HUTCHINSON— The Kansas State Fair is looking for models of all kinds to help tell the story of the 2023 Kansas State Fair in photos and videos from Sept. 8 to 17 in Hutchinson, according to a media release.

No previous modeling experience is required, just a willing personality, and a love of the Fair.

Casting includes: Families-Kids-Seniors-Couples-Teen/Young Adult Groups

Selected models will receive free gate tickets, and be scheduled for a 30 minute shoot with the State Fair media crew.

<a href="https://www.kansasstatefair.com/f/166?fbclid=IwAR0o1EztcdWGmFITsAJZbyp1sgmv-Hg3yQzQcPn-a1lpeVkFBry9iBURzP8">CLICK here </a>to apply here by August 15:&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690915993318.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Fair" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Fair</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON— The Kansas State Fair is looking for models of all kinds to help tell the story of the 2023 Kansas State Fair in photos and videos from Sept. 8 to 17 in Hutchinson, according to a media release.No previous modeling experience is required, just a willing personality, and a love of the Fair.Casting includes: Families-Kids-Seniors-Couples-Teen/Young Adult GroupsSelected models will receive free gate tickets, and be scheduled for a 30 minute shoot with the State Fair media crew.<a href="https://www.kansasstatefair.com/f/166?fbclid=IwAR0o1EztcdWGmFITsAJZbyp1sgmv-Hg3yQzQcPn-a1lpeVkFBry9iBURzP8">CLICK here </a>to apply here by August 15:&nbsp;

Kansas State Fair looking for models of all ages

Des Moines (AP) —The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds Tuesday night and won the massive lottery prize.

The winning numbers drawn were: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 and the yellow ball: 12.

No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to grow larger and larger. The $1.25 billion prize for Friday’s drawing is one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-10-us-lottery-jackpots-b24950a388d0a0f6544d2276956ff220">largest in U.S. history</a>. Tuesday night’s drawing for $1.1 billion was the 30th straight without a winner.

The lottery drought is due to a combination of poor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">luck and terrible odds</a>, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $2 to $1 million, are significantly better.

The new $1.25 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $625.3 million.

Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Des Moines (AP) —The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds Tuesday night and won the massive lottery prize.The winning numbers drawn were: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 and the yellow ball: 12.No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to grow larger and larger. The $1.25 billion prize for Friday’s drawing is one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-10-us-lottery-jackpots-b24950a388d0a0f6544d2276956ff220">largest in U.S. history</a>. Tuesday night’s drawing for $1.1 billion was the 30th straight without a winner.The lottery drought is due to a combination of poor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">luck and terrible odds</a>, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $2 to $1 million, are significantly better.The new $1.25 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">through an annuity</a>, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $625.3 million.Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.25 billion after no one hits top prize

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) —A man who abducted a 6-year-old Missouri girl and beat her to death at an abandoned factory two decades ago was put to death Tuesday evening, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to block the execution over arguments he was mentally incompetent.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>, 45, received a lethal injection dose of pentobarbital at a state prison in Bonne Terre and was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. CDT, authorities said. He was convicted of the July 2002 killing of Casey Williamson in the St. Louis area suburb of Valley Park.

Johnson, who had schizophrenia, expressed remorse in a brief handwritten statement released by the Department of Corrections hours before being executed.

“God Bless. Sorry to the people and family I hurt,” Johnson’s statement said.

As he lay on his back with a sheet up to his neck, Johnson turned his head to the left, appearing to listen to his spiritual adviser shortly before the injection began. He then faced forward with his eyes closed, with no further physical reaction.

Among those witnessing Johnson’s execution were several members of the girl’s family and the former prosecutor and police investigator who handled his case.

The U.S. Supreme Court, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor and two other justices dissenting, rejected a late request to stay the execution.

In recent appeals, Johnson’s attorneys have said the inmate has had delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.

“The Court today paves the way to execute a man with documented mental illness before any court meaningfully investigates his competency to be executed,” Sotomayor and the other dissenting justices wrote in a statement when the stay was rejected. "There is no moral victory in executing someone who believes Satan is killing him to bring about the end of the world."

Former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch called the delusions “nonsense” and said Johnson inflicted “unspeakable horrors” upon Casey.

“He's got some issues — significant issues," McCulloch said moments before witnessing the execution. But “he knew exactly what he was doing.”

The girl's disappearance from her hometown of Valley Park on July 26, 2002, had set off a frantic search before her body was found.

Casey’s mother had been best friends in childhood with Johnson’s older sister and even helped babysit him. After Johnson attended a barbecue the night before the killing, Casey's family let him sleep on a couch in the home where they also were sleeping.

In the morning, Johnson lured the girl — still in her nightgown — to the abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site, according to court documents. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with a brick and a large rock, then washed off in the nearby Meramec River. Johnson confessed that same day to the crimes, according to authorities.

“It was more violent and brutal than any case I've ever seen,” said former St. Louis County homicide investigator Paul Neske, who questioned Johnson at length the day of Casey's murder and witnessed his execution.

After a search by first responders and volunteers, Casey's body was found in a pit, buried under rocks and debris, less than a mile (kilometer) from her home.

At Johnson's trial, defense lawyers presented testimony showing their client — an ex-convict who had been released from a state psychiatric facility six months before the crime — had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication and was acting strangely in the days before the slaying.

In June, the Missouri Supreme Court denied an appeal seeking to block the execution on arguments that Johnson's schizophrenia prevented him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. A three-judge federal appeals court panel last week temporary halted execution plans, but the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it. Johnson's attorneys then filed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court centered around his competency to be executed.

Gov. Mike Parson on Monday denied a request to reduce Johnson's sentence to life in prison. The clemency petition by Johnson's attorneys said Casey's father, Ernie Williamson, opposed the death penalty.

But Casey's great aunt, Della Steele, wrote an emotional plea to the governor urging the execution be carried out to “send the message that it is not okay to terrorize and murder a child.” Steele said grief from Casey's death led to destructive effects among other family members.

“He did something horrible. He took a life away from a completely innocent child, and there have to be consequences for that,” Steele said recently, speaking with The Associated Press.

The family has organized community safety fairs in Casey’s memory, including a July 22 event that drew a couple hundred people. The family gave away dozens of child identification kits along with safety tips involving fire, water and bicycles, among other items.

The execution was the 16th in the U.S. this year, including three previously in Missouri, five in Texas, four in Florida, two in Oklahoma and one in Alabama.

