NEWTON -&nbsp;Hays High’s Braxton
Banker shot an 87 in Tuesday's final round of the 5A State Golf Tournament at Sand Creek Station and tied for 40th place with a two-day total of 161.&nbsp;

Banker was the only Hays High golfer to advance to the second round after shooting an 84 in Monday's first round.

Asher Whitaker of Kapun
Mt. Carmel was the individual champ&nbsp; at 3-under-par. The Crusaders won the team title by six strokes over St. James Academy.

Hays PostNEWTON -&nbsp;Hays High’s Braxton
Banker shot an 87 in Tuesday's final round of the 5A State Golf Tournament at Sand Creek Station and tied for 40th place with a two-day total of 161.&nbsp;Banker was the only Hays High golfer to advance to the second round after shooting an 84 in Monday's first round.Asher Whitaker of Kapun
Mt. Carmel was the individual champ&nbsp; at 3-under-par. The Crusaders won the team title by six strokes over St. James Academy.

⛳ HHS's Banker ties for 40th at 5A state

Eagle is giving you chances all summer long to win the Coors Light “CHILL RIDE” UTV!

Keep listening to your favorite Eagle Radio Station or watch Hays Post for details and appearances to sign up and win this very cool UTV!

The Coors Light “CHILL RIDE” UTV Giveaway is courtesy of A &amp; A Coors, Briney Motorsports, Commercial Sign Company and Advantage Glass Plus!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716322332835.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Eagle is giving you chances all summer long to win the Coors Light “CHILL RIDE” UTV!Keep listening to your favorite Eagle Radio Station or watch Hays Post for details and appearances to sign up and win this very cool UTV!The Coors Light “CHILL RIDE” UTV Giveaway is courtesy of A &amp; A Coors, Briney Motorsports, Commercial Sign Company and Advantage Glass Plus!

Learn how to enter to win the Coors Light Chill Ride UTV

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;— Kansas abortion providers have challenged an abortion survey law less than a month after lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the law is meant to shame abortion seekers in a Monday announcement of the challenge.&nbsp;

“Kansans want their medical decisions to be their own, and we will not shame or stigmatize patients to satisfy the cruel whims of anti-abortion politicians,” Wales said. “This bill was never intended to improve the health of Kansans; it was meant to shame reproductive care and force patients to answer deeply personal questions that accomplish nothing beyond trauma and judgment.”&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2749/">House Bill 2749</a>&nbsp;requires medical care facilities and providers to report women’s reasons for their abortions. Kelly vetoed the bill, but the House overrode her 84-41 and the Senate completed the veto override with a 27-10 vote.

Under HB 2749, abortion seekers will have to answer a series of questions before undergoing the procedure, including questions asking them if they have been raped, if they have an abusive partner, and if the pregnancy is the result of incest.

The law also requires a report that includes the patients’ age, marital status, home state, race, education level, whether the patient received financial or social services from a nonprofit geared toward helping pregnant women, whether they experienced domestic violence the previous year, whether they live in a stable and affordable home, whether the patient was ever a reported victim of abuse and the abortion method.

The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood are asking the court to add this challenge to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC9-2BzNnBILVxvTYCpgBjoWrAHCS4qk0GV9ci9sQ0nHftNROMIOvRg1SRzRhRJAL2ECftVZ-2BVBrbvyKkA8yV6diMs2IX0vhzvNYDDAGe3znBeNytBm_ZBHyPWJbdMARO2kB5qns-2BD4xJCKGpFySUKHsRCI-2BfZrhOpwoa8T0GjAmCKUHOrSALH7-2BAftqgWlN6ZTGe-2BinD1D9MOFWrN2VK1OPlMZuxC15KUvaqSiXYLnwYGs0doUR4NhTHsX7dXChqM3l-2FUgR69qOvncZ8FyXwexcWt4jBtiqgPndz0hC5Lfo5wWwcdRz30wok7S2sBoEFXPwG0TdYN4Dx9huqNNYSP7cFKBcuiBmXsk3n-2B3cE2dK6ETX0LOhs-2BCR9WFggHtepX4VyyOBJlxjWEFgE6mYMDGVcEe2ABl1rda-2FO1klvwloNCoJIEUaTHElltCkI116N53VYfzTKg-2Bpi8IqNhmlZq4YduvADcY-3D">ongoing case</a>. The groups, along with other reproductive rights groups, first filed a lawsuit in June with the Center for Reproductive Rights to ask for an injunction on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/KS-Hodes-Nauser-v.-Kobach_PI.pdf">several abortion requirements</a>&nbsp;set out in the “Women’s Right to Know Act,” a patchwork of legislation enacted over the past two decades that uses medically inaccurate information to dictate abortion restrictions.

Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kansas has become one of the few states left in the region that protects reproductive rights. As more travelers have come into the state seeking abortions, Republican lawmakers have attempted to chip away at these protections or add red tape.&nbsp;

Lawmakers supporting the “abortion reasons” bill said this information was necessary to gain a sense of the abortion landscape in the state, although the state already releases a comprehensive annual abortion report.&nbsp;The bill was first introduced by Rep. Ron Bryce, R-Coffeyville, on behalf of the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life.

During Senate debate about the law, lawmakers shared their feelings on abortion. Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican, said abortion would lead to a life of “regret and emptiness”&nbsp;

“Every abortion kills an innocent child,” Steffen said. “That’s a fact. Every abortion kills an innocent child.”

KFL celebrated the veto override of the law, along with several other pieces of abortion legislation, in an April 29 news release.

“Each of these proposals will help address a truth that the vast majority of Kansans believe: that too many women feel abortion is their only choice,” said Jeanne Gawdun, KFL director of government relations.&nbsp;

Following the abortion providers’ lawsuit filing in June, a Johnson County district judge in October blocked a law requiring abortion providers to tell patients it might be possible to reverse a medication abortion. This supposed “abortion reversal” is based on junk science and has been known to cause hemorrhaging.&nbsp;

He also blocked a mandate that anti-abortion information be given to patients in printed form, in specific typeface, font size and color, at least 24 hours in advance of an abortion, along with a section that required providers post inaccurate information on their websites and in clinics that abortions could increase risk of breast cancer and premature birth in the future — a claim not supported by scientific research.&nbsp;The state has appealed over the decision.

