&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations.

Just after 4:30p.m. March 4, around 4:30 P.M., a Deputy Sheriff stopped a passenger car for an alleged traffic infraction in the vicinity of 134th Road and P Road in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the stop,  illegal drug contraband was seized. The driver, Savannah Jo Cain, 37, of Topeka, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The passenger, Diandre Lee Spates, 51, of Topeka, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with law enforcement and felony possession of hallucinogenic drugs.

Cain has previous felony convictions for forgery, theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Her sentence in prison expired in 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709571229072.png" alt="Spates-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Spates-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations.Just after 4:30p.m. March 4, around 4:30 P.M., a Deputy Sheriff stopped a passenger car for an alleged traffic infraction in the vicinity of 134th Road and P Road in Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709571189529.png" alt="Cain has three previous felony convictions, according to the KDOC-photo Jackson CO." />
 <figcaption>Cain has three previous felony convictions, according to the KDOC-photo Jackson CO.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the stop, illegal drug contraband was seized. The driver, Savannah Jo Cain, 37, of Topeka, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The passenger, Diandre Lee Spates, 51, of Topeka, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, felony interference with law enforcement and felony possession of hallucinogenic drugs.Cain has previous felony convictions for forgery, theft and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Her sentence in prison expired in 2019.

Kan. woman convicted of forgery caught transporting meth 

NEW YORK (AP) — From the start, the case was highly unusual: a criminal prosecution centered on the disputed ownership of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits.

In the middle of trial, New York prosecutors abruptly dropped their case Wednesday against three collectibles experts who had been accused of scheming to hang onto and peddle the pages, which Eagles co-founder Don Henley maintained were stolen, private artifacts of the band’s creative process.

In explaining the stunning turnabout, prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates. Prosecutors and the defense got the material only in the past few days, after Henley and his lawyers apparently made a late-in-the-game decision to waive their attorney-client privilege shielding legal discussions.

“These delayed disclosures revealed relevant information that the defense should have had the opportunity to explore” when Henley and other prosecution witnesses testified late last month, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Aaron Ginandes told the court.

With that, rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski were cleared of all the charges. They had included conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.

The case centered on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages, many from the creation of a classic rock colossus. The 1976 album “Hotel California” ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest seller</a>&nbsp;of all time in the U.S., in no small part on the strength of its evocative, smoothly unsettling title track about a place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

Prosecutors had said the defendants knew the pages' chain of possession was shaky but sought to keep and sell them anyway, contriving to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off Henley’s demands for the return of the handwritten sheets.

Through their lawyers, the defendants contended they were rightful owners of pages that weren’t stolen by anyone.

“The next step is building back our reputations," Inciardi said in a written statement after the dismissal. Kosinski, leaving court, said only that he felt “very good” about the case's end. Horowitz hugged tearful family members, then left court without commenting.

Henley lawyer Dan Petrocelli, meanwhile, said the musician plans to turn to civil courts.

“As the victim in this case, Mr. Henley has once again been victimized by this unjust outcome,” Petrocelli said in a statement.

One of Kosinski's lawyers, Scott Edelman, said they also were going to “evaluate next steps."

The communications that led to the case dismissal weren’t released publicly. But in court earlier this week, defense lawyers said the trove had identified additional potential witnesses and raised questions about some testimony from Henley and others.

Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday that witnesses and their lawyers used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging" and that prosecutors “were apparently manipulated.”

As Edelman saw it, prosecutors "got blinded by the fame and fortune of a celebrity.”

The defense maintained that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-8ec3a28657365ecce6bfd4003ead494a">never-published Eagles biography</a>&nbsp;and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012.

“These are three factually innocent men,” said Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman.

Henley, who realized the pages were missing only when they showed up for sale, reported them stolen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-01d778228e5f7450a2579238798c4f38">He testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial that he let the writer pore through the pages for research but “never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell.”

The writer, Ed Sanders, wasn’t charged with any crime and wasn’t called to testify. He hasn’t responded to messages about the trial.

Defense lawyers said in court Monday that newly produced emails showed that Henley initially suspected someone else before being reminded of the decades-old book project.

The defense said emails also indicated that some Henley lawyers and a private investigator initially characterized the pages’ disappearance as a burglary — and didn't mention Sanders’ 1979 book contract — because they believed that referring to a burglary would help their cause. The contract, often mentioned during the trial, said the Eagles would furnish Sanders with material, which would remain the band’s “sole property.”

Messages seeking comment were sent to the Henley attorneys involved in the initial 2012 discussions about the lyrics sheets . Another firm that represented Henley in later dealings with the matter, Loeb &amp; Loeb, said in a statement Wednesday that it respects the attorney-client privilege decisions and is “confident that its attorneys acted in accordance with their professional and ethical responsibilities.”

Prosecutors said Wednesday that they repeatedly asked various witnesses to waive their attorney-client privilege, but they chose not to until the past few days.

But Horowitz lawyer Jonathan Bach said that while the defendants were accused of not asking enough questions about the pages' ownership, “it appears that the failure to do a full investigation lies with the other side."

Before the case collapsed, the nonjury trial provided sometimes gossipy peeks into the height of the Eagles' career and the music business.

The court heard the band's longtime manager lament on a decades-old tape about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">dealing with “a pampered rock star.”</a>&nbsp;Henley held in his hands aging pages with lyrics-in-the-making for such Eagles songs as “After the Thrill is Gone,” “One of These Nights” and “The Long Run.”

During testimony that stretched across three days, the Grammy-winning singer and drummer recounted highlights from the band's heyday, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-305107bd8950280a23ae6100a71f0f88">the writing of “Hotel California."</a>&nbsp;And he discussed personal low points, including his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">1980 arrest</a>&nbsp;after authorities reported finding a 16-year-old girl who was ailing from drug use at his home. It happened as the Eagles were breaking up, and Henley was reeling.

“The band was everything to me, and it’s something I’d been working towards since I was 15 years old. It was my whole world" and “my identity," he said. "We had accomplished so much in the previous decade.”

In the long run, it wasn't the end. The Eagles reunited in 1994 and are still touring.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708429319229.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — From the start, the case was highly unusual: a criminal prosecution centered on the disputed ownership of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-973e74e795416821e6f022895b47b78e">cache of hand-drafted lyrics</a>&nbsp;to “Hotel California” and other Eagles hits.Its end was even more unexpected.In the middle of trial, New York prosecutors abruptly dropped their case Wednesday against three collectibles experts who had been accused of scheming to hang onto and peddle the pages, which Eagles co-founder Don Henley maintained were stolen, private artifacts of the band’s creative process.In explaining the stunning turnabout, prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates. Prosecutors and the defense got the material only in the past few days, after Henley and his lawyers apparently made a late-in-the-game decision to waive their attorney-client privilege shielding legal discussions.“These delayed disclosures revealed relevant information that the defense should have had the opportunity to explore” when Henley and other prosecution witnesses testified late last month, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Aaron Ginandes told the court.With that, rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski were cleared of all the charges. They had included conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property.The case centered on roughly 100 pages of legal-pad pages, many from the creation of a classic rock colossus. The 1976 album “Hotel California” ranks as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c0b39a1bb5b4e44aafe2c4e05a4b67f">third-biggest seller</a>&nbsp;of all time in the U.S., in no small part on the strength of its evocative, smoothly unsettling title track about a place where “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”Prosecutors had said the defendants knew the pages' chain of possession was shaky but sought to keep and sell them anyway, contriving to fabricate a provenance that would pass muster with auction houses and stave off Henley’s demands for the return of the handwritten sheets.Through their lawyers, the defendants contended they were rightful owners of pages that weren’t stolen by anyone.“The next step is building back our reputations," Inciardi said in a written statement after the dismissal. Kosinski, leaving court, said only that he felt “very good” about the case's end. Horowitz hugged tearful family members, then left court without commenting.Henley lawyer Dan Petrocelli, meanwhile, said the musician plans to turn to civil courts.“As the victim in this case, Mr. Henley has once again been victimized by this unjust outcome,” Petrocelli said in a statement.One of Kosinski's lawyers, Scott Edelman, said they also were going to “evaluate next steps."The communications that led to the case dismissal weren’t released publicly. But in court earlier this week, defense lawyers said the trove had identified additional potential witnesses and raised questions about some testimony from Henley and others.Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday that witnesses and their lawyers used attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging" and that prosecutors “were apparently manipulated.”As Edelman saw it, prosecutors "got blinded by the fame and fortune of a celebrity.”The defense maintained that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-8ec3a28657365ecce6bfd4003ead494a">never-published Eagles biography</a>&nbsp;and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012.“These are three factually innocent men,” said Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman.Henley, who realized the pages were missing only when they showed up for sale, reported them stolen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-01d778228e5f7450a2579238798c4f38">He testified</a>&nbsp;at the trial that he let the writer pore through the pages for research but “never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell.”The writer, Ed Sanders, wasn’t charged with any crime and wasn’t called to testify. He hasn’t responded to messages about the trial.Defense lawyers said in court Monday that newly produced emails showed that Henley initially suspected someone else before being reminded of the decades-old book project.The defense said emails also indicated that some Henley lawyers and a private investigator initially characterized the pages’ disappearance as a burglary — and didn't mention Sanders’ 1979 book contract — because they believed that referring to a burglary would help their cause. The contract, often mentioned during the trial, said the Eagles would furnish Sanders with material, which would remain the band’s “sole property.”Messages seeking comment were sent to the Henley attorneys involved in the initial 2012 discussions about the lyrics sheets . Another firm that represented Henley in later dealings with the matter, Loeb &amp; Loeb, said in a statement Wednesday that it respects the attorney-client privilege decisions and is “confident that its attorneys acted in accordance with their professional and ethical responsibilities.”Prosecutors said Wednesday that they repeatedly asked various witnesses to waive their attorney-client privilege, but they chose not to until the past few days.But Horowitz lawyer Jonathan Bach said that while the defendants were accused of not asking enough questions about the pages' ownership, “it appears that the failure to do a full investigation lies with the other side."Before the case collapsed, the nonjury trial provided sometimes gossipy peeks into the height of the Eagles' career and the music business.The court heard the band's longtime manager lament on a decades-old tape about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hotel-california-lyrics-manuscript-trial-eagles-henley-1b873edc7596bb736428fbf8fb431c1d">dealing with “a pampered rock star.”</a>&nbsp;Henley held in his hands aging pages with lyrics-in-the-making for such Eagles songs as “After the Thrill is Gone,” “One of These Nights” and “The Long Run.”During testimony that stretched across three days, the Grammy-winning singer and drummer recounted highlights from the band's heyday, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henley-hotel-california-lyrics-trial-eagles-305107bd8950280a23ae6100a71f0f88">the writing of “Hotel California."</a>&nbsp;And he discussed personal low points, including his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/don-henley-eagles-hotel-california-sex-worker-dae5d3c41ae5ad1071a06dbc74a957d7">1980 arrest</a>&nbsp;after authorities reported finding a 16-year-old girl who was ailing from drug use at his home. It happened as the Eagles were breaking up, and Henley was reeling.“The band was everything to me, and it’s something I’d been working towards since I was 15 years old. It was my whole world" and “my identity," he said. "We had accomplished so much in the previous decade.”In the long run, it wasn't the end. The Eagles reunited in 1994 and are still touring.

