Ruling declares Highway Patrol practices violate Fourth Amendment rights

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Highway Patrol has been ordered to stop its infamous “two-step” technique by a federal judge, in what the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas calls a “huge win” for all motorists using state highways.&nbsp;

The U.S. district court ruled KHP’s policies and practices violate the Fourth Amendment, releasing a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aclukansas.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/memorandum_and_order_to_show_cause.pdf">Friday opinion&nbsp;</a>that the KHP “has waged war on motorists — especially out-of-state residents traveling between Colorado and Missouri on federal highway I-70 in Kansas.”

The trial challenged the constitutionality of the KHP’s policy of targeting out-of-staters and other “suspicious” people for vehicle searches by drug-sniffing dogs, along with the “Kansas two-step” maneuver. The “ two-step” is a technique taught to KHP personnel, in which they end a routine traffic stop and begin a separate effort to dig for information and gain entry to a vehicle to search for contraband.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The opinion said the KHP’s actions weren’t&nbsp; “a fair fight.”&nbsp;

“The war is basically a question of numbers: stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs,” the opinion added.&nbsp;

The court case came after Blain Shaw, an Oklahoma City resident, was pulled over near Hays while on his way to visit family and friends in Denver with his brother. He was stopped for speeding on Interstate 70 by Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Doug Schulte, who reported he clocked Shaw driving 91 mph in a 75 mph zone. Schulte ticketed Shaw and then walked away, before doubling back in a “trooper two-step” and returning to Shaw.&nbsp;

The trooper then asked Shaw and his brother if they were hauling anything illegal, such as firearms or narcotics. Shaw answered in the negative, but refused to grant permission to Schulte when he asked to search his van. The trooper then called in a K-9 unit to search Shaw’s vehicle.&nbsp;

Though troopers didn’t find evidence of drugs, the KHP required Shaw to report to a nearby law enforcement office so copies could be made of his medical records, Colorado identification card and medical marijuana registration.

The incident snowballed into a trial challenging the Kansas Highway Patrol’s policy, with legal defense arguing Schulte violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by searching Shaw’s vehicle.

Shaw and other plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Spencer Fane LLP, filed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUfuZz1haH9xCi95wf1HoQUgfB86WAClYuxKAcor0a1WI2WU36tMX846gf1ohYQlLWQ-3D-3DdDDR_4sY-2FII3ExoxLmOxVSP39pE0ubtmvGosIy3lG1oLm-2BtA3Xt2dD0Fo9E09IYLXcK4HzLpqLX2kX4RX-2FbjhLm6DbovqI9T61v1KnKMkViRdts-2BAAj5gJcPoLl9klHcVLgRB2PDMrq3Yko2Ke9S8Of3HXJkNplEZ6hOn1KVb-2Fcgc40rIuEFz2h-2BIgx9iAhpmrmXcd-2FqYub30q4ntkuLlhRAZ2rlrIO0XP2WOuut8s8szbQoueysxYoCD8jvA8Rv811bj5ZCL6Smjyc3ebCz8itCX9rDozTEBJ8Pw5oEE-2FGDN5rvgj34JhO-2FzA-2FCojrGiWnpbFc0aPjvtr29WU-2F1Mq8I1IXbdlbUmfGL-2FCFlblBiBtl4-3D">Shaw v. Jones</a>&nbsp;in 2020 to challenge KHP’s practice of detaining motorists with out-of-state license plates and the “two-step” maneuver. The defendant in the case was Herman Jones, in his official capacity as KHP Superintendent.&nbsp;

The lawsuit was consolidated with a separate suit brought by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/02/khps-two-step-technique-for-launching-vehicle-searches-challenged-on-constitutional-grounds/">Mark Erich and Shawna Maloney</a>, who had their family’s RV ransacked by KHP troopers in 2018&nbsp; in another “two-step” incident.&nbsp;

The ruling comes after two weeks of trials.&nbsp;

The court found Jones responsible for the practice of unlawfully detaining motorists in Kansas without reasonable suspicion or consent, especially those out of state, and decreed that the Kansas Two-Step violates the Fourth Amendment, extending traffic stops “without reasonable suspicion and without the motorists’ knowing, intelligent and voluntary consent.”&nbsp;

“This is a huge win — for our clients and for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways. We are gratified that the Court saw the ongoing harms of KHP’s unconstitutional practices and stepped in to stop the department’s widespread misconduct,” said Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas.

“It also demonstrates that courts will not tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.” Brett added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586208701830.png" alt="The Kansas Highway Patrol has been ordered to end the two-step practice. -KHP file photo" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Highway Patrol has been ordered to end the two-step practice. -KHP file photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Ruling declares Highway Patrol practices violate Fourth Amendment rights</h2>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Highway Patrol has been ordered to stop its infamous “two-step” technique by a federal judge, in what the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas calls a “huge win” for all motorists using state highways.&nbsp;The U.S. district court ruled KHP’s policies and practices violate the Fourth Amendment, releasing a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aclukansas.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/memorandum_and_order_to_show_cause.pdf">Friday opinion&nbsp;</a>that the KHP “has waged war on motorists — especially out-of-state residents traveling between Colorado and Missouri on federal highway I-70 in Kansas.”The trial challenged the constitutionality of the KHP’s policy of targeting out-of-staters and other “suspicious” people for vehicle searches by drug-sniffing dogs, along with the “Kansas two-step” maneuver. The “ two-step” is a technique taught to KHP personnel, in which they end a routine traffic stop and begin a separate effort to dig for information and gain entry to a vehicle to search for contraband.&nbsp;&nbsp;The opinion said the KHP’s actions weren’t&nbsp; “a fair fight.”&nbsp;“The war is basically a question of numbers: stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs,” the opinion added.&nbsp;The court case came after Blain Shaw, an Oklahoma City resident, was pulled over near Hays while on his way to visit family and friends in Denver with his brother. He was stopped for speeding on Interstate 70 by Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Doug Schulte, who reported he clocked Shaw driving 91 mph in a 75 mph zone. Schulte ticketed Shaw and then walked away, before doubling back in a “trooper two-step” and returning to Shaw.&nbsp;The trooper then asked Shaw and his brother if they were hauling anything illegal, such as firearms or narcotics. Shaw answered in the negative, but refused to grant permission to Schulte when he asked to search his van. The trooper then called in a K-9 unit to search Shaw’s vehicle.&nbsp;Though troopers didn’t find evidence of drugs, the KHP required Shaw to report to a nearby law enforcement office so copies could be made of his medical records, Colorado identification card and medical marijuana registration.The incident snowballed into a trial challenging the Kansas Highway Patrol’s policy, with legal defense arguing Schulte violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by searching Shaw’s vehicle.Shaw and other plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Spencer Fane LLP, filed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUfuZz1haH9xCi95wf1HoQUgfB86WAClYuxKAcor0a1WI2WU36tMX846gf1ohYQlLWQ-3D-3DdDDR_4sY-2FII3ExoxLmOxVSP39pE0ubtmvGosIy3lG1oLm-2BtA3Xt2dD0Fo9E09IYLXcK4HzLpqLX2kX4RX-2FbjhLm6DbovqI9T61v1KnKMkViRdts-2BAAj5gJcPoLl9klHcVLgRB2PDMrq3Yko2Ke9S8Of3HXJkNplEZ6hOn1KVb-2Fcgc40rIuEFz2h-2BIgx9iAhpmrmXcd-2FqYub30q4ntkuLlhRAZ2rlrIO0XP2WOuut8s8szbQoueysxYoCD8jvA8Rv811bj5ZCL6Smjyc3ebCz8itCX9rDozTEBJ8Pw5oEE-2FGDN5rvgj34JhO-2FzA-2FCojrGiWnpbFc0aPjvtr29WU-2F1Mq8I1IXbdlbUmfGL-2FCFlblBiBtl4-3D">Shaw v. Jones</a>&nbsp;in 2020 to challenge KHP’s practice of detaining motorists with out-of-state license plates and the “two-step” maneuver. The defendant in the case was Herman Jones, in his official capacity as KHP Superintendent.&nbsp;The lawsuit was consolidated with a separate suit brought by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/02/khps-two-step-technique-for-launching-vehicle-searches-challenged-on-constitutional-grounds/">Mark Erich and Shawna Maloney</a>, who had their family’s RV ransacked by KHP troopers in 2018&nbsp; in another “two-step” incident.&nbsp;The ruling comes after two weeks of trials.&nbsp;The court found Jones responsible for the practice of unlawfully detaining motorists in Kansas without reasonable suspicion or consent, especially those out of state, and decreed that the Kansas Two-Step violates the Fourth Amendment, extending traffic stops “without reasonable suspicion and without the motorists’ knowing, intelligent and voluntary consent.”&nbsp;“This is a huge win — for our clients and for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways. We are gratified that the Court saw the ongoing harms of KHP’s unconstitutional practices and stepped in to stop the department’s widespread misconduct,” said Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas.“It also demonstrates that courts will not tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.” Brett added.

Federal judge orders end of Kansas trooper ‘two-step’ maneuver

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mega Millions has upped the ante by another $100 million.

The lack of a jackpot winner in the lottery game's latest drawing on Friday night sent the top prize soaring to an estimated $820 million.