“The decision to have an abortion is deeply personal—no one should be forced to tell the government why they are making that decision,” said&nbsp;Alice Wang, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights.&nbsp;“It’s frankly frightening that the state of Kansas is attempting to collect this type of private information, and unclear how it will be used.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665657486023.png" alt="&nbsp;Planned Parenthood Great Plains on Monday announced a lawsuit over an "abortion reasons" law, calling it medically unnecessary and stigmatizing. Google image" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Planned Parenthood Great Plains on Monday announced a lawsuit over an "abortion reasons" law, calling it medically unnecessary and stigmatizing. Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA&nbsp;— Kansas abortion providers have challenged an abortion survey law less than a month after lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.&nbsp;&nbsp;Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the law is meant to shame abortion seekers in a Monday announcement of the challenge.&nbsp;“Kansans want their medical decisions to be their own, and we will not shame or stigmatize patients to satisfy the cruel whims of anti-abortion politicians,” Wales said. “This bill was never intended to improve the health of Kansans; it was meant to shame reproductive care and force patients to answer deeply personal questions that accomplish nothing beyond trauma and judgment.”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2749/">House Bill 2749</a>&nbsp;requires medical care facilities and providers to report women’s reasons for their abortions. Kelly vetoed the bill, but the House overrode her 84-41 and the Senate completed the veto override with a 27-10 vote.Under HB 2749, abortion seekers will have to answer a series of questions before undergoing the procedure, including questions asking them if they have been raped, if they have an abusive partner, and if the pregnancy is the result of incest.The law also requires a report that includes the patients’ age, marital status, home state, race, education level, whether the patient received financial or social services from a nonprofit geared toward helping pregnant women, whether they experienced domestic violence the previous year, whether they live in a stable and affordable home, whether the patient was ever a reported victim of abuse and the abortion method.The Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood are asking the court to add this challenge to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC9-2BzNnBILVxvTYCpgBjoWrAHCS4qk0GV9ci9sQ0nHftNROMIOvRg1SRzRhRJAL2ECftVZ-2BVBrbvyKkA8yV6diMs2IX0vhzvNYDDAGe3znBeNytBm_ZBHyPWJbdMARO2kB5qns-2BD4xJCKGpFySUKHsRCI-2BfZrhOpwoa8T0GjAmCKUHOrSALH7-2BAftqgWlN6ZTGe-2BinD1D9MOFWrN2VK1OPlMZuxC15KUvaqSiXYLnwYGs0doUR4NhTHsX7dXChqM3l-2FUgR69qOvncZ8FyXwexcWt4jBtiqgPndz0hC5Lfo5wWwcdRz30wok7S2sBoEFXPwG0TdYN4Dx9huqNNYSP7cFKBcuiBmXsk3n-2B3cE2dK6ETX0LOhs-2BCR9WFggHtepX4VyyOBJlxjWEFgE6mYMDGVcEe2ABl1rda-2FO1klvwloNCoJIEUaTHElltCkI116N53VYfzTKg-2Bpi8IqNhmlZq4YduvADcY-3D">ongoing case</a>. The groups, along with other reproductive rights groups, first filed a lawsuit in June with the Center for Reproductive Rights to ask for an injunction on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/KS-Hodes-Nauser-v.-Kobach_PI.pdf">several abortion requirements</a>&nbsp;set out in the “Women’s Right to Know Act,” a patchwork of legislation enacted over the past two decades that uses medically inaccurate information to dictate abortion restrictions.Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kansas has become one of the few states left in the region that protects reproductive rights. As more travelers have come into the state seeking abortions, Republican lawmakers have attempted to chip away at these protections or add red tape.&nbsp;Lawmakers supporting the “abortion reasons” bill said this information was necessary to gain a sense of the abortion landscape in the state, although the state already releases a comprehensive annual abortion report.&nbsp;The bill was first introduced by Rep. Ron Bryce, R-Coffeyville, on behalf of the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life.During Senate debate about the law, lawmakers shared their feelings on abortion. Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican, said abortion would lead to a life of “regret and emptiness”&nbsp;“Every abortion kills an innocent child,” Steffen said. “That’s a fact. Every abortion kills an innocent child.”KFL celebrated the veto override of the law, along with several other pieces of abortion legislation, in an April 29 news release.“Each of these proposals will help address a truth that the vast majority of Kansans believe: that too many women feel abortion is their only choice,” said Jeanne Gawdun, KFL director of government relations.&nbsp;Following the abortion providers’ lawsuit filing in June, a Johnson County district judge in October blocked a law requiring abortion providers to tell patients it might be possible to reverse a medication abortion. This supposed “abortion reversal” is based on junk science and has been known to cause hemorrhaging.&nbsp;He also blocked a mandate that anti-abortion information be given to patients in printed form, in specific typeface, font size and color, at least 24 hours in advance of an abortion, along with a section that required providers post inaccurate information on their websites and in clinics that abortions could increase risk of breast cancer and premature birth in the future — a claim not supported by scientific research.&nbsp;The state has appealed over the decision.“The decision to have an abortion is deeply personal—no one should be forced to tell the government why they are making that decision,” said&nbsp;Alice Wang, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights.&nbsp;“It’s frankly frightening that the state of Kansas is attempting to collect this type of private information, and unclear how it will be used.”

Kansas providers challenge new ‘abortion survey’ law in court

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN - On Tuesday, Winfried(Wynn) Butler, former mayor of the city of Manhattan, made <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/3b983dcc-7663-43b1-8898-59c00fd570da">his first appearance at Manhattan Municipal Court for alleged DUI</a>.

Butler appeared in court with his lawyer. Butler pled not guilty to the charge of <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/73dca288-9ecb-43c8-a9d3-bf22b0b2f5e0">driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;.</a>

Butler is charged with DUI following an incident on May 8th, when his vehicle entered Candlewood Liquor store.

<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/1eb1632e-ed16-4249-a414-541d6af70f9e">Butler resigned from his position as mayor</a> on May 9th, following his arrest.

Butler's next court appearance is Wednesday, June 26th at 4:00pm at the <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/mvK7sAk4m8KrEvFq7">Manhattan Municipal Court</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715272595068.png" alt="Images of crash damage courtesy Caldlewood Liquor Store" />
 <figcaption>Images of crash damage courtesy Caldlewood Liquor Store</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostMANHATTAN - On Tuesday, Winfried(Wynn) Butler, former mayor of the city of Manhattan, made <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/3b983dcc-7663-43b1-8898-59c00fd570da">his first appearance at Manhattan Municipal Court for alleged DUI</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716309140279.png" alt="Wynn Butler waiting outside Manhattan Municipal Court, photo submitted&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Wynn Butler waiting outside Manhattan Municipal Court, photo submitted&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Butler appeared in court with his lawyer. Butler pled not guilty to the charge of <a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/73dca288-9ecb-43c8-a9d3-bf22b0b2f5e0">driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;.</a>Butler is charged with DUI following an incident on May 8th, when his vehicle entered Candlewood Liquor store.<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/1eb1632e-ed16-4249-a414-541d6af70f9e">Butler resigned from his position as mayor</a> on May 9th, following his arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715272569983.png" alt="Images of crash damage courtesy Caldlewood Liquor Store" />
 <figcaption>Images of crash damage courtesy Caldlewood Liquor Store</figcaption>
 </figure>Butler's next court appearance is Wednesday, June 26th at 4:00pm at the <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/mvK7sAk4m8KrEvFq7">Manhattan Municipal Court</a>.&nbsp;

Former Kan. mayor enters plea for alleged DUI crash into liquor store

PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has long argued that the biggest hurdle of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-097ac973a32ddf2e8e4edecd6a8f3153">presidential campaign</a>&nbsp;is the perception that independent candidates can't win. He has looked to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-election-presidential-debates-biden-trump-6b1d1dbb2ed61c7637041b23662d7da8">debates</a>&nbsp;as a singular opportunity to stand alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in front of a massive audience.

But to make the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-negotiations-19c44db099680cab6fe702638394cd82">first debate stage</a>, he’ll have to secure a place on the ballot in at least a dozen more states and improve his showing in national polls in one month.

