawmakers of both major political parties demanded during a highly contentious congressional hearing that she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally</a>.

During the hearing, both Repulican Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member, Democrat Jamie Raskin, called for United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign.

Cheatle was berated for hours by Republicans and Democrats, repeatedly angering lawmakers by evading questions about the investigation during the first hearing over the July 13 assassination attempt. Cheatle called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.

“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” she told lawmakers on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. She also revealed that the roof from which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-drone-fbi-733811e02b1e609de6a9bc35f6b8c141">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a>&nbsp;opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.

Yet Cheatle remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she takes full responsibility any security lapses at the event. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, “No, thank you.”

In a rare moment of unity for the often divided committee, the Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer, and its top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin, issued a letter calling on Cheatle to step down.

The White House didn’t immediately comment on whether President Joe Biden still has confidence in Cheatle after her testimony.

Democrats and Republicans were united in their exasperation as Cheatle said she didn’t know or couldn’t answer numerous questions more than a week after the shooting that left one spectator dead. At one point, Mace used profanity as she accused Cheatle of lying and dodging questions, prompting calls for lawmakers to show “decorum.”

Lawmakers pressed Cheatle on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">how the gunman could get so close</a>&nbsp;to the Republican presidential nominee when he was supposed to be carefully guarded, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage after local law enforcement had identified Crooks as suspicious.

"It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former president of the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York.

Cheatle acknowledged that Crooks had been seen by local law enforcement before the shooting with a rangefinder, a small device resembling binoculars that hunters use to measure distance from a target. She said the Secret Service would never have taken Trump onto the stage if it had known there was an “actual threat." Local law enforcement took a photograph of Crooks and shared it after seeing him acting suspiciously outside the security perimeter, but he wasn’t deemed to be a “threat” until seconds before he opened fire, she said.

“An individual with a backpack is not a threat,” Cheatle said. “An individual with a rangefinder is not a threat.”

Cheatle said local enforcement officers were inside the building from which Crooks fired. But when asked why there were no agents on the roof or if the Secret Service used drones to monitor the area, Cheatle said she is still waiting for the investigation to play out, prompting groans and outbursts from members on the committee.

“Director Cheatle, because Donald Trump is alive, and thank God he is, you look incompetent," said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. "If he were killed you would look culpable.”

Rep. Ro Khanna, one of the Democrats who joined the calls for Cheatle to resign, noted that the Secret Service director who presided over the agency when there was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reagan-assassination-attempt-trump-butler-gunman-bd3c038d706de55a64727f7d15dffbc8">an attempted assassination of former Republican President Ronald Reagan</a>&nbsp;later stepped down.

“The one thing we have to have in this country are agencies that transcend politics and have the confidence of independents, Democrats, Republicans, progressives and conservatives,” Khanna said, adding that the Secret Service was no longer one of those agencies.

Trump was wounded in the ear, a former Pennsylvania fire chief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-fatal-shooting-corey-comperatore-8c09711e88a56432424ef3f980321ed2">was killed</a>&nbsp;and two other attendees were injured after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-guns-fbi-motive-08e925cb85e52c5266878cd76e796ad2">Crooks</a>&nbsp;climbed atop the roof of a nearby building and opened fire with an AR-style rifle shortly after Trump started speaking at the rally.

Cheatle said the agency hopes to have its internal investigation completed in 60 days. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has separately appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review the assassination attempt, while the department’s inspector general has opened three investigations.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service">The Secret Service</a>&nbsp;has acknowledged it denied some requests by Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">the assassination attempt</a>. But Cheatle said Monday there were “no assets denied" for the Pennsylvania rally.

Authorities have been hunting for clues into what motivated Crooks but have not found any ideological bent that could help explain his actions. Investigators who searched his phone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-shooting-federal-investigation-2a90bdfd23ba9c3569cb9c29a459e87b">found photos of Trump</a>, Biden and other senior government officials and found that he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Conventional as well as Trump’s appearances. He also searched for information about major depressive order.

The attack on Trump was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reagan-assassination-attempt-trump-butler-gunman-bd3c038d706de55a64727f7d15dffbc8">Reagan was shot in 1981</a>. It was the latest in a series of security lapses by the agency that has drawn investigations and public scrutiny over the years.

