TOPEKA—A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment this week charging seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmith, Forgers and Helpers (Boilermakers Union) for their alleged roles in a 15-year, $20 million embezzlement scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as other charges including embezzlement, health care fraud, wire fraud, and theft in connection with health care and retirement plans.

“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants, including two former presidents of the Boilermakers Union, enriched themselves by spending millions of dollars in union funds for their own benefit, including for salary and benefits for no-show jobs, tuition, rent, luxury international travel, meals, vacation payouts, and unauthorized loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment marks an important step in restoring financial security to the Boilermakers Union and control of the union’s future to its membership. The department is committed to protecting union members from officials who abuse their positions of authority for their own personal ends.”

The defendants are former union president Newton Jones, 71, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; former secretary-treasurer William Creeden, 76, of Kearney, Missouri; former president Truman “Warren” Fairley, 59, of Chapel Hill; current secretary-treasurer Kathy Stapp, 53, of Shawnee, Kansas; former vice president Lawrence McManamon, 76, of Rocky River, Ohio; Kateryna Jones, 32, of Chapel Hill; and Cullen Jones 35, of Chapel Hill.

“Union members pay their dues believing union leaders will use the money in support of the organization’s mission to advocate for and protect employment rights,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Department of Justice is deeply concerned whenever there are accusations of fraud and misappropriation of union funds.”

“The employees believed the Union executives would promote and protect their best interests. Instead, they allegedly utilized their positions for personal and financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “By allegedly unlawfully misappropriating Union funds, the defendants betrayed their members’ trust and confidence. Anyone who unlawfully profits at the expense of others will be held accountable.”

“We would like to thank our fellow law enforcement partners, the Criminal Division, and the United States Attorney’s Office for working collaboratively to bring change within the Boilermakers International Union,” said District Director Christiane Abendroth of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). “Today’s indictment of seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers, is a direct result of OLMS’s audit findings and a multi-agency criminal investigation. We look forward to obtaining justice for the rank-and-file union members by removing officers who allegedly treated the union as their personal piggy bank.”

Over the course of 15 years, the defendants, led by Newton Jones and William Creeden, allegedly engaged in widespread embezzlement of the funds of the Boilermakers Union including:

The indictment also charges Newton Jones and Creeden with wire fraud relating to their alleged demand and acceptance of no-show employment with the Bank of Labor for which they were paid more than $3.4 million each in salary, benefit contributions, and other paid benefits. The indictment additionally seeks forfeiture of $20 million.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the RICO conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office and the Department of Labor are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Jabari Wamble for the District of Kansas are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580399075295.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>TOPEKA—A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment this week charging seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmith, Forgers and Helpers (Boilermakers Union) for their alleged roles in a 15-year, $20 million embezzlement scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.</p><p>The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as other charges including embezzlement, health care fraud, wire fraud, and theft in connection with health care and retirement plans.</p><p>“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants, including two former presidents of the Boilermakers Union, enriched themselves by spending millions of dollars in union funds for their own benefit, including for salary and benefits for no-show jobs, tuition, rent, luxury international travel, meals, vacation payouts, and unauthorized loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment marks an important step in restoring financial security to the Boilermakers Union and control of the union’s future to its membership. The department is committed to protecting union members from officials who abuse their positions of authority for their own personal ends.”</p><p>The defendants are former union president Newton Jones, 71, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; former secretary-treasurer William Creeden, 76, of Kearney, Missouri; former president Truman “Warren” Fairley, 59, of Chapel Hill; current secretary-treasurer Kathy Stapp, 53, of Shawnee, Kansas; former vice president Lawrence McManamon, 76, of Rocky River, Ohio; Kateryna Jones, 32, of Chapel Hill; and Cullen Jones 35, of Chapel Hill.</p><p>“Union members pay their dues believing union leaders will use the money in support of the organization’s mission to advocate for and protect employment rights,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Department of Justice is deeply concerned whenever there are accusations of fraud and misappropriation of union funds.”</p><p>“The employees believed the Union executives would promote and protect their best interests. Instead, they allegedly utilized their positions for personal and financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “By allegedly unlawfully misappropriating Union funds, the defendants betrayed their members’ trust and confidence. Anyone who unlawfully profits at the expense of others will be held accountable.”</p><p>“We would like to thank our fellow law enforcement partners, the Criminal Division, and the United States Attorney’s Office for working collaboratively to bring change within the Boilermakers International Union,” said District Director Christiane Abendroth of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). “Today’s indictment of seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers, is a direct result of OLMS’s audit findings and a multi-agency criminal investigation. We look forward to obtaining justice for the rank-and-file union members by removing officers who allegedly treated the union as their personal piggy bank.”</p><p>Over the course of 15 years, the defendants, led by Newton Jones and William Creeden, allegedly engaged in widespread embezzlement of the funds of the Boilermakers Union including:</p><ul>
                        <li>Over $5 million in unnecessary luxury international travel;</li><li>Over $2 million in salary and benefits to Kateryna Jones and Cullen Jones for no-show jobs, at which they were not required to work, including payment of two years of salary to Kateryna Jones for a period when she resided in Ukraine and was dating Newton Jones;</li><li>Hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition, rent, and relocation expenses for members of the family of Newton Jones;</li><li>Millions of dollars in cash payments relating to fraudulently claimed vacation time;</li><li>Hundreds of fraudulent restaurant charges by Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones in their hometown;</li><li>Funds wrongly expended to engage in email surveillance of Union employees to defend Newton Jones and McManamon from internal union charges; and</li><li>$7 million in loans from the Boilermakers Union MORE Fund executed by Newton Jones and Creeden to the Bank of Labor, which were not authorized under the terms of the Boilermakers Union constitution or its conflict-of-interest policy.</li>
                    </ul><p>The indictment also charges Newton Jones and Creeden with wire fraud relating to their alleged demand and acceptance of no-show employment with the Bank of Labor for which they were paid more than $3.4 million each in salary, benefit contributions, and other paid benefits. The indictment additionally seeks forfeiture of $20 million.</p><p>If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the RICO conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.</p><p>The FBI Kansas City Field Office and the Department of Labor are investigating the case.</p><p>Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Jabari Wamble for the District of Kansas are prosecuting the case.</p><p>An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.</p>

Kan. woman among 7 indicted for $20M embezzlement scheme

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA decided Saturday it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they'll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-e139ce1842e0324942746bb0cdee5c73">weeklong test flight</a>&nbsp;for the pair will now last more than eight months.

(click below to watch the press conference)

The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-fc55af012efeb32cbeaa4d264ab85e11">failures and helium leaks</a>&nbsp;in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-spacex-boeing-starliner-astronauts-922b43fa8d0e1f9622022a52f8c8e2ed">conducted tests and debated</a>&nbsp;what to do about the flight back.

After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back in a SpaceX capsule in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.

As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.

“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision "is a result of a commitment to safety.”

Nelson said lessons learned from NASA's two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.

“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator.

It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft program after years of delays and ballooning costs. The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.

Boeing did not participate in Saturday's news conference by NASA, but released a statement: “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft." The company said it is preparing the spacecraft “for a safe and successful return.”

Rand Corp.'s Jan Osburg, a senior engineer who specializes in aerospace and defense, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier."

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are both retired Navy captains with previous long-duration spaceflight experience. Before their June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Wilmore and Williams said their families bought into the uncertainty and stress of their professional careers decades ago.

During their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-astronauts-starliner-nasa-df30b94b0463a20eec72ce494d9bccc4">lone orbital news conference</a>&nbsp;last month, the astronauts said they had trust in the thruster testing being conducted. They had no complaints, they added, and enjoyed pitching in with space station work.

Wilmore's wife, Deanna, was equally stoic in an interview earlier this month with WVLT-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee, their home state. She was already bracing for a delay: “You just sort of have to roll with it."

Flight operations director Norm Knight said he talked to the astronauts Saturday and they fully support the decision to postpone their return.

The SpaceX capsule currently parked at the space station is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They will return in late September, their routine six-month stay extended a month by the Starliner dilemma. NASA said it would be unsafe to squeeze two more into the capsule, except in an emergency.

The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.

