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

GEARY COUNTY —A strong thunderstorm brought flooding rain and did considerable damage in Junction City and other areas of Geary County on Friday.

The storm cause a build to partially collapse in the 600 block of North Washington in Junction City. The structure was vacant and there were no injuries.

Also in Junction City there is tree damage in addition to multiple power outages. Emergency Management Director Garry Berges said rainfall recorded at McFarland Road. and U.S 77 totaled 5.97 inches.:

According to Geary County Emergency Management, many areas and basements are flooding due heavy rain. Unless you have medical emergency first responders were unable to assist.

Sheriff Eric Coffman said that there were power outages in Milford State Park and Old Milford Road areas.&nbsp;

Junction City Police urged residents to stay home, do not travel. &nbsp;There were powerlines down across the city and crews continue working to remove debris and powerlines from the roads.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719627302143.jpeg" alt="Photos by Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photos by Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey Terrill, JC PostGEARY COUNTY —A strong thunderstorm brought flooding rain and did considerable damage in Junction City and other areas of Geary County on Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719627442990.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The storm cause a build to partially collapse in the 600 block of North Washington in Junction City. The structure was vacant and there were no injuries.Also in Junction City there is tree damage in addition to multiple power outages. Emergency Management Director Garry Berges said rainfall recorded at McFarland Road. and U.S 77 totaled 5.97 inches.:According to Geary County Emergency Management, many areas and basements are flooding due heavy rain. Unless you have medical emergency first responders were unable to assist.Sheriff Eric Coffman said that there were power outages in Milford State Park and Old Milford Road areas.&nbsp;Junction City Police urged residents to stay home, do not travel. &nbsp;There were powerlines down across the city and crews continue working to remove debris and powerlines from the roads.

Storms flood Geary Co., cause partial building collapse in Junction City

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Guests were evacuated after a fire at a hotel fire in Topeka.

Just&nbsp; after 10 p.m. Thursday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported hotel fire at the Quality Inn, 1240 SW Wanamaker Road, according to Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp;

Firefighters found smoke coming from the north side of the building and identified an Air Conditioning unit on fire.

Crews extinguished the fire and evacuated all three floors of the hotel as smoke was cleared from the building. No injuries have been reported.

The cause of the fire was likely due to an electrical issue, originated in the Air Cconditioning unit.

The total estimated loss associated with the incident is approximately $8,000, with $5,000 associated with structural loss and $3,000 associated with content loss.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719603826129.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Guests were evacuated after a fire at a hotel fire in Topeka.Just&nbsp; after 10 p.m. Thursday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported hotel fire at the Quality Inn, 1240 SW Wanamaker Road, according to Department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.&nbsp;Firefighters found smoke coming from the north side of the building and identified an Air Conditioning unit on fire.Crews extinguished the fire and evacuated all three floors of the hotel as smoke was cleared from the building. No injuries have been reported.The cause of the fire was likely due to an electrical issue, originated in the Air Cconditioning unit.The total estimated loss associated with the incident is approximately $8,000, with $5,000 associated with structural loss and $3,000 associated with content loss.

Guests evacuated after fire at Kansas hotel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-pier-us-military-aid-hunger-1dedd321e2a4e5fdba5a26cbbc51df77">pier built by the U.S. military</a>&nbsp;to bring aid to Gaza has been removed due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not re-installing it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday.

While the military has helped deliver desperately needed food through the pier, the vast majority of it is still sitting in the adjacent storage yard and that area is almost full. Aid agencies have had difficulty moving the food to areas further into Gaza where it is most needed because the humanitarian convoys have come under attack.

The U.N., which has the widest reach in delivering aid to starving Palestinians, hasn’t been distributing food and other emergency supplies arriving through the pier since June 9. The pause came after the Israeli military used an area near the pier to fly out hostages after their rescue in a raid that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-06-09-2024-61eb1be9a9d0cf2dbf250cd4a8ed4dbf">killed more than 270 Palestinians</a>, prompting a U.N. security review over concerns that aid workers’ safety and neutrality may have compromised.

While always meant to be temporary and never touted as a complete solution to the problems getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, President Joe Biden’s $230 million project has faced a series of setbacks since aid first rolled ashore May 17 and has been criticized by relief groups and congressional Republicans as a costly distraction.

The pier has been used to get more than 19.4 million pounds, or 8.6 million kilograms, of food into Gaza, but has been stymied not only by aid pauses but unpredictable weather. Rough seas damaged the pier just days into its initial operations, forcing the military to remove it temporarily for repairs and then reinstall it. Heavy seas on Friday forced the military to remove it again and take it to the Israeli port at Ashdod.

Several U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said the military could reinstall the pier once the bad weather passes in the coming days, but the final decision on whether to reinstall it hasn’t been made.

Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, acknowledged that she doesn’t know when the pier will be reinstalled. “When the commander decides that it is the right time to reinstall that pier, we’ll keep you updated on that.,” she said.

She also said Friday that there is a need for more aid to come into Cyprus and be transported to the pier. She noted that the secure area onshore is “pretty close to full,” but that the intention is still to get aid into Gaza by all means necessary. She said the U.S. is having discussions with the aid agencies about the distribution of the food.

But, she added, “Of course, if there’s not enough room in the marshalling yard, then it doesn’t make sense to put our men or women out there when there’s nothing to do.”

Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because fighting in the nearly nine-month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>, Israeli restrictions on border crossings that are far more productive than the sea route and the attacks on the aid convoys have severely limited the flow of food, medicine and other supplies.

Ellen Knickmeyer contributed from Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714471004272.png" alt="Photos U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photos U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-pier-us-military-aid-hunger-1dedd321e2a4e5fdba5a26cbbc51df77">pier built by the U.S. military</a>&nbsp;to bring aid to Gaza has been removed due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not re-installing it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday.While the military has helped deliver desperately needed food through the pier, the vast majority of it is still sitting in the adjacent storage yard and that area is almost full. Aid agencies have had difficulty moving the food to areas further into Gaza where it is most needed because the humanitarian convoys have come under attack.The U.N., which has the widest reach in delivering aid to starving Palestinians, hasn’t been distributing food and other emergency supplies arriving through the pier since June 9. The pause came after the Israeli military used an area near the pier to fly out hostages after their rescue in a raid that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-06-09-2024-61eb1be9a9d0cf2dbf250cd4a8ed4dbf">killed more than 270 Palestinians</a>, prompting a U.N. security review over concerns that aid workers’ safety and neutrality may have compromised.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718410108692.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>While always meant to be temporary and never touted as a complete solution to the problems getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, President Joe Biden’s $230 million project has faced a series of setbacks since aid first rolled ashore May 17 and has been criticized by relief groups and congressional Republicans as a costly distraction.The pier has been used to get more than 19.4 million pounds, or 8.6 million kilograms, of food into Gaza, but has been stymied not only by aid pauses but unpredictable weather. Rough seas damaged the pier just days into its initial operations, forcing the military to remove it temporarily for repairs and then reinstall it. Heavy seas on Friday forced the military to remove it again and take it to the Israeli port at Ashdod.Several U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said the military could reinstall the pier once the bad weather passes in the coming days, but the final decision on whether to reinstall it hasn’t been made.Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, acknowledged that she doesn’t know when the pier will be reinstalled. “When the commander decides that it is the right time to reinstall that pier, we’ll keep you updated on that.,” she said.She also said Friday that there is a need for more aid to come into Cyprus and be transported to the pier. She noted that the secure area onshore is “pretty close to full,” but that the intention is still to get aid into Gaza by all means necessary. She said the U.S. is having discussions with the aid agencies about the distribution of the food.But, she added, “Of course, if there’s not enough room in the marshalling yard, then it doesn’t make sense to put our men or women out there when there’s nothing to do.”Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because fighting in the nearly nine-month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>, Israeli restrictions on border crossings that are far more productive than the sea route and the attacks on the aid convoys have severely limited the flow of food, medicine and other supplies.—-Ellen Knickmeyer contributed from Washington.

