By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Democratic Party hired a new executive director to fill the void left by resignation in January of an administrative leader of the state party mired in controversy based on allegations he fomented a toxic workplace.

Democratic Party chair Jeanna Repass said Tuesday a national search resulted in selection of Andy Bilyk, who worked for the direct mail and communications consulting firm Deliver Strategies in Washington, D.C. The company collaborated with left-of-center candidates, political action committees and labor organizations.

“When I was elected chair, I knew that finding the right executive director was going to be critical to growing the&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;Party across Kansas,” Repass said.

Repass, selected chair by party members in February after losing the November election for secretary of state, said the goal was hiring the individual best suited to support election of more&nbsp;Democratic candidates.

Kansas Democrats want to erode Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Senate and Kansas House during the 2024 election cycle. Two-thirds GOP majorities in both chambers has made it easier to override vetoes of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Republicans in Kansas control nine of 12 state executive and federal legislative offices. Exceptions are the 3rd District congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and the offices of governor and lieutenant governor.

Repass’ statement said Bilyk had election experience in states “where Republicans have used their legislative power to undercut working families, defund schools and attack individual freedoms.”

“I look forward to working with the chair in helping to build the party infrastructure that will help reelect Congresswoman Sharice Davids and elect more&nbsp;Democrats&nbsp;to work with Governor Laura Kelly to stop Republicans in the statehouse from standing in the way of her work on behalf of everyday Kansans,” Bilyk said.

Bilyk replaced Ben Meers, who was accused by former colleagues of crafting a forbidding work environment at Democratic Party headquarters. The Kansas City Star reported in 2022 that former employees said Meers was verbally abusive and engaged in bullying following his hiring in 2019.

Bilyk, who began his duties Monday in Topeka, has taken part in campaigns from the municipal to presidential levels. He worked with Wisconsin Democrats to pick up seats in the Assembly during the 2020 elections. He earned a degree in political science at Xavier University.

Richard Nobles, Democratic Party chair of the 3rd District in the Kansas City area, participated in the hiring process that led to Bilyk. He said a point of emphasis would be next year’s legislative races. All 40 members of the Senate and the 125 members of the House would be up for reelection.

“I look forward to seeing the organization grow and continue in such a positive direction as the KDP recruits and builds the infrastructure for the 2024 elections so that we can break the Republican supermajority in the Kansas state Legislature,” Nobles said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686495912847.png" alt=" Kansas Democratic Party chair Jeanna Repass says the organization's new executive director would be Andy Bilyk, who was hired away from Deliver Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Bilyk replaced Ben Meers, who resigned in January. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Repass campaign image)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Democratic Party chair Jeanna Repass says the organization's new executive director would be Andy Bilyk, who was hired away from Deliver Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Bilyk replaced Ben Meers, who resigned in January. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Repass campaign image)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Democratic Party hired a new executive director to fill the void left by resignation in January of an administrative leader of the state party mired in controversy based on allegations he fomented a toxic workplace.Democratic Party chair Jeanna Repass said Tuesday a national search resulted in selection of Andy Bilyk, who worked for the direct mail and communications consulting firm Deliver Strategies in Washington, D.C. The company collaborated with left-of-center candidates, political action committees and labor organizations.“When I was elected chair, I knew that finding the right executive director was going to be critical to growing the&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;Party across Kansas,” Repass said.Repass, selected chair by party members in February after losing the November election for secretary of state, said the goal was hiring the individual best suited to support election of more&nbsp;Democratic candidates.Kansas Democrats want to erode Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Senate and Kansas House during the 2024 election cycle. Two-thirds GOP majorities in both chambers has made it easier to override vetoes of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.Republicans in Kansas control nine of 12 state executive and federal legislative offices. Exceptions are the 3rd District congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and the offices of governor and lieutenant governor.Repass’ statement said Bilyk had election experience in states “where Republicans have used their legislative power to undercut working families, defund schools and attack individual freedoms.”“I look forward to working with the chair in helping to build the party infrastructure that will help reelect Congresswoman Sharice Davids and elect more&nbsp;Democrats&nbsp;to work with Governor Laura Kelly to stop Republicans in the statehouse from standing in the way of her work on behalf of everyday Kansans,” Bilyk said.Bilyk replaced Ben Meers, who was accused by former colleagues of crafting a forbidding work environment at Democratic Party headquarters. The Kansas City Star reported in 2022 that former employees said Meers was verbally abusive and engaged in bullying following his hiring in 2019.Bilyk, who began his duties Monday in Topeka, has taken part in campaigns from the municipal to presidential levels. He worked with Wisconsin Democrats to pick up seats in the Assembly during the 2020 elections. He earned a degree in political science at Xavier University.Richard Nobles, Democratic Party chair of the 3rd District in the Kansas City area, participated in the hiring process that led to Bilyk. He said a point of emphasis would be next year’s legislative races. All 40 members of the Senate and the 125 members of the House would be up for reelection.“I look forward to seeing the organization grow and continue in such a positive direction as the KDP recruits and builds the infrastructure for the 2024 elections so that we can break the Republican supermajority in the Kansas state Legislature,” Nobles said.

Kansas Dems hire executive director to replace official accused of forging toxic workplace

WASHINGTON — A Missouri man pleaded guilty to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, according to the United State's Attorney.

On Friday, Jerod Thomas Bargar, 37, of Centralia, Missouri, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia, to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, a felony. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 3, 2023. &nbsp;

&nbsp;According to court documents, Bargar illegally brought a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol across state lines and into the District of Columbia. Bargar took the firearm to a rally near the Ellipse and then onto restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Bargar was not licensed to carry a firearm in the District of Columbia. Law enforcement officers recovered the weapon at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, on the west side of the Capitol Building. The firearm was on the ground, in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words: “We The People” written on it. The firearm contained one 9-millimeter cartridge in the chamber and approximately 15 additional cartridges in the magazine. Bargar was later linked to the gun in a law enforcement investigation.

&nbsp;The charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.&nbsp; A federal district court judge will determine an appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686425397898.png" alt="Barger as shown in court documents provided by the U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Barger as shown in court documents provided by the U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — A Missouri man pleaded guilty to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, according to the United State's Attorney.On Friday, Jerod Thomas Bargar, 37, of Centralia, Missouri, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia, to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon, a felony. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 3, 2023. &nbsp;&nbsp;According to court documents, Bargar illegally brought a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol across state lines and into the District of Columbia. Bargar took the firearm to a rally near the Ellipse and then onto restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Bargar was not licensed to carry a firearm in the District of Columbia. Law enforcement officers recovered the weapon at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, on the west side of the Capitol Building. The firearm was on the ground, in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words: “We The People” written on it. The firearm contained one 9-millimeter cartridge in the chamber and approximately 15 additional cartridges in the magazine. Bargar was later linked to the gun in a law enforcement investigation.&nbsp;The charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.&nbsp; A federal district court judge will determine an appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Man admits carrying a gun during Jan. 6 Capitol breach

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House for a Pride Month celebration. The event was aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.

Kansas&nbsp; Senator Roger Marshall was critical of the administration's flag display at the event. On social media he wrote, "This is a disgrace. Not only is it in breach of US Flag Code, but it’s a glaring example of this White Houses’ incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda ahead of patriotism."

During the party, President Biden said, "I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You're understood. And you belong.”

Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and enacted 78 bills that whittle away at LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House for a Pride Month celebration. The event was aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is a disgrace. Not only is it in breach of US Flag Code, but it’s a glaring example of this White Houses’ incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda ahead of patriotism. <a href="https://t.co/Hn2jART16m">pic.twitter.com/Hn2jART16m</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1667942869519269890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas&nbsp; Senator Roger Marshall was critical of the administration's flag display at the event. On social media he wrote, "This is a disgrace. Not only is it in breach of US Flag Code, but it’s a glaring example of this White Houses’ incompetence and insistence on putting their social agenda ahead of patriotism."(Click to watch a replay of the party)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F291855209850412%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=28" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>During the party, President Biden said, "I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You're understood. And you belong.”Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and enacted 78 bills that whittle away at LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights.

Kansas Senator critical of flag display at the White House

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have&nbsp; identified the man who died.

Just before 2:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting inside a home in the&nbsp; 1700 block of E. 69th Court North in Park City, according to a media release from police.