Cheatle took over two years ago as head of the Secret Service's 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staffers whose main purpose is protecting presidents, vice presidents, their families, former presidents and others. In announcing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/statement-from-president-biden-on-the-appointment-of-kimberly-cheatle-to-be-the-next-director-of-the-united-states-secret-service/">her appointment</a>, Biden said Cheatle had served on his vice presidential detail and called her a “distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills” who had his “complete trust.”

Cheatle took the reins from James M. Murray as multiple congressional committees and an internal watchdog&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-united-states-government-and-politics-e5b67d9a848b76a3803e9f7e3546bb51">investigated missing text messages</a>&nbsp;from when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Secret Service says they were purged during a technology transition.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-secret-service-cheatle-biden-48d384057a894b71859f945034092902">Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle</a>&nbsp;said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump, as lawmakers of both major political parties demanded during a highly contentious congressional hearing that she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally</a>.During the hearing, both Repulican Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member, Democrat Jamie Raskin, called for United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721678257128.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Cheatle was berated for hours by Republicans and Democrats, repeatedly angering lawmakers by evading questions about the investigation during the first hearing over the July 13 assassination attempt. Cheatle called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades, and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.Click below to watch a replay of the hearing.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hyP3tKtgtnw?si=FfORvNPU782UDTjs&amp;start=1165" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” she told lawmakers on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. She also revealed that the roof from which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-drone-fbi-733811e02b1e609de6a9bc35f6b8c141">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a>&nbsp;opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.Yet Cheatle remained defiant that she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she takes full responsibility any security lapses at the event. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, “No, thank you.”In a rare moment of unity for the often divided committee, the Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer, and its top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin, issued a letter calling on Cheatle to step down.The White House didn’t immediately comment on whether President Joe Biden still has confidence in Cheatle after her testimony.Democrats and Republicans were united in their exasperation as Cheatle said she didn’t know or couldn’t answer numerous questions more than a week after the shooting that left one spectator dead. At one point, Mace used profanity as she accused Cheatle of lying and dodging questions, prompting calls for lawmakers to show “decorum.”Lawmakers pressed Cheatle on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">how the gunman could get so close</a>&nbsp;to the Republican presidential nominee when he was supposed to be carefully guarded, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage after local law enforcement had identified Crooks as suspicious."It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former president of the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York.Cheatle acknowledged that Crooks had been seen by local law enforcement before the shooting with a rangefinder, a small device resembling binoculars that hunters use to measure distance from a target. She said the Secret Service would never have taken Trump onto the stage if it had known there was an “actual threat." Local law enforcement took a photograph of Crooks and shared it after seeing him acting suspiciously outside the security perimeter, but he wasn’t deemed to be a “threat” until seconds before he opened fire, she said.“An individual with a backpack is not a threat,” Cheatle said. “An individual with a rangefinder is not a threat.”Cheatle said local enforcement officers were inside the building from which Crooks fired. But when asked why there were no agents on the roof or if the Secret Service used drones to monitor the area, Cheatle said she is still waiting for the investigation to play out, prompting groans and outbursts from members on the committee.“Director Cheatle, because Donald Trump is alive, and thank God he is, you look incompetent," said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. "If he were killed you would look culpable.”Rep. Ro Khanna, one of the Democrats who joined the calls for Cheatle to resign, noted that the Secret Service director who presided over the agency when there was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reagan-assassination-attempt-trump-butler-gunman-bd3c038d706de55a64727f7d15dffbc8">an attempted assassination of former Republican President Ronald Reagan</a>&nbsp;later stepped down.“The one thing we have to have in this country are agencies that transcend politics and have the confidence of independents, Democrats, Republicans, progressives and conservatives,” Khanna said, adding that the Secret Service was no longer one of those agencies.Trump was wounded in the ear, a former Pennsylvania fire chief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-fatal-shooting-corey-comperatore-8c09711e88a56432424ef3f980321ed2">was killed</a>&nbsp;and two other attendees were injured after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-guns-fbi-motive-08e925cb85e52c5266878cd76e796ad2">Crooks</a>&nbsp;climbed atop the roof of a nearby building and opened fire with an AR-style rifle shortly after Trump started speaking at the rally.Cheatle said the agency hopes to have its internal investigation completed in 60 days. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has separately appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review the assassination attempt, while the department’s inspector general has opened three investigations.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service">The Secret Service</a>&nbsp;has acknowledged it denied some requests by Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-trump-rally-4e3415b1461f5acefbc8e1fadad0375b">the assassination attempt</a>. But Cheatle said Monday there were “no assets denied" for the Pennsylvania rally.Authorities have been hunting for clues into what motivated Crooks but have not found any ideological bent that could help explain his actions. Investigators who searched his phone&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-shooting-federal-investigation-2a90bdfd23ba9c3569cb9c29a459e87b">found photos of Trump</a>, Biden and other senior government officials and found that he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Conventional as well as Trump’s appearances. He also searched for information about major depressive order.The attack on Trump was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reagan-assassination-attempt-trump-butler-gunman-bd3c038d706de55a64727f7d15dffbc8">Reagan was shot in 1981</a>. It was the latest in a series of security lapses by the agency that has drawn investigations and public scrutiny over the years.Cheatle took over two years ago as head of the Secret Service's 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staffers whose main purpose is protecting presidents, vice presidents, their families, former presidents and others. In announcing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/statement-from-president-biden-on-the-appointment-of-kimberly-cheatle-to-be-the-next-director-of-the-united-states-secret-service/">her appointment</a>, Biden said Cheatle had served on his vice presidential detail and called her a “distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills” who had his “complete trust.”Cheatle took the reins from James M. Murray as multiple congressional committees and an internal watchdog&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-united-states-government-and-politics-e5b67d9a848b76a3803e9f7e3546bb51">investigated missing text messages</a>&nbsp;from when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Secret Service says they were purged during a technology transition.

