JERUSALEM —From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability.

To continue the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its ability to conduct external attacks, United States Central Command, along with our Defeat ISIS partners, Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, conducted 196 Defeat ISIS Missions resulting in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024. In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations conducted alongside the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 ISIS operatives detained. 

The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria. These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations.

The continued pursuit of the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters at large across Iraq and Syria is a critical component to the enduring defeat of ISIS.  Equally important are the ongoing international efforts to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in detention facilities in Syria, and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of more than 43,000 individuals and families from the Al Hol and Al Roj camps. This is down from the peak of over 70,000 in 2019. 

“The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the Coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”

JERUSALEM —From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability.To continue the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its ability to conduct external attacks, United States Central Command, along with our Defeat ISIS partners, Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, conducted 196 Defeat ISIS Missions resulting in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024. In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations conducted alongside the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 ISIS operatives detained. The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria. These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations.The continued pursuit of the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters at large across Iraq and Syria is a critical component to the enduring defeat of ISIS. Equally important are the ongoing international efforts to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in detention facilities in Syria, and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of more than 43,000 individuals and families from the Al Hol and Al Roj camps. This is down from the peak of over 70,000 in 2019. “The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the Coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. “We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces.”

ISIS on pace to more than double number of attacks they claimed in 2023

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>

President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation in political rhetoric but kept up criticism of former President Donald Trump on Monday, in Biden’s first interview since a Saturday assassination attempt on Trump.

Talking to NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Biden said he called the injured Trump on Saturday to convey his well wishes.

But he argued to Holt that Trump, whom Republicans officially nominated as their presidential candidate at their convention Monday, remains a threat to U.S. democracy who routinely employed violent rhetoric and led an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Biden said it was a mistake to use the word “bullseye” on a call with Democratic donors last week, when telling them to concentrate on the Republican candidate instead of the fallout from Biden’s poor debate performance.

Many elected officials and fundraisers after the debate wondered if Biden should withdraw from his reelection campaign.

“I meant focus on him,” Biden said of Trump. “Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies.”

The former president survived a shooting on Saturday that killed one person and left two others injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was killed at the scene.

Biden said he did not intentionally use violent rhetoric, but did not apologize or back down from his criticisms of Trump as a “threat to democracy.”

“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said.

“I’m not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “My opponent is engaged in that rhetoric, talking about there will be a bloodbath if he loses.”

He also noted Trump said he would commute the sentences of those convicted for attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and mocked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband after he was assaulted by a man with a hammer during a home invasion.

“This doesn’t sound like you’re turning down the heat,” Holt said.

Biden responded that some ideas that Trump champions — continuing to challenge the 2020 election results despite losing in dozens of court cases, demanding a loyalty pledge from Republicans, calling political opponents “vermin” and saying he would be a dictator on day one of a second term — were antithetical to democracy.

Biden focused especially on the Jan. 6 attack, when a mob of Trump supporters sought to stop Congress and Vice President Mike Pence from certifying Biden’s 2020 victory over then-President Trump.

“When you say there’s nothing wrong with going to the Capitol, breaking in, threatening people, a couple cops dying, putting up a noose and gallows for the former vice president, and then you say you’re going to forgive people for that? That you’re going to pardon them?” Biden said.

“Violence is never appropriate,” he said. “Never, never, never, never, never in politics.”

He pledged to “keep talking about the issues” and chastised Holt and the rest of the news media for what he said was a lack of focus on real policy issues.

“Sometime come and talk to me about what we should be talking about, OK? The issues,” Biden said at the close of the roughly 20-minute interview.

Holt asked Biden about the news earlier Monday that Judge Aileen Cannon, a federal judge in South Florida,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">dismissed the charges</a>&nbsp;against Trump in a case accusing him of improperly storing classified documents from his presidency.

Biden said he felt the decision from a Trump-appointed federal judge was reached in error.

“I’m not surprised,” Biden said. “But my generic point is that … the basis upon which the case was thrown out, I find specious.”

Asked by Holt if he’d “weathered the storm” of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-camp-works-stem-growing-democratic-unease-over-reelection-prospects" target="_blank">Democratic discontent</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-and-trump-trade-insults-accusations-lying-acrimonious-presidential-debate" target="_blank">his June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;performance that shook confidence in his candidacy, Biden said he was staying in the race, citing his victories in primaries and caucuses that didn’t see a serious challenge to his reelection.

“Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?” Biden said. “I listen to them.”

Biden again conceded he’d “had a bad, bad night” at the debate, but told Holt that news reports should have paid more attention to Trump’s performance.

“I screwed up,” Biden said. “Why didn’t the press cover all the lies he told?”

Asked about comments from senior members of his party in Congress, including Pelosi and former No. 3 House Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, seeming to leave open the possibility he could step aside, Biden said he remained ready to campaign on a strong record.

The race remains close even after the poor debate, Biden said. He added that he’s had one of the most successful presidencies since Franklin Roosevelt nearly 100 years ago.

“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three-and-a-half years, so I’m willing to be judged on that.”

Biden, 81, said he understood the concerns about his age and called it a “legitimate question” to ask how he would perform over the next four years.

But when Holt asked if Biden was motivated to “get back on the horse” and debate Trump again “in the next few weeks,” Biden pushed back, noting a packed public schedule since the debate.

“I’m on the horse,” he told the interviewer. “Where you been?”

Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-president-trump-taps-ohio-us-sen-jd-vance-running-mate-2024" target="_blank">choice of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio</a>&nbsp;as his running mate showed that he would surround himself “with people who agree completely with him,” Biden said.

Holt noted Vance has made comments about Biden, but the president urged Holt to examine Vance’s comments about Trump. In 2016, as a private citizen with a somewhat public profile as a businessperson and memoirist, Vance made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/opioid-of-the-masses/489911/" target="_blank">several harsh comments</a>&nbsp;about Trump.

Biden expressed some frustration that Holt did not seem interested in that history.

“He said some things about me, but see what he said about Trump,” Biden said. “What’s with you guys? Come on, man.”

