SEDGWICK COUNTY—Two juveniles were injured and three others are in custody after a shooting on Friday at a mall in Wichita.

&nbsp;Just after&nbsp;3:36 p.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting in the Town East Mall parking lot, near Round 1 Bowling, according to a media release.

Investigators discovered that a fight involving five males escalated into gunfire. Two victims were injured: one was shot in the torso and the other in the leg. Officers applied a tourniquet to the leg injury before Sedgwick County EMS arrived.

An off-duty officer from the Great Bend Police Department, who was in plain clothes, detained one suspect just as Wichita officers arrived. This suspect was found to be in possession of what appeared to be a rifle-caliber pistol. Officers subsequently took two additional males into custody.

The two victims, aged 17 and 15, were transported to a nearby hospital, where they were listed in critical condition on Saturday morning, according to police.

 The victims were on the ground when the primary suspect continued to shoot at them. The primary suspect, age 17, has been arrested for two counts of attempted murder. The two other suspects, both 16 years old, will be booked with disorderly conduct related to fighting.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan highlighted the dangers of youth access to high-powered weapons, stating, “Once again, we have an incident involving teenagers with a high-powered weapon that resulted in two young people being hospitalized. This was the result of poor decision-making by these teens. Lives were saved due to the quick and decisive actions of the off-duty Great Bend Police officer who happened to be at the scene and the rapid response of Wichita officers, which helped prevent further tragedy. I urge parents to monitor their children’s activities, possessions, and associates. Community involvement is crucial if we are to keep our youth safe and prevent these incidents from occurring.”

This incident remains under active investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Wichita Police Department detectives or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754688094504.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Two juveniles were injured and three others are in custody after a shooting on Friday at a mall in Wichita.&nbsp;Just after&nbsp;3:36 p.m. on Friday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting in the Town East Mall parking lot, near Round 1 Bowling, according to a media release.Investigators discovered that a fight involving five males escalated into gunfire. Two victims were injured: one was shot in the torso and the other in the leg. Officers applied a tourniquet to the leg injury before Sedgwick County EMS arrived.An off-duty officer from the Great Bend Police Department, who was in plain clothes, detained one suspect just as Wichita officers arrived. This suspect was found to be in possession of what appeared to be a rifle-caliber pistol. Officers subsequently took two additional males into custody.The two victims, aged 17 and 15, were transported to a nearby hospital, where they were listed in critical condition on Saturday morning, according to police. The victims were on the ground when the primary suspect continued to shoot at them. The primary suspect, age 17, has been arrested for two counts of attempted murder. The two other suspects, both 16 years old, will be booked with disorderly conduct related to fighting.Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan highlighted the dangers of youth access to high-powered weapons, stating, “Once again, we have an incident involving teenagers with a high-powered weapon that resulted in two young people being hospitalized. This was the result of poor decision-making by these teens. Lives were saved due to the quick and decisive actions of the off-duty Great Bend Police officer who happened to be at the scene and the rapid response of Wichita officers, which helped prevent further tragedy. I urge parents to monitor their children’s activities, possessions, and associates. Community involvement is crucial if we are to keep our youth safe and prevent these incidents from occurring.”This incident remains under active investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Wichita Police Department detectives or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Teens critically injured in Kan. mall parking lot shooting

ALLEN COUNTY — A Kansas man was hospitalized after a grain bin accident in rural Allen County.

Just before 8p.m. Thursday emergency crews responded to the Bernsten Farms, 3061 Utah Road near La Harpe, according to a statement from The&nbsp;Allen County Sheriff’s Office.

The farmer was working inside the 10,000 bushel bin when the corn shifted and he was trapped. After four hours, emergency crews were able to extricate him through the roof. He was transported to the Allen County Hospital

Crews from La Harpe, Iola, Colony and Anderson County assisted in the rescue.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754702271561.png" alt="Photos Allen County Sheriff'f office" />
 <figcaption>Photos Allen County Sheriff'f office</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLEN COUNTY — A Kansas man was hospitalized after a grain bin accident in rural Allen County.Just before 8p.m. Thursday emergency crews responded to the Bernsten Farms, 3061 Utah Road near La Harpe, according to a statement from The&nbsp;Allen County Sheriff’s Office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754743823489.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The farmer was working inside the 10,000 bushel bin when the corn shifted and he was trapped. After four hours, emergency crews were able to extricate him through the roof. He was transported to the Allen County HospitalCrews from La Harpe, Iola, Colony and Anderson County assisted in the rescue.&nbsp;

Kansas man rescued after trapped for hours in grain bin

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan shook hands Friday at a White House peace summit before signing an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict.

President Donald Trump was in the middle as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan flanked him on either side. As the two extended their arms in front of Trump to shake hands, the U.S. leader reached up and clasped his hands around theirs.

The two countries in the South Caucasus signed agreements with each other and the U.S. that will reopen key transportation routes while allowing the U.S. to seize on Russia’s declining influence in the region. The deal includes an agreement that will create a major transit corridor to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said.

Trump said at the White House on Friday that naming the route after him was “a great honor for me” but “I didn’t ask for this.” A senior administration official, on a call before the event with reporters, said it was the Armenians who suggested the name.

Trump has sought to be known as a peacemaker and made no secret of the fact that he covets a Nobel Peace Prize. Friday’s signing adds to a series of peace and economic agreements brokered by the U.S. this year.

Both leaders said the breakthrough was made possible by Trump and his team.

“We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past,” Pashinyan said, calling the agreement a “significant milestone.”

“President Trump in six months did a miracle,” Aliyev said.

Trump remarked on how long the conflict went on between the two countries. “Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time,” he said.

That route will connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 32-kilometer-wide (20-mile-wide) patch of Armenian territory. The demand from Azerbaijan had held up peace talks in the past.

For Azerbaijan, a major producer of oil and gas, the route also provides a more direct link to Turkey and onward to Europe.

Trump indicated he'd like to visit the route, saying, “We're going to have to get over there."

Asked how he feels about lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trump said “very confident."

Aliyev and Pashinyan on Friday joined a growing list of foreign leaders and other officials who have said Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in helping ease long-running conflicts across the globe.

The peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda helped end the decadeslong&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congo-rwanda-drc-peace-deal-m23-trump-5e5b52100729ad6587a6f267c6c79ae0">conflict in eastern Congo</a>, and the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-india-pakistan-kashmir-trade-e3cedcad801ce78c85194fcbf3b917f0">mediated a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;between India and Pakistan, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thailand-cambodia-border-clash-ceasefire-36da6c2ba1a1c33a16ca6ddf1cb82bda">Trump intervened in clashes between Cambodia and Thailand</a>&nbsp;by threatening to withhold trade agreements with both countries if their fighting continued. Yet peace deals in Gaza and Ukraine have been elusive.

US takes advantage of Russia's waning influence

The signing of a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet republics, also strikes a geopolitical blow to their former imperial master, Russia. Throughout the nearly four-decade conflict, Moscow played mediator to expand its clout in the strategic South Caucasus region, but its influence waned quickly after it launched the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">full-scale invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;in February 2022. The Trump-brokered deal would allow the U.S. to deepen its reach in the region as Moscow retreats, senior U.S. administration officials said.

The Trump administration began engaging with Armenia and Azerbaijan in earnest earlier this year, when Trump’s key diplomatic envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Aliyev in Baku and started to discuss what a senior administration official called a “regional reset.”

Negotiations over who will develop the Trump Route — which will eventually include a rail line, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic lines — will likely begin next week, and at least nine developers have expressed interest already, according to the senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Separate from the joint agreement, both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/armenia">Armenia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>&nbsp;signed deals with the United States meant to bolster cooperation in energy, technology and the economy, the White House said.

Trump previewed much of Friday’s plan in a social media post Thursday evening, in which he said the agreements would “fully unlock the potential" of the South Caucasus region.

“Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP,’” Trump said on his Truth Social site.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has lasted for decades

The two nations were locked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-aliyev-pashinyan-abu-dhabi-72cf31b11dd3dfe2e47fafce6f325251">in conflict for nearly four decades</a>&nbsp;as they fought for control of the Karabakh region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh.