So Wilmore and Williams will wait for SpaceX's next taxi flight. It’s due to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four. NASA is yanking two to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight in late February.

NASA said no serious consideration was given to asking SpaceX for a quick stand-alone rescue. Last year, the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-astronaut-space-station-c3a0f36bb3b44d038f9fc0af99425c16">replacement Soyuz capsule</a>&nbsp;for three men whose original craft was damaged by space junk. The switch pushed their six-month mission to just over a year.

Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, applauded the decision via X: “Good to err on the side of caution for astronaut lives.” Long missions are “what astronauts work their entire career for. I’d take it in a heartbeat!”

Starliner’s woes began long before its latest flight.

Bad software fouled the first test flight without a crew in 2019, prompting a do-over in 2022. Then parachute and other issues cropped up, including a helium leak in the capsule’s propellant system that nixed a launch attempt in May. The leak eventually was deemed to be isolated and small enough to pose no concern. But more leaks sprouted following liftoff, and five thrusters also failed.

All but one of those small thrusters restarted in flight. But engineers were perplexed by ground testing that showed a thruster seal swelling and obstructing a propellant line. They theorized the seals in orbit may have expanded and then reverted to their normal size. Officials said the results marked the turning point, as their concerns grew.

With all the uncertainty about how the thrusters might perform, “There was too much risk for the crew," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, told reporters.

These 28 thrusters are vital. Besides needed for space station rendezvous, they keep the capsule pointed in the right direction at flight’s end as bigger engines steer the craft out of orbit. Coming in crooked could result in catastrophe.

With the Columbia disaster still fresh in many minds — the shuttle broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing all seven aboard — NASA made an extra effort to embrace open debate over Starliner's return capability.

Despite Saturday's decision, NASA isn’t giving up on Boeing. Nelson said he is “100%” certain that Starliner will fly again.

NASA went into its commercial crew program a decade ago wanting two competing U.S. companies ferrying astronauts in the post-shuttle era. Boeing won the bigger contract: more than $4 billion, compared with SpaceX’s $2.6 billion.

With station supply runs already under its belt, SpaceX aced its first of now nine astronaut flights in 2020, while Boeing got bogged down in design flaws that set the company back more than $1 billion. NASA officials still hold out hope that Starliner’s problems can be corrected in time for another crew flight in another year or so.

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

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724532550650.png" alt="NASA astronaut Suni Williams-photo courtesy NASA" />
                        <figcaption>NASA astronaut Suni Williams-photo courtesy NASA</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA decided Saturday it’s too risky to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s troubled new capsule, and they'll have to wait until next year for a ride home with SpaceX. What should have been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-e139ce1842e0324942746bb0cdee5c73">weeklong test flight</a>&nbsp;for the pair will now last more than eight months.</p><p>(click below to watch the press conference)</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AGOswKRSsHc?si=MI1_WtaUumqrYTVM&amp;start=834" 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><p>The seasoned pilots have been stuck at the International Space Station since the beginning of June. A cascade of vexing thruster&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-astronauts-launch-fc55af012efeb32cbeaa4d264ab85e11">failures and helium leaks</a>&nbsp;in the new capsule marred their trip to the space station, and they ended up in a holding pattern as engineers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-spacex-boeing-starliner-astronauts-922b43fa8d0e1f9622022a52f8c8e2ed">conducted tests and debated</a>&nbsp;what to do about the flight back.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/0WGZKPzHcg">https://t.co/0WGZKPzHcg</a></p>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1827404736422932734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>After almost three months, the decision finally came down from NASA’s highest ranks on Saturday. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back in a SpaceX capsule in February. Their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot with a touchdown in the New Mexico desert.</p><p>As Starliner’s test pilots, the pair should have overseen this critical last leg of the journey.</p><p>“A test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The decision "is a result of a commitment to safety.”</p><p>Nelson said lessons learned from NASA's two space shuttle accidents played a role. This time, he noted, open dialogue was encouraged rather than crushed.</p><p>“This has not been an easy decision, but it is absolutely the right one,” added Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator.</p><p>It was a blow to Boeing, adding to the safety concerns plaguing the company on its airplane side. Boeing had counted on Starliner’s first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft program after years of delays and ballooning costs. The company had insisted Starliner was safe based on all the recent thruster tests both in space and on the ground.</p><p>Boeing did not participate in Saturday's news conference by NASA, but released a statement: “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft." The company said it is preparing the spacecraft “for a safe and successful return.”</p><p>Rand Corp.'s Jan Osburg, a senior engineer who specializes in aerospace and defense, said NASA made the right choice. “But the U.S. is still left with egg on its face due to the Starliner design issues that should have been caught earlier."</p><p>Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are both retired Navy captains with previous long-duration spaceflight experience. Before their June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Wilmore and Williams said their families bought into the uncertainty and stress of their professional careers decades ago.</p><p>During their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-space-astronauts-starliner-nasa-df30b94b0463a20eec72ce494d9bccc4">lone orbital news conference</a>&nbsp;last month, the astronauts said they had trust in the thruster testing being conducted. They had no complaints, they added, and enjoyed pitching in with space station work.</p><p>Wilmore's wife, Deanna, was equally stoic in an interview earlier this month with WVLT-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee, their home state. She was already bracing for a delay: “You just sort of have to roll with it."</p><p>Flight operations director Norm Knight said he talked to the astronauts Saturday and they fully support the decision to postpone their return.</p><p>There were few options.</p><p>The SpaceX capsule currently parked at the space station is reserved for the four residents who have been there since March. They will return in late September, their routine six-month stay extended a month by the Starliner dilemma. NASA said it would be unsafe to squeeze two more into the capsule, except in an emergency.</p><p>The docked Russian Soyuz capsule is even tighter, capable of flying only three — two of them Russians wrapping up a yearlong stint.</p><p>So Wilmore and Williams will wait for SpaceX's next taxi flight. It’s due to launch in late September with two astronauts instead of the usual four. NASA is yanking two to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight in late February.</p><p>NASA said no serious consideration was given to asking SpaceX for a quick stand-alone rescue. Last year, the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nasa-astronaut-space-station-c3a0f36bb3b44d038f9fc0af99425c16">replacement Soyuz capsule</a>&nbsp;for three men whose original craft was damaged by space junk. The switch pushed their six-month mission to just over a year.</p><p>Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, applauded the decision via X: “Good to err on the side of caution for astronaut lives.” Long missions are “what astronauts work their entire career for. I’d take it in a heartbeat!”</p><p>Starliner’s woes began long before its latest flight.</p><p>Bad software fouled the first test flight without a crew in 2019, prompting a do-over in 2022. Then parachute and other issues cropped up, including a helium leak in the capsule’s propellant system that nixed a launch attempt in May. The leak eventually was deemed to be isolated and small enough to pose no concern. But more leaks sprouted following liftoff, and five thrusters also failed.</p><p>All but one of those small thrusters restarted in flight. But engineers were perplexed by ground testing that showed a thruster seal swelling and obstructing a propellant line. They theorized the seals in orbit may have expanded and then reverted to their normal size. Officials said the results marked the turning point, as their concerns grew.</p><p>With all the uncertainty about how the thrusters might perform, “There was too much risk for the crew," Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, told reporters.</p><p>These 28 thrusters are vital. Besides needed for space station rendezvous, they keep the capsule pointed in the right direction at flight’s end as bigger engines steer the craft out of orbit. Coming in crooked could result in catastrophe.</p><p>With the Columbia disaster still fresh in many minds — the shuttle broke apart during reentry in 2003, killing all seven aboard — NASA made an extra effort to embrace open debate over Starliner's return capability.</p><p>Despite Saturday's decision, NASA isn’t giving up on Boeing. Nelson said he is “100%” certain that Starliner will fly again.</p><p>NASA went into its commercial crew program a decade ago wanting two competing U.S. companies ferrying astronauts in the post-shuttle era. Boeing won the bigger contract: more than $4 billion, compared with SpaceX’s $2.6 billion.</p><p>With station supply runs already under its belt, SpaceX aced its first of now nine astronaut flights in 2020, while Boeing got bogged down in design flaws that set the company back more than $1 billion. NASA officials still hold out hope that Starliner’s problems can be corrected in time for another crew flight in another year or so.</p><p>___</p><p>The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.</p>

🎥NASA confirms 2 astronauts stuck in space won't be home for months

Optimism seems to be fading that a cease fire proposed by the United States will be accepted to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says these are difficult negotiations between long-time enemies.