With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base</a>, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could play spoiler,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commission-presidential-debates-future-nonpartisan-early-voters-01a7cfe1817dc110d14635536f1f86b1">bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission</a>&nbsp;and agreed to a schedule that leaves Kennedy very little time to qualify for the first debate.

Publicly, Kennedy is expressing confidence that he will make the stage.

“I look forward to holding Presidents Biden and Trump accountable for their records in Atlanta on June 27 to give Americans the debate they deserve," he posted on the X platform.

CNN has said candidates will be invited if they’ve secured a place on the ballot in states with at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum needed to win the presidency, and have hit 15% in four reliable polls published since March 13. The criteria mirror those used by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/presidential-debates-2024-biden-trump-rnc-boycott-3d4fa26b50d725d83ef7d2d19e723d3a">organized debates</a>&nbsp;since 1988, except the commission's first debate would have been in September, giving Kennedy more time.

Kennedy doesn’t appear to have met the polling criteria yet, although he has reached 15% or higher in at least two polls meeting CNN's standards.

The ballot access hurdle is even tougher.

State officials have confirmed Kennedy's place on the ballot in Delaware, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-president-election-utah-ballot-863513ec2bf75d1efc9b202cb8ddcc4a">Utah</a>, which have just 16 electoral votes between them. In California, Hawaii and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-michigan-ballot-access-02ffeba594e0198ef74961c4b5c6c7f7">Michigan</a>, minor parties have selected Kennedy as their nominee, in effect offering up existing ballot lines, though the states have not formally affirmed Kennedy's position. Adding them would bring Kennedy's total to 89 electoral votes, though it's not clear that his position in those states would meet CNN's criteria.

Kennedy's campaign says he has collected enough signatures in Idaho,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-kennedy-ballot-access-iowa-ebc526eb8370bc5ac0888fa50af3ba4f">Iowa</a>, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, states with 112 electoral votes in total. But he has either not submitted the signatures or they have not yet been affirmed by state election officials.

Those states still only add up to 201 electoral votes.

Independent candidates like Kennedy face a labyrinth of laws that vary wildly from state to state but generally require hundreds or thousands of signatures and compliance with strict deadlines.

The patchwork of laws is littered with pitfalls. And the Democratic National Committee has pledged to scrutinize Kennedy’s submissions for mistakes that could keep him off the ballot or at least tie up his campaign’s time and money.

Kennedy, in turn, has resorted to secrecy and creative tactics in a sort of cat-and-mouse game to get on the ballot before his critics can thwart him. In California, Delaware and Michigan, Kennedy allied with little-known existing parties and received their nominations. In Hawaii, he formed his own political party to nominate him, and he’s pursued a similar strategy in Mississippi and North Carolina.

Elsewhere, he’s waiting to turn in signatures until the deadline to limit the time for critics to pore over them in search of errors. Getting on the debate stage next month would almost certainly require him to change his strategy and submit the petitions he’s sitting on as soon as possible.

Signatures are due in New York by May 28, which would get Kennedy 28 votes closer if they're affirmed in time. He could then try to make an all-out push in a bunch of states with relatively easy requirements — many require 5,000 or fewer signatures, but they generally don't bring many electoral votes — or focus on bigger states, such as Illinois with 19 electoral votes or Florida with 30.

Further complicating matters, some states aren't yet accepting filings from potential independent candidates and won't before the first debate.

Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-bobby-kennedy-vp-running-mate-6be6d7e04ba7d9e74190b8c01a1bf075">Nicole Shanahan</a>, who is divorced from Google co-founder Sergei Brin, committed $8 million from her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicole-shanahan-rfk-jr-running-mate-4ca2192ccfa0a0cbfea6026e792dd4c8">personal fortune</a>&nbsp;for ballot access, the campaign announced Thursday, declaring their $15 million effort “fully funded.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715712591224.png" alt="File photo- Robert F. Kennedy during a campaign rally last week" />
 <figcaption>File photo- Robert F. Kennedy during a campaign rally last week</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;has long argued that the biggest hurdle of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/who-is-robert-f-kennedy-jr-rfk-097ac973a32ddf2e8e4edecd6a8f3153">presidential campaign</a>&nbsp;is the perception that independent candidates can't win. He has looked to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-election-presidential-debates-biden-trump-6b1d1dbb2ed61c7637041b23662d7da8">debates</a>&nbsp;as a singular opportunity to stand alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;in front of a massive audience.But to make the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-debate-negotiations-19c44db099680cab6fe702638394cd82">first debate stage</a>, he’ll have to secure a place on the ballot in at least a dozen more states and improve his showing in national polls in one month.With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-kennedy-rfk-trump-pennsylvania-b411e744d3b13fc6365029cb3dfd00c4">famous name</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-rfk-independent-phoenix-ce8ef411c13bb7d5fc4ddff198cbbac9">loyal base</a>, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could play spoiler,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/commission-presidential-debates-future-nonpartisan-early-voters-01a7cfe1817dc110d14635536f1f86b1">bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission</a>&nbsp;and agreed to a schedule that leaves Kennedy very little time to qualify for the first debate.Publicly, Kennedy is expressing confidence that he will make the stage.“I look forward to holding Presidents Biden and Trump accountable for their records in Atlanta on June 27 to give Americans the debate they deserve," he posted on the X platform.CNN has said candidates will be invited if they’ve secured a place on the ballot in states with at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum needed to win the presidency, and have hit 15% in four reliable polls published since March 13. The criteria mirror those used by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/presidential-debates-2024-biden-trump-rnc-boycott-3d4fa26b50d725d83ef7d2d19e723d3a">organized debates</a>&nbsp;since 1988, except the commission's first debate would have been in September, giving Kennedy more time.Kennedy doesn’t appear to have met the polling criteria yet, although he has reached 15% or higher in at least two polls meeting CNN's standards.The ballot access hurdle is even tougher.State officials have confirmed Kennedy's place on the ballot in Delaware, Oklahoma and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/robert-kennedy-president-election-utah-ballot-863513ec2bf75d1efc9b202cb8ddcc4a">Utah</a>, which have just 16 electoral votes between them. In California, Hawaii and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-kennedy-michigan-ballot-access-02ffeba594e0198ef74961c4b5c6c7f7">Michigan</a>, minor parties have selected Kennedy as their nominee, in effect offering up existing ballot lines, though the states have not formally affirmed Kennedy's position. Adding them would bring Kennedy's total to 89 electoral votes, though it's not clear that his position in those states would meet CNN's criteria.Kennedy's campaign says he has collected enough signatures in Idaho,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-kennedy-ballot-access-iowa-ebc526eb8370bc5ac0888fa50af3ba4f">Iowa</a>, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, states with 112 electoral votes in total. But he has either not submitted the signatures or they have not yet been affirmed by state election officials.Those states still only add up to 201 electoral votes.Independent candidates like Kennedy face a labyrinth of laws that vary wildly from state to state but generally require hundreds or thousands of signatures and compliance with strict deadlines.The patchwork of laws is littered with pitfalls. And the Democratic National Committee has pledged to scrutinize Kennedy’s submissions for mistakes that could keep him off the ballot or at least tie up his campaign’s time and money.Kennedy, in turn, has resorted to secrecy and creative tactics in a sort of cat-and-mouse game to get on the ballot before his critics can thwart him. In California, Delaware and Michigan, Kennedy allied with little-known existing parties and received their nominations. In Hawaii, he formed his own political party to nominate him, and he’s pursued a similar strategy in Mississippi and North Carolina.Elsewhere, he’s waiting to turn in signatures until the deadline to limit the time for critics to pore over them in search of errors. Getting on the debate stage next month would almost certainly require him to change his strategy and submit the petitions he’s sitting on as soon as possible.Signatures are due in New York by May 28, which would get Kennedy 28 votes closer if they're affirmed in time. He could then try to make an all-out push in a bunch of states with relatively easy requirements — many require 5,000 or fewer signatures, but they generally don't bring many electoral votes — or focus on bigger states, such as Illinois with 19 electoral votes or Florida with 30.Further complicating matters, some states aren't yet accepting filings from potential independent candidates and won't before the first debate.Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-bobby-kennedy-vp-running-mate-6be6d7e04ba7d9e74190b8c01a1bf075">Nicole Shanahan</a>, who is divorced from Google co-founder Sergei Brin, committed $8 million from her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicole-shanahan-rfk-jr-running-mate-4ca2192ccfa0a0cbfea6026e792dd4c8">personal fortune</a>&nbsp;for ballot access, the campaign announced Thursday, declaring their $15 million effort “fully funded.”