“It’s been a difficult day, and a difficult 21 years,” Steele said in a statement after witnessing the execution. “We will continue to honor our sweet Casey’s memory by doing our best to make a difference in the lives of other children.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690408112630.png" alt="Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) —A man who abducted a 6-year-old Missouri girl and beat her to death at an abandoned factory two decades ago was put to death Tuesday evening, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to block the execution over arguments he was mentally incompetent.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-august-06f474f368dfd5ff5c4145164b222a3b">Johnny Johnson</a>, 45, received a lethal injection dose of pentobarbital at a state prison in Bonne Terre and was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. CDT, authorities said. He was convicted of the July 2002 killing of Casey Williamson in the St. Louis area suburb of Valley Park.Johnson, who had schizophrenia, expressed remorse in a brief handwritten statement released by the Department of Corrections hours before being executed.“God Bless. Sorry to the people and family I hurt,” Johnson’s statement said.As he lay on his back with a sheet up to his neck, Johnson turned his head to the left, appearing to listen to his spiritual adviser shortly before the injection began. He then faced forward with his eyes closed, with no further physical reaction.Among those witnessing Johnson’s execution were several members of the girl’s family and the former prosecutor and police investigator who handled his case.The U.S. Supreme Court, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor and two other justices dissenting, rejected a late request to stay the execution.In recent appeals, Johnson’s attorneys have said the inmate has had delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world.“The Court today paves the way to execute a man with documented mental illness before any court meaningfully investigates his competency to be executed,” Sotomayor and the other dissenting justices wrote in a statement when the stay was rejected. "There is no moral victory in executing someone who believes Satan is killing him to bring about the end of the world."Former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch called the delusions “nonsense” and said Johnson inflicted “unspeakable horrors” upon Casey.“He's got some issues — significant issues," McCulloch said moments before witnessing the execution. But “he knew exactly what he was doing.”The girl's disappearance from her hometown of Valley Park on July 26, 2002, had set off a frantic search before her body was found.Casey’s mother had been best friends in childhood with Johnson’s older sister and even helped babysit him. After Johnson attended a barbecue the night before the killing, Casey's family let him sleep on a couch in the home where they also were sleeping.In the morning, Johnson lured the girl — still in her nightgown — to the abandoned glass factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site, according to court documents. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. He killed her with a brick and a large rock, then washed off in the nearby Meramec River. Johnson confessed that same day to the crimes, according to authorities.“It was more violent and brutal than any case I've ever seen,” said former St. Louis County homicide investigator Paul Neske, who questioned Johnson at length the day of Casey's murder and witnessed his execution.After a search by first responders and volunteers, Casey's body was found in a pit, buried under rocks and debris, less than a mile (kilometer) from her home.At Johnson's trial, defense lawyers presented testimony showing their client — an ex-convict who had been released from a state psychiatric facility six months before the crime — had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication and was acting strangely in the days before the slaying.In June, the Missouri Supreme Court denied an appeal seeking to block the execution on arguments that Johnson's schizophrenia prevented him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. A three-judge federal appeals court panel last week temporary halted execution plans, but the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it. Johnson's attorneys then filed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court centered around his competency to be executed.Gov. Mike Parson on Monday denied a request to reduce Johnson's sentence to life in prison. The clemency petition by Johnson's attorneys said Casey's father, Ernie Williamson, opposed the death penalty.But Casey's great aunt, Della Steele, wrote an emotional plea to the governor urging the execution be carried out to “send the message that it is not okay to terrorize and murder a child.” Steele said grief from Casey's death led to destructive effects among other family members.“He did something horrible. He took a life away from a completely innocent child, and there have to be consequences for that,” Steele said recently, speaking with The Associated Press.The family has organized community safety fairs in Casey’s memory, including a July 22 event that drew a couple hundred people. The family gave away dozens of child identification kits along with safety tips involving fire, water and bicycles, among other items.The execution was the 16th in the U.S. this year, including three previously in Missouri, five in Texas, four in Florida, two in Oklahoma and one in Alabama.“It’s been a difficult day, and a difficult 21 years,” Steele said in a statement after witnessing the execution. “We will continue to honor our sweet Casey’s memory by doing our best to make a difference in the lives of other children.”

Killer of 6-year-old expressed remorse before his execution

JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just before 11p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of suspicious individuals in the area of 110th and T. Roads in southeastern Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies stopped a vehicle leaving the area near 126th and T. Roads.  Deputies arrested the driver, identified as 22-year-old Joshua Kenneth Funk Jr., of Valley Falls for driving under the influence, transporting an open container and possession of cocaine. 

 Funk was booked into the Jackson County Jail. The Hoyt Police Department assisted with the incident. Funk is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690899444029.png" alt="Funk-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Funk-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY–Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 11p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of suspicious individuals in the area of 110th and T. Roads in southeastern Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies stopped a vehicle leaving the area near 126th and T. Roads. Deputies arrested the driver, identified as 22-year-old Joshua Kenneth Funk Jr., of Valley Falls for driving under the influence, transporting an open container and possession of cocaine. Funk was booked into the Jackson County Jail. The Hoyt Police Department assisted with the incident. Funk is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

Kansas man caught transporting cocaine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was charged Tuesday in a Justice Department investigation into his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">efforts to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.1.0_2.pdf">Click here to read</a> the indictment

The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States government and witness tampering.

The indictment, the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024, follows a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-charges-ab1ad197e9abcb3eb9095237b98bee7d">long-running federal investigation</a>&nbsp;into schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the peaceful transfer of power and keep him in office despite a decisive loss to Joe Biden.

Even in a year of rapid-succession legal reckonings for Trump, Tuesday's criminal case was especially stunning in its allegations that a former president assaulted the underpinnings of democracy in a frantic and ultimately failed effort to cling to power.

Federal prosecutors say Donald Trump was “determined to remain in power” in conspiracies that targeted a “bedrock function of the United States federal government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.”

Trump is due in court on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The criminal case comes while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-desantis-2024-rivalry-republican-039d07d08e7fef506bf7b8b1cd40ca75">Trump leads the field of Republicans</a>&nbsp;vying to capture their party’s presidential nomination. It is sure to be dismissed by the former president and his supporters — and even some of his rivals — as just another politically motivated prosecution. Yet the charges stem from one of the most serious threats to American democracy in modern history.

They focus on the turbulent two months after the November 2020 election in which Trump refused to accept his loss and spread lies that victory was stolen from him. The turmoil resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the U.S. Capitol riot</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump loyalists violently broke into the building, attacked police officers and disrupted the congressional counting of electoral votes.

In between the election and the riot, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-arts-and-entertainment-elections-georgia-2b27f4c92919556bf6548117648693b7">urged local election officials to undo voting results</a>&nbsp;in their states, pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to halt the certification of electoral votes and falsely claimed that the election had been stolen — a notion repeatedly rejected by judges.

The indictment had been expected since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-investigation-2020-election-7caa4d45b9dc287af868aa12f87fe254">Trump said in mid-July</a>&nbsp;that the Justice Department informed him he was a target of its long-running Jan. 6 investigation. A bipartisan House committee that spent months investigating the run-up to the Capitol riot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/january-6-final-hearing-investigation-wraps-0bceb95826c1c836023d2810ccbeccca">also recommended prosecuting Trump</a>&nbsp;on charges, including aiding an insurrection and obstructing an official proceeding.

The mounting criminal cases against Trump — not to mention multiple civil cases — are unfolding in the heat of the 2024 race. A conviction in this case, or any other, would not prevent Trump from pursuing the White House or serving as president.

In New York,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">state prosecutors have charged Trump</a>&nbsp;with falsifying business records about a hush money payoff to a porn actor before the 2016 election. The trial begins in late March.

In Florida, the Justice Department has brought more than three dozen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">felony counts against Trump</a>&nbsp;accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents after leaving the White House and concealing them from the government. The trial begins in late May.

The latest federal indictment against Trump focuses heavily on actions taken in Washington, and the trial will be held there, in a courthouse located between the White House he once occupied and the Capitol his supporters once stormed. No trial date has been set.

Prosecutors in Georgia are investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to reverse his election loss to Biden there in 2020. The district attorney of Fulton County is expected to announce a decision on whether to indict the former president in early August.

The investigation of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election was led by Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>. His team of prosecutors has questioned senior Trump administration officials before a grand jury in Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-grand-jury-2020-jan-6-9dac6db37ab8923ff1b0f09f3a9a32c8">including Pence</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-biden-presidential-elections-election-2020-pat-cipollone-12a8357dfec8bc9a245e5e310638aedc">top lawyers from the Trump White House</a>.

Rudy Giuliani, a Trump lawyer who pursued post-election legal challenges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-giuliani-jan-6-justice-department-324e9537d58c0248806739d43b198d91">spoke voluntarily to prosecutors</a>&nbsp;as part of a proffer agreement, in which a person’s statements can’t be used against them in any future criminal case that is brought.

Prosecutors also interviewed election officials in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere who came under pressure from Trump and his associates to change voting results in states won by Biden, a Democrat.

Focal points of the Justice Department’s election meddling investigation included the role played by some of Trump’s lawyers, post-election fundraising,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-panel-july-12-hearing-live-updates-78d2471f3788a82290f04d02b2b50520">a chaotic December 2020</a>&nbsp;meeting at the White House in which some Trump aides discussed the possibility of seizing voting machines and the enlistment of fake electors to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-presidential-elections-election-2020-electoral-college-311f88768b65f7196f52a4757dc162e4">submit certificates to the National Archives</a>&nbsp;and Congress falsely asserting that Trump, not Biden, had won their states’ votes.

Trump has been trying to use the mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, claiming without evidence on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign.