Charges dropped in case of stolen 'Hotel California' lyrics

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced his office has filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Shawnee County District Court against&nbsp;social media company TikTok for misrepresenting its age-appropriateness in app stores, deceiving parents about the effectiveness of its parental tools, and creating and aggressively promoting an addictive app the that erodes the mental health of Kansas children, according to a media release from the AG's office.

"TikTok deceived parents by saying that the&nbsp;app was safe and age appropriate. In reality, the app has promoted&nbsp;filth, profanity, sexual content, and alcohol and drugs to Kansas kids. Even worse, it has used coercive algorithms that spike dopamine, keep kids on the app as long as possible, and facilitate downward mental health spirals. Kansas parents deserve the truth about the harm the app causes to young users, and Kansas kids should be protected," Kobach said.

The lawsuit alleges that TikTok knew its app was not safe for kids when it released the app in 2017. &nbsp;Additionally, the company misleads parents by marketing its app as age appropriate for children 12 and older. Despite its assertions, TikTok hawks significant amounts of profanity and crude humor, sexual content and nudity, alcohol, tobacco and drug usage, and mature and suggestive themes.

“Parents and caregivers believe their children are protected from images of intense sexual content, illicit drug use, and videos encouraging vaping and tobacco use, because TikTok deceives parents into believing the company hides this content from children. In reality, this company created an app intentionally to hook Kansas children onto their salacious, dangerous, and damaging content at the price of those children's mental health. This damage will echo far into the future of our state, and TikTok must answer for its actions,” said Deputy Attorney General Fran Oleen.

According to the petition, TikTok offers “restricted mode” and “family pairing” tools to keep Kansas children safe, but the tools are ineffective. The suit also alleges that TikTok negatively impacts the mental health of Kansas youth.

“Kids in Kansas have been bombarded with problematic TikTok videos while lost in the addictive grip of TikTok’s auto scroll that affects not only their attention spans, but their mental health. Youth in Kansas frequently find themselves in an infinite hole of TikTok videos that tell them they are not good enough or attractive enough. These videos are often paired with advice on how to evade parents’ detection of eating disorders,” said Assistant Attorney General Sarah Dietz. “TikTok has misrepresented itself as safe, while it purposefully addicted minors and wreaked havoc on their mental health. Even when parents and caregivers try to create a safe environment for their children by using parental controls, they are deceived by TikTok’s false representations that the parental controls are effective.”

The Office of the Kansas Attorney General is alleging multiple violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Specifically, the state seeks civil penalties of $10,000 per violation and enhanced civil penalties of $20,000 for deceptive and unconscionable acts against protected consumers.

Oleen and Dietz of the Office of the Kansas Attorney General, along with Special Assistant Attorneys General David Thompson, Brian Barnes, Megan Wold, and Athie Livas of Cooper &amp; Kirk, PLLC, represent the state of Kansas in the suit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596810871119.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced his office has filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Shawnee County District Court against&nbsp;social media company TikTok for misrepresenting its age-appropriateness in app stores, deceiving parents about the effectiveness of its parental tools, and creating and aggressively promoting an addictive app the that erodes the mental health of Kansas children, according to a media release from the AG's office."TikTok deceived parents by saying that the&nbsp;app was safe and age appropriate. In reality, the app has promoted&nbsp;filth, profanity, sexual content, and alcohol and drugs to Kansas kids. Even worse, it has used coercive algorithms that spike dopamine, keep kids on the app as long as possible, and facilitate downward mental health spirals. Kansas parents deserve the truth about the harm the app causes to young users, and Kansas kids should be protected," Kobach said.The lawsuit alleges that TikTok knew its app was not safe for kids when it released the app in 2017. &nbsp;Additionally, the company misleads parents by marketing its app as age appropriate for children 12 and older. Despite its assertions, TikTok hawks significant amounts of profanity and crude humor, sexual content and nudity, alcohol, tobacco and drug usage, and mature and suggestive themes.“Parents and caregivers believe their children are protected from images of intense sexual content, illicit drug use, and videos encouraging vaping and tobacco use, because TikTok deceives parents into believing the company hides this content from children. In reality, this company created an app intentionally to hook Kansas children onto their salacious, dangerous, and damaging content at the price of those children's mental health. This damage will echo far into the future of our state, and TikTok must answer for its actions,” said Deputy Attorney General Fran Oleen. According to the petition, TikTok offers “restricted mode” and “family pairing” tools to keep Kansas children safe, but the tools are ineffective. The suit also alleges that TikTok negatively impacts the mental health of Kansas youth.“Kids in Kansas have been bombarded with problematic TikTok videos while lost in the addictive grip of TikTok’s auto scroll that affects not only their attention spans, but their mental health. Youth in Kansas frequently find themselves in an infinite hole of TikTok videos that tell them they are not good enough or attractive enough. These videos are often paired with advice on how to evade parents’ detection of eating disorders,” said Assistant Attorney General Sarah Dietz. “TikTok has misrepresented itself as safe, while it purposefully addicted minors and wreaked havoc on their mental health. Even when parents and caregivers try to create a safe environment for their children by using parental controls, they are deceived by TikTok’s false representations that the parental controls are effective.”The Office of the Kansas Attorney General is alleging multiple violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Specifically, the state seeks civil penalties of $10,000 per violation and enhanced civil penalties of $20,000 for deceptive and unconscionable acts against protected consumers.Oleen and Dietz of the Office of the Kansas Attorney General, along with Special Assistant Attorneys General David Thompson, Brian Barnes, Megan Wold, and Athie Livas of Cooper &amp; Kirk, PLLC, represent the state of Kansas in the suit.

Kansas Attorney General sues TikTok

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has offered his “deepest sympathy” to the family of a 5-year-old girl who was seriously injured in a drunken driving crash, after facing criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-britt-reid-commutation-parson-17630ef04030c056270b7993814e6aed">releasing from prison</a>&nbsp;the driver who caused the crash, former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid.

But in a statement Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286294770.html">The Kansas City Star,</a>&nbsp;Parson stopped short of apologizing for commuting the remainder of Reid’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-sports-football-ce0454049635803df51fc892aaff9dc4?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">three-year prison sentence</a>&nbsp;to house arrest, subject to conditions.

Parson's office said no one asked the governor — who is a Chiefs fan — to commute the sentence, including Reid himself, his father Chiefs coach Andy Reid, or anyone else associated with the team that recently won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2024-score-chiefs-49ers-49b5dca51c05ab0f259cef0d7da76c2d">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;for the second consecutive year.

Parson spokesman Johnathan Shiflett later provided a copy of the statement to The Associated Press.

“It seems the laws don’t apply equally to the haves and have nots. The haves get favors. The have nots serve their sentence,” the injured girl's mother, Felicia Miller said in a separate statement provided through the family’s attorney.