The president said Vance has endorsed Republican positions to severely restrict abortion, cut taxes on high-income earners and to deny climate change.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation in political rhetoric but kept up criticism of former President Donald Trump on Monday, in Biden’s first interview since a Saturday assassination attempt on Trump.Talking to NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Biden said he called the injured Trump on Saturday to convey his well wishes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">There’s no place at all for violence in politics at all in America. Zero.<a href="https://t.co/BrDeLD8bKq">pic.twitter.com/BrDeLD8bKq</a>&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1813033120998039586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But he argued to Holt that Trump, whom Republicans officially nominated as their presidential candidate at their convention Monday, remains a threat to U.S. democracy who routinely employed violent rhetoric and led an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.Biden said it was a mistake to use the word “bullseye” on a call with Democratic donors last week, when telling them to concentrate on the Republican candidate instead of the fallout from Biden’s poor debate performance.Many elected officials and fundraisers after the debate wondered if Biden should withdraw from his reelection campaign.“I meant focus on him,” Biden said of Trump. “Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies.”The former president survived a shooting on Saturday that killed one person and left two others injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was killed at the scene.Biden said he did not intentionally use violent rhetoric, but did not apologize or back down from his criticisms of Trump as a “threat to democracy.”“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said.“I’m not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “My opponent is engaged in that rhetoric, talking about there will be a bloodbath if he loses.”He also noted Trump said he would commute the sentences of those convicted for attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and mocked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband after he was assaulted by a man with a hammer during a home invasion.“This doesn’t sound like you’re turning down the heat,” Holt said.Biden responded that some ideas that Trump champions — continuing to challenge the 2020 election results despite losing in dozens of court cases, demanding a loyalty pledge from Republicans, calling political opponents “vermin” and saying he would be a dictator on day one of a second term — were antithetical to democracy.Biden focused especially on the Jan. 6 attack, when a mob of Trump supporters sought to stop Congress and Vice President Mike Pence from certifying Biden’s 2020 victory over then-President Trump.“When you say there’s nothing wrong with going to the Capitol, breaking in, threatening people, a couple cops dying, putting up a noose and gallows for the former vice president, and then you say you’re going to forgive people for that? That you’re going to pardon them?” Biden said.“Violence is never appropriate,” he said. “Never, never, never, never, never in politics.”He pledged to “keep talking about the issues” and chastised Holt and the rest of the news media for what he said was a lack of focus on real policy issues.“Sometime come and talk to me about what we should be talking about, OK? The issues,” Biden said at the close of the roughly 20-minute interview.<h2>Classified documents charges</h2>Holt asked Biden about the news earlier Monday that Judge Aileen Cannon, a federal judge in South Florida,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-criminal-case" target="_blank">dismissed the charges</a>&nbsp;against Trump in a case accusing him of improperly storing classified documents from his presidency.Biden said he felt the decision from a Trump-appointed federal judge was reached in error.“I’m not surprised,” Biden said. “But my generic point is that … the basis upon which the case was thrown out, I find specious.”<h2>Debate fallout</h2>Asked by Holt if he’d “weathered the storm” of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-camp-works-stem-growing-democratic-unease-over-reelection-prospects" target="_blank">Democratic discontent</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-and-trump-trade-insults-accusations-lying-acrimonious-presidential-debate" target="_blank">his June 27 debate</a>&nbsp;performance that shook confidence in his candidacy, Biden said he was staying in the race, citing his victories in primaries and caucuses that didn’t see a serious challenge to his reelection.“Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?” Biden said. “I listen to them.”Biden again conceded he’d “had a bad, bad night” at the debate, but told Holt that news reports should have paid more attention to Trump’s performance.“I screwed up,” Biden said. “Why didn’t the press cover all the lies he told?”Asked about comments from senior members of his party in Congress, including Pelosi and former No. 3 House Democrat Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, seeming to leave open the possibility he could step aside, Biden said he remained ready to campaign on a strong record.The race remains close even after the poor debate, Biden said. He added that he’s had one of the most successful presidencies since Franklin Roosevelt nearly 100 years ago.“I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three-and-a-half years, so I’m willing to be judged on that.”Biden, 81, said he understood the concerns about his age and called it a “legitimate question” to ask how he would perform over the next four years.But when Holt asked if Biden was motivated to “get back on the horse” and debate Trump again “in the next few weeks,” Biden pushed back, noting a packed public schedule since the debate.“I’m on the horse,” he told the interviewer. “Where you been?”<h2>Vance pick</h2>Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-president-trump-taps-ohio-us-sen-jd-vance-running-mate-2024" target="_blank">choice of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio</a>&nbsp;as his running mate showed that he would surround himself “with people who agree completely with him,” Biden said.Holt noted Vance has made comments about Biden, but the president urged Holt to examine Vance’s comments about Trump. In 2016, as a private citizen with a somewhat public profile as a businessperson and memoirist, Vance made&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/opioid-of-the-masses/489911/" target="_blank">several harsh comments</a>&nbsp;about Trump.Biden expressed some frustration that Holt did not seem interested in that history.“He said some things about me, but see what he said about Trump,” Biden said. “What’s with you guys? Come on, man.”The president said Vance has endorsed Republican positions to severely restrict abortion, cut taxes on high-income earners and to deny climate change.

Biden says ‘bullseye’ remark about Trump was a mistake but defends criticism

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue working to identify the body of a man found in the Arkansas River on Thursday.

Just after 4p.m., first responders were called to a location on the river near Pawnee and Broadway in south Wichita. The victim, described as possibly in his 30s, was pulled from the water and pronounced deceased.

On Friday afternoon, police investigators were still working with the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death and learn his identity, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720813873343.png" alt="Firs responders on the scene Thursday along the Arkansas River-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Firs responders on the scene Thursday along the Arkansas River-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement continue working to identify the body of a man found in the Arkansas River on Thursday.Just after 4p.m., first responders were called to a location on the river near Pawnee and Broadway in south Wichita. The victim, described as possibly in his 30s, was pulled from the water and pronounced deceased.On Friday afternoon, police investigators were still working with the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death and learn his identity, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Investigators working to ID body found in river in Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed&nbsp;a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.

House passage of the resolution on a party-line vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024354?Page=2" target="_blank">210-205</a>, is part of a barrage of GOP pushback at the state and federal levels to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-betsy-devos-lead-attack-title-ix-rule-protects-lgbtq-kids" target="_blank">Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;since its April release. For all schools that receive federal funding, the rule protects against discrimination for students based on “sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”

Twenty-six states with GOP attorneys general have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">sued to block</a>&nbsp;the rule, and courts have temporarily blocked it from going into effect in 14 states on August 1.

The 14 states with temporary blocks are: Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-title-ix-regulation-targeted-republicans-congress" target="_blank">introduced the legislation</a>&nbsp;in early June. A week later, the Republican-controlled House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved it. Miller’s resolution seeks to reverse the rule through the&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10023" target="_blank">Congressional Review Act</a>, a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.

In the Senate, Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/96" target="_blank">also introduced legislation</a>&nbsp;in June to try to block the final rule under the same tool. The Senate version has gathered over 30 Republican cosponsors.

Rep. Virginia Foxx — chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a fierce opponent of the administration’s final rule — said during the floor debate Wednesday that she wanted to preserve Title IX, which helped equalize funding for women’s sports and education programs beginning in 1972.