The indictments have helped his campaign raise millions of dollars from supporters, though he raised less after the second than the first, raising questions about whether subsequent charges will have the same impact.

A fundraising committee backing Trump’s candidacy began soliciting contributions just hours after the ex-president revealed he was the focus of the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 investigation, casting it as “just another vicious act of Election Interference on behalf of the Deep State to try and stop the Silent Majority from having a voice in your own country.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland last year appointed Smith, an international war crimes prosecutor who also led the Justice Department’s public corruption section, as special counsel to investigate efforts to undo the 2020 election and Trump’s retention of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago. Although Trump has derided him as “deranged” and suggested that he is politically motivated, Smith’s past experience includes overseeing significant prosecutions against high-profile Democrats.

The Justice Department’s investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election began well before Smith’s appointment, proceeding alongside separate criminal probes into the Jan. 6 rioters themselves.

More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the insurrection, including some with seditious conspiracy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690927220268.png" alt="In a video released by the&nbsp;White House,&nbsp;President Trump&nbsp;addressed protesters who breached the U.S. Capitol-image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>In a video released by the&nbsp;White House,&nbsp;President Trump&nbsp;addressed protesters who breached the U.S. Capitol-image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was charged Tuesday in a Justice Department investigation into his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-hearings-trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">efforts to overturn the results</a>&nbsp;of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.1.0_2.pdf">Click here to read</a> the indictmentThe charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States government and witness tampering.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690926987746.png" alt="President Trump during the DC&nbsp; Rally on Jan. 6-White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during the DC&nbsp; Rally on Jan. 6-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>The indictment, the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024, follows a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-charges-ab1ad197e9abcb3eb9095237b98bee7d">long-running federal investigation</a>&nbsp;into schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the peaceful transfer of power and keep him in office despite a decisive loss to Joe Biden.Even in a year of rapid-succession legal reckonings for Trump, Tuesday's criminal case was especially stunning in its allegations that a former president assaulted the underpinnings of democracy in a frantic and ultimately failed effort to cling to power.Federal prosecutors say Donald Trump was “determined to remain in power” in conspiracies that targeted a “bedrock function of the United States federal government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.”Trump is due in court on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.The criminal case comes while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-desantis-2024-rivalry-republican-039d07d08e7fef506bf7b8b1cd40ca75">Trump leads the field of Republicans</a>&nbsp;vying to capture their party’s presidential nomination. It is sure to be dismissed by the former president and his supporters — and even some of his rivals — as just another politically motivated prosecution. Yet the charges stem from one of the most serious threats to American democracy in modern history.They focus on the turbulent two months after the November 2020 election in which Trump refused to accept his loss and spread lies that victory was stolen from him. The turmoil resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the U.S. Capitol riot</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump loyalists violently broke into the building, attacked police officers and disrupted the congressional counting of electoral votes.In between the election and the riot, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-arts-and-entertainment-elections-georgia-2b27f4c92919556bf6548117648693b7">urged local election officials to undo voting results</a>&nbsp;in their states, pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to halt the certification of electoral votes and falsely claimed that the election had been stolen — a notion repeatedly rejected by judges.The indictment had been expected since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-investigation-2020-election-7caa4d45b9dc287af868aa12f87fe254">Trump said in mid-July</a>&nbsp;that the Justice Department informed him he was a target of its long-running Jan. 6 investigation. A bipartisan House committee that spent months investigating the run-up to the Capitol riot&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/january-6-final-hearing-investigation-wraps-0bceb95826c1c836023d2810ccbeccca">also recommended prosecuting Trump</a>&nbsp;on charges, including aiding an insurrection and obstructing an official proceeding.The mounting criminal cases against Trump — not to mention multiple civil cases — are unfolding in the heat of the 2024 race. A conviction in this case, or any other, would not prevent Trump from pursuing the White House or serving as president.In New York,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-new-york-florida-hush-money-election-764309dce49f81a50bf9f610ffd5ceb6">state prosecutors have charged Trump</a>&nbsp;with falsifying business records about a hush money payoff to a porn actor before the 2016 election. The trial begins in late March.In Florida, the Justice Department has brought more than three dozen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">felony counts against Trump</a>&nbsp;accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents after leaving the White House and concealing them from the government. The trial begins in late May.The latest federal indictment against Trump focuses heavily on actions taken in Washington, and the trial will be held there, in a courthouse located between the White House he once occupied and the Capitol his supporters once stormed. No trial date has been set.Prosecutors in Georgia are investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to reverse his election loss to Biden there in 2020. The district attorney of Fulton County is expected to announce a decision on whether to indict the former president in early August.The investigation of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election was led by Justice Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">special counsel Jack Smith</a>. His team of prosecutors has questioned senior Trump administration officials before a grand jury in Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-grand-jury-2020-jan-6-9dac6db37ab8923ff1b0f09f3a9a32c8">including Pence</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-biden-presidential-elections-election-2020-pat-cipollone-12a8357dfec8bc9a245e5e310638aedc">top lawyers from the Trump White House</a>.Rudy Giuliani, a Trump lawyer who pursued post-election legal challenges,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-giuliani-jan-6-justice-department-324e9537d58c0248806739d43b198d91">spoke voluntarily to prosecutors</a>&nbsp;as part of a proffer agreement, in which a person’s statements can’t be used against them in any future criminal case that is brought.Prosecutors also interviewed election officials in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and elsewhere who came under pressure from Trump and his associates to change voting results in states won by Biden, a Democrat.Focal points of the Justice Department’s election meddling investigation included the role played by some of Trump’s lawyers, post-election fundraising,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-panel-july-12-hearing-live-updates-78d2471f3788a82290f04d02b2b50520">a chaotic December 2020</a>&nbsp;meeting at the White House in which some Trump aides discussed the possibility of seizing voting machines and the enlistment of fake electors to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-presidential-elections-election-2020-electoral-college-311f88768b65f7196f52a4757dc162e4">submit certificates to the National Archives</a>&nbsp;and Congress falsely asserting that Trump, not Biden, had won their states’ votes.Trump has been trying to use the mounting legal troubles to his political advantage, claiming without evidence on social media and at public events that the cases are being driven by Democratic prosecutors out to hurt his 2024 election campaign.The indictments have helped his campaign raise millions of dollars from supporters, though he raised less after the second than the first, raising questions about whether subsequent charges will have the same impact.A fundraising committee backing Trump’s candidacy began soliciting contributions just hours after the ex-president revealed he was the focus of the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 investigation, casting it as “just another vicious act of Election Interference on behalf of the Deep State to try and stop the Silent Majority from having a voice in your own country.”Attorney General Merrick Garland last year appointed Smith, an international war crimes prosecutor who also led the Justice Department’s public corruption section, as special counsel to investigate efforts to undo the 2020 election and Trump’s retention of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago. Although Trump has derided him as “deranged” and suggested that he is politically motivated, Smith’s past experience includes overseeing significant prosecutions against high-profile Democrats.The Justice Department’s investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election began well before Smith’s appointment, proceeding alongside separate criminal probes into the Jan. 6 rioters themselves.More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the insurrection, including some with seditious conspiracy.____

Read indictment: Trump charged for efforts to overturn 2020 election 

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (AP) — A transgender former student sued a Missouri school district on Monday for forcing her to use the boys’ bathrooms or the high school's only single-stall bathroom.

<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/sites/default/files/2023-07-31_-_petition.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the petition

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri sued Platte County R-3 School District on behalf of the transgender female former student, identified in the lawsuit only as R.F.

The former student received detention twice for using the girls' restroom, according to the lawsuit. She said a male classmate harassed her and threatened her with rape when she used the boys' bathroom.

The lawsuit argues the school violated her rights by requiring her to use the bathroom that aligned with her sex assigned at birth or the school's single-stall gender-neutral bathroom.

“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation at the ACLU of Missouri, in a statement. “Both through the constitution and by statute the government, a school in this case, is prohibited from discriminating against the people it is supposed to protect on the basis of either their sex or disability.”