Prosecutors said Reid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-kansas-football-kansas-city-kansas-city-chiefs-d43b085c56ac1d0ec8445f30faa6a4d0">was intoxicated and driving at about 84 mph</a>&nbsp;(135 kph) in a 65 mph (105 kph) zone when his Dodge truck hit two cars on an entrance ramp to Interstate 435 near Arrowhead Stadium on Feb. 4, 2021.

Six people were injured in the collision, including Reid and 5-year-old Ariel Young, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. One of the vehicles he hit had stalled because of a dead battery, and the second was owned by Felicia Miller, who had arrived to help.

Reid pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and was sentenced to three years. Parson reduced that term and ordered his release on March 1. Reid had been expecting to be released about eight weeks later.

In his statement, Parson expressed his “deepest sympathy for any additional heartache this commutation has caused the Young Family,” saying that was not his intention.

The Republican governor, a longtime Chiefs season ticket holder who celebrated with the team at its recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-c373ac902961ded32bccc11c67afbd37">Super Bowl victory parade</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City, has faced criticism even from within his own party.

“This is not justice,” said State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican who chairs the Missouri Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TonyForMissouri/status/1763934179945828383">in a post on X.</a>

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement that the original sentence was “just,” noting that the crash wasn't Britt Reid's first legal issue. He graduated from a drug treatment program in Pennsylvania in 2009 after a series of run-ins with law enforcement. His father was coach of the Philadelphia Eagles at the time.

“He," Baker said of the governor, “used his political power to free a man with status, privilege and connections.”

She also criticized the governor's office for not contacting Ariel's family before freeing Reid, but Shiflett said that is not part of the clemency process.

Reid had anticipated being released April 30 due to time served and completing an intensive treatment program while in custody, Katie McClaflin, Reid’s attorney, told The Star.

“Now that he is out of prison, he’ll continue focusing on maintaining sobriety and being an engaged and present father to his three children,” said McClaflin, who did not return a phone call from the AP seeking comment.

Shiflett has also mentioned the completion of the treatment program as one of the factors the governor considered when deciding to commute Reid's sentence.

Reid’s house arrest will continue until Oct. 31, 2025, with requirements that include weekly meetings with a parole officer, counseling and community service.

The Chiefs, who have declined to comment on the commutation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-health-business-football-b79b53869eb2a017e1e41623ac5abb58">reached a confidential agreement</a>&nbsp;with Ariel’s family to pay for her ongoing medical treatment and other expenses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709418222797.png" alt="Britt Reid-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Britt Reid-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has offered his “deepest sympathy” to the family of a 5-year-old girl who was seriously injured in a drunken driving crash, after facing criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-britt-reid-commutation-parson-17630ef04030c056270b7993814e6aed">releasing from prison</a>&nbsp;the driver who caused the crash, former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Teresa and I have arrived in Las Vegas. Less than 24-hours until kickoff - GO CHIEFS! <a href="https://t.co/FRaoZIeDqR">pic.twitter.com/FRaoZIeDqR</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1756486034563416288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But in a statement Tuesday to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286294770.html">The Kansas City Star,</a>&nbsp;Parson stopped short of apologizing for commuting the remainder of Reid’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-sports-football-ce0454049635803df51fc892aaff9dc4?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">three-year prison sentence</a>&nbsp;to house arrest, subject to conditions.Parson's office said no one asked the governor — who is a Chiefs fan — to commute the sentence, including Reid himself, his father Chiefs coach Andy Reid, or anyone else associated with the team that recently won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2024-score-chiefs-49ers-49b5dca51c05ab0f259cef0d7da76c2d">Super Bowl</a>&nbsp;for the second consecutive year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612784011749.png" alt="Ariel Young suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Ariel Young suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>Parson spokesman Johnathan Shiflett later provided a copy of the statement to The Associated Press.“It seems the laws don’t apply equally to the haves and have nots. The haves get favors. The have nots serve their sentence,” the injured girl's mother, Felicia Miller said in a separate statement provided through the family’s attorney.Prosecutors said Reid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-kansas-football-kansas-city-kansas-city-chiefs-d43b085c56ac1d0ec8445f30faa6a4d0">was intoxicated and driving at about 84 mph</a>&nbsp;(135 kph) in a 65 mph (105 kph) zone when his Dodge truck hit two cars on an entrance ramp to Interstate 435 near Arrowhead Stadium on Feb. 4, 2021.Six people were injured in the collision, including Reid and 5-year-old Ariel Young, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. One of the vehicles he hit had stalled because of a dead battery, and the second was owned by Felicia Miller, who had arrived to help.Reid pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and was sentenced to three years. Parson reduced that term and ordered his release on March 1. Reid had been expecting to be released about eight weeks later.In his statement, Parson expressed his “deepest sympathy for any additional heartache this commutation has caused the Young Family,” saying that was not his intention.The Republican governor, a longtime Chiefs season ticket holder who celebrated with the team at its recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-c373ac902961ded32bccc11c67afbd37">Super Bowl victory parade</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City, has faced criticism even from within his own party.“This is not justice,” said State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican who chairs the Missouri Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TonyForMissouri/status/1763934179945828383">in a post on X.</a>Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement that the original sentence was “just,” noting that the crash wasn't Britt Reid's first legal issue. He graduated from a drug treatment program in Pennsylvania in 2009 after a series of run-ins with law enforcement. His father was coach of the Philadelphia Eagles at the time.“He," Baker said of the governor, “used his political power to free a man with status, privilege and connections.”She also criticized the governor's office for not contacting Ariel's family before freeing Reid, but Shiflett said that is not part of the clemency process.Reid had anticipated being released April 30 due to time served and completing an intensive treatment program while in custody, Katie McClaflin, Reid’s attorney, told The Star.“Now that he is out of prison, he’ll continue focusing on maintaining sobriety and being an engaged and present father to his three children,” said McClaflin, who did not return a phone call from the AP seeking comment.Shiflett has also mentioned the completion of the treatment program as one of the factors the governor considered when deciding to commute Reid's sentence.Reid’s house arrest will continue until Oct. 31, 2025, with requirements that include weekly meetings with a parole officer, counseling and community service.The Chiefs, who have declined to comment on the commutation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-health-business-football-b79b53869eb2a017e1e41623ac5abb58">reached a confidential agreement</a>&nbsp;with Ariel’s family to pay for her ongoing medical treatment and other expenses.

Gov. offers 'deepest sympathy' after reducing ex-Chiefs assistant's sentence

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel on Wednesday, officials said, in the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.

The attack on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the U.S. began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn't halted their attacks.

Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c">American energy firm Chevron Corp.</a>&nbsp;aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It is the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.

The attack Wednesday on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by men claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since beginning their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they didn’t have authorization to speak publicly, said the anti-ship ballistic missile attack killed two of the crew members on board and wounded six others.

At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the loss of life at a briefing with reporters. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he said.

The full extent of the damage to the Liberian-owned ship remained unclear, but the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats.

A U.S. warship and the Indian navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels' attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted.”

The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn't killed any crew members. The vessels have included at least one with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">cargo bound for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.

Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels have remained capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-rubymar-sinks-red-sea-fb64a490ce935756337ee3606e15d093">which sank on Saturday</a>&nbsp;after drifting for several days, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">downing of an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars.

It was unclear why the Houthis targeted the True Confidence. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on installments. Oaktree declined to comment.

Meanwhile, a separate Houthi assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels. The Carney shot down bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. Saree acknowledged that attack as well.

The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.

The Houthis haven't offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they've said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed. One civilian has reportedly been killed.

The U.S. Treasury separately announced new sanctions targeting a Houthi financier and the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which arms the rebels.

The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They've battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a long-stalemated war there.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-china-maritime-security-d53925a976e667f275024fa964818c8f">the Indian navy</a>&nbsp;released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti. No one was injured.

Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-navy-oil-tanker-advantage-057155f4d9caf92131533fe90f94a3a0">the Advantage Sweet</a>&nbsp;through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency. At the time, Iran alleged that the Advantage Sweet collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.

The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation. Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It didn't reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a bargaining chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, said Wednesday that the Advantage Sweet had been “seized under false pretenses" and that the company “has not had any direct communication with Iran over the seizure of the vessel.”

“Chevron has not been permitted access to the vessel and considers the cargo a total loss due to Iran’s illegal actions,” Chevron said in a statement. “We now consider the cargo the responsibility of the Iranian government.”

Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019. The incidents began after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708804229711.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel on Wednesday, officials said, in the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel's war on Hamas</a>&nbsp;in the Gaza Strip.The attack on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the U.S. began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn't halted their attacks.Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c">American energy firm Chevron Corp.</a>&nbsp;aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It is the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.The attack Wednesday on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by men claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since beginning their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they didn’t have authorization to speak publicly, said the anti-ship ballistic missile attack killed two of the crew members on board and wounded six others.At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed the loss of life at a briefing with reporters. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he said.The full extent of the damage to the Liberian-owned ship remained unclear, but the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats.A U.S. warship and the Indian navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts.Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels' attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted.”The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn't killed any crew members. The vessels have included at least one with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-ship-missile-houthi-rebels-attack-bab-elmandeb-strait-999b911c916f9266c07a6d29cc020e9e">cargo bound for Iran</a>, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">Houthi rebels have remained capable</a>&nbsp;of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-rubymar-sinks-red-sea-fb64a490ce935756337ee3606e15d093">which sank on Saturday</a>&nbsp;after drifting for several days, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-red-sea-israel-hamas-6ac2a1bf5032ed0531258816907cfe2c">downing of an American drone</a>&nbsp;worth tens of millions of dollars.It was unclear why the Houthis targeted the True Confidence. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on installments. Oaktree declined to comment.Meanwhile, a separate Houthi assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels. The Carney shot down bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said. Saree acknowledged that attack as well.The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.The Houthis haven't offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they've said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed. One civilian has reportedly been killed.The U.S. Treasury separately announced new sanctions targeting a Houthi financier and the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which arms the rebels.The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They've battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a long-stalemated war there.Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/india-china-maritime-security-d53925a976e667f275024fa964818c8f">the Indian navy</a>&nbsp;released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti. No one was injured.Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-navy-oil-tanker-advantage-057155f4d9caf92131533fe90f94a3a0">the Advantage Sweet</a>&nbsp;through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency. At the time, Iran alleged that the Advantage Sweet collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation. Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It didn't reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a bargaining chip to negotiate with foreign nations.Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, said Wednesday that the Advantage Sweet had been “seized under false pretenses" and that the company “has not had any direct communication with Iran over the seizure of the vessel.”“Chevron has not been permitted access to the vessel and considers the cargo a total loss due to Iran’s illegal actions,” Chevron said in a statement. “We now consider the cargo the responsibility of the Iranian government.”Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019. The incidents began after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.___

US confirms first 'fatalities' in the assaults on shipping in Red Sea

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas home improvement contractor has entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the District Attorney. 

The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division investigated Mark Benoit, doing business as Wood Specialties by Mark, after receiving a consumer complaint, according to a media release from the DA's office.

The Consumer Protection Division alleged Benoit violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by failing to provide a material benefit to a consumer when he failed to deliver and install cabinets for a kitchen remodeling project. The consumers entered into a contract with

Benoit and paid for the materials and labor in advance. Because the consumers were over the age of 60, they are “protected consumers” under the KCPA, which could have resulted in an enhanced fine and penalty of up to $20,000 per violation.

While Benoit denied intentionally violating the KCPA, he accepted a consent judgment prior to litigation to settle the matter. As part of the agreement, Benoit will be on a 24-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division during which he must pay $22,400 in restitution to the consumers. He is also liable for $10,000.00 in civil penalties, along with additional investigative expenses, and court costs. Future contracts will include proper notices of the three-day right to cancel the transaction for any door-to-door sales. The consent judgment includes an injunction from engaging in deceptive or unconscionable acts in the future. Benoit agreed to cooperate with the investigation of any future complaints.

The District Attorney cautions against paying significant amounts of money for home improvement projects up front before receiving the goods and services covered by the contract.

Estimates and bids should be in writing that clearly indicates your expectations from the supplier including the scope of work and cost. When entering into a contract you should request a copy signed by all parties. If you elect to pay cash, you should require a detailed receipt as it is difficult to prove cash payments occurred absent a receipt. If you pay with a credit card and an issue arises, you can dispute the charge with your credit card provider if the supplier fails to deliver the goods or services you purchased. Additionally, the District Attorney reminds residents that anyone engaging in door-to-door sales or offering their services outside of their place of business is also required to provide customers a specific notice both orally and in writing to inform the consumer that they can cancel the contract within three days. The requirements are located in K.S.A. 50-640. 

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas home improvement contractor has entered into a consent judgment with the Office of the District Attorney. The District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division investigated Mark Benoit, doing business as Wood Specialties by Mark, after receiving a consumer complaint, according to a media release from the DA's office.The Consumer Protection Division alleged Benoit violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by failing to provide a material benefit to a consumer when he failed to deliver and install cabinets for a kitchen remodeling project. The consumers entered into a contract withBenoit and paid for the materials and labor in advance. Because the consumers were over the age of 60, they are “protected consumers” under the KCPA, which could have resulted in an enhanced fine and penalty of up to $20,000 per violation.While Benoit denied intentionally violating the KCPA, he accepted a consent judgment prior to litigation to settle the matter. As part of the agreement, Benoit will be on a 24-month probationary period with the Consumer Protection Division during which he must pay $22,400 in restitution to the consumers. He is also liable for $10,000.00 in civil penalties, along with additional investigative expenses, and court costs. Future contracts will include proper notices of the three-day right to cancel the transaction for any door-to-door sales. The consent judgment includes an injunction from engaging in deceptive or unconscionable acts in the future. Benoit agreed to cooperate with the investigation of any future complaints.The District Attorney cautions against paying significant amounts of money for home improvement projects up front before receiving the goods and services covered by the contract.Estimates and bids should be in writing that clearly indicates your expectations from the supplier including the scope of work and cost. When entering into a contract you should request a copy signed by all parties. If you elect to pay cash, you should require a detailed receipt as it is difficult to prove cash payments occurred absent a receipt. If you pay with a credit card and an issue arises, you can dispute the charge with your credit card provider if the supplier fails to deliver the goods or services you purchased. Additionally, the District Attorney reminds residents that anyone engaging in door-to-door sales or offering their services outside of their place of business is also required to provide customers a specific notice both orally and in writing to inform the consumer that they can cancel the contract within three days. The requirements are located in K.S.A. 50-640.

Kan. contractor accused of taking money without doing work to pay $33,000

Bill aims to deter diversity, equity and inclusion pledges in hiring, enrollment

By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/04/sparks-fly-when-kansas-house-budget-panel-explores-detail-of-university-budget-requests/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Kansas House committee plans to move ahead Wednesday with a bill exposing public universities, community colleges and technical colleges to $100,000 administrative penalties and expensive lawsuits for compelling students or employees to pledge allegiance to diversity, equity and inclusion doctrine.

Conservative politicians and organizations have campaigned in Kansas and other states against higher education institutions committed to use of so-called DEI policies in recruiting faculty and students of color. Opponents of DEI view these strategies as discriminatory, violations of free speech and an improper use of tax dollars. DEI supporters said the policies were a response to exclusionary practices that for decades repelled communities of color from university campuses.

Salina Rep. Steven Howe, the Republican chairman of the House Higher Education Budget Committee, said public Kansas colleges and universities with DEI programs shouldn’t be allowed to mandate someone make or sign a DEI statement as a condition of employment or enrollment. His reform bill would carve out an exemption for college and university staff directly engaged in DEI activities.

“There’s a strong majority — not a supermajority — a strong majority of legislators that agree that these DEI statements can too easily function as ideological litmus tests that threaten employment or advancement for faculty that may hold dissenting views,” Howe said.

Howe introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2460_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2460</a>&nbsp;a year ago and conducted a public committee hearing on the legislation in January. It followed passage during the 2023 legislative session of a budget directive that Kansas Board of Regents universities stop asking job applicants to talk about personal experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proviso and the House fell five votes short of overriding her.

Howe said he would ask his House committee to work through amendments to the bill before determining whether support existed to send it to the full House. Under the current version, DEI mandates wouldn’t apply to private colleges or universities. Some of these church-affiliated private colleges, including Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, operate DEI programs.

Rep. Brett Fairchild, R-St. John, said he was supportive of the DEI legislation, but was skeptical votes existing in the House and Senate to override another Kelly veto.

“However, I don’t think that’s a reason not to bring it up on the floor of the House and Senate,” Fairchild said. “It’s an issue that deserves to be discussed, debated. Put everybody on record.”

Rep. Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, said he wouldn’t vote for this kind of legislation until Kansas lawmakers modernized the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to extend protections to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

He said it was worrisome Attorney General Kris Kobach would be authorized by the bill to file lawsuits alleging violation of DEI statute. The bill would allow individuals asserting harm from DEI policies to file civil suits. The statute itself also could be challenged in court by critics of such a law.

Democratic Rep. Mike Amyx of Lawrence said he was struggling with provisions of the bill authorizing $100,000 fines for every verified infraction. The cash from payment of fines would be redirected to a higher education institution that hadn’t violated the mandate for at least two years.

“We’re considering fining the universities? The same universities that we fund? It’s kind of like taking money out of one pocket and putting it into the other pocket,” Amyx said.

Rep. Clarke Sanders, R-Salina, said he was concerned with the “little excessive” amount of a fine. He pointed to lack of clear definitions in the bill as to what DEI activities could be problematic for a college or university. A legislative audit indicated the six state universities devoted $9 million annually in public funding to DEI, which could include assistance for veterans to aid for minority students or individuals with disabilities.

Administrative fines were the central avenue to get the attention of college and university administrators stepping out of bounds, said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Hays Republican.