The numbers drawn late Friday were: 29, 40, 47, 50, 57 and gold Mega Ball 25. No tickets were sold hitting all those numbers for the estimated grand prize of $720 million.

The estimated $820 million in the next drawing on Tuesday night would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesdays drawing is an estimated $422 million.

The potential jackpot is the fifth largest in the history of the game, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.

Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.

The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.

Friday's drawing resulted in eight tickets matching five white balls for a $1 million prize. Two each were sold in Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina, with one in California and another in Michigan, Mega Millions said.

The Powerball jackpot also was approaching near-record levels before a tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for Wednesday's drawing, worth an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">$1.08 billion</a>.

Mega Millions is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-alabama-alaska-lotteries-business-86424cf8e2b7cccf8ae9d06f6652d559">played in 45 states</a>, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mega Millions has upped the ante by another $100 million.The lack of a jackpot winner in the lottery game's latest drawing on Friday night sent the top prize soaring to an estimated $820 million.The numbers drawn late Friday were: 29, 40, 47, 50, 57 and gold Mega Ball 25. No tickets were sold hitting all those numbers for the estimated grand prize of $720 million.The estimated $820 million in the next drawing on Tuesday night would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesdays drawing is an estimated $422 million.The potential jackpot is the fifth largest in the history of the game, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.Friday's drawing resulted in eight tickets matching five white balls for a $1 million prize. Two each were sold in Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina, with one in California and another in Michigan, Mega Millions said.The Powerball jackpot also was approaching near-record levels before a tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for Wednesday's drawing, worth an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">$1.08 billion</a>.Mega Millions is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-alabama-alaska-lotteries-business-86424cf8e2b7cccf8ae9d06f6652d559">played in 45 states</a>, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $820 million

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue investigating another fatal shooting in Wichita.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, police officers were dispatched to call for EMS in the 8400 block of E. Harry in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located 41-year-old Michael Shelton&nbsp;on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound. EMS and FIRE were on the scene and pronounced him deceased.

On Friday, detectives and officers continued actively investigating this case and following up on all leads. However, they have little information and are asking the public for help with information on this shooting.

If you have any information, please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something Hotline at 316-519-2282, or call in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316- 267-2111. 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue investigating another fatal shooting in Wichita.Just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, police officers were dispatched to call for EMS in the 8400 block of E. Harry in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located 41-year-old Michael Shelton&nbsp;on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound. EMS and FIRE were on the scene and pronounced him deceased.On Friday, detectives and officers continued actively investigating this case and following up on all leads. However, they have little information and are asking the public for help with information on this shooting.If you have any information, please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something Hotline at 316-519-2282, or call in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 316- 267-2111.

Police ask for help with clues in death of 41-year-old Kan. man

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just after 7 p.m. July 17, a sheriff's deputy identified 32-year-old Latisha Campbell of Hiawatha, while on routine patrol and was aware that she had an outstanding warrant, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy conducted a traffic stop and arrested Campbell&nbsp; on a Failure to Appear Warrant. She was booked into jail on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Trafficking Contraband into a Correctional Facility.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689971045216.png" alt="Campbell-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Campbell-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just after 7 p.m. July 17, a sheriff's deputy identified 32-year-old Latisha Campbell of Hiawatha, while on routine patrol and was aware that she had an outstanding warrant, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.The deputy conducted a traffic stop and arrested Campbell&nbsp; on a Failure to Appear Warrant. She was booked into jail on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Trafficking Contraband into a Correctional Facility.

Sheriff: Kan. woman who skipped court is jailed for meth possession

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A Kansas man wounded by police after&nbsp; stabbing his father to death an later stabbing a woman on the street remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Police detectives identified 33-year-old John McGriff of Kansas City, Kansas&nbsp; as the suspect in a stabbing and homicide in the Argentine neighborhood of Wyandotte County, according to a media release.

McGriff, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, has been charged by the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office with aggravated battery; mistreatment of a dependent adult or elder person; and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. 

The stabbing victim, a 46 year-old woman remains hospitalized in serious, but stable condition.

McGriff is also identified as the suspect in the stabbing death of his father 73-year-old Samuel McGriff.

 Samuel McGriff was discovered deceased by staff at a senior apartment building in the 3700 block of Strong where the two lived together. 

Charges in the homicide are expected to be forthcoming.

Just before noon Tuesday, the Kansas City, Kansas 911 dispatch center received numerous calls about a man violently stabbing a woman on a sidewalk near the corner of 34th and Metropolitan Avenue, according to a media release.

A relative of the woman, who witnessed the attack, gave first responders a description of the attacker, later identified as McGriff, whom she said was a stranger.

EMS then transported the female stabbing victim to a local hospital.

Officers canvassed the neighborhood and located McGriff several blocks away at the intersection of 36th and Strong Avenue. He was armed with a large knife. He charged officers who fired their weapons.&nbsp;&nbsp;

EMS transported McGriff to an area hospital. The two officers involved were not injured and were immediately placed on administrative leave, per department policy.

Other officers remained on scene and staff from an adjacent senior apartment facility alerted them that they had just discovered a man later identified as McGriff's father in one of the units deceased from a stabbing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Wyandotte County Sheriff's office is in charge of the shooting investigation.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689713838300.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —A Kansas man wounded by police after&nbsp; stabbing his father to death an later stabbing a woman on the street remains hospitalized in critical condition.Police detectives identified 33-year-old John McGriff of Kansas City, Kansas&nbsp; as the suspect in a stabbing and homicide in the Argentine neighborhood of Wyandotte County, according to a media release.McGriff, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, has been charged by the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office with aggravated battery; mistreatment of a dependent adult or elder person; and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. The stabbing victim, a 46 year-old woman remains hospitalized in serious, but stable condition.McGriff is also identified as the suspect in the stabbing death of his father 73-year-old Samuel McGriff. Samuel McGriff was discovered deceased by staff at a senior apartment building in the 3700 block of Strong where the two lived together. Charges in the homicide are expected to be forthcoming.Just before noon Tuesday, the Kansas City, Kansas 911 dispatch center received numerous calls about a man violently stabbing a woman on a sidewalk near the corner of 34th and Metropolitan Avenue, according to a media release.A relative of the woman, who witnessed the attack, gave first responders a description of the attacker, later identified as McGriff, whom she said was a stranger.EMS then transported the female stabbing victim to a local hospital.Officers canvassed the neighborhood and located McGriff several blocks away at the intersection of 36th and Strong Avenue. He was armed with a large knife. He charged officers who fired their weapons.&nbsp;&nbsp;EMS transported McGriff to an area hospital. The two officers involved were not injured and were immediately placed on administrative leave, per department policy.Other officers remained on scene and staff from an adjacent senior apartment facility alerted them that they had just discovered a man later identified as McGriff's father in one of the units deceased from a stabbing.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Wyandotte County Sheriff's office is in charge of the shooting investigation.&nbsp;

Kan. officer shooting: Murder suspect still hospitalized

FINNEY COUNTY—A powerful supercell thunderstorm that rolled across southwest Kansas on Thursday&nbsp; produced extreme wind gusts but no tornado, according to meteorologist Aaron Jones with the National Weather Service in Dodge City.

&nbsp;There was widespread across the region, 4-6 miles wide,&nbsp; 90-100 mph winds, EF-1 intensity, near the rear-flank downdraft of the storm. In addition, the storm produced very large hail extending from southwestern Scott County through northern Finney County, and finally ending in northern Gray County.

 Numerous irrigation pivot systems were flipped, electrical poles downed, and various buildings damaged in and around the town of Friend in northern Finney County. 

The storm also produced flooding across southwest Kansas and numerous rural roads remain closed due to high water.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689973661446.png" alt="Photo courtesy Wheatland Electric" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Wheatland Electric</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—A powerful supercell thunderstorm that rolled across southwest Kansas on Thursday&nbsp; produced extreme wind gusts but no tornado, according to meteorologist Aaron Jones with the National Weather Service in Dodge City.&nbsp;There was widespread across the region, 4-6 miles wide,&nbsp; 90-100 mph winds, EF-1 intensity, near the rear-flank downdraft of the storm. In addition, the storm produced very large hail extending from southwestern Scott County through northern Finney County, and finally ending in northern Gray County. Numerous irrigation pivot systems were flipped, electrical poles downed, and various buildings damaged in and around the town of Friend in northern Finney County. The storm also produced flooding across southwest Kansas and numerous rural roads remain closed due to high water.

NWS: No tornado but 90-100mph winds in SW Kansas storm

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&amp;M University announced Friday that its president has resigned after a Black journalist's celebrated hiring at one of the nation's largest campuses unraveled following pushback over her diversity and inclusion work.

President Katherine Banks said in a resignation letter that she would retire immediately, because “negative press has become a distraction” at the nearly 70,000-student campus in College Station.

Her exit comes as Republican lawmakers across the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-legislation-7bd8d4d52aaaa9902dde59a257874686">are targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>&nbsp;on college campus. That includes Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June that dismantles program offices at public colleges.