Superintendent Jay Harris said in a statement that the district is “in the early stages of evaluating the legal claims” but plans to provide more information soon.

“The District’s focus is, and has always been, providing a safe and caring environment for all students,” Harris said.

KANSAS CITY –The battle over a transgender student using a girls restroom at a Kansas City-area high school is headed to court.

The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of a former Platte County High School student challenging the district’s actions that discriminated against her based on her transgender status, her sex&nbsp;designated&nbsp;at birth, and her clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, according to a media release from the organization.

<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/sites/default/files/2023-07-31_-_petition.pdf">Click here to read</a> the petition

The lawsuit is brought under the Missouri Human Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Missouri Constitution and urges the court to find that the Platte County School District’s practices and policies are unconstitutional and award damages and fees.

“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said&nbsp;Gillian Wilcox, Deputy Director of Litigation at the ACLU of Missouri. “Both through the constitution and by statute the government, a school in this case, is prohibited from discriminating against the people it is supposed to protect on the basis of either their sex or disability.”

The student, referred to as R.F. in the lawsuit, identified as female at a very young age She began counseling to start her social and medical transition to female in 2019. Following a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and at the recommendation of counselors and doctors, R.F. was prescribed hormone blockers and, eventually, hormone replacement therapy. R.F. lives as a female and was living as a female when she was denied the use of the girls’ restroom at her school.

At the beginning of her&nbsp;freshman&nbsp;year, R.F. was informed by the assistant principal that the school district required her to use either the restroom of her sex designated at birth or the single gender-neutral restroom at the school. This forced R.F. into the impossible dilemma of using an impractical single-stall restroom where there was often a line as it was used by all students and risk missing or being late to class, using the boys’ restroom even though she is a transgender female, or using one of the many the girls’ restrooms and risk punishment. R.F. preferred to use one of the girls’ restrooms located throughout the school.&nbsp;

The school responded through a series of escalating punishments ranging from verbal warnings to out-of-school suspension. R.F. did use the boys’ restroom upon returning from suspension, where she experienced harassment and a threat of rape from a male classmate.

The prohibition on using the girls’ restroom, as well as the harassment, caused R.F. to experience anxiety and depression, leaving her afraid to attend school because of how she was treated, R.F. completed the last several months of her freshman year virtually.

Platte County School District’s harmful practice and policy of forcing transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds with their sex designated at birth leads to unnecessary discipline and results in anxiety, depression, and harassment for transgender students.

In recent months, the ACLU of Missouri, in partnership with Lambda Legal and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLC., has challenged multiple attempts by the government to ban gender affirming care, including last week’s lawsuit&nbsp;challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/en/news/families-and-medical-providers-sue-missouri-block-transgender-youth-medical-care-ban" target="_blank">Senate Bill 49&nbsp;</a>and an earlier lawsuit challenging the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/en/news/aclu-missouris-statement-termination-attorney-generals-restrictive-rule-gender-affirming-care" target="_blank">Attorney General’s failed&nbsp;attempt</a>&nbsp;to use the state’s consumer protection laws to ban all gender-affirming care.

The ACLU of Missouri will continue to explore all options to expand the rights of transgender Missourians.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690923567379.png" alt="The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of a former Platte County High School student -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of a former Platte County High School student -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (AP) — A transgender former student sued a Missouri school district on Monday for forcing her to use the boys’ bathrooms or the high school's only single-stall bathroom.<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/sites/default/files/2023-07-31_-_petition.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the petitionThe American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri sued Platte County R-3 School District on behalf of the transgender female former student, identified in the lawsuit only as R.F.The former student received detention twice for using the girls' restroom, according to the lawsuit. She said a male classmate harassed her and threatened her with rape when she used the boys' bathroom.The lawsuit argues the school violated her rights by requiring her to use the bathroom that aligned with her sex assigned at birth or the school's single-stall gender-neutral bathroom.“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation at the ACLU of Missouri, in a statement. “Both through the constitution and by statute the government, a school in this case, is prohibited from discriminating against the people it is supposed to protect on the basis of either their sex or disability.”Superintendent Jay Harris said in a statement that the district is “in the early stages of evaluating the legal claims” but plans to provide more information soon.“The District’s focus is, and has always been, providing a safe and caring environment for all students,” Harris said.-------------KANSAS CITY –The battle over a transgender student using a girls restroom at a Kansas City-area high school is headed to court.The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of a former Platte County High School student challenging the district’s actions that discriminated against her based on her transgender status, her sex&nbsp;designated&nbsp;at birth, and her clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, according to a media release from the organization.<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/sites/default/files/2023-07-31_-_petition.pdf">Click here to read</a> the petitionThe lawsuit is brought under the Missouri Human Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Missouri Constitution and urges the court to find that the Platte County School District’s practices and policies are unconstitutional and award damages and fees.“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said&nbsp;Gillian Wilcox, Deputy Director of Litigation at the ACLU of Missouri. “Both through the constitution and by statute the government, a school in this case, is prohibited from discriminating against the people it is supposed to protect on the basis of either their sex or disability.”The student, referred to as R.F. in the lawsuit, identified as female at a very young age She began counseling to start her social and medical transition to female in 2019. Following a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and at the recommendation of counselors and doctors, R.F. was prescribed hormone blockers and, eventually, hormone replacement therapy. R.F. lives as a female and was living as a female when she was denied the use of the girls’ restroom at her school.At the beginning of her&nbsp;freshman&nbsp;year, R.F. was informed by the assistant principal that the school district required her to use either the restroom of her sex designated at birth or the single gender-neutral restroom at the school. This forced R.F. into the impossible dilemma of using an impractical single-stall restroom where there was often a line as it was used by all students and risk missing or being late to class, using the boys’ restroom even though she is a transgender female, or using one of the many the girls’ restrooms and risk punishment. R.F. preferred to use one of the girls’ restrooms located throughout the school.&nbsp;The school responded through a series of escalating punishments ranging from verbal warnings to out-of-school suspension. R.F. did use the boys’ restroom upon returning from suspension, where she experienced harassment and a threat of rape from a male classmate.The prohibition on using the girls’ restroom, as well as the harassment, caused R.F. to experience anxiety and depression, leaving her afraid to attend school because of how she was treated, R.F. completed the last several months of her freshman year virtually.Platte County School District’s harmful practice and policy of forcing transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds with their sex designated at birth leads to unnecessary discipline and results in anxiety, depression, and harassment for transgender students.In recent months, the ACLU of Missouri, in partnership with Lambda Legal and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLC., has challenged multiple attempts by the government to ban gender affirming care, including last week’s lawsuit&nbsp;challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/en/news/families-and-medical-providers-sue-missouri-block-transgender-youth-medical-care-ban" target="_blank">Senate Bill 49&nbsp;</a>and an earlier lawsuit challenging the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu-mo.org/en/news/aclu-missouris-statement-termination-attorney-generals-restrictive-rule-gender-affirming-care" target="_blank">Attorney General’s failed&nbsp;attempt</a>&nbsp;to use the state’s consumer protection laws to ban all gender-affirming care.The ACLU of Missouri will continue to explore all options to expand the rights of transgender Missourians.

Lawsuit: Transgender student denied use of girls restroom at KC-area school

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Kansas Humane Society shared a very special owner reclaim on social media Monday.

According to the KHS, Gauge was stolen nearly two years ago, before getting confiscated by&nbsp;Wichita Animal Services with another dog. 

He had fleas all along his back and was diagnosed with alopecia by the humane society vet. All that time, his owner had been looking for him and was able to put an owner reclaim reservation on Gauge through the humane society Intake Department&nbsp;

&nbsp;He had his neuter surgery and was still a little loopy, but he definitely remembered his dad, flopping right in front of him&nbsp;

&nbsp;"The Humane Society wished Gauge and his dad nothing but happy memories."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690894955596.png" alt="photo Kansas Humane Society" />
 <figcaption>photo Kansas Humane Society</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Kansas Humane Society shared a very special owner reclaim on social media Monday.According to the KHS, Gauge was stolen nearly two years ago, before getting confiscated by&nbsp;Wichita Animal Services with another dog. He had fleas all along his back and was diagnosed with alopecia by the humane society vet. All that time, his owner had been looking for him and was able to put an owner reclaim reservation on Gauge through the humane society Intake Department&nbsp;&nbsp;He had his neuter surgery and was still a little loopy, but he definitely remembered his dad, flopping right in front of him&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Humane Society wished Gauge and his dad nothing but happy memories."