How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could make the debate stage under Biden-Trump rules

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ebrahim-raisi-obituary-helicopter-crash-107ffb888540ef022a84ec719b81398c">President Ebrahim Raisi</a>&nbsp;and the country’s foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.

On his social media account, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, "Reminder: Raisi, the President of the Iranian terrorist regime was pure evil. He has the blood of innocent people on his hands. No sympathy from me."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in the Shiite theocracy, quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker and insisted the government was in control, but the deaths marked yet another blow to a country beset by pressures at home and abroad.

Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in a sudden, intense fog.

In Tehran, Iran’s capital, businesses were open and children attended school Monday. However, there was a noticeable presence of both uniformed and plainclothes security forces.

Later in the day, hundreds of mourners crowded into downtown Vali-e-Asr square holding posters of Raisi and waving Palestinian flags. Some men clutched prayer beads and were visibly crying. Women wearing black chadors gathered together holding photos of the dead leader.

“We were shocked that we lost such a character, a character that made Iran proud, and humiliated the enemies,” said Mohammad Beheshti, 36.

The crash comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;roils the region. Iran-backed Hamas led the attack that started the conflict, and Hezbollah, also supported by Tehran, has fired rockets at Israel. Last month, Iran launched its own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-4-19-2024-a7ccbae2e2844bab089e8e4377a24ddb">unprecedented drone-and-missile attack</a>&nbsp;on Israel.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-election-ebrahim-raisi-judiciary-turnout-middle-east-4d60554fd608a5dea2c76a303ec352d8">hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary</a>, Raisi, 63, was viewed as a protege of Khamenei. During his tenure, relations continued to deteriorate with the West as Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels and supplied bomb-carrying drones to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia for its war in Ukraine</a>.

His government has also faced years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-morality-police-explainer-b53475eda867a4158ac5032fe1b3e62e">mass protests</a>&nbsp;over the ailing economy and women’s rights.

The crash killed all eight people aboard a Bell 212 helicopter that Iran purchased in the early 2000s, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Among the dead were Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-obit-hossein-amirabdollahian-helicopter-crash-foreign-minister-857a066350eb64709648e1830c34bc23">Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian</a>, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, a senior cleric from Tabriz, a Revolutionary Guard official and three crew members, IRNA said.

Iran has flown Bell helicopters extensively since the shah’s era. But aircraft in Iran face a shortage of parts because of Western sanctions, and often fly without safety checks. Against that backdrop, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought to blame the United States for the crash.

“One of the main culprits of yesterday’s tragedy is the United States, which ... embargoed the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran and does not allow the people of Iran to enjoy good aviation facilities,” Zarif told The Associated Press.

Ali Vaez, Iran project director with the International Crisis Group, said that while U.S. sanctions have deprived Iran of the ability to renew and repair its fleet for decades, "one can’t overlook human error and the weather’s role in this particular accident.’’

Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst and consultant, said Iran likely is tapping the black market for parts, but questioned whether Iran has the maintenance skills to keep older helicopters flying safely.

“Black-market parts and whatever local maintenance capabilities they’ve got — that’s not a good combination,” he said.

There are 15 Bell 212 helicopters with an average age of 35 years currently registered in Iran that could be in active use or in storage, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

State TV gave no immediate cause for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/helicopter-iranian-president-crash">the crash</a>&nbsp;in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Footage released by IRNA showed the crash site, across a steep valley in a green mountain range.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. continues to monitor the situation surrounding the “very unfortunate helicopter crash” but has no insight into the cause. “I don’t necessarily see any broader regional security impacts at this point in time,” he said.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Raisi's death is not expected to have any substantive impact on difficult U.S.-Iran relations, or Iran’s support of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Houthi rebels.

“We have to assume that the supreme leader is the one who makes these decisions and the supreme leader, as he did in the last so-called election, made sure to stack the deck with only candidates that met his mandates,” Kirby said.

He called the accusation that U.S. sanctions contributed to the crash “baseless,” adding: “Every country, no matter who they are has a responsibility, their own responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability of its equipment.”

For now, Khamenei has named the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, as caretaker, in line with the constitution. The election for a successor is to be held on June 28, IRNA said. Raisi’s funeral will take place Thursday in Mashhad, the city where he was born, with other funerals to be held on Tuesday, state TV said.

It said Ali Bagheri Kani, a nuclear negotiator for Iran, will serve as the country’s acting foreign minister.

Condolences&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/92ce7ff3851e632f8d347e253d38143b">poured in</a>&nbsp;from allies after Iran confirmed there were no survivors. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on the social media platform X that his country “stands with Iran in this time of sorrow." Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a true friend of Russia.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar Assad also offered condolences. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, said he and his government were “deeply shocked.” Raisi was returning Sunday from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, where he had inaugurated a dam with Aliyev, when the crash happened.

The death also stunned Iranians, and Khamenei declared five days of public mourning. But many have been ground down by the collapse of the country’s rial currency and worries about regional conflicts spinning out of control with Israel or Pakistan, which Iran exchanged fire with this year.

“He tried to carry out his duties well, but I don’t think he was as successful as he should have been,” said Mahrooz Mohammadi Zadeh, 53, a resident of Tehran.

Khamenei stressed the business of Iran’s government would continue no matter what — but Raisi’s death raised the specter of what will happen after the 85-year-old supreme leader either resigns or dies. The final say in all matters of state rests with his office and only two men have held the position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Raisi had been discussed as a contender. The only other person suggested was Khamenei’s 55-year-old son, Mojtaba. However, concerns have been raised over the position going to a family member, particularly after the revolution overthrew the hereditary Pahlavi monarchy of the shah.

An emergency meeting of Iran’s Cabinet issued a statement pledging it would follow Raisi’s path and that “with the help of God and the people, there will be no problem with management of the country.”

Raisi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-iran-nuclear-biden-inauguration-fe35a7b837d2b7966840cf14030f9073">won Iran’s 2021 presidential election</a>, in a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. He was sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.