“The only power the Legislature has over anything is money,” she said. “It is our responsibility to take care of the budget and manage the taxpayers’ money.”

Howe said that when appointed chairman of the House’s higher education committee he set about studying the topic from policy and budget perspectives. It didn’t take long, he said, to discover DEI was causing a stir on and off college campuses. He concluded public universities in Kansas were requiring statements on diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice as a condition of employment for faculty positions.

He said that more than one year later some job postings at state universities in Kansas included requests for DEI statements.

“Requiring statements or an adherence to a particular ideology as a condition of admissions, employment, reappointment or promotion may violate the constitutional rights of our citizens, stifles freedom of speech, curtails academic freedom and can limit intellectual diversity, and diversity of thought on our campuses,” Howe said.

Howe said he worked with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which has gone to court to challenge alleged university infractions of First Amendment rights, to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2460_00_0000.pdf">draft HB 2460</a>. He said it wasn’t easy to be a champion of DEI reform, because the issue stirred emotions and generated misunderstandings.

He said an editorial in the Wichita Eagle and a more recent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/27/restricting-dei-practices-at-kansas-universities-is-irresponsible/">opinion piece in the Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;framed his advocacy in hurtful ways. He said a guest column in the Reflector suggested he picked up threads of the bill in January to coincide with observance of Black History Month in February.

“I take issue with that characterization,” Howe said. “Not only is it patently false, it gets into innuendo that I have a bias against people that are different from me. That’s not true. The bill was introduced in March of 2023. It has nothing to do with Black History Month. I think words matter and we have to be aware of how words impact others.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709743899998.png" alt="Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, said it was unlikely he could support a House bill designed to force public universities, community colleges and technical colleges to remove DEI policies from hiring and enrollment decisions or face $100,000 state fines as well as private and state lawsuits. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, said it was unlikely he could support a House bill designed to force public universities, community colleges and technical colleges to remove DEI policies from hiring and enrollment decisions or face $100,000 state fines as well as private and state lawsuits. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bill aims to deter diversity, equity and inclusion pledges in hiring, enrollment</h2>By TIM CARPENTER&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/04/sparks-fly-when-kansas-house-budget-panel-explores-detail-of-university-budget-requests/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Kansas House committee plans to move ahead Wednesday with a bill exposing public universities, community colleges and technical colleges to $100,000 administrative penalties and expensive lawsuits for compelling students or employees to pledge allegiance to diversity, equity and inclusion doctrine.Conservative politicians and organizations have campaigned in Kansas and other states against higher education institutions committed to use of so-called DEI policies in recruiting faculty and students of color. Opponents of DEI view these strategies as discriminatory, violations of free speech and an improper use of tax dollars. DEI supporters said the policies were a response to exclusionary practices that for decades repelled communities of color from university campuses.Salina Rep. Steven Howe, the Republican chairman of the House Higher Education Budget Committee, said public Kansas colleges and universities with DEI programs shouldn’t be allowed to mandate someone make or sign a DEI statement as a condition of employment or enrollment. His reform bill would carve out an exemption for college and university staff directly engaged in DEI activities.“There’s a strong majority — not a supermajority — a strong majority of legislators that agree that these DEI statements can too easily function as ideological litmus tests that threaten employment or advancement for faculty that may hold dissenting views,” Howe said.<h2>DEI: Round 2</h2>Howe introduced&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/fisc_note_hb2460_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2460</a>&nbsp;a year ago and conducted a public committee hearing on the legislation in January. It followed passage during the 2023 legislative session of a budget directive that Kansas Board of Regents universities stop asking job applicants to talk about personal experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proviso and the House fell five votes short of overriding her.Howe said he would ask his House committee to work through amendments to the bill before determining whether support existed to send it to the full House. Under the current version, DEI mandates wouldn’t apply to private colleges or universities. Some of these church-affiliated private colleges, including Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, operate DEI programs.Rep. Brett Fairchild, R-St. John, said he was supportive of the DEI legislation, but was skeptical votes existing in the House and Senate to override another Kelly veto.“However, I don’t think that’s a reason not to bring it up on the floor of the House and Senate,” Fairchild said. “It’s an issue that deserves to be discussed, debated. Put everybody on record.”Rep. Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, said he wouldn’t vote for this kind of legislation until Kansas lawmakers modernized the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to extend protections to members of the LGBTQ+ community.He said it was worrisome Attorney General Kris Kobach would be authorized by the bill to file lawsuits alleging violation of DEI statute. The bill would allow individuals asserting harm from DEI policies to file civil suits. The statute itself also could be challenged in court by critics of such a law.<h2>‘Little excessive’</h2>Democratic Rep. Mike Amyx of Lawrence said he was struggling with provisions of the bill authorizing $100,000 fines for every verified infraction. The cash from payment of fines would be redirected to a higher education institution that hadn’t violated the mandate for at least two years.“We’re considering fining the universities? The same universities that we fund? It’s kind of like taking money out of one pocket and putting it into the other pocket,” Amyx said.Rep. Clarke Sanders, R-Salina, said he was concerned with the “little excessive” amount of a fine. He pointed to lack of clear definitions in the bill as to what DEI activities could be problematic for a college or university. A legislative audit indicated the six state universities devoted $9 million annually in public funding to DEI, which could include assistance for veterans to aid for minority students or individuals with disabilities.Administrative fines were the central avenue to get the attention of college and university administrators stepping out of bounds, said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Hays Republican.“The only power the Legislature has over anything is money,” she said. “It is our responsibility to take care of the budget and manage the taxpayers’ money.”<h2>Learning curve</h2>Howe said that when appointed chairman of the House’s higher education committee he set about studying the topic from policy and budget perspectives. It didn’t take long, he said, to discover DEI was causing a stir on and off college campuses. He concluded public universities in Kansas were requiring statements on diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice as a condition of employment for faculty positions.He said that more than one year later some job postings at state universities in Kansas included requests for DEI statements.“Requiring statements or an adherence to a particular ideology as a condition of admissions, employment, reappointment or promotion may violate the constitutional rights of our citizens, stifles freedom of speech, curtails academic freedom and can limit intellectual diversity, and diversity of thought on our campuses,” Howe said.Howe said he worked with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which has gone to court to challenge alleged university infractions of First Amendment rights, to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2460_00_0000.pdf">draft HB 2460</a>. He said it wasn’t easy to be a champion of DEI reform, because the issue stirred emotions and generated misunderstandings.He said an editorial in the Wichita Eagle and a more recent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/27/restricting-dei-practices-at-kansas-universities-is-irresponsible/">opinion piece in the Kansas Reflector</a>&nbsp;framed his advocacy in hurtful ways. He said a guest column in the Reflector suggested he picked up threads of the bill in January to coincide with observance of Black History Month in February.“I take issue with that characterization,” Howe said. “Not only is it patently false, it gets into innuendo that I have a bias against people that are different from me. That’s not true. The bill was introduced in March of 2023. It has nothing to do with Black History Month. I think words matter and we have to be aware of how words impact others.”

Kansas House pivots to DEI bill imposing $100,000 fines on offending public colleges, universities

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking the public’s assistance in locating 21-year-old Dawson Edward Paine.

He is suspected in a deadly shooting Tuesday night in the 2900 block of Crestline Drive, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.

Just after 10:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a residence where Paine allegedly shot 18-year-old&nbsp; Davin Gregory Kerr of Lawrence.

After the shooting, Paine left the area prior to the arrival of officers. Kerr was transported by ambulance to a Kansas City area trauma center where he was later pronounced dead.

Police ask that anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Dawson Paine call 911. He should be considered armed and dangerous, and no one should try approach or contact him other than law enforcement.&nbsp;

Contact police anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS (8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709737558547.png" alt="Paine-photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Paine-photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking the public’s assistance in locating 21-year-old Dawson Edward Paine.He is suspected in a deadly shooting Tuesday night in the 2900 block of Crestline Drive, according to a media release from Lawrence Police.Just after 10:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a residence where Paine allegedly shot 18-year-old&nbsp; Davin Gregory Kerr of Lawrence.After the shooting, Paine left the area prior to the arrival of officers. Kerr was transported by ambulance to a Kansas City area trauma center where he was later pronounced dead.Police ask that anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Dawson Paine call 911. He should be considered armed and dangerous, and no one should try approach or contact him other than law enforcement.&nbsp;Contact police anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS (8477).

Police looking for armed, dangerous Kan. murder suspect

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, leaving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Haley didn’t endorse the former president in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she challenged him to win the support of the moderate Republicans and independent voters who supported her.

“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” she said. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people.”

Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, was Trump’s first significant rival when she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-running-for-president-f28052019e8ac3846cd125b3d9614d4f">jumped into the race</a>&nbsp;in February 2023. She spent the final phase of her campaign aggressively warning the GOP against embracing Trump, whom she argued was too consumed by chaos and personal grievance to defeat President Joe Biden in the general election.