🎥Read the letter: GOP, Dems call for Secret Service Director to resign

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 11a.m. Monday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Toyota Camry driven by&nbsp; &nbsp; Caleb James&nbsp; Stricker, 17, Atchison, was northbound on U.S. 73 just south of Lowemont Road.&nbsp;

The Toyota traveled across the center line and struck a southbound 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Dustin Lee Anderson, 24, Williamsburg, head-on.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;Stricker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;First Call Morgue. Anderson was not transported for treatment of a minor injury. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —A Kansas teen died in an accident just after 11a.m. Monday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Toyota Camry driven by&nbsp; &nbsp; Caleb James&nbsp; Stricker, 17, Atchison, was northbound on U.S. 73 just south of Lowemont Road.&nbsp; The Toyota traveled across the center line and struck a southbound 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Dustin Lee Anderson, 24, Williamsburg, head-on.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Stricker was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;First Call Morgue. Anderson was not transported for treatment of a minor injury. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas teen dies after head-on crash with a semi

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City and asking the public for help to identify a suspect seen on security cameras.

Just after 4:30a.m. July 19, police responded on a shots fired call at 54th and Prospect, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders located a man identified as 45-year-old&nbsp;Ernest J. Scott suffering from gunshot wounds in a grassy area. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police interviewed witnesses and found surveillance video in an effort to identify the suspect.

This is 80th homicide of 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously that leads to an arrest in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721670632152.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City and asking the public for help to identify a suspect seen on security cameras.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721406797743.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 4:30a.m. July 19, police responded on a shots fired call at 54th and Prospect, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders located a man identified as 45-year-old&nbsp;Ernest J. Scott suffering from gunshot wounds in a grassy area. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Police interviewed witnesses and found surveillance video in an effort to identify the suspect.This is 80th homicide of 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KCPD.Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously that leads to an arrest in the case.

KCPD asks for help to ID suspect in weekend killing 

WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas. On Monday Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician, provided an update on Biden's recovery.

&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;announced Sunday&nbsp;that he is dropping his reelection bid against Donald Trump. He has not been seen in public since last week.

WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas. On Monday Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician, provided an update on Biden's recovery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721673941588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;announced Sunday&nbsp;that he is dropping his reelection bid against Donald Trump. He has not been seen in public since last week.

Read doctor's Monday update on Biden's COVID recovery

NEW YORK (AP) — Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops that was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88.

Fakir died Monday of heart failure, according to a family spokesperson, with his wife and other loved ones by his side.

The Four Tops were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/r-b-stevie-wonder-detroit-music-national-5ee215678e564d37b31dc87643436906">among Motown's most popular and enduring acts</a>, and peaked in the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1967, they had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1’s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often sagas of romantic pain and bereavement, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.”

Many of Motown’s greatest stars, from the Supremes to Stevie Wonder, came of age at the Detroit-based company founded by Berry Gordy in the late 1950s. But Fakir, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton had been together for a decade when Gordy signed them up in 1963 (after the group had turned him a few years earlier) and they already had a polished stage act and versatile vocal style that enabled them to perform anything from country songs to pop standards like “Paper Doll.”