The A&amp;M System said in a statement that Banks told faculty leaders this week that she took responsibility for the “flawed hiring process” of Kathleen McElroy, a former New York Times editor who had been selected to revive the school's journalism department. The statement said “a wave of national publicity” suggested McElroy “was a victim of ‘anti-woke’ hysteria and outside interference in the faculty hiring process.”

Banks has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/11/texas-a-m-kathleen-mcelroy-journalism/">told The Texas Tribune</a>&nbsp;this month that pushback had surfaced over her hiring at A&amp;M because of her work on race and diversity in newsrooms.

McElroy’s 20-year career at the New York Times included research into the relationship between news media and race, notably in newsroom practices, Pulitzers, obituaries and sports.

McElroy did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday, but she told the Tribune that she felt, “damaged by this entire process" and that she believed she was “being judged by race, maybe gender. And I don’t think other folks would face the same bars or challenges.”

The Rudder Association, which describes itself as a collection of Texas A&amp;M students, former students, faculty and staff who are “dedicated Aggies committed to preserving and perpetuating the core values and unique spirit of Texas A&amp;M,” has acknowledged complaining about McElroy's hiring to the school administrators.

“TRA believes that a department head should embrace the egalitarian and merit-based traditions that characterize Texas A&amp;M’s values, rather than the divisive ideology of identity politics,” the group wrote last week.

McEloy's original job offer to revive Texas A&amp;M's journalism program, which was celebrated on campus with a “signing party," was later changed from a tenure-track position, to a five-year role, then to a one-year job from which she could be fired at any time.

McElroy, a 1981 Texas A&amp;M graduate, declined the changes and the job offer, deciding instead to stay on as a professor at the University of Texas.

At a meeting with university faculty on Wednesday, Banks said she was not involved in the contract offer changes. The faculty then voted to set up a panel to investigate the matter.

On Monday, José Luis Bermúdez, interim dean of the Texas A&amp;M College of Arts and Sciences, also announced he would leave his position and return to his job on the faculty. McElroy said Bemudez had warned her about mounting “hysteria” about diversity, equity and inclusion at Texas A&amp;M and advised her to stay on at Texas.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-president-marc-tessier-lavigne-resigns-083350499581584408f497c91a159de1">Banks is the second major university president to resign this week amid turmoil.</a>&nbsp;Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said Wednesday he would resign Aug. 31, citing an independent review that cleared him of research misconduct but found “serious flaws” in five scientific papers on subjects such as brain development in which he was the principal author.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689955489083.png" alt="M. Katherine Banks-photo courtesy Texas A&amp;M University" />
 <figcaption>M. Katherine Banks-photo courtesy Texas A&amp;M University</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&amp;M University announced Friday that its president has resigned after a Black journalist's celebrated hiring at one of the nation's largest campuses unraveled following pushback over her diversity and inclusion work.President Katherine Banks said in a resignation letter that she would retire immediately, because “negative press has become a distraction” at the nearly 70,000-student campus in College Station.Her exit comes as Republican lawmakers across the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equity-inclusion-legislation-7bd8d4d52aaaa9902dde59a257874686">are targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>&nbsp;on college campus. That includes Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June that dismantles program offices at public colleges.The A&amp;M System said in a statement that Banks told faculty leaders this week that she took responsibility for the “flawed hiring process” of Kathleen McElroy, a former New York Times editor who had been selected to revive the school's journalism department. The statement said “a wave of national publicity” suggested McElroy “was a victim of ‘anti-woke’ hysteria and outside interference in the faculty hiring process.”Banks has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/11/texas-a-m-kathleen-mcelroy-journalism/">told The Texas Tribune</a>&nbsp;this month that pushback had surfaced over her hiring at A&amp;M because of her work on race and diversity in newsrooms.McElroy’s 20-year career at the New York Times included research into the relationship between news media and race, notably in newsroom practices, Pulitzers, obituaries and sports.McElroy did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday, but she told the Tribune that she felt, “damaged by this entire process" and that she believed she was “being judged by race, maybe gender. And I don’t think other folks would face the same bars or challenges.”The Rudder Association, which describes itself as a collection of Texas A&amp;M students, former students, faculty and staff who are “dedicated Aggies committed to preserving and perpetuating the core values and unique spirit of Texas A&amp;M,” has acknowledged complaining about McElroy's hiring to the school administrators.“TRA believes that a department head should embrace the egalitarian and merit-based traditions that characterize Texas A&amp;M’s values, rather than the divisive ideology of identity politics,” the group wrote last week.McEloy's original job offer to revive Texas A&amp;M's journalism program, which was celebrated on campus with a “signing party," was later changed from a tenure-track position, to a five-year role, then to a one-year job from which she could be fired at any time.McElroy, a 1981 Texas A&amp;M graduate, declined the changes and the job offer, deciding instead to stay on as a professor at the University of Texas.At a meeting with university faculty on Wednesday, Banks said she was not involved in the contract offer changes. The faculty then voted to set up a panel to investigate the matter.On Monday, José Luis Bermúdez, interim dean of the Texas A&amp;M College of Arts and Sciences, also announced he would leave his position and return to his job on the faculty. McElroy said Bemudez had warned her about mounting “hysteria” about diversity, equity and inclusion at Texas A&amp;M and advised her to stay on at Texas.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-president-marc-tessier-lavigne-resigns-083350499581584408f497c91a159de1">Banks is the second major university president to resign this week amid turmoil.</a>&nbsp;Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said Wednesday he would resign Aug. 31, citing an independent review that cleared him of research misconduct but found “serious flaws” in five scientific papers on subjects such as brain development in which he was the principal author.

Texas A&M president resigns after hiring of Black journalist unravels

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley released an unclassified document Thursday that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;as they delve into the financial affairs of the president and his son, and revive previously debunked claims of wrongdoing.

<a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fd_1023_obtained_by_senator_grassley_-_biden.pdf">Click here to read the</a>&nbsp;FBI source document

Grassley of Iowa has been working alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kentucky-state-government-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-d68267048aa4f42d244130e81d3e9c30">House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer</a>, R-Ky., as Republicans deepen their probe of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his son, Hunter, ahead of the 2024 election. Comer had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-subpoena-biden-family-republicans-whistleblower-allegations-add7012e9076e546d62d250e3ba33fd0">issued a subpoena</a>&nbsp;for the document from the FBI.

While lawmakers on the Oversight Committee have already been able to partly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fbi-oversight-comer-congress-0c647e00b2559f59e4a898ee264d8753">review the information</a>, this is the first time the full document — which contains raw, unverified information — is being made public. Called an FD-1023 form, it involves claims a confidential informant made in 2020 about Hunter Biden's alleged business dealings when he served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Top Republicans have acknowledged they cannot confirm whether the information is true.

“The American people can now read this document for themselves," Grassley said.

The document adds to information that had widely aired during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-politics-election-2020-d78192d45b176f73ad435ae9fb926ed3">Donald Trump's first impeachment trial</a>, which involved Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's efforts to dig up dirt on the Bidens ahead of the 2020 election. It was also the subject of a subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/26ecd17c8fcf7fc26b9e2df44325a83a">Department of Justice review</a>&nbsp;that Trump's Attorney General William Barr launched in 2020 and closed later that year.

Grassley's office said the FBI told the senator the document was related to an ongoing matter.

White House spokesman Ian Sams said Thursday, “It is remarkable that congressional Republicans, in their eagerness to go after President Biden regardless of the truth, continue to push claims that have been debunked for years."

“These claims have reportedly been scrutinized by the Trump Justice Department, a Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney, and a full impeachment trial of the former President that centered on these very issues, and over and over again, they have been found to lack credibility,” he said. “It’s clear that congressional Republicans are dead-set on playing shameless, dishonest politics and refuse to let truth get in the way.”

In the four-page document, the confidential informant claims to have been involved in various meetings some years earlier, in 2015 or 2016, with officials from the Burisma energy company looking to do business in the United States. The informant claims being told by Burisma officials about their relationship and dealings with Hunter Biden.

One company official said they kept Hunter Biden on the Burisma board because they believed through “his dad” it could protect them from all kinds of problems, the informant claimed.

In another instance, a top company official suggested payment of $5 million to each of the Bidens as the company sought to have Ukraine's prosecutor general at the time, Viktor Shokin, removed from office, according to the document.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said after lawmakers reviewed a redacted document in June, “Congress thoroughly reviewed and debunked" similar allegations that Giuliani had made.

“As the FBI explained, the allegations were also thoroughly investigated by Donald Trump’s own Justice Department,” Raskin wrote. That assessment was closed in August 2020 after eight months of investigative efforts, he said, and “found insufficient evidence” to warrant further investigation.

But Comer said Thursday: “The American people must be able to read this record for themselves. I thank Senator Grassley for providing much needed transparency.”

Grassley said while the FBI had released a redacted version to lawmakers, he was able to provide a fuller document because whistleblowers made it available to him.

Comer’s panel held a hearing this week with two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-congress-republicans-32d9f33fb0d05c483d76926504d45bef">Internal Review Service whistleblowers</a>&nbsp;who have claimed Justice Department interference as they tried to probe Hunter Biden’s financial affairs. They said they were unaware of the document.

The Justice Department has denied the whistleblower claims. Department policy has long told prosecutors to take care when bringing charges with political overtones so close to an election.