“Title IX ushered in a golden era for women’s competition and education,” the North Carolina Republican said. “There is sanctity in the community and tradition of these memories, these spaces and these opportunities for young girls.”

Regardless of whether the attempt to roll back the measure is successful in the Democratic-controlled Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HJRes-165.pdf" target="_blank">Biden</a>’s veto threat leaves virtually no possibility it could be adopted this year.

Democrats, LGBTQ advocates in opposition&nbsp;

Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have described the effort to overturn the rule as motivated by misinformation and fear.

“Unfortunately, this resolution has been clouded by misinformation, unfounded fears and with some, just hatred of transgender individuals,” said Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, during the debate.

Oregon’s Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education — said the resolution was “another attempt to undercut this administration’s efforts to empower survivors and protect all Americans from discrimination.”

“If Republicans truly cared about protecting women and children, they would stop this prejudiced rhetoric and take action on bills that would actually protect women from discrimination and harassment and defend women’s reproductive health care, make child care more affordable, preserve opportunities in workplaces for all parents, especially women,” Bonamici said.

Scott called on the House to “reject these narratives and focus on real issues of safety and equity.”

Meanwhile, challenges to the rule are playing out in a handful of federal courts.

Last week, Judge John Broomes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas temporarily blocked the measure from taking effect in the Sunflower State, along with Alaska, Utah and Wyoming.

Broomes also halted the rule from taking effect in “the schools attended by the members of Young America’s Foundation or Female Athletes United, as well as the schools attended by the children of the members of Moms for Liberty,” all groups that sued alongside the four states, per the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>.

Under Broomes’ order, the rule is also halted in an Oklahoma public school attended by a minor who is one of the plaintiffs.

In June, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/title-ix-transgender/" target="_blank">issued a temporary injunction</a>&nbsp;barring the final rule from taking effect there, along with Idaho, Mississippi and Montana.

In Kentucky federal court, Chief Judge Danny Reeves&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/06/17/us-judge-in-kentucky-blocks-biden-title-ix-rules-says-sex-gender-identity-not-the-same-thing/" target="_blank">temporarily blocked the final rule</a>&nbsp;in the Bluegrass State, plus Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia. Reeves rejected the department’s request for a partial stay of the injunction while its appeal plays out, per a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801.117.0.pdf" target="_blank">Wednesday court filing</a>.

The Education Department has confirmed it is appealing the other two rulings but did not have an update Wednesday on whether it is filing a notice of appeal on the most recent ruling in the Kansas federal court.

The spokesperson reiterated earlier this week that the agency has “asked the trial courts to allow the bulk of the final rule to take effect in these states as scheduled, on August 1, while the appeals are pending.”

LGBTQ advocacy groups push back on GOP effort

Allen Morris, policy director for the advocacy group National LGBTQ Task Force, said the vote was part of a pattern of anti-LGBTQ policy measures.

“When you look at the rise in hatred and the rise in violence and the rise of young LGBTQ individuals not having the support that they need, where suicide rates are high, it is disappointing to see our opposition go against us with such a high level of intention,” he said.

Morris told States Newsroom that “a lot of what is happening with this extremism is not founded in truth.”

“It is founded in ways to spew hate and to spew fear. It is a lot of fear mongering, and it’s anything to make people feel like their backs are up against the wall, or as if they don’t have the power,” he said.

Echoing a previous statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said it “does not comment on pending legislation” and emphasized that all schools receiving federal funding are obligated to comply with the new regulations as a condition of receiving those funds.

The department has yet to finalize a separate rule establishing new criteria for transgender athletes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720781223271.png" alt=" The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>&nbsp;WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed&nbsp;a measure to reverse an Education Department rule seeking to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, though President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the legislation should it land on his desk.House passage of the resolution on a party-line vote,&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024354?Page=2" target="_blank">210-205</a>, is part of a barrage of GOP pushback at the state and federal levels to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-betsy-devos-lead-attack-title-ix-rule-protects-lgbtq-kids" target="_blank">Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX</a>&nbsp;since its April release. For all schools that receive federal funding, the rule protects against discrimination for students based on “sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”Twenty-six states with GOP attorneys general have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-half-states-sue-block-biden-title-ix-rule-protecting-lgbtq-students" target="_blank">sued to block</a>&nbsp;the rule, and courts have temporarily blocked it from going into effect in 14 states on August 1.The 14 states with temporary blocks are: Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-title-ix-regulation-targeted-republicans-congress" target="_blank">introduced the legislation</a>&nbsp;in early June. A week later, the Republican-controlled House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved it. Miller’s resolution seeks to reverse the rule through the&nbsp;<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10023" target="_blank">Congressional Review Act</a>, a procedural tool Congress can use to overturn certain actions from federal agencies.In the Senate, Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/96" target="_blank">also introduced legislation</a>&nbsp;in June to try to block the final rule under the same tool. The Senate version has gathered over 30 Republican cosponsors.Rep. Virginia Foxx — chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a fierce opponent of the administration’s final rule — said during the floor debate Wednesday that she wanted to preserve Title IX, which helped equalize funding for women’s sports and education programs beginning in 1972.“Title IX ushered in a golden era for women’s competition and education,” the North Carolina Republican said. “There is sanctity in the community and tradition of these memories, these spaces and these opportunities for young girls.”Regardless of whether the attempt to roll back the measure is successful in the Democratic-controlled Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SAP-HJRes-165.pdf" target="_blank">Biden</a>’s veto threat leaves virtually no possibility it could be adopted this year.<h2>Democrats, LGBTQ advocates in opposition&nbsp;</h2>Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have described the effort to overturn the rule as motivated by misinformation and fear.“Unfortunately, this resolution has been clouded by misinformation, unfounded fears and with some, just hatred of transgender individuals,” said Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, during the debate.Oregon’s Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education — said the resolution was “another attempt to undercut this administration’s efforts to empower survivors and protect all Americans from discrimination.”“If Republicans truly cared about protecting women and children, they would stop this prejudiced rhetoric and take action on bills that would actually protect women from discrimination and harassment and defend women’s reproductive health care, make child care more affordable, preserve opportunities in workplaces for all parents, especially women,” Bonamici said.Scott called on the House to “reject these narratives and focus on real issues of safety and equity.”<h2>Final rule blocked in more states&nbsp;</h2>Meanwhile, challenges to the rule are playing out in a handful of federal courts.Last week, Judge John Broomes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas temporarily blocked the measure from taking effect in the Sunflower State, along with Alaska, Utah and Wyoming.Broomes also halted the rule from taking effect in “the schools attended by the members of Young America’s Foundation or Female Athletes United, as well as the schools attended by the children of the members of Moms for Liberty,” all groups that sued alongside the four states, per the&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561/gov.uscourts.ksd.152561.53.0.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>.Under Broomes’ order, the rule is also halted in an Oklahoma public school attended by a minor who is one of the plaintiffs.In June, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana&nbsp;<a href="https://lailluminator.com/2024/06/13/title-ix-transgender/" target="_blank">issued a temporary injunction</a>&nbsp;barring the final rule from taking effect there, along with Idaho, Mississippi and Montana.In Kentucky federal court, Chief Judge Danny Reeves&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/06/17/us-judge-in-kentucky-blocks-biden-title-ix-rules-says-sex-gender-identity-not-the-same-thing/" target="_blank">temporarily blocked the final rule</a>&nbsp;in the Bluegrass State, plus Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia. Reeves rejected the department’s request for a partial stay of the injunction while its appeal plays out, per a&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801/gov.uscourts.kyed.104801.117.0.pdf" target="_blank">Wednesday court filing</a>.The Education Department has confirmed it is appealing the other two rulings but did not have an update Wednesday on whether it is filing a notice of appeal on the most recent ruling in the Kansas federal court.The spokesperson reiterated earlier this week that the agency has “asked the trial courts to allow the bulk of the final rule to take effect in these states as scheduled, on August 1, while the appeals are pending.”<h2>LGBTQ advocacy groups push back on GOP effort</h2>Allen Morris, policy director for the advocacy group National LGBTQ Task Force, said the vote was part of a pattern of anti-LGBTQ policy measures.“When you look at the rise in hatred and the rise in violence and the rise of young LGBTQ individuals not having the support that they need, where suicide rates are high, it is disappointing to see our opposition go against us with such a high level of intention,” he said.Morris told States Newsroom that “a lot of what is happening with this extremism is not founded in truth.”“It is founded in ways to spew hate and to spew fear. It is a lot of fear mongering, and it’s anything to make people feel like their backs are up against the wall, or as if they don’t have the power,” he said.Echoing a previous statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said it “does not comment on pending legislation” and emphasized that all schools receiving federal funding are obligated to comply with the new regulations as a condition of receiving those funds.The department has yet to finalize a separate rule establishing new criteria for transgender athletes.