US removing $320M Gaza aid pier again and may not put it back

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.

<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment

<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice

Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.

Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.

The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.

“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.

More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”

The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.

In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.

“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.

Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.

It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.

“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705598723648.png" alt="Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Photo&nbsp; U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The police chief for schools in Uvalde, Texas, failed to identify an active shooting, did not follow his training and made critical decisions that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">slowed the law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to stop a killer who was “hunting” victims and ultimately killed 21 people at Robb Elementary, according to an indictment unsealed Friday.<a href="https://news4sanantonio.com/resources/pdf/9497b92d-5611-4700-bd26-e2a54a0efa4a-REDACTEDARREDONDOINDICTMENT.pdf">Click here to read the</a> indictment<a href="https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the 600 page report from the Dept. of Justice<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719593775508.png" alt="Arredondo photo Uvalde Co." />
 <figcaption>Arredondo photo Uvalde Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Pete Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-indictments-e603acfc25c452695e6e29dd756152d0">was arrested</a>&nbsp;and briefly booked into the Uvalde County jail before he was released Thursday night on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers. Former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on similar charges, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/">Uvalde Leader-News</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/arredondo-indict-uvalde-robb-elementary-massacre-19543514.php">San Antonio Express-News</a>&nbsp;reported, but that indictment was not yet public.Arredondo and Gonzales are the first officers to be criminally charged for the police response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the indictments from a Uvalde County grand jury follow two years of calls from some families for such action.The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff's deputy in Florida who didn't go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deputy-scot-peterson-parkland-school-shooting-8f012afbc525f77fbb9f9015a65593ca">was acquitted</a>&nbsp;of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims' families and survivors is pending.The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">the shooting</a>, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and that a teacher had been shot. Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building, and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said.“After being advised that a child or children were injured in a class at Robb Elementary School (Arredondo) failed to identify the incident as an active shooter incident and failed to respond as trained to an active shooter incident and instead directed law enforcement officers to evacuate the wing before confronting the shooter thereby delaying the response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter who was hunting and shooting a child or children,” the indictment said.More than 370 federal, state and local officers converged on Robb Elementary, but they waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle. Terrified students inside the classroom called 911 as agonized parents begged officers — some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway — to go in. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.The indictment charges Arredondo with failing to protect survivors of the attack, including Khloie Torres, who called 911 and begged for help, telling a dispatcher, “Please hurry. There’s a lot of dead bodies. Some of my teachers are still alive but they’re shot.”The charges carry up to two years in jail if convicted. Arredondo does not have a listed phone number and the court clerk had no record of an attorney for him.In an interview with the Texas Tribune two weeks after the shooting, Arredondo insisted to took the steps he thought would best protect the lives of students and teachers.“My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff," he told the newspaper.Since then, scathing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-education-violence-school-31aa135678f8118ed96d893ea77cf8ea">state</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256">federal</a>&nbsp;investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.Arredondo&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-shootings-texas-6c5ba12b382b5cc42a6e5816dc418383">lost his job</a>&nbsp;three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers alleged law enforcement botched their response to the massacre.Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said the investigation should not stop with the two indictments against the school officers. Gutierrez has been critical of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the head of the agency, Steve McCraw, who testified before the grand jury in February.It was unclear Friday whether the grand jury considered indictments against any other officers.“Every single officer that stood down that day must be held accountable," Gutierrez said. We can’t rest until we have justice.”

Read the indictment: Ex-school police chief jailed for mass shooting

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">sitcoms</a>&nbsp;including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday.

Mull's Daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”

Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight,” on which he played Barth Gimble, the host of a satirical talk show.

“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mulltoons/">Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post</a>. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs.”

Known for his blonde hair and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. He combined his music and comedy in hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.

“In 1976 I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me," Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later I was spun off on my own show.”

In the 1980s he appeared in films including “Mr. Mom" and “Clue,” and in the 1990s had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”

He would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” and would be nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest turn on “Veep.”

“What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Mull told the AP after his nomination. “It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”

Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.

“Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/paulfeig/status/1806837940078911661">Paul Feig</a>&nbsp;said in an X post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. Was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and treasured every moment being with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was so influential in my life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719626618539.png" alt="FILE - Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday, June 28, 2024. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/television">sitcoms</a>&nbsp;including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” has died, his daughter said Friday.Mull's Daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, said her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight,” on which he played Barth Gimble, the host of a satirical talk show.“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mulltoons/">Maggie Mull said in an Instagram post</a>. “He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs.”Known for his blonde hair and well-trimmed mustache, Mull was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome. He combined his music and comedy in hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s.“In 1976 I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me," Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater on ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.’ Four months later I was spun off on my own show.”In the 1980s he appeared in films including “Mr. Mom" and “Clue,” and in the 1990s had a recurring role on “Roseanne.”He would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” and would be nominated for an Emmy in 2016 for a guest turn on “Veep.”“What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Mull told the AP after his nomination. “It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.’”Other comedians and actors were often his biggest fans.“Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/paulfeig/status/1806837940078911661">Paul Feig</a>&nbsp;said in an X post. “So funny, so talented, such a nice guy. Was lucky enough to act with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and treasured every moment being with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was so influential in my life.”

Martin Mull, comic star known for ‘Roseanne’ dead at 80

SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.

On Thursday, police arrested 18-year-old&nbsp; Dasanee D. Curry of Topeka for the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven R. Warden, 43, of Topeka,&nbsp; according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;responded to the area of 13th and Western Avenue and found Warden suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

Curry is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Dwelling and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;

This is the 7th homicide investigation in Topeka in 2024, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719592333815.png" alt="Curry-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Curry-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Topeka have made an arrest.On Thursday, police arrested 18-year-old&nbsp; Dasanee D. Curry of Topeka for the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven R. Warden, 43, of Topeka,&nbsp; according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police&nbsp;responded to the area of 13th and Western Avenue and found Warden suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719332552824.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Curry is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st degree, Aggravated Child Endangerment, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Dwelling and Criminal Damage to Property.&nbsp;This is the 7th homicide investigation in Topeka in 2024, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

Teen accused of killing 43-year-old Kansas man

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/homelessness">homeless people</a>&nbsp;sleeping outside in public places on Friday, overturning a California appeals court ruling that found such laws amount to cruel and unusual punishment when shelter space is lacking.