“Well, I don’t know, there have been lots of efforts at trying to put in place a cease fire. None of them have worked to date. And it seems both sides are difficult to deal with,” Moran tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a recent visit to Elwood.

Moran is doubtful this latest attempt by the United States to bring the two sides together will work.

“I hope that there can be some kind of coming together for peace or a better circumstance for people,” Moran says.

Still Moran holds out hope the United States can bring the two sides together this time.

“So, we hope and pray that there’s solution that protects the Israeli citizens and provides a safe and secure place for everyone.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East and had thought Israel and Hamas had agreed to terms for a pause in the fight and the release of hostages.

The conflict ignited after Hamas attacked Israeli citizens in October, killing more than a thousand, taking more than 100 hostage. Israel launched an all-out war against Hamas. It is estimated more than 40,000 have been killed in the war.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700064381613.jpeg" alt="U.S. Sen Jerry Moran visited Israel in November as part of a delegation that met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo courtesy Sen. Moran's office." />
                        <figcaption>U.S. Sen Jerry Moran visited Israel in November as part of a delegation that met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo courtesy Sen. Moran's office.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By BRENT MARTIN</p><p><i>St. Joseph Post</i></p><p>Optimism seems to be fading that a cease fire proposed by the United States will be accepted to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas.</p><p>Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says these are difficult negotiations between long-time enemies.</p><p>“Well, I don’t know, there have been lots of efforts at trying to put in place a cease fire. None of them have worked to date. And it seems both sides are difficult to deal with,” Moran tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a recent visit to Elwood.</p><p>Moran is doubtful this latest attempt by the United States to bring the two sides together will work.</p><p>“I hope that there can be some kind of coming together for peace or a better circumstance for people,” Moran says.</p><p>Still Moran holds out hope the United States can bring the two sides together this time.</p><p>“So, we hope and pray that there’s solution that protects the Israeli citizens and provides a safe and secure place for everyone.”</p><p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East and had thought Israel and Hamas had agreed to terms for a pause in the fight and the release of hostages.</p><p>The conflict ignited after Hamas attacked Israeli citizens in October, killing more than a thousand, taking more than 100 hostage. Israel launched an all-out war against Hamas. It is estimated more than 40,000 have been killed in the war.</p>

Sen. Moran cautious on whether Israel, Hamas cease fire will be reached

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/philip-marcelo">PHILIP MARCELO</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/suman-naishadham">SUMAN NAISHADHAM</a>

The traditional roll call at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Chicago turned into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-roll-call-lil-jon-dj-cassidy-35c00f31ebddf664cbfaa4b4b9eb370d">boisterous dance party</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, with each delegation announcing their votes for presidential nominee Kamala Harris to a fitting song.

The musical nods spun by DJ Cassidy were mostly obvious. Massachusetts went with a punk song about Boston. Kansas picked a song from the band Kansas.

But there were curious picks — like American Samoa rolling out to Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” — and some delegations said they simply didn’t have a say in the matter.

Here’s how each song (likely) fits each state or territory, in order of the roll call:

Alabama: “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynyrd Skynyrd

Yes, the Southern state picked its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lynyrd-skynyrd-southern-rock-gary-rossington-fd0ebbf204c89fd45271156fa58417b8">most famous name-check,</a>&nbsp;even if the band itself is originally from Florida.

Alaska: “Feel It Still,” Portugal. The Man

Despite the European nation in its name, the rock band is from Wasilla, Alaska, which also happens to be the hometown of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

American Samoa: “Edge of Glory,” Lady Gaga

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-jason-palmer-american-samoa-primary-c4bc109a16c7ee7b083f6216b44ba0c4">territory’s Democratic Party</a>&nbsp;didn’t respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18188/democratic-national-convention-roll-call-music-state" target="_blank">NPR reports</a>&nbsp;this is a “tongue-in-cheek nod to the territory’s position as the southernmost territory in the United States.” So we’ll go with that.

Arizona: “Edge of Seventeen,” Stevie Nicks

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stevie-nicks">former Fleetwood Mac singer</a>&nbsp;is from Phoenix.

Arkansas: “Don’t Stop,” Fleetwood Mac

The Southern state also went with a Nicks’ hit when it picked this song, which was also famously the theme of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-democratic-convention-kamala-harris-trump-5d60df1b037cbc153e20a2c71d7429f8">then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s</a>&nbsp;winning 1992 presidential campaign.

Colorado: “September,” Earth, Wind &amp; Fire

One of the original lead singers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movie-awards-oscars-2024-bc5784b39e47a79c3108b09b9a937517">of the band,</a>&nbsp;Philip Bailey, was born in Denver, where he and other band members from the Mile High City are also in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cmhof.org/inductees/earthwindfire/" target="_blank">Colorado Music Hall of Fame</a>.

Connecticut: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” Stevie Wonder

The New England state’s pick was one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-dnc-convention-harris-58f15df279a382be92040dfbc6adde13">former President Barack Obama’s</a>&nbsp;go-to songs during his two successful presidential runs, but there’s no apparent connection to Connecticut. (Wonder is from Michigan.)

Delaware: “Higher Love,” Kygo and Whitney Houston

The home state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;went with a song that had been a mainstay of his 2020 campaign.

Democrats Abroad: “Love Train,” The O’Jays

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-12-presidential-contests-georgia-mississippi-washington-hawaii-97bc332080e9dd3563f14006d2a7e479">The organization</a>&nbsp;acknowledged Wednesday it didn’t have a say in the pick, but said the early disco hit was appropriate, given it has members in more than 190 countries.

Washington, D.C.: “Let Me Clear My Throat,” DJ Kool

The delegation from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/columbia">the nation’s capital</a>&nbsp;went with the party anthem by a native son.

Florida: “I Won’t Back Down,” Tom Petty

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ad756d5c0e245d3b828491a93c795ae">late rock star</a>&nbsp;was born in — you guessed it — the Sunshine State.

Georgia: “Turn Down For What,” DJ Snake and Lil Jon

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-celebrities-roll-call-lil-jon-spike-lee-eva-longoria-5598ee4c1d42241ae6ac616e3e8f30ad">Atlanta’s own Lil Jon</a>&nbsp;delivered a raucous version of his hit live and in person to the crowd at Chicago’s United Center.

The island territory went with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/songs-of-summer-2024-b38527d7ff8d498e72943ef84cda638b">one of the biggest hits of the summer,</a>&nbsp;though Carpenter was born and raised in Pennsylvania, some 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) away.

If you haven’t already picked up on a theme here, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mars">R&amp;B star</a>&nbsp;hails from Honolulu.

The song is by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athens-rock-lobsters-b52s-hockey-4502c97c01c0158524e9c0b45cbac844">the Georgia band</a>&nbsp;most famous for “Love Shack” and other hits, but singer Fred Schneider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/words-deeds/article291251240.html" target="_blank">told the Idaho Statesman</a>&nbsp;he chose this song title because the state is “pretty mysterious to, you know, all of us.”

Illinois: “Sirius,” The Alan Parsons Project

The British prog rock band’s song was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6kiimEsYc" target="_blank">intro music</a>&nbsp;for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jordan-pippen-rodman-bulls-cbaf154f26b8c9de8ec3f5fae1920f8d">Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls,</a>&nbsp;who played in the very arena hosting the convention.

Indiana: “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” Michael Jackson

Jackson and his famous family were originally from the industrial city&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-music-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-274a1c6ea80ec76f719a4e2db325bcd5">of Gary, Indiana.</a>

Iowa: “Celebration,” Kool and The Gang

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rock-hall-fame-2024-65c09d0b774417cb6d9ffece252da8a4">The band</a>&nbsp;may have been from New Jersey but everyone likes to celebrate good times, c’mon.

Kansas: “Carry On Wayward Son,” Kansas

There was really only one way this pick was going to go — a song from the arena rock band from Topeka, Kansas.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-harlow">The rapper</a>&nbsp;was born and raised in the Bluegrass State.