Police found one person inside the home later identified as David Pomeroy who had been shot. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

&nbsp;Investigators determined Pomeroy had entered a home without permission and threatened at least one person in the home before he was shot.&nbsp;

Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office for possible charges.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting have&nbsp; identified the man who died.Just before 2:30a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting inside a home in the&nbsp; 1700 block of E. 69th Court North in Park City, according to a media release from police.Police found one person inside the home later identified as David Pomeroy who had been shot. EMS transported him to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;Investigators determined Pomeroy had entered a home without permission and threatened at least one person in the home before he was shot.&nbsp;Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office for possible charges.

Police: Man shot at Kansas home has died

On Friday, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new security assistance package, according to a statement from the agency.

This package, which totals up to $2.1 billion and includes critical air defense and ammunition capabilities, is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jun/09/2003238573/-1/-1/0/UKRAINE-FACT-SHEET-JUNE-9.PDF">Click here to </a>see the $40 billion list of security assistance.

This&nbsp;USAI&nbsp;package&nbsp;illustrates the continued commitment to both&nbsp;Ukraine’s critical near-term&nbsp;capabilities as well as&nbsp;the&nbsp;enduring&nbsp;capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend its&nbsp;territory and deter Russian aggression&nbsp;over the long&nbsp;term.

Unlike Presidential Drawdown authority, which DoD has continued to leverage to deliver equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks at a historic pace, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry or partners. This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine.

The capabilities in this announcement include:

The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686400612176.png" alt="Airmen load weapons cargo bound for Ukraine onto a C-17 Globemaster III during a security assistance mission at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Sept. 14, 2022.-Photo By:Air Force Staff Sgt. Marco A. Gomez" />
 <figcaption>Airmen load weapons cargo bound for Ukraine onto a C-17 Globemaster III during a security assistance mission at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Sept. 14, 2022.-Photo By:Air Force Staff Sgt. Marco A. Gomez</figcaption>
 </figure>On Friday, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new security assistance package, according to a statement from the agency.This package, which totals up to $2.1 billion and includes critical air defense and ammunition capabilities, is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jun/09/2003238573/-1/-1/0/UKRAINE-FACT-SHEET-JUNE-9.PDF">Click here to </a>see the $40 billion list of security assistance.This&nbsp;USAI&nbsp;package&nbsp;illustrates the continued commitment to both&nbsp;Ukraine’s critical near-term&nbsp;capabilities as well as&nbsp;the&nbsp;enduring&nbsp;capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend its&nbsp;territory and deter Russian aggression&nbsp;over the long&nbsp;term.Unlike Presidential Drawdown authority, which DoD has continued to leverage to deliver equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks at a historic pace, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry or partners. This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine.The capabilities in this announcement include:<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems;</li><li>HAWK air defense systems and missiles;</li><li>105mm and 203mm artillery rounds;</li><li>Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems;</li><li>Laser-guided rocket system munitions;</li><li>Support for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities.</li>
 </ul>The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements.

U.S. sending Ukraine another $2.1 billion in additional military aid

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in Kansas City have identified the two who died as 42-year-old Kristen Fairchild of Gardner, Kansas and 42-year-old Marcell T. Nelson of Kansas City, Missouri.

Just before 9p.m. Friday, a Kansas City Police officer called for officer assistance at 31st and Van Brunt Blvd in Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Responding officers were then informed shots had been fired. Upon arrival of the responding officers, they observed one officer and five individuals.

Three of the individuals had apparent gunshot wounds. Nelson was critically injured and officers provided first aid but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the remaining wounded individuals to a area hospitals where Fairchild died&nbsp; No officers were injured.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686399119468.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal officer shooting -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal officer shooting -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal officer involved shooting in Kansas City have identified the two who died as 42-year-old Kristen Fairchild of Gardner, Kansas and 42-year-old Marcell T. Nelson of Kansas City, Missouri.Just before 9p.m. Friday, a Kansas City Police officer called for officer assistance at 31st and Van Brunt Blvd in Kansas City, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.Responding officers were then informed shots had been fired. Upon arrival of the responding officers, they observed one officer and five individuals.Three of the individuals had apparent gunshot wounds. Nelson was critically injured and officers provided first aid but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. EMS transported the remaining wounded individuals to a area hospitals where Fairchild died&nbsp; No officers were injured.The Missouri State Highway Patrol is in charge of the investigation.

Kansas woman among 2 dead in KCPD officer-involved shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;indictment on charges of mishandling classified documents is set to play out in a federal court in Florida. But hundred of miles away, part of Trump’s defense is well underway in a different venue — the halls of Congress, where Republicans have been preparing for months to wage an aggressive counter-offensive against the Justice Department.

<a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-06-09-jdj-to-garland-re-mal.pdf">Click here to read the</a>&nbsp;House Judiciary Committee response

The federal indictment against Trump, unsealed Friday, includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-florida-indictment-highlights-857476c71e98e91521212a826efc8816">37 counts</a>, including allegations that the former president intentionally possessed classified documents, showed them off to visitors, willfully defied Justice Department demands to return them and made false statements to federal authorities about them. The evidence details Trump's own words and actions as recounted by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses.

The Republican campaign to discredit federal prosecutors skims over the substance of those charges, which were brought by a grand jury in Florida. GOP lawmakers are instead working, as they have for several years, to foster a broader argument that law enforcement — and President Joe Biden — are conspiring against the former president and possible Republican nominee for president in 2024.

“Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America,” tweeted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, soon after Trump said on his social media platform Thursday night that an indictment was coming. McCarthy blamed Biden, who has declined to comment on the case and said he is not at all involved in the Justice Department’s decisions.

McCarthy called it a “grave injustice” and said that House Republicans “will hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.”

Republican lawmakers in the House have already laid extensive groundwork for the effort to defend Trump since taking the majority in January. A near constant string of hearings featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-republicans-security-clearance-congress-3c061c936425c735a3eac12f431b0386">FBI agents</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-business-6e34ad121a1e52892b782b0b7c0e59c3">Twitter executives</a>&nbsp;and federal officials have sought to paint the narrative of a corrupt government using its powers against Trump and the right. A GOP-led House subcommittee on the “weaponization” of government is probing the Justice Department and other government agencies, while at the same time Republicans are investigating Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

“It’s a sad day for America,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, a leading Trump defender and ally in the House, said in a statement on Thursday evening. “God bless President Trump.”

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs was more strident. “We have now reached a war phase,” he tweeted. “Eye for an eye.”

Democrats say the Republicans are trafficking in conspiracy theories, with potentially dangerous consequences. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats from New York, issued a joint statement Friday urging calm around the Trump case, saying everyone should “let this case proceed peacefully in court.”

Recent Republicans rhetoric “not only undermines the Department of Justice but betrays the essential principle of justice that no one is above the commands of law, not even a former President or a self-proclaimed billionaire,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Key elements of the GOP strategy are to discredit the prosecutors and investigate the investigators — a playbook that Republicans employed during Trump’s presidency as his own Justice Department probed his connections to Russia, and also used in April when Trump was charged in a hush money investigation in New York.

In the days leading to the New York indictment, House Republicans laid out a full-on campaign against Alvin Bragg, the Democratic district attorney in Manhattan who brought the case against the former president.

Charging that the prosecution was “pure politics,” Jordan held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bragg-house-judiciary-hearing-indictment-8447027e482d30c94550daeb13b6dc12">field hearing</a>&nbsp;near Bragg’s New York offices to examine what they said were his “pro-crime, anti-victim” policies. Jordan is also the top Republican on the weaponization subcommittee.

As special counsel Jack Smith was preparing this week to release the indictment, Trump's allies on Capitol Hill were working overtime to prepare the defense of the former president. Jordan issued a series of letters to the Justice Department, demanding documents related to his investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records. Jordan cited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/durham-report-fbi-trump-clinton-2016-campaign-f3039e651eeb35a09091c363419e6766">recent report</a>&nbsp;by special counsel John Durham that found that the FBI rushed into its investigation of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and routinely ignored or rationalized evidence that undercut its premise.

In the June 1 letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Jordan requested information about the ongoing investigation in order to “ensure any ongoing investigations are not poisoned by this same politicization.”