The area was largely populated by Armenians during the Soviet era but is located within Azerbaijan. The two nations battled for control of the region through multiple violent clashes that left tens of thousands of people dead over the decades, all while international mediation efforts failed.

Most recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/azerbaijan-armenia-explosions-nagornokarabakh-73df9b8b03c3748868e2e358b67bd018">Azerbaijan reclaimed all of Karabakh in 2023</a>&nbsp;and had been in talks with Armenia to normalize ties. Azerbaijan’s insistence on a land bridge to Nakhchivan had been a major sticking point, because while Azerbaijan did not trust Armenia to control the so-called Zangezur corridor, Armenia resisted control by a third party because it viewed it as a breach of sovereignty.

But the prospect of closer ties with the United States, as well as being able to move in and out of the landlocked nation more freely without having to access Georgia or Iran, helped entice Armenia on the broader agreement, according to U.S. officials.

Meanwhile, Russia stood back when Azerbaijan reclaimed control of Karabakh in the September 2023 offensive, angering Armenia, which has moved to shed Russian influence and turn westward. Azerbaijan, emboldened by its victory in Karabakh, also has become increasingly defiant in its relations with Moscow.

Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard and Will Weissert contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754688307887.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan shook hands Friday at a White House peace summit before signing an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict.President Donald Trump was in the middle as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan flanked him on either side. As the two extended their arms in front of Trump to shake hands, the U.S. leader reached up and clasped his hands around theirs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Donald J. Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign peace and economic agreements at the White House <a href="https://t.co/yUvKZf0g0r">pic.twitter.com/yUvKZf0g0r</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953914524081201264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev <a href="https://twitter.com/presidentaz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@presidentaz</a>: We will turn the page of standoff, confrontation, and bloodshed ... I am very happy because today, we are writing a great new history. Mr. President, thank you for what you are doing for us, for our region, and for the whole world. <a href="https://t.co/5FPTM0afwf">pic.twitter.com/5FPTM0afwf</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953913464629735696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Armenian Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/NikolPashinyan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikolPashinyan</a>: &quot;I think President Trump deserves to have the Nobel Peace Prize... we will promote for that... Today&#39;s event I think is a very bright expression of that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/p7nzMswU8l">https://t.co/p7nzMswU8l</a> <a href="https://t.co/pk0AqmaMYd">pic.twitter.com/pk0AqmaMYd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953915878287851540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/presidentaz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@presidentaz</a>: &quot;Maybe we agree with Prime Minister Pashinyan to send a joint appeal to the Nobel committee to award President Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize... This is a tangible result of President Trump&#39;s leadership and no one could&#39;ve achieved that.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/CVE1GkXL5X">pic.twitter.com/CVE1GkXL5X</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953916600542757100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The two countries in the South Caucasus signed agreements with each other and the U.S. that will reopen key transportation routes while allowing the U.S. to seize on Russia’s declining influence in the region. The deal includes an agreement that will create a major transit corridor to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said.Trump said at the White House on Friday that naming the route after him was “a great honor for me” but “I didn’t ask for this.” A senior administration official, on a call before the event with reporters, said it was the Armenians who suggested the name.Trump has sought to be known as a peacemaker and made no secret of the fact that he covets a Nobel Peace Prize. Friday’s signing adds to a series of peace and economic agreements brokered by the U.S. this year.Both leaders said the breakthrough was made possible by Trump and his team.“We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past,” Pashinyan said, calling the agreement a “significant milestone.”“President Trump in six months did a miracle,” Aliyev said.Trump remarked on how long the conflict went on between the two countries. “Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time,” he said.That route will connect Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, which are separated by a 32-kilometer-wide (20-mile-wide) patch of Armenian territory. The demand from Azerbaijan had held up peace talks in the past.For Azerbaijan, a major producer of oil and gas, the route also provides a more direct link to Turkey and onward to Europe.Trump indicated he'd like to visit the route, saying, “We're going to have to get over there."Asked how he feels about lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trump said “very confident."Aliyev and Pashinyan on Friday joined a growing list of foreign leaders and other officials who have said Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in helping ease long-running conflicts across the globe.The peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda helped end the decadeslong&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congo-rwanda-drc-peace-deal-m23-trump-5e5b52100729ad6587a6f267c6c79ae0">conflict in eastern Congo</a>, and the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-india-pakistan-kashmir-trade-e3cedcad801ce78c85194fcbf3b917f0">mediated a ceasefire</a>&nbsp;between India and Pakistan, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thailand-cambodia-border-clash-ceasefire-36da6c2ba1a1c33a16ca6ddf1cb82bda">Trump intervened in clashes between Cambodia and Thailand</a>&nbsp;by threatening to withhold trade agreements with both countries if their fighting continued. Yet peace deals in Gaza and Ukraine have been elusive.<h2>US takes advantage of Russia's waning influence</h2>The signing of a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet republics, also strikes a geopolitical blow to their former imperial master, Russia. Throughout the nearly four-decade conflict, Moscow played mediator to expand its clout in the strategic South Caucasus region, but its influence waned quickly after it launched the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">full-scale invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;in February 2022. The Trump-brokered deal would allow the U.S. to deepen its reach in the region as Moscow retreats, senior U.S. administration officials said.The Trump administration began engaging with Armenia and Azerbaijan in earnest earlier this year, when Trump’s key diplomatic envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Aliyev in Baku and started to discuss what a senior administration official called a “regional reset.”Negotiations over who will develop the Trump Route — which will eventually include a rail line, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic lines — will likely begin next week, and at least nine developers have expressed interest already, according to the senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.Separate from the joint agreement, both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/armenia">Armenia</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a>&nbsp;signed deals with the United States meant to bolster cooperation in energy, technology and the economy, the White House said.Trump previewed much of Friday’s plan in a social media post Thursday evening, in which he said the agreements would “fully unlock the potential" of the South Caucasus region.“Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP,’” Trump said on his Truth Social site.<h2>The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has lasted for decades</h2>The two nations were locked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-aliyev-pashinyan-abu-dhabi-72cf31b11dd3dfe2e47fafce6f325251">in conflict for nearly four decades</a>&nbsp;as they fought for control of the Karabakh region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh.The area was largely populated by Armenians during the Soviet era but is located within Azerbaijan. The two nations battled for control of the region through multiple violent clashes that left tens of thousands of people dead over the decades, all while international mediation efforts failed.Most recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/azerbaijan-armenia-explosions-nagornokarabakh-73df9b8b03c3748868e2e358b67bd018">Azerbaijan reclaimed all of Karabakh in 2023</a>&nbsp;and had been in talks with Armenia to normalize ties. Azerbaijan’s insistence on a land bridge to Nakhchivan had been a major sticking point, because while Azerbaijan did not trust Armenia to control the so-called Zangezur corridor, Armenia resisted control by a third party because it viewed it as a breach of sovereignty.But the prospect of closer ties with the United States, as well as being able to move in and out of the landlocked nation more freely without having to access Georgia or Iran, helped entice Armenia on the broader agreement, according to U.S. officials.Meanwhile, Russia stood back when Azerbaijan reclaimed control of Karabakh in the September 2023 offensive, angering Armenia, which has moved to shed Russian influence and turn westward. Azerbaijan, emboldened by its victory in Karabakh, also has become increasingly defiant in its relations with Moscow.___Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard and Will Weissert contributed to this report.

Trump seals peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. —Investigators have positively identified the individual whose body was located in the Missouri River on Wednesday evening as&nbsp;32-year-old Dusenge Y. Mukiza of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

&nbsp;An autopsy revealed no evidence of trauma or foul play.

Just after 8:30p.m. a couple who were fishing called 911 and reported seeing a body in the water near 210 Highway and Edwards Road. 

When deputies arrived, they found Mukiz'a body of the man on the north side of the river. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Water Patrol Division assisted with recovering the body.