Louisiana: “All I Do Is Win,” DJ Khaled feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dj-khaled">New Orleans native?</a>&nbsp;Check. Infectious party anthem? You bet.

Maine: “Shut Up and Dance,” Walk the Moon

Once again, a New England state ended up with a song everyone can sing along to, even if it didn’t have an obvious local connection. (Walk the Moon is from Ohio.) Maine Democrats say their pick of a song from local band The Ghost of Paul Revere was ultimately nixed.

The mid-Atlantic state also decided against a homegrown pick when it rolled with a hit from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aretha-franklin-music-north-america-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-616951e51eaa4aa09f894b6ea9d9df44">Detroit’s late “Queen of Soul.”</a>

Massachusetts: “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” The Dropkick Murphys

The de facto anthem of the Red Sox, by an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-media-social-media-boston-1cb0e797eb0e14f185875f4b0b1dbf41">Irish American punk band</a>&nbsp;from the suburbs of the Massachusetts capital? No notes.

The hit comes from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9bea5c20fabee352c6118738894a5cce">Detroit native’s 2002 semi-autobiographical movie “8 Mile,”</a>&nbsp;about a struggling rapper trying to make his name in the city’s hip-hop scene.

Mississippi: “Twistin’ the Night Away,” Sam Cooke

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/one-night-in-miami-movie-review-99ab6586c94701a8bc5bd95cf89998dc">late soul singer</a>&nbsp;was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Missouri: “Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan

The Show-Me State went with an upbeat track by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chappell-roan-interview-olivia-rodrigo-aa86d43c640feb33cb471894bedb7a0e">the rising pop star, who hails from Willard, Missouri.</a>

Montana: “American Woman,” Lenny Kravitz

The song, originally by the Canadian band The Guess Who, has no obvious connection to the Big Sky State — but the title has everything to do with sending a woman to the White House.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/katy-perry">Perry has</a>&nbsp;no apparent connection to the Cornhusker State, but she’s lent her starpower to the Democratic Party in recent years, performing at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdwmJIZyjx4" target="_blank">Biden’s inauguration</a>. Her hit song “Roar” also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4687910/2016-hillary-clinton-campaign-ad" target="_blank">featured prominently</a>&nbsp;in Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential campaign.

Nevada: “Mr. Brightside,” The Killers

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/flowers">Brandon Flowers</a>&nbsp;and Dave Keuning formed the rock band more than two decade ago, in Las Vegas.

New Hampshire: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey

<a href="https://apnews.com/television-programs-arts-and-entertainment-general-news-ce01e4cdbc5d4c71abe6f6118c1b9e9b">The rock band</a>&nbsp;formed in San Francisco, but we’d be hard-pressed to find an event, rally or game that hasn’t used this song as its anthem.

New Jersey: “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen

It couldn’t get more obvious than this.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bruce-springsteen">“The Boss”</a>&nbsp;is from Long Branch, New Jersey, and politicians from both parties have played his song at rallies and events too many times to count — despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ronald-reagan-hip-hop-and-rap-phil-collins-bruce-springsteen-394ddb622b30a718f1b4621a316a78c3">its more subversive lyrics.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/demi-lovato">Lovato was</a>&nbsp;born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

New York: “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Both Jay-Z and Keys are from New York, the city for which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jayz-pretaped-tony-awards-performance-alicia-keys-be469a7819bcd013266addda699e747a">this song</a>&nbsp;is an anthem and ode.

North Carolina: “Raise Up,” Petey Pablo

Pablo, a rapper and record producer, is from the Tar Heel State.

North Dakota: “Girl on Fire,” Alicia Keys

As established above, Keys is from New York, but her song has often been used to celebrate and empower women (including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">at the Olympics</a>&nbsp;).

Northern Mariana Islands: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/assange-wikileaks-saipan-court-marianas-surge-066ab4e64d9fa063ffd20c71964a2662">The U.S. commonwealth north of Guam</a>&nbsp;has no apparent connection to Gaye or Terrell, but it is mountainous with several volcanos — and the song choice could be a nod to the journey Harris is on.

Ohio: “Green Light,” John Legend feat. André 3000

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-legend-my-favorite-dream-childrens-album-5c8f30f45cc99a8b14f0b502a3dc44aa">Legend was</a>&nbsp;born in Springfield, Ohio. (André 3000 of Outkast is from Atlanta, however.)

Oklahoma: “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘til the Sun Comes Up),” Garth Brooks

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/garth-brooks">The country singer</a>&nbsp;was born in Tulsa, the Sooner State’s second-largest city.

The band was formed in Washington state, but is now based in Portland, Oregon.

Pennsylvania: “Motownphilly,” Boyz II Men; “Black and Yellow,” Wiz Khalifa

Boyz II Men is from Philadelphia, where the music video for “Motownphilly” was filmed. Meanwhile, Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” is about growing up in Pittsburgh. The titular colors are a tribute to the city’s football team,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pittsburgh-steelers">the Steelers.</a>

Puerto Rico: “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee

Both singers behind this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-7e2ca28a56014db9a28c565cd8bd020e">2017 song of the summer</a>&nbsp;are from Puerto Rico.

Rhode Island: “Shake it Off,” Taylor Swift

Swift is from Pennsylvania, but in 2013 purchased what was then the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-rhode-island-westerly-1f2bab797e029d0f22eeb78efbfea442">most expensive private home in Rhode Island.</a>

South Carolina: “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine,” James Brown

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-brown">late “Godfather of Soul”</a>&nbsp;was born in Barnwell, South Carolina.

South Dakota: “What I Like About You,” The Romantics

The rock band is from Detroit, not the Mount Rushmore State. Does it matter if there’s a lot to like?