GOP plan to reverse final Title IX rule passed U.S. House, but Biden says he’d veto

Astronaut Joe Engle, the first astronaut to fly in space aboard two different winged vehicles, died on July 10, at 91.

Engle was the commander of two&nbsp;Space Shuttle&nbsp;missions including&nbsp;STS-2&nbsp;in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. Engle also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977&nbsp;Approach and Landing Tests. 

Engle, a Chapman, Kansas native, was one of just twelve pilots who flew the&nbsp;North American X-15, an experimental&nbsp;spaceplane&nbsp;jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.

Joe Engle was born in Chapman, Kansas and attended the University of Kansas where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program, he earned his pilot's wings in 1958 and was assigned to fly F-100s for the 474th Fighter Day Squadron and, later, the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California.

Although in command of another squadron, then-Lt. Col. Chuck Yeager had frequent opportunities to fly with Engle -- and against him in mock dogfights -- and he was extremely impressed by the young fighter pilot's attitude and ability. When Engle applied for admission to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, Yeager recommended his selection. 

By the time he graduated from the school in 1962, Yeager had become the commandant and, because he considered Engle "one of the sharpest pilots we had in the program," he immediately selected him for admission to the new Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) which was being established at Edwards to train military astronauts. 

Engle graduated from ARPS in 1963 and was selected as a project pilot for the X-15 program. He completed 16 flights in the rocket-powered hypersonic airplane, exceeding Mach 5 on ten of those flights and attaining a top speed of Mach 5.71 (3,886 mph). In June of 1965, he also climbed to an altitude of 280,600 feet and became one of only eight pilots from the X-15 program-who have qualified for astronaut's wings by flying an airplane into space.

Engle went on to exceed the Air Force's 50-mile threshold for astronaut rating on two subsequent X-15 flights. At 32, he was the youngest man to become an astronaut. 

When NASA selected him as one of 19 new astronaut candidates in 1966, he was truly in an unusual position; he was the only one who had already engaged in spaceflight operations. First assigned to the Apollo program, he served on the support crew for Apollo X and then as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo XIV. In 1977, he was commander of one of two crews who were launched from atop a modified Boeing 747 in order to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise. 

Then in November 1981, he commanded the second flight of the Shuttle Columbia and manually flew the re-entry-performing 29 flight test maneuvers-from Mach 25 through landing roll out. This was the first and, so far, only time that a winged aerospace vehicle has been manually flown from orbit through landing. 

He accumulated the last of his 224 hours in space when he commanded the Shuttle Discovery during Mission 51-I in August of 1985.

In his retirement from NASA, the Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, he served as an engineering consultant and simulation evaluation pilot for Space Shuttle modifications and other advanced piloted re-entry vehicles.

Engle flew more than 180 different aircraft types and logged nearly 14,000 flight hours. His military decorations include the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, USAF Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. 

Among his many honors, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, as well as the Harmon International, Collier, Lawrence Sperry, Iven C. Kinchloe, Robert H. Goddard and Thomas D. White aviation and space trophies. 