They called themselves the Four Aims when they started out, but soon renamed themselves the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the white harmony quartet the Ames Brothers.

The Tops had recorded for several labels, including the famed Chess Records in Chicago, with little commercial success. But Gordy and A&amp;R man Mickey Stevenson paired them with the songwriting-production team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland and they quickly caught on, blending tight, haunting harmonies (with Fakir as lead tenor) behind Stubbs’ urgent, sometimes desperate baritone.

After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Tops had more sporadic success, with hits over the next few years including “Still Water (Love),” and a pair of top 10 songs in the early 1970s for ABC/Dunhill Records, ”Keeper of the Castle” and “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got.” They reached the top 20 for the last time in the early 1980s, with the sentimental ballad “When She Was My Girl.”

Throughout, they remained a busy concert act and at times toured with latter day members of the Temptations, a friendly rivalry launched when the groups performed together at the all-star 1983 television concert marking Motown’s 25th anniversary. While the Temptations and other peers suffered from drug problems, internal dissension and personnel changes, the Four Tops remained united and intact until Payton died in 1997. (Benson died in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008).

“The things I love about them the most — they are very professional, they have fun with what they do, they are very loving, they have always been gentlemen,” Wonder said of them when he helped induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Fakir later toured as the Four Tops with lead vocalist Alexander Morris, Ronnie McNeir and Lawrence ‘Roquel’ Payton Jr., the son of Lawrence Payton.

“As each one of them (the original members) passed a little bit of me left with them,” Fakir told UK Music Reviews in 2021. “When Levi left us, I found myself in a quandary as to what I was going to do from that moment on but after a while I realized that the name together with the legacy that they had left us simply had to carry on, and judging by the audience reaction it soon became pretty evident that I did the right thing and I really do feel good about that.”

Besides the Rock Hall of Fame, their honors included being voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and receiving a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009. More recently, Fakir was working on a planned Broadway musical based on their lives and completed the memoir “I’ll Be There,” published in 2022.

Fakir was married twice and he had seven children. His marriage to Piper Gibson lasted 50 yearsIn the mid-1960s, he was briefly engaged to Mary Wilson of the Supremes.

A lifelong Detroit resident who stayed home even after Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles in early 1970s, Fakir was of Ethiopian and Bangladeshi descent and grew up in a rough neighborhood where rival Black and white gangs fought often. He had early dreams of being a professional athlete, but was also a talented singer whose tenor brought him attention as a performer in his church choir. He was in his teens when he befriended Stubbs and the two first sang with Benson and Payton at a birthday party thrown by a local “girl” group whom Fakir remembered as “high-class, very fine young ladies.”

“Singing was the by-product of us going to the party looking for the girls!” Fakir said in a 2016 interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://writewyattuk.com/">https://writewyattuk.com</a>.