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-new-album-rockstar-15f6efbfe89e9370eee4bf71e0ea26de">country music legend</a>&nbsp;was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and currently lives outside of Nashville.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724201148043.png" alt="There was really only one way this pick was going to go — a song from the arena rock band from Topeka, Kansas.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>There was really only one way this pick was going to go — a song from the arena rock band from Topeka, Kansas.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/philip-marcelo">PHILIP MARCELO</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/suman-naishadham">SUMAN NAISHADHAM</a></p><p>The traditional roll call at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democratic-national-convention-harris-biden-obama-ffb55cee591f8f162ad77b5d6b91152b">Democratic National Convention</a>&nbsp;in Chicago turned into a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-roll-call-lil-jon-dj-cassidy-35c00f31ebddf664cbfaa4b4b9eb370d">boisterous dance party</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, with each delegation announcing their votes for presidential nominee Kamala Harris to a fitting song.</p><p>The musical nods spun by DJ Cassidy were mostly obvious. Massachusetts went with a punk song about Boston. Kansas picked a song from the band Kansas.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724201126887.png" alt="Jeannna Repass, Chairperson of the Kansas Democratic Party and Vice Chair Shaun Junkins , far right, cheer and amid the music of the band Kansas as the votes are announced for Kamala Harris-image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Jeannna Repass, Chairperson of the Kansas Democratic Party and Vice Chair Shaun Junkins , far right, cheer and amid the music of the band Kansas as the votes are announced for Kamala Harris-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>But there were curious picks — like American Samoa rolling out to Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” — and some delegations said they simply didn’t have a say in the matter.</p><p>Here’s how each song (likely) fits each state or territory, in order of the roll call:</p><h2>Alabama: “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynyrd Skynyrd</h2><p>Yes, the Southern state picked its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lynyrd-skynyrd-southern-rock-gary-rossington-fd0ebbf204c89fd45271156fa58417b8">most famous name-check,</a>&nbsp;even if the band itself is originally from Florida.</p><h2>Alaska: “Feel It Still,” Portugal. The Man</h2><p>Despite the European nation in its name, the rock band is from Wasilla, Alaska, which also happens to be the hometown of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.</p><h2>American Samoa: “Edge of Glory,” Lady Gaga</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-jason-palmer-american-samoa-primary-c4bc109a16c7ee7b083f6216b44ba0c4">territory’s Democratic Party</a>&nbsp;didn’t respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18188/democratic-national-convention-roll-call-music-state" target="_blank">NPR reports</a>&nbsp;this is a “tongue-in-cheek nod to the territory’s position as the southernmost territory in the United States.” So we’ll go with that.</p><h2>Arizona: “Edge of Seventeen,” Stevie Nicks</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stevie-nicks">former Fleetwood Mac singer</a>&nbsp;is from Phoenix.</p><h2>Arkansas: “Don’t Stop,” Fleetwood Mac</h2><p>The Southern state also went with a Nicks’ hit when it picked this song, which was also famously the theme of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-democratic-convention-kamala-harris-trump-5d60df1b037cbc153e20a2c71d7429f8">then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s</a>&nbsp;winning 1992 presidential campaign.</p><h2>Colorado: “September,” Earth, Wind &amp; Fire</h2><p>One of the original lead singers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/movie-awards-oscars-2024-bc5784b39e47a79c3108b09b9a937517">of the band,</a>&nbsp;Philip Bailey, was born in Denver, where he and other band members from the Mile High City are also in the&nbsp;<a href="https://cmhof.org/inductees/earthwindfire/" target="_blank">Colorado Music Hall of Fame</a>.</p><h2>Connecticut: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” Stevie Wonder</h2><p>The New England state’s pick was one of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barack-obama-dnc-convention-harris-58f15df279a382be92040dfbc6adde13">former President Barack Obama’s</a>&nbsp;go-to songs during his two successful presidential runs, but there’s no apparent connection to Connecticut. (Wonder is from Michigan.)</p><h2>Delaware: “Higher Love,” Kygo and Whitney Houston</h2><p>The home state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;went with a song that had been a mainstay of his 2020 campaign.</p><p>ADVERTISEMENT</p><h2>Democrats Abroad: “Love Train,” The O’Jays</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-12-presidential-contests-georgia-mississippi-washington-hawaii-97bc332080e9dd3563f14006d2a7e479">The organization</a>&nbsp;acknowledged Wednesday it didn’t have a say in the pick, but said the early disco hit was appropriate, given it has members in more than 190 countries.</p><h2>Washington, D.C.: “Let Me Clear My Throat,” DJ Kool</h2><p>The delegation from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/columbia">the nation’s capital</a>&nbsp;went with the party anthem by a native son.</p><h2>Florida: “I Won’t Back Down,” Tom Petty</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3ad756d5c0e245d3b828491a93c795ae">late rock star</a>&nbsp;was born in — you guessed it — the Sunshine State.</p><h2>Georgia: “Turn Down For What,” DJ Snake and Lil Jon</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/dnc-celebrities-roll-call-lil-jon-spike-lee-eva-longoria-5598ee4c1d42241ae6ac616e3e8f30ad">Atlanta’s own Lil Jon</a>&nbsp;delivered a raucous version of his hit live and in person to the crowd at Chicago’s United Center.</p><h2>Guam: “Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter</h2><p>The island territory went with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/songs-of-summer-2024-b38527d7ff8d498e72943ef84cda638b">one of the biggest hits of the summer,</a>&nbsp;though Carpenter was born and raised in Pennsylvania, some 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) away.</p><h2>Hawaii: “24K Magic,” Bruno Mars</h2><p>If you haven’t already picked up on a theme here, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mars">R&amp;B star</a>&nbsp;hails from Honolulu.</p><h2>Idaho: “Private Idaho,” The B-52s</h2><p>The song is by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athens-rock-lobsters-b52s-hockey-4502c97c01c0158524e9c0b45cbac844">the Georgia band</a>&nbsp;most famous for “Love Shack” and other hits, but singer Fred Schneider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/words-deeds/article291251240.html" target="_blank">told the Idaho Statesman</a>&nbsp;he chose this song title because the state is “pretty mysterious to, you know, all of us.”</p><h2>Illinois: “Sirius,” The Alan Parsons Project</h2><p>The British prog rock band’s song was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6kiimEsYc" target="_blank">intro music</a>&nbsp;for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jordan-pippen-rodman-bulls-cbaf154f26b8c9de8ec3f5fae1920f8d">Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls,</a>&nbsp;who played in the very arena hosting the convention.</p><h2>Indiana: “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” Michael Jackson</h2><p>Jackson and his famous family were originally from the industrial city&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-music-entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-274a1c6ea80ec76f719a4e2db325bcd5">of Gary, Indiana.</a></p><h2>Iowa: “Celebration,” Kool and The Gang</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/rock-hall-fame-2024-65c09d0b774417cb6d9ffece252da8a4">The band</a>&nbsp;may have been from New Jersey but everyone likes to celebrate good times, c’mon.</p><h2>Kansas: “Carry On Wayward Son,” Kansas</h2><p>There was really only one way this pick was going to go — a song from the arena rock band from Topeka, Kansas.</p><h2>Kentucky: “First Class,” Jack Harlow</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-harlow">The rapper</a>&nbsp;was born and raised in the Bluegrass State.</p><h2>Louisiana: “All I Do Is Win,” DJ Khaled feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/dj-khaled">New Orleans native?</a>&nbsp;Check. Infectious party anthem? You bet.</p><h2>Maine: “Shut Up and Dance,” Walk the Moon</h2><p>Once again, a New England state ended up with a song everyone can sing along to, even if it didn’t have an obvious local connection. (Walk the Moon is from Ohio.) Maine Democrats say their pick of a song from local band The Ghost of Paul Revere was ultimately nixed.</p><h2>Maryland: “Respect,” Aretha Franklin</h2><p>The mid-Atlantic state also decided against a homegrown pick when it rolled with a hit from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aretha-franklin-music-north-america-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-616951e51eaa4aa09f894b6ea9d9df44">Detroit’s late “Queen of Soul.”</a></p><h2>Massachusetts: “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” The Dropkick Murphys</h2><p>The de facto anthem of the Red Sox, by an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arts-and-entertainment-media-social-media-boston-1cb0e797eb0e14f185875f4b0b1dbf41">Irish American punk band</a>&nbsp;from the suburbs of the Massachusetts capital? No notes.</p><h2>Michigan: “Lose Yourself,” Eminem</h2><p>The hit comes from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9bea5c20fabee352c6118738894a5cce">Detroit native’s 2002 semi-autobiographical movie “8 Mile,”</a>&nbsp;about a struggling rapper trying to make his name in the city’s hip-hop scene.</p><h2>Mississippi: “Twistin’ the Night Away,” Sam Cooke</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/one-night-in-miami-movie-review-99ab6586c94701a8bc5bd95cf89998dc">late soul singer</a>&nbsp;was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.</p><h2>Missouri: “Good Luck, Babe!”, Chappell Roan</h2><p>The Show-Me State went with an upbeat track by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chappell-roan-interview-olivia-rodrigo-aa86d43c640feb33cb471894bedb7a0e">the rising pop star, who hails from Willard, Missouri.</a></p><h2>Montana: “American Woman,” Lenny Kravitz</h2><p>The song, originally by the Canadian band The Guess Who, has no obvious connection to the Big Sky State — but the title has everything to do with sending a woman to the White House.</p><h2>Nebraska: “Firework,” Katy Perry</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/katy-perry">Perry has</a>&nbsp;no apparent connection to the Cornhusker State, but she’s lent her starpower to the Democratic Party in recent years, performing at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdwmJIZyjx4" target="_blank">Biden’s inauguration</a>. Her hit song “Roar” also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4687910/2016-hillary-clinton-campaign-ad" target="_blank">featured prominently</a>&nbsp;in Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential campaign.</p><h2>Nevada: “Mr. Brightside,” The Killers</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/flowers">Brandon Flowers</a>&nbsp;and Dave Keuning formed the rock band more than two decade ago, in Las Vegas.</p><h2>New Hampshire: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/television-programs-arts-and-entertainment-general-news-ce01e4cdbc5d4c71abe6f6118c1b9e9b">The rock band</a>&nbsp;formed in San Francisco, but we’d be hard-pressed to find an event, rally or game that hasn’t used this song as its anthem.</p><h2>New Jersey: “Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen</h2><p>It couldn’t get more obvious than this.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bruce-springsteen">“The Boss”</a>&nbsp;is from Long Branch, New Jersey, and politicians from both parties have played his song at rallies and events too many times to count — despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ronald-reagan-hip-hop-and-rap-phil-collins-bruce-springsteen-394ddb622b30a718f1b4621a316a78c3">its more subversive lyrics.</a></p><h2>New Mexico: “Confident,” Demi Lovato</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/demi-lovato">Lovato was</a>&nbsp;born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.</p><h2>New York: “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys</h2><p>Both Jay-Z and Keys are from New York, the city for which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jayz-pretaped-tony-awards-performance-alicia-keys-be469a7819bcd013266addda699e747a">this song</a>&nbsp;is an anthem and ode.</p><h2>North Carolina: “Raise Up,” Petey Pablo</h2><p>Pablo, a rapper and record producer, is from the Tar Heel State.</p><h2>North Dakota: “Girl on Fire,” Alicia Keys</h2><p>As established above, Keys is from New York, but her song has often been used to celebrate and empower women (including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">at the Olympics</a>&nbsp;).</p><h2>Northern Mariana Islands: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/assange-wikileaks-saipan-court-marianas-surge-066ab4e64d9fa063ffd20c71964a2662">The U.S. commonwealth north of Guam</a>&nbsp;has no apparent connection to Gaye or Terrell, but it is mountainous with several volcanos — and the song choice could be a nod to the journey Harris is on.</p><h2>Ohio: “Green Light,” John Legend feat. André 3000</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/john-legend-my-favorite-dream-childrens-album-5c8f30f45cc99a8b14f0b502a3dc44aa">Legend was</a>&nbsp;born in Springfield, Ohio. (André 3000 of Outkast is from Atlanta, however.)</p><h2>Oklahoma: “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘til the Sun Comes Up),” Garth Brooks</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/garth-brooks">The country singer</a>&nbsp;was born in Tulsa, the Sooner State’s second-largest city.</p><h2>Oregon: “Float On,” Modest Mouse</h2><p>The band was formed in Washington state, but is now based in Portland, Oregon.</p><h2>Pennsylvania: “Motownphilly,” Boyz II Men; “Black and Yellow,” Wiz Khalifa</h2><p>Boyz II Men is from Philadelphia, where the music video for “Motownphilly” was filmed. Meanwhile, Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” is about growing up in Pittsburgh. The titular colors are a tribute to the city’s football team,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/pittsburgh-steelers">the Steelers.</a></p><h2>Puerto Rico: “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee</h2><p>Both singers behind this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-music-7e2ca28a56014db9a28c565cd8bd020e">2017 song of the summer</a>&nbsp;are from Puerto Rico.</p><h2>Rhode Island: “Shake it Off,” Taylor Swift</h2><p>Swift is from Pennsylvania, but in 2013 purchased what was then the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-rhode-island-westerly-1f2bab797e029d0f22eeb78efbfea442">most expensive private home in Rhode Island.</a></p><h2>South Carolina: “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine,” James Brown</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-brown">late “Godfather of Soul”</a>&nbsp;was born in Barnwell, South Carolina.</p><h2>South Dakota: “What I Like About You,” The Romantics</h2><p>The rock band is from Detroit, not the Mount Rushmore State. Does it matter if there’s a lot to like?</p><h2>Tennessee: “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton</h2><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-new-album-rockstar-15f6efbfe89e9370eee4bf71e0ea26de">country music legend</a>&nbsp;was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, and currently lives outside of Nashville.</p><h2>Texas: “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” Beyoncé</h2><p>In case it needs explaining,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/beyonce-cowboy-carter-country-music-9c865d00adf1f31f4bf22f126612e226">Beyoncé is from Houston.</a></p><h2>Utah: “Animal,” Neon Trees</h2><p>The rock band formed in Provo, Utah.</p><h2>Vermont: “Stick Season,” Noah Kahan</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/noah-kahan-stick-season-mental-health-0b3ac39ba80971599706a8e0d16f6f70">Kahan was born in Strafford, Vermont,</a>&nbsp;a picturesque New England town.</p><h2>US Virgin Islands: “VI to the Bone,” Mic Love</h2><p>As the song title indicates, the rapper is from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-virgin-islands">the U.S. Virgin Islands.</a></p><h2>Virginia: “The Way I Are,” Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson and D.O.E.</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/hub/timbaland">Timbaland</a>&nbsp;was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia.</p><h2>Washington: “Can’t Hold Us,” Macklemore &amp; Ryan Lewis</h2><p>Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/macklemore">Macklemore</a>&nbsp;and Lewis are from the Evergreen State.</p><h2>West Virginia: “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” John Denver</h2><p>Denver is from New Mexico, but the hit song he wrote with Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-034ade580c7b4265bd54d181dd8e4f41">long been a symbol of the Mountain State.</a></p><h2>Wisconsin: “Jump Around,” House of Pain</h2><p>The hip-hop trio is from Los Angeles, but their 1992 hit song has been played at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-football-football-wisconsin-wisconsin-badgers-football-4f14aa67758bb9c6a7cfab878f9ec3fe">University of Wisconsin football games</a>&nbsp;for years.</p><h2>Wyoming: “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas</h2><p>The song has no apparent connection to the state but sent a message that’s pretty self-explanatory.</p><h2>Minnesota: “Kiss” and “1999,” Prince and The Revolution</h2><p>The pop superstar was born in —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/arts-and-entertainment-music-general-news-b9e3df0421a04344835cd4fac7680c24">and died in</a>&nbsp;— his home state, which he shares with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-walz-democratic-national-convention-dd8f281f5dc53c4e9e504fbad5c4f672">vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz.</a></p><h2>California: “The Next Episode,” Dr. Dre; “California Love,” Tupac Shakur; “Alright” and “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar</h2><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-democratic-presidential-nomination-eb43b6b346cc644b2d195315cb2bfb20">Harris’ home state</a>&nbsp;picked a medley of West Coast hip-hop anthems — classic and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kendrick-lamar-drake-beef-timeline-d01a072f46dece82cdd9c57c4be86293">more recent</a>&nbsp;— to close out the roll call.</p>