Mass protests in the country have raged for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-sakharov-prize-masha-amini-5a24ba82e8b7819afae72e9dff4bc25e">Mahsa Amini,</a>&nbsp;a woman detained over her allegedly loose headscarf, or hijab. The monthslong security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained.

In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death.

Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office. In 1981, a bomb blast killed President Mohammad Ali Rajai in the chaotic days after the country’s Islamic Revolution.

Iran holds regular elections for president and parliament with universal suffrage.

But the supreme leader has final say on all major policies, serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controls the powerful Revolutionary Guard.

The supreme leader also appoints half of the 12-member Guardian Council, a clerical body that vets candidates for president, parliament and the Assembly of Experts, an elected body of jurists in charge of choosing the supreme leader.

In theory, the clerics oversee the republic to ensure it complies with Islamic law. In practice, the supreme leader carefully manages the ruling system to balance competing interests, advance his own priorities and ensure that no one challenges the Islamic Republic or his role atop it.

Raisi, a hard-liner who was seen as a protege of Khamenei, was elected president in 2021 after the Guardian Council blocked any other well-known candidate from running against him, and turnout was the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic. He succeeded Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who had served as president for the past eight years and defeated Raisi in 2017.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-president-ebrahim-raisi-426c6f4ae2dd1f0801c73875bb696f48">After Raisi's death</a>, in accordance with Iran's constitution, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-mohammad-mokhber-raisi-crash-2cf93c2e6fb11f9c2aff13fed133db41">a relative unknown</a>, became caretaker president, with elections mandated within 50 days. That vote will likely be carefully managed to produce a president who maintains the status quo.

That means Iran will continue to impose some degree of Islamic rule and crack down on dissent. It will enrich uranium,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/helicopter-iranian-president-crash#0000018f-9639-df52-abef-dfbd7a3b0000">support armed groups across the Middle East</a>&nbsp;and view the West with deep suspicion.

Presidents come and go, some more moderate than others, but each operates under the structure of the ruling system.

If any major change occurs in Iran, it is likely to come after the passing of Khamenei, when a new supreme leader will be chosen for only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khamenei succeeded the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.

The next supreme leader will be chosen by the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, who are elected every eight years from candidates vetted by the Guardian Council.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-parliamentary-election-results-low-turnout-845fabad51eb26bf7fef8087c030f8f8">In the most recent election</a>, in March, Rouhani was barred from running, while Raisi won a seat.

Any discussion of the succession, or machinations related to it, occur far from the public eye, making it hard to know who may be in the running. But the two people seen by analysts as most likely to succeed Khamenei were Raisi and the supreme leader's own son, Mojtaba, 55, a Shiite cleric who has never held government office.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SUPREME LEADER'S SON SUCCEEDS HIM?

Leaders of the Islamic Republic going back to the 1979 revolution have portrayed their system as superior, not only to the democracies of a decadent West, but to the military dictatorships and monarchies that prevail across the Middle East.

The transfer of power from the supreme leader to his son could spark anger, not only among Iranians who are already critical of clerical rule, but supporters of the system who might see it as un-Islamic.

Western sanctions linked to the nuclear program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-sanctions-persian-carpet-sales-kashan-717d118d8fb0e2787fa5c3d2b3c1850c">have devastated Iran's economy</a>. And the enforcement of Islamic rule, which grew more severe under Raisi, has further alienated women and young people.

The Islamic Republic has faced several waves of popular protests in recent years, most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-morality-police-explainer-b53475eda867a4158ac5032fe1b3e62e">after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini</a>, who had been arrested for allegedly not covering her hair in public. More than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 were detained in a violent crackdown.