Her departure clears Trump to focus solely on his likely rematch in November with Biden. The former president is on track to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-election-2024-delegate-tracker">reach the necessary 1,215 delegates</a>&nbsp;to clinch the Republican nomination later this month.

Haley’s defeat marks a painful, if predictable, blow to those voters, donors and Republican Party officials who opposed Trump and his fiery brand of “Make America Great Again” politics. She was especially popular among moderates and college-educated voters, constituencies that will likely play a pivotal role in the general election. It’s unclear whether Trump, who recently declared that Haley donors would be permanently banned from his movement, can ultimately unify a deeply divided party.

Trump on Tuesday night declared that the GOP was united behind him, but in a statement shortly afterward, Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said, "Unity is not achieved by simply claiming, ‘We’re united.’"

“Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump,” Perez-Cubas said. "That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”

Haley has made clear she doesn’t want to serve as Trump’s vice president or run on a third-party ticket arranged by the group No Labels. She leaves the race with an elevated national profile that could help her in a future presidential run.

Trump, in a social media post, continued to mock her, while at the same time extending an invitation to “all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. BIDEN IS THE ENEMY, HE IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY,” he wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”

On Wednesday, Biden welcomed any voters who had backed Haley, acknowledging Trump's previous rejection of her supporters.

“Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign,” Biden said in a statement. “I know there is a lot we won’t agree on. But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America’s adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground.”

By staying in the campaign until now, Haley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haley-polling-trump-gop-super-tuesday-109ce563f68aa8e1b159d98769e943d8">drew enough support</a>&nbsp;from suburbanites and college-educated voters to highlight Trump’s apparent weaknesses with those groups.

In AP VoteCast surveys conducted among Republican primary and caucus voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, between 61% and 76% of Haley’s supporters said they would be so dissatisfied if Trump became the GOP nominee that they wouldn’t vote for him in the November general election. Voters in the early Republican head-to-head contests who said they wouldn’t vote for Trump in the fall represented a small but significant segment of the electorate: 2 in 10 Iowa voters, one-third of New Hampshire voters, and one-quarter of South Carolina voters.

Haley leaves the 2024 presidential contest having made history as the first woman to win a Republican primary contest. She beat Trump in the District of Columbia on Sunday and in Vermont on Tuesday.

She&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/%E2%80%9CInstead%20of%20asking%20me%20what%20states%20I%E2%80%99m%20gonna%20win,%20why%20don%E2%80%99t%20we%20ask%20how%20he%E2%80%99s%20gonna%20win%20a%20general%20election%20after%20spending%20a%20full%20year%20in%20a%20courtroom?%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.">had insisted she would stay in the race</a>&nbsp;through Super Tuesday and crossed the country campaigning in states holding Republican contests. Ultimately, she was unable to knock Trump off his glide path to a third straight nomination.

Haley’s allies note that she exceeded most of the political world’s expectations by making it as far as she did.

She had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-orangeburg-south-carolina-united-nations-nikki-haley-fda929b5d69ab0a91b97edc62207bcfb">initially ruled out</a>&nbsp;running against Trump in 2024. But she changed her mind and ended up launching her bid three months after he did, citing among other things the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change.” Haley, 52, later called for competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 — a knock on both Trump, who is 77, and Biden, who is 81.

Her candidacy was slow to attract donors and support, but she ultimately outlasted all of her other GOP rivals, including Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a>, former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;and Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-scott">Tim Scott</a>, her fellow South Carolinian whom she appointed to the Senate in 2012. And the money flowed in until the very end. Her campaign said it raised more than $12 million in February alone.

She gained popularity with many Republican donors, independent voters and the “Never Trump” crowd, even though she criticized the criminal cases against him as politically motivated and pledged that, if president, she would pardon him if he were convicted in federal court.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>&nbsp;suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, leaving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You don’t have to agree with me on everything to know MAGA extremism is a threat to this country. We need everyone on board—join our campaign: <a href="https://t.co/AZ3yBfRniy">https://t.co/AZ3yBfRniy</a> <a href="https://t.co/a8MvWHqtSZ">pic.twitter.com/a8MvWHqtSZ</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1765396693036523717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikkiHaley</a>: &quot;The time has now come to suspend my campaign. I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that. I have no regrets...In all likelihood, Donald Trump will the Republican nominee...I congratulate him and wish him well.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WUtvWvMtVi">pic.twitter.com/WUtvWvMtVi</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1765401155629166897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Haley didn’t endorse the former president in a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she challenged him to win the support of the moderate Republicans and independent voters who supported her.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709741263880.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that,” she said. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people.”Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, was Trump’s first significant rival when she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-running-for-president-f28052019e8ac3846cd125b3d9614d4f">jumped into the race</a>&nbsp;in February 2023. She spent the final phase of her campaign aggressively warning the GOP against embracing Trump, whom she argued was too consumed by chaos and personal grievance to defeat President Joe Biden in the general election.Her departure clears Trump to focus solely on his likely rematch in November with Biden. The former president is on track to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-election-2024-delegate-tracker">reach the necessary 1,215 delegates</a>&nbsp;to clinch the Republican nomination later this month.Haley’s defeat marks a painful, if predictable, blow to those voters, donors and Republican Party officials who opposed Trump and his fiery brand of “Make America Great Again” politics. She was especially popular among moderates and college-educated voters, constituencies that will likely play a pivotal role in the general election. It’s unclear whether Trump, who recently declared that Haley donors would be permanently banned from his movement, can ultimately unify a deeply divided party.Trump on Tuesday night declared that the GOP was united behind him, but in a statement shortly afterward, Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said, "Unity is not achieved by simply claiming, ‘We’re united.’"“Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump,” Perez-Cubas said. "That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”Haley has made clear she doesn’t want to serve as Trump’s vice president or run on a third-party ticket arranged by the group No Labels. She leaves the race with an elevated national profile that could help her in a future presidential run.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709741372298.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump, in a social media post, continued to mock her, while at the same time extending an invitation to “all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. BIDEN IS THE ENEMY, HE IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY,” he wrote. “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”On Wednesday, Biden welcomed any voters who had backed Haley, acknowledging Trump's previous rejection of her supporters.“Donald Trump made it clear he doesn’t want Nikki Haley’s supporters. I want to be clear: There is a place for them in my campaign,” Biden said in a statement. “I know there is a lot we won’t agree on. But on the fundamental issues of preserving American democracy, on standing up for the rule of law, on treating each other with decency and dignity and respect, on preserving NATO and standing up to America’s adversaries, I hope and believe we can find common ground.”By staying in the campaign until now, Haley&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haley-polling-trump-gop-super-tuesday-109ce563f68aa8e1b159d98769e943d8">drew enough support</a>&nbsp;from suburbanites and college-educated voters to highlight Trump’s apparent weaknesses with those groups.In AP VoteCast surveys conducted among Republican primary and caucus voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, between 61% and 76% of Haley’s supporters said they would be so dissatisfied if Trump became the GOP nominee that they wouldn’t vote for him in the November general election. Voters in the early Republican head-to-head contests who said they wouldn’t vote for Trump in the fall represented a small but significant segment of the electorate: 2 in 10 Iowa voters, one-third of New Hampshire voters, and one-quarter of South Carolina voters.Haley leaves the 2024 presidential contest having made history as the first woman to win a Republican primary contest. She beat Trump in the District of Columbia on Sunday and in Vermont on Tuesday.She&nbsp;<a href="https://pronto.associatedpress.com/%E2%80%9CInstead%20of%20asking%20me%20what%20states%20I%E2%80%99m%20gonna%20win,%20why%20don%E2%80%99t%20we%20ask%20how%20he%E2%80%99s%20gonna%20win%20a%20general%20election%20after%20spending%20a%20full%20year%20in%20a%20courtroom?%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.">had insisted she would stay in the race</a>&nbsp;through Super Tuesday and crossed the country campaigning in states holding Republican contests. Ultimately, she was unable to knock Trump off his glide path to a third straight nomination.Haley’s allies note that she exceeded most of the political world’s expectations by making it as far as she did.She had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-orangeburg-south-carolina-united-nations-nikki-haley-fda929b5d69ab0a91b97edc62207bcfb">initially ruled out</a>&nbsp;running against Trump in 2024. But she changed her mind and ended up launching her bid three months after he did, citing among other things the country’s economic troubles and the need for “generational change.” Haley, 52, later called for competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 — a knock on both Trump, who is 77, and Biden, who is 81.Her candidacy was slow to attract donors and support, but she ultimately outlasted all of her other GOP rivals, including Florida Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a>, former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/michael-pence">Mike Pence</a>&nbsp;and Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-scott">Tim Scott</a>, her fellow South Carolinian whom she appointed to the Senate in 2012. And the money flowed in until the very end. Her campaign said it raised more than $12 million in February alone.She gained popularity with many Republican donors, independent voters and the “Never Trump” crowd, even though she criticized the criminal cases against him as politically motivated and pledged that, if president, she would pardon him if he were convicted in federal court.___

🎥Biden recruits Nikki Haley voters as she ends her campaign

KANSAS CITY — A Kansas City area man charged with&nbsp;fatally shooting an Independence police officer and a 16th Circuit Court process server on Feb. 29, is now in the Jackson County Detention Center after being released from the hospital, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2360/LDAcree-Redacted-Documents">Click here to read the full</a> charging documents

Larry D. Acree, 69, was charged with two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree for wounding a police officer and three additional counts of Armed Criminal Action charges, according to Jean Peters Baker. He faces a $2 million bond.