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. —Investigators have positively identified the individual whose body was located in the Missouri River on Wednesday evening as&nbsp;32-year-old Dusenge Y. Mukiza of Kansas City, Kansas, according to a statement from the Clay County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.&nbsp;An autopsy revealed no evidence of trauma or foul play.Just after 8:30p.m. a couple who were fishing called 911 and reported seeing a body in the water near 210 Highway and Edwards Road. When deputies arrived, they found Mukiz'a body of the man on the north side of the river. The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Water Patrol Division assisted with recovering the body.

Body found by couple fishing in river identified as Kansas man

Merit-based selection adherents keen to keep status quo, reformists want direct elections

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — Campaigns for and against a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution allowing direct election of justices to the Kansas Supreme Court have begun the one-year charge to the August 2026 primary election where the issue will be decided.

While Attorney General Kris Kobach lauded the potential switch to statewide elections at an Americans for Prosperity-Kansas dinner in Wichita, a panel of skeptics brought together by Kansas Appleseed outlined Wednesday for an audience on the University of Kansas campus the reasons it would be a mistake to abandon the existing merit-based selection process.

Retired Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier, who served on the high court from 2003 to 2020, said opening the process up to expensive popular elections financed by special interests was contrary to the idea of an independent judiciary. Vague language of the amendment in terms of the process for electing justices to had yet to be clarified by the Legislature, she said.

“It is exceedingly vague,” she said. “It will be decided by the Legislature. Do you trust them?”

Mark Tallman, who lobbied for three decades at the Capitol and continues to work with the Kansas Association of School Boards, said the state Constitution mandated the Legislature make suitable provision for the financing of public education. Four major lawsuits over the past 60 years delved into constitutionality of school aid and the Supreme Court weighed into each of those disputes, he said.

He said the current school funding formula for K-12 public schools was due to expire in 2027 and substantive changes could trigger more lawsuits likely to work their way to the Supreme Court.

“Those who have been active in our association fundamentally believe that the system works and we shouldn’t risk change,” Tallman said.

Teresa Woody, litigation director of the advocacy organization Kansas Appleseed, said it would be impossible for elections of Supreme Court justices to be anything other than partisan brawls. She said the current system properly relied on candidates submitting applications, the selection of three finalists by an independent commission and appointment of new justices by a Kansas governor.

“It will work much better than the best iteration of a (proposed) constitutional amendment in really protecting Kansans’ rights,” Woody said. “Judges are there to interpret the law, not to make the law.”

Conventional wisdom says the amendment on next year’s ballot was the creation of conservative politicians frustrated with Supreme Court decisions leading to increases in state funding of K-12 public schools and declaring women had a constitutional right to abortion.

Steady reshuffling of the Supreme Court at the ballot box could influence judicial review of those poignant issues, but the Supreme Court also could assume a transformative role in voting rights and capital punishment cases.

“The Legislature appears to believe that partisan judges are likely to side with them on certain issues regardless of the rule of law,” Woody said. “They’re trying to change the rules of the game to be more favorable to those special interests and not to the general citizens of Kansas.”

Meanwhile, Kobach said he was pleased to be with AFP-Kansas to kick off of the campaign to gain voter approval for the judicial selection amendment. The amendment was endorsed by two-thirds majorities of the House and Senate. To be added to the state constitution, a simple majority of people casting votes on the August 2026 issue would resolve whether the amendment was added or discarded.

“People, not only lawyers in smoke-filled back rooms, should have a voice in selecting Kansas Supreme Court justices,” Kobach said.

In the past, Kobach said, adoption of the constitutional amendment would enable Kansans to reclaim the right to vote for justices.

“Polling shows that Kansans overwhelmingly prefer voting on Supreme Court justices to the status quo,” Kobach said. “Seventy-four percent support the direct election of Supreme Court justices, while only 20% like the current attorney-controlled system.”

In Kansas, the merit-based selection process used to fill the seven seats on the Supreme Court relied on work of a nominating commission. It has nine members, with five elected by attorneys who passed the state bar exam. The four nonlawyers are appointed by the governor.

Commission interviews with candidates and the voting by commission members are open to the public and livestreamed on the internet. On Thursday, Gov. Laura Kelly selected a new justice to the Supreme Court by choosing from among three finalists nominated by the commission. She could have rejected all three nominees, which would have returned it to the nominating commission for a redo.

“It’s an ultra-rigorous vetting process. I’ve been through it myself,” said Beier, who was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals by Republican Gov. Bill Graves and to the Supreme Court by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Appellate judges and justices in Kansas must stand every six years for retention elections by Kansas voters.

In 2013, GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature agreed to alter state law to replace the merit-based process for vacancies on the Court of Appeals with a system of appointment by the governor subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate. Kelly has voluntarily made use of merit selection as she submitted Court of Appeals nominees to the Senate.

Brownback couldn’t use statute to amend the selection method for the Supreme Court because the structure was embedded in the Constitution.

Woody said rural voters ought to be wary of the proposed constitutional amendment because a majority vote would be applied to candidates for the Supreme Court. Kelly won reelection as governor in 2022 by winning fewer than 10 of the state’s 105 counties. That outcome suggested a cluster of urban centers — perhaps Johnson, Douglas, Wyandotte, Sedgwick and Riley counties — could dictate who sat on the Supreme Court.

Beier said legislative and executive branch politicians by their nature were expected to declare policy preferences and allow voters to hold accountable to their personal pledges and the platforms of political parties.

She said judges and justices should operate in a manner that concentrated on facts in evidence, weighed issues raised by participants and took into account laws enacted by government.

“Nowhere in that did you hear judges should worry about their popularity,” Beier said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754657223916.png" alt=" From left, Mark Tallman of the Kansas Association of School Boards, Teresa Woody, litigation director of Kansas Appleseed, and retired Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier participate in a panel discussion Wednesday at the University of Kansas on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow direct election of Supreme Court justices. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> From left, Mark Tallman of the Kansas Association of School Boards, Teresa Woody, litigation director of Kansas Appleseed, and retired Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier participate in a panel discussion Wednesday at the University of Kansas on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow direct election of Supreme Court justices. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Merit-based selection adherents keen to keep status quo, reformists want direct elections</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — Campaigns for and against a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution allowing direct election of justices to the Kansas Supreme Court have begun the one-year charge to the August 2026 primary election where the issue will be decided.While Attorney General Kris Kobach lauded the potential switch to statewide elections at an Americans for Prosperity-Kansas dinner in Wichita, a panel of skeptics brought together by Kansas Appleseed outlined Wednesday for an audience on the University of Kansas campus the reasons it would be a mistake to abandon the existing merit-based selection process.Retired Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier, who served on the high court from 2003 to 2020, said opening the process up to expensive popular elections financed by special interests was contrary to the idea of an independent judiciary. Vague language of the amendment in terms of the process for electing justices to had yet to be clarified by the Legislature, she said.“It is exceedingly vague,” she said. “It will be decided by the Legislature. Do you trust them?”Mark Tallman, who lobbied for three decades at the Capitol and continues to work with the Kansas Association of School Boards, said the state Constitution mandated the Legislature make suitable provision for the financing of public education. Four major lawsuits over the past 60 years delved into constitutionality of school aid and the Supreme Court weighed into each of those disputes, he said.He said the current school funding formula for K-12 public schools was due to expire in 2027 and substantive changes could trigger more lawsuits likely to work their way to the Supreme Court.“Those who have been active in our association fundamentally believe that the system works and we shouldn’t risk change,” Tallman said.Teresa Woody, litigation director of the advocacy organization Kansas Appleseed, said it would be impossible for elections of Supreme Court justices to be anything other than partisan brawls. She said the current system properly relied on candidates submitting applications, the selection of three finalists by an independent commission and appointment of new justices by a Kansas governor.“It will work much better than the best iteration of a (proposed) constitutional amendment in really protecting Kansans’ rights,” Woody said. “Judges are there to interpret the law, not to make the law.”Conventional wisdom says the amendment on next year’s ballot was the creation of conservative politicians frustrated with Supreme Court decisions leading to increases in state funding of K-12 public schools and declaring women had a constitutional right to abortion.Steady reshuffling of the Supreme Court at the ballot box could influence judicial review of those poignant issues, but the Supreme Court also could assume a transformative role in voting rights and capital punishment cases.“The Legislature appears to believe that partisan judges are likely to side with them on certain issues regardless of the rule of law,” Woody said. “They’re trying to change the rules of the game to be more favorable to those special interests and not to the general citizens of Kansas.”Meanwhile, Kobach said he was pleased to be with AFP-Kansas to kick off of the campaign to gain voter approval for the judicial selection amendment. The amendment was endorsed by two-thirds majorities of the House and Senate. To be added to the state constitution, a simple majority of people casting votes on the August 2026 issue would resolve whether the amendment was added or discarded.“People, not only lawyers in smoke-filled back rooms, should have a voice in selecting Kansas Supreme Court justices,” Kobach said.In the past, Kobach said, adoption of the constitutional amendment would enable Kansans to reclaim the right to vote for justices.“Polling shows that Kansans overwhelmingly prefer voting on Supreme Court justices to the status quo,” Kobach said. “Seventy-four percent support the direct election of Supreme Court justices, while only 20% like the current attorney-controlled system.”In Kansas, the merit-based selection process used to fill the seven seats on the Supreme Court relied on work of a nominating commission. It has nine members, with five elected by attorneys who passed the state bar exam. The four nonlawyers are appointed by the governor.Commission interviews with candidates and the voting by commission members are open to the public and livestreamed on the internet. On Thursday, Gov. Laura Kelly selected a new justice to the Supreme Court by choosing from among three finalists nominated by the commission. She could have rejected all three nominees, which would have returned it to the nominating commission for a redo.“It’s an ultra-rigorous vetting process. I’ve been through it myself,” said Beier, who was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals by Republican Gov. Bill Graves and to the Supreme Court by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.Appellate judges and justices in Kansas must stand every six years for retention elections by Kansas voters.In 2013, GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature agreed to alter state law to replace the merit-based process for vacancies on the Court of Appeals with a system of appointment by the governor subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate. Kelly has voluntarily made use of merit selection as she submitted Court of Appeals nominees to the Senate.Brownback couldn’t use statute to amend the selection method for the Supreme Court because the structure was embedded in the Constitution.Woody said rural voters ought to be wary of the proposed constitutional amendment because a majority vote would be applied to candidates for the Supreme Court. Kelly won reelection as governor in 2022 by winning fewer than 10 of the state’s 105 counties. That outcome suggested a cluster of urban centers — perhaps Johnson, Douglas, Wyandotte, Sedgwick and Riley counties — could dictate who sat on the Supreme Court.Beier said legislative and executive branch politicians by their nature were expected to declare policy preferences and allow voters to hold accountable to their personal pledges and the platforms of political parties.She said judges and justices should operate in a manner that concentrated on facts in evidence, weighed issues raised by participants and took into account laws enacted by government.“Nowhere in that did you hear judges should worry about their popularity,” Beier said.