Raisi's death may make the transition to a new supreme leader trickier, and it could spark more unrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716289391651.png" alt="People hold up posters of President Ebrahim Raisi during a mourning ceremony for him at Vali-e-Asr square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 20, 2024. Iranian President Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)" />
 <figcaption>People hold up posters of President Ebrahim Raisi during a mourning ceremony for him at Vali-e-Asr square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 20, 2024. Iranian President Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ebrahim-raisi-obituary-helicopter-crash-107ffb888540ef022a84ec719b81398c">President Ebrahim Raisi</a>&nbsp;and the country’s foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.On his social media account, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall wrote, "Reminder: Raisi, the President of the Iranian terrorist regime was pure evil. He has the blood of innocent people on his hands. No sympathy from me."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Reminder: Raisi, the President of the Iranian terrorist regime was pure evil. He has the blood of innocent people on his hands. No sympathy from me. <a href="https://t.co/ev5FPseR1s">pic.twitter.com/ev5FPseR1s</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1792660277780987999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in the Shiite theocracy, quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker and insisted the government was in control, but the deaths marked yet another blow to a country beset by pressures at home and abroad.Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in a sudden, intense fog.In Tehran, Iran’s capital, businesses were open and children attended school Monday. However, there was a noticeable presence of both uniformed and plainclothes security forces.Later in the day, hundreds of mourners crowded into downtown Vali-e-Asr square holding posters of Raisi and waving Palestinian flags. Some men clutched prayer beads and were visibly crying. Women wearing black chadors gathered together holding photos of the dead leader.“We were shocked that we lost such a character, a character that made Iran proud, and humiliated the enemies,” said Mohammad Beheshti, 36.The crash comes as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;roils the region. Iran-backed Hamas led the attack that started the conflict, and Hezbollah, also supported by Tehran, has fired rockets at Israel. Last month, Iran launched its own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-4-19-2024-a7ccbae2e2844bab089e8e4377a24ddb">unprecedented drone-and-missile attack</a>&nbsp;on Israel.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-election-ebrahim-raisi-judiciary-turnout-middle-east-4d60554fd608a5dea2c76a303ec352d8">hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary</a>, Raisi, 63, was viewed as a protege of Khamenei. During his tenure, relations continued to deteriorate with the West as Iran enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels and supplied bomb-carrying drones to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia for its war in Ukraine</a>.His government has also faced years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-morality-police-explainer-b53475eda867a4158ac5032fe1b3e62e">mass protests</a>&nbsp;over the ailing economy and women’s rights.The crash killed all eight people aboard a Bell 212 helicopter that Iran purchased in the early 2000s, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Among the dead were Iranian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-obit-hossein-amirabdollahian-helicopter-crash-foreign-minister-857a066350eb64709648e1830c34bc23">Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian</a>, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, a senior cleric from Tabriz, a Revolutionary Guard official and three crew members, IRNA said.Iran has flown Bell helicopters extensively since the shah’s era. But aircraft in Iran face a shortage of parts because of Western sanctions, and often fly without safety checks. Against that backdrop, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sought to blame the United States for the crash.“One of the main culprits of yesterday’s tragedy is the United States, which ... embargoed the sale of aircraft and aviation parts to Iran and does not allow the people of Iran to enjoy good aviation facilities,” Zarif told The Associated Press.Ali Vaez, Iran project director with the International Crisis Group, said that while U.S. sanctions have deprived Iran of the ability to renew and repair its fleet for decades, "one can’t overlook human error and the weather’s role in this particular accident.’’Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst and consultant, said Iran likely is tapping the black market for parts, but questioned whether Iran has the maintenance skills to keep older helicopters flying safely.“Black-market parts and whatever local maintenance capabilities they’ve got — that’s not a good combination,” he said.There are 15 Bell 212 helicopters with an average age of 35 years currently registered in Iran that could be in active use or in storage, according to aviation data firm Cirium.State TV gave no immediate cause for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/helicopter-iranian-president-crash">the crash</a>&nbsp;in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. Footage released by IRNA showed the crash site, across a steep valley in a green mountain range.U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. continues to monitor the situation surrounding the “very unfortunate helicopter crash” but has no insight into the cause. “I don’t necessarily see any broader regional security impacts at this point in time,” he said.White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Raisi's death is not expected to have any substantive impact on difficult U.S.-Iran relations, or Iran’s support of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Houthi rebels.“We have to assume that the supreme leader is the one who makes these decisions and the supreme leader, as he did in the last so-called election, made sure to stack the deck with only candidates that met his mandates,” Kirby said.He called the accusation that U.S. sanctions contributed to the crash “baseless,” adding: “Every country, no matter who they are has a responsibility, their own responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability of its equipment.”For now, Khamenei has named the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, as caretaker, in line with the constitution. The election for a successor is to be held on June 28, IRNA said. Raisi’s funeral will take place Thursday in Mashhad, the city where he was born, with other funerals to be held on Tuesday, state TV said.It said Ali Bagheri Kani, a nuclear negotiator for Iran, will serve as the country’s acting foreign minister.Condolences&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/92ce7ff3851e632f8d347e253d38143b">poured in</a>&nbsp;from allies after Iran confirmed there were no survivors. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on the social media platform X that his country “stands with Iran in this time of sorrow." Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, described Raisi “as a true friend of Russia.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China’s Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar Assad also offered condolences. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, said he and his government were “deeply shocked.” Raisi was returning Sunday from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, where he had inaugurated a dam with Aliyev, when the crash happened.The death also stunned Iranians, and Khamenei declared five days of public mourning. But many have been ground down by the collapse of the country’s rial currency and worries about regional conflicts spinning out of control with Israel or Pakistan, which Iran exchanged fire with this year.“He tried to carry out his duties well, but I don’t think he was as successful as he should have been,” said Mahrooz Mohammadi Zadeh, 53, a resident of Tehran.Khamenei stressed the business of Iran’s government would continue no matter what — but Raisi’s death raised the specter of what will happen after the 85-year-old supreme leader either resigns or dies. The final say in all matters of state rests with his office and only two men have held the position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Raisi had been discussed as a contender. The only other person suggested was Khamenei’s 55-year-old son, Mojtaba. However, concerns have been raised over the position going to a family member, particularly after the revolution overthrew the hereditary Pahlavi monarchy of the shah.An emergency meeting of Iran’s Cabinet issued a statement pledging it would follow Raisi’s path and that “with the help of God and the people, there will be no problem with management of the country.”Raisi&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-iran-nuclear-biden-inauguration-fe35a7b837d2b7966840cf14030f9073">won Iran’s 2021 presidential election</a>, in a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. He was sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.Mass protests in the country have raged for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-sakharov-prize-masha-amini-5a24ba82e8b7819afae72e9dff4bc25e">Mahsa Amini,</a>&nbsp;a woman detained over her allegedly loose headscarf, or hijab. The monthslong security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained.In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death.Raisi is the second Iranian president to die in office. In 1981, a bomb blast killed President Mohammad Ali Rajai in the chaotic days after the country’s Islamic Revolution.Here's a look at what comes next.HOW DOES IRAN'S GOVERNMENT WORK?Iran holds regular elections for president and parliament with universal suffrage.But the supreme leader has final say on all major policies, serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controls the powerful Revolutionary Guard.The supreme leader also appoints half of the 12-member Guardian Council, a clerical body that vets candidates for president, parliament and the Assembly of Experts, an elected body of jurists in charge of choosing the supreme leader.In theory, the clerics oversee the republic to ensure it complies with Islamic law. In practice, the supreme leader carefully manages the ruling system to balance competing interests, advance his own priorities and ensure that no one challenges the Islamic Republic or his role atop it.Raisi, a hard-liner who was seen as a protege of Khamenei, was elected president in 2021 after the Guardian Council blocked any other well-known candidate from running against him, and turnout was the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic. He succeeded Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who had served as president for the past eight years and defeated Raisi in 2017.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-president-ebrahim-raisi-426c6f4ae2dd1f0801c73875bb696f48">After Raisi's death</a>, in accordance with Iran's constitution, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-mohammad-mokhber-raisi-crash-2cf93c2e6fb11f9c2aff13fed133db41">a relative unknown</a>, became caretaker president, with elections mandated within 50 days. That vote will likely be carefully managed to produce a president who maintains the status quo.That means Iran will continue to impose some degree of Islamic rule and crack down on dissent. It will enrich uranium,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/helicopter-iranian-president-crash#0000018f-9639-df52-abef-dfbd7a3b0000">support armed groups across the Middle East</a>&nbsp;and view the West with deep suspicion.WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SUCCESSION?Presidents come and go, some more moderate than others, but each operates under the structure of the ruling system.If any major change occurs in Iran, it is likely to come after the passing of Khamenei, when a new supreme leader will be chosen for only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khamenei succeeded the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.The next supreme leader will be chosen by the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, who are elected every eight years from candidates vetted by the Guardian Council.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-parliamentary-election-results-low-turnout-845fabad51eb26bf7fef8087c030f8f8">In the most recent election</a>, in March, Rouhani was barred from running, while Raisi won a seat.Any discussion of the succession, or machinations related to it, occur far from the public eye, making it hard to know who may be in the running. But the two people seen by analysts as most likely to succeed Khamenei were Raisi and the supreme leader's own son, Mojtaba, 55, a Shiite cleric who has never held government office.WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SUPREME LEADER'S SON SUCCEEDS HIM?Leaders of the Islamic Republic going back to the 1979 revolution have portrayed their system as superior, not only to the democracies of a decadent West, but to the military dictatorships and monarchies that prevail across the Middle East.The transfer of power from the supreme leader to his son could spark anger, not only among Iranians who are already critical of clerical rule, but supporters of the system who might see it as un-Islamic.Western sanctions linked to the nuclear program&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-sanctions-persian-carpet-sales-kashan-717d118d8fb0e2787fa5c3d2b3c1850c">have devastated Iran's economy</a>. And the enforcement of Islamic rule, which grew more severe under Raisi, has further alienated women and young people.The Islamic Republic has faced several waves of popular protests in recent years, most recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-morality-police-explainer-b53475eda867a4158ac5032fe1b3e62e">after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini</a>, who had been arrested for allegedly not covering her hair in public. More than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 were detained in a violent crackdown.Raisi's death may make the transition to a new supreme leader trickier, and it could spark more unrest.

Kansas U.S. Senator: No sympathy for death of Iran's president

Braxton Banker shot a 12-over-par 84 and is was the lone Hays High
golfer to advance to Tuesday's second round of the 5A State Tournament in Sand Creek Station
in Newton.

TMP-Marian’s Heuer
Brungardt shot a 7-over-par 78 and qualified to the second round at 2A at Mariah Hills in Dodge City. Brungardt is tied for 10th. 