According to court record filed Friday, the process server identified as&nbsp;Drexel Mack had gone to a residence on North Elsea Smith Road in rural Jackson County to evict anyone from the property.

On Feb. 23, a “Notice to Vacate” sign was posted at the property, according to the probable cause affidavit. It stemmed from court actions that began one year earlier. Acree “didn't have any right to be there," Baker said.

On Thursday, Mack and another process service arrived at the address to physically evict Acree. Both of the process servers removed a padlock from the gated drive, the statement said.

The two process servers then approached the front of the home, where they knocked and announced their presence. No one answered, so the property maintenance contractor drilled out the lock on the front door, the statement said. They then entered the home and were fired upon. Mack was struck and fell to the floor just inside the front door, court records said.

The other process server ran and sought help, court records said. Independence police then rushed to the home, where three officers entered the home and tried to retrieve Mack. They then came under additional gunfire, court records said.

Allen was struck in the head, and a second officer was struck in the torso, court records said.

Officers then returned fire, and the Acree was taken into custody. The wounded were taken to nearby Centerpoint Medical Hospital, where Mack and Allen were pronounced dead.

The two other injured officers continue to recover.&nbsp;

The home where the eviction notice was being served had been sold recently and had delinquent taxes dating to at least 2019, records show.

Acree also had been ordered to pay a roofing company, with $32,155 due as of Aug. 1, according to court records. Records from later that month in the case signaled that a property sale was in the works.

The sale was completed on Aug. 14 for $260,000, with a judgment of $27,733.47 subtracted from the total, records show.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709695226784.png" alt="Acree-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Acree-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY — A Kansas City area man charged with&nbsp;fatally shooting an Independence police officer and a 16th Circuit Court process server on Feb. 29, is now in the Jackson County Detention Center after being released from the hospital, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2360/LDAcree-Redacted-Documents">Click here to read the full</a> charging documents<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709313405919.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Larry D. Acree, 69, was charged with two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree for wounding a police officer and three additional counts of Armed Criminal Action charges, according to Jean Peters Baker. He faces a $2 million bond.According to court record filed Friday, the process server identified as&nbsp;Drexel Mack had gone to a residence on North Elsea Smith Road in rural Jackson County to evict anyone from the property.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709244242928.png" alt="An ariel view of the property following the deadly shooting -courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>An ariel view of the property following the deadly shooting -courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>On Feb. 23, a “Notice to Vacate” sign was posted at the property, according to the probable cause affidavit. It stemmed from court actions that began one year earlier. Acree “didn't have any right to be there," Baker said.On Thursday, Mack and another process service arrived at the address to physically evict Acree. Both of the process servers removed a padlock from the gated drive, the statement said.The two process servers then approached the front of the home, where they knocked and announced their presence. No one answered, so the property maintenance contractor drilled out the lock on the front door, the statement said. They then entered the home and were fired upon. Mack was struck and fell to the floor just inside the front door, court records said.The other process server ran and sought help, court records said. Independence police then rushed to the home, where three officers entered the home and tried to retrieve Mack. They then came under additional gunfire, court records said.Allen was struck in the head, and a second officer was struck in the torso, court records said.Officers then returned fire, and the Acree was taken into custody. The wounded were taken to nearby Centerpoint Medical Hospital, where Mack and Allen were pronounced dead.The two other injured officers continue to recover.&nbsp;The home where the eviction notice was being served had been sold recently and had delinquent taxes dating to at least 2019, records show.Acree also had been ordered to pay a roofing company, with $32,155 due as of Aug. 1, according to court records. Records from later that month in the case signaled that a property sale was in the works.The sale was completed on Aug. 14 for $260,000, with a judgment of $27,733.47 subtracted from the total, records show.-The AP contributed to this report

Suspect in killing of KC area officer, process server moved from hospital

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Kansas House Republican will no longer hold a judiciary committee leadership position following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence with a gun.&nbsp;

Carl Maughan, R-Colwich, and state representative, was arrested early Monday. The 52-year-old was booked into Shawnee County Jail around 4 a.m. in connection to the crimes of possession of a firearm while under influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to signal while changing lanes or turning and for improper driving on a roadway with lanes,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docis.sncoapps.us/Inmate/DailyBookingArchive?class=enableSearch">according to the booking report</a>.&nbsp;

He was released after posting bail and has a court date set for Friday. Maughan did not immediately respond to a Reflector inquiry on the arrest.

Maughan holds the District 90 seat, which covers swathes of north-central Sedgwick County and parts of Wichita.&nbsp;

Maughan held a vice chair position on the House Judiciary Committee, but was replaced in this position Tuesday, hours after news of his arrest became widely publicized. He still holds a seat on the committee, as well as on the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee and the House Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee, among others.&nbsp;

He is one of many Republicans who endorsed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hcr5020/">House Concurrent Resolution 5020</a>, a proposed constitutional amendment that would loosen gun restrictions in the state by giving gun rights the same level of protection as the freedoms of speech and religion.&nbsp;

An attorney, he ran unopposed for former Rep. Steve Huebert’s seat in 2022, campaigning on a conservative platform. His term ends in 2025.&nbsp;

“I’d like to try to allow people to experience their version of the pursuit of happiness without necessarily having too much of a heavy hand from centralized entities,” Maughan said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.arkvalleynews.com/web/isite.dll?1654189443360~maughan">2022 interview</a>&nbsp;with Ark Valley News.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709646556523.png" alt="Maughan-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Maughan-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Kansas House Republican will no longer hold a judiciary committee leadership position following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence with a gun.&nbsp;Carl Maughan, R-Colwich, and state representative, was arrested early Monday. The 52-year-old was booked into Shawnee County Jail around 4 a.m. in connection to the crimes of possession of a firearm while under influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to signal while changing lanes or turning and for improper driving on a roadway with lanes,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docis.sncoapps.us/Inmate/DailyBookingArchive?class=enableSearch">according to the booking report</a>.&nbsp;He was released after posting bail and has a court date set for Friday. Maughan did not immediately respond to a Reflector inquiry on the arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709647010664.png" alt="Photo from Maughan's House of Rep. bio" />
 <figcaption>Photo from Maughan's House of Rep. bio</figcaption>
 </figure>Maughan holds the District 90 seat, which covers swathes of north-central Sedgwick County and parts of Wichita.&nbsp;Maughan held a vice chair position on the House Judiciary Committee, but was replaced in this position Tuesday, hours after news of his arrest became widely publicized. He still holds a seat on the committee, as well as on the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee and the House Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee, among others.&nbsp;He is one of many Republicans who endorsed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hcr5020/">House Concurrent Resolution 5020</a>, a proposed constitutional amendment that would loosen gun restrictions in the state by giving gun rights the same level of protection as the freedoms of speech and religion.&nbsp;An attorney, he ran unopposed for former Rep. Steve Huebert’s seat in 2022, campaigning on a conservative platform. His term ends in 2025.&nbsp;“I’d like to try to allow people to experience their version of the pursuit of happiness without necessarily having too much of a heavy hand from centralized entities,” Maughan said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.arkvalleynews.com/web/isite.dll?1654189443360~maughan">2022 interview</a>&nbsp;with Ark Valley News.

Kansas GOP rep. out of committee leadership job after arrest

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, romped through more than a dozen states on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-super-tuesday-80f71138b69691fc8edbeb07fd1c7774">Super Tuesday</a>, all but cementing a November rematch and increasing pressure on the former president’s last major rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, to leave the Republican race.

Their victories from coast to coast, including the delegate-rich states of California and Texas, left little doubt about the trajectory of the race. Haley won Vermont, denying Trump a full sweep, but the former president carried other states that might have been favorable to her such as Virginia, Massachusetts and Maine, which have large swaths of moderate voters like those who have backed her in previous primaries.

The only contest Biden lost Tuesday was the Democratic caucus in American Samoa, a tiny U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean. Biden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-jason-palmer-american-samoa-primary-c4bc109a16c7ee7b083f6216b44ba0c4">defeated by previously unknown candidate Jason Palmer</a>, 51 votes to 40.

Not enough states will have voted until later this month for Trump or Biden to formally become their parties’ presumptive nominees. But the primary’s biggest day made their rematch a near-certainty. Both the 81-year-old Biden and the 77-year-old Trump continue to dominate their parties despite facing questions about age and neither having broad popularity across the general electorate.

Haley watched the election results in private and had no campaign events scheduled going forward. Her campaign said in a statement that the results reflected there were many Republicans “who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.”

“Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united,'” spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said.