“We told Levi to just pick a song and sing the lead. We’d just back him up. Well, when he started, we all fell in like we’d been rehearsing the song for months! Our blend was incredible. We were just looking at each other as we were singing, and right after we said, ’Man, this is a group! This is a group!’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721676891878.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops that was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” has died at age 88.Fakir died Monday of heart failure, according to a family spokesperson, with his wife and other loved ones by his side.The Four Tops were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/r-b-stevie-wonder-detroit-music-national-5ee215678e564d37b31dc87643436906">among Motown's most popular and enduring acts</a>, and peaked in the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1967, they had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1’s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often sagas of romantic pain and bereavement, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.”Many of Motown’s greatest stars, from the Supremes to Stevie Wonder, came of age at the Detroit-based company founded by Berry Gordy in the late 1950s. But Fakir, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton had been together for a decade when Gordy signed them up in 1963 (after the group had turned him a few years earlier) and they already had a polished stage act and versatile vocal style that enabled them to perform anything from country songs to pop standards like “Paper Doll.”They called themselves the Four Aims when they started out, but soon renamed themselves the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the white harmony quartet the Ames Brothers.The Tops had recorded for several labels, including the famed Chess Records in Chicago, with little commercial success. But Gordy and A&amp;R man Mickey Stevenson paired them with the songwriting-production team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland and they quickly caught on, blending tight, haunting harmonies (with Fakir as lead tenor) behind Stubbs’ urgent, sometimes desperate baritone.After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Tops had more sporadic success, with hits over the next few years including “Still Water (Love),” and a pair of top 10 songs in the early 1970s for ABC/Dunhill Records, ”Keeper of the Castle” and “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got.” They reached the top 20 for the last time in the early 1980s, with the sentimental ballad “When She Was My Girl.”Throughout, they remained a busy concert act and at times toured with latter day members of the Temptations, a friendly rivalry launched when the groups performed together at the all-star 1983 television concert marking Motown’s 25th anniversary. While the Temptations and other peers suffered from drug problems, internal dissension and personnel changes, the Four Tops remained united and intact until Payton died in 1997. (Benson died in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008).“The things I love about them the most — they are very professional, they have fun with what they do, they are very loving, they have always been gentlemen,” Wonder said of them when he helped induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.Fakir later toured as the Four Tops with lead vocalist Alexander Morris, Ronnie McNeir and Lawrence ‘Roquel’ Payton Jr., the son of Lawrence Payton.“As each one of them (the original members) passed a little bit of me left with them,” Fakir told UK Music Reviews in 2021. “When Levi left us, I found myself in a quandary as to what I was going to do from that moment on but after a while I realized that the name together with the legacy that they had left us simply had to carry on, and judging by the audience reaction it soon became pretty evident that I did the right thing and I really do feel good about that.”Besides the Rock Hall of Fame, their honors included being voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and receiving a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009. More recently, Fakir was working on a planned Broadway musical based on their lives and completed the memoir “I’ll Be There,” published in 2022.Fakir was married twice and he had seven children. His marriage to Piper Gibson lasted 50 yearsIn the mid-1960s, he was briefly engaged to Mary Wilson of the Supremes.A lifelong Detroit resident who stayed home even after Gordy moved the label to Los Angeles in early 1970s, Fakir was of Ethiopian and Bangladeshi descent and grew up in a rough neighborhood where rival Black and white gangs fought often. He had early dreams of being a professional athlete, but was also a talented singer whose tenor brought him attention as a performer in his church choir. He was in his teens when he befriended Stubbs and the two first sang with Benson and Payton at a birthday party thrown by a local “girl” group whom Fakir remembered as “high-class, very fine young ladies.”“Singing was the by-product of us going to the party looking for the girls!” Fakir said in a 2016 interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://writewyattuk.com/">https://writewyattuk.com</a>.“We told Levi to just pick a song and sing the lead. We’d just back him up. Well, when he started, we all fell in like we’d been rehearsing the song for months! Our blend was incredible. We were just looking at each other as we were singing, and right after we said, ’Man, this is a group! This is a group!’”

Last surviving original member of the legendary Four Tops has died

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A newly posted video of Miss Kansas calling out her domestic violence abuser from the stage the night she was crowned is whipping up a maelstrom of support on social media.

Alexis Smith, who works overnight shifts as a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse in Wichita, was crowned Miss Kansas on June 8, but posted the video of her on-stage comments just this past week on the platform now known as X. Her comments are resonating with thousands in part because she called out her own abuser from the stage while she said the perpetrator was sitting in the audience.

<a href="https://x.com/MissAmericaKS/status/1813197140606288016">The video</a>&nbsp;Smith posted July 16 has been viewed more than 60,000 times and generated a rash of news stories.

“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said during the interview portion of the pageant last month. “Matter of fact, some of you in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas.”

Smith just recently started her reign and began raising concerns about the issue in interviews and social media posts. Her bold pageant statement against domestic abuse and her courage to speak out is being praised online by dozens of people as her video gets shared again and again.

The beauty queen cares deeply about domestic violence issues because not only was she a victim, but so were many of the other women in her family, she has said.

“My family, every single woman in my family, was impacted by domestic violence,” she said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/local/miss-kansas-a-survivor-advocates-against-domestic-violence/">interview</a>&nbsp;with Wichita television station KSN. “At the age of 14, I got in my first relationship, but it was also an abusive relationship that I was in until about 2018, 2019. It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today.”