Just as the indictment was unsealed on Friday, Jordan sent another letter to Garland, this time laying out testimony from a former FBI official who testified to the committee about the raid at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The Ohio Republican wrote that Steven D’Antuono, a former assistant director at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, told the committee the Justice Department “was not following the same principles” as previous raids.

Defending Trump also has the potential to ease tensions among House Republicans as they face their own troubles on Capitol Hill, after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gas-stoves-republican-revolt-freedom-caucus-1952006c4f6fa7a727cf635208d851d1">conservative-led revolt</a>&nbsp;over the recent debt ceiling deal divided the party this week and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-speaker-mccarthy-gas-stoves-efe22cb525349daf704828ad777b403e">halted most legislation</a>&nbsp;from passing on the floor.

But even if Republicans are able to shape public perception of the probes, there is one thing they cannot do — control the outcome of Trump's trial. The former president is at great legal risk, no matter what the public believes, under two indictments — and potentially more as prosecutors in Georgia and Washington investigate his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Still, some Republicans maintain that the multiple indictments could help Trump improve his standing in polls of Republican voters and solidify the impression that the government is conspiring against him.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina told CNN she believes the indictment “handed Donald Trump the nomination” in the 2024 GOP primary.

And as the House panel has ramped up its efforts to defend the former president, the word “weaponization” has taken root among Trump’s Republican allies. Nearly every GOP lawmaker used the term — as did a member of Trump's legal team hours before the charges were unsealed to the public.

“It puts a stamp of reality on something that really is unreal in terms of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,” said James Trusty, one of Trump’s lawyers, on ABC Friday morning. Trump announced later in the day that Trusty was leaving his team.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted that “the weaponization of our Department of Justice against enemies of the Biden admin. will do enormous damage to the rule of law &amp; have a lasting impact.”

Cruz’s GOP colleagues in the Senate were more muted, with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and others who have criticized the former president declining to weigh in on the indictment.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials, was a rare voice of criticism. While Romney stressed that Trump is entitled to presumption of innocence, he said he believes the charges are serious and Trump brought them on himself.

“These allegations are serious and if proven, would be consistent with his other actions offensive to the national interest,” Romney said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;indictment on charges of mishandling classified documents is set to play out in a federal court in Florida. But hundred of miles away, part of Trump’s defense is well underway in a different venue — the halls of Congress, where Republicans have been preparing for months to wage an aggressive counter-offensive against the Justice Department.<a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-06-09-jdj-to-garland-re-mal.pdf">Click here to read the</a>&nbsp;House Judiciary Committee responseThe federal indictment against Trump, unsealed Friday, includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-florida-indictment-highlights-857476c71e98e91521212a826efc8816">37 counts</a>, including allegations that the former president intentionally possessed classified documents, showed them off to visitors, willfully defied Justice Department demands to return them and made false statements to federal authorities about them. The evidence details Trump's own words and actions as recounted by lawyers, close aides and other witnesses.The Republican campaign to discredit federal prosecutors skims over the substance of those charges, which were brought by a grand jury in Florida. GOP lawmakers are instead working, as they have for several years, to foster a broader argument that law enforcement — and President Joe Biden — are conspiring against the former president and possible Republican nominee for president in 2024.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the unprecedented indictment of President Trump by Biden&#39;s DOJ: <a href="https://t.co/NtSd8hwqqy">pic.twitter.com/NtSd8hwqqy</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1666988328523034624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden has used his Justice Department to go after parents as “domestic terrorists,” to spy on Catholic parishes, to terrorize &amp; harass prolife Christians - and tonight to indict his top political opponent, Trump. He has trampled the rule of law to benefit himself. He has led…&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1666958453225529378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joe Biden has now indicted his top political opponent. Full on Banana Republic stuff.&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1666981314572984320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Most Republicans believe we live in a country where Hillary Clinton did very similar things and nothing happened to her.&mdash; Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1667892656184127488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America,” tweeted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, soon after Trump said on his social media platform Thursday night that an indictment was coming. McCarthy blamed Biden, who has declined to comment on the case and said he is not at all involved in the Justice Department’s decisions.McCarthy called it a “grave injustice” and said that House Republicans “will hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.”Republican lawmakers in the House have already laid extensive groundwork for the effort to defend Trump since taking the majority in January. A near constant string of hearings featuring former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-republicans-security-clearance-congress-3c061c936425c735a3eac12f431b0386">FBI agents</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-us-republican-party-business-6e34ad121a1e52892b782b0b7c0e59c3">Twitter executives</a>&nbsp;and federal officials have sought to paint the narrative of a corrupt government using its powers against Trump and the right. A GOP-led House subcommittee on the “weaponization” of government is probing the Justice Department and other government agencies, while at the same time Republicans are investigating Biden’s son Hunter Biden.“It’s a sad day for America,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, a leading Trump defender and ally in the House, said in a statement on Thursday evening. “God bless President Trump.”Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs was more strident. “We have now reached a war phase,” he tweeted. “Eye for an eye.”Democrats say the Republicans are trafficking in conspiracy theories, with potentially dangerous consequences. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats from New York, issued a joint statement Friday urging calm around the Trump case, saying everyone should “let this case proceed peacefully in court.”Recent Republicans rhetoric “not only undermines the Department of Justice but betrays the essential principle of justice that no one is above the commands of law, not even a former President or a self-proclaimed billionaire,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.Key elements of the GOP strategy are to discredit the prosecutors and investigate the investigators — a playbook that Republicans employed during Trump’s presidency as his own Justice Department probed his connections to Russia, and also used in April when Trump was charged in a hush money investigation in New York.In the days leading to the New York indictment, House Republicans laid out a full-on campaign against Alvin Bragg, the Democratic district attorney in Manhattan who brought the case against the former president.Charging that the prosecution was “pure politics,” Jordan held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bragg-house-judiciary-hearing-indictment-8447027e482d30c94550daeb13b6dc12">field hearing</a>&nbsp;near Bragg’s New York offices to examine what they said were his “pro-crime, anti-victim” policies. Jordan is also the top Republican on the weaponization subcommittee.As special counsel Jack Smith was preparing this week to release the indictment, Trump's allies on Capitol Hill were working overtime to prepare the defense of the former president. Jordan issued a series of letters to the Justice Department, demanding documents related to his investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records. Jordan cited the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/durham-report-fbi-trump-clinton-2016-campaign-f3039e651eeb35a09091c363419e6766">recent report</a>&nbsp;by special counsel John Durham that found that the FBI rushed into its investigation of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and routinely ignored or rationalized evidence that undercut its premise.In the June 1 letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Jordan requested information about the ongoing investigation in order to “ensure any ongoing investigations are not poisoned by this same politicization.”Just as the indictment was unsealed on Friday, Jordan sent another letter to Garland, this time laying out testimony from a former FBI official who testified to the committee about the raid at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The Ohio Republican wrote that Steven D’Antuono, a former assistant director at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, told the committee the Justice Department “was not following the same principles” as previous raids.Defending Trump also has the potential to ease tensions among House Republicans as they face their own troubles on Capitol Hill, after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gas-stoves-republican-revolt-freedom-caucus-1952006c4f6fa7a727cf635208d851d1">conservative-led revolt</a>&nbsp;over the recent debt ceiling deal divided the party this week and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-speaker-mccarthy-gas-stoves-efe22cb525349daf704828ad777b403e">halted most legislation</a>&nbsp;from passing on the floor.But even if Republicans are able to shape public perception of the probes, there is one thing they cannot do — control the outcome of Trump's trial. The former president is at great legal risk, no matter what the public believes, under two indictments — and potentially more as prosecutors in Georgia and Washington investigate his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection.Still, some Republicans maintain that the multiple indictments could help Trump improve his standing in polls of Republican voters and solidify the impression that the government is conspiring against him.Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina told CNN she believes the indictment “handed Donald Trump the nomination” in the 2024 GOP primary.And as the House panel has ramped up its efforts to defend the former president, the word “weaponization” has taken root among Trump’s Republican allies. Nearly every GOP lawmaker used the term — as did a member of Trump's legal team hours before the charges were unsealed to the public.“It puts a stamp of reality on something that really is unreal in terms of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,” said James Trusty, one of Trump’s lawyers, on ABC Friday morning. Trump announced later in the day that Trusty was leaving his team.Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted that “the weaponization of our Department of Justice against enemies of the Biden admin. will do enormous damage to the rule of law &amp; have a lasting impact.”Cruz’s GOP colleagues in the Senate were more muted, with Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and others who have criticized the former president declining to weigh in on the indictment.Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials, was a rare voice of criticism. While Romney stressed that Trump is entitled to presumption of innocence, he said he believes the charges are serious and Trump brought them on himself.“These allegations are serious and if proven, would be consistent with his other actions offensive to the national interest,” Romney said.