Rivals launch fight over Kansas constitutional amendment to elect Supreme Court justices

DOUGLAS COUNTY–&nbsp;A motorcyclist died in an accident that occurred just after 4p.m. Friday in Lawrence.

According to Lawrence Police spokesperson Laura McCabe, a car was westbound on 21 Street.&nbsp; The motorcycle was northbound on Naismith Drive.&nbsp; The two collided.&nbsp;

Officers immediately blocked traffic heading north on Naismith while paramedics worked to assess the driver of the motorcycle.&nbsp; Medics from Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical pronounced the motorcyclist dead at the scene.

 A helicopter, which was set to respond, was cancelled once it was obvious the motorcycle driver did not survive.  He was wearing a helmet. The driver of the car had minor physical injuries and cooperated fully with the investigation.

Responding officers interviewed several witnesses who saw the crash happen. LKPD’s Accident Investigations Unit responded and is working to determine the exact cause of the crash.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the man who died.

DOUGLAS COUNTY–&nbsp;A motorcyclist died in an accident that occurred just after 4p.m. Friday in Lawrence.According to Lawrence Police spokesperson Laura McCabe, a car was westbound on 21 Street.&nbsp; The motorcycle was northbound on Naismith Drive.&nbsp; The two collided.&nbsp;Officers immediately blocked traffic heading north on Naismith while paramedics worked to assess the driver of the motorcycle.&nbsp; Medics from Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical pronounced the motorcyclist dead at the scene. A helicopter, which was set to respond, was cancelled once it was obvious the motorcycle driver did not survive. He was wearing a helmet. The driver of the car had minor physical injuries and cooperated fully with the investigation.Responding officers interviewed several witnesses who saw the crash happen. LKPD’s Accident Investigations Unit responded and is working to determine the exact cause of the crash.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the man who died.

Motorcyclist dies in 2-vehicle Kansas crash

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas.

Preliminary information indicates that at 2:49 p.m., a male subject, later identified as Paul Beasley Jr., 24, of Kansas City, Kansas, entered a business at 8301 State Avene and pointed a firearm at the cashier, according to a media release from the KBI. Beasley demanded that the cashier call 911 and indicate the store was being robbed.

At approximately 2:50 p.m., a KCKPD officer entered the store and was confronted by Beasley. The officer observed the suspect was holding a firearm, and retreated outside. Beasley followed the officer out of the store, where police had gathered, and a shooting occurred. Five officers fired during the shooting, striking the suspect.

Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and transported Beasley to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

When this investigation concludes case findings will be presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney for determination of charges. The investigation is ongoing.

KANSAS CITY, Kan.&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas.Preliminary information indicates that at 2:49 p.m., a male subject, later identified as Paul Beasley Jr., 24, of Kansas City, Kansas, entered a business at 8301 State Avene and pointed a firearm at the cashier, according to a media release from the KBI. Beasley demanded that the cashier call 911 and indicate the store was being robbed.At approximately 2:50 p.m., a KCKPD officer entered the store and was confronted by Beasley. The officer observed the suspect was holding a firearm, and retreated outside. Beasley followed the officer out of the store, where police had gathered, and a shooting occurred. Five officers fired during the shooting, striking the suspect.Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and transported Beasley to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.When this investigation concludes case findings will be presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney for determination of charges. The investigation is ongoing.

KBI: Man dead after Kansas officer shooting

WICHITA, KAN, – A Kansas businessman pleaded guilty to various charges related to defrauding clients of his accounting firm by falsely claiming money he had stolen was being used to pay business expenses, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.

Flanagin, a certified public accountant (CPA), used his status as a signatory on the accounts of his clients’ business, Diamond M. Farms, to make unauthorized transactions between December 2021 and August 2022. He wrote multiple checks and initiated wire transfers totaling approximately $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch under the guise of being payments for farm operations. 

Middle Finger Ranch is a fictitious business name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. Flanagin actually used the illegally obtained funds to pay for the construction on his new home.

Flanagin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714043354777.png" alt="Flanagin from his booking in Sedgwick County in April 2024" />
 <figcaption>Flanagin from his booking in Sedgwick County in April 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN, – A Kansas businessman pleaded guilty to various charges related to defrauding clients of his accounting firm by falsely claiming money he had stolen was being used to pay business expenses, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 45, of Colby pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of false statements, and one count of money laundering.Flanagin, a certified public accountant (CPA), used his status as a signatory on the accounts of his clients’ business, Diamond M. Farms, to make unauthorized transactions between December 2021 and August 2022. He wrote multiple checks and initiated wire transfers totaling approximately $409,710 to Middle Finger Ranch under the guise of being payments for farm operations. Middle Finger Ranch is a fictitious business name that Flanagin connected to his personal bank account. Flanagin actually used the illegally obtained funds to pay for the construction on his new home.Flanagin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

Kan. CPA, creator of ‘Middle Finger Ranch,’ admits fraud scheme

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations. Just before 7a.m. August 5, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;conducted a narcotic search warrant in the 1100 block of Laing Street in Osage City, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

John C. Neu, 42, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754409688637.png" alt="Neu photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Neu photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations. Just before 7a.m. August 5, a sheriff's deputy&nbsp;conducted a narcotic search warrant in the 1100 block of Laing Street in Osage City, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.John C. Neu, 42, of Osage City was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Kansas man accused of meth possession after drug bust

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poll-trump-sanctions-deadline-7cefb2df66f494f58a16b684a2c76687">to discuss ending the war in Ukraine</a>, a potential breakthrough after weeks of expressing frustration that more was not being done to quell the fighting.