The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/micro-communities-shipping-container-atlanta-denver-homelessness-63f675d418bd1af6da74f26f4c320324">without a permanent place to live</a>.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781870-city-of-grants-pass-v-johnson">a 6-3 decision</a>&nbsp;along ideological lines, the high court found that outdoor sleeping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.

Western cities had argued that the ruling made it harder to manage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-encampment-sweeps-cities-08ff74489ba00cfa927fe1cf54c0d401">outdoor encampments in public spaces</a>, but homeless advocates said punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.

In California, which is home to one-third of the country’s homeless population, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said the decision gives state and local officials authority to clear “unsafe encampments” from the streets under policies that respect fundamental human needs. “This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years," he said.

Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged those concerns in the opinion he wrote for the majority.

“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it,” he wrote. “A handful of federal judges cannot begin to ‘match’ the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding ‘how best to handle’ a pressing social question like homelessness.”

He suggested that people who have no choice but to sleep outdoors could raise that as a “necessity defense,” if they are ticketed or otherwise punished for violating a camping ban.

Homeless advocates, on the other hand, have said that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep would ultimately make the crisis worse. Cities had been allowed to regulate encampments under a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling but couldn’t completely bar people from sleeping outdoors.

“Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reading from the bench a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues. “Homelessness is a reality for so many Americans.”

Punishing people for something they can't control, like homelessness, is cruel and unusual, she said. She warned that striking down Eighth Amendment arguments against camping bans likely won't end the fights over the ordinances in court.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, criticized the majority ruling, saying cities shouldn't “attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail." The only way to truly address it, she said, is to connect people with housing and services.

The case came from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grants-pass-oregon-supreme-court-homeless-encampments-a8dcddb518bd76b11d409666c06701b8">the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass</a>, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, has held since 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.

Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press that the city will not immediately start enforcing those local ordinances fining people for sleeping outside and that the city council will need to review the decision and determine the next steps.

“This lawsuit was about whether cities have a right to enforce camping restrictions in public spaces, and I’m relieved that Grants Pass will be able to reclaim our city parks for recreation,” said Bristol, who serves in a nonpartisan position. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and our community has been trying to find solutions.”

Attorney Theane Evangelis, who represented Grants Pass before the high court, applauded the ruling, saying the 9th Circuit decision had “tied the hands of local governments.”

“Years from now, I hope that we will look back on today’s watershed ruling as the turning point in America’s homelessness crisis,” she said.

In Portland, though, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the effect of the ruling would likely be muted since the state has separate legal limits on how cities can manage encampments. Seattle officials also expected a limited impact.

An attorney for homeless people who live in the town bemoaned the decision.

“We are disappointed that a majority of the court has decided that our Constitution allows a city to punish its homeless residents simply for sleeping outside with a blanket to survive the cold when there is nowhere else for them to go,” said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center.

Friday's ruling comes after homelessness in the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">grew a dramatic 12%</a>&nbsp;last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more people.

More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">650,000 people are estimated to be homeless</a>, the most since the country began using a yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. A lack of access to mental health and addiction resources can contribute to the crisis. Older adults, LGBTQ+ people and people of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness, advocates said.

Nearly half of people without housing sleep outside, federal data shows.

Derrick Belgarde, executive director of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit that provides shelter, housing and other resources for Native Americans, said there’s a reason people may choose to sleep outside, explaining that before his organization was started members of the Native American population in the area weren’t using shelters because they didn’t feel safe in them or feel as though they belonged.

“I think it’s going to cause a lot of pain, a lot of misery to deny people the right to safety, to feel safe, to feel a sense of belonging. It’s going to be devastating for a lot of people,” said Belgarde, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

The 9th Circuit decision had governed nine states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708615630038.png" alt="File photo of an unsanctioned camp in Douglas County, Kansas -Google image" />
 <figcaption>File photo of an unsanctioned camp in Douglas County, Kansas -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/homelessness">homeless people</a>&nbsp;sleeping outside in public places on Friday, overturning a California appeals court ruling that found such laws amount to cruel and unusual punishment when shelter space is lacking.The case is the most significant to come before the high court in decades on the issue and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/micro-communities-shipping-container-atlanta-denver-homelessness-63f675d418bd1af6da74f26f4c320324">without a permanent place to live</a>.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781870-city-of-grants-pass-v-johnson">a 6-3 decision</a>&nbsp;along ideological lines, the high court found that outdoor sleeping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.Western cities had argued that the ruling made it harder to manage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-encampment-sweeps-cities-08ff74489ba00cfa927fe1cf54c0d401">outdoor encampments in public spaces</a>, but homeless advocates said punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.In California, which is home to one-third of the country’s homeless population, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said the decision gives state and local officials authority to clear “unsafe encampments” from the streets under policies that respect fundamental human needs. “This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years," he said.Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged those concerns in the opinion he wrote for the majority.“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it,” he wrote. “A handful of federal judges cannot begin to ‘match’ the collective wisdom the American people possess in deciding ‘how best to handle’ a pressing social question like homelessness.”He suggested that people who have no choice but to sleep outdoors could raise that as a “necessity defense,” if they are ticketed or otherwise punished for violating a camping ban.Homeless advocates, on the other hand, have said that allowing cities to punish people who need a place to sleep would ultimately make the crisis worse. Cities had been allowed to regulate encampments under a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling but couldn’t completely bar people from sleeping outdoors.“Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reading from the bench a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues. “Homelessness is a reality for so many Americans.”Punishing people for something they can't control, like homelessness, is cruel and unusual, she said. She warned that striking down Eighth Amendment arguments against camping bans likely won't end the fights over the ordinances in court.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, criticized the majority ruling, saying cities shouldn't “attempt to arrest their way out of this problem or hide the homelessness crisis in neighboring cities or in jail." The only way to truly address it, she said, is to connect people with housing and services.The case came from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grants-pass-oregon-supreme-court-homeless-encampments-a8dcddb518bd76b11d409666c06701b8">the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass</a>, which appealed a ruling striking down local ordinances that fined people $295 for sleeping outside after tents began crowding public parks. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over the nine Western states, has held since 2018 that such bans violate the Eighth Amendment in areas where there aren’t enough shelter beds.Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press that the city will not immediately start enforcing those local ordinances fining people for sleeping outside and that the city council will need to review the decision and determine the next steps.“This lawsuit was about whether cities have a right to enforce camping restrictions in public spaces, and I’m relieved that Grants Pass will be able to reclaim our city parks for recreation,” said Bristol, who serves in a nonpartisan position. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and our community has been trying to find solutions.”Attorney Theane Evangelis, who represented Grants Pass before the high court, applauded the ruling, saying the 9th Circuit decision had “tied the hands of local governments.”“Years from now, I hope that we will look back on today’s watershed ruling as the turning point in America’s homelessness crisis,” she said.In Portland, though, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the effect of the ruling would likely be muted since the state has separate legal limits on how cities can manage encampments. Seattle officials also expected a limited impact.An attorney for homeless people who live in the town bemoaned the decision.“We are disappointed that a majority of the court has decided that our Constitution allows a city to punish its homeless residents simply for sleeping outside with a blanket to survive the cold when there is nowhere else for them to go,” said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center.Friday's ruling comes after homelessness in the United States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">grew a dramatic 12%</a>&nbsp;last year to its highest reported level, as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more people.More than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homelessness-increase-rent-hud-covid-60bd88687e1aef1b02d25425798bd3b1">650,000 people are estimated to be homeless</a>, the most since the country began using a yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. A lack of access to mental health and addiction resources can contribute to the crisis. Older adults, LGBTQ+ people and people of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness, advocates said.Nearly half of people without housing sleep outside, federal data shows.Derrick Belgarde, executive director of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit that provides shelter, housing and other resources for Native Americans, said there’s a reason people may choose to sleep outside, explaining that before his organization was started members of the Native American population in the area weren’t using shelters because they didn’t feel safe in them or feel as though they belonged.“I think it’s going to cause a lot of pain, a lot of misery to deny people the right to safety, to feel safe, to feel a sense of belonging. It’s going to be devastating for a lot of people,” said Belgarde, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.The 9th Circuit decision had governed nine states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.___