A recovering addict, Hunter Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-income-tax-weapon-ea6b78d4bac037da24b485985b99bc1c">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;last month to misdemeanor charges over his finances after years of failing to pay taxes. Republicans have denounced the agreement with federal prosecutors as a "sweetheart deal."

The top prosecutor in the case, U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, has said he is willing to testify before the House panel once he is legally able to share information with Congress without violating the longstanding department policy of discussing an ongoing investigation.

Testimony from Justice Department officials could come after Hunter Biden appears for his plea hearing next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley released an unclassified document Thursday that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>&nbsp;as they delve into the financial affairs of the president and his son, and revive previously debunked claims of wrongdoing.<a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fd_1023_obtained_by_senator_grassley_-_biden.pdf">Click here to read the</a>&nbsp;FBI source document<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 I’ve released the 1023 I’ve been working on getting from the FBI for a yr. Now u can read it for yourself thx to patriotic whistleblowers <a href="https://t.co/ooGYR7fU02">pic.twitter.com/ooGYR7fU02</a>&mdash; Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckGrassley/status/1682117873420972032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Grassley of Iowa has been working alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kentucky-state-government-us-republican-party-united-states-house-of-representatives-d68267048aa4f42d244130e81d3e9c30">House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer</a>, R-Ky., as Republicans deepen their probe of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and his son, Hunter, ahead of the 2024 election. Comer had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-subpoena-biden-family-republicans-whistleblower-allegations-add7012e9076e546d62d250e3ba33fd0">issued a subpoena</a>&nbsp;for the document from the FBI.While lawmakers on the Oversight Committee have already been able to partly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-fbi-oversight-comer-congress-0c647e00b2559f59e4a898ee264d8753">review the information</a>, this is the first time the full document — which contains raw, unverified information — is being made public. Called an FD-1023 form, it involves claims a confidential informant made in 2020 about Hunter Biden's alleged business dealings when he served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Top Republicans have acknowledged they cannot confirm whether the information is true.“The American people can now read this document for themselves," Grassley said.The document adds to information that had widely aired during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-politics-election-2020-d78192d45b176f73ad435ae9fb926ed3">Donald Trump's first impeachment trial</a>, which involved Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's efforts to dig up dirt on the Bidens ahead of the 2020 election. It was also the subject of a subsequent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/26ecd17c8fcf7fc26b9e2df44325a83a">Department of Justice review</a>&nbsp;that Trump's Attorney General William Barr launched in 2020 and closed later that year.Grassley's office said the FBI told the senator the document was related to an ongoing matter.White House spokesman Ian Sams said Thursday, “It is remarkable that congressional Republicans, in their eagerness to go after President Biden regardless of the truth, continue to push claims that have been debunked for years."“These claims have reportedly been scrutinized by the Trump Justice Department, a Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney, and a full impeachment trial of the former President that centered on these very issues, and over and over again, they have been found to lack credibility,” he said. “It’s clear that congressional Republicans are dead-set on playing shameless, dishonest politics and refuse to let truth get in the way.”In the four-page document, the confidential informant claims to have been involved in various meetings some years earlier, in 2015 or 2016, with officials from the Burisma energy company looking to do business in the United States. The informant claims being told by Burisma officials about their relationship and dealings with Hunter Biden.One company official said they kept Hunter Biden on the Burisma board because they believed through “his dad” it could protect them from all kinds of problems, the informant claimed.In another instance, a top company official suggested payment of $5 million to each of the Bidens as the company sought to have Ukraine's prosecutor general at the time, Viktor Shokin, removed from office, according to the document.Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said after lawmakers reviewed a redacted document in June, “Congress thoroughly reviewed and debunked" similar allegations that Giuliani had made.“As the FBI explained, the allegations were also thoroughly investigated by Donald Trump’s own Justice Department,” Raskin wrote. That assessment was closed in August 2020 after eight months of investigative efforts, he said, and “found insufficient evidence” to warrant further investigation.But Comer said Thursday: “The American people must be able to read this record for themselves. I thank Senator Grassley for providing much needed transparency.”Grassley said while the FBI had released a redacted version to lawmakers, he was able to provide a fuller document because whistleblowers made it available to him.Comer’s panel held a hearing this week with two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-irs-justice-department-congress-republicans-32d9f33fb0d05c483d76926504d45bef">Internal Review Service whistleblowers</a>&nbsp;who have claimed Justice Department interference as they tried to probe Hunter Biden’s financial affairs. They said they were unaware of the document.The Justice Department has denied the whistleblower claims. Department policy has long told prosecutors to take care when bringing charges with political overtones so close to an election.A recovering addict, Hunter Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-charges-income-tax-weapon-ea6b78d4bac037da24b485985b99bc1c">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;last month to misdemeanor charges over his finances after years of failing to pay taxes. Republicans have denounced the agreement with federal prosecutors as a "sweetheart deal."The top prosecutor in the case, U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, has said he is willing to testify before the House panel once he is legally able to share information with Congress without violating the longstanding department policy of discussing an ongoing investigation.Testimony from Justice Department officials could come after Hunter Biden appears for his plea hearing next week.

Read U.S. Senator's FBI report alleging Biden involvement in bribes

DALLAS (AP) — The brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib has pleaded guilty to murder in the 2022 shooting death of a coach at a youth football game in Texas, prosecutors said.

Yaqub Salik Talib, 40, pleaded guilty Thursday to the charge in the shooting of 43-year-old Michael Hickmon, according to Claire Crouch, a spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. She said Talib agreed to a sentence of 37 years in prison and that he will be sentenced in August.

A lawyer for Talib did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Friday.

Last August, police said witnesses saw Talib pull out a gun and repeatedly shoot Hickmon during a brawl among adults at a youth football game in the Dallas suburb of Lancaster. Police said the fight was prompted by a disagreement between the opposing coaching staffs over calls made by the officiating crew, but an official with one of the teams later said it began when Hickmon went to pick up a football and someone kicked it away.

The sons of both Talib brothers played on one of the teams and Hickmon's son played on the other, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2023/07/20/yaqub-talib-agrees-to-plead-guilty-in-fatal-shooting-of-lancaster-football-coach/">The Dallas Morning News.</a>

Yaqub Talib left the field following the shooting and later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-entertainment-sports-arrests-dallas-b369fb5a5be2b41271d641c016d129c6">turned himself in</a>&nbsp;to police. His lawyer said at the time that his client “regrets the tragic loss of life" but was surrendering to "have the chance to say his side of the story.”

Aqib Talib is a five-time Pro Bowler who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-nfl-aqib-talib-ca-state-wire-new-england-patriots-0a437e951f4c00d50ffd612cf5a213a2">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;in 2020. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-chargers-nfl-entertainment-sports-tv-8265c669d0570d923eb638fc47d298aa">named last year</a>&nbsp;as a contributor for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” but left the role following the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660608080574.png" alt=" Yaqub Talib -photo Dallas Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption> Yaqub Talib -photo Dallas Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — The brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib has pleaded guilty to murder in the 2022 shooting death of a coach at a youth football game in Texas, prosecutors said.Yaqub Salik Talib, 40, pleaded guilty Thursday to the charge in the shooting of 43-year-old Michael Hickmon, according to Claire Crouch, a spokesperson for the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. She said Talib agreed to a sentence of 37 years in prison and that he will be sentenced in August.A lawyer for Talib did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Friday.Last August, police said witnesses saw Talib pull out a gun and repeatedly shoot Hickmon during a brawl among adults at a youth football game in the Dallas suburb of Lancaster. Police said the fight was prompted by a disagreement between the opposing coaching staffs over calls made by the officiating crew, but an official with one of the teams later said it began when Hickmon went to pick up a football and someone kicked it away.The sons of both Talib brothers played on one of the teams and Hickmon's son played on the other, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2023/07/20/yaqub-talib-agrees-to-plead-guilty-in-fatal-shooting-of-lancaster-football-coach/">The Dallas Morning News.</a>Yaqub Talib left the field following the shooting and later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-entertainment-sports-arrests-dallas-b369fb5a5be2b41271d641c016d129c6">turned himself in</a>&nbsp;to police. His lawyer said at the time that his client “regrets the tragic loss of life" but was surrendering to "have the chance to say his side of the story.”Aqib Talib is a five-time Pro Bowler who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-nfl-aqib-talib-ca-state-wire-new-england-patriots-0a437e951f4c00d50ffd612cf5a213a2">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;in 2020. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-chargers-nfl-entertainment-sports-tv-8265c669d0570d923eb638fc47d298aa">named last year</a>&nbsp;as a contributor for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” but left the role following the shooting.

Brother of ex-NFL and KU star  Aqib Talib pleads guilty to murder

ANDERSON COUNTY — After lottery jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions cumulatively approached $2 billion this week, millions of people across the country lined up at convenience store, grocery and gas station counters hoping to hit it big.

Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities are investigating a new round of scams involving the the Mega Millions lottery, according to a social media report from police in Garnett, Kansas.