The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the details, which Trump announced on social media, but both nations had said they expected a meeting could happen as soon as next week.

Such a summit could be a pivotal moment in a war that began more than three years ago when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there’s no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">far apart on their conditions for peace</a>.

Trump earlier Friday suggested that any agreement would likely involve “some swapping of territories," but he gave no details. Analysts, including some close to the Kremlin, have suggested that Russia could offer to give up territory it controls outside of the four regions it claims to have annexed.

Earlier in the day, Trump indicated his meeting with Putin would come before any sit-down discussion involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump also previously agreed to meet with Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Zelenskyy. That stoked fears in Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined in efforts to stop the continent’s biggest conflict since World War II.

Trump's announcement that he planned to host one of America's adversaries on U.S. soil broke with expectations that he'd meet Putin in a third country. The gesture gives Putin validation after the U.S. and its allies had long sought to make him a pariah over his war against Ukraine.

Early in Putin's tenure, he regularly met with his U.S. counterparts. That dropped off and the tone became icier as tensions mounted between Russia and the West after Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and faced allegations of meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections.

Putin's last visit to the U.S. was in 2015, when he attended the U.N. General Assembly Meeting in New York. The meeting in Alaska would be the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.

Speaking to reporters earlier Friday at the White House after announcing a framework aimed at ending decades of conflict elsewhere in the world — between Armenia and Azerbaijan — Trump said he would meet with Putin “very shortly," but refused to say exactly when or where.

Later on social media, he announced what he called “the highly anticipated meeting” would happen Aug. 15 in Alaska. He said more details would follow.

Trump had told reporters that the summit would have been sooner, “but I guess there’s security arrangements that unfortunately people have to make.”

Trump said, “President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelenskyy wants to see peace." He said that, “In all fairness to President Zelenskyy, he’s getting everything he needs to, assuming we get something done.”

Trump said a peace deal would likely mean Ukraine and Russia would swap some territory they each control.

“Nothing easy," the president said. “But we’re gonna get some back. We’re gonna get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both.”

Pressed on if this was the last chance to make a major peace deal, Trump said, “I don’t like using the term last chance,” and said that, “When those guns start going off, it’s awfully tough to get ’em to stop.”

Exasperated that Putin did not heed his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump almost two weeks ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-deadline-ultimatum-0e4cfb5969be5d02217be90f7521ce48">moved up his ultimatum</a>&nbsp;to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-sanctions-tariffs-witkoff-9444ab7b042944090d51a73ae871571a">deadline was Friday.</a>

Prior to his announcing the meeting with Putin, Trump’s efforts to pressure Russia into stopping the fighting have so far&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">delivered no progress</a>. The Kremlin's bigger army is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at great cost in troops and armor while it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-attack-trump-putin-42474bc80c492190ec88861322ff0f84">relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities</a>. Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms for peace.

Ukrainian troops say they are ready to keep fighting

Ukrainian forces are locked in intense battles along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that snakes from northeast to southeast Ukraine. The Pokrovsk area of the eastern Donetsk region is taking the brunt of punishment as Russia seeks to break out into the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine has significant manpower shortages.

Intense fighting is also taking place in Ukraine's northern Sumy border region, where Ukrainian forces are engaging Russian soldiers to prevent reinforcements being sent from there to Donetsk.

In the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk, a commander said he believes Moscow isn’t interested in peace.

“It is impossible to negotiate with them. The only option is to defeat them,” Buda, a commander of a drone unit in the Spartan Brigade, told The Associated Press. He used only his call sign, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military.

“I would like them to agree and for all this to stop, but Russia will not agree to that. It does not want to negotiate. So the only option is to defeat them,” he said.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a howitzer commander using the call sign Warsaw, said troops are determined to thwart Russia’s invasion.

“We are on our land, we have no way out,” he said. “So we stand our ground, we have no choice.”

The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which he informed Xi about the results of his meeting earlier this week with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-witkoff-special-envoy-russia-ukraine-mideast-d26c80c87a57fd3a811e4b0aa0eda58e">Trump envoy Steve Witkoff</a>. Kremlin officials said Xi “expressed support for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on a long-term basis.”

Putin is due to visit China next month. China, along with North Korea and Iran, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pacific-russia-china-north-korea-weapons-ukraine-8ad7156898f1391557d5e53d5d09a02c">provided military support</a>&nbsp;for Russia’s war effort, the U.S. says.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he also had a call with Putin to speak about the latest Ukraine developments. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-india-russia-oil-tariffs-2db9dc22d7b56624bdceb2e15c134d60">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, which the American president says is helping to finance Russia’s war.

Putin’s calls followed his phone conversations with the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, the Kremlin said.

The calls suggested to at least one analyst that Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia’s most important allies about a potential settlement that could be reached at a summit with Trump.

“It means that some sort of real peace agreement has been reached for the first time,” said Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst.

Analysts say Putin is aiming to outlast the West

Putin said in a previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">statement</a>&nbsp;that he hoped to meet with Trump as early as next week, possibly in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-arab-emirates">United Arab Emirates</a>.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said in an assessment Thursday that “Putin remains uninterested in ending his war and is attempting to extract bilateral concessions from the United States without meaningfully engaging in a peace process.”

“Putin continues to believe that time is on Russia’s side and that Russia can outlast Ukraine and the West,” it said.