In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720720028168.jpeg" alt="Joe Engle in front of an X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft.&nbsp;Image Courtesy The Cosmosphere" />
 <figcaption>Joe Engle in front of an X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft.&nbsp;Image Courtesy The Cosmosphere</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTAstronaut Joe Engle, the first astronaut to fly in space aboard two different winged vehicles, died on July 10, at 91.Engle was the commander of two&nbsp;Space Shuttle&nbsp;missions including&nbsp;STS-2&nbsp;in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. Engle also flew two flights in the Shuttle program's 1977&nbsp;Approach and Landing Tests. Engle, a Chapman, Kansas native, was one of just twelve pilots who flew the&nbsp;North American X-15, an experimental&nbsp;spaceplane&nbsp;jointly operated by the Air Force and NASA.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720720547019.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Information courtesy of NASAJoe Engle was born in Chapman, Kansas and attended the University of Kansas where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program, he earned his pilot's wings in 1958 and was assigned to fly F-100s for the 474th Fighter Day Squadron and, later, the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California.Although in command of another squadron, then-Lt. Col. Chuck Yeager had frequent opportunities to fly with Engle -- and against him in mock dogfights -- and he was extremely impressed by the young fighter pilot's attitude and ability. When Engle applied for admission to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards, Yeager recommended his selection. By the time he graduated from the school in 1962, Yeager had become the commandant and, because he considered Engle "one of the sharpest pilots we had in the program," he immediately selected him for admission to the new Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) which was being established at Edwards to train military astronauts. Engle graduated from ARPS in 1963 and was selected as a project pilot for the X-15 program. He completed 16 flights in the rocket-powered hypersonic airplane, exceeding Mach 5 on ten of those flights and attaining a top speed of Mach 5.71 (3,886 mph). In June of 1965, he also climbed to an altitude of 280,600 feet and became one of only eight pilots from the X-15 program-who have qualified for astronaut's wings by flying an airplane into space.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fkscosmosphere%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02V1EWPeaWxHsBVsHeT9K3CYreFGiUDMVCi8hmu6tYppnp3qQAiuvBFSaKXVKGrAFNl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Engle went on to exceed the Air Force's 50-mile threshold for astronaut rating on two subsequent X-15 flights. At 32, he was the youngest man to become an astronaut. When NASA selected him as one of 19 new astronaut candidates in 1966, he was truly in an unusual position; he was the only one who had already engaged in spaceflight operations. First assigned to the Apollo program, he served on the support crew for Apollo X and then as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo XIV. In 1977, he was commander of one of two crews who were launched from atop a modified Boeing 747 in order to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Then in November 1981, he commanded the second flight of the Shuttle Columbia and manually flew the re-entry-performing 29 flight test maneuvers-from Mach 25 through landing roll out. This was the first and, so far, only time that a winged aerospace vehicle has been manually flown from orbit through landing. He accumulated the last of his 224 hours in space when he commanded the Shuttle Discovery during Mission 51-I in August of 1985.In his retirement from NASA, the Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, he served as an engineering consultant and simulation evaluation pilot for Space Shuttle modifications and other advanced piloted re-entry vehicles.Engle flew more than 180 different aircraft types and logged nearly 14,000 flight hours. His military decorations include the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, USAF Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. Among his many honors, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Flight Medal, as well as the Harmon International, Collier, Lawrence Sperry, Iven C. Kinchloe, Robert H. Goddard and Thomas D. White aviation and space trophies. In 1992, he was inducted into the Aerospace Walk of Honor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Astronaut Joe Engle, pioneer of winged spacecraft — Kansas native, dies at 91

With Kansas lawmakers hoping to lure the Chiefs and Royals, Gov. Mike Parson expects Missouri to put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he doesn’t think the Kansas City Chiefs want to leave Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas, though he acknowledged he hasn’t actually talked to the team’s owners.

Speaking to reporters after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-gov-mike-parson-signs-tax-break-for-kc-nuclear-weapons-manufacturer/">bill signing in Kansas City</a>, Parson said he thought the reigning Super Bowl champion wasn’t that interested in building a new domed football stadium.

“I think they really want Arrowhead to stay,” Parson said. “I think it’s a unique arena.”

Parson’s remarks came after he spent the afternoon meeting with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other area officials to discuss how to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">keep the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in Missouri</a>.

Both teams have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/" target="_blank">publicly considered the possibility of leaving for Kansas</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;

Last month, Kansas lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/18/kansas-house-passes-incentive-bill-to-lure-kansas-city-chiefs-royals/" target="_blank">expanded a state tax incentive program</a>&nbsp;in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate.

“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.

Parson, who leaves office in January, said he expected to see Missouri put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year. Missouri’s plan, he said, could be just as good for the teams —&nbsp;if not better.

First, he said, information on the teams’ plans —&nbsp;including location of stadiums, costs of the project and details of any entertainment district or other development planned around it — needs to be made public.&nbsp;

With Parson’s impending departure from office, Missouri’s next governor could be left to finalize any plan to keep the teams. Two of the three top&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/05/candidates-for-missouri-governor-split-on-offering-incentives-to-keep-chiefs-from-moving/">candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination say they would oppose</a>&nbsp;any incentive package for the Chiefs and Royals.&nbsp;

Asked if that affects negotiations, Parson said the state has tools at its disposal even now while the Missouri General Assembly is not in session “if we knew what the plan was.”&nbsp;

“The conversation needs to be had with the Royals —&nbsp;where are you going to put a stadium?” Parson said. “How much money do you need? What’s it going to cost for this? How are we going to pay for this? What incentives does the city have?”

Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson — who will likely become the next speaker of the House — told the Kansas City Star Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289866274.html#storylink=mainstage_lead" target="_blank">he expects Jackson County residents will wind up voting again over the stadium sales tax</a>. He also told The Star, following conversations with both the Chiefs and Royals, that it was clear both teams wanted to stay in Missouri.

After Kansas lawmakers passed legislation designed to relocate the teams, Patterson told The Star he thought a second Jackson County vote would be successful.

“I think now with the Kansas option staring us, staring us right in the face, I think that changed the dynamic, and it would be a different vote next time around,” he said.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said in a statement after meetings with Parson that the two had a “productive conversation centered on the pride these teams bring to our community and the importance of developing a fair and sustainable plan for the future.” Before White can support a new stadium proposal, he said, “it must offer clear and significant benefits to the taxpayers of Jackson County,” something he argues the sales tax does not.

White said he’s hopeful that the state will continue to support the effort to keep the teams in Missouri even after Parson leaves office.

“Together, we can find a solution that ensures the Chiefs and Royals remain a proud part of Jackson County without compromising the financial well-being of our community,” White said.

The Royals’ Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead sit next to each other and share the parking lot of the Truman Sports Complex in east Kansas City.

The teams’ plans for the Jackson County sales tax were criticized by some, including White, as vague and incomplete.&nbsp;

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

But Kansas lawmakers saw in the failed Jackson County vote a chance to lure the teams across the state line. They claimed Missouri had “dropped the ball” and it was up to Kansas to keep the teams in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Last month, Kansas lawmakers expanded the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond to help finance up to 70% of the cost for one or both teams to move to Kansas. The expanded program could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for the stadiums.

STAR Bonds are issued to help pay the construction costs and then repaid by the sales tax collected at the project site. Normally, STAR Bonds, which are meant to help build tourist and entertainment venues, are limited to 50% of the project costs.&nbsp;

The legislation,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/" target="_blank">signed by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly last month</a>, was criticized by Missouri officials who considered it a violation of an agreement Kelly and Parson reached in 2019 to stop using economic incentives to move companies and jobs back and forth across the state line.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Royals were available to comment