Trump's GOP defenders in Congress leap into action after indictment

&nbsp;BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 9:30 p.m. June 6, a Brown county deputy initiated a traffic stop on Kestrel Road near Oregon Street on the west side of Hiawatha, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

K-9 Carla indicated on the passenger side of the vehicle,&nbsp; and after the investigation was complete deputies arrested the passenger Jennifer Courtney, 51, of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Felony Interference of a Law Enforcement Officer.&nbsp; Deputies also&nbsp;discovered that Courtney was&nbsp; hiding a small plastic&nbsp; bag of Methamphetamines in her mouth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686343436926.png" alt="Courtney-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Courtney-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.Just before 9:30 p.m. June 6, a Brown county deputy initiated a traffic stop on Kestrel Road near Oregon Street on the west side of Hiawatha, according to Sheriff John Merchant.K-9 Carla indicated on the passenger side of the vehicle,&nbsp; and after the investigation was complete deputies arrested the passenger Jennifer Courtney, 51, of Topeka on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Felony Interference of a Law Enforcement Officer.&nbsp; Deputies also&nbsp;discovered that Courtney was&nbsp; hiding a small plastic&nbsp; bag of Methamphetamines in her mouth.

Sheriff: Kan. woman hid small bag of meth in her mouth

KANSAS CITY– An employee of the Jackson County Detention Center, along with three associates of an inmate detained at the center, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle papers laced with K2 to jail inmates, according to the United State's Attorney.

Aaron D. Copes, 42, of Grandview, Mo., Deanna K. Clark, also known as “Nina,” 32, and Stephanie McDaniel, 31, both of Kansas City, Mo., and James A. Booker, Jr., 37, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in a single-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 31, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests of Copes, Clark, and Booker this week.

Copes was employed as a case manager at the Jackson County Detention Center. His duties included interviewing inmates daily, providing counseling and mediation for inmates, and providing training to correctional officers. Clark and Booker were close associates of an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center, who is identified in court documents as unindicted co-conspirator CC1. McDaniel was the girlfriend of CC1. The indictment also refers to another inmate, identified as unindicted co-conspirator CC2.

Copes, Clark, Booker, and McDaniel are charged with participating in a conspiracy from March 2020 to October 2021 to smuggle contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center.

Copes allegedly took bribe money and sexual favors in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center and delivering it to inmates, including CC1 and CC2. Conspirators allegedly smuggled in K2, a controlled substance, which was soaked onto sheets of paper that were smoked by inmates.

KANSAS CITY– An employee of the Jackson County Detention Center, along with three associates of an inmate detained at the center, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle papers laced with K2 to jail inmates, according to the United State's Attorney.Aaron D. Copes, 42, of Grandview, Mo., Deanna K. Clark, also known as “Nina,” 32, and Stephanie McDaniel, 31, both of Kansas City, Mo., and James A. Booker, Jr., 37, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in a single-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 31, 2023. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests of Copes, Clark, and Booker this week.Copes was employed as a case manager at the Jackson County Detention Center. His duties included interviewing inmates daily, providing counseling and mediation for inmates, and providing training to correctional officers. Clark and Booker were close associates of an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center, who is identified in court documents as unindicted co-conspirator CC1. McDaniel was the girlfriend of CC1. The indictment also refers to another inmate, identified as unindicted co-conspirator CC2.Copes, Clark, Booker, and McDaniel are charged with participating in a conspiracy from March 2020 to October 2021 to smuggle contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center.Copes allegedly took bribe money and sexual favors in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center and delivering it to inmates, including CC1 and CC2. Conspirators allegedly smuggled in K2, a controlled substance, which was soaked onto sheets of paper that were smoked by inmates.

KC jail employee accused of smuggling K2-laced papers to inmates

By ERIN SOCHA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

OSAWATOMIE — In a unanimous vote by the city council, the city of Osawatomie has agreed to sell its city-owned pound to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.alwaysandfurever.org/">Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary</a>, a nonprofit animal rescue in Miami county.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/06/osawatomie-pound-may-revert-to-killing-animals-if-city-declines-aid/">Tensions had flared</a>&nbsp;between the two entities after a popular social media post instigated community outrage over a dysfunctional air conditioner and a state inspection that found the kennels in disrepair. The city had considered cutting ties with the nonprofit, which would have meant the shelter would start euthanizing animals.

City manager Michael Scanlon recommended the agreement to the city council on Thursday.

“We believe Always &amp; Furever has the financial capabilities and operational know-how to make our animal shelter one of the best in Kansas and throughout the Midwest,” Scanlon said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kctv5.com/2023/06/09/kansas-town-considers-future-local-animal-shelter/">statement to KCTV5</a>. “It’s time for us to step out of their way and lead our community in supporting a no-kill shelter for Miami County.”

The purchase price will be decided after an appraisal. Always and Furever has agreed to purchase the property “as-is.”

“Always and Furever has earned the confidence of this city,” Scanlon said at the meeting.

Volunteers and supporters of Always and Furever breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday after the deal was reported and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/nevertoolateforhappilyeverafter/posts/632626125559729">shared on Always and Furever’s Facebook page</a>.

“We cannot thank the City enough for first placing their faith and trust in us four years ago to be the sole caretakers of the pound animals (which included Miami County and Paola animals) and for again tonight putting their faith in our promise to always protect and serve their community animals,” said Jennifer Dulski, founder of the nonprofit, in a Facebook post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686447595505.png" alt=" Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary will buy the Osawatomie Pound following approval of the sale by the city council. (Erin Socha)" />
 <figcaption> Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary will buy the Osawatomie Pound following approval of the sale by the city council. (Erin Socha)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIN SOCHA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>OSAWATOMIE — In a unanimous vote by the city council, the city of Osawatomie has agreed to sell its city-owned pound to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.alwaysandfurever.org/">Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary</a>, a nonprofit animal rescue in Miami county.<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/06/osawatomie-pound-may-revert-to-killing-animals-if-city-declines-aid/">Tensions had flared</a>&nbsp;between the two entities after a popular social media post instigated community outrage over a dysfunctional air conditioner and a state inspection that found the kennels in disrepair. The city had considered cutting ties with the nonprofit, which would have meant the shelter would start euthanizing animals.City manager Michael Scanlon recommended the agreement to the city council on Thursday.“We believe Always &amp; Furever has the financial capabilities and operational know-how to make our animal shelter one of the best in Kansas and throughout the Midwest,” Scanlon said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kctv5.com/2023/06/09/kansas-town-considers-future-local-animal-shelter/">statement to KCTV5</a>. “It’s time for us to step out of their way and lead our community in supporting a no-kill shelter for Miami County.”The purchase price will be decided after an appraisal. Always and Furever has agreed to purchase the property “as-is.”“Always and Furever has earned the confidence of this city,” Scanlon said at the meeting.Volunteers and supporters of Always and Furever breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday after the deal was reported and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/nevertoolateforhappilyeverafter/posts/632626125559729">shared on Always and Furever’s Facebook page</a>.“We cannot thank the City enough for first placing their faith and trust in us four years ago to be the sole caretakers of the pound animals (which included Miami County and Paola animals) and for again tonight putting their faith in our promise to always protect and serve their community animals,” said Jennifer Dulski, founder of the nonprofit, in a Facebook post.

Kan. community resolves conflict with animal rescue group, agrees to sell pound

KANSAS CITY (AP) — After years of criticizing mail voting and so-called ballot harvesting as ripe for fraud, Republicans at the top of the party want to change course.

They are poised to launch aggressive get-out-the-vote campaigns for 2024 that employ just those strategies, attempting to match the emphasis on early voting Democrats have used for years to lock in many of their supporters well ahead of Election Day. The goal is to to persuade voters who support GOP candidates that early voting techniques are secure and to make sure they are able to return their ballots in time to be counted, thus putting less pressure on Election Day turnout efforts.