How each song fit each state as Dems set convention roll call to music

SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just before 11:30p.m. August 21, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;&nbsp;located a red 1999 Plymouth Voyager that was reported stolen out of Missouri in the 1900 block of NW Topeka Boulevard, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Andrew R. Roldan Jr., 32, and a passenger, Amber D. Kirk, 35, both of Topeka, were&nbsp;booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.&nbsp; Roldan was booked on requested charges of possession of a stimulant, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license and possession of stolen property. Kirk was booked in on requested charges of possession of a stimulant and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724446853180.png" alt="Roldan photo Shawnee Co." />
                        <figcaption>Roldan photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY –Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.</p><p>Just before 11:30p.m. August 21, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;&nbsp;located a red 1999 Plymouth Voyager that was reported stolen out of Missouri in the 1900 block of NW Topeka Boulevard, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724447109472.png" alt="Kirk photo Shawnee Co." />
                        <figcaption>Kirk photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Andrew R. Roldan Jr., 32, and a passenger, Amber D. Kirk, 35, both of Topeka, were&nbsp;booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.&nbsp; Roldan was booked on requested charges of possession of a stimulant, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license and possession of stolen property. Kirk was booked in on requested charges of possession of a stimulant and possession of drug paraphernalia.</p>

Kansas couple caught in van reported stolen from Missouri

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

Just before 3:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of shots fired near 39th Street and Central Street, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

First responders found one shooting victim. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later learned that another man and a woman injured from the gunfire had gone to the hospital for treatment. They are expected to survive, according to DiMartino.

Investigators determined three victims had been part of a group of people that had gathered outside of a business shortly before the gunfire started.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724507321803.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><p>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.</p><p>Just before 3:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of shots fired near 39th Street and Central Street, according to KCPD&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.</p><p>First responders found one shooting victim. He was pronounced dead at the scene.</p><p>Police later learned that another man and a woman injured from the gunfire had gone to the hospital for treatment. They are expected to survive, according to DiMartino.</p><p>Investigators determined three victims had been part of a group of people that had gathered outside of a business shortly before the gunfire started.</p>

One dead, 2 wounded from gunfire outside business in Kansas City

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on this week rejected a Republican push that could have blocked more than 41,000 Arizona voters from casting ballots for president in the closely contested swing state, but allowed some parts of a law requiring proof of citizenship to be enforced.