Supreme Court allows cities to enforce bans on homeless sleeping outside

ATLANTA (AP) — Above all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;allies wanted him to demonstrate strength and energy on the debate stage to help put to rest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">questions</a>&nbsp;about the 81-year-old Democrat's physical and mental acuity.

But on the biggest stage in U.S. politics on Thursday night, Biden did not meet their modest expectations.

And by the end of the 90-minute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">showdown</a>, the Democratic president's allies — party strategists and rank-and-file voters alike — descended into all-out panic following a debate performance punctuated by repeated stumbles, uncomfortable pauses, and a quiet speaking style that was often difficult to understand. Publicly and privately, Democrats questioned whether the party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">could or should replace him</a>&nbsp;as the party's presidential nominee against the 78-year-old Republican former President Donald Trump this fall.

“I’m not the only one whose heart is breaking right now. There’s a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden,” former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said on MSNBC. "I don’t know if things can be done to fix this.”

For now, the biggest question for Biden is whether the damage is permanent. Many voters have not yet tuned into an election that's still more than four months away. The president and his allies are sitting on millions of dollars that have yet to be spent on advertising and swing state infrastructure. And there's precedent for recovering from rough debate performances, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama's</a>&nbsp;rebound from an uneven encounter with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitt-romney">Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;in 2012. Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a>&nbsp;went on to defeat a Republican rival in 2022 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-mehmet-oz-biden-health-john-fetterman-a89f9aff7d89efe43f2c40a74bbc9250">struggling through a debate</a>&nbsp;several months after experiencing a stroke.

Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign was always based on a gamble that voters would ultimately support an 81-year-old lifelong politician with weak approval ratings in a rematch that few Americans want. Despite such liabilities, Biden's team insisted that he was uniquely positioned to stop Trump from returning to the White House — just as he did four years ago.

They have long predicted that Biden's winning political coalition would eventually embrace the Democratic president after being sufficiently reminded of Trump's chaotic leadership. But there were little signs of such confidence in the wake of Biden's underwhelming debate performance.

“It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that point,” Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">said on CNN after the debate</a>. “I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”

Biden's surrogates were slow to enter the post-debate spin room in Atlanta. And when they finally emerged, they largely avoided questions from the press. Instead, they railed against Trump's long list of falsehoods during the debate. Among other things, Trump didn't disavow those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">who attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021.

California Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>, a potential future presidential candidate who was Biden's most prominent surrogate in the Atlanta spin room, urged Democrats not to panic.

“I think it’s unhelpful. And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our heads high," Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC. "We’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?”

Still, signs of anxiety were apparent as Democrats began to openly encourage the party to find an alternative to Biden. Some party officials pointed to a social media post from former Obama campaign aide Ravi Gupta.

“Every Democrat I know is texting that this is bad,” Gupta wrote on X. “Just say it publicly and begin the hard work of creating space in the convention for a selection process. I’ll vote for a corpse over Trump, but this is a suicide mission.”

Under current Democratic Party rules, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace Biden as the party's nominee without his cooperation or without the party officials being willing to rewrite its rules at the August national convention.

The president won the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates during the state-by-state primary process. And party rules state, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”

But DNC rules don’t have the same strict “faithless delegate” rules that the RNC does, which ignore votes against in violation of a delegate’s pledged position.

Republicans, meanwhile, were giddy about Biden's lackluster performance. But Trump's co-campaign chief dismissed chatter about whether Democrats would try to nominate someone other than Biden.

“There’s so many political experts on X, so we’ll hear a lot from them, I’m sure, in the next few days because they’ve all run so many campaigns,” Chris LaCivita said sarcastically. “But the only way that happens is if Joe Biden voluntarily steps down, and he’s not going to do that.”

Thursday’s debate may be imprinted on voters' minds for the foreseeable future with Biden and Trump not scheduled to meet on the debate stage again for another 75 days.

LaCavita said Trump would be at the next debate “with bells on.” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz confirmed that Biden would also attend the rematch.

But privately, Biden advisers suggested that the campaign was never going to be won or lost in one rally, conversation or debate. They pointed to plans to maintain an aggressive schedule in the weeks and months ahead.

On Friday, Biden was scheduled to campaign in North Carolina while Harris was in Nevada.

Still, Biden supporters struggled to find any hope in the immediate aftermath of the debate.