It marks a notable shift from the party's rhetoric since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4">routinely sowing doubt about mail voting</a>&nbsp;and encouraging his voters to wait and vote in-person on Election Day. As recently as last year, Republican activists peddling the stolen election narrative were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-government-and-politics-election-2020-55f4744b484919cd20d4d5e8d72e444e?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">telling GOP voters</a>&nbsp;who received mail ballots to hold onto them and turn them in at their polling place on Election Day rather than use mail or drop boxes.

Now Trump is asking donors to chip in for his “ballot harvesting fund” – saying in a fundraising email, “Either we ballot harvest where we can, or you can say goodbye to America!”

Republicans say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-georgia-31624728042effd17f6ced32dfbf188d">the shift is needed</a>&nbsp;to ensure GOP victories up and down the 2024 ballot, arguing they cannot afford to give Democrats any advantage. At the same time, they acknowledge skepticism from many of their own voters conditioned by false claims of widespread voter fraud from Trump and others.

Across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-indiana-ebba330c4a46c81b77b7feb564f03737">Republican-controlled legislatures</a>&nbsp;have acted against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-voting-rights-election-2020-2caf9b85bec73c807ecea15775f6da63">early voting</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-ohio-fraud-ad6eaaca489d39aa4b6e63c2ce413bf8">shortening windows</a>&nbsp;for returning mail ballots, banning or limiting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-6b1315110a7cc5c09055793581ee4ac2">the use of drop boxes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-elections-absentee-ballot-harvesting-91c4e5d67f9169e1a2104813b1fe133f">criminalizing third-party ballot collection</a>.

In announcing a “Bank Your Vote” initiative for 2024, Republican National Committee Chairwoman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-republican-national-convention-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-ab2a2c94ff0f110e3c45c37cdf695695">Ronna McDaniel</a>&nbsp;said the party “has never said ‘don’t vote early,'” but acknowledged the GOP will have to work to shift voters' perceptions.

“That certainly is a challenge if you have people in your ecosystem saying, ‘Don’t vote early or don’t vote by mail,’ and those cross messages do have an impact,” McDaniel told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t think you’re seeing that heading into 2024. I think you’re seeing all of us singing from the same songbook.”

The nationwide GOP plan emphasizes “in-person early voting, absentee voting, and ballot harvesting where legal,” while also pledging “to fight against bad ballot harvesting laws.” Republicans use the term to describe when someone else returns a mailed ballot on behalf of another voter, especially third parties that gather multiple ballots.

McDaniel emphasized she remains opposed to ballot collection, and she said the party would deploy an army of poll watchers and election monitors to reassure Republican voters that their ballots will be protected.

“Do I think it’s the most secure way of voting? No,” McDaniel said. “But if it’s the law, we’re going to have to do it just like the Democrats are.”

The challenge will be providing a consistent message that reassures GOP voters.

The same day McDaniel announced her initiative, Republicans in Congress were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/district-of-columbia-voting-elections-republicans-ca212cd42f2f4186a53cd6630e63db49">holding a hearing</a>&nbsp;considering legislation that, among other things, would ban ballot collection in the District of Columbia. GOP state lawmakers around the country have chipped away at advanced voting opportunities since 2020. Some state and local election Republicans have gone further, advocating for just a single day of voting.

After the 2020 presidential election, the movie “2000 Mules” was a popular video that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762">made various debunked claims</a>&nbsp;about mail ballots, drop boxes and ballot collection. Even the co-chair of the new GOP strategy, U. S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., has been a critic. In November, he issued a call on social media to “End ballot harvesting.”

Nonetheless, McDaniel noted that Republican presidential candidates,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-trump-election-lies-explainer-816a43ed964e6d35f03b0930e6e56c82?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=RelatedStories&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">including Trump</a>, have been talking about the importance of advance voting and ballot collection.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a high-profile GOP contender, recently told a voter he planned to launch his own “ballot harvesting” effort, according to video posted online by a Washington Post reporter. DeSantis said he wasn’t going to “fight with one hand tied behind my back.”

The Trump and DeSantis campaigns did not respond to messages seeking details about ballot collection plans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ron-desantis-legislation-florida-elections-a9737fcc3eab5aedc572fbcc7c19b984">Florida</a>&nbsp;is among the mostly Republican-led states that have sought to ban or limit the practice in recent years, despite the GOP's reliance there on older, more conservative voters who prefer voting methods other than casting Election Day ballots.

Since the 2020 election, lawmakers in 31 states have introduced 124 bills that would restrict third-party ballot returns, according to data collected by the Voting Rights Lab, which tracks voting-related legislation in the states. Of those, 14 bills in 11 states have been enacted. That includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-crime-florida-5fad57fac85e0944b6e8eeb423b195b7">one DeSantis himself signed</a>&nbsp;that makes it a felony for an individual to collect more than two mail ballots other than the person’s own or one belonging to an immediate family member.

While some states are silent on the issue, 31 states allow someone other than the voter to return a ballot on behalf of another voter. Nine limit how many ballots one person can return, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many states limit ballot handling to a family member, household member or caregiver.

In California, efforts to lock in the early vote could be decisive next year in a string of U.S. House districts, most of them in the southern California suburbs, that are expected to play a pivotal role in determining control of the chamber. California is a Democratic stronghold, but Republicans retain pockets of strength across rural and small-town areas and the Central Valley farm belt, while the state's suburban congressional districts have yielded many tights races in recent election cycles.

As many as nine congressional seats are considered competitive, and several races will play out in districts won by President Joe Biden but where the seat is held by a Republican. Each of California’s 22 million registered voters is mailed a ballot one month before Election Day.

“In any close election, the ability to capture absentee votes becomes extremely important, especially in a state like ours, where every single voter has a ballot in their home,” conservative activist Jon Fleishman said.

Democrats were critical of the new GOP effort after years of messaging by Republicans against mail voting.

“Donald Trump and extremist Republicans have spent years telling lies about elections to justify their losses. That includes demonizing mail ballots and ballot collection,” said Jena Griswold, Colorado’s secretary of state and head of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. “These hypocritical extremists are only interested in spreading chaos and trying to gain power at any cost.”

Top Republicans must make the case within their own ranks, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C.