Both of Plainville's golfers advanced in 2A. Noah Brewster who shot a 12-over-par 83 and Jayden Morris who was 14-over-par 85. Austin Carroll of Ellis was 15-over after
day one and also qualified for round two.

Hill City is sitting in
sixth-place after day one.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716293739767.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostBraxton Banker shot a 12-over-par 84 and is was the lone Hays High
golfer to advance to Tuesday's second round of the 5A State Tournament in Sand Creek Station
in Newton.TMP-Marian’s Heuer
Brungardt shot a 7-over-par 78 and qualified to the second round at 2A at Mariah Hills in Dodge City. Brungardt is tied for 10th. Both of Plainville's golfers advanced in 2A. Noah Brewster who shot a 12-over-par 83 and Jayden Morris who was 14-over-par 85. Austin Carroll of Ellis was 15-over after
day one and also qualified for round two.Hill City is sitting in
sixth-place after day one.

⛳ Area golfers advance at the State Championships

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The Run for the Wall convoy ran for shelter when a storm struck during their stop at Bunker Hill, delaying their cross-country journey.

The nonprofit raises awareness for veterans, prisoners of war and those who are missing in action.

On the fifth day of the central route's expedition, the motorcyclists were halted by strong winds, heavy rain and hail on Sunday.

After exiting Interstate 70, the motorcade stopped for gas at Sunmart, 4115 193rd St., before being abruptly instructed to take cover inside the gas station.

Motorcyclist Mark Ruffalo from Los Angeles said that while he had encountered earthquakes before, the unexpected storm was a new experience.

"All of a sudden, we get these tornado warnings," he said. "I've never seen anything grow so far."

For about 45 minutes, the patriots and other travelers took shelter in the truck stop's backroom as the lights flickered and the sound of roaring winds and hail echoed outside.

Motorcyclist and Navy Veteran Darwin Hansen from Idaho said he was not fond of the storm but remained optimistic.

"I didn't like that," Hansen said. "It's been good up until this point, but it's still fun."

According to a <a href="https://rftw.us/may-19-2024-day-5-to-dc-limon-co-to-junction-city-ks/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2N9WRr3ave3BAol37Xkoht5dzmr-PjxH5ShReOklAfbxBFb4JJsgWeSDo_aem_AemN2FCmpl7DEDjUQKhzW0t0uYwAbEfaiCwo_SWohZIjEON_5a_mdIObApiDSxz__bNsGUAHSPTqeDDqXUiLQi8h">post by Run for the Wall</a>, motorcyclists rode through the storm and endured golf-ball-sized hail for more than an hour, resulting in marks and welts on their bodies.

Members of the convoy were scattered up to 31 miles from the truck stop.&nbsp;All riders were accounted for, according to the statement.

According to Russell County, the area faced golf-ball-sized hail and wind gusts reaching 82 mph,&nbsp;resulting in damage across the community and leaving many without power.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f87dd057-f540-4e24-9796-ee5f403503ed">SEE RELATED STORY: Sunday storms brought hail, flooding rain and 100mph winds</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/460aefe2-5268-4fde-ab24-bcef657513f9">SEE RELATED STORY: Power outages still reported Monday; official rain report for Hays</a>

This marks Hansen's first time in the Run for the Wall, who said he was excited about visiting the Vietnam Wall memorial in Washington, D.C.

"It's something that I wanted to do before my time is up," he said.

The coast-to-coast routes include the central route, the midway route, the southern route and the sandbox route.

The Run for the Wall concludes at the nation's capital before embarking on a three-day "run" to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5b0118a0-a98f-4835-b44e-c60535863c21">SEE RELATED STORY: Run for Wall to traverse several Kansas locations, Bunker Hill</a>

Ruffalo said the ride is a deeply emotional and patriotic tribute to retired soldiers, prisoners of war and those missing in action.

"We ride for those who can't ride anymore and who are not with us anymore," he said.

About two hours after seeking shelter, the riders returned to their motorcycles and continued their journey to Junction City, enduring more rain along the way. They are expected to reach Washington, D.C., by Saturday.

About 35 years ago, Run for the Wall was started by veterans who rode motorcycles, working with local radio, television and newspapers to bring attention to the thousands of people still unaccounted for from different wars.

Due to freeway closures, Ruffalo said the convoy has not encountered a single red light, calling the ride a "military operation."

"We can never forget that freedom is not free. A lot of people put their lives on the line for all of us, and that's why I'm riding," he said.