Kansas Humane Society: Dog stolen 2 years ago reunited with owner

Child advocacy group presses KDHE for details of application impediments

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

TOPEKA — A Kansas advocacy organization said state records indicated children comprised two-thirds of the 45,000 people who have lost Medicaid coverage for procedural reasons since the restart in April of eligibility assessments halted during the COVID-19 emergency.

Kansas Action for Children, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in Topeka, said Kansas Department of Health and Environment statistics showed 62.3% of Kansans dropped from KanCare because of application issues were children.

“As children’s coverage has been discontinued until their caregivers submit the renewal form or reapply, this will cause a significant disruption to kids receiving time-sensitive health services,” said Heather Braum, health policy Advisor of Kansas Action for Children. “Sadly, their caregivers might not even know coverage has been discontinued until trying to access services for their children.”

KAC said the exodus of children from Medicaid appeared most significant in the counties of Chautauqua, Clark, Decatur, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Rawlins, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas and Wyandotte.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government suspended eligibility reviews to allow families across the United States to remain on Medicaid. Nationally, Medicaid enrollment surged from 71 million in February 2020 to 93 million in February 2023.

In Kansas, nearly 130,000 Kansans were added to KanCare during the three-year suspension. That hiatus in annual eligibility evaluations was lifted in April, which launched a 12-month review cycle in the states and territories. That meant about one-fourth of 530,000 Kansans in KanCare would be drawn into the eligibility process. Magnitude of the assessment bottleneck in Kansas and other states has proven difficult for program administrators.

KFF News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News, reported 3.8 million Medicaid enrollees in 39 states and the District of Columbia had been disenrolled from Medicaid as of Monday. Across all states with available data, KFF said, 74% of people disenrolled had coverage terminated for procedural reasons.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services previously said four of five people dropped from Medicaid lost those benefits due to procedural complications.

April Holman, executive director of Alliance for Healthy Kansans, said the inability of Kansas to approve eligibility expansion of Medicaid created a coverage gap for low-wage parents and their children who didn’t have alternatives for affordable health care coverage.

She said the ongoing Medicaid redetermination process, also referred to as “unwinding,” placed Kansas children at a disadvantage compared to youth in neighboring states.

“Though the data available for each state in the unwinding process varies, it is clear that Kansans are in a more precarious position with the Medicaid unwinding than working families in states that have moved forward to ensure access to affordable health care,” Holman said. “Unlike Kansans, individuals in Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado, along with 36 other expansion states, don’t need to worry about falling in the coverage gap.”

She said the quickest and most effective way to protect Kansans from losing health coverage under Medicaid was to expand KanCare — the name of Kansas’ Medicaid program. She said the reform could lower rates of infant mortality and raise high school graduation rates. It would narrow racial disparities in health coverage and outcomes while enhancing services for mental and behavioral care, Holman said.

“By providing affordable health coverage to low-wage parents, we can protect Kansas children and ensure they have access to the health care they deserve.

Braum said information released by KDHE didn’t reveal precisely why individuals were dropped from Medicaid by the agency and placed in a pool of people given 90 days to reapply or otherwise complete applications. While families have the option of continuing the application process, concerns have been raised about individuals not fully understanding their responsibilities in the process.

“One thing is clear, though, greater outreach is needed for all KanCare members, especially to families whose children are likely still eligible for coverage even if adults in the household are not,” she said.

According to KDHE, at the end of June the agency had sent 275,647 Kansans renewal letters for KanCare. Overall, 29,012 individuals had been renewed and 7,432 were notified they weren’t eligible. At the same time, 45,837 individuals had their Medicaid coverage discontinued for procedural reasons. It’s unclear how many people had submitted renewal forms that had yet to be processed.

Kansas officials began by sending renewal notices 30 days before they were due from applicants, but other states granted applicants weeks longer to respond.

KDHE didn’t respond to a request Monday for comment about what steps might be taken by the agency to address the large number of discontinuations involving children. KDHE spokesperson Philip Harris said KDHE did temporarily pause procedural disenrollments until June 18 due to mail-service disruptions.

That grace period was designed to give the agency an opportunity to find the “permanent solution” to application challenges, said Christine Osterlund, deputy operations chief for the state’s Medicaid office.

Kelly said at that time the complexity of the Medicaid unwinding process affirmed the need to expand eligibility for the program in Kansas. The Kansas Legislature, which is led by Republicans in the House and Senate, has fought off attempts by Kelly to gain legislative approval of KanCare expansion.

“It will boost our economy, bring hard-earned tax dollars back to our state and, most importantly, save lives,” Kelly said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690891865443.png" alt="Christine Osterlund, deputy chief of operations for Kansas’ Medicaid program, joined U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and Gov. Laura Kelly at a news conference to raise awareness about a challenging application process for thousands of Kansans who might lose KanCare coverage. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Christine Osterlund, deputy chief of operations for Kansas’ Medicaid program, joined U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and Gov. Laura Kelly at a news conference to raise awareness about a challenging application process for thousands of Kansans who might lose KanCare coverage. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Child advocacy group presses KDHE for details of application impediments</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Kansas advocacy organization said state records indicated children comprised two-thirds of the 45,000 people who have lost Medicaid coverage for procedural reasons since the restart in April of eligibility assessments halted during the COVID-19 emergency.Kansas Action for Children, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in Topeka, said Kansas Department of Health and Environment statistics showed 62.3% of Kansans dropped from KanCare because of application issues were children.“As children’s coverage has been discontinued until their caregivers submit the renewal form or reapply, this will cause a significant disruption to kids receiving time-sensitive health services,” said Heather Braum, health policy Advisor of Kansas Action for Children. “Sadly, their caregivers might not even know coverage has been discontinued until trying to access services for their children.”KAC said the exodus of children from Medicaid appeared most significant in the counties of Chautauqua, Clark, Decatur, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Rawlins, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas and Wyandotte.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government suspended eligibility reviews to allow families across the United States to remain on Medicaid. Nationally, Medicaid enrollment surged from 71 million in February 2020 to 93 million in February 2023.In Kansas, nearly 130,000 Kansans were added to KanCare during the three-year suspension. That hiatus in annual eligibility evaluations was lifted in April, which launched a 12-month review cycle in the states and territories. That meant about one-fourth of 530,000 Kansans in KanCare would be drawn into the eligibility process. Magnitude of the assessment bottleneck in Kansas and other states has proven difficult for program administrators.KFF News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News, reported 3.8 million Medicaid enrollees in 39 states and the District of Columbia had been disenrolled from Medicaid as of Monday. Across all states with available data, KFF said, 74% of people disenrolled had coverage terminated for procedural reasons.The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services previously said four of five people dropped from Medicaid lost those benefits due to procedural complications.<h2>The great unwinding</h2>April Holman, executive director of Alliance for Healthy Kansans, said the inability of Kansas to approve eligibility expansion of Medicaid created a coverage gap for low-wage parents and their children who didn’t have alternatives for affordable health care coverage.She said the ongoing Medicaid redetermination process, also referred to as “unwinding,” placed Kansas children at a disadvantage compared to youth in neighboring states.“Though the data available for each state in the unwinding process varies, it is clear that Kansans are in a more precarious position with the Medicaid unwinding than working families in states that have moved forward to ensure access to affordable health care,” Holman said. “Unlike Kansans, individuals in Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado, along with 36 other expansion states, don’t need to worry about falling in the coverage gap.”She said the quickest and most effective way to protect Kansans from losing health coverage under Medicaid was to expand KanCare — the name of Kansas’ Medicaid program. She said the reform could lower rates of infant mortality and raise high school graduation rates. It would narrow racial disparities in health coverage and outcomes while enhancing services for mental and behavioral care, Holman said.“By providing affordable health coverage to low-wage parents, we can protect Kansas children and ensure they have access to the health care they deserve.Braum said information released by KDHE didn’t reveal precisely why individuals were dropped from Medicaid by the agency and placed in a pool of people given 90 days to reapply or otherwise complete applications. While families have the option of continuing the application process, concerns have been raised about individuals not fully understanding their responsibilities in the process.“One thing is clear, though, greater outreach is needed for all KanCare members, especially to families whose children are likely still eligible for coverage even if adults in the household are not,” she said.<h2>Inside the numbers</h2>According to KDHE, at the end of June the agency had sent 275,647 Kansans renewal letters for KanCare. Overall, 29,012 individuals had been renewed and 7,432 were notified they weren’t eligible. At the same time, 45,837 individuals had their Medicaid coverage discontinued for procedural reasons. It’s unclear how many people had submitted renewal forms that had yet to be processed.Kansas officials began by sending renewal notices 30 days before they were due from applicants, but other states granted applicants weeks longer to respond.KDHE didn’t respond to a request Monday for comment about what steps might be taken by the agency to address the large number of discontinuations involving children. KDHE spokesperson Philip Harris said KDHE did temporarily pause procedural disenrollments until June 18 due to mail-service disruptions.That grace period was designed to give the agency an opportunity to find the “permanent solution” to application challenges, said Christine Osterlund, deputy operations chief for the state’s Medicaid office.Kelly said at that time the complexity of the Medicaid unwinding process affirmed the need to expand eligibility for the program in Kansas. The Kansas Legislature, which is led by Republicans in the House and Senate, has fought off attempts by Kelly to gain legislative approval of KanCare expansion.“It will boost our economy, bring hard-earned tax dollars back to our state and, most importantly, save lives,” Kelly said.