Stepanenko reported from the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poll-trump-sanctions-deadline-7cefb2df66f494f58a16b684a2c76687">to discuss ending the war in Ukraine</a>, a potential breakthrough after weeks of expressing frustration that more was not being done to quell the fighting.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://t.co/ClTl6TjL0S">pic.twitter.com/ClTl6TjL0S</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1953940364290572777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the details, which Trump announced on social media, but both nations had said they expected a meeting could happen as soon as next week.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this… <a href="https://t.co/SI3twRJayp">pic.twitter.com/SI3twRJayp</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1953945651857052106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Such a summit could be a pivotal moment in a war that began more than three years ago when Russia invaded its western neighbor and has led to tens of thousands of deaths, although there’s no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-memorandum-talks-instanbul-6014fb7e87c15aa60e30bf72bf6cd2fd">far apart on their conditions for peace</a>.Trump earlier Friday suggested that any agreement would likely involve “some swapping of territories," but he gave no details. Analysts, including some close to the Kremlin, have suggested that Russia could offer to give up territory it controls outside of the four regions it claims to have annexed.Earlier in the day, Trump indicated his meeting with Putin would come before any sit-down discussion involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump also previously agreed to meet with Putin even if the Russian leader would not meet with Zelenskyy. That stoked fears in Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined in efforts to stop the continent’s biggest conflict since World War II.Trump's announcement that he planned to host one of America's adversaries on U.S. soil broke with expectations that he'd meet Putin in a third country. The gesture gives Putin validation after the U.S. and its allies had long sought to make him a pariah over his war against Ukraine.Early in Putin's tenure, he regularly met with his U.S. counterparts. That dropped off and the tone became icier as tensions mounted between Russia and the West after Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and faced allegations of meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections.Putin's last visit to the U.S. was in 2015, when he attended the U.N. General Assembly Meeting in New York. The meeting in Alaska would be the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.Speaking to reporters earlier Friday at the White House after announcing a framework aimed at ending decades of conflict elsewhere in the world — between Armenia and Azerbaijan — Trump said he would meet with Putin “very shortly," but refused to say exactly when or where.Later on social media, he announced what he called “the highly anticipated meeting” would happen Aug. 15 in Alaska. He said more details would follow.Trump had told reporters that the summit would have been sooner, “but I guess there’s security arrangements that unfortunately people have to make.”Trump said, “President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelenskyy wants to see peace." He said that, “In all fairness to President Zelenskyy, he’s getting everything he needs to, assuming we get something done.”Trump said a peace deal would likely mean Ukraine and Russia would swap some territory they each control.“Nothing easy," the president said. “But we’re gonna get some back. We’re gonna get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both.”Pressed on if this was the last chance to make a major peace deal, Trump said, “I don’t like using the term last chance,” and said that, “When those guns start going off, it’s awfully tough to get ’em to stop.”Exasperated that Putin did not heed his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, Trump almost two weeks ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-deadline-ultimatum-0e4cfb5969be5d02217be90f7521ce48">moved up his ultimatum</a>&nbsp;to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move toward a settlement. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-trump-sanctions-tariffs-witkoff-9444ab7b042944090d51a73ae871571a">deadline was Friday.</a>Prior to his announcing the meeting with Putin, Trump’s efforts to pressure Russia into stopping the fighting have so far&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250">delivered no progress</a>. The Kremlin's bigger army is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at great cost in troops and armor while it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-attack-trump-putin-42474bc80c492190ec88861322ff0f84">relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities</a>. Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms for peace.<h2>Ukrainian troops say they are ready to keep fighting</h2>Ukrainian forces are locked in intense battles along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that snakes from northeast to southeast Ukraine. The Pokrovsk area of the eastern Donetsk region is taking the brunt of punishment as Russia seeks to break out into the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine has significant manpower shortages.Intense fighting is also taking place in Ukraine's northern Sumy border region, where Ukrainian forces are engaging Russian soldiers to prevent reinforcements being sent from there to Donetsk.In the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk, a commander said he believes Moscow isn’t interested in peace.“It is impossible to negotiate with them. The only option is to defeat them,” Buda, a commander of a drone unit in the Spartan Brigade, told The Associated Press. He used only his call sign, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military.“I would like them to agree and for all this to stop, but Russia will not agree to that. It does not want to negotiate. So the only option is to defeat them,” he said.In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a howitzer commander using the call sign Warsaw, said troops are determined to thwart Russia’s invasion.“We are on our land, we have no way out,” he said. “So we stand our ground, we have no choice.”<h2>Putin makes a flurry of phone calls</h2>The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which he informed Xi about the results of his meeting earlier this week with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-witkoff-special-envoy-russia-ukraine-mideast-d26c80c87a57fd3a811e4b0aa0eda58e">Trump envoy Steve Witkoff</a>. Kremlin officials said Xi “expressed support for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on a long-term basis.”Putin is due to visit China next month. China, along with North Korea and Iran, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pacific-russia-china-north-korea-weapons-ukraine-8ad7156898f1391557d5e53d5d09a02c">provided military support</a>&nbsp;for Russia’s war effort, the U.S. says.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he also had a call with Putin to speak about the latest Ukraine developments. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-india-russia-oil-tariffs-2db9dc22d7b56624bdceb2e15c134d60">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, which the American president says is helping to finance Russia’s war.Putin’s calls followed his phone conversations with the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, the Kremlin said.The calls suggested to at least one analyst that Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia’s most important allies about a potential settlement that could be reached at a summit with Trump.“It means that some sort of real peace agreement has been reached for the first time,” said Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst.<h2>Analysts say Putin is aiming to outlast the West</h2>Putin said in a previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">statement</a>&nbsp;that he hoped to meet with Trump as early as next week, possibly in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/united-arab-emirates">United Arab Emirates</a>.The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said in an assessment Thursday that “Putin remains uninterested in ending his war and is attempting to extract bilateral concessions from the United States without meaningfully engaging in a peace process.”“Putin continues to believe that time is on Russia’s side and that Russia can outlast Ukraine and the West,” it said.___Stepanenko reported from the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. Associated Press writers Samya Kullab in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

President Trump confirms when, where he will meet Putin

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754675842988.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Great to spend time <a href="https://twitter.com/USDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDA</a>&#39;s Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRollins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EDSecMcMahon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaCrowley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MonicaCrowley</a> to celebrate America 250. If you missed this year&#39;s market, don&#39;t worry because next year&#39;s will be even better! <a href="https://t.co/xw1SljgozN">pic.twitter.com/xw1SljgozN</a>&mdash; Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin/status/1953850346406588462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;The farmers, ranchers, and producers at the Great American Farmers Market not only represent the legacy of American agriculture but also the future of an industry defined by faith, determination, and hospitality.&quot; Check out <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRollins</a>&#39; latest op-ed featured in <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCExaminer</a> ➡️… <a href="https://t.co/0lCWwE41Fo">pic.twitter.com/0lCWwE41Fo</a>&mdash; Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/USDA/status/1953551226735669744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Day 4 of the Great American Farmers Market was dedicated to our fantastic Foresters &amp; Firefighters! 🇺🇸 Honored to join <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EDSecMcMahon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@epaleezeldin</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaCrowley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MonicaCrowley</a> in celebrating our amazing forest firefighters, raising wildfire awareness, and wishing… <a href="https://t.co/l6O1uRhSRT">pic.twitter.com/l6O1uRhSRT</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1953438074496569663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I had a great time at <a href="https://twitter.com/USDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDA</a>’s Great American Farmers Market! My fellow cabinet members <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRollins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@howardlutnick</a> , and <a href="https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@epaleezeldin</a> and I celebrated firefighters, promoted wildfire awareness, and of course honored Smokey Bear’s 81st birthday. <a href="https://t.co/c2WNBeEGd1">pic.twitter.com/c2WNBeEGd1</a>&mdash; Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1953251587784360190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">America’s Golden Age under <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’ leadership is so strong even our tractors are turning gold. <a href="https://t.co/v6UzgjBBvv">pic.twitter.com/v6UzgjBBvv</a>&mdash; Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryTurner/status/1952910028261741027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kan. represented during Great American Farmer's Market on National Mall

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement in Saline County are investigating a fatal&nbsp; crash that occurred just after 5:30a.m. Friday and have made an arrest.

According to Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes, a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by&nbsp;32-year-old Kayla Errebo of Lorraine was westbound on Kansas 140 at South Reese Road in rural Saline County. The Jeep entered the eastbound lanes and struck a&nbsp;Chevrolet truck driven by&nbsp;61-year-old Mark Sommerfeld of Brookville head-on.

A passenger in the Chevy identified as 55-year-old Deanna Sommerfeld from Brookville was pronounced deceased on scene. 

EMS transported a Mark Sommerfield to Salina Regional Health Center Both were properly restrained, according to Hughes.

Errebo was not at the scene of the crash. Deputies located her just before 8:30a.m. at an address in Ellsworth.&nbsp; She had minor&nbsp;injuries that did not require medical treatment. Errebo was taken into custody and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Murder in&nbsp; the second degree, Failure to report an injury accident, Circumvention of ignition interlock device and Probation violation

The Saline County Sheriffs Office is actively investigating the incident and encourages anyone with information to contact out office at 785-826-6500.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754697774905.png" alt="Kayla Errebo had a previous arrest for alleged DUI in June of 2024. She was also accused of DUI in January of 2024, according to online jail records. photo Saline Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Kayla Errebo had a previous arrest for alleged DUI in June of 2024. She was also accused of DUI in January of 2024, according to online jail records. photo Saline Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement in Saline County are investigating a fatal&nbsp; crash that occurred just after 5:30a.m. Friday and have made an arrest.According to Saline County Sheriff's Captain Jim Hughes, a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by&nbsp;32-year-old Kayla Errebo of Lorraine was westbound on Kansas 140 at South Reese Road in rural Saline County. The Jeep entered the eastbound lanes and struck a&nbsp;Chevrolet truck driven by&nbsp;61-year-old Mark Sommerfeld of Brookville head-on.A passenger in the Chevy identified as 55-year-old Deanna Sommerfeld from Brookville was pronounced deceased on scene. EMS transported a Mark Sommerfield to Salina Regional Health Center Both were properly restrained, according to Hughes.Errebo was not at the scene of the crash. Deputies located her just before 8:30a.m. at an address in Ellsworth.&nbsp; She had minor&nbsp;injuries that did not require medical treatment. Errebo was taken into custody and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Murder in&nbsp; the second degree, Failure to report an injury accident, Circumvention of ignition interlock device and Probation violationThe Saline County Sheriffs Office is actively investigating the incident and encourages anyone with information to contact out office at 785-826-6500.