You can follow the Run for the Wall ride on its <a href="https://rftw.us/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RunForTheWall">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716222677630.jpeg" alt="The Run for the Wall convoy arriving at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Run for the Wall convoy arriving at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe Run for the Wall convoy ran for shelter when a storm struck during their stop at Bunker Hill, delaying their cross-country journey.The nonprofit raises awareness for veterans, prisoners of war and those who are missing in action.On the fifth day of the central route's expedition, the motorcyclists were halted by strong winds, heavy rain and hail on Sunday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716222893608.jpeg" alt="Run for the Wall attendees watching a low storm cloud approach at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Run for the Wall attendees watching a low storm cloud approach at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716222945024.jpeg" alt="The low storm cloud above the Sunmart at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The low storm cloud above the Sunmart at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>After exiting Interstate 70, the motorcade stopped for gas at Sunmart, 4115 193rd St., before being abruptly instructed to take cover inside the gas station.Motorcyclist Mark Ruffalo from Los Angeles said that while he had encountered earthquakes before, the unexpected storm was a new experience."All of a sudden, we get these tornado warnings," he said. "I've never seen anything grow so far."For about 45 minutes, the patriots and other travelers took shelter in the truck stop's backroom as the lights flickered and the sound of roaring winds and hail echoed outside.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716222991603.jpeg" alt="Run for the Wall riders, attendees and other travelers in the backroom of Sunmart at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Run for the Wall riders, attendees and other travelers in the backroom of Sunmart at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223031652.jpeg" alt="A Run for the Wall rider calming distressed travelers and attendees in the backroom of the Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A Run for the Wall rider calming distressed travelers and attendees in the backroom of the Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Motorcyclist and Navy Veteran Darwin Hansen from Idaho said he was not fond of the storm but remained optimistic."I didn't like that," Hansen said. "It's been good up until this point, but it's still fun."According to a <a href="https://rftw.us/may-19-2024-day-5-to-dc-limon-co-to-junction-city-ks/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2N9WRr3ave3BAol37Xkoht5dzmr-PjxH5ShReOklAfbxBFb4JJsgWeSDo_aem_AemN2FCmpl7DEDjUQKhzW0t0uYwAbEfaiCwo_SWohZIjEON_5a_mdIObApiDSxz__bNsGUAHSPTqeDDqXUiLQi8h">post by Run for the Wall</a>, motorcyclists rode through the storm and endured golf-ball-sized hail for more than an hour, resulting in marks and welts on their bodies.Members of the convoy were scattered up to 31 miles from the truck stop.&nbsp;All riders were accounted for, according to the statement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716231982379.jpeg" alt="Lanes of motorcycles in the Sunmart parking lot at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Lanes of motorcycles in the Sunmart parking lot at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716232041794.jpeg" alt="Motorcyclists driving in rain at the Sunmart parking lot at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Motorcyclists driving in rain at the Sunmart parking lot at Bunker Hill. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>According to Russell County, the area faced golf-ball-sized hail and wind gusts reaching 82 mph,&nbsp;resulting in damage across the community and leaving many without power.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f87dd057-f540-4e24-9796-ee5f403503ed">SEE RELATED STORY: Sunday storms brought hail, flooding rain and 100mph winds</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/460aefe2-5268-4fde-ab24-bcef657513f9">SEE RELATED STORY: Power outages still reported Monday; official rain report for Hays</a>This marks Hansen's first time in the Run for the Wall, who said he was excited about visiting the Vietnam Wall memorial in Washington, D.C."It's something that I wanted to do before my time is up," he said.The coast-to-coast routes include the central route, the midway route, the southern route and the sandbox route.The Run for the Wall concludes at the nation's capital before embarking on a three-day "run" to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5b0118a0-a98f-4835-b44e-c60535863c21">SEE RELATED STORY: Run for Wall to traverse several Kansas locations, Bunker Hill</a>Ruffalo said the ride is a deeply emotional and patriotic tribute to retired soldiers, prisoners of war and those missing in action."We ride for those who can't ride anymore and who are not with us anymore," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223242457.jpeg" alt="Remembrance stickers on a motorcycle at the Run for the Wall.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Remembrance stickers on a motorcycle at the Run for the Wall.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223450203.jpeg" alt="Run for the Wall participants outside of Sunmart at Bunker Hill after the storm.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Run for the Wall participants outside of Sunmart at Bunker Hill after the storm.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>About two hours after seeking shelter, the riders returned to their motorcycles and continued their journey to Junction City, enduring more rain along the way. They are expected to reach Washington, D.C., by Saturday.About 35 years ago, Run for the Wall was started by veterans who rode motorcycles, working with local radio, television and newspapers to bring attention to the thousands of people still unaccounted for from different wars.Due to freeway closures, Ruffalo said the convoy has not encountered a single red light, calling the ride a "military operation.""We can never forget that freedom is not free. A lot of people put their lives on the line for all of us, and that's why I'm riding," he said.You can follow the Run for the Wall ride on its <a href="https://rftw.us/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RunForTheWall">Facebook</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223276737.jpeg" alt="A Run for the Wall motorcyclist arriving at Sunmart in Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A Run for the Wall motorcyclist arriving at Sunmart in Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223333575.jpeg" alt="The Run for the Wall motorcade lining up for gas at Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Run for the Wall motorcade lining up for gas at Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223366702.jpeg" alt="Two motorcyclists driving through Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Two motorcyclists driving through Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716223404775.jpeg" alt="A motorcycle parked outside of Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A motorcycle parked outside of Sunmart at Bunker Hill.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716235075118.jpeg" alt="Three-wheel motorcycles parked at the Sunmart parking lot with the U.S. flag hanging from a crane. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Three-wheel motorcycles parked at the Sunmart parking lot with the U.S. flag hanging from a crane. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>

Run for Wall convoy hit by storm at Bunker Hill

WICHITA, KAN. – A $23,197.00 default judgment was entered against a Wichita pawnbroker for engaging in deceptive and unconscionable acts under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The matter was investigated by the Office of the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division after receiving a consumer complaint against Ethan Ma, doing business as 1st Gold, 2408 S. Hillside.

The Consumer Protection Division alleged Ethan Ma violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by acting as an unlicensed pawnbroker and failing to return a consumer’s property offered as surety on a loan. The Court found these alleged violations to be deceptive and unconscionable under the KCPA. As part of the ruling, the Court ordered Ethan Ma to pay $2,000.00 in restitution to the consumer, $20,000.00 in civil penalties, as well as court costs and investigation fees. The court also ordered Ethan Ma to refrain from engaging in consumer transactions in Kansas until he is properly licensed and all restitution, costs and fees are paid.

The District Attorney reminds consumers to exercise care when pawning items of value, especially those with sentimental value, because they may be difficult or impossible to recover. The City of Wichita requires all pawnbrokers to be licensed, and every loan must be evidenced by a written contract, a copy of which must be provided to the borrower. The City of Wichita also requires all pawnbrokers to post their license in a conspicuous place at or near the entrance to the licensed pawnshop.

The default judgment was ordered on April 30, 2024 by Judge Stephen Ternes. The case was investigated by Kristen Zluticky of the District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716135972435.png" alt="The default judgment was ordered on April 30, by Judge Stephen Ternes. -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The default judgment was ordered on April 30, by Judge Stephen Ternes. -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A $23,197.00 default judgment was entered against a Wichita pawnbroker for engaging in deceptive and unconscionable acts under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The matter was investigated by the Office of the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division after receiving a consumer complaint against Ethan Ma, doing business as 1st Gold, 2408 S. Hillside.The Consumer Protection Division alleged Ethan Ma violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by acting as an unlicensed pawnbroker and failing to return a consumer’s property offered as surety on a loan. The Court found these alleged violations to be deceptive and unconscionable under the KCPA. As part of the ruling, the Court ordered Ethan Ma to pay $2,000.00 in restitution to the consumer, $20,000.00 in civil penalties, as well as court costs and investigation fees. The court also ordered Ethan Ma to refrain from engaging in consumer transactions in Kansas until he is properly licensed and all restitution, costs and fees are paid.The District Attorney reminds consumers to exercise care when pawning items of value, especially those with sentimental value, because they may be difficult or impossible to recover. The City of Wichita requires all pawnbrokers to be licensed, and every loan must be evidenced by a written contract, a copy of which must be provided to the borrower. The City of Wichita also requires all pawnbrokers to post their license in a conspicuous place at or near the entrance to the licensed pawnshop.The default judgment was ordered on April 30, 2024 by Judge Stephen Ternes. The case was investigated by Kristen Zluticky of the District Attorney’s Office.

Kansas pawn shop ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - Fort Hays State's Morgan Brasser&nbsp;earned a spot on the 2023-24 Women's Golf Coaches Association All-Central Region team for a second-consecutive season, announced Monday (May 20) by the coaches organization.

The Andale, Kan. native wrapped up her collegiate career with the best single-season scoring average in school history, posting a stroke average of 74.96 across 28 rounds as a senior. 

She won two events this spring and posted six top-5 finishes in 12 events. 

Brasser fired seven round at-or-under par this season, including tying the program record with a 3-under 69 (9/8/23).

Brasser earned All-MIAA honors for the fourth-consecutive season this year, picking up first team honors for the second time after being named honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. 

The 2022-23 MIAA Player of the Year competed at the NCAA DII Central Regional for a fourth time earlier this month, becoming the first player in school history to reach the NCAA postseason four times in a career.

She played in a school-record 99 rounds in her career, posting a career stroke average of 76.6, which lowered the school record for career stroke average by nearly three strokes. 

Brasser finished her career with a school-record 19 rounds at-or-under par, including a school-record eight sub-par rounds and a school-record 11 rounds at even-par. 

She is the only player in program history with multiple sub-70 rounds in a career, firing three rounds of 69. She tied the school record for top-10 finishes (24) and top-5 finishes (16) while finishing second in school history with six career tournament victories.

Brasser was one of seven MIAA student-athletes listed on