Report: Children comprise two-thirds of Kansans removed from state’s Medicaid program

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 58-year-old Manuel E. Valentine-Ruperto, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina.

Just after 5 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in 3400 block of Roberts Street. First responders located an Valentine-Roberto on the side walk suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. EMS arrived on scene and declared him deceased. Police had no suspect in custody late Monday but are making progress identifying a person of interest in this case, according to Becchina. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690892621909.png" alt="There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case.-photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case.-photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 58-year-old Manuel E. Valentine-Ruperto, according to KCPD Sergeant Jake Becchina. Just after 5 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in 3400 block of Roberts Street. First responders located an Valentine-Roberto on the side walk suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. EMS arrived on scene and declared him deceased. Police had no suspect in custody late Monday but are making progress identifying a person of interest in this case, according to Becchina. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case.

Police ID shooting victim found dead on Kansas City sidewalk

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend drowning&nbsp; at Kanopolis State Lake.

Just before 4p.m. Saturday,&nbsp; the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible drowning at the lake, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

Deputies from the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office and partnering agencies from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks &amp; Tourism; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Marquette EMS; McPherson Fire Department-Swift Water Rescue; the Saline County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol &amp; Rescue Squad and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area.

Just before 9 a.m. Sunday, a body identified as that of 27-year-old Gabriel Tristen Mora&nbsp; of Salina, Kansas, was recovered from the water and subsequently pronounced deceased by the Ellsworth County Coroner.

The sheriff's office released no additional details early Tuesday.

ELLSWORTH COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend drowning&nbsp; at Kanopolis State Lake.Just before 4p.m. Saturday,&nbsp; the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible drowning at the lake, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.Deputies from the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office and partnering agencies from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks &amp; Tourism; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Marquette EMS; McPherson Fire Department-Swift Water Rescue; the Saline County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol &amp; Rescue Squad and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the area.Just before 9 a.m. Sunday, a body identified as that of 27-year-old Gabriel Tristen Mora&nbsp; of Salina, Kansas, was recovered from the water and subsequently pronounced deceased by the Ellsworth County Coroner.The sheriff's office released no additional details early Tuesday.

Sheriff: Kansas man drowns at Kanopolis State Lake

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a near tragic accident in Barton County and praising the driver of a semi.

Just after 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an injury accident involving a Polaris Ranger ATV and an International truck-tractor and semi-trailer the intersection of Northwest 130 Avenue and Northwest 20 Road, about four miles south of Albert, Kansas, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

A 2022 Polaris Ranger operated by an unaccompanied eight-year-old juvenile was westbound on 20 Road approaching the intersection of 130 Avenue when the juvenile failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection.

A southbound 1998 International semi driven by 68-year-old Steven Wissman of rural Albert was approaching the intersection, saw the ATV was not going to stop and applied heavy breaking as well as steering toward the west ditch.

Investigation at the scene indicates the ATV struck the truck on the driver side near the fuel tanks causing the ATV to spin away from the truck. 

The eight-year-old was ejected from the Polaris landing on the roadway. The truck continued south into the West ditch where it came to rest.

EMS transported the eight-year-old to the hospital in Great Bend for treatment of received abrasions and lacerations, according to Bellendir. Wissman was not injured.

&nbsp;Because Wissman was alert and observant of the situation he was able to take evasive action and tragedy was averted, according Sheriff Bellendir and officers investigating.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690897149527.jpeg" alt="Photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a near tragic accident in Barton County and praising the driver of a semi.Just after 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an injury accident involving a Polaris Ranger ATV and an International truck-tractor and semi-trailer the intersection of Northwest 130 Avenue and Northwest 20 Road, about four miles south of Albert, Kansas, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.A 2022 Polaris Ranger operated by an unaccompanied eight-year-old juvenile was westbound on 20 Road approaching the intersection of 130 Avenue when the juvenile failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection.A southbound 1998 International semi driven by 68-year-old Steven Wissman of rural Albert was approaching the intersection, saw the ATV was not going to stop and applied heavy breaking as well as steering toward the west ditch.Investigation at the scene indicates the ATV struck the truck on the driver side near the fuel tanks causing the ATV to spin away from the truck. The eight-year-old was ejected from the Polaris landing on the roadway. The truck continued south into the West ditch where it came to rest.EMS transported the eight-year-old to the hospital in Great Bend for treatment of received abrasions and lacerations, according to Bellendir. Wissman was not injured.&nbsp;Because Wissman was alert and observant of the situation he was able to take evasive action and tragedy was averted, according Sheriff Bellendir and officers investigating.

Alert Kan. semi driver praised after crash with juvenile driving ATV

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a house fire and have made an arrest..

Just before 10p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire located at 507 SW Taylor Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First responders found smoke coming from the single-story house consisting of two apartments.&nbsp;&nbsp; All occupants were able to exit the structure, prior to the arrival of fire crews.

After a preliminary investigation the fire cause is classified as intentionally set. As a result of the investigation, Linda Ritchey, 61, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of of Aggravated Arson.

The origin of the fire was determined to have been on the first floor of the home. The total loss was estimated at $11,000, with $10,000 associated with structural loss and $1,000 associated with content loss.

The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to the fire department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690819669630.png" alt="Ritchey-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ritchey-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a house fire and have made an arrest..Just before 10p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire located at 507 SW Taylor Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First responders found smoke coming from the single-story house consisting of two apartments.&nbsp;&nbsp; All occupants were able to exit the structure, prior to the arrival of fire crews.After a preliminary investigation the fire cause is classified as intentionally set. As a result of the investigation, Linda Ritchey, 61, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of of Aggravated Arson.The origin of the fire was determined to have been on the first floor of the home. The total loss was estimated at $11,000, with $10,000 associated with structural loss and $1,000 associated with content loss.The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to the fire department.

Woman accused of setting Kansas house fire

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

TOPEKA — Most Kansas hospitals are not complying with federal law requiring a publicly accessible online list of prices, according to a new report by Patient Rights Advocate.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/july-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023">July report</a>&nbsp;found only six of the 23 Kansas hospitals used in the study fully comply with the Hospital Price Transparency rule that went into effect Jan. 1, 2021. The rule requires all hospitals to provide clear pricing information on their website as both a comprehensive list that can be imported and read by a computer and a user-friendly display that includes a cost estimator for at least 300 of the most common services.