“We’ve got to have a change of culture among Republican voters,” said Hudson, who chairs the House GOP’s national campaign committee. “And it’s going to require us all on the same page.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — After years of criticizing mail voting and so-called ballot harvesting as ripe for fraud, Republicans at the top of the party want to change course.They are poised to launch aggressive get-out-the-vote campaigns for 2024 that employ just those strategies, attempting to match the emphasis on early voting Democrats have used for years to lock in many of their supporters well ahead of Election Day. The goal is to to persuade voters who support GOP candidates that early voting techniques are secure and to make sure they are able to return their ballots in time to be counted, thus putting less pressure on Election Day turnout efforts.It marks a notable shift from the party's rhetoric since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4">routinely sowing doubt about mail voting</a>&nbsp;and encouraging his voters to wait and vote in-person on Election Day. As recently as last year, Republican activists peddling the stolen election narrative were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-government-and-politics-election-2020-55f4744b484919cd20d4d5e8d72e444e?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">telling GOP voters</a>&nbsp;who received mail ballots to hold onto them and turn them in at their polling place on Election Day rather than use mail or drop boxes.Now Trump is asking donors to chip in for his “ballot harvesting fund” – saying in a fundraising email, “Either we ballot harvest where we can, or you can say goodbye to America!”Republicans say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-georgia-31624728042effd17f6ced32dfbf188d">the shift is needed</a>&nbsp;to ensure GOP victories up and down the 2024 ballot, arguing they cannot afford to give Democrats any advantage. At the same time, they acknowledge skepticism from many of their own voters conditioned by false claims of widespread voter fraud from Trump and others.Across the country,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-indiana-ebba330c4a46c81b77b7feb564f03737">Republican-controlled legislatures</a>&nbsp;have acted against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-voting-rights-election-2020-2caf9b85bec73c807ecea15775f6da63">early voting</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-ohio-fraud-ad6eaaca489d39aa4b6e63c2ce413bf8">shortening windows</a>&nbsp;for returning mail ballots, banning or limiting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-6b1315110a7cc5c09055793581ee4ac2">the use of drop boxes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-elections-absentee-ballot-harvesting-91c4e5d67f9169e1a2104813b1fe133f">criminalizing third-party ballot collection</a>.In announcing a “Bank Your Vote” initiative for 2024, Republican National Committee Chairwoman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-republican-national-convention-united-states-government-2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-ab2a2c94ff0f110e3c45c37cdf695695">Ronna McDaniel</a>&nbsp;said the party “has never said ‘don’t vote early,'” but acknowledged the GOP will have to work to shift voters' perceptions.“That certainly is a challenge if you have people in your ecosystem saying, ‘Don’t vote early or don’t vote by mail,’ and those cross messages do have an impact,” McDaniel told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t think you’re seeing that heading into 2024. I think you’re seeing all of us singing from the same songbook.”The nationwide GOP plan emphasizes “in-person early voting, absentee voting, and ballot harvesting where legal,” while also pledging “to fight against bad ballot harvesting laws.” Republicans use the term to describe when someone else returns a mailed ballot on behalf of another voter, especially third parties that gather multiple ballots.McDaniel emphasized she remains opposed to ballot collection, and she said the party would deploy an army of poll watchers and election monitors to reassure Republican voters that their ballots will be protected.“Do I think it’s the most secure way of voting? No,” McDaniel said. “But if it’s the law, we’re going to have to do it just like the Democrats are.”The challenge will be providing a consistent message that reassures GOP voters.The same day McDaniel announced her initiative, Republicans in Congress were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/district-of-columbia-voting-elections-republicans-ca212cd42f2f4186a53cd6630e63db49">holding a hearing</a>&nbsp;considering legislation that, among other things, would ban ballot collection in the District of Columbia. GOP state lawmakers around the country have chipped away at advanced voting opportunities since 2020. Some state and local election Republicans have gone further, advocating for just a single day of voting.After the 2020 presidential election, the movie “2000 Mules” was a popular video that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762">made various debunked claims</a>&nbsp;about mail ballots, drop boxes and ballot collection. Even the co-chair of the new GOP strategy, U. S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., has been a critic. In November, he issued a call on social media to “End ballot harvesting.”Nonetheless, McDaniel noted that Republican presidential candidates,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-trump-election-lies-explainer-816a43ed964e6d35f03b0930e6e56c82?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=RelatedStories&amp;utm_campaign=position_03">including Trump</a>, have been talking about the importance of advance voting and ballot collection.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a high-profile GOP contender, recently told a voter he planned to launch his own “ballot harvesting” effort, according to video posted online by a Washington Post reporter. DeSantis said he wasn’t going to “fight with one hand tied behind my back.”The Trump and DeSantis campaigns did not respond to messages seeking details about ballot collection plans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ron-desantis-legislation-florida-elections-a9737fcc3eab5aedc572fbcc7c19b984">Florida</a>&nbsp;is among the mostly Republican-led states that have sought to ban or limit the practice in recent years, despite the GOP's reliance there on older, more conservative voters who prefer voting methods other than casting Election Day ballots.Since the 2020 election, lawmakers in 31 states have introduced 124 bills that would restrict third-party ballot returns, according to data collected by the Voting Rights Lab, which tracks voting-related legislation in the states. Of those, 14 bills in 11 states have been enacted. That includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-crime-florida-5fad57fac85e0944b6e8eeb423b195b7">one DeSantis himself signed</a>&nbsp;that makes it a felony for an individual to collect more than two mail ballots other than the person’s own or one belonging to an immediate family member.While some states are silent on the issue, 31 states allow someone other than the voter to return a ballot on behalf of another voter. Nine limit how many ballots one person can return, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many states limit ballot handling to a family member, household member or caregiver.In California, efforts to lock in the early vote could be decisive next year in a string of U.S. House districts, most of them in the southern California suburbs, that are expected to play a pivotal role in determining control of the chamber. California is a Democratic stronghold, but Republicans retain pockets of strength across rural and small-town areas and the Central Valley farm belt, while the state's suburban congressional districts have yielded many tights races in recent election cycles.As many as nine congressional seats are considered competitive, and several races will play out in districts won by President Joe Biden but where the seat is held by a Republican. Each of California’s 22 million registered voters is mailed a ballot one month before Election Day.“In any close election, the ability to capture absentee votes becomes extremely important, especially in a state like ours, where every single voter has a ballot in their home,” conservative activist Jon Fleishman said.Democrats were critical of the new GOP effort after years of messaging by Republicans against mail voting.“Donald Trump and extremist Republicans have spent years telling lies about elections to justify their losses. That includes demonizing mail ballots and ballot collection,” said Jena Griswold, Colorado’s secretary of state and head of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. “These hypocritical extremists are only interested in spreading chaos and trying to gain power at any cost.”Top Republicans must make the case within their own ranks, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C.“We’ve got to have a change of culture among Republican voters,” said Hudson, who chairs the House GOP’s national campaign committee. “And it’s going to require us all on the same page.”___

GOP set to encourage early voting, mail balloting after years of opposite messaging

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal work accident at a Kansas City-area landfill have identified the victim as 16-year-old William M. Hampton of Lee’s Summit, according to a statement from Lee's Summit Police.

Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.

&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located Hampton, an employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. 

EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp; The

The incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.

The child safety division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now responsible for the investigation, according to police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686437721687.png" alt="The child safety division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now responsible for the investigation, according to police.Google image" />
 <figcaption>The child safety division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now responsible for the investigation, according to police.Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal work accident at a Kansas City-area landfill have identified the victim as 16-year-old William M. Hampton of Lee’s Summit, according to a statement from Lee's Summit Police.Just after 10a.m. Thursday,&nbsp;officers and emergency crews responded to the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park in the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of an injured person, according to Lee's Summit&nbsp; Police.&nbsp;When officers arrived, they located Hampton, an employee of a private company who had become pinned between a tractor trailer rig and its trailer. EMS transported the injured boy to a local trauma center where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp; TheThe incident occurred on property within the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park leased from the City of Lee’s Summit by a private third-party company.The child safety division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now responsible for the investigation, according to police.

Police ID 16-year-old who died in work accident at KC-area landfill

FUERTH, Germany (AP) — The artificial intelligence chatbot asked the believers in the fully packed St. Paul's church in the Bavarian town of Fuerth to rise from the pews and praise the Lord.

The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by an avatar of a bearded Black man on a huge screen above the altar, then began preaching to the more than 300 people who had shown up on Friday morning for an experimental Lutheran church service almost entirely generated by AI.

“Dear friends, it is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year's convention of Protestants in Germany," the avatar said with an expressionless face and monotonous voice.

The 40-minute service — including the sermon, prayers and music — was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna.

“I conceived this service — but actually I rather accompanied it, because I would say about 98% comes from the machine,” the 29-year-old scholar told The Associated Press.

The AI church service was one of hundreds of events at the convention of Protestants in the Bavarian towns of Nuremberg and the neighboring Fuerth, and it drew such immense interest that people formed a long queue outside the 19th-century, neo-Gothic building an hour before it began.

The convention itself — Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag in German — takes place every two years in the summer at a different place in Germany and draws tens of thousands of believers to pray, sing and discuss their faith. They also talk about current world affairs and look for solutions to key issues, which this year included global warming, the war in Ukraine — and artificial intelligence.

This year's gathering is taking place from Wednesday to Sunday under the motto “Now is the time.” That slogan was one of the sentences Simmerlein fed ChatGPT when he asked the chatbot to develop the sermon.

“I told the artificial intelligence ‘We are at the church congress, you are a preacher … what would a church service look like?’” Simmerlein said. He also asked for psalms to be included, as well as prayers and a blessing at the end.

“You end up with a pretty solid church service,” Simmerlein said, sounding almost surprised by the success of his experiment.

Indeed, the believers in the church listened attentively as the artificial intelligence preached about leaving the past behind, focusing on the challenges of the present, overcoming fear of death, and never losing trust in Jesus Christ.

The entire service was “led” by four different avatars on the screen, two young women, and two young men.

At times, the AI-generated avatar inadvertently drew laughter as when it used platitudes and told the churchgoers with a deadpan expression that in order “to keep our faith, we must pray and go to church regularly.”

Some people enthusiastically videotaped the event with their cell phones, while others looked on more critically and refused to speak along loudly during The Lord's Prayer.

Heiderose Schmidt, a 54-year-old who works in IT, said she was excited and curious when the service started but found it increasingly off-putting as it went along.