Smith said she even moved to Texas for a couple years after she escaped the relationship. She returned to Wichita to study nursing at Newman University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718101435215.png" alt="Miss Kansas 2024 Alexis Smith-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Miss Kansas 2024 Alexis Smith-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A newly posted video of Miss Kansas calling out her domestic violence abuser from the stage the night she was crowned is whipping up a maelstrom of support on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Respect Reclaimed! Our time is now for healthy relationships.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissAmerica</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThereSheIs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThereSheIs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pageants?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pageants</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RespectReclaimed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RespectReclaimed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissKansas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissKansas</a> <a href="https://t.co/npejBb6CCs">pic.twitter.com/npejBb6CCs</a>&mdash; Alexis Smith, Miss Kansas (@MissAmericaKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissAmericaKS/status/1813197140606288016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Alexis Smith, who works overnight shifts as a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse in Wichita, was crowned Miss Kansas on June 8, but posted the video of her on-stage comments just this past week on the platform now known as X. Her comments are resonating with thousands in part because she called out her own abuser from the stage while she said the perpetrator was sitting in the audience.<a href="https://x.com/MissAmericaKS/status/1813197140606288016">The video</a>&nbsp;Smith posted July 16 has been viewed more than 60,000 times and generated a rash of news stories.“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said during the interview portion of the pageant last month. “Matter of fact, some of you in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas.”Smith just recently started her reign and began raising concerns about the issue in interviews and social media posts. Her bold pageant statement against domestic abuse and her courage to speak out is being praised online by dozens of people as her video gets shared again and again.The beauty queen cares deeply about domestic violence issues because not only was she a victim, but so were many of the other women in her family, she has said.“My family, every single woman in my family, was impacted by domestic violence,” she said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/local/miss-kansas-a-survivor-advocates-against-domestic-violence/">interview</a>&nbsp;with Wichita television station KSN. “At the age of 14, I got in my first relationship, but it was also an abusive relationship that I was in until about 2018, 2019. It’s something that I’m still experiencing and dealing with today.”Smith said she even moved to Texas for a couple years after she escaped the relationship. She returned to Wichita to study nursing at Newman University.

🎥Miss Kansas called out her abuser in public. Her campaign against domestic violence is going viral

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Authorities have identified as Kansas man who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Sunday in Shawnee County as Chance M. Lucas, 28, of Topeka.

According to Deputy Abigail Christian, investigators determined a&nbsp; 2019 Nissan Altima driven by Lucas was westbound on SW 33rd Street when it drove through the stop sign at SW Auburn Road and struck a tree on the west side of the roadway. Lucas&nbsp;was pronounced deceased at the scene.

This accident is still under investigation, according to Christian.

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Authorities have identified as Kansas man who died in an accident just after 3a.m. Sunday in Shawnee County as Chance M. Lucas, 28, of Topeka.According to Deputy Abigail Christian, investigators determined a&nbsp; 2019 Nissan Altima driven by Lucas was westbound on SW 33rd Street when it drove through the stop sign at SW Auburn Road and struck a tree on the west side of the roadway. Lucas&nbsp;was pronounced deceased at the scene.This accident is still under investigation, according to Christian.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died after car strikes a tree

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are now investigating a homicide after a man found wounded in Kansas City died.

Just after 4p.m. Friday, police responded to NE 34th and NE Chouteau Trafficway in Kansas City after reports of a stolen vehicle, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;

First responders found a man suffering gunshot trauma inside a vehicle. On Sunday Forte' reported police learned the victim died of his injuries.

Police have not reported additional information including the name of the victim.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are now investigating a homicide after a man found wounded in Kansas City died.Just after 4p.m. Friday, police responded to NE 34th and NE Chouteau Trafficway in Kansas City after reports of a stolen vehicle, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp;First responders found a man suffering gunshot trauma inside a vehicle. On Sunday Forte' reported police learned the victim died of his injuries.Police have not reported additional information including the name of the victim.

KCPD: Stolen vehicle report leads to homicide investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-2024-presidential-campaign-aad5c42336bd1e4db58aa0868b4586b5">is being thrust into the most scrutinizing of spotlights</a>, suddenly the leading candidate to succeed President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-harris-election-2024-democrats-withdrawal-trump-c8b82fa105953e8f485c769580f7da49">party’s main hope</a>&nbsp;of defeating Donald Trump.

She spoke Monday at a White House celebration with the NCAA championship teams, her first appearance since Biden announced he was leaving the race.

Biden's exit Sunday, prompted by Democratic worries over his fitness for office, was a seismic shift to the presidential contest that upended both major political parties' carefully honed plans for the 2024 race.

Aiming to put weeks of intraparty drama over Biden's candidacy behind them, prominent Democratic elected officials, party leaders and political organizations quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-biden-democratic-convention-2fb8b1bc88b99e919872e63efdd8c275">lined up behind Harris</a>&nbsp;in the hours after Biden announced he was dropping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">his reelection campaign</a>.