These regulations were put in place to allow patients to understand and compare medical costs.

“When hospitals hide behind estimates or don’t post all real prices, they are leaving consumers in the dark,” said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PRA in a news release. “Making all actual prices available upfront will empower patients, employers and unions to choose the best care at prices they know they can afford, and protect all Americans from overcharges, errors, and fraud.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-shawnee-mission">AdventHealth Shawnee Mission</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/bob-wilson-memorial-hospital">Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital</a>, Saint Catherine Hospitals of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/st-catherine-hospital-dodge-city">Dodge City</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/st-catherine-hospital-garden-city">Garden City</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stjohnleavenworth.com/">Saint John Hospital</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/locations/Main-Campus-Main-Hospital-Kansas-City-KS">The University of Kansas Hospital Main Campus</a>&nbsp;are the only hospitals in the study to fully comply with the transparency law.

Chad Austin, president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association, said Kansas hospitals are “committed to providing patients with the information they need for their healthiest lives,” and KHA continues to educate hospitals and consumers on how to access that information.&nbsp;

“We are reviewing their methodology to better understand how they arrived at their interpretation,” Austin said. “However, we fall back on the report that’s provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the hospital pricing transparency tool, which indicates hospitals are largely in compliance with the provisions of the hospital price transparency rule.”

The report also found only 36% of United States hospitals fully complied with the law. In July 2021, 5.6% of hospitals complied.&nbsp;

Fisher said while she is encouraged by the growth, she encourages Congress to pass increased legislation to strengthen price transparency rules for a more affordable healthcare system.

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Most Kansas hospitals are not complying with federal law requiring a publicly accessible online list of prices, according to a new report by Patient Rights Advocate.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/july-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023">July report</a>&nbsp;found only six of the 23 Kansas hospitals used in the study fully comply with the Hospital Price Transparency rule that went into effect Jan. 1, 2021. The rule requires all hospitals to provide clear pricing information on their website as both a comprehensive list that can be imported and read by a computer and a user-friendly display that includes a cost estimator for at least 300 of the most common services.These regulations were put in place to allow patients to understand and compare medical costs.“When hospitals hide behind estimates or don’t post all real prices, they are leaving consumers in the dark,” said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PRA in a news release. “Making all actual prices available upfront will empower patients, employers and unions to choose the best care at prices they know they can afford, and protect all Americans from overcharges, errors, and fraud.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-shawnee-mission">AdventHealth Shawnee Mission</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/bob-wilson-memorial-hospital">Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital</a>, Saint Catherine Hospitals of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/st-catherine-hospital-dodge-city">Dodge City</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.centura.org/location/st-catherine-hospital-garden-city">Garden City</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stjohnleavenworth.com/">Saint John Hospital</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/locations/Main-Campus-Main-Hospital-Kansas-City-KS">The University of Kansas Hospital Main Campus</a>&nbsp;are the only hospitals in the study to fully comply with the transparency law.Chad Austin, president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association, said Kansas hospitals are “committed to providing patients with the information they need for their healthiest lives,” and KHA continues to educate hospitals and consumers on how to access that information.&nbsp;“We are reviewing their methodology to better understand how they arrived at their interpretation,” Austin said. “However, we fall back on the report that’s provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the hospital pricing transparency tool, which indicates hospitals are largely in compliance with the provisions of the hospital price transparency rule.”The report also found only 36% of United States hospitals fully complied with the law. In July 2021, 5.6% of hospitals complied.&nbsp;Fisher said while she is encouraged by the growth, she encourages Congress to pass increased legislation to strengthen price transparency rules for a more affordable healthcare system.

Few Kan. hospitals comply with federal regulations requiring financial transparency

GRANT COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities investigating a double-fatal crash that occurred in southwest Kansas in 2019 captured a man accused of fleeing the accident scene, according to the United State's Marshals Service.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On July 28 , the Kansas Fugitive Apprehension Task Force and the Southeast Region Fugitive Task Force arrested 46-year-old Paulo I. Garcia in Douglas County, Georgia.&nbsp;Garcia was wanted out of Grant County Kansas, for "leaving the scene of an accident which involved great bodily injury/death, and felony theft."

In October of  2019, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just before 12:30 p.m. on that Saturday, a 2007 Kenworth truck was westbound on Grant County Road 10 three miles north of U.S. 160.

The driver, later identified as Garcia, failed to yield right of way to a 2012 Chevy Silverado that was southbound on County Road X and driven by Kevin Jay Coyle, 57, Turpin, Oklahoma. The Kenworth entered the uncontrolled intersection&nbsp;directly into the path of the Silverado.

Coyle and his father 81-year-old Gerald Lee Coyle also of Turpin, Oklahoma, who was a passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene.

While a witness to the crash was working to assist the victims, the driver of the Kenworth truck drove away in the witness’s pickup, according to KHP Trooper Michael Racy. Authorities located the stolen pickup in a Haskell County, Kansas field.&nbsp;

Garcia was also wanted for a federal supervised release violation in Wichita.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is being held without bond, according to online jail records.

“I am proud of the dedicated work of our Fugitive Task Force, and I hope this arrest will help the victim’s family get some sense of closure,” said Ronald Miller, US Marshal for the District of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690834733508.png" alt="Garcia-photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Garcia-photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>GRANT COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities investigating a double-fatal crash that occurred in southwest Kansas in 2019 captured a man accused of fleeing the accident scene, according to the United State's Marshals Service.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On 10/26/2019 KHP troopers worked a fatal in Grant County on U160 between East Rd 10-12. One of the drivers involved stole another vehicle and fled the scene. If you know who this person is or where he might be please contact TECHTRP Michael Racy at (620) 276-3201. <a href="https://t.co/d6CaBG3H7N">pic.twitter.com/d6CaBG3H7N</a>&mdash; Trooper Racy (@TrooperMikeKHP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrooperMikeKHP/status/1189580318732406787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On July 28 , the Kansas Fugitive Apprehension Task Force and the Southeast Region Fugitive Task Force arrested 46-year-old Paulo I. Garcia in Douglas County, Georgia.&nbsp;Garcia was wanted out of Grant County Kansas, for "leaving the scene of an accident which involved great bodily injury/death, and felony theft."In October of 2019, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just before 12:30 p.m. on that Saturday, a 2007 Kenworth truck was westbound on Grant County Road 10 three miles north of U.S. 160.The driver, later identified as Garcia, failed to yield right of way to a 2012 Chevy Silverado that was southbound on County Road X and driven by Kevin Jay Coyle, 57, Turpin, Oklahoma. The Kenworth entered the uncontrolled intersection&nbsp;directly into the path of the Silverado.Coyle and his father 81-year-old Gerald Lee Coyle also of Turpin, Oklahoma, who was a passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene.While a witness to the crash was working to assist the victims, the driver of the Kenworth truck drove away in the witness’s pickup, according to KHP Trooper Michael Racy. Authorities located the stolen pickup in a Haskell County, Kansas field.&nbsp;Garcia was also wanted for a federal supervised release violation in Wichita.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is being held without bond, according to online jail records.“I am proud of the dedicated work of our Fugitive Task Force, and I hope this arrest will help the victim’s family get some sense of closure,” said Ronald Miller, US Marshal for the District of Kansas.

Driver captured 4-years after he fled fatal SW Kansas crash 

PHOENIX (AP) — A record string of daily highs over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix ended Monday as the dangerous heat wave that suffocated the Southwest throughout July receded slightly with cooling monsoon rains.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-heat-record-48e8d06cd7c103f6bfcc4c883efd6543">historic heat</a>&nbsp;began blasting the region in June, stretching from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California’s desert. Phoenix and its suburbs sweltered more and longer than most, with several records including the 31 consecutive days of 110 degrees Fahrenheit-plus weather. The previous record was 18 straight days, set in 1974.

The streak was finally broken Monday, when the high topped out at 108 degrees Fahrenheit at 3:10 p.m.