"The officer who responded to this scam was able to stop the potential victim's check from being paid and saved them $10,000." Police urged the public, "talk to your parents and grandparents about these scams and keep them safe. No lottery will require you to pay to receive money." If all else fails and you have questions, call police to assist.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689692829881.png" alt="photo Garnett Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Garnett Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ANDERSON COUNTY — After lottery jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions cumulatively approached $2 billion this week, millions of people across the country lined up at convenience store, grocery and gas station counters hoping to hit it big.Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities are investigating a new round of scams involving the the Mega Millions lottery, according to a social media report from police in Garnett, Kansas."The officer who responded to this scam was able to stop the potential victim's check from being paid and saved them $10,000." Police urged the public, "talk to your parents and grandparents about these scams and keep them safe. No lottery will require you to pay to receive money." If all else fails and you have questions, call police to assist.

Police warn Kansans of new Mega Millions lottery scam

By JACOB FISCHLER&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for five years, including a big increase in subsidies for airlines providing flights to smaller markets.

The chamber&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023364">voted 351-67</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nbaa.org/wp-content/uploads/advocacy/legislative-and-regulatory-issues/faa-reauthorization-and-modernization/House-Bill-2023-FAA-Reauthorization.pdf">the bill</a>, which would authorize $104 billion for the agency through 2028, increase authorized spending levels for rural aviation programs and add some protections for the flying public amid ongoing complaints over cancellations and delays.

“This bill ensures robust investment in infrastructure for airports of all sizes, including the thousands of smaller and general aviation airports that make up the bulk of our aviation system,” U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican, said.

The bipartisan support on the floor came after lawmakers kept the measure clear of the controversial social issues a handful of House Republicans&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/defense-bill-targets-abortion-access-trans-health-racial-equity-passes-us-house">attached to the defense authorization bill</a>&nbsp;last week.

For example, on the FAA bill the chamber&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023353?Page=2">rejected, 181-254</a>, an amendment from Illinois Republican Mary Miller to restrict funding for diversity, equity and inclusion training at the agency. In last week’s defense authorization bill, the House adopted two amendments targeting such programs in the Defense Department.

The committee’s ranking Democrat, Rick Larsen of Washington, praised the process in a Thursday floor speech.

“We are on the verge of passing a comprehensive, bipartisan, negotiated-in-good faith, important, policy-based bill, I presume in a bipartisan manner, which may not make the news because it wasn’t exciting enough,” Larsen said minutes before the vote. “We have prided ourself on being a boring committee, on being a workhorse committee.”

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill on a 63-0 vote last month.

Even after passage, Larsen said he and Graves will have to coordinate with the Senate and White House to see the bill enacted into law. Leaders of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee introduced a companion bill last month but have not scheduled a committee vote on the measure.

Current FAA authorization expires Sept. 30 and the legislation is considered one of this year’s must-do bills for Congress.

Under Graves, a licensed pilot and longtime champion of general aviation, the bill includes provisions meant to boost air service in rural America.

The measure includes a major increase for the Essential Air Service, a program to subsidize flights to small, rural airports that’s often been targeted for cutbacks or elimination. It would authorize an average of $292 million per year for the program. The current law, enacted in 2018, authorized about $162 million per year on average.

Essential Air Service subsidizes airlines with routes to and from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-01/Current%20list%20of%20EAS-Eligible%20communities%20excl%20AK%20%20HI_Dec2021_0.pdf">110 airports</a>&nbsp;in the contiguous 48 states as of 2021, including seven in Nebraska, with dozens more in Alaska and Hawaii. Subsidies of more than $200 per passenger are reserved for airports beyond 210 miles from the nearest mid- or large-hub airport.

The bill also includes an entire title, or section, on general aviation, the non-commercial, non-military flight operations that include flights for agricultural, medical and business travel purposes. It’s the first such title in an FAA authorization bill, according to Graves.

Larsen also praised the measure’s consumer protections sections on the House floor Wednesday.

“Recent flight cancellations and delays have shaken the confidence of passengers in the U.S. aviation system,” Larsen said. “To get us back on the right course, the reauthorization requires airlines to create resiliency plans to address mass flight disruptions.”

The bill would require airlines to publish on their websites guidelines on compensation related to flight delays, diversions, cancellations and mishandled luggage.

It would also create a passenger experience advisory committee, to report to the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator.

The bill would not alter the routes allowed to serve Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, which sits in Virginia just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital. Federal law prohibits routes to destinations more than 1,250 miles from the airport, with limited exceptions to cities including Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Oregon and Seattle.

The provision is meant to protect Dulles International Airport, which is farther out in Northern Virginia from the city center, and proposals for added air traffic out of National Airport proved highly contentious.

Utah Republican Burgess Owens proposed an amendment to allow seven new round-trip flights to National. The measure was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023357">defeated, 205-229</a>.

Most Democrats voted against the amendment and most Republicans supported it, though dozens from both sides crossed party lines.

Several members of both parties from major metropolitan areas in Texas and California voted to add flights.

Republican Chip Roy and Democrats Joaquin Castro and Henry Cuellar all spoke on the floor to advocate for a direct flight from their San Antonio-area districts.

“My city of San Antonio is known as Military City, USA,” Castro said. “It’s home to tens of thousands of soldiers, airmen, intelligence professionals, and cybersecurity experts who need direct access to Washington, D.C.”

Delta Air Lines, based in Georgia, supports adding flights to National Airport, also known by its international airport code, DCA. Democrat Lucy McBath was the only member from Georgia to vote against the measure.

“The only reason airlines are opposing this is that they want to limit competition,” U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, said.

Members from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia opposed the measure.

“No one asked our regional delegation about this, and we are united against adding more air traffic at DCA,” Virginia Democrat Don Beyer said. The airport is already overcrowded, with 20% of flights late, he added.

The area’s U.S. Senate delegation is also opposed to adding long-distance flights. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from West Virginia, said this week he opposed the idea, fearing airlines may opt to cut short regional flights in favor of longer ones.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601908757258.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB FISCHLER&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for five years, including a big increase in subsidies for airlines providing flights to smaller markets.The chamber&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023364">voted 351-67</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nbaa.org/wp-content/uploads/advocacy/legislative-and-regulatory-issues/faa-reauthorization-and-modernization/House-Bill-2023-FAA-Reauthorization.pdf">the bill</a>, which would authorize $104 billion for the agency through 2028, increase authorized spending levels for rural aviation programs and add some protections for the flying public amid ongoing complaints over cancellations and delays.“This bill ensures robust investment in infrastructure for airports of all sizes, including the thousands of smaller and general aviation airports that make up the bulk of our aviation system,” U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican, said.The bipartisan support on the floor came after lawmakers kept the measure clear of the controversial social issues a handful of House Republicans&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/defense-bill-targets-abortion-access-trans-health-racial-equity-passes-us-house">attached to the defense authorization bill</a>&nbsp;last week.For example, on the FAA bill the chamber&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023353?Page=2">rejected, 181-254</a>, an amendment from Illinois Republican Mary Miller to restrict funding for diversity, equity and inclusion training at the agency. In last week’s defense authorization bill, the House adopted two amendments targeting such programs in the Defense Department.The committee’s ranking Democrat, Rick Larsen of Washington, praised the process in a Thursday floor speech.“We are on the verge of passing a comprehensive, bipartisan, negotiated-in-good faith, important, policy-based bill, I presume in a bipartisan manner, which may not make the news because it wasn’t exciting enough,” Larsen said minutes before the vote. “We have prided ourself on being a boring committee, on being a workhorse committee.”The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill on a 63-0 vote last month.Even after passage, Larsen said he and Graves will have to coordinate with the Senate and White House to see the bill enacted into law. Leaders of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee introduced a companion bill last month but have not scheduled a committee vote on the measure.Current FAA authorization expires Sept. 30 and the legislation is considered one of this year’s must-do bills for Congress.<h2>Rural air service, consumer aid</h2>Under Graves, a licensed pilot and longtime champion of general aviation, the bill includes provisions meant to boost air service in rural America.The measure includes a major increase for the Essential Air Service, a program to subsidize flights to small, rural airports that’s often been targeted for cutbacks or elimination. It would authorize an average of $292 million per year for the program. The current law, enacted in 2018, authorized about $162 million per year on average.Essential Air Service subsidizes airlines with routes to and from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-01/Current%20list%20of%20EAS-Eligible%20communities%20excl%20AK%20%20HI_Dec2021_0.pdf">110 airports</a>&nbsp;in the contiguous 48 states as of 2021, including seven in Nebraska, with dozens more in Alaska and Hawaii. Subsidies of more than $200 per passenger are reserved for airports beyond 210 miles from the nearest mid- or large-hub airport.The bill also includes an entire title, or section, on general aviation, the non-commercial, non-military flight operations that include flights for agricultural, medical and business travel purposes. It’s the first such title in an FAA authorization bill, according to Graves.Larsen also praised the measure’s consumer protections sections on the House floor Wednesday.“Recent flight cancellations and delays have shaken the confidence of passengers in the U.S. aviation system,” Larsen said. “To get us back on the right course, the reauthorization requires airlines to create resiliency plans to address mass flight disruptions.”The bill would require airlines to publish on their websites guidelines on compensation related to flight delays, diversions, cancellations and mishandled luggage.It would also create a passenger experience advisory committee, to report to the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator.<h2>Fight over D.C. flights&nbsp;</h2>The bill would not alter the routes allowed to serve Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, which sits in Virginia just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital. Federal law prohibits routes to destinations more than 1,250 miles from the airport, with limited exceptions to cities including Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Oregon and Seattle.The provision is meant to protect Dulles International Airport, which is farther out in Northern Virginia from the city center, and proposals for added air traffic out of National Airport proved highly contentious.Utah Republican Burgess Owens proposed an amendment to allow seven new round-trip flights to National. The measure was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023357">defeated, 205-229</a>.Most Democrats voted against the amendment and most Republicans supported it, though dozens from both sides crossed party lines.Several members of both parties from major metropolitan areas in Texas and California voted to add flights.Republican Chip Roy and Democrats Joaquin Castro and Henry Cuellar all spoke on the floor to advocate for a direct flight from their San Antonio-area districts.“My city of San Antonio is known as Military City, USA,” Castro said. “It’s home to tens of thousands of soldiers, airmen, intelligence professionals, and cybersecurity experts who need direct access to Washington, D.C.”Delta Air Lines, based in Georgia, supports adding flights to National Airport, also known by its international airport code, DCA. Democrat Lucy McBath was the only member from Georgia to vote against the measure.“The only reason airlines are opposing this is that they want to limit competition,” U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, said.Members from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia opposed the measure.“No one asked our regional delegation about this, and we are united against adding more air traffic at DCA,” Virginia Democrat Don Beyer said. The airport is already overcrowded, with 20% of flights late, he added.The area’s U.S. Senate delegation is also opposed to adding long-distance flights. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from West Virginia, said this week he opposed the idea, fearing airlines may opt to cut short regional flights in favor of longer ones.