Biden's departure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/ap-dnc-delegate-survey/">frees his delegates</a>&nbsp;to vote for whomever they choose. Harris, whom Biden backed after ending his candidacy, is thus far the only declared candidate and was working to quickly secure endorsements from a majority of delegates.

Additional endorsements Monday, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, left a dwindling list of potential rivals to Harris.

Winning the nomination is only the first item on a staggering political to-do list for her after Biden's decision to exit the race, which she learned about on a Sunday morning call with the president. If she's successful at locking up the nomination, she must also pick a running mate and pivot a massive political operation to boost her candidacy instead of Biden's with just over 100 days until Election Day.

On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June. It got bigger by Monday morning: Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Harris had raised $49.6 million in donations in the first 15 hours after Biden’s endorsement.

Harris spent much of Sunday surrounded by family and staff, making more than 100 calls to Democratic officials to line up their support for her candidacy, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the effort. It comes as she tries to move her party past the painful, public wrangling that had defined the weeks since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">Biden's disastrous June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;with Trump.

Speaking to party leaders, Harris expressed gratitude for Biden's endorsement but insisted she was looking to earn the nomination in her own right, the person said.

In a sign that the Democratic Party was moving to coalesce behind her, Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the AAPI Victory Fund, which focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, The Collective PAC, focused on building Black political power, and the Latino Victory Fund, as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the entire Congressional Black Caucus. Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to be president.

Notably, a handful of men who had already been discussed as potential running mates for Harris — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — also swiftly issued statements endorsing her. Aides to Shapiro and Cooper confirmed that Harris spoke with them Sunday afternoon. In her brief call with Cooper, the North Carolina governor told Harris he was backing her to be the Democratic nominee, according to Cooper spokeswoman Sadie Weiner.

But former President Barack Obama held off on an immediate endorsement, as some in the party have expressed worry that the quick shift to Harris would appear to be a coronation, instead pledging his support behind the eventual party nominee.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the party earlier this year but considered re-registering as a Democrat to vie for the nomination against the vice president, told CBS News on Monday that he would not be a candidate.

Harris is set to travel to Wilmington, where the Biden campaign had been headquartered, to meet with her new campaign staff.

Harris, in a statement, praised Biden’s “selfless and patriotic act” in deciding to leave the race and said she intends to “earn and win” her party’s nomination.

“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rnc-republicans-heritage-foundation-project-2025-8cce6cfef6f5bdf45269146739222f80">his extreme Project 2025 agenda</a>,” she said.

Biden planned to discuss his decision to step aside later this week in an address to the nation. He wrote in a letter posted Sunday to his X account, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

Nearly 30 minutes after he delivered the news that he was folding his campaign, Biden threw his support behind Harris.

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said in another post on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">The Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party had announced it would hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-ballot-biden-access-3bf359cce8e73714be45cb99a6e31546">a virtual roll call</a>&nbsp;to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. The convention's rules committee is scheduled to meet this week to finalize its nomination process and it is unclear how it will be adjusted to reflect Biden's exit.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman Nanette Barragan, who emphasized that she was “all in” behind the vice president, said she spoke Sunday with Harris, who communicated that she preferred to forego a virtual roll call for the nomination process and instead hold a process that adheres to regular order.