“That was the worst performance in the history of televised presidential debates,” Tim Miller, a former Republican strategist-turned ardent Biden supporter, said in the spin room, shaking his head in disbelief.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719578338232.png" alt="Image from the CNN debate courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image from the CNN debate courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Above all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;allies wanted him to demonstrate strength and energy on the debate stage to help put to rest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">questions</a>&nbsp;about the 81-year-old Democrat's physical and mental acuity.But on the biggest stage in U.S. politics on Thursday night, Biden did not meet their modest expectations.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: President Biden and former President Trump respond to question on abortion during CNN Presidential Debate. <a href="https://t.co/xsJ1ATvlTP">pic.twitter.com/xsJ1ATvlTP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806500194055311622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>And by the end of the 90-minute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bidentrumppresidentialdebate-0e7577e9a354a69f50675494fea54ca9">showdown</a>, the Democratic president's allies — party strategists and rank-and-file voters alike — descended into all-out panic following a debate performance punctuated by repeated stumbles, uncomfortable pauses, and a quiet speaking style that was often difficult to understand. Publicly and privately, Democrats questioned whether the party&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-replacement-democratic-ballot-dnc-rules-7aa836b0ae642a68eec86cc0bebd3772">could or should replace him</a>&nbsp;as the party's presidential nominee against the 78-year-old Republican former President Donald Trump this fall.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;I don&#39;t walk as easy as I used to. I don&#39;t speak as smoothly as I used to... I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job...I know like millions of Americans know; when you get knocked down you get back up!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/V9EdtTeDGC">pic.twitter.com/V9EdtTeDGC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806744269752811928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I’m not the only one whose heart is breaking right now. There’s a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden,” former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said on MSNBC. "I don’t know if things can be done to fix this.”For now, the biggest question for Biden is whether the damage is permanent. Many voters have not yet tuned into an election that's still more than four months away. The president and his allies are sitting on millions of dollars that have yet to be spent on advertising and swing state infrastructure. And there's precedent for recovering from rough debate performances, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama's</a>&nbsp;rebound from an uneven encounter with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitt-romney">Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;in 2012. Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a>&nbsp;went on to defeat a Republican rival in 2022 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-mehmet-oz-biden-health-john-fetterman-a89f9aff7d89efe43f2c40a74bbc9250">struggling through a debate</a>&nbsp;several months after experiencing a stroke.<h2>Biden's gamble</h2>Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign was always based on a gamble that voters would ultimately support an 81-year-old lifelong politician with weak approval ratings in a rematch that few Americans want. Despite such liabilities, Biden's team insisted that he was uniquely positioned to stop Trump from returning to the White House — just as he did four years ago.They have long predicted that Biden's winning political coalition would eventually embrace the Democratic president after being sufficiently reminded of Trump's chaotic leadership. But there were little signs of such confidence in the wake of Biden's underwhelming debate performance.“It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that point,” Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">said on CNN after the debate</a>. “I’m talking about the choice in November. I’m talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.”Biden's surrogates were slow to enter the post-debate spin room in Atlanta. And when they finally emerged, they largely avoided questions from the press. Instead, they railed against Trump's long list of falsehoods during the debate. Among other things, Trump didn't disavow those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">who attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021.California Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gavin-newsom">Gavin Newsom</a>, a potential future presidential candidate who was Biden's most prominent surrogate in the Atlanta spin room, urged Democrats not to panic.“I think it’s unhelpful. And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our heads high," Newsom said in an interview on MSNBC. "We’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn back because of one performance. What kind of party does that?”<h2>Signs of anxiety</h2>Still, signs of anxiety were apparent as Democrats began to openly encourage the party to find an alternative to Biden. Some party officials pointed to a social media post from former Obama campaign aide Ravi Gupta.“Every Democrat I know is texting that this is bad,” Gupta wrote on X. “Just say it publicly and begin the hard work of creating space in the convention for a selection process. I’ll vote for a corpse over Trump, but this is a suicide mission.”Under current Democratic Party rules, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replace Biden as the party's nominee without his cooperation or without the party officials being willing to rewrite its rules at the August national convention.The president won the overwhelming majority of Democratic delegates during the state-by-state primary process. And party rules state, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”But DNC rules don’t have the same strict “faithless delegate” rules that the RNC does, which ignore votes against in violation of a delegate’s pledged position.Republicans, meanwhile, were giddy about Biden's lackluster performance. But Trump's co-campaign chief dismissed chatter about whether Democrats would try to nominate someone other than Biden.“There’s so many political experts on X, so we’ll hear a lot from them, I’m sure, in the next few days because they’ve all run so many campaigns,” Chris LaCivita said sarcastically. “But the only way that happens is if Joe Biden voluntarily steps down, and he’s not going to do that.”Thursday’s debate may be imprinted on voters' minds for the foreseeable future with Biden and Trump not scheduled to meet on the debate stage again for another 75 days.LaCavita said Trump would be at the next debate “with bells on.” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz confirmed that Biden would also attend the rematch.But privately, Biden advisers suggested that the campaign was never going to be won or lost in one rally, conversation or debate. They pointed to plans to maintain an aggressive schedule in the weeks and months ahead.On Friday, Biden was scheduled to campaign in North Carolina while Harris was in Nevada.Still, Biden supporters struggled to find any hope in the immediate aftermath of the debate.“That was the worst performance in the history of televised presidential debates,” Tim Miller, a former Republican strategist-turned ardent Biden supporter, said in the spin room, shaking his head in disbelief.

🎥Biden's debate performance spurs Democratic panic 

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719430997711.png" alt="Scheibe-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Scheibe-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 11:30p.m. June 24, Sheriff's Deputies arrested 54-year-old Tammy Lynn Scheibe of Topeka in the 600 Block of Arizona Avenue in Holton, according to&nbsp;Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested her following an investigation of suspicious activity in the area. Scheibe was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include criminal use of a weapon, possession of controlled substances, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas woman jailed for alleged weapon, drug violations

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday made it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, a charge that also has been brought against former President Donald Trump.

The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781903-fischer-v-united-states">ruled 6-3</a>&nbsp;that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp., must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violently attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category.

The decision could be used as fodder for claims by Trump and his Republican allies that the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly.

It's unclear how the court's decision will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case against Trump</a>&nbsp;in Washington, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;has said the charges faced by the former president would not be affected.

The high court returned the case of former Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Fischer to a lower court to determine if Fischer can be charged with obstruction. Fischer has been indicted for his role in disrupting Congress’ certification of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory</a>&nbsp;over Trump.

Fischer is among about 350 people who have been charged with obstruction. Some pleaded guilty to or were convicted of lesser charges.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court's opinion, joined by conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, and by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Reading the obstruction statute broadly "would also criminalize a broad swath of prosaic conduct, exposing activists and lobbyists to decades in prison,” Roberts wrote.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett dissented, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

Roughly 170 Capitol insurrection defendants have been convicted of obstructing or conspiring to obstruct the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, including the leaders of two far-right extremist groups,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">the Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">the Oath Keepers</a>. A number of defendants have had their sentencings delayed until after the justices rule on the matter.

Some rioters have even won early release from prison while the appeal was pending over concerns that they might end up serving longer than they should have if the Supreme Court ruled against the Justice Department. They include Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-delaware-prisons-6057e74630701e1f77cf84aacbb3caaf">threatened a Black police officer</a>&nbsp;with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the Capitol. Seefried was sentenced last year to three years behind bars, but a judge recently ordered that he be released one year into his prison term while awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Most lower court judges who have weighed in have allowed the charge to stand. Among them, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, wrote that “statutes often reach beyond the principal evil that animated them.”

But U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, another Trump appointee, dismissed the charge against Fischer and two other defendants, writing that prosecutors went too far. A divided panel of the federal appeals court in Washington reinstated the charge before the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.

More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 1,000 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury or a judge after a trial.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has handled Jan. 6 prosecutions, said no one who has been convicted of or charged with obstruction will be completely cleared because of the ruling. Every defendant also has other felony or misdemeanor charges, or both, prosecutors said.