“The high temperature for Phoenix today is 108 degrees,” Jessica Leffel, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said at 5 p.m.

“The record streak of 31 straight days of 110+ degree temperatures has ended.,” the weather service said on social media. “The high temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport reached 108 degrees this afternoon, which is only 2 degrees above normal.”

The reprieve was expected to be brief, with the forecast calling for highs again above 110 for several days later in the week. And National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Hirsch said August could be even hotter than July.

But residents and visitors were taking what they could get.

“It’s not going to last more than a couple of days, but I’m enjoying this break,” said Christine Bertaux, 76, who was cooling off Monday at a downtown day center for older people who are homeless.

“It has been REALLY hot here!” said Jeffrey Sharpe, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was in town for a long weekend that on Monday included watching his son’s two poodles frolic in a grassy dog park. “But today it was about 85 degrees, more like Wisconsin.”

Phoenix also sweated through a record 16 consecutive days when overnight lows didn’t dip below 90 degrees, making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeless-heat-phoenix-climate-a47f04ee21b96651585f3684ac35cb6e">hard for people to cool off</a>&nbsp;after the sun went down.

In California, Death Valley, long considered the hottest place on Earth,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-valley-heat-wave-california-hottest-record-c1b2d83dc384e46f133d460893787c52">flirted</a>&nbsp;in July with some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, reaching 125.6 degrees Fahrenheit (52.5 Celsius) on July 16 at the aptly named Furnace Creek.

The planet’s hottest recorded temperature ever was&nbsp;<a href="https://wmo.asu.edu/content/world-highest-temperature">134 F (56.67 C)</a>&nbsp;in July 1913 at Furnace Creek, according to the World Meteorological Organization, the body recognized as keeper of world records.

And in Nevada, also on July 16, Las Vegas briefly reached 116 degrees&nbsp; to tie the record for that date set in 1998.

The heat in Phoenix began to ease slightly last week with the city’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-heat-wave-monsoon-4b46022dbdf81f5f7d7fcc8a455c01a8">first major storm</a>&nbsp;since the monsoon season began June 15.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-southwest-extreme-heat-wave-8a1608fef6be5194931e8e2ef07440f4">Southwest heat wave</a>&nbsp;was just one kind of extreme weather events that hit the U.S. in July. Fatal flash floods swept people and cars away in Pennsylvania, and days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/vermont-floods-storms-weather-national-e97a63311f964f04bee13c22878c60e8">flooding</a>&nbsp;led to dangerous mudslides in the Northeast.

At several points during the month, as many as a third of Americans were under some type of heat advisory, watch or warning. While not as visually dramatic as other natural disasters, experts say heat waves are deadlier — heat in parts of the South and Midwest killed more than a dozen people in June.

Rudy Soliz, who manages the center where Bertaux was cooling off, said those who visit to get a meal and cool off out of the sun “have been having a very hard time this summer.”

“Older people have a harder time with the heat, there are a lot of diabetics, people who take medicines,” he said.

“The heat has been pretty bad this summer. We’ve made at least five 911 calls from here this July for people who got heat stroke,” said Soliz. “They’ve found a couple of bodies around here this month but it’s not clear yet if they died from the heat.”

Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous and home to Phoenix,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maricopa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5665">reported</a>&nbsp;25 heat-related deaths this year as of July 21. Another 249 deaths are listed as under investigation, and results from toxicological tests that can take weeks or months after an autopsy could lead to many being confirmed as heat-related.

PHOENIX (AP) — A record string of daily highs over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix ended Monday as the dangerous heat wave that suffocated the Southwest throughout July receded slightly with cooling monsoon rains.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The record streak of 31 straight days of 110+ degree temperatures has ended. The high temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport reached 108 degrees this afternoon, which is only 2 degrees above normal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/azwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#azwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/qeuD2iFoLr">pic.twitter.com/qeuD2iFoLr</a>&mdash; NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSPhoenix/status/1686167833162760197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-heat-record-48e8d06cd7c103f6bfcc4c883efd6543">historic heat</a>&nbsp;began blasting the region in June, stretching from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California’s desert. Phoenix and its suburbs sweltered more and longer than most, with several records including the 31 consecutive days of 110 degrees Fahrenheit-plus weather. The previous record was 18 straight days, set in 1974.The streak was finally broken Monday, when the high topped out at 108 degrees Fahrenheit at 3:10 p.m.“The high temperature for Phoenix today is 108 degrees,” Jessica Leffel, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said at 5 p.m.“The record streak of 31 straight days of 110+ degree temperatures has ended.,” the weather service said on social media. “The high temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport reached 108 degrees this afternoon, which is only 2 degrees above normal.”The reprieve was expected to be brief, with the forecast calling for highs again above 110 for several days later in the week. And National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Hirsch said August could be even hotter than July.But residents and visitors were taking what they could get.“It’s not going to last more than a couple of days, but I’m enjoying this break,” said Christine Bertaux, 76, who was cooling off Monday at a downtown day center for older people who are homeless.“It has been REALLY hot here!” said Jeffrey Sharpe, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was in town for a long weekend that on Monday included watching his son’s two poodles frolic in a grassy dog park. “But today it was about 85 degrees, more like Wisconsin.”Phoenix also sweated through a record 16 consecutive days when overnight lows didn’t dip below 90 degrees, making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeless-heat-phoenix-climate-a47f04ee21b96651585f3684ac35cb6e">hard for people to cool off</a>&nbsp;after the sun went down.In California, Death Valley, long considered the hottest place on Earth,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-valley-heat-wave-california-hottest-record-c1b2d83dc384e46f133d460893787c52">flirted</a>&nbsp;in July with some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, reaching 125.6 degrees Fahrenheit (52.5 Celsius) on July 16 at the aptly named Furnace Creek.The planet’s hottest recorded temperature ever was&nbsp;<a href="https://wmo.asu.edu/content/world-highest-temperature">134 F (56.67 C)</a>&nbsp;in July 1913 at Furnace Creek, according to the World Meteorological Organization, the body recognized as keeper of world records.And in Nevada, also on July 16, Las Vegas briefly reached 116 degrees&nbsp; to tie the record for that date set in 1998.The heat in Phoenix began to ease slightly last week with the city’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-heat-wave-monsoon-4b46022dbdf81f5f7d7fcc8a455c01a8">first major storm</a>&nbsp;since the monsoon season began June 15.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-southwest-extreme-heat-wave-8a1608fef6be5194931e8e2ef07440f4">Southwest heat wave</a>&nbsp;was just one kind of extreme weather events that hit the U.S. in July. Fatal flash floods swept people and cars away in Pennsylvania, and days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/vermont-floods-storms-weather-national-e97a63311f964f04bee13c22878c60e8">flooding</a>&nbsp;led to dangerous mudslides in the Northeast.At several points during the month, as many as a third of Americans were under some type of heat advisory, watch or warning. While not as visually dramatic as other natural disasters, experts say heat waves are deadlier — heat in parts of the South and Midwest killed more than a dozen people in June.Rudy Soliz, who manages the center where Bertaux was cooling off, said those who visit to get a meal and cool off out of the sun “have been having a very hard time this summer.”“Older people have a harder time with the heat, there are a lot of diabetics, people who take medicines,” he said.“The heat has been pretty bad this summer. We’ve made at least five 911 calls from here this July for people who got heat stroke,” said Soliz. “They’ve found a couple of bodies around here this month but it’s not clear yet if they died from the heat.”Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous and home to Phoenix,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maricopa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5665">reported</a>&nbsp;25 heat-related deaths this year as of July 21. Another 249 deaths are listed as under investigation, and results from toxicological tests that can take weeks or months after an autopsy could lead to many being confirmed as heat-related.Maricopa County reported 425 heat-associated deaths in all of 2022, with more than half in July.R. Glenn Williamson, a businessman who was born in Canada but has lived in Phoenix for years, said he really noticed a temperature difference Monday morning as he washed his car in his driveway.“Now we have to get rid of the humidity!” Williamson said. “But honestly, I’d rather have this heat than a Montreal winter.”___