The 5-4 order came after emergency appeal filed by state and national Republicans. It sought to give full effect to voting measures that were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-elections-9cb2f7395ce3150e0aa6548aa492c138">enacted</a>&nbsp;after President Joe Biden won the state over Republican Donald Trump with less than 11,000 votes. The measures have drawn fierce opposition from voting rights advocates.

The case could be one of multiple election disputes to come before the high court with the November election less than 90 days away.

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to be fully enforced. But Justice Amy Coney Barrett would have joined with the court’s three liberals in fully rejecting the push, the order states.

The justices did not detail their reasoning in a brief order, as is typical in emergency appeals.

Trump applauded the high court’s decision, saying the high court has “great courage in doing what they’re doing.”

The high court's order allows the enforcement of restrictions that bar people from voting in state and local elections if they don’t provide proof of citizenship when they register while the legal fight continues in lower courts.

State voter registration forms submitted without “documentary proof of citizenship” will now be rejected by Arizona counties, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said. People can still register to vote in presidential and congressional elections with a different federal form that requires people to swear they are citizens under penalty of perjury, but does not require proof.

“My concern is that changes to the process should not occur this close to an election, it creates confusion for voters,” Fontes said in a statement. “We respect the Court’s decision and will implement these changes while continuing to protect voter access and make a voting simple process.”

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote in a blog post that proof of citizenship laws “matter a lot. They stand to literally disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters for no good reason.”

Proponents say the measure is about eliminating opportunities for fraud. National and state Republicans had asked the Supreme Court to get involved in a legal fight over voter registration restrictions that Republicans enacted in Arizona in 2022 following Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-arizona-phoenix-elections-9638adedbe826b31b5d172ba3a1c7c3a">narrow victory</a>&nbsp;in the state in 2020.

The court’s action came after a lower court had blocked a requirement that called for state voter registration forms to be rejected if they are not accompanied by documents proving U.S. citizenship. A second measure would have prohibited voting in presidential elections or by mail if registrants don’t prove they are U.S. citizens.

An appellate panel of three Trump appointees initially blocked the lower court ruling in part and allowed enforcement of a provision dealing with state voter registration forms. But another appellate panel voted 2-1 to keep both provisions on hold, with two Bill Clinton appointees allowing the voter registrations to go forward over the dissent of a Trump appointee.

The measures were passed on party-line votes and signed into law by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, amid a wave of proposals that Republicans introduced around the country after Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump, including in Arizona.

For state and local elections, voters must provide proof of citizenship when they register or have it on file with the state. Since that isn’t a requirement for federal elections for Congress or president, tens of thousands of voters who haven’t provided proof of citizenship are registered only for federal elections.

There were 41,352 of those voters registered as of August 9 in Arizona, Fontes, a Democrat, said.

The GOP push to block those voters would most impact military service members, students and Native Americans, Fontes said. About 27% of those voters are registered Democrats and 15% are Republicans. More than half, 54%, are registered independents, according to state data.

Voting rights groups and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-arizona-bc2fa3b59f7b7c81d27fde7df9e1ed9b">Biden administration had sued</a>&nbsp;over the Arizona laws.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led Republican attorneys general in 24 states in supporting the restrictions.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who along with Senate President Warren Petersen had asked the court to take up the issue, said in a statement that Thursday's order was “a step in the right direction to require proof of citizenship in all our elections.” Toma and Petersen are both Republicans.

Federal-only voters have been a subject of political wrangling since the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that Arizona cannot require documentary proof of citizenship for people to vote in national elections. The state responded by creating two classes of voters: those who can vote in all races and those who can vote only in federal elections.

One of the new laws sought to further divide voters, allowing votes in congressional elections without proof of citizenship, but denying the vote in presidential contests.

The Legislature’s own lawyers had said much of the measure was unconstitutional, directly contradicted the earlier Supreme Court decision and was likely to be thrown out in court.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on a handful of other election-related cases Thursday, clearing the way for ballot measures that were facing legal challenges to now appear before voters. Arizona voters will have a chance to decide on whether they want to establish open primary elections in which all candidates compete regardless of their party affiliation — changing the state’s primaries from closed to open.

The justices bucked two of opponents’ multiple arguments. The measure faces one pending challenge, but if it is not ruled on by early Friday morning, the measure will officially be kept on the ballot.

Voters in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-ranked-choice-voting-primary-lawsuit-b0a5923cee968f2f65855d0999e9842e">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-open-primary-ballot-initiative-cdc43a6cee1447fd53d06de79bfb325d">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;and Nevada, will also decide on similar ballot measures concerning open primary elections this November.

The high court also ruled the title of a measure to decrease workers’ wages up to 25% per hour if they are tipped was not misleading, placing it on the November ballot.

Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Mark Sherman in Washington as well as Sejal Govindarao and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this story.

But in a 5-4 order, the high court allowed some enforcement of regulations barring people from voting if they don’t provide proof of citizenship when they register.

The justices acted on an emergency appeal filed by state and national Republicans that sought to give full effect to voting measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-elections-9cb2f7395ce3150e0aa6548aa492c138">enacted in 2022</a>&nbsp;following Biden's narrow win over Republican Donald Trump.

The court did not detail its reasoning in a brief order. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to be fully enforced, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett would have joined with the court’s three liberals in fully rejecting the push, the order states.

The legal fight will continue in lower courts.

National and state Republicans had asked the Supreme Court to get involved in a legal fight over voter registration restrictions that Republicans enacted in Arizona in 2022 following Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-arizona-phoenix-elections-9638adedbe826b31b5d172ba3a1c7c3a">thin victory</a>&nbsp;in the state in 2020.

The court’s action came after a lower court had blocked a requirement that called for state voter registration forms to be rejected if they are not accompanied by documents proving U.S. citizenship. A second measure, also not in effect, would have prohibited voting in presidential elections or by mail if registrants don’t prove they are U.S. citizens. Federal law requires voters to swear they are U.S. citizens under penalty of perjury but does not require proof of citizenship either to vote in federal elections in person or cast ballots by mail.

There were 41,352 of those voters registered as of August 9 in Arizona, Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said.

Fontes warned in a court filing that an order in favor of the state and national Republicans this close to the November election “will create chaos and confusion.”

The voters most affected would include military service members, students and Native Americans, Fontes said. About 27% of those voters are registered Democrats and 15% are Republicans. More than half, 54%, are registered independents, according to state data.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led Republican attorneys general in 24 states in supporting the restrictions, saying the “case threatens to continue chipping away Arizona’s authority to secure its own elections.”

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who along with Senate President Warren Petersen had asked the court to take up the issue, said in a statement that the order was “a step in the right direction to require proof of citizenship in all our elections.” Toma and Peterson are both Republicans.

The 2022 law has drawn fierce opposition from voting rights advocates, who described the statute as an attempt to get the issue back in front of the now more conservative Supreme Court.