<h2>With Kansas lawmakers hoping to lure the Chiefs and Royals, Gov. Mike Parson expects Missouri to put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday he doesn’t think the Kansas City Chiefs want to leave Arrowhead Stadium for Kansas, though he acknowledged he hasn’t actually talked to the team’s owners.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, we met with Mayor Lucas, Jackson County Executive White, and Clay County leaders to discuss our commitment to keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. We look forward to continued coordination with our local partners to formulate a plan for Missouri’s teams. <a href="https://t.co/F0hoHGxj8J">pic.twitter.com/F0hoHGxj8J</a>&mdash; Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1810477996953804862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking to reporters after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-gov-mike-parson-signs-tax-break-for-kc-nuclear-weapons-manufacturer/">bill signing in Kansas City</a>, Parson said he thought the reigning Super Bowl champion wasn’t that interested in building a new domed football stadium.“I think they really want Arrowhead to stay,” Parson said. “I think it’s a unique arena.”Parson’s remarks came after he spent the afternoon meeting with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other area officials to discuss how to&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/20/missouri-lawmakers-criticize-kansas-attempt-to-poach-royals-chiefs/" target="_blank">keep the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in Missouri</a>.Both teams have&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/" target="_blank">publicly considered the possibility of leaving for Kansas</a>&nbsp;after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal to extend a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a downtown Kansas City baseball stadium for the Royals and upgrades to Arrowhead.&nbsp;Last month, Kansas lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/18/kansas-house-passes-incentive-bill-to-lure-kansas-city-chiefs-royals/" target="_blank">expanded a state tax incentive program</a>&nbsp;in the hopes of convincing one or both teams to relocate.“I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point,” Parson said.Parson, who leaves office in January, said he expected to see Missouri put forward a plan to keep the teams by the end of the year. Missouri’s plan, he said, could be just as good for the teams —&nbsp;if not better.First, he said, information on the teams’ plans —&nbsp;including location of stadiums, costs of the project and details of any entertainment district or other development planned around it — needs to be made public.&nbsp;With Parson’s impending departure from office, Missouri’s next governor could be left to finalize any plan to keep the teams. Two of the three top&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/05/candidates-for-missouri-governor-split-on-offering-incentives-to-keep-chiefs-from-moving/">candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination say they would oppose</a>&nbsp;any incentive package for the Chiefs and Royals.&nbsp;Asked if that affects negotiations, Parson said the state has tools at its disposal even now while the Missouri General Assembly is not in session “if we knew what the plan was.”&nbsp;“The conversation needs to be had with the Royals —&nbsp;where are you going to put a stadium?” Parson said. “How much money do you need? What’s it going to cost for this? How are we going to pay for this? What incentives does the city have?”Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson — who will likely become the next speaker of the House — told the Kansas City Star Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article289866274.html#storylink=mainstage_lead" target="_blank">he expects Jackson County residents will wind up voting again over the stadium sales tax</a>. He also told The Star, following conversations with both the Chiefs and Royals, that it was clear both teams wanted to stay in Missouri.After Kansas lawmakers passed legislation designed to relocate the teams, Patterson told The Star he thought a second Jackson County vote would be successful.“I think now with the Kansas option staring us, staring us right in the face, I think that changed the dynamic, and it would be a different vote next time around,” he said.Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said in a statement after meetings with Parson that the two had a “productive conversation centered on the pride these teams bring to our community and the importance of developing a fair and sustainable plan for the future.” Before White can support a new stadium proposal, he said, “it must offer clear and significant benefits to the taxpayers of Jackson County,” something he argues the sales tax does not.White said he’s hopeful that the state will continue to support the effort to keep the teams in Missouri even after Parson leaves office.“Together, we can find a solution that ensures the Chiefs and Royals remain a proud part of Jackson County without compromising the financial well-being of our community,” White said.The Royals’ Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead sit next to each other and share the parking lot of the Truman Sports Complex in east Kansas City.The teams’ plans for the Jackson County sales tax were criticized by some, including White, as vague and incomplete.&nbsp;GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOXSUBSCRIBEBut Kansas lawmakers saw in the failed Jackson County vote a chance to lure the teams across the state line. They claimed Missouri had “dropped the ball” and it was up to Kansas to keep the teams in the Kansas City metropolitan area.Last month, Kansas lawmakers expanded the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond to help finance up to 70% of the cost for one or both teams to move to Kansas. The expanded program could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for the stadiums.STAR Bonds are issued to help pay the construction costs and then repaid by the sales tax collected at the project site. Normally, STAR Bonds, which are meant to help build tourist and entertainment venues, are limited to 50% of the project costs.&nbsp;The legislation,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/21/kansas-gov-kelly-signs-bill-to-poach-kansas-city-chiefs-royals-from-missouri/" target="_blank">signed by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly last month</a>, was criticized by Missouri officials who considered it a violation of an agreement Kelly and Parson reached in 2019 to stop using economic incentives to move companies and jobs back and forth across the state line.Neither the Chiefs nor the Royals were available to comment

Mo. governor on Kansas City Chiefs: ‘I’m not too worried about Kansas at this point’

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the death of his mother at her home in Olathe has been charged for the crime.

Last week, 40-year-old Brian Christopher Thode was charged with first degree murder and cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The charges are in connection with the June 29, death of 72-year-old Nancy Thode.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just before 6 p.m. June 29, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of East Oakview Street in Olathe for a death investigation, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.

Officers arrived and discovered Nancy Thode unresponsive with significant injuries. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Brian Thode also “unlawfully, knowingly, maliciously and feloniously” killed a cat and a bird, according to a charging document in the case. Thode remains jailed on a $3,000,000.00 bond. He is due back in court July 17, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720003596616.png" alt="Thode-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thode-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in the death of his mother at her home in Olathe has been charged for the crime.Last week, 40-year-old Brian Christopher Thode was charged with first degree murder and cruelty to animals, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office. The charges are in connection with the June 29, death of 72-year-old Nancy Thode.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 6 p.m. June 29, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of East Oakview Street in Olathe for a death investigation, according to&nbsp;Police Sergeant John Moncayo.Officers arrived and discovered Nancy Thode unresponsive with significant injuries. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brian Thode also “unlawfully, knowingly, maliciously and feloniously” killed a cat and a bird, according to a charging document in the case. Thode remains jailed on a $3,000,000.00 bond. He is due back in court July 17, according to online jail records.