For around 50 people who were convicted, obstruction was the only felony count, prosecutors said. Of those, roughly two dozen who still are serving their sentence are most likely to be affected by the ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690926987746.png" alt="File photo President Trump addressed supporters Jan. 6- image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo President Trump addressed supporters Jan. 6- image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">The Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Friday made it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, a charge that also has been brought against former President Donald Trump.The justices&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24781903-fischer-v-united-states">ruled 6-3</a>&nbsp;that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, enacted in 2002 in response to the financial scandal that brought down Enron Corp., must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. Only some of the people who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">violently attacked the Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, fall into that category.The decision could be used as fodder for claims by Trump and his Republican allies that the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625581218114.png" alt="Photo U.S. Department of Justice " />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Department of Justice </figcaption>
 </figure>It's unclear how the court's decision will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">the case against Trump</a>&nbsp;in Washington, although&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">special counsel Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;has said the charges faced by the former president would not be affected.The high court returned the case of former Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Fischer to a lower court to determine if Fischer can be charged with obstruction. Fischer has been indicted for his role in disrupting Congress’ certification of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory</a>&nbsp;over Trump.Fischer is among about 350 people who have been charged with obstruction. Some pleaded guilty to or were convicted of lesser charges.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court's opinion, joined by conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, and by liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.Reading the obstruction statute broadly "would also criminalize a broad swath of prosaic conduct, exposing activists and lobbyists to decades in prison,” Roberts wrote.Justice Amy Coney Barrett dissented, along with Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.Roughly 170 Capitol insurrection defendants have been convicted of obstructing or conspiring to obstruct the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, including the leaders of two far-right extremist groups,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-enrique-tarrio-seditious-conspiracy-trial-f8738f17552cda21eef6d89504da2a0e">the Proud Boys</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-founder-guilty-of-seditious-conspiracy-42affe1614425c6820f7cbe8fd18ba96">the Oath Keepers</a>. A number of defendants have had their sentencings delayed until after the justices rule on the matter.Some rioters have even won early release from prison while the appeal was pending over concerns that they might end up serving longer than they should have if the Supreme Court ruled against the Justice Department. They include Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-delaware-prisons-6057e74630701e1f77cf84aacbb3caaf">threatened a Black police officer</a>&nbsp;with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the Capitol. Seefried was sentenced last year to three years behind bars, but a judge recently ordered that he be released one year into his prison term while awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling.Most lower court judges who have weighed in have allowed the charge to stand. Among them, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump appointee, wrote that “statutes often reach beyond the principal evil that animated them.”But U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, another Trump appointee, dismissed the charge against Fischer and two other defendants, writing that prosecutors went too far. A divided panel of the federal appeals court in Washington reinstated the charge before the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 1,000 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury or a judge after a trial.The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has handled Jan. 6 prosecutions, said no one who has been convicted of or charged with obstruction will be completely cleared because of the ruling. Every defendant also has other felony or misdemeanor charges, or both, prosecutors said.For around 50 people who were convicted, obstruction was the only felony count, prosecutors said. Of those, roughly two dozen who still are serving their sentence are most likely to be affected by the ruling.___

Supreme Court rules for Jan. 6 rioter challenging obstruction charge

KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are have identified the victim as 16-year-old Tytus Bridgeford.

Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.

First responders found Bridgeford suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;

On Wednesday&nbsp; police asked for help to identify the victim who was described as a juvenile black male with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. He also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;

When he was found, the Bridgeford was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.

Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251646778.png" alt="Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photos Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police investigating a Monday homicide in Kansas City are have identified the victim as 16-year-old Tytus Bridgeford.Just before 9:30a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to report of a dead body in church parking lot of&nbsp;Dayspring Pentecostal Church at Bannister and Raytown Road, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'.First responders found Bridgeford suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;He was pronounced dead at the scene. A passerby saw the victim in the parking lot and called police.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719251670898.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday&nbsp; police asked for help to identify the victim who was described as a juvenile black male with braces and black rubber bands. He has a natural hairstyle that is 1-inch long and tapered at the sides, according to police. He also has a scar above his left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of his left hand and a circular scar on his left hip.&nbsp;When he was found, the Bridgeford was wearing 'bone colored' Adidas Yeezy 700 MNVN shoes.Anyone with information on what happened is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the KCPD homicide.

Homicide victim found in KC church parking lot identified as 16-year-old

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s top education official ordered public schools Thursday to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.

The directive sent Thursday to superintendents across the state by Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters says adherence to the mandate is compulsory and “immediate and strict compliance is expected.”

“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters said in a statement. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction."

The directive is the latest effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana required them to post the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">Ten Commandments in classrooms</a>, while others are under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-lifewise-public-school-religion-d7cf2b67b2ae3b7919e0a21f89ce80c0">teach the Bible</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">ban books</a>&nbsp;and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Earlier this week the Oklahoma Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-religious-catholic-charter-school-unconstitutional-oklahoma-e4ef414605094313331a39cc645ede8a">blocked an attempt</a>&nbsp;by the state to have the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country.

A former public school teacher who was elected to his post in 2022, Walters ran on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-education-teachers-superintendent-walters-c5c55e473eaeb0c94545c8ae5753149a">a platform of fighting “woke ideology,”</a>&nbsp;banning books from school libraries and getting rid of “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating children in classrooms.

He has clashed with leaders in both parties for his focus on culture-war issues including transgender rights and banning books, and in January he faced criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-education-superintendent-walters-libs-tiktok-raichik-4db2bcb9d8e0582f67329f6879bdf6ba">appointing a right-wing social media influencer</a>&nbsp;from New York to a state library committee.

Walters’ directive immediately came under fire from civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state.

“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a statement. “This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children. Not on our watch.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s top education official ordered public schools Thursday to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history. <a href="https://t.co/iZKhv9tKoc">pic.twitter.com/iZKhv9tKoc</a>&mdash; Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanWaltersSupt/status/1806365533605929163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The directive sent Thursday to superintendents across the state by Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters says adherence to the mandate is compulsory and “immediate and strict compliance is expected.”“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters said in a statement. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction."The directive is the latest effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana required them to post the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62">Ten Commandments in classrooms</a>, while others are under pressure to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-lifewise-public-school-religion-d7cf2b67b2ae3b7919e0a21f89ce80c0">teach the Bible</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-book-bans-91b2d4c086eb082cbecfdda2800ef29a">ban books</a>&nbsp;and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Earlier this week the Oklahoma Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-religious-catholic-charter-school-unconstitutional-oklahoma-e4ef414605094313331a39cc645ede8a">blocked an attempt</a>&nbsp;by the state to have the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country.A former public school teacher who was elected to his post in 2022, Walters ran on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-education-teachers-superintendent-walters-c5c55e473eaeb0c94545c8ae5753149a">a platform of fighting “woke ideology,”</a>&nbsp;banning books from school libraries and getting rid of “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating children in classrooms.He has clashed with leaders in both parties for his focus on culture-war issues including transgender rights and banning books, and in January he faced criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-education-superintendent-walters-libs-tiktok-raichik-4db2bcb9d8e0582f67329f6879bdf6ba">appointing a right-wing social media influencer</a>&nbsp;from New York to a state library committee.Walters’ directive immediately came under fire from civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state.“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a statement. “This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children. Not on our watch.”