“There was no heart and no soul,” she said. “The avatars showed no emotions at all, had no body language and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.”

“But maybe it is different for the younger generation who grew up with all of this,” Schmidt added.

Marc Jansen, a 31-year-old Lutheran pastor from Troisdorf near the western German city of Cologne, brought a group of teenagers from his congregation to St. Paul. He was more impressed by the experiment.

“I had actually imagined it to be worse. But I was positively surprised how well it worked. Also the language of the AI worked well, even though it was still a bit bumpy at times," Jansen said.

What the young pastor missed, however, was any kind of emotion or spirituality, which he says is essential when he writes his own sermons.

Anna Puzio, 28, a researcher on the ethics of technology from the University of Twente in The Netherlands, also attended the service. She said she sees a lot of opportunities in the use of AI in religion — such as making religious services more easily available and inclusive for believers who for various reasons may not be able experience their faith in person with others in houses of worship.

However, she noted there are also dangers when it comes to the use of AI in religion.

“The challenge that I see is that AI is very human-like and that it's easy to be deceived by it," she said.

“Also, we don’t have only one Christian opinion, and that’s what AI has to represent as well,” she said. "We have to be careful that it's not misused for such purposes as to spread only one opinion.”

Simmerlein said it is not his intention to replace religious leaders with artificial intelligence. Rather, he sees the use of AI as a way to help them with their everyday work in their congregations.

Some pastors seek inspiration in literature, he says, so why not also ask AI for ideas regarding an upcoming sermon. Others would like to have more time for individual spiritual guidance of their parishioners, so why not speed up the process of writing the sermon with the help of a chatbot to make time for other important duties.

“Artificial intelligence will increasingly take over our lives, in all its facets,” Simmerlein said. “And that’s why it’s useful to learn to deal with it.”

However, the experimental church service also showed the limits to implementing artificial AI in church, or in religion. There was no real interaction between the believers and the chatbot, which wasn't able to respond to the laughter or any other reactions by the churchgoers as a human pastor would have been able to do.

“The pastor is in the congregation, she lives with them, she buries the people, she knows them from the beginning," Simmerlein said. “Artificial intelligence cannot do that. It does not know the congregation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686446907767.png" alt="People attend a church service in Nuremberg, Germany, Friday, June 9, 2023. Hundreds of German Protestants have attended a church service in Bavaria that was generated almost entirely by artificial intelligence. The service was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by different avatars on a huge screen above the altar, led the more than 300 people through 40 minutes of prayer, music, sermons and blessings. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)" />
 <figcaption>People attend a church service in Nuremberg, Germany, Friday, June 9, 2023. Hundreds of German Protestants have attended a church service in Bavaria that was generated almost entirely by artificial intelligence. The service was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by different avatars on a huge screen above the altar, led the more than 300 people through 40 minutes of prayer, music, sermons and blessings. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)</figcaption>
 </figure>FUERTH, Germany (AP) — The artificial intelligence chatbot asked the believers in the fully packed St. Paul's church in the Bavarian town of Fuerth to rise from the pews and praise the Lord.The ChatGPT chatbot, personified by an avatar of a bearded Black man on a huge screen above the altar, then began preaching to the more than 300 people who had shown up on Friday morning for an experimental Lutheran church service almost entirely generated by AI.“Dear friends, it is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year's convention of Protestants in Germany," the avatar said with an expressionless face and monotonous voice.The 40-minute service — including the sermon, prayers and music — was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna.“I conceived this service — but actually I rather accompanied it, because I would say about 98% comes from the machine,” the 29-year-old scholar told The Associated Press.The AI church service was one of hundreds of events at the convention of Protestants in the Bavarian towns of Nuremberg and the neighboring Fuerth, and it drew such immense interest that people formed a long queue outside the 19th-century, neo-Gothic building an hour before it began.The convention itself — Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag in German — takes place every two years in the summer at a different place in Germany and draws tens of thousands of believers to pray, sing and discuss their faith. They also talk about current world affairs and look for solutions to key issues, which this year included global warming, the war in Ukraine — and artificial intelligence.This year's gathering is taking place from Wednesday to Sunday under the motto “Now is the time.” That slogan was one of the sentences Simmerlein fed ChatGPT when he asked the chatbot to develop the sermon.“I told the artificial intelligence ‘We are at the church congress, you are a preacher … what would a church service look like?’” Simmerlein said. He also asked for psalms to be included, as well as prayers and a blessing at the end.“You end up with a pretty solid church service,” Simmerlein said, sounding almost surprised by the success of his experiment.Indeed, the believers in the church listened attentively as the artificial intelligence preached about leaving the past behind, focusing on the challenges of the present, overcoming fear of death, and never losing trust in Jesus Christ.The entire service was “led” by four different avatars on the screen, two young women, and two young men.At times, the AI-generated avatar inadvertently drew laughter as when it used platitudes and told the churchgoers with a deadpan expression that in order “to keep our faith, we must pray and go to church regularly.”Some people enthusiastically videotaped the event with their cell phones, while others looked on more critically and refused to speak along loudly during The Lord's Prayer.Heiderose Schmidt, a 54-year-old who works in IT, said she was excited and curious when the service started but found it increasingly off-putting as it went along.“There was no heart and no soul,” she said. “The avatars showed no emotions at all, had no body language and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.”“But maybe it is different for the younger generation who grew up with all of this,” Schmidt added.Marc Jansen, a 31-year-old Lutheran pastor from Troisdorf near the western German city of Cologne, brought a group of teenagers from his congregation to St. Paul. He was more impressed by the experiment.“I had actually imagined it to be worse. But I was positively surprised how well it worked. Also the language of the AI worked well, even though it was still a bit bumpy at times," Jansen said.What the young pastor missed, however, was any kind of emotion or spirituality, which he says is essential when he writes his own sermons.Anna Puzio, 28, a researcher on the ethics of technology from the University of Twente in The Netherlands, also attended the service. She said she sees a lot of opportunities in the use of AI in religion — such as making religious services more easily available and inclusive for believers who for various reasons may not be able experience their faith in person with others in houses of worship.However, she noted there are also dangers when it comes to the use of AI in religion.“The challenge that I see is that AI is very human-like and that it's easy to be deceived by it," she said.“Also, we don’t have only one Christian opinion, and that’s what AI has to represent as well,” she said. "We have to be careful that it's not misused for such purposes as to spread only one opinion.”Simmerlein said it is not his intention to replace religious leaders with artificial intelligence. Rather, he sees the use of AI as a way to help them with their everyday work in their congregations.Some pastors seek inspiration in literature, he says, so why not also ask AI for ideas regarding an upcoming sermon. Others would like to have more time for individual spiritual guidance of their parishioners, so why not speed up the process of writing the sermon with the help of a chatbot to make time for other important duties.“Artificial intelligence will increasingly take over our lives, in all its facets,” Simmerlein said. “And that’s why it’s useful to learn to deal with it.”However, the experimental church service also showed the limits to implementing artificial AI in church, or in religion. There was no real interaction between the believers and the chatbot, which wasn't able to respond to the laughter or any other reactions by the churchgoers as a human pastor would have been able to do.“The pastor is in the congregation, she lives with them, she buries the people, she knows them from the beginning," Simmerlein said. “Artificial intelligence cannot do that. It does not know the congregation.”___

Can a chatbot preach? Hundreds attend church to find out

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;welcomed hundreds to the White House on Saturday for a delayed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pride-lgbtq-white-house-ddd40bb1a1110654b9d836e87507db51">Pride Month celebration</a>&nbsp;aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.

The event, which the administration described as the largest Pride event hosted at the White House, was initially scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed because of poor air quality from hazardous air flowing in from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-smoke-new-york-washington-86eb7685c5330c548fd93891fffcfd65">Canadian wildfires</a>. But the haze that blanketed a huge swath of the East Coast this past week had lifted over the nation's capital, allowing the president and first lady Jill Biden to hold their South Lawn party.

“So today, I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You're understood. And you belong,” Biden said.