Kan. man charged with his mother's murder, animal cruelty

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316459572.png" alt="Jauch photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Jauch photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 9:30p.m. July 3, a Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on 150th near U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver Kathy Lynn Jauch, 56, of Golden, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Colo. woman was transporting meth in Kansas

The Kansas Turnpike is now cashless and tolls are no longer being collected on the roadway. To complete the conversion process, account information is being migrated into the new system, DriveKS. During this time, KTA’s customer service centers are closed and self-service platforms are unavailable. We’ll be ready to help again, beginning July 8.&nbsp;

The PlanThe Kansas Turnpike will convert to cashless tolling on July 1. Here’s what you need to know:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719937245239.png" alt="View of a digital sign Monday on the Turnpike in Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>View of a digital sign Monday on the Turnpike in Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Turnpike is now cashless and tolls are no longer being collected on the roadway. To complete the conversion process, account information is being migrated into the new system, DriveKS. During this time, KTA’s customer service centers are closed and self-service platforms are unavailable. We’ll be ready to help again, beginning July 8.&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>We’re busy getting DriveKS, the new toll payment system, ready for cashless tolling. Account information will be unavailable June 29-July 7 as information from myKTAG.com and PayKTA.com is moved to DriveKS.com.</li><li>Any toll statements due during the conversion window can be paid during the month of July without issue.</li><li>Customers who have received a new KTAG can&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-lUxMVZ5rc&amp;t=6s">watch the KTAG installation video here</a>.</li><li>Customer service centers will reopen July 8, ready to help again. When the conversion is complete,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://driveks.com/">DriveKS.com</a>&nbsp;will be the site for all Kansas toll payments or to manage your account.</li><li>At that time, customers will need to delete the old myKTAG app and download the new DriveKS app from the App Store or Google Play.</li>
 </ul>The PlanThe Kansas Turnpike will convert to cashless tolling on July 1. Here’s what you need to know:<ul>
 <li>Beginning June 29, self-service platforms, including paykta.com and myktag website and mobile app will be disabled to prepare for the conversion to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://driveks.com/">DriveKS.com</a>.</li><li>Cash customers traveling on the turnpike overnight on June 30/July 1 should follow the instructions of on-road personnel and signage when exiting.</li><li>While the conversion of the roadway will occur quickly in the early morning hours of July 1, the back-office system, which includes toll payments and account management, will take approximately one week.</li><li>KTA’s three customer service centers will be closed and self-service platforms, including the web sites and mobile app, will be unavailable June 29-July 7. During this week, teams will work to migrate all account information into the new system and there will be no account access – for customers or customer service representatives.</li><li>Customers will be unable to pay for violation or video tolls between June 29-July 7. Any tolls due during this time can be paid during the month of July without issue.</li>
 </ul>

Successful start to cashless tolls on the Kansas Turnpike

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

Just before 3:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a shooting at 12th and Grand, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; First responders found a man with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Before the report of gunshots there was a large crowd was gathered in a parking lot, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

Police are asking anyone with any information to contact Homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719784274963.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.&nbsp;Just before 3:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a shooting at 12th and Grand, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.&nbsp; First responders found a man with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719851760036.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>Before the report of gunshots there was a large crowd was gathered in a parking lot, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.Police are asking anyone with any information to contact Homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.

One dead in shooting near KC Power and Light District

WICHITA, Kan.—&nbsp;The Kansas Turnpike will become cashless on July 1, for safety, customer convenience and operational efficiencies.

(Click below to watch how new cashless tolling works)

<a href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/cashless-tolling?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Q-lF_1KPUWJtKQwVjf8SXz2xu1jtaCSVGES-2r3Ai-LpGgPbymaBYt-I_aem_A0qvoLAqgjh6u_3VUqaxAw">Click here to learn</a> more about cashless tolling in Kansas.

Cashless tolling allows for more consistent fares since elements used for cash collection, such as rounding to the nearest nickel or quarter, are no longer necessary. With the elimination of rounding to the nearest nickel or quarter, many short-distance travelers will see a reduction in the toll they pay.

The new toll structure will be a flat, per-mile rate based upon axle count and whether the vehicle has a transponder or is identified by their license plate. Find&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/uploads/misc-documents/Cashless-Toll-Rates.pdf">new per-mile rates here</a>.

"This change will be especially beneficial for customers who drive shorter distances, such as Kansans commuting to work or school,” Deb Miller, Chairperson of the Kansas Turnpike Authority Board, said.

These new per-mile toll rates will go into effect when the Kansas Turnpike converts to cashless tolling in mid-2024.

Establishment of these toll rates is one of many tasks necessary for the modernization. In addition to on-roadway work, KTA teams have been developing the account management functions necessary to support customers.

This month, customer service call center hours will increase to 7:30 am – 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday, to better serve customers in advance of the conversion. Walk-in retail hours will remain the same 8 am – 5 pm.

Customers will also see a refreshed K-TAG logo that aligns visually with its parent organization, the Kansas Turnpike Authority. K-TAG is a small in-vehicle device used to facilitate a customer’s toll payment and provides the lowest toll rate on the Kansas Turnpike – now and in the future.

“We are excited about our progress toward cashless tolling and believe our customers will be too,” Steve Hewitt, CEO of the Kansas Turnpike Authority, said. “KTA’s recent satisfaction survey shows that 84 percent of customers support the modernization to cashless tolling.”

Additional information will be provided in the months leading up to the conversion. Learn more about cashless tolling, and watch short informational videos, at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/cashless-tolling">www.DriveKS.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706545368725.png" alt="Image KTA" />
 <figcaption>Image KTA</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—&nbsp;The Kansas Turnpike will become cashless on July 1, for safety, customer convenience and operational efficiencies.(Click below to watch how new cashless tolling works)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kdgGrbsT68A?si=1xl5UKVy3G1j3hKl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><a href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/cashless-tolling?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Q-lF_1KPUWJtKQwVjf8SXz2xu1jtaCSVGES-2r3Ai-LpGgPbymaBYt-I_aem_A0qvoLAqgjh6u_3VUqaxAw">Click here to learn</a> more about cashless tolling in Kansas.Cashless tolling allows for more consistent fares since elements used for cash collection, such as rounding to the nearest nickel or quarter, are no longer necessary. With the elimination of rounding to the nearest nickel or quarter, many short-distance travelers will see a reduction in the toll they pay.The new toll structure will be a flat, per-mile rate based upon axle count and whether the vehicle has a transponder or is identified by their license plate. Find&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/uploads/misc-documents/Cashless-Toll-Rates.pdf">new per-mile rates here</a>."This change will be especially beneficial for customers who drive shorter distances, such as Kansans commuting to work or school,” Deb Miller, Chairperson of the Kansas Turnpike Authority Board, said.These new per-mile toll rates will go into effect when the Kansas Turnpike converts to cashless tolling in mid-2024.Establishment of these toll rates is one of many tasks necessary for the modernization. In addition to on-roadway work, KTA teams have been developing the account management functions necessary to support customers.This month, customer service call center hours will increase to 7:30 am – 6:30 pm, Monday through Friday, to better serve customers in advance of the conversion. Walk-in retail hours will remain the same 8 am – 5 pm.Customers will also see a refreshed K-TAG logo that aligns visually with its parent organization, the Kansas Turnpike Authority. K-TAG is a small in-vehicle device used to facilitate a customer’s toll payment and provides the lowest toll rate on the Kansas Turnpike – now and in the future.“We are excited about our progress toward cashless tolling and believe our customers will be too,” Steve Hewitt, CEO of the Kansas Turnpike Authority, said. “KTA’s recent satisfaction survey shows that 84 percent of customers support the modernization to cashless tolling.”Additional information will be provided in the months leading up to the conversion. Learn more about cashless tolling, and watch short informational videos, at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksturnpike.com/cashless-tolling">www.DriveKS.com</a>.