🎥Official explains why all Okla. schools will now have Bible instruction

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man is accused of selling illegal, homemade fireworks in Wichita.

Just after 11:00am on June 26, officials with the Wichita Fire Department received an anonymous complaint that an individual was illegally selling fireworks from a business in the 3900 block of East Harry in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.

Police and fire crews responded to the location together and developed probable cause to believe that illegal fireworks were being sold from that location.&nbsp;

During the investigation, officers developed additional information which led them to a residence in the area of Pawnee and McLean in Wichita. At that residence, officials with the Wichita Police Department Explosive Ordinance team located additional illegal and homemade explosives.&nbsp;

&nbsp;According to online jail records, police booked 64-year-old Phillip Wayne Bess Sr into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of criminal use of explosives. He met the requirements of a $5,000 bond and is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

The case will be presented to the district attorney's office for official charges, according to Moses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719514748804.png" alt="Bess-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Bess-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas man is accused of selling illegal, homemade fireworks in Wichita.Just after 11:00am on June 26, officials with the Wichita Fire Department received an anonymous complaint that an individual was illegally selling fireworks from a business in the 3900 block of East Harry in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses.Police and fire crews responded to the location together and developed probable cause to believe that illegal fireworks were being sold from that location.&nbsp;During the investigation, officers developed additional information which led them to a residence in the area of Pawnee and McLean in Wichita. At that residence, officials with the Wichita Police Department Explosive Ordinance team located additional illegal and homemade explosives.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to online jail records, police booked 64-year-old Phillip Wayne Bess Sr into the Sedgwick County Jail on a requested charge of criminal use of explosives. He met the requirements of a $5,000 bond and is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.The case will be presented to the district attorney's office for official charges, according to Moses.

Kansas man accused of selling homemade fireworks

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the drowning death of a two-year old. according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'

Just before noon Thursday, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 38600 block of E. Parrent Road, Oak Grove.&nbsp; First responders found a toddler had drowned.

The sheriff's office released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Authorities are investigating the drowning death of a two-year old. according to Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte'Just before noon Thursday, deputies were dispatched to a home in the 38600 block of E. Parrent Road, Oak Grove.&nbsp; First responders found a toddler had drowned.The sheriff's office released no additional details.

Sheriff: 2-year-old drowned at home near Kansas City

ATLANTA (AP) — A raspy and sometimes halting President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;tried repeatedly to confront&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden's criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">uneven performance</a>, particularly early in the debate, crystallized the concerns of many Americans that, at 81, he is too old to serve as president. It sparked a fresh round of calls for the Democrat to consider stepping aside as the party's nominee as members of his party fear a return of Trump to the White House.

Biden repeatedly tore into Trump in an apparent effort to provoke him, bringing up everything from the former president's recent felony conviction to his alleged insult of World War I veterans to his weight. The 78-year-old Trump declined to clearly state he would accept the results of the November election, four years after he promoted conspiracy theories about his loss that culminated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, and repeatedly misstated the record from his time in office.

But Biden's delivery from the beginning of the debate drew the most attention afterward. Trump's allies immediately declared victory while prominent Democrats publicly questioned whether Biden could move forward.

"I think the panic had set in,” said David Axelrod, a longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama on CNN, immediately after the debate about Biden's performance. “And I think you’re going to hear discussions that, I don’t know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”

Said Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, on CNN: “He did not do well at all.”

Rosemarie DeAngelis, a Democrat who watched the debate at a party in South Portland, Maine, said she felt Biden gave the right answers to Trump but “didn’t have the spark that we needed tonight.”

“That’s going to be the challenge going forward. This is only June, this is the first, but can he sustain?” she said. "That is going to be the challenge.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking on CNN afterward, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">defend</a>&nbsp;the president's performance while acknowledging the criticism.