Driver arrested after head-on crash that killed Kansas woman

NEW YORK (AP) —U.S. stocks closed higher Friday, capping a choppy week of trading with the market’s third winning week in the last four and another milestone.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.8%, finishing just shy of the record it set last week. The benchmark index also wiped out its losses from a slide last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1% to the all-time high it set a day earlier.

Technology companies, with their hefty stock values, did much of the heavy lifting for the market. Nvidia rose 1.1% and Apple gained 4.2%.

Gilead Sciences jumped 8.3% for one of the market's biggest gains. It reported financial results that easily beat analysts' forecasts, while also raising its earnings forecast for the year. Expedia Group rose 4.1% after also reporting encouraging financial results.

They are among the final big batch of companies within the S&amp;P 500 to report mostly strong financial results for the second quarter. Still, many have warned that current tariffs could cut into their profits.

Financial sector stocks also helped drive the market higher. Bank of America gained 2.4% and Mastercard rose 2.3%.

Elsewhere in the market, entertainment giant Paramount Skydance slid 10.5% a day after the company was created by the closing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paramount-skydance-merger-fcc-approval-74836c0da9dc0b33f580f714a3f2bfbb">an $8 billion merger</a>&nbsp;of Skydance and Paramount. Shares in rival Warner Bros. Discovery sank 8%.

The main focus throughout the week has been on President Donald Trump’s trade war and its potential impact on the U.S. economy, as well as the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy. Trump began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-3b03b98296424e59c7dc19a865d21969">imposing higher import taxes</a>&nbsp;on dozens of countries Thursday.

Still, the market appeared to largely shrug off the latest tariff escalation.

“The S&amp;P 500’s rebound this week may highlight the extent to which the market is becoming numb to tariff headlines,” said Daniel Skelly, head of Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management Market Research &amp; Strategy Team.

The unknown path of the economy amid an unpredictable tariff policy has been the key reason for the Fed to hold its benchmark interest rate steady.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has been under increasing pressure from Trump to cut interest rates. Policy decisions aren’t made solely by the Fed chair. All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee vote on interest rate changes.

Trump has an opportunity to exert more control over the Fed following his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-reserve-miran-794df2cd9d33b327bf3b836a553dd5ef">nomination of Stephen Miran</a>&nbsp;to a vacancy on the Fed’s board of governors. Miran is a top economic adviser to Trump and is a near-certain vote in support of lower interest rates.

The Fed’s last decision to hold interest rates steady included two votes to lower interest rates. Its next meeting is in September, and Wall Street is overwhelmingly betting that the central bank will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.

Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.28% from 4.25% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury which more closely tracks expectations for Fed actions, rose to 3.76% from 3.73% late Thursday.

The expectation for an interest rate cut follows a series of signals last week that the economy could be weakening. That included reports showing that inflation edged higher in June and employers in the U.S. hit the brakes on hiring in July.

Both are key concerns for the Fed, which has been trying to cool inflation down to its target rate of 2% while also fulfilling its “full employment” mandate.

Lower interest rates can give the economy and investment prices a boost, though the downside is that they can also push inflation higher. Concerns about inflation reheating could be overshadowed by worries about a weakening employment market.

Wall Street and the Fed will get more insight next week on inflation's temperature and the economy. The government will release updates on inflation at both the consumer and wholesale levels, along with a report on retail sales.

“We believe stocks will stay supported amid solid fundamentals, but fresh headlines in the coming week may challenge investor sentiment that remains vulnerable to tariff, economic, and geopolitical risks,” said Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, chief investment officer for the Americas and global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 49.45 points to 6,389.45. The Dow rose 206.97 points to 44,175.61, and the Nasdaq rose 207.32 points to finish at 21,450.02.

Asian markets closed mostly lower except in Tokyo, where the Nikkei rose 1.9% after Japan’s main trade envoy said the U.S. had agreed to correct a problem over tariffs that will apply to exports to the U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) —U.S. stocks closed higher Friday, capping a choppy week of trading with the market’s third winning week in the last four and another milestone.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.8%, finishing just shy of the record it set last week. The benchmark index also wiped out its losses from a slide last week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1% to the all-time high it set a day earlier.Technology companies, with their hefty stock values, did much of the heavy lifting for the market. Nvidia rose 1.1% and Apple gained 4.2%.Gilead Sciences jumped 8.3% for one of the market's biggest gains. It reported financial results that easily beat analysts' forecasts, while also raising its earnings forecast for the year. Expedia Group rose 4.1% after also reporting encouraging financial results.They are among the final big batch of companies within the S&amp;P 500 to report mostly strong financial results for the second quarter. Still, many have warned that current tariffs could cut into their profits.Financial sector stocks also helped drive the market higher. Bank of America gained 2.4% and Mastercard rose 2.3%.Elsewhere in the market, entertainment giant Paramount Skydance slid 10.5% a day after the company was created by the closing of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/paramount-skydance-merger-fcc-approval-74836c0da9dc0b33f580f714a3f2bfbb">an $8 billion merger</a>&nbsp;of Skydance and Paramount. Shares in rival Warner Bros. Discovery sank 8%.The main focus throughout the week has been on President Donald Trump’s trade war and its potential impact on the U.S. economy, as well as the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy. Trump began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-mexico-3b03b98296424e59c7dc19a865d21969">imposing higher import taxes</a>&nbsp;on dozens of countries Thursday.Still, the market appeared to largely shrug off the latest tariff escalation.“The S&amp;P 500’s rebound this week may highlight the extent to which the market is becoming numb to tariff headlines,” said Daniel Skelly, head of Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management Market Research &amp; Strategy Team.The unknown path of the economy amid an unpredictable tariff policy has been the key reason for the Fed to hold its benchmark interest rate steady.Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has been under increasing pressure from Trump to cut interest rates. Policy decisions aren’t made solely by the Fed chair. All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee vote on interest rate changes.Trump has an opportunity to exert more control over the Fed following his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-federal-reserve-miran-794df2cd9d33b327bf3b836a553dd5ef">nomination of Stephen Miran</a>&nbsp;to a vacancy on the Fed’s board of governors. Miran is a top economic adviser to Trump and is a near-certain vote in support of lower interest rates.The Fed’s last decision to hold interest rates steady included two votes to lower interest rates. Its next meeting is in September, and Wall Street is overwhelmingly betting that the central bank will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.28% from 4.25% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury which more closely tracks expectations for Fed actions, rose to 3.76% from 3.73% late Thursday.The expectation for an interest rate cut follows a series of signals last week that the economy could be weakening. That included reports showing that inflation edged higher in June and employers in the U.S. hit the brakes on hiring in July.Both are key concerns for the Fed, which has been trying to cool inflation down to its target rate of 2% while also fulfilling its “full employment” mandate.Lower interest rates can give the economy and investment prices a boost, though the downside is that they can also push inflation higher. Concerns about inflation reheating could be overshadowed by worries about a weakening employment market.Wall Street and the Fed will get more insight next week on inflation's temperature and the economy. The government will release updates on inflation at both the consumer and wholesale levels, along with a report on retail sales.“We believe stocks will stay supported amid solid fundamentals, but fresh headlines in the coming week may challenge investor sentiment that remains vulnerable to tariff, economic, and geopolitical risks,” said Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, chief investment officer for the Americas and global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 49.45 points to 6,389.45. The Dow rose 206.97 points to 44,175.61, and the Nasdaq rose 207.32 points to finish at 21,450.02.Asian markets closed mostly lower except in Tokyo, where the Nikkei rose 1.9% after Japan’s main trade envoy said the U.S. had agreed to correct a problem over tariffs that will apply to exports to the U.S.European markets were mixed.

Wall Street clocks another winning week

CHICAGO (AP) — James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97.

Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA said in a statement on Friday.

“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” NASA said. “We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”

One of NASA’s most traveled astronauts in the agency’s first decade, Lovell flew four times — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 — with the two Apollo flights riveting the folks back on Earth.

In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew of Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and the first to fly to and circle the moon. They could not land, but they put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers told the crew that their stunning pale blue dot photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and the crew’s Christmas Eve reading from Genesis saved America from a tumultuous 1968.