🎥New cashless tolling begins Monday on the Kansas Turnpike

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.

Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.

Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.

“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”

For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.

Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.

On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.

The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.

Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a>

Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.

After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.

“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”

At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.

“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”

Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.

In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.

But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.

“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.

Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.

Biden faces different questions he must answer.

Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.

“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”

Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.

Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.

But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.

“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”

Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.

“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”

Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.

Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719402433185.png" alt="The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)." />
 <figcaption>The McCamish Pavilion at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. It is the site of the press center for media covering the CNN debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">JACOB FISCHLER</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta.Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a rematch of 2020, many Americans have already formed strong and possibly unchangeable opinions about the candidates.Yet there is a sizable group of voters who haven’t decided who they’ll support in November, Christopher Stout, a professor of political science at Oregon State University, said in an interview with States Newsroom.“On one hand, opinions about Joe Biden and Donald Trump are baked in,” Stout said. “On the other hand, there’s a lot of people who aren’t paying any attention to politics and this is their first time thinking about the 2024 election.”For Biden, a major objective will be to show voters the 81-year-old incumbent can be energetic and forceful, Stout and political strategists said.Trump, 78, may focus on appealing to voters in the ideological middle and wavering Republicans who want a conservative candidate but are turned off by the former president’s antics.On policy, each candidate has issues they will capitalize on as strengths. Trump will probably press Biden on immigration and inflation, while Biden undoubtedly will be eager to criticize Trump on reproductive rights.The debate, sponsored by CNN, will be moderated by the network’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and begin at 9 p.m. Eastern, with no studio audience. It is set to last for 90 minutes and will air live on CNN with simulcast available for other cable and broadcast networks.Each candidate’s microphone will be muted while the other is speaking. No props are allowed but each man will be given a pen, pad and bottle of water,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/how-to-watch-cnn-debate/index.html" target="_blank">CNN said.</a><h2>Can Trump be boring?</h2>Trump could gain ground with moderate and independent voters by appearing steady.After winning the presidency in 2016, Trump lost to Biden in 2020 amid a sense that Republican-leaning voters were weary of his unorthodox style and tendency to create scandal.“If he’s boring and he looks like a typical politician, that’s going to be a big plus for him,” Stout said. “If he looks like a typical politician and he seems more moderate, then there’s the opportunity to bring back a set of voters who were once Republican who have now left the party.”At the same time, there’s likely not too much down side for Trump if he does go off-script, as voters have come to expect outlandish comments and behavior, Republican strategist Doug Heye said.“Donald Trump is gonna say something crazy,” Heye said. “That is all factored in and that’s not changing anybody’s mind.”Heye cited recent remarks Trump has made about shark attacks, electrocution from oversized batteries and taking his shirt off to reveal psychic wounds inflicted by political opponents.In a move reminiscent of his reality-show past, Trump has teased a possible announcement of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/calm-conservative-confident-what-gop-senators-want-trumps-vice-presidential-pick" target="_blank">his vice presidential pick</a>&nbsp;at the debate.But even if voters expect some degree of eccentricity from Trump, that will not help him win over the undecided voters who will decide the election, said Rodell Mollineau, a co-founder and partner at the Washington-based strategy firm ROKK Solutions and a veteran of Democratic campaigns.“If you’re actually trying to reach voters, I’m not sure how Trump ranting and raving, talking about delusional conspiracy theories, helps him win independent voters,” Mollineau said.Trump will face an additional unique challenge if he tries to look like a traditional presidential candidate: his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-found-guilty-34-felony-counts-ny-hush-money-trial-10" target="_blank">34 felony convictions</a>&nbsp;in New York last month and the three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.“I’m watching to see how he talks about or doesn’t talk about his many court dalliances and the conviction and whatever else he has hanging over his head,” Mollineau said.<h2>Can Biden be forceful?</h2>Biden faces different questions he must answer.Voters have doubts about the incumbent’s ability, due in part to his age, inclination for misspeaking and a concerted effort by Republicans and GOP-aligned media to portray Biden as past his prime.“I think Biden in part is going to be trying to overcome the image that Trump and Republicans in general have been very successful in creating,” University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock said.&nbsp; “They’ve been working on this now for at least five years, and that is the image of Biden being too old, being not up to it physically or mentally to continue to serve as president for another four years.”Biden countered that narrative — at least temporarily — with an exuberant performance at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-warns-freedom-and-democracy-are-under-attack-fierce-state-union-address" target="_blank">the State of the Union address</a>&nbsp;this year, several observers said.Matching that energy will help him have a positive debate, they said.But Heye noted that despite rave reviews from Democrats, the president’s State of the Union performance did not improve his standing in polls.“The reaction from Democrats was: game changer,” Heye said. “And if we look at the polling, the game didn’t change at all.”Biden would also benefit by reminding voters of his policy record, and contrasting it with Trump’s, Stout and Mollineau said.“It will advantage him if he can talk about policy,” Stout said. “People don’t know the things he has done and so there’s hope maybe to inform people and sway the electorate.”Biden should target left-leaning voters by reminding them of his achievements on climate and the environment and his administration’s efforts to create jobs, Stout said.Mollineau added that Biden must remind voters of Trump’s tumultuous time in office and Biden’s achievements thus far, while balancing that message with an acknowledgment that many Americans are unsatisfied.<h2>An early debate</h2>The debate, which will be broadcast from CNN’s Georgia headquarters, comes much earlier in the election cycle than usual, even before the party conventions that typically symbolize the start of the general election.The candidates agreed to the unusual schedule after rejecting a proposal from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has organized the events for decades, typically with three meetings between presidential candidates and one between would-be vice presidents.All debates are usually in the fall.This year’s June schedule could give the candidates a chance to frame the race moving forward, as many voters will be tuning in to the contest for the first time.But the nearly 19 weeks remaining until Election Day could also mean a candidate with a weak performance has time to recover, or that a strong performance could diminish.“I do not believe anyone is going to either win or lose the election this week,” Mollineau said.Bullock, the Georgia professor, differed.Because of the unpopularity of both candidates, and the sense that voters will be choosing the one they view as “the least of two evils,” either could provide a voter’s “final straw,” he said.“They may hear something coming out of the mouths of one of these and say, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’” Bullock said. “‘That’s the final straw. I can’t support that one. It helps me make up my mind to go with the other person.’”Ross Williams contributed to this report.

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