Federal aviation bill passed by U.S. House, with boost for smaller airports

Lincoln (AP)— An 18-year-old northeastern Nebraska woman was sentenced Thursday to 90 days in jail and two years of probation for burning and burying a fetus she aborted with her mother's help in a case watched by advocates as a slew of states move to restrict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;access.

Celeste Burgess, of Norfolk, was sentenced in Madison County after pleading guilty earlier this year to concealing or abandoning a dead body. Two other misdemeanor charges of false reporting and concealing the death of another person were dropped, in an agreement with prosecutors.

“The Court specifically finds that while probation is appropriate, confinement is necessary because without this confinement, it would depreciate the seriousness of the crime or promote disrespect for the law,” the judge's order read.

Burgess and her mother, 42-year-old Jessica Burgess of Norfolk, are accused of working together to end the pregnancy. The abortion, well into her third trimester, violated Nebraska law at the time that banned abortion after 20 weeks of gestation. Officials have said Jessica Burgess ordered abortion pills online, which she gave to her then-17-year-old daughter in the spring of 2022.

Jessica Burgess&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-charges-nebraska-704b4068ed53791710edad4124f7e750">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;earlier this month to providing an illegal abortion, false reporting and tampering with human skeletal remains. In exchange for her plea, charges of concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed. She faces sentencing on Sept. 22.

Norfolk police detective&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-nebraska-government-and-politics-b94abeeed9a8c486cf479d6ae78c62aa">opened an investigation</a>&nbsp;into the abortion following a tip, according to an arrest affidavit. Police secured a search warrant to gain access to Facebook messages between the two, in which prosecutors say the women discussed terminating the pregnancy and destroying the evidence. Police then found the burned fetal remains buried in a field north of Norfolk.

In one of the Facebook messages, Jessica Burgess instructed her daughter on how to take the pills to end the pregnancy, according to court records. In another, Celeste Burgess wrote, "I will finally be able to wear jeans,” according to the documents.

The U.S. Supreme Court's last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, which for 50 years had established the constitutional right to abortion. Nebraska lawmakers who opposed Republican's efforts to severely restrict abortion access in the legislative session that ended in June, repeatedly cited the Norfolk case, saying it shows state prosecutors would target women who seek abortions with criminal penalties.

Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature failed this year to enact a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">six-week ban</a>&nbsp;on abortions, but later passed a 12-week ban after adding it as an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-health-abortion-laws-nebraska-3bd01980e0df33bc89afc3d5b0c11f93">amendment to another bill</a>&nbsp;to limit gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Opponents say that violated a Nebraska constitutional requirement that legislative bills stick to a single subject.

The ACLU has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-abortion-nebraska-aclu-planned-parenthood-0ed735a79ce519242936f1910a0e35c7">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn the abortion ban and transgender care bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689883232498.jpeg" alt="Hundreds of people descend on the Nebraska Capitol, in Lincoln, on May 16, 2023, to protest plans by conservative lawmakers in the Nebraska Legislature to revive an abortion ban. An 18-year-old Nebraska woman was sentenced Thursday, July 20 to 90 days in jail followed by two years of probation for burning and burying a fetus last year after she took medication given to her by her mother to end her pregnancy, Celeste Burgess was sentenced after pleading guilty earlier this year to a count of concealing or abandoning a dead body. (AP Photo/Margery Beck, file)" />
 <figcaption>Hundreds of people descend on the Nebraska Capitol, in Lincoln, on May 16, 2023, to protest plans by conservative lawmakers in the Nebraska Legislature to revive an abortion ban. An 18-year-old Nebraska woman was sentenced Thursday, July 20 to 90 days in jail followed by two years of probation for burning and burying a fetus last year after she took medication given to her by her mother to end her pregnancy, Celeste Burgess was sentenced after pleading guilty earlier this year to a count of concealing or abandoning a dead body. (AP Photo/Margery Beck, file)</figcaption>
 </figure>Lincoln (AP)— An 18-year-old northeastern Nebraska woman was sentenced Thursday to 90 days in jail and two years of probation for burning and burying a fetus she aborted with her mother's help in a case watched by advocates as a slew of states move to restrict&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>&nbsp;access.Celeste Burgess, of Norfolk, was sentenced in Madison County after pleading guilty earlier this year to concealing or abandoning a dead body. Two other misdemeanor charges of false reporting and concealing the death of another person were dropped, in an agreement with prosecutors.“The Court specifically finds that while probation is appropriate, confinement is necessary because without this confinement, it would depreciate the seriousness of the crime or promote disrespect for the law,” the judge's order read.Burgess and her mother, 42-year-old Jessica Burgess of Norfolk, are accused of working together to end the pregnancy. The abortion, well into her third trimester, violated Nebraska law at the time that banned abortion after 20 weeks of gestation. Officials have said Jessica Burgess ordered abortion pills online, which she gave to her then-17-year-old daughter in the spring of 2022.Jessica Burgess&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-charges-nebraska-704b4068ed53791710edad4124f7e750">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;earlier this month to providing an illegal abortion, false reporting and tampering with human skeletal remains. In exchange for her plea, charges of concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed. She faces sentencing on Sept. 22.Norfolk police detective&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-nebraska-government-and-politics-b94abeeed9a8c486cf479d6ae78c62aa">opened an investigation</a>&nbsp;into the abortion following a tip, according to an arrest affidavit. Police secured a search warrant to gain access to Facebook messages between the two, in which prosecutors say the women discussed terminating the pregnancy and destroying the evidence. Police then found the burned fetal remains buried in a field north of Norfolk.In one of the Facebook messages, Jessica Burgess instructed her daughter on how to take the pills to end the pregnancy, according to court records. In another, Celeste Burgess wrote, "I will finally be able to wear jeans,” according to the documents.The U.S. Supreme Court's last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-state-laws-51c2a83899f133556e715342abfcface">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, which for 50 years had established the constitutional right to abortion. Nebraska lawmakers who opposed Republican's efforts to severely restrict abortion access in the legislative session that ended in June, repeatedly cited the Norfolk case, saying it shows state prosecutors would target women who seek abortions with criminal penalties.Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature failed this year to enact a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">six-week ban</a>&nbsp;on abortions, but later passed a 12-week ban after adding it as an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-health-abortion-laws-nebraska-3bd01980e0df33bc89afc3d5b0c11f93">amendment to another bill</a>&nbsp;to limit gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Opponents say that violated a Nebraska constitutional requirement that legislative bills stick to a single subject.The ACLU has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-abortion-nebraska-aclu-planned-parenthood-0ed735a79ce519242936f1910a0e35c7">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn the abortion ban and transgender care bill.

Nebraska woman sentenced for burning fetus after abortion

NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lady-gaga-tony-bennett-0d026fac9c3f8d55240faee90b59b091">"I Left My Heart In San Francisco"</a>&nbsp;graced a decades-long career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.

Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett's death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-bennett-alzheimers-5327e8d2a5be35005a4cb7535bd9e2b3">with Alzheimer's disease</a>&nbsp;in 2016.

The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create "a hit catalog rather than hit records." He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.

Bennett didn’t tell his own story when performing; he let the music speak instead — the Gershwins and Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern. Unlike his friend and mentor Sinatra, he would interpret a song rather than embody it. If his singing and public life lacked the high drama of Sinatra’s, Bennett appealed with an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable voice — “A tenor who sings like a baritone,” he called himself — that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.

“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people ... are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. ... I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”

Bennett was praised often by his peers, but never more meaningfully than by what Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.”