That tally includes a recent flurry of bills that affect transgender people, including legislation recently passed by Republican governors vying for the 2024 presidential nomination.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-desantis-florida-033556c6a4c301d9ad342c74a6410800">recently signed a bill</a>&nbsp;into that bans gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youths. Earlier in the week, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a law that DeSantis signed shortly before announcing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">he was running for president.</a>

In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum last month signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-transgender-pronouns-bill-senate-4e5df2f2c3c456e1f9b6a173c7cac4b7">a bill that prohibits public schools and government entities</a>&nbsp;from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Burgum, who like DeSantis has made culture issues a central part of his tenure as governor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">joined the White House primary field</a>.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshhelfgott/reels/?hl=en">Josh Helfgott</a>, an LGBTQ+ activist and social media influencer from New York City, said marking Pride Month at the White House felt like one of the most important moments of his life. But he said the tide of legislation added another layer to this year’s celebrations.

“Pride this year is so important because we cannot be silent when faced with hate and bigotry,” Helfgott said “The other side is so loud, incredibly loud. ”

Anjali Rimi of San Francisco attended the White House event with her mother, who recently immigrated from India.

Rimi came to the United States more than 20 years ago because, she said, she was shunned by family and society as a transgender person.

Times were tough in the United States, too, she said. She was pushed out of a job after she came out, was homeless for a time, and took asylum in Canada for about a decade before returning to the United States.

“It’s a moment that we are going to cherish for a lifetime,” said Rimi, an activist in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. "This is a joyful moment, but it’s also one that reminds us that we have so much work to do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686427144852.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;welcomed hundreds to the White House on Saturday for a delayed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-pride-lgbtq-white-house-ddd40bb1a1110654b9d836e87507db51">Pride Month celebration</a>&nbsp;aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.(Click to watch a replay of the party)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F291855209850412%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=28" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The event, which the administration described as the largest Pride event hosted at the White House, was initially scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed because of poor air quality from hazardous air flowing in from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-canada-quebec-smoke-new-york-washington-86eb7685c5330c548fd93891fffcfd65">Canadian wildfires</a>. But the haze that blanketed a huge swath of the East Coast this past week had lifted over the nation's capital, allowing the president and first lady Jill Biden to hold their South Lawn party.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">June 10, 2023. The largest Pride Month celebration ever held at the White House. <a href="https://t.co/UPs0PBBSZR">pic.twitter.com/UPs0PBBSZR</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1667701935284137985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“So today, I want to send a message to the entire community — especially to transgender children: You are loved. You are heard. You're understood. And you belong,” Biden said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Biden-Harris Administration stands with the LGBTQI+ community and has their backs in the face of these attacks. <a href="https://t.co/GX2hw0Fd4t">pic.twitter.com/GX2hw0Fd4t</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1667533172983185409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Pride Month is being celebrated this year as state lawmakers have introduced at least 525 bills and enacted 78 bills that whittle away at LGBTQ+ rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a group that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights.That tally includes a recent flurry of bills that affect transgender people, including legislation recently passed by Republican governors vying for the 2024 presidential nomination.In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-desantis-florida-033556c6a4c301d9ad342c74a6410800">recently signed a bill</a>&nbsp;into that bans gender-affirming medical care such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy for transgender youths. Earlier in the week, a federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a law that DeSantis signed shortly before announcing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-live-updates-0495d567326db1e760179d01f1f7c45e">he was running for president.</a>In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum last month signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-transgender-pronouns-bill-senate-4e5df2f2c3c456e1f9b6a173c7cac4b7">a bill that prohibits public schools and government entities</a>&nbsp;from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use. Burgum, who like DeSantis has made culture issues a central part of his tenure as governor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-burgum-north-dakota-president-1b187576423968c422d2adbd70c9b3dc">joined the White House primary field</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the People&#39;s House – your house – sends a clear message to the country and to the world. America is a nation of pride. <a href="https://t.co/ZZS9oTpDww">pic.twitter.com/ZZS9oTpDww</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1667715777145847808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshhelfgott/reels/?hl=en">Josh Helfgott</a>, an LGBTQ+ activist and social media influencer from New York City, said marking Pride Month at the White House felt like one of the most important moments of his life. But he said the tide of legislation added another layer to this year’s celebrations.“Pride this year is so important because we cannot be silent when faced with hate and bigotry,” Helfgott said “The other side is so loud, incredibly loud. ”Anjali Rimi of San Francisco attended the White House event with her mother, who recently immigrated from India.Rimi came to the United States more than 20 years ago because, she said, she was shunned by family and society as a transgender person.Times were tough in the United States, too, she said. She was pushed out of a job after she came out, was homeless for a time, and took asylum in Canada for about a decade before returning to the United States.“It’s a moment that we are going to cherish for a lifetime,” said Rimi, an activist in San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. "This is a joyful moment, but it’s also one that reminds us that we have so much work to do.”

🎥Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with White House lawn party

SEDGWICK COUNTY—The last of four young men involved in a 2019 shooting death in Wichita has been sentenced.

 District Judge David Dahl sentenced Pierce Jackson, 22 of Wichita, to 18-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In July of 2022, Jackson pled guilty to aggravated robbery.

On August 19, 2019, Jerome Armbeck was shot and killed in an open field in the 4600 block of E. Boston. His brother had asked him to help catch some people who robbed him of his backpack during a marijuana sale. Orlando Howard shot Armbeck several times at the conclusion of a foot chase near Harry and Oliver.

Judge Dahl previously sentenced Howard to 165 months in prison following his guilty plea to second degree murder and aggravated robbery. 

Marcus Lamar pled guilty to aggravated robbery and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Tairyce Jones pled guilty to aggravated robbery. Lamar and Jones were each sentenced to 60 months in prison.

Howard had no criminal history prior to this incident. Jackson, however, had prior criminal history for aggravated robbery and robbery. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686232136723.png" alt="Jackson-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Jackson-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—The last of four young men involved in a 2019 shooting death in Wichita has been sentenced. District Judge David Dahl sentenced Pierce Jackson, 22 of Wichita, to 18-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In July of 2022, Jackson pled guilty to aggravated robbery.On August 19, 2019, Jerome Armbeck was shot and killed in an open field in the 4600 block of E. Boston. His brother had asked him to help catch some people who robbed him of his backpack during a marijuana sale. Orlando Howard shot Armbeck several times at the conclusion of a foot chase near Harry and Oliver.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622208321450.png" alt="Howard-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Howard-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Judge Dahl previously sentenced Howard to 165 months in prison following his guilty plea to second degree murder and aggravated robbery. Marcus Lamar pled guilty to aggravated robbery and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Tairyce Jones pled guilty to aggravated robbery. Lamar and Jones were each sentenced to 60 months in prison.Howard had no criminal history prior to this incident. Jackson, however, had prior criminal history for aggravated robbery and robbery.

Judge: 22-year-old going to prison for deadly Kan. robbery

SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Brandon Edward&nbsp;Bumgarner, 26, Topeka, was southbound on Huxman Road. 

&nbsp;The car did not clear the stop sign properly at U.S. 24 and the driver failed to see a westbound 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by James Edward Haug, 60, Topeka.

The pickup struck the car on the driver's door and pushed it into the ditch.

Bumgarner was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger in the car Brendan Michael Barker, 26, Topeka, to Stormont Vail. Haug and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Shawnee County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Brandon Edward&nbsp;Bumgarner, 26, Topeka, was southbound on Huxman Road. &nbsp;The car did not clear the stop sign properly at U.S. 24 and the driver failed to see a westbound 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by James Edward Haug, 60, Topeka.The pickup struck the car on the driver's door and pushed it into the ditch.Bumgarner was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger in the car Brendan Michael Barker, 26, Topeka, to Stormont Vail. Haug and a passenger in the pickup were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after pickup, car crash

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating 3 suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 near 170th initiated a traffic stop for 82mph&nbsp;in a 65 mph zone, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686344041224.png" alt="Castillo-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Castillo-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating 3 suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 12:30 a.m. Friday, a sheriff's deputy was on routine patrol on U.S. 75 near 170th initiated a traffic stop for 82mph&nbsp;in a 65 mph zone, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686343960839.png" alt="Jay-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Jay-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon making contact with the occupants of the vehicle, K-9 Carla was deployed and indicated on the vehicle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686344136643.png" alt="Nava-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Nava-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Upon completion of the investigation deputies arrested Joseph Castillo, 22, Independence, Kansas; Elian Nava, 22,&nbsp; Norfolk, Nebraska and Samantha Jay, 21, Independence, Kansas on requested charges of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.