The Apollo 13 mission had a lifelong impact on Lovell

But the big rescue mission was still to come. That was during the harrowing Apollo 13 flight in April 1970. Lovell was supposed to be the fifth man to walk on the moon. But Apollo 13’s service module, carrying Lovell and two others, experienced a sudden oxygen tank explosion on its way to the moon. The astronauts barely survived, spending four cold and clammy days in the cramped lunar module as a lifeboat.

''The thing that I want most people to remember is (that) in some sense it was very much of a success,’' Lovell said during a 1994 interview. ''Not that we accomplished anything, but a success in that we demonstrated the capability of (NASA) personnel.’'

A retired Navy captain known for his calm demeanor, Lovell told a NASA historian that his brush with death did affect him.

“I don’t worry about crises any longer,” he said in 1999. Whenever he has a problem, “I say, ‘I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.’ So, I don’t worry about crises.”

And the mission’s retelling in the popular 1995 movie “Apollo 13” brought Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert renewed fame — thanks in part to Lovell’s movie persona reporting “Houston, we have a problem,” a phrase he didn’t exactly utter.

Lovell had ice water in his veins like other astronauts, but he didn’t display the swagger some had, just quiet confidence, said Smithsonian Institution historian Roger Launius. He called Lovell “a very personable, very down-to-earth type of person, who says ‘This is what I do. Yes, there’s risk involved. I measure risk.’”

Lovell spent a total of nearly 30 days in space

In all, Lovell flew four space missions — and until the Skylab flights of the mid-1970s, he held the world record for the longest time in space with 715 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds.

Aboard Apollo 8, Lovell described the oceans and land masses of Earth. “What I keep imagining, is if I am some lonely traveler from another planet, what I would think about the Earth at this altitude, whether I think it would be inhabited or not,” he remarked.

That mission may be as important as the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, a flight made possible by Apollo 8, Launius said.

“I think in the history of space flight, I would say that Jim was one of the pillars of the early space flight program,” Gene Kranz, NASA’s legendary flight director, once said.

Lovell was immortalized by Tom Hanks’ portrayal

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754681672588.png" alt="James Lovell -image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>James Lovell -image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran. Lovell&#39;s life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today. <a href="https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI">https://t.co/AjT8qmxsZI</a> <a href="https://t.co/jBlxzgrmSk">pic.twitter.com/jBlxzgrmSk</a>&mdash; NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1953893398995243332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois, NASA said in a statement on Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591121929614.png" alt="The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere" />
 <figcaption>The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754689800377.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount,” NASA said. “We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.”One of NASA’s most traveled astronauts in the agency’s first decade, Lovell flew four times — Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 — with the two Apollo flights riveting the folks back on Earth.In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew of Lovell, Frank Borman and William Anders was the first to leave Earth’s orbit and the first to fly to and circle the moon. They could not land, but they put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers told the crew that their stunning pale blue dot photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and the crew’s Christmas Eve reading from Genesis saved America from a tumultuous 1968.<h2>The Apollo 13 mission had a lifelong impact on Lovell</h2>But the big rescue mission was still to come. That was during the harrowing Apollo 13 flight in April 1970. Lovell was supposed to be the fifth man to walk on the moon. But Apollo 13’s service module, carrying Lovell and two others, experienced a sudden oxygen tank explosion on its way to the moon. The astronauts barely survived, spending four cold and clammy days in the cramped lunar module as a lifeboat.''The thing that I want most people to remember is (that) in some sense it was very much of a success,’' Lovell said during a 1994 interview. ''Not that we accomplished anything, but a success in that we demonstrated the capability of (NASA) personnel.’'A retired Navy captain known for his calm demeanor, Lovell told a NASA historian that his brush with death did affect him.“I don’t worry about crises any longer,” he said in 1999. Whenever he has a problem, “I say, ‘I could have been gone back in 1970. I’m still here. I’m still breathing.’ So, I don’t worry about crises.”And the mission’s retelling in the popular 1995 movie “Apollo 13” brought Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert renewed fame — thanks in part to Lovell’s movie persona reporting “Houston, we have a problem,” a phrase he didn’t exactly utter.Lovell had ice water in his veins like other astronauts, but he didn’t display the swagger some had, just quiet confidence, said Smithsonian Institution historian Roger Launius. He called Lovell “a very personable, very down-to-earth type of person, who says ‘This is what I do. Yes, there’s risk involved. I measure risk.’”<h2>Lovell spent a total of nearly 30 days in space</h2>In all, Lovell flew four space missions — and until the Skylab flights of the mid-1970s, he held the world record for the longest time in space with 715 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds.Aboard Apollo 8, Lovell described the oceans and land masses of Earth. “What I keep imagining, is if I am some lonely traveler from another planet, what I would think about the Earth at this altitude, whether I think it would be inhabited or not,” he remarked.That mission may be as important as the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, a flight made possible by Apollo 8, Launius said.“I think in the history of space flight, I would say that Jim was one of the pillars of the early space flight program,” Gene Kranz, NASA’s legendary flight director, once said.<h2>Lovell was immortalized by Tom Hanks’ portrayal</h2>But if historians consider Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 the most significant of the Apollo missions, it was during Lovell’s last mission — immortalized by the popular film starring Tom Hanks as Lovell — that he came to embody for the public the image of the cool, decisive astronaut.The Apollo 13 crew of Lovell, Haise and Swigert was on the way to the moon in April 1970, when an oxygen tank from the spaceship exploded 200,000 miles from Earth.That, Lovell recalled, was “the most frightening moment in this whole thing.” Then oxygen began escaping and “we didn’t have solutions to get home.”“We knew we were in deep, deep trouble,” he told NASA’s historian.Four-fifths of the way to the moon, NASA scrapped the mission. Suddenly, their only goal was to survive.Lovell’s “Houston, we’ve had a problem,” a variation of a comment Swigert had radioed moments before, became famous. In Hanks’ version, it became “Houston, we have a problem.”What unfolded over the next four days captured the imagination of the nation and the world, which until then had largely been indifferent about what seemed a routine mission.With Lovell commanding the spacecraft, Kranz led hundreds of flight controllers and engineers in a furious rescue plan.The plan involved the astronauts moving from the service module, which was hemorrhaging oxygen, into the cramped, dark and frigid lunar lander while they rationed their dwindling oxygen, water and electricity. Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, they swung around the moon, aimed for Earth and raced home.By coolly solving the problems under the most intense pressure imaginable, the astronauts and the crew on the ground became heroes. In the process of turning what seemed routine into a life-and-death struggle, the entire flight team had created one of NASA’s finest moments that ranks with Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s walks on the moon nine months earlier.“They demonstrated to the world they could handle truly horrific problems and bring them back alive,” said Launius.The loss of the opportunity to walk on the moon “is my one regret,” Lovell said in a 1995 interview with The Associated Press for a story on the 25th anniversary of the mission.President Bill Clinton agreed when he awarded Lovell the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1995. “While you may have lost the moon ... you gained something that is far more important perhaps: the abiding respect and gratitude of the American people,” he said.Lovell once said that while he was disappointed he never walked on the moon, “The mission itself and the fact that we triumphed over certain catastrophe does give me a deep sense of satisfaction.”And Lovell clearly understood why this failed mission afforded him far more fame than had Apollo 13 accomplished its goal.“Going to the moon, if everything works right, it’s like following a cookbook. It’s not that big a deal,” he told the AP in 2004. “If something goes wrong, that’s what separates the men from the boys.”James A. Lovell was born March 25, 1928, in Cleveland. He attended the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland. On the day he graduated in 1952, he and his wife, Marilyn, were married.A test pilot at the Navy Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, Lovell was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1962.Lovell retired from the Navy and from the space program in 1973, and went into private business. In 1994, he and Jeff Kluger wrote “Lost Moon,” the story of the Apollo 13 mission and the basis for the film “Apollo 13.” In one of the final scenes, Lovell appeared as a Navy captain, the rank he actually had.He and his family ran a now-closed restaurant in suburban Chicago, Lovell’s of Lake Forest.His wife, Marilynn, died in 2023. Survivors include four children.___AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.