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, meanwhile, was packed for a victory party. Among those attending were staff and supporters, including the rapper Forgiato Blow and former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn. The crowd erupted as Fox News, playing on screens around the ballroom, announced that the former president had won North Carolina’s GOP primary.

“They call it Super Tuesday for a reason,” Trump told a raucous crowd. He went on to attack Biden over the U.S.-Mexico border and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After beginning the night with victories in Virginia and North Carolina, he wrapped Super Tuesday by winning contests in Alaska and Utah.

Biden didn't give a speech but instead issued a statement warning that Tuesday's results had left Americans with a clear choice and touting his own accomplishments after beating Trump.

“If Donald Trump returns to the White House, all of this progress is at risk,” Biden said. "He is driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people."

While much of the focus was on the presidential race, there were also important down-ballot contests. The governor’s race took shape in North Carolina, where Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein will face off in a state that both parties are fiercely contesting ahead of November.

In California, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player, advanced to the general election race to fill the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein.

Despite Biden's and Trump's domination of their parties, polls make it clear that the broader electorate does not want this year’s general election to be identical to the 2020 race. A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-union-mental-capacity-trump-reelection-66d8784586d21f30885d8153f949510c">a majority of Americans don't think either Biden or Trump</a>&nbsp;has the necessary mental acuity for the job.

“Both of them failed, in my opinion, to unify this country,” said Brian Hadley, 66, of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The final days before Tuesday demonstrated the unique nature of this year’s campaign. Rather than barnstorming the states holding primaries, Biden and Trump held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-biden-trump-42c945d02742b169bde40601a27fde02">rival events last week along the U.S.-Mexico border</a>, each seeking to gain an advantage in the increasingly fraught immigration debate.

After the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-insurrection-election-colorado-51e79c0f03013034c8a042cb278b6446">ruled 9-0</a>&nbsp;on Monday to restore Trump to primary ballots following attempts to ban him for his role in helping spark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Capitol riot</a>, Trump pointed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictments-election-january-6-classified-documents-5cb04868bb1cdf91c19eafdb882af8c0">91 criminal counts</a>&nbsp;against him to accuse Biden of weaponizing the courts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, romped through more than a dozen states on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-super-tuesday-80f71138b69691fc8edbeb07fd1c7774">Super Tuesday</a>, all but cementing a November rematch and increasing pressure on the former president’s last major rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Nikki Haley</a>, to leave the Republican race.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;They call it &#39;Super Tuesday&#39; for a reason. This is a big one. They tell me, the pundits and otherwise, that there&#39;s never been one like this. There&#39;s never been anything so conclusive.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1VAvySYG5A">pic.twitter.com/1VAvySYG5A</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1765217393482059871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Their victories from coast to coast, including the delegate-rich states of California and Texas, left little doubt about the trajectory of the race. Haley won Vermont, denying Trump a full sweep, but the former president carried other states that might have been favorable to her such as Virginia, Massachusetts and Maine, which have large swaths of moderate voters like those who have backed her in previous primaries.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, millions of voters across the country made their voices heard—showing that they are ready to fight back against Donald Trump’s extreme plan to take us backwards. Every generation of Americans will face a moment when it has to defend democracy. This is our fight.&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1765218247253577996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The only contest Biden lost Tuesday was the Democratic caucus in American Samoa, a tiny U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean. Biden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-jason-palmer-american-samoa-primary-c4bc109a16c7ee7b083f6216b44ba0c4">defeated by previously unknown candidate Jason Palmer</a>, 51 votes to 40.Not enough states will have voted until later this month for Trump or Biden to formally become their parties’ presumptive nominees. But the primary’s biggest day made their rematch a near-certainty. Both the 81-year-old Biden and the 77-year-old Trump continue to dominate their parties despite facing questions about age and neither having broad popularity across the general electorate.Haley watched the election results in private and had no campaign events scheduled going forward. Her campaign said in a statement that the results reflected there were many Republicans “who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.”“Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united,'” spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said.Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, meanwhile, was packed for a victory party. Among those attending were staff and supporters, including the rapper Forgiato Blow and former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn. The crowd erupted as Fox News, playing on screens around the ballroom, announced that the former president had won North Carolina’s GOP primary.“They call it Super Tuesday for a reason,” Trump told a raucous crowd. He went on to attack Biden over the U.S.-Mexico border and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After beginning the night with victories in Virginia and North Carolina, he wrapped Super Tuesday by winning contests in Alaska and Utah.Biden didn't give a speech but instead issued a statement warning that Tuesday's results had left Americans with a clear choice and touting his own accomplishments after beating Trump.“If Donald Trump returns to the White House, all of this progress is at risk,” Biden said. "He is driven by grievance and grift, focused on his own revenge and retribution, not the American people."While much of the focus was on the presidential race, there were also important down-ballot contests. The governor’s race took shape in North Carolina, where Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein will face off in a state that both parties are fiercely contesting ahead of November.In California, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player, advanced to the general election race to fill the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein.Despite Biden's and Trump's domination of their parties, polls make it clear that the broader electorate does not want this year’s general election to be identical to the 2020 race. A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-union-mental-capacity-trump-reelection-66d8784586d21f30885d8153f949510c">a majority of Americans don't think either Biden or Trump</a>&nbsp;has the necessary mental acuity for the job.“Both of them failed, in my opinion, to unify this country,” said Brian Hadley, 66, of Raleigh, North Carolina.The final days before Tuesday demonstrated the unique nature of this year’s campaign. Rather than barnstorming the states holding primaries, Biden and Trump held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-immigration-biden-trump-42c945d02742b169bde40601a27fde02">rival events last week along the U.S.-Mexico border</a>, each seeking to gain an advantage in the increasingly fraught immigration debate.After the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-insurrection-election-colorado-51e79c0f03013034c8a042cb278b6446">ruled 9-0</a>&nbsp;on Monday to restore Trump to primary ballots following attempts to ban him for his role in helping spark the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Capitol riot</a>, Trump pointed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictments-election-january-6-classified-documents-5cb04868bb1cdf91c19eafdb882af8c0">91 criminal counts</a>&nbsp;against him to accuse Biden of weaponizing the courts.“Fight your fight yourself,” Trump said. “Don’t use prosecutors and judges to go after your opponent.”Biden delivers the State of the Union address Thursday, then will campaign in the key swing states of Pennsylvania and Georgia.The president faces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-poll-survey-economy-trump-election-dca1b60f6749d5eb50bc0e7600814855">low approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-biden-2024-presidential-prospects-c843c5af6775b4c8a0cff8e2b1db03f6">polls suggesting</a>&nbsp;that many Americans, even a majority of Democrats, don’t want to see the 81-year-old running again. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-primary-takeaways-biden-trump-uncommitted-48b7ab77b7af425c3662e5a8f28e37f6">easy Michigan primary win</a>&nbsp;last week was spoiled slightly by an “uncommitted” campaign organized by activists who disapprove of the president’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.Allies of the “uncommitted” movement pushed similar protest votes elsewhere, such as in Minnesota, which has a significant population of Muslims, including in its Somali American community. At least 45,000 voters in Minnesota selected “uncommitted,” which won 19% with almost all votes counted. That exceeds the 13% of voters who selected “uncommitted” in Michigan.“Joe Biden has not done enough to earn my vote and not done enough to stop the war, stop the massacre,” said Sarah Alfaham of the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington.Biden also is the oldest president ever and Republicans key on any verbal slip he makes. His aides insist that skeptical voters will come around once it is clear that either Trump or Biden will be elected again in November.Trump is now the same age Biden was during the 2020 campaign, and he has exacerbated questions about his own fitness with recent flubs, such as mistakenly suggesting he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-biden-gop-voters-border-migrants-1fc6624188f540f495e1087bee64318e">was running against Barack Obama</a>, who left the White House in 2017.“I would love to see the next generation move up and take leadership roles,” said Democrat Susan Steele, 71, who voted Tuesday for Biden in Portland, Maine.Trump has already vanquished more than a dozen major Republican challengers and now faces only Haley, his former U.N. ambassador. She had maintained&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haley-february-2024-fundraising-super-tuesday-d1af5cfc14bc0977093b5f4796774c78">strong fundraising</a>&nbsp;and notched her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nikki-haley-republicans-donald-trump-dc-primary-7b5eec7a5398379b0f1c9ed9f50b6ce3">first primary victory over the weekend in Washington, D.C.</a>, a Democrat-run city with few registered Republicans. Trump scoffed that Haley had been “crowned queen of the swamp.”“We can do better than two 80-year-old candidates for president,” Haley said at a rally Monday in the Houston suburbs.Trump's victories, however dominating, have shown vulnerabilities with influential voter blocs, especially in college towns like Hanover, New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth College, or Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan is located, as well as areas with high concentrations of independents. That includes Minnesota, a state Trump did not carry in his otherwise overwhelming Super Tuesday performance in 2016.Seth De Penning, a self-described conservative-leaning independent, voted Tuesday morning in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, for Haley, he said, because the GOP “needs a course correction.” De Penning, 40, called his choice a vote of conscience and said he has never voted for Trump because of concerns about his temperament and character.