He not only survived the rise of rock music but endured so long and so well that he gained new fans and collaborators, some young enough to be his grandchildren. In 2014, at age 88, Bennett broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/-----51ae6f97ae704a899e33a4176a7bd98a">for “Cheek to Cheek,”</a>&nbsp;his duets project with Lady Gaga. Three years earlier, he topped the charts with “Duets II,” featuring such contemporary stars as Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse, in her last studio recording. His rapport with Winehouse was captured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Amy,” which showed Bennett patiently encouraging the insecure young singer through a performance of “Body and Soul.”

His final album, the 2021 release “Love for Sale,” featured duets with Lady Gaga on the title track, “Night and Day” and other Porter songs.

For Bennett, one of the few performers to move easily between pop and jazz, such collaborations were part of his crusade to expose new audiences to what he called the Great American Songbook.

“No country has given the world such great music,” Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. “Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern. Those songs will never die.”

Ironically, his most famous contribution came through two unknowns, George Cory and Douglass Cross, who in the early ’60s provided Bennett with his signature song at a time his career was in a lull. They gave Bennett’s musical director, pianist Ralph Sharon, some sheet music that he stuck in a dresser drawer and forgot about until he was packing for a tour that included a stop in San Francisco.

“Ralph saw some sheet music in his shirt drawer ... and on top of the pile was a song called ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco.’ Ralph thought it would be good material for San Francisco,” Bennett said. “We were rehearsing and the bartender in the club in Little Rock, Arkansas, said, ‘If you record that song, I’m going to be the first to buy it.’”

Released in 1962 as the B-side of the single “Once Upon a Time,” the reflective ballad became a grassroots phenomenon staying on the charts for more than two years and earning Bennett his first two Grammys, including record of the year.

By his early 40s, he was seemingly out of fashion. But after turning 60, an age when even the most popular artists often settle for just pleasing their older fans, Bennett and his son and manager, Danny, found creative ways to market the singer to the MTV Generation. He made guest appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and became a celebrity guest artist on “The Simpsons.” He wore a black T-shirt and sunglasses as a presenter with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards, and his own video of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from his Grammy-winning Fred Astaire tribute album ended up on MTV’s hip “Buzz Bin.”

That led to an offer in 1994 to do an episode of “MTV Unplugged” with special guests Elvis Costello and k.d. lang. The evening’s performance resulted in the album, “Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged,” which won two Grammys, including album of the year.

Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists (“Here’s to the Ladies”), Billie Holiday (“Tony Bennett on Holiday”), and Duke Ellington (“Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot &amp; Cool”). He also won Grammys for his collaborations with other singers: “Playin’ With My Friends — Bennett Sings the Blues,” and his Louis Armstrong tribute, “A Wonderful World” with lang, the first full album he had ever recorded with another singer. He celebrated his 80th birthday with “Duets: An American Classic,” featuring Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder among others.

“They’re all giants in the industry, and all of a sudden they’re saying to me ‘You’re the master,’” Bennett told the AP in 2006.

Long associated with San Francisco, Bennett would note that his true home was Astoria, the working-class community in the New York City borough of Queens, where he grew up during the Great Depression. The singer chose his old neighborhood as the site for the “Fame”-style public high school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, that he and his third wife, Susan Crow Benedetto, a former teacher, helped found in 2001.

The school is not far from the birthplace of the man who was once Anthony Dominick Benedetto. His father was an Italian immigrant who inspired his love of singing, but he died when Anthony was 10. Bennett credited his mother, Anna, with teaching him a valuable lesson as he watched her working at home, supporting her three children as a seamstress doing piecework after his father died.

“We were very impoverished,” Bennett said in a 2016 AP interview. “I saw her working and every once in a while she’d take a dress and throw it over her shoulder and she’d say, ‘Don’t have me work on a bad dress. I’ll only work on good dresses.’”

He studied commercial art in high school, but had to drop out to help support his family. The teenager got a job as a copy boy for the AP, performed as a singing waiter and competed in amateur shows. A combat infantryman during World War II, he served as a librarian for the Armed Forces Network after the war and sang with an army big band in occupied Germany. His earliest recording is a 1946 air check from Armed Forces Radio of the blues “St. James Infirmary.”

Bennett took advantage of the GI Bill to attend the American Theater Wing, which later became The Actors Studio. His acting lessons helped him develop his phrasing and learn how to tell a story. He learned the more intimate Bel Canto vocal technique which helped him sustain and extend the expressive range of his voice. And he took to heart the advice of his vocal coach, Miriam Spier.

“She said please don’t imitate other singers because you’ll just be one of the chorus whoever you imitate whether it’s Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra and won’t develop an original sound,” Bennett recalled in the 2006 AP interview. “She said imitate musicians that you like, find out how they phrase. I was particularly influenced by the jazz musicians like (pianist) Art Tatum and (saxophonists) Lester Young and Stan Getz.”

In 1947, Bennett made his first recording, the Gershwins’ standard “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” for a small label under the stage name Joe Bari. The following year he gained notice when he finished behind Rosemary Clooney on the radio show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when singer Pearl Bailey invited him to join her revue at a Greenwich Village club. Bob Hope dropped by one night and was so impressed that he offered the young singer a spot opening his shows at the famed Paramount Theater, where teens had swooned for Sinatra. But the comedian didn’t care for his stage name and thought his real name was too long for the marquee.

“He thought for a moment, then he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett,’” the singer wrote in his autobiography, “The Good Life,” published in 1998.

In 1950, Mitch Miller, the head of Columbia Records’ pop singles division, signed Bennett and released the single, “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” a semi-hit. Bennett was on the verge of being dropped from the label in 1951 when he had his first No. 1 on the pop charts with “Because of You.” More hits followed, including “Rags to Riches,” “Blue Velvet,” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” the first country song to become an international pop hit.

Bennett found himself frequently clashing with Miller, who pushed him to sing Sinatra-style ballads and gimmicky novelty songs. But Bennett took advantage of the young LP album format, starting in 1955 with “Cloud 7,” featuring a small jazz combo led by guitarist Chuck Wayne. Bennett reached out to the jazz audience with such innovative albums as the 1957 “The Beat of My Heart,” an album of standards that paired him with such jazz percussion masters as Chico Hamilton, and Art Blakey. He also became the first white male singer to record with the Count Basie Orchestra, releasing two albums in 1958. Sinatra would later do the same.

Bennett’s friendship with Black musicians and his disgust at the racial prejudice he encountered in the Army led him to become an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He answered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harry-belafonte-dead-2d8cbdf0043e4383a6c4a85c862cdbe1">Harry Belafonte’s call</a>&nbsp;to join Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harry-belafonte-legacy-civil-rights-activism-bb0c61cc9e25eb166a8a77a7f06c67e8">perform for the protesters.</a>

Bennett’s early career peaked in the 1960s as he topped the charts with “San Francisco” and became the first male pop solo performer to headline at Carnegie Hall, releasing a live album of the 1962 concert.

In 1966, he released “The Movie Song Album,” a personal favorite which featured Johnny Mandel’s Oscar-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Maybe September,” the theme from the epic flop “The Oscar,” noteworthy because it marked Bennett’s first and only big-screen acting role.

But as rock continued to overtake traditional pop, he clashed with Columbia label head Clive Davis, who insisted that the singer do the 1970 album “Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today,” with such songs as “MacArthur Park” and “Little Green Apples.” Bennett left Columbia in 1972, and went on to form his own record label, Improv, which in 1975-76 produced two duet albums with the impressionistic pianist Bill Evans now considered jazz classics.

Despite artistic successes, Improv proved a financial disaster for Bennett, who also faced difficulties in his personal life. His marriage to artist Patricia Beech collapsed in 1971. He wed actress Sandra Grant the same year, but that marriage ended in 1984. With no recording deals, his debts brought him close to bankruptcy and the IRS was trying to seize his house in Los Angeles. After a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, he turned to his son, Danny, who eventually signed on as his manager. Bennett kicked his drug habit and got his finances in order, moved back to New York and resumed doing more than 200 shows a year.

He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae and nine grandchildren.

Bennett was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He also won two Emmy Awards — for “Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special” (1996) and “Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (2007).