“There was a slow start, but there was a strong finish,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719539849536.png" alt="President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. On the far right is CNN moderator Dana Bash. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. On the far right is CNN moderator Dana Bash. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — A raspy and sometimes halting President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;tried repeatedly to confront&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden's criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: President Biden and former President Trump respond to question on abortion during CNN Presidential Debate. <a href="https://t.co/xsJ1ATvlTP">pic.twitter.com/xsJ1ATvlTP</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806500194055311622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump: &quot;I really don&#39;t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don&#39;t think he knows what he said either.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/V106E98OSy">pic.twitter.com/V106E98OSy</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806500264200851728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on January 6th: &quot;He didn&#39;t do a damn thing.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cVb3vIaD5r">pic.twitter.com/cVb3vIaD5r</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806506398454288835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Trump: &quot;On January 6th we had a great border...On January 6th we were energy independent...On January 6th we had the lowest taxes ever. We had the lowest regulations ever...On January 6th we were respected all over the world...and then he comes in and we&#39;re now laughed at...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/mWxQEAwyFL">pic.twitter.com/mWxQEAwyFL</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806506179574579401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CLIP: CNN Presidential Debate segment on federal convictions and the right to go after political opponents. President Biden: &quot;You have the morals of an alley cat.&quot; Former President Trump: &quot;I didn&#39;t have sex with a porn star.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Gt3j4CzNXY">pic.twitter.com/Gt3j4CzNXY</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806509416331497560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fmr President Trump: &quot;He is the worst president...he&#39;s destroyed our country...If he wins this election our country doesn&#39;t have a chance.&quot; President Biden: &quot;We are the most admired country in the world. We are the United States of America. There&#39;s nothing beyond our capacity.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/osHgAAdEx2">pic.twitter.com/osHgAAdEx2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806513139694895174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on his age: &quot;Well, I took two tests, cognitive tests. I aced them. Both of them as you know. We made it public. He took none. I&#39;d like to see him take one. Just one...I just won two club championships, not even senior...he can&#39;t hit a ball 50 yards.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/j60qKGNe2h">pic.twitter.com/j60qKGNe2h</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806516579305214145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on concerns about his age: &quot;This guys three years younger and a lot less competent.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AqsSPReXlj">pic.twitter.com/AqsSPReXlj</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806515692549652812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump on if he&#39;ll accept the results of the presidential election and say that political violence is unacceptable: &quot;I shouldn&#39;t have to say that, but of course I&#39;ll believe that. It&#39;s totally unacceptable.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Jxy3OHlnZW">pic.twitter.com/Jxy3OHlnZW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1806517240168325546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-trump-biden-presidential-campaign-44e71c900a1c4af2bed93041fdfe923d">uneven performance</a>, particularly early in the debate, crystallized the concerns of many Americans that, at 81, he is too old to serve as president. It sparked a fresh round of calls for the Democrat to consider stepping aside as the party's nominee as members of his party fear a return of Trump to the White House.Biden repeatedly tore into Trump in an apparent effort to provoke him, bringing up everything from the former president's recent felony conviction to his alleged insult of World War I veterans to his weight. The 78-year-old Trump declined to clearly state he would accept the results of the November election, four years after he promoted conspiracy theories about his loss that culminated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, and repeatedly misstated the record from his time in office.But Biden's delivery from the beginning of the debate drew the most attention afterward. Trump's allies immediately declared victory while prominent Democrats publicly questioned whether Biden could move forward."I think the panic had set in,” said David Axelrod, a longtime advisor to former President Barack Obama on CNN, immediately after the debate about Biden's performance. “And I think you’re going to hear discussions that, I don’t know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”Said Van Jones, another Democratic strategist, on CNN: “He did not do well at all.”Rosemarie DeAngelis, a Democrat who watched the debate at a party in South Portland, Maine, said she felt Biden gave the right answers to Trump but “didn’t have the spark that we needed tonight.”“That’s going to be the challenge going forward. This is only June, this is the first, but can he sustain?” she said. "That is going to be the challenge.”Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking on CNN afterward, sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-debate-performance-biden-cnn-ee90f73e2b879f6f711b901e398d861d">defend</a>&nbsp;the president's performance while acknowledging the criticism.“There was a slow start, but there was a strong finish,” she said.Asked about his performance in the debate, Biden told reporters early Friday that “I think we did well,” but said he has a “sore throat.” Pressed about Democratic concerns with his showing that he should consider stepping aside, Biden said, "No, it's hard to debate a liar.”<h2>Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought</h2>Biden began the night with a hoarse voice as he tried to defend his economic record and criticize Trump. A person familiar with the matter said Biden was suffering from a cold during the debate, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19.Biden appeared to lose his train of thought while giving one answer, drifting from an answer on tax policy to health policy, at one point using the word “COVID,” and then saying, “excuse me, with, dealing with,” and he trailed off again.“Look, we finally beat Medicare,” Biden said, as his time ran out on his answer.He also fumbled on abortion rights, one of the most important issues for Democrats in this year’s election. He was unable to explain Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. A conservative Supreme Court with three justices nominated by Trump overturned Roe two years ago.When asked if he supports some restrictions on abortion, Biden said he “supports Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state.”He added that he thought doctors, not politicians, should make decisions about “women’s health.”Biden began to give clearer answers as the debate progressed, still with a rasp, and attacked Trump’s record on issues like fighting climate change.“The only existential threat to humanity is climate change, and he didn’t do a damn thing about it,” he said.<h2>Trump sought to deflect blame for Jan. 6</h2>The current president and his predecessor hadn’t spoken&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debate-joe-biden-donald-trump-nbc-final-ea9fa49aa1ccf238d3004eb39ed9d8db">since their last debate</a>&nbsp;weeks before the 2020 presidential election. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-inaugurations-302e242646b2bec9838b5e8d9950d164">skipped Biden’s inauguration</a>&nbsp;after leading an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-election-2020-judiciary-presidential-elections-elections-2fec942d0c09bc31858190afbb5d8e42">unprecedented and unsuccessful effort</a>&nbsp;to overturn his loss that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-panel-hearing-3e3dc618ed8cee37147cf6a792c0c0fa">culminated in the Capitol riot</a>&nbsp;by his supporters.Trump equivocated on whether he would accept the results of the November election, saying he would accept them if the vote was “fair” and “legal,” repeating his baseless claims of widespread fraud and misconduct in his 2020 loss to Biden that he still denies.Pressed on his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump was unapologetic.“On Jan. 6, we were respected all over the world, all over the world we were respected. And then he comes in and we’re now laughed at,” Trump said.After he was prompted by a moderator to answer whether he violated his oath of office that day by rallying his supporters seeking to block the certification of Biden's Electoral College victory and not acting for hours to call them off as they raided the Capitol, Trump sought to blame then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Biden said Trump encouraged the supporters to go to the Capitol and sat in the White House without taking action as they fought with police officers.“He didn’t do a damn thing and these people should be in jail,” Biden said. “They should be the ones that are being held accountable. And he wants to let them all out. And now he says that if he loses again, such a whiner that he is, that this could be a ‘bloodbath’?”Trump then defended the people convicted and imprisoned for their role in the insurrection, saying to Biden, “What they’ve done to some people that are so innocent, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”Trump and Biden entered the night facing stiff headwinds, including a public weary of the tumult of partisan politics and broadly dissatisfied with both, according to polling. But the debate was highlighting how they have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-election-debate-trump-biden-577507522762aa10f6ee5be3a0ced2bb">sharply different visions</a>&nbsp;on virtually every core issue — abortion, the economy and foreign policy — and deep hostility toward each other.Their personal animus quickly came to the surface. Biden got personal in evoking his son, Beau, who served in Iraq before dying of brain cancer. The president criticized Trump for reportedly calling Americans killed in battle “suckers and losers.” Biden told Trump, “My son was not a loser, was not a sucker. You’re the sucker. You’re the loser.”Trump said he never said that — a line attributed to Trump by his former chief of staff — and slammed Biden for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, calling it “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country’s life.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-taliban-doha-e6f48507848aef2ee849154604aa11be">Trump himself agreed to the withdrawal with the Taliban</a>&nbsp;a year before he left office.Biden directly mentioned Trump’s conviction in the New York hush money trial, saying, “You have the morals of an alley cat," and referencing the allegations in the case that Trump had sex with a porn actress.“I did not have sex with a porn star," replied Trump, who chose not to testify at his trial.Pressed to defend rising inflation since he took office, Biden pinned it on the situation he inherited from Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Biden said that when Trump left office, “things were in chaos.” Trump disagreed, declaring that during his term in the White House, “Everything was rocking good.”By the time Trump left office, America was still grappling with the pandemic and during his final hours in office, the death toll eclipsed 400,000. The virus continued to ravage the country and the death toll hit 1 million over a year later.Trump was asked what he would do to make childcare more affordable. He used his answer to instead boast about how many people he fired during his term, including former FBI Director James Comey, and criticized Biden for not firing people from his administration.<h2>The age question roars back</h2>Prior to the debate, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults (59%) said they were “very concerned” that Biden is too old to be president,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646547/age-issues-working-trump-advantage-pre-debate.aspx">according to Gallup data collected in June</a>. Only 18% had the same level of concern about Trump. The poll found Biden’s age was also causing alarm among some Democrats: 31% said they were very concerned.Trump allies entered the post-debate spin room triumphant. Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita called it “the most lopsided win in debate history” and mocked the Biden campaign for saying the president had a cold.California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a high-profile Democratic supporter of Biden, was pressed on whether he would consider stepping in for Biden. He dismissed the questions, saying, “I will never turn my back on him.”He said he knows Biden and what he’s capable of and said, “I have no trepidation.”Biden spent nearly a week at the Camp David presidential retreat preparing for the debate. Shortly before the debate, Biden started selling cans of water labeled, “Dark Brandon’s Secret Sauce,” on his campaign website, mocking the suggestions from Trump and his advisors that he would use drugs to enhance his performance.Addressing supporters briefly at a watch party near the debate venue, Biden didn’t address his performance directly, but said, “let’s keep going,” and indicated he has no plans to leave the race.“See you at the next one,” he said.___