The Democratic National Committee’s chair, Jaime Harrison, said in a statement that the party would “undertake a transparent and orderly process” to select “a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-joe-biden-2024-presidential-campaign-aad5c42336bd1e4db58aa0868b4586b5">is being thrust into the most scrutinizing of spotlights</a>, suddenly the leading candidate to succeed President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-harris-election-2024-democrats-withdrawal-trump-c8b82fa105953e8f485c769580f7da49">party’s main hope</a>&nbsp;of defeating Donald Trump.She spoke Monday at a White House celebration with the NCAA championship teams, her first appearance since Biden announced he was leaving the race.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &quot;Joe Biden&#39;s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/m12gjVAkD6">pic.twitter.com/m12gjVAkD6</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1815421541628125644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden's exit Sunday, prompted by Democratic worries over his fitness for office, was a seismic shift to the presidential contest that upended both major political parties' carefully honed plans for the 2024 race.Aiming to put weeks of intraparty drama over Biden's candidacy behind them, prominent Democratic elected officials, party leaders and political organizations quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-biden-democratic-convention-2fb8b1bc88b99e919872e63efdd8c275">lined up behind Harris</a>&nbsp;in the hours after Biden announced he was dropping&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">his reelection campaign</a>.Biden's departure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/ap-dnc-delegate-survey/">frees his delegates</a>&nbsp;to vote for whomever they choose. Harris, whom Biden backed after ending his candidacy, is thus far the only declared candidate and was working to quickly secure endorsements from a majority of delegates.Additional endorsements Monday, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, left a dwindling list of potential rivals to Harris.Winning the nomination is only the first item on a staggering political to-do list for her after Biden's decision to exit the race, which she learned about on a Sunday morning call with the president. If she's successful at locking up the nomination, she must also pick a running mate and pivot a massive political operation to boost her candidacy instead of Biden's with just over 100 days until Election Day.On Sunday afternoon, Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that she is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and a war chest that stood at nearly $96 million at the end of June. It got bigger by Monday morning: Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Harris had raised $49.6 million in donations in the first 15 hours after Biden’s endorsement.Harris spent much of Sunday surrounded by family and staff, making more than 100 calls to Democratic officials to line up their support for her candidacy, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the effort. It comes as she tries to move her party past the painful, public wrangling that had defined the weeks since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">Biden's disastrous June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;with Trump.Speaking to party leaders, Harris expressed gratitude for Biden's endorsement but insisted she was looking to earn the nomination in her own right, the person said.In a sign that the Democratic Party was moving to coalesce behind her, Harris quickly won endorsements from the leadership of several influential caucuses and political organizations, including the AAPI Victory Fund, which focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander voters, The Collective PAC, focused on building Black political power, and the Latino Victory Fund, as well as the chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the entire Congressional Black Caucus. Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to be president.Notably, a handful of men who had already been discussed as potential running mates for Harris — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — also swiftly issued statements endorsing her. Aides to Shapiro and Cooper confirmed that Harris spoke with them Sunday afternoon. In her brief call with Cooper, the North Carolina governor told Harris he was backing her to be the Democratic nominee, according to Cooper spokeswoman Sadie Weiner.But former President Barack Obama held off on an immediate endorsement, as some in the party have expressed worry that the quick shift to Harris would appear to be a coronation, instead pledging his support behind the eventual party nominee.West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who left the party earlier this year but considered re-registering as a Democrat to vie for the nomination against the vice president, told CBS News on Monday that he would not be a candidate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721650226823.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Harris is set to travel to Wilmington, where the Biden campaign had been headquartered, to meet with her new campaign staff.Harris, in a statement, praised Biden’s “selfless and patriotic act” in deciding to leave the race and said she intends to “earn and win” her party’s nomination.“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rnc-republicans-heritage-foundation-project-2025-8cce6cfef6f5bdf45269146739222f80">his extreme Project 2025 agenda</a>,” she said.Biden planned to discuss his decision to step aside later this week in an address to the nation. He wrote in a letter posted Sunday to his X account, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."Nearly 30 minutes after he delivered the news that he was folding his campaign, Biden threw his support behind Harris.“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said in another post on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/democratic-national-convention">The Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party had announced it would hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-ballot-biden-access-3bf359cce8e73714be45cb99a6e31546">a virtual roll call</a>&nbsp;to formally nominate Biden before in-person proceedings begin. The convention's rules committee is scheduled to meet this week to finalize its nomination process and it is unclear how it will be adjusted to reflect Biden's exit.Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman Nanette Barragan, who emphasized that she was “all in” behind the vice president, said she spoke Sunday with Harris, who communicated that she preferred to forego a virtual roll call for the nomination process and instead hold a process that adheres to regular order.The Democratic National Committee’s chair, Jaime Harrison, said in a statement that the party would “undertake a transparent and orderly process” to select “a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

🎥Harris makes first public comments since Biden ended campaign

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fentanyl related death and have made an arrest.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a fentanyl related death and have made an arrest.Just after 10p.m. Sunday police arrested Penny Marie Webster, 59, of Manhattan, according to a media release from Riley County Police. Webster is being held on a $125,000 bond on distribution of a controlled substance resulting in fatality and distribution of opiate/opium/ narcotic/stimulant/heroin of unknown quantity.&nbsp;&nbsp;The arrest stems from an incident that occurred in January of 2021 wherein law enforcement officers investigated the overdose death of a 61-year-old male in Manhattan, Kansas.The investigation is ongoing. Investigations into all other Fentanyl-related overdoses in our community remain active and ongoing as well. Any individuals possessing pertinent information are urged to come forward and assist law enforcement authorities.