Besides singing, Bennett pursued his lifelong passion for painting by taking art lessons and bringing his sketchbook on the road. His paintings, signed with his family name Benedetto — including portraits of his musician friends and Central Park landscapes — were displayed in public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

“I love to paint as much as I love to sing,” Bennett told the AP in 2006. “It worked out to be such a blessing in my life because if I started getting burnt-out singing ... I would go to my painting and that’s a big lift. ... So I stay in this creative zone all the time.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689942703213.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lady-gaga-tony-bennett-0d026fac9c3f8d55240faee90b59b091">"I Left My Heart In San Francisco"</a>&nbsp;graced a decades-long career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett's death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-bennett-alzheimers-5327e8d2a5be35005a4cb7535bd9e2b3">with Alzheimer's disease</a>&nbsp;in 2016.The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create "a hit catalog rather than hit records." He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.Bennett didn’t tell his own story when performing; he let the music speak instead — the Gershwins and Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern. Unlike his friend and mentor Sinatra, he would interpret a song rather than embody it. If his singing and public life lacked the high drama of Sinatra’s, Bennett appealed with an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable voice — “A tenor who sings like a baritone,” he called himself — that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people ... are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. ... I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”Bennett was praised often by his peers, but never more meaningfully than by what Sinatra said in a 1965 Life magazine interview: “For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business. He excites me when I watch him. He moves me. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.”He not only survived the rise of rock music but endured so long and so well that he gained new fans and collaborators, some young enough to be his grandchildren. In 2014, at age 88, Bennett broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/-----51ae6f97ae704a899e33a4176a7bd98a">for “Cheek to Cheek,”</a>&nbsp;his duets project with Lady Gaga. Three years earlier, he topped the charts with “Duets II,” featuring such contemporary stars as Gaga, Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse, in her last studio recording. His rapport with Winehouse was captured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Amy,” which showed Bennett patiently encouraging the insecure young singer through a performance of “Body and Soul.”His final album, the 2021 release “Love for Sale,” featured duets with Lady Gaga on the title track, “Night and Day” and other Porter songs.For Bennett, one of the few performers to move easily between pop and jazz, such collaborations were part of his crusade to expose new audiences to what he called the Great American Songbook.“No country has given the world such great music,” Bennett said in a 2015 interview with Downbeat Magazine. “Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern. Those songs will never die.”Ironically, his most famous contribution came through two unknowns, George Cory and Douglass Cross, who in the early ’60s provided Bennett with his signature song at a time his career was in a lull. They gave Bennett’s musical director, pianist Ralph Sharon, some sheet music that he stuck in a dresser drawer and forgot about until he was packing for a tour that included a stop in San Francisco.“Ralph saw some sheet music in his shirt drawer ... and on top of the pile was a song called ‘I Left My Heart In San Francisco.’ Ralph thought it would be good material for San Francisco,” Bennett said. “We were rehearsing and the bartender in the club in Little Rock, Arkansas, said, ‘If you record that song, I’m going to be the first to buy it.’”Released in 1962 as the B-side of the single “Once Upon a Time,” the reflective ballad became a grassroots phenomenon staying on the charts for more than two years and earning Bennett his first two Grammys, including record of the year.By his early 40s, he was seemingly out of fashion. But after turning 60, an age when even the most popular artists often settle for just pleasing their older fans, Bennett and his son and manager, Danny, found creative ways to market the singer to the MTV Generation. He made guest appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and became a celebrity guest artist on “The Simpsons.” He wore a black T-shirt and sunglasses as a presenter with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards, and his own video of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from his Grammy-winning Fred Astaire tribute album ended up on MTV’s hip “Buzz Bin.”That led to an offer in 1994 to do an episode of “MTV Unplugged” with special guests Elvis Costello and k.d. lang. The evening’s performance resulted in the album, “Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged,” which won two Grammys, including album of the year.Bennett would win Grammys for his tributes to female vocalists (“Here’s to the Ladies”), Billie Holiday (“Tony Bennett on Holiday”), and Duke Ellington (“Bennett Sings Ellington — Hot &amp; Cool”). He also won Grammys for his collaborations with other singers: “Playin’ With My Friends — Bennett Sings the Blues,” and his Louis Armstrong tribute, “A Wonderful World” with lang, the first full album he had ever recorded with another singer. He celebrated his 80th birthday with “Duets: An American Classic,” featuring Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder among others.“They’re all giants in the industry, and all of a sudden they’re saying to me ‘You’re the master,’” Bennett told the AP in 2006.Long associated with San Francisco, Bennett would note that his true home was Astoria, the working-class community in the New York City borough of Queens, where he grew up during the Great Depression. The singer chose his old neighborhood as the site for the “Fame”-style public high school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, that he and his third wife, Susan Crow Benedetto, a former teacher, helped found in 2001.The school is not far from the birthplace of the man who was once Anthony Dominick Benedetto. His father was an Italian immigrant who inspired his love of singing, but he died when Anthony was 10. Bennett credited his mother, Anna, with teaching him a valuable lesson as he watched her working at home, supporting her three children as a seamstress doing piecework after his father died.“We were very impoverished,” Bennett said in a 2016 AP interview. “I saw her working and every once in a while she’d take a dress and throw it over her shoulder and she’d say, ‘Don’t have me work on a bad dress. I’ll only work on good dresses.’”He studied commercial art in high school, but had to drop out to help support his family. The teenager got a job as a copy boy for the AP, performed as a singing waiter and competed in amateur shows. A combat infantryman during World War II, he served as a librarian for the Armed Forces Network after the war and sang with an army big band in occupied Germany. His earliest recording is a 1946 air check from Armed Forces Radio of the blues “St. James Infirmary.”Bennett took advantage of the GI Bill to attend the American Theater Wing, which later became The Actors Studio. His acting lessons helped him develop his phrasing and learn how to tell a story. He learned the more intimate Bel Canto vocal technique which helped him sustain and extend the expressive range of his voice. And he took to heart the advice of his vocal coach, Miriam Spier.“She said please don’t imitate other singers because you’ll just be one of the chorus whoever you imitate whether it’s Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra and won’t develop an original sound,” Bennett recalled in the 2006 AP interview. “She said imitate musicians that you like, find out how they phrase. I was particularly influenced by the jazz musicians like (pianist) Art Tatum and (saxophonists) Lester Young and Stan Getz.”In 1947, Bennett made his first recording, the Gershwins’ standard “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” for a small label under the stage name Joe Bari. The following year he gained notice when he finished behind Rosemary Clooney on the radio show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.” Bennett’s big break came in 1949 when singer Pearl Bailey invited him to join her revue at a Greenwich Village club. Bob Hope dropped by one night and was so impressed that he offered the young singer a spot opening his shows at the famed Paramount Theater, where teens had swooned for Sinatra. But the comedian didn’t care for his stage name and thought his real name was too long for the marquee.“He thought for a moment, then he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett,’” the singer wrote in his autobiography, “The Good Life,” published in 1998.In 1950, Mitch Miller, the head of Columbia Records’ pop singles division, signed Bennett and released the single, “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” a semi-hit. Bennett was on the verge of being dropped from the label in 1951 when he had his first No. 1 on the pop charts with “Because of You.” More hits followed, including “Rags to Riches,” “Blue Velvet,” and Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart,” the first country song to become an international pop hit.Bennett found himself frequently clashing with Miller, who pushed him to sing Sinatra-style ballads and gimmicky novelty songs. But Bennett took advantage of the young LP album format, starting in 1955 with “Cloud 7,” featuring a small jazz combo led by guitarist Chuck Wayne. Bennett reached out to the jazz audience with such innovative albums as the 1957 “The Beat of My Heart,” an album of standards that paired him with such jazz percussion masters as Chico Hamilton, and Art Blakey. He also became the first white male singer to record with the Count Basie Orchestra, releasing two albums in 1958. Sinatra would later do the same.Bennett’s friendship with Black musicians and his disgust at the racial prejudice he encountered in the Army led him to become an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. He answered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harry-belafonte-dead-2d8cbdf0043e4383a6c4a85c862cdbe1">Harry Belafonte’s call</a>&nbsp;to join Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harry-belafonte-legacy-civil-rights-activism-bb0c61cc9e25eb166a8a77a7f06c67e8">perform for the protesters.</a>Bennett’s early career peaked in the 1960s as he topped the charts with “San Francisco” and became the first male pop solo performer to headline at Carnegie Hall, releasing a live album of the 1962 concert.In 1966, he released “The Movie Song Album,” a personal favorite which featured Johnny Mandel’s Oscar-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Maybe September,” the theme from the epic flop “The Oscar,” noteworthy because it marked Bennett’s first and only big-screen acting role.But as rock continued to overtake traditional pop, he clashed with Columbia label head Clive Davis, who insisted that the singer do the 1970 album “Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today,” with such songs as “MacArthur Park” and “Little Green Apples.” Bennett left Columbia in 1972, and went on to form his own record label, Improv, which in 1975-76 produced two duet albums with the impressionistic pianist Bill Evans now considered jazz classics.Despite artistic successes, Improv proved a financial disaster for Bennett, who also faced difficulties in his personal life. His marriage to artist Patricia Beech collapsed in 1971. He wed actress Sandra Grant the same year, but that marriage ended in 1984. With no recording deals, his debts brought him close to bankruptcy and the IRS was trying to seize his house in Los Angeles. After a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, he turned to his son, Danny, who eventually signed on as his manager. Bennett kicked his drug habit and got his finances in order, moved back to New York and resumed doing more than 200 shows a year.He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Johanna and Antonia, sons Danny and Dae and nine grandchildren.Bennett was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2005 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He also won two Emmy Awards — for “Tony Bennett Live By Request: A Valentine Special” (1996) and “Tony Bennett: An American Classic” (2007).Besides singing, Bennett pursued his lifelong passion for painting by taking art lessons and bringing his sketchbook on the road. His paintings, signed with his family name Benedetto — including portraits of his musician friends and Central Park landscapes — were displayed in public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.“I love to paint as much as I love to sing,” Bennett told the AP in 2006. “It worked out to be such a blessing in my life because if I started getting burnt-out singing ... I would go to my painting and that’s a big lift. ... So I stay in this creative zone all the time.”