Proponents say the measure is about eliminating opportunities for fraud. There is no evidence that the existence of federal-only voters has allowed noncitizens to illegally vote, but Republican skeptics have nonetheless worked aggressively to crack down on federal-only voting.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718044194207.jpg" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on this week rejected a Republican push that could have blocked more than 41,000 Arizona voters from casting ballots for president in the closely contested swing state, but allowed some parts of a law requiring proof of citizenship to be enforced.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724356826324.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The 5-4 order came after emergency appeal filed by state and national Republicans. It sought to give full effect to voting measures that were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-elections-9cb2f7395ce3150e0aa6548aa492c138">enacted</a>&nbsp;after President Joe Biden won the state over Republican Donald Trump with less than 11,000 votes. The measures have drawn fierce opposition from voting rights advocates.</p><p>The case could be one of multiple election disputes to come before the high court with the November election less than 90 days away.</p><p>Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to be fully enforced. But Justice Amy Coney Barrett would have joined with the court’s three liberals in fully rejecting the push, the order states.</p><p>The justices did not detail their reasoning in a brief order, as is typical in emergency appeals.</p><p>Trump applauded the high court’s decision, saying the high court has “great courage in doing what they’re doing.”</p><p>The high court's order allows the enforcement of restrictions that bar people from voting in state and local elections if they don’t provide proof of citizenship when they register while the legal fight continues in lower courts.</p><p>State voter registration forms submitted without “documentary proof of citizenship” will now be rejected by Arizona counties, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said. People can still register to vote in presidential and congressional elections with a different federal form that requires people to swear they are citizens under penalty of perjury, but does not require proof.</p><p>“My concern is that changes to the process should not occur this close to an election, it creates confusion for voters,” Fontes said in a statement. “We respect the Court’s decision and will implement these changes while continuing to protect voter access and make a voting simple process.”</p><p>Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote in a blog post that proof of citizenship laws “matter a lot. They stand to literally disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters for no good reason.”</p><p>Proponents say the measure is about eliminating opportunities for fraud. National and state Republicans had asked the Supreme Court to get involved in a legal fight over voter registration restrictions that Republicans enacted in Arizona in 2022 following Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-arizona-phoenix-elections-9638adedbe826b31b5d172ba3a1c7c3a">narrow victory</a>&nbsp;in the state in 2020.</p><p>The court’s action came after a lower court had blocked a requirement that called for state voter registration forms to be rejected if they are not accompanied by documents proving U.S. citizenship. A second measure would have prohibited voting in presidential elections or by mail if registrants don’t prove they are U.S. citizens.</p><p>An appellate panel of three Trump appointees initially blocked the lower court ruling in part and allowed enforcement of a provision dealing with state voter registration forms. But another appellate panel voted 2-1 to keep both provisions on hold, with two Bill Clinton appointees allowing the voter registrations to go forward over the dissent of a Trump appointee.</p><p>The measures were passed on party-line votes and signed into law by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, amid a wave of proposals that Republicans introduced around the country after Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump, including in Arizona.</p><p>For state and local elections, voters must provide proof of citizenship when they register or have it on file with the state. Since that isn’t a requirement for federal elections for Congress or president, tens of thousands of voters who haven’t provided proof of citizenship are registered only for federal elections.</p><p>There were 41,352 of those voters registered as of August 9 in Arizona, Fontes, a Democrat, said.</p><p>The GOP push to block those voters would most impact military service members, students and Native Americans, Fontes said. About 27% of those voters are registered Democrats and 15% are Republicans. More than half, 54%, are registered independents, according to state data.</p><p>Voting rights groups and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-arizona-bc2fa3b59f7b7c81d27fde7df9e1ed9b">Biden administration had sued</a>&nbsp;over the Arizona laws.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715730270249.png" alt="Kansas AG Kris Kobach courtesy photo" />
                        <figcaption>Kansas AG Kris Kobach courtesy photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led Republican attorneys general in 24 states in supporting the restrictions.</p><p>Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who along with Senate President Warren Petersen had asked the court to take up the issue, said in a statement that Thursday's order was “a step in the right direction to require proof of citizenship in all our elections.” Toma and Petersen are both Republicans.</p><p>Federal-only voters have been a subject of political wrangling since the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that Arizona cannot require documentary proof of citizenship for people to vote in national elections. The state responded by creating two classes of voters: those who can vote in all races and those who can vote only in federal elections.</p><p>One of the new laws sought to further divide voters, allowing votes in congressional elections without proof of citizenship, but denying the vote in presidential contests.</p><p>The Legislature’s own lawyers had said much of the measure was unconstitutional, directly contradicted the earlier Supreme Court decision and was likely to be thrown out in court.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on a handful of other election-related cases Thursday, clearing the way for ballot measures that were facing legal challenges to now appear before voters. Arizona voters will have a chance to decide on whether they want to establish open primary elections in which all candidates compete regardless of their party affiliation — changing the state’s primaries from closed to open.</p><p>The justices bucked two of opponents’ multiple arguments. The measure faces one pending challenge, but if it is not ruled on by early Friday morning, the measure will officially be kept on the ballot.</p><p>Voters in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/idaho-ranked-choice-voting-primary-lawsuit-b0a5923cee968f2f65855d0999e9842e">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-open-primary-ballot-initiative-cdc43a6cee1447fd53d06de79bfb325d">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;and Nevada, will also decide on similar ballot measures concerning open primary elections this November.</p><p>The high court also ruled the title of a measure to decrease workers’ wages up to 25% per hour if they are tipped was not misleading, placing it on the November ballot.</p><p>___</p><p>Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Mark Sherman in Washington as well as Sejal Govindarao and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this story.</p><p>But in a 5-4 order, the high court allowed some enforcement of regulations barring people from voting if they don’t provide proof of citizenship when they register.</p><p>The justices acted on an emergency appeal filed by state and national Republicans that sought to give full effect to voting measures&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-elections-9cb2f7395ce3150e0aa6548aa492c138">enacted in 2022</a>&nbsp;following Biden's narrow win over Republican Donald Trump.</p><p>The court did not detail its reasoning in a brief order. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch would have allowed the law to be fully enforced, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett would have joined with the court’s three liberals in fully rejecting the push, the order states.</p><p>The legal fight will continue in lower courts.</p><p>National and state Republicans had asked the Supreme Court to get involved in a legal fight over voter registration restrictions that Republicans enacted in Arizona in 2022 following Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-arizona-phoenix-elections-9638adedbe826b31b5d172ba3a1c7c3a">thin victory</a>&nbsp;in the state in 2020.</p><p>The court’s action came after a lower court had blocked a requirement that called for state voter registration forms to be rejected if they are not accompanied by documents proving U.S. citizenship. A second measure, also not in effect, would have prohibited voting in presidential elections or by mail if registrants don’t prove they are U.S. citizens. Federal law requires voters to swear they are U.S. citizens under penalty of perjury but does not require proof of citizenship either to vote in federal elections in person or cast ballots by mail.</p><p>An appellate panel of three Trump appointees initially blocked the lower court ruling in part and allowed enforcement of a provision dealing with state voter registration forms. But another appellate panel voted 2-1 to keep both provisions on hold, with two Bill Clinton appointees allowing the voter registrations to go forward over the dissent of a Trump appointee.</p><p>The measures were passed on party-line votes and signed into law by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, amid a wave of proposals that Republicans introduced around the country after Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump, including in Arizona.</p><p>For state and local elections, voters must provide proof of citizenship when they register or have it on file with the state. Since that isn’t a requirement for federal elections for Congress or president, tens of thousands of voters who haven’t provided proof of citizenship are registered only for federal elections.</p><p>There were 41,352 of those voters registered as of August 9 in Arizona, Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said.</p><p>Fontes warned in a court filing that an order in favor of the state and national Republicans this close to the November election “will create chaos and confusion.”</p><p>The voters most affected would include military service members, students and Native Americans, Fontes said. About 27% of those voters are registered Democrats and 15% are Republicans. More than half, 54%, are registered independents, according to state data.</p><p>Voting rights groups and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-us-supreme-court-legislature-arizona-bc2fa3b59f7b7c81d27fde7df9e1ed9b">Biden administration had sued</a>&nbsp;over the Arizona laws.</p><p>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led Republican attorneys general in 24 states in supporting the restrictions, saying the “case threatens to continue chipping away Arizona’s authority to secure its own elections.”</p><p>Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who along with Senate President Warren Petersen had asked the court to take up the issue, said in a statement that the order was “a step in the right direction to require proof of citizenship in all our elections.” Toma and Peterson are both Republicans.</p><p>Federal-only voters have been a subject of political wrangling since the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that Arizona cannot require documentary proof of citizenship for people to vote in national elections. The state responded by creating two classes of voters: those who can vote in all races and those who can vote only in federal elections.</p><p>One of the new laws sought to further divide voters, allowing votes in congressional elections without proof of citizenship, but denying the vote in presidential contests.</p><p>The 2022 law has drawn fierce opposition from voting rights advocates, who described the statute as an attempt to get the issue back in front of the now more conservative Supreme Court.</p><p>Proponents say the measure is about eliminating opportunities for fraud. There is no evidence that the existence of federal-only voters has allowed noncitizens to illegally vote, but Republican skeptics have nonetheless worked aggressively to crack down on federal-only voting.</p><p>The Legislature’s own lawyers had said much of the measure was unconstitutional, directly contradicted the earlier Supreme Court decision and was likely to be thrown out in court.</p>