Editor's note: This is a two-part series on hospice care in northwest Kansas. The first part ran on Saturday, June 1, on the Hays Post. See a link to that story below.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Dalene Juenemann and her father, Dean, had to make the difficult decision to enter hospice care after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

“He was just such a social guy and someone was in a couple times a week,” she said. “They were checking in on him and it was that security blanket he had.”

“He didn’t want to be in and out of hospital care and not doing his activities, especially because of his age,” she said.

He didn’t want to go through aggressive chemo and he didn’t qualify for a bladder removal because of his age.&nbsp;

“He chose quality of life,” she said.

"It was that final decision that we are done with everyone wanting a piece of me. I'm just going to enjoy life," she said.

Dalene's father, Dean Shearer, was a patient of NWKareS, Hospice of Northwest Kansas, which serves 16 counties from Interstate 70 to the Nebraska border and Trego County to the Colorado border.

Dalene and other family members who have been helped by hospice, as well as hospice volunteers, agreed to tell their stories in hopes of easing fears and urging other families to choose the service.

Dalene is a former resident of Hays. She now lives in Olathe, but her father was living in Norton.

Dalene visited her father every two weeks, but hospice helped fill the gap. Hospice staff contacted her and gave her regular updates on her dad’s condition. He was a hospice patient for about six months before he died.

Dalene said that finding medical supplies could be challenging because her father lived in a rural area. The hospice staff ensured he had all the medical supplies he needed.

“I find when I’m trying to encourage people that I get in contact with, it’s hard to stop putting their loved ones through all that because they’re just not ready to let their loved ones go,” Dalene said.

“I’ve also talked to someone that went ahead and did it all and said I wish we had never put him through it,” she said. “He would have had much more quality of life.”

Dalene said the social worker talked to her about her feelings and helped her prepare for her dad's death. She and her dad were very close.

"It’s a process. It’s more of an acceptance then," she said. "You’re never ready to say goodbye, but there’s very much an acceptance of what you’ve got going on in your life.

"You don't feel like you are going it alone," she said. "Because there are so many people there who you can lean on, and they are so knowledgeable of everything."

She said the extra care hospice offered allowed her to just be a daughter to her father as he was dying.

"My dad was so active. To be able to die like this with so much dignity and at home the way he wanted to, it was beautiful," she said. "I think as much as being with someone when a new life comes into the world, what an honor and blessing my brother and I felt it was to be there with our mom and our dad."

"I felt all of [the hospice workers] have supported and helped us immensely," she said. "Don’t cheat yourself of having such a great experience."

On the day her father died, the hospice nurse, Norma, who had been working with Dean, volunteered to come to his bedside on her day off.

"Once she got there, he just let go and let everything take its course," Dalene said.&nbsp;

"I was telling Dad to let go and goodbye and I said, 'Just go toward the light, Dad.' Norma was standing at the door, and she said she just saw this tear come down the side of my dad's face, and that was it.

“That is the kind of peace you want for your family members who pass,” Dalene said.

Cathy Harrison's husband, Don, was a hospice patient. Her family had a unique perspective. She and Don had been funeral directors in Colby for more than 40 years, and Don had been a long-time hospice board member.

“In the families who we served, we could see how hospice services coming in during those last months and during those last weeks and even last hours helped the family be healthy in their grief," Cathy said.

She said hospice helps guide people through what to expect in the dying process.

“If you have decided to make that decision to take care of a loved one at home, there is always that question of ‘What’s going to happen?’ How am I going to know?” she said.&nbsp;

"They really come alongside you in that journey," she said, "and help you begin that grieving process. When you know that person is terminal, you begin that grieving process before they are even gone."

“If that starts out in a healthy way,” she said. “Then it helps with healthy grieving after they’re gone.”

Cathy said it was important for her family to have her husband at home during the last seven months of his life.

Hospice staff members made regular visits to help assess Don's health.

"It was an easy decision to know it was time to have some help with being here at home," she said, "and our familiarity made it an easier decision."

Cathy said the hospice staff was with them through their journey with Don, even after his death.

"We were walking the journey and we were doing it with a lot of faith. I had a real determination that our home would be filled with peace and joy as Don made his final journey home," she said.

"I would tell them it is one of the final gifts that they can give to their family," Harrison said of other families considering hospice care, "not only to their loved one … but it's a gift that you give to your family that brings you together that allows you to open up conversations."

“It’s nice to have someone in a very loving and comfortable way guide you in some of those difficult conversations,” she said.

In other people she has dealt with as a funeral director, she has encountered families who don’t want to talk about the fact that someone is dying or the person who is dying doesn’t want to talk about it.

“It’s such a healthy process when you can open up about it and talk about it, and you give that loved one permission to visit with you about any concerns they may have and fears they may have, and the opportunity to say goodbye,” Cathy said.&nbsp;

“I think hospice gives you that opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one in such a warm and compassionate environment,” she said.

Volunteers can be an integral part of hospice services. Medical training is not required.

Volunteers serve as companions to patients and provide respite care and support for families.

Sherry Woodside has been a hospice volunteer for nine years. She encountered many hospice staff working in a pharmacy in Phillipsburg and admired their work.&nbsp;

When time became available, she decided to become a volunteer.

Sherry primarily visits patients in nursing homes. She talks with the patients, although some have memory issues and might not remember her name.

“I had one lady who liked to color in adult coloring books, and we colored,” she said. “Everyone is a little different in what they are able to do.”

“I had one lady who really liked to go to the church service they had Sundays at the nursing home in Philipsburg, so I tried to make it a point to try to always be there that week to go with her,” she said.

One patient with ALS couldn’t speak anymore, but she loved looking through cookbooks and pointing to her favorite recipes.

“It’s just having someone else to talk to, to have an outside voice that’s not a family member,” she said.

Sherry said she has found her time as a volunteer rewarding. Families are very appreciative.

“The family sends thank you notes, or they say, ‘My mom talked about you a lot,’” she said, her voice beginning to crack. “I counted up the other day, and I think I have had 30 already.”

Phyllis Tucker, who is from rural Smith County, said she became a volunteer to pay it forward. Her dad died suddenly, and she wasn't able to be with him. She had seen the positives of hospice when her aunt used the services.

She was her aunt's caregiver, but she Phyllis lived three hours away.

Hospice staff and volunteers kept Phyllis updated on her aunt's condition when she couldn't be with her.

As a volunteer, Phyllis does the same thing for the families she serves.&nbsp;

Most of the patients with whom Phyllis works are in nursing homes.&nbsp;

“So many folks don’t have local family,” she said.

“I go in and visit the patients, and then I text their daughter who lives in Wichita,” she said. “I can be that eyes on.”

Often, Phyllis just chats with her patients during visits. She said the patients appreciate seeing someone who chooses to come for visits.

“It’s an honor to be with people in those last days of their lives,” she said, “to hear their stories and to get to know them in a different way.”

“One patient said, ‘You’re not here because it’s your job. The volunteers come because they want to,'” she said.

She said hospice volunteers and staff gave her peace of mind in the last few days of her aunt's life.

“Most of us don’t have any experience or training and all of the sudden we are taking care of a person in this stage of life that we’re not familiar with,” Phyllis said.

“I was there for her last few days and to have some there who told me I was doing a good job,” she said. “That we were doing it right, the pain medication right, if she didn’t want to eat, we weren’t feeding her, and that was OK,” she said. “The thing that you don’t necessarily have the good instincts for.”

She said being a hospice volunteer has been very rewarding, especially in a patient's final moments of life.

She called being with someone when they die a mystical moment.&nbsp;

Phyllis urged others to volunteer with hospice. The number of volunteers with NWKareS has dwindled since the pandemic. 

There are many ways to volunteer. Some volunteers help with paperwork. Some volunteers at HaysMed Hospice Care don't see patients. They bake cookies and help with memorial or bereavement services.

The HaysMed Hospice Memorial Service is offered twice yearly, with the upcoming fall memorial service on Oct. 20. This service is specific to hospice patients who have been cared for and is not open to the community or public.

For more information on volunteering for HaysMed Hospice Care, call 785-623-6200.

You can also assist hospice by donating monetarily.

To donate to or volunteer with NWKareS call&nbsp;800-315-5122 or go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hospicenwks.net/donate">www.hospicenwks.net/donate</a>.

You can donate to HaysMed Hospice through the HaysMed Foundation, either online or by mail. The foundation accepts credit cards, Venmo, or PayPal. The website is&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://haysmedfoundation.org/" target="_blank">https://haysmedfoundation.org/</a>.

You may designate your donation to HaysMed Hospice or direct it to the individual’s memorial, and the HaysMed Foundation will transfer the funds to the memorial.

Editor's note: This is a two-part series on hospice care in northwest Kansas. The first part ran on Saturday, June 1, on the Hays Post. See a link to that story below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167614433.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer, a hospice patient, dances with a hospice staff member several days before he died. His daughter, Dalene Juenemann, said hospice care was a great gift to her father and her family. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer, a hospice patient, dances with a hospice staff member several days before he died. His daughter, Dalene Juenemann, said hospice care was a great gift to her father and her family. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostDalene Juenemann and her father, Dean, had to make the difficult decision to enter hospice care after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.“He was just such a social guy and someone was in a couple times a week,” she said. “They were checking in on him and it was that security blanket he had.”“He didn’t want to be in and out of hospital care and not doing his activities, especially because of his age,” she said.He didn’t want to go through aggressive chemo and he didn’t qualify for a bladder removal because of his age.&nbsp;“He chose quality of life,” she said."It was that final decision that we are done with everyone wanting a piece of me. I'm just going to enjoy life," she said.Dalene's father, Dean Shearer, was a patient of NWKareS, Hospice of Northwest Kansas, which serves 16 counties from Interstate 70 to the Nebraska border and Trego County to the Colorado border.Dalene and other family members who have been helped by hospice, as well as hospice volunteers, agreed to tell their stories in hopes of easing fears and urging other families to choose the service.Dalene is a former resident of Hays. She now lives in Olathe, but her father was living in Norton.Dalene visited her father every two weeks, but hospice helped fill the gap. Hospice staff contacted her and gave her regular updates on her dad’s condition. He was a hospice patient for about six months before he died.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167818422.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer and his daughter,&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann. Dalene said hospice allowed her father to stay at home and remain active after his cancer diagnosis. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer and his daughter,&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann. Dalene said hospice allowed her father to stay at home and remain active after his cancer diagnosis. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Dalene said that finding medical supplies could be challenging because her father lived in a rural area. The hospice staff ensured he had all the medical supplies he needed.“I find when I’m trying to encourage people that I get in contact with, it’s hard to stop putting their loved ones through all that because they’re just not ready to let their loved ones go,” Dalene said.“I’ve also talked to someone that went ahead and did it all and said I wish we had never put him through it,” she said. “He would have had much more quality of life.”Dalene said the social worker talked to her about her feelings and helped her prepare for her dad's death. She and her dad were very close."It’s a process. It’s more of an acceptance then," she said. "You’re never ready to say goodbye, but there’s very much an acceptance of what you’ve got going on in your life."You don't feel like you are going it alone," she said. "Because there are so many people there who you can lean on, and they are so knowledgeable of everything."She said the extra care hospice offered allowed her to just be a daughter to her father as he was dying.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717167975250.jpeg" alt="Dean Shearer, a hospice patient.&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann, his daughter, said hospice helped her feel as if she wasn't alone as she dealt with her father's death. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dean Shearer, a hospice patient.&nbsp;Dalene Juenemann, his daughter, said hospice helped her feel as if she wasn't alone as she dealt with her father's death. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"My dad was so active. To be able to die like this with so much dignity and at home the way he wanted to, it was beautiful," she said. "I think as much as being with someone when a new life comes into the world, what an honor and blessing my brother and I felt it was to be there with our mom and our dad.""I felt all of [the hospice workers] have supported and helped us immensely," she said. "Don’t cheat yourself of having such a great experience."On the day her father died, the hospice nurse, Norma, who had been working with Dean, volunteered to come to his bedside on her day off."Once she got there, he just let go and let everything take its course," Dalene said.&nbsp;"I was telling Dad to let go and goodbye and I said, 'Just go toward the light, Dad.' Norma was standing at the door, and she said she just saw this tear come down the side of my dad's face, and that was it.“That is the kind of peace you want for your family members who pass,” Dalene said.Cathy Harrison's husband, Don, was a hospice patient. Her family had a unique perspective. She and Don had been funeral directors in Colby for more than 40 years, and Don had been a long-time hospice board member.“In the families who we served, we could see how hospice services coming in during those last months and during those last weeks and even last hours helped the family be healthy in their grief," Cathy said.She said hospice helps guide people through what to expect in the dying process.“If you have decided to make that decision to take care of a loved one at home, there is always that question of ‘What’s going to happen?’ How am I going to know?” she said.&nbsp;"They really come alongside you in that journey," she said, "and help you begin that grieving process. When you know that person is terminal, you begin that grieving process before they are even gone."“If that starts out in a healthy way,” she said. “Then it helps with healthy grieving after they’re gone.”Cathy said it was important for her family to have her husband at home during the last seven months of his life.Hospice staff members made regular visits to help assess Don's health."It was an easy decision to know it was time to have some help with being here at home," she said, "and our familiarity made it an easier decision."Cathy said the hospice staff was with them through their journey with Don, even after his death."We were walking the journey and we were doing it with a lot of faith. I had a real determination that our home would be filled with peace and joy as Don made his final journey home," she said."I would tell them it is one of the final gifts that they can give to their family," Harrison said of other families considering hospice care, "not only to their loved one … but it's a gift that you give to your family that brings you together that allows you to open up conversations."“It’s nice to have someone in a very loving and comfortable way guide you in some of those difficult conversations,” she said.In other people she has dealt with as a funeral director, she has encountered families who don’t want to talk about the fact that someone is dying or the person who is dying doesn’t want to talk about it.“It’s such a healthy process when you can open up about it and talk about it, and you give that loved one permission to visit with you about any concerns they may have and fears they may have, and the opportunity to say goodbye,” Cathy said.&nbsp;“I think hospice gives you that opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one in such a warm and compassionate environment,” she said.<h2>Volunteers</h2>Volunteers can be an integral part of hospice services. Medical training is not required.Volunteers serve as companions to patients and provide respite care and support for families.Sherry Woodside has been a hospice volunteer for nine years. She encountered many hospice staff working in a pharmacy in Phillipsburg and admired their work.&nbsp;When time became available, she decided to become a volunteer.Sherry primarily visits patients in nursing homes. She talks with the patients, although some have memory issues and might not remember her name.“I had one lady who liked to color in adult coloring books, and we colored,” she said. “Everyone is a little different in what they are able to do.”She watches TV with some patients.&nbsp;“I had one lady who really liked to go to the church service they had Sundays at the nursing home in Philipsburg, so I tried to make it a point to try to always be there that week to go with her,” she said.One patient with ALS couldn’t speak anymore, but she loved looking through cookbooks and pointing to her favorite recipes.“It’s just having someone else to talk to, to have an outside voice that’s not a family member,” she said.Sherry said she has found her time as a volunteer rewarding. Families are very appreciative.“The family sends thank you notes, or they say, ‘My mom talked about you a lot,’” she said, her voice beginning to crack. “I counted up the other day, and I think I have had 30 already.”Phyllis Tucker, who is from rural Smith County, said she became a volunteer to pay it forward. Her dad died suddenly, and she wasn't able to be with him. She had seen the positives of hospice when her aunt used the services.She was her aunt's caregiver, but she Phyllis lived three hours away.Hospice staff and volunteers kept Phyllis updated on her aunt's condition when she couldn't be with her.As a volunteer, Phyllis does the same thing for the families she serves.&nbsp;Most of the patients with whom Phyllis works are in nursing homes.&nbsp;“So many folks don’t have local family,” she said.“I go in and visit the patients, and then I text their daughter who lives in Wichita,” she said. “I can be that eyes on.”Often, Phyllis just chats with her patients during visits. She said the patients appreciate seeing someone who chooses to come for visits.“It’s an honor to be with people in those last days of their lives,” she said, “to hear their stories and to get to know them in a different way.”“One patient said, ‘You’re not here because it’s your job. The volunteers come because they want to,'” she said.She said hospice volunteers and staff gave her peace of mind in the last few days of her aunt's life.“Most of us don’t have any experience or training and all of the sudden we are taking care of a person in this stage of life that we’re not familiar with,” Phyllis said.“I was there for her last few days and to have some there who told me I was doing a good job,” she said. “That we were doing it right, the pain medication right, if she didn’t want to eat, we weren’t feeding her, and that was OK,” she said. “The thing that you don’t necessarily have the good instincts for.”She said being a hospice volunteer has been very rewarding, especially in a patient's final moments of life.She called being with someone when they die a mystical moment.&nbsp;“That holiness,” she said.Phyllis urged others to volunteer with hospice. The number of volunteers with NWKareS has dwindled since the pandemic. There are many ways to volunteer. Some volunteers help with paperwork. Some volunteers at HaysMed Hospice Care don't see patients. They bake cookies and help with memorial or bereavement services.The HaysMed Hospice Memorial Service is offered twice yearly, with the upcoming fall memorial service on Oct. 20. This service is specific to hospice patients who have been cared for and is not open to the community or public.For more information on volunteering for HaysMed Hospice Care, call 785-623-6200.You can also assist hospice by donating monetarily.To donate to or volunteer with NWKareS call&nbsp;800-315-5122 or go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hospicenwks.net/donate">www.hospicenwks.net/donate</a>.You can donate to HaysMed Hospice through the HaysMed Foundation, either online or by mail. The foundation accepts credit cards, Venmo, or PayPal. The website is&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://haysmedfoundation.org/" target="_blank">https://haysmedfoundation.org/</a>.You may designate your donation to HaysMed Hospice or direct it to the individual’s memorial, and the HaysMed Foundation will transfer the funds to the memorial.

Families, volunteers share stories of finding peace through hospice

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.

<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment

<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice

Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.

Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.

The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.

“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.

More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”

The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.

In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.

“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.

Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.

It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.

“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705598723648.png" alt="Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719593775508.png" alt="Arredondo photo Uvalde Co." />
 <figcaption>Arredondo photo Uvalde Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

Read the indictment: Ex-school police chief jailed for mass shooting

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">sitcoms</a>&nbsp;including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday.

Mull's Daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”

Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight,” on which he played Barth Gimble, the host of a satirical talk show.

“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mulltoons/">Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post</a>. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs.”

Known for his blonde hair and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. He combined his music and comedy in hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.

“In 1976 I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me," Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later I was spun off on my own show.”

In the 1980s he appeared in films including “Mr. Mom" and “Clue,” and in the 1990s had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”

He would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” and would be nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest turn on “Veep.”

“What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Mull told the AP after his nomination. “It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”

Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.

“Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/paulfeig/status/1806837940078911661">Paul Feig</a>&nbsp;said in an X post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. Was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and treasured every moment being with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was so influential in my life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719626618539.png" alt="FILE - Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">sitcoms</a>&nbsp;including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday.Mull's Daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight,” on which he played Barth Gimble, the host of a satirical talk show.“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mulltoons/">Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post</a>. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs.”Known for his blonde hair and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. He combined his music and comedy in hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.“In 1976 I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me," Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later I was spun off on my own show.”In the 1980s he appeared in films including “Mr. Mom" and “Clue,” and in the 1990s had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”He would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” and would be nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest turn on “Veep.”“What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Mull told the AP after his nomination. “It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.“Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/paulfeig/status/1806837940078911661">Paul Feig</a>&nbsp;said in an X post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. Was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and treasured every moment being with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was so influential in my life.”

Martin Mull, comic star known for ‘Roseanne’ dead at 80

SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.

On Thursday, police arrested 18-year-old&nbsp; Dasanee D. Curry of Topeka for the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven R. Warden, 43, of Topeka,&nbsp; according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;responded to the area of 13th and Western Avenue and found Warden suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Curry is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Dwelling and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;

This is the 7th homicide investigation in Topeka in 2024, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719592333815.png" alt="Curry-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Curry-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.On Thursday, police arrested 18-year-old&nbsp; Dasanee D. Curry of Topeka for the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven R. Warden, 43, of Topeka,&nbsp; according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;responded to the area of 13th and Western Avenue and found Warden suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719332552824.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Curry is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Dwelling and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;This is the 7th homicide investigation in Topeka in 2024, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

Teen accused of killing 43-year-old Kansas man

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/homelessness">homeless people</a>&nbsp;sleeping outside in public places on Friday, overturning a California appeals court ruling that found such laws amount to cruel and unusual punishment when shelter space is lacking.

The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/micro-communities-shipping-container-atlanta-denver-homelessness-63f675d418bd1af6da74f26f4c320324">without a permanent place to live</a>.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781870-city-of-grants-pass-v-johnson">a 6-3 decision</a>&nbsp;along ideological lines, the high court found that outdoor sleeping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.

Western cities had argued that the ruling made it harder to manage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-encampment-sweeps-cities-08ff74489ba00cfa927fe1cf54c0d401">outdoor encampments in public spaces</a>, but homeless advocates said punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.

In California, which is home to one-third of the country’s homeless population, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said the decision gives state and local officials authority to clear “unsafe encampments” from the streets under policies that respect fundamental human needs. “This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years," he said.

Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged those concerns in the opinion he wrote for the majority.

“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it,” he wrote. “A handful of federal judges cannot begin to ‘match’ the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding ‘how best to handle’ a pressing social question like homelessness.”

He suggested that people who have no choice but to sleep outdoors could raise that as a “necessity defense,” if they are ticketed or otherwise punished for violating a camping ban.

Homeless advocates, on the other hand, have said that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep would ultimately make the crisis worse. Cities had been allowed to regulate encampments under a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling but couldn’t completely bar people from sleeping outdoors.

“Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reading from the bench a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues. “Homelessness is a reality for so many Americans.”

Punishing people for something they can't control, like homelessness, is cruel and unusual, she said. She warned that striking down Eighth Amendment arguments against camping bans likely won't end the fights over the ordinances in court.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, criticized the majority ruling, saying cities shouldn't “attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail." The only way to truly address it, she said, is to connect people with housing and services.

The case came from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grants-pass-oregon-supreme-court-homeless-encampments-a8dcddb518bd76b11d409666c06701b8">the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass</a>, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, has held since 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.

Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press that the city will not immediately start enforcing those local ordinances fining people for sleeping outside and that the city council will need to review the decision and determine the next steps.

“This lawsuit was about whether cities have a right to enforce camping restrictions in public spaces, and I’m relieved that Grants Pass will be able to reclaim our city parks for recreation,” said Bristol, who serves in a nonpartisan position. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and our community has been trying to find solutions.”

Attorney Theane Evangelis, who represented Grants Pass before the high court, applauded the ruling, saying the 9th Circuit decision had “tied the hands of local governments.”

“Years from now, I hope that we will look back on today’s watershed ruling as the turning point in America’s homelessness crisis,” she said.

In Portland, though, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the effect of the ruling would likely be muted since the state has separate legal limits on how cities can manage encampments. Seattle officials also expected a limited impact.

An attorney for homeless people who live in the town bemoaned the decision.

“We are disappointed that a majority of the court has decided that our Constitution allows a city to punish its homeless residents simply for sleeping outside with a blanket to survive the cold when there is nowhere else for them to go,” said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center.

Friday's ruling comes after homelessness in the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">grew a dramatic 12%</a>&nbsp;last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more people.

More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">650,000 people are estimated to be homeless</a>, the most since the country began using a yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. A lack of access to mental health and addiction resources can contribute to the crisis. Older adults, LGBTQ+ people and people of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness, advocates said.

Nearly half of people without housing sleep outside, federal data shows.

Derrick Belgarde, executive director of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit that provides shelter, housing and other resources for Native Americans, said there’s a reason people may choose to sleep outside, explaining that before his organization was started members of the Native American population in the area weren’t using shelters because they didn’t feel safe in them or feel as though they belonged.

“I think it’s going to cause a lot of pain, a lot of misery to deny people the right to safety, to feel safe, to feel a sense of belonging. It’s going to be devastating for a lot of people,” said Belgarde, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

The 9th Circuit decision had governed nine states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708615630038.png" alt="File photo of an unsanctioned camp in Douglas County, Kansas -Google image" />
 <figcaption>File photo of an unsanctioned camp in Douglas County, Kansas -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/homelessness">homeless people</a>&nbsp;sleeping outside in public places on Friday, overturning a California appeals court ruling that found such laws amount to cruel and unusual punishment when shelter space is lacking.The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/micro-communities-shipping-container-atlanta-denver-homelessness-63f675d418bd1af6da74f26f4c320324">without a permanent place to live</a>.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781870-city-of-grants-pass-v-johnson">a 6-3 decision</a>&nbsp;along ideological lines, the high court found that outdoor sleeping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.Western cities had argued that the ruling made it harder to manage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-encampment-sweeps-cities-08ff74489ba00cfa927fe1cf54c0d401">outdoor encampments in public spaces</a>, but homeless advocates said punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.In California, which is home to one-third of the country’s homeless population, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said the decision gives state and local officials authority to clear “unsafe encampments” from the streets under policies that respect fundamental human needs. “This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years," he said.Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged those concerns in the opinion he wrote for the majority.“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it,” he wrote. “A handful of federal judges cannot begin to ‘match’ the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding ‘how best to handle’ a pressing social question like homelessness.”He suggested that people who have no choice but to sleep outdoors could raise that as a “necessity defense,” if they are ticketed or otherwise punished for violating a camping ban.Homeless advocates, on the other hand, have said that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep would ultimately make the crisis worse. Cities had been allowed to regulate encampments under a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling but couldn’t completely bar people from sleeping outdoors.“Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reading from the bench a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues. “Homelessness is a reality for so many Americans.”Punishing people for something they can't control, like homelessness, is cruel and unusual, she said. She warned that striking down Eighth Amendment arguments against camping bans likely won't end the fights over the ordinances in court.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, criticized the majority ruling, saying cities shouldn't “attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail." The only way to truly address it, she said, is to connect people with housing and services.The case came from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grants-pass-oregon-supreme-court-homeless-encampments-a8dcddb518bd76b11d409666c06701b8">the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass</a>, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, has held since 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press that the city will not immediately start enforcing those local ordinances fining people for sleeping outside and that the city council will need to review the decision and determine the next steps.“This lawsuit was about whether cities have a right to enforce camping restrictions in public spaces, and I’m relieved that Grants Pass will be able to reclaim our city parks for recreation,” said Bristol, who serves in a nonpartisan position. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and our community has been trying to find solutions.”Attorney Theane Evangelis, who represented Grants Pass before the high court, applauded the ruling, saying the 9th Circuit decision had “tied the hands of local governments.”“Years from now, I hope that we will look back on today’s watershed ruling as the turning point in America’s homelessness crisis,” she said.In Portland, though, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the effect of the ruling would likely be muted since the state has separate legal limits on how cities can manage encampments. Seattle officials also expected a limited impact.An attorney for homeless people who live in the town bemoaned the decision.“We are disappointed that a majority of the court has decided that our Constitution allows a city to punish its homeless residents simply for sleeping outside with a blanket to survive the cold when there is nowhere else for them to go,” said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center.Friday's ruling comes after homelessness in the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">grew a dramatic 12%</a>&nbsp;last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more people.More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">650,000 people are estimated to be homeless</a>, the most since the country began using a yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. A lack of access to mental health and addiction resources can contribute to the crisis. Older adults, LGBTQ+ people and people of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness, advocates said.Nearly half of people without housing sleep outside, federal data shows.Derrick Belgarde, executive director of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit that provides shelter, housing and other resources for Native Americans, said there’s a reason people may choose to sleep outside, explaining that before his organization was started members of the Native American population in the area weren’t using shelters because they didn’t feel safe in them or feel as though they belonged.“I think it’s going to cause a lot of pain, a lot of misery to deny people the right to safety, to feel safe, to feel a sense of belonging. It’s going to be devastating for a lot of people,” said Belgarde, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.The 9th Circuit decision had governed nine states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.___

Supreme Court allows cities to enforce bans on homeless sleeping outside

ATLANTA (AP) — Above all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;allies wanted him to demonstrate strength and energy on the debate stage to help put to rest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">questions</a>&nbsp;about the 81-year-old Democrat's physical and mental acuity.

But on the biggest stage in U.S. politics on Thursday night, Biden did not meet their modest expectations.

And by the end of the 90-minute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">showdown</a>, the Democratic president's allies — party strategists and rank-and-file voters alike — descended into all-out panic following a debate performance punctuated by repeated stumbles, uncomfortable pauses, and a quiet speaking style that was often difficult to understand. Publicly and privately, Democrats questioned whether the party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">could or should replace him</a>&nbsp;as the party's presidential nominee against the 78-year-old Republican former President Donald Trump this fall.

“I’m not the only one whose heart is breaking right now. There’s a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden,” former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said on MSNBC. "I don’t know if things can be done to fix this.”

For now, the biggest question for Biden is whether the damage is permanent. Many voters have not yet tuned into an election that's still more than four months away. The president and his allies are sitting on millions of dollars that have yet to be spent on advertising and swing state infrastructure. And there's precedent for recovering from rough debate performances, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama's</a>&nbsp;rebound from an uneven encounter with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitt-romney">Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;in 2012. Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a>&nbsp;went on to defeat a Republican rival in 2022 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-mehmet-oz-biden-health-john-fetterman-a89f9aff7d89efe43f2c40a74bbc9250">struggling through a debate</a>&nbsp;several months after experiencing a stroke.

Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign was always based on a gamble that voters would ultimately support an 81-year-old lifelong politician with weak approval ratings in a rematch that few Americans want. Despite such liabilities, Biden's team insisted that he was uniquely positioned to stop Trump from returning to the White House — just as he did four years ago.

They have long predicted that Biden's winning political coalition would eventually embrace the Democratic president after being sufficiently reminded of Trump's chaotic leadership. But there were little signs of such confidence in the wake of Biden's underwhelming debate performance.

“It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that point,” Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">said on CNN after the debate</a>. “I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”

Biden's surrogates were slow to enter the post-debate spin room in Atlanta. And when they finally emerged, they largely avoided questions from the press. Instead, they railed against Trump's long list of falsehoods during the debate. Among other things, Trump didn't disavow those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">who attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021.

California Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>, a potential future presidential candidate who was Biden's most prominent surrogate in the Atlanta spin room, urged Democrats not to panic.

“I think it’s unhelpful. And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our heads high," Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC. "We’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?”

Still, signs of anxiety were apparent as Democrats began to openly encourage the party to find an alternative to Biden. Some party officials pointed to a social media post from former Obama campaign aide Ravi Gupta.

“Every Democrat I know is texting that this is bad,” Gupta wrote on X. “Just say it publicly and begin the hard work of creating space in the convention for a selection process. I’ll vote for a corpse over Trump, but this is a suicide mission.”

Under current Democratic Party rules, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace Biden as the party's nominee without his cooperation or without the party officials being willing to rewrite its rules at the August national convention.

The president won the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates during the state-by-state primary process. And party rules state, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”

But DNC rules don’t have the same strict “faithless delegate” rules that the RNC does, which ignore votes against in violation of a delegate’s pledged position.

Republicans, meanwhile, were giddy about Biden's lackluster performance. But Trump's co-campaign chief dismissed chatter about whether Democrats would try to nominate someone other than Biden.

“There’s so many political experts on X, so we’ll hear a lot from them, I’m sure, in the next few days because they’ve all run so many campaigns,” Chris LaCivita said sarcastically. “But the only way that happens is if Joe Biden voluntarily steps down, and he’s not going to do that.”

Thursday’s debate may be imprinted on voters' minds for the foreseeable future with Biden and Trump not scheduled to meet on the debate stage again for another 75 days.

LaCavita said Trump would be at the next debate “with bells on.” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz confirmed that Biden would also attend the rematch.

But privately, Biden advisers suggested that the campaign was never going to be won or lost in one rally, conversation or debate. They pointed to plans to maintain an aggressive schedule in the weeks and months ahead.

On Friday, Biden was scheduled to campaign in North Carolina while Harris was in Nevada.

Still, Biden supporters struggled to find any hope in the immediate aftermath of the debate.

“That was the worst performance in the history of televised presidential debates,” Tim Miller, a former Republican strategist-turned ardent Biden supporter, said in the spin room, shaking his head in disbelief.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719578338232.png" alt="Image from the CNN debate courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image from the CNN debate courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Above all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;allies wanted him to demonstrate strength and energy on the debate stage to help put to rest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">questions</a>&nbsp;about the 81-year-old Democrat's physical and mental acuity.But on the biggest stage in U.S. politics on Thursday night, Biden did not meet their modest expectations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: President Biden and former President Trump respond to question on abortion during CNN Presidential Debate. <a href="https://t.co/xsJ1ATvlTP">pic.twitter.com/xsJ1ATvlTP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806500194055311622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And by the end of the 90-minute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">showdown</a>, the Democratic president's allies — party strategists and rank-and-file voters alike — descended into all-out panic following a debate performance punctuated by repeated stumbles, uncomfortable pauses, and a quiet speaking style that was often difficult to understand. Publicly and privately, Democrats questioned whether the party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">could or should replace him</a>&nbsp;as the party's presidential nominee against the 78-year-old Republican former President Donald Trump this fall.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I don&#39;t walk as easy as I used to. I don&#39;t speak as smoothly as I used to... I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job...I know like millions of Americans know; when you get knocked down you get back up!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/V9EdtTeDGC">pic.twitter.com/V9EdtTeDGC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806744269752811928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I’m not the only one whose heart is breaking right now. There’s a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden,” former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said on MSNBC. "I don’t know if things can be done to fix this.”For now, the biggest question for Biden is whether the damage is permanent. Many voters have not yet tuned into an election that's still more than four months away. The president and his allies are sitting on millions of dollars that have yet to be spent on advertising and swing state infrastructure. And there's precedent for recovering from rough debate performances, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama's</a>&nbsp;rebound from an uneven encounter with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitt-romney">Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;in 2012. Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a>&nbsp;went on to defeat a Republican rival in 2022 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-mehmet-oz-biden-health-john-fetterman-a89f9aff7d89efe43f2c40a74bbc9250">struggling through a debate</a>&nbsp;several months after experiencing a stroke.<h2>Biden's gamble</h2>Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign was always based on a gamble that voters would ultimately support an 81-year-old lifelong politician with weak approval ratings in a rematch that few Americans want. Despite such liabilities, Biden's team insisted that he was uniquely positioned to stop Trump from returning to the White House — just as he did four years ago.They have long predicted that Biden's winning political coalition would eventually embrace the Democratic president after being sufficiently reminded of Trump's chaotic leadership. But there were little signs of such confidence in the wake of Biden's underwhelming debate performance.“It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that point,” Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">said on CNN after the debate</a>. “I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”Biden's surrogates were slow to enter the post-debate spin room in Atlanta. And when they finally emerged, they largely avoided questions from the press. Instead, they railed against Trump's long list of falsehoods during the debate. Among other things, Trump didn't disavow those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">who attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021.California Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>, a potential future presidential candidate who was Biden's most prominent surrogate in the Atlanta spin room, urged Democrats not to panic.“I think it’s unhelpful. And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our heads high," Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC. "We’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?”<h2>Signs of anxiety</h2>Still, signs of anxiety were apparent as Democrats began to openly encourage the party to find an alternative to Biden. Some party officials pointed to a social media post from former Obama campaign aide Ravi Gupta.“Every Democrat I know is texting that this is bad,” Gupta wrote on X. “Just say it publicly and begin the hard work of creating space in the convention for a selection process. I’ll vote for a corpse over Trump, but this is a suicide mission.”Under current Democratic Party rules, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace Biden as the party's nominee without his cooperation or without the party officials being willing to rewrite its rules at the August national convention.The president won the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates during the state-by-state primary process. And party rules state, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”But DNC rules don’t have the same strict “faithless delegate” rules that the RNC does, which ignore votes against in violation of a delegate’s pledged position.Republicans, meanwhile, were giddy about Biden's lackluster performance. But Trump's co-campaign chief dismissed chatter about whether Democrats would try to nominate someone other than Biden.“There’s so many political experts on X, so we’ll hear a lot from them, I’m sure, in the next few days because they’ve all run so many campaigns,” Chris LaCivita said sarcastically. “But the only way that happens is if Joe Biden voluntarily steps down, and he’s not going to do that.”Thursday’s debate may be imprinted on voters' minds for the foreseeable future with Biden and Trump not scheduled to meet on the debate stage again for another 75 days.LaCavita said Trump would be at the next debate “with bells on.” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz confirmed that Biden would also attend the rematch.But privately, Biden advisers suggested that the campaign was never going to be won or lost in one rally, conversation or debate. They pointed to plans to maintain an aggressive schedule in the weeks and months ahead.On Friday, Biden was scheduled to campaign in North Carolina while Harris was in Nevada.Still, Biden supporters struggled to find any hope in the immediate aftermath of the debate.“That was the worst performance in the history of televised presidential debates,” Tim Miller, a former Republican strategist-turned ardent Biden supporter, said in the spin room, shaking his head in disbelief.

🎥Biden's debate performance spurs Democratic panic 

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719430997711.png" alt="Scheibe-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Scheibe-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas woman jailed for alleged weapon, drug violations

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday made it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, a charge that also has been brought against former President Donald Trump.

The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781903-fischer-v-united-states">ruled 6-3</a>&nbsp;that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp., must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violently attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category.

The decision could be used as fodder for claims by Trump and his Republican allies that the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly.

It's unclear how the court's decision will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case against Trump</a>&nbsp;in Washington, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;has said the charges faced by the former president would not be affected.

The high court returned the case of former Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Fischer to a lower court to determine if Fischer can be charged with obstruction. Fischer has been indicted for his role in disrupting Congress’ certification of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory</a>&nbsp;over Trump.

Fischer is among about 350 people who have been charged with obstruction. Some pleaded guilty to or were convicted of lesser charges.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court's opinion, joined by conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, and by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Reading the obstruction statute broadly "would also criminalize a broad swath of prosaic conduct, exposing activists and lobbyists to decades in prison,” Roberts wrote.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett dissented, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

Roughly 170 Capitol insurrection defendants have been convicted of obstructing or conspiring to obstruct the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, including the leaders of two far-right extremist groups,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">the Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">the Oath Keepers</a>. A number of defendants have had their sentencings delayed until after the justices rule on the matter.

Some rioters have even won early release from prison while the appeal was pending over concerns that they might end up serving longer than they should have if the Supreme Court ruled against the Justice Department. They include Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-delaware-prisons-6057e74630701e1f77cf84aacbb3caaf">threatened a Black police officer</a>&nbsp;with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the Capitol. Seefried was sentenced last year to three years behind bars, but a judge recently ordered that he be released one year into his prison term while awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Most lower court judges who have weighed in have allowed the charge to stand. Among them, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, wrote that “statutes often reach beyond the principal evil that animated them.”

But U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, another Trump appointee, dismissed the charge against Fischer and two other defendants, writing that prosecutors went too far. A divided panel of the federal appeals court in Washington reinstated the charge before the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.

More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 1,000 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury or a judge after a trial.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has handled Jan. 6 prosecutions, said no one who has been convicted of or charged with obstruction will be completely cleared because of the ruling. Every defendant also has other felony or misdemeanor charges, or both, prosecutors said.

For around 50 people who were convicted, obstruction was the only felony count, prosecutors said. Of those, roughly two dozen who still are serving their sentence are most likely to be affected by the ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690926987746.png" alt="File photo President Trump addressed supporters Jan. 6- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Trump addressed supporters Jan. 6- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday made it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, a charge that also has been brought against former President Donald Trump.The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781903-fischer-v-united-states">ruled 6-3</a>&nbsp;that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp., must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violently attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category.The decision could be used as fodder for claims by Trump and his Republican allies that the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625581218114.png" alt="Photo U.S. Department of Justice " />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Department of Justice </figcaption>
 </figure>It's unclear how the court's decision will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case against Trump</a>&nbsp;in Washington, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;has said the charges faced by the former president would not be affected.The high court returned the case of former Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Fischer to a lower court to determine if Fischer can be charged with obstruction. Fischer has been indicted for his role in disrupting Congress’ certification of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory</a>&nbsp;over Trump.Fischer is among about 350 people who have been charged with obstruction. Some pleaded guilty to or were convicted of lesser charges.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court's opinion, joined by conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, and by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.Reading the obstruction statute broadly "would also criminalize a broad swath of prosaic conduct, exposing activists and lobbyists to decades in prison,” Roberts wrote.Justice Amy Coney Barrett dissented, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.Roughly 170 Capitol insurrection defendants have been convicted of obstructing or conspiring to obstruct the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, including the leaders of two far-right extremist groups,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">the Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">the Oath Keepers</a>. A number of defendants have had their sentencings delayed until after the justices rule on the matter.Some rioters have even won early release from prison while the appeal was pending over concerns that they might end up serving longer than they should have if the Supreme Court ruled against the Justice Department. They include Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-delaware-prisons-6057e74630701e1f77cf84aacbb3caaf">threatened a Black police officer</a>&nbsp;with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the Capitol. Seefried was sentenced last year to three years behind bars, but a judge recently ordered that he be released one year into his prison term while awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling.Most lower court judges who have weighed in have allowed the charge to stand. Among them, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, wrote that “statutes often reach beyond the principal evil that animated them.”But U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, another Trump appointee, dismissed the charge against Fischer and two other defendants, writing that prosecutors went too far. A divided panel of the federal appeals court in Washington reinstated the charge before the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 1,000 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury or a judge after a trial.The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has handled Jan. 6 prosecutions, said no one who has been convicted of or charged with obstruction will be completely cleared because of the ruling. Every defendant also has other felony or misdemeanor charges, or both, prosecutors said.For around 50 people who were convicted, obstruction was the only felony count, prosecutors said. Of those, roughly two dozen who still are serving their sentence are most likely to be affected by the ruling.___

Supreme Court rules for Jan. 6 rioter challenging obstruction charge

KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are have identified the victim as 16-year-old Tytus Bridgeford.

Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found Bridgeford suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;

On Wednesday&nbsp; police asked for help to identify the victim who was described as a juvenile black male with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. He also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;

When he was found, the Bridgeford was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.

Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251646778.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are have identified the victim as 16-year-old Tytus Bridgeford.Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found Bridgeford suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251670898.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday&nbsp; police asked for help to identify the victim who was described as a juvenile black male with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. He also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;When he was found, the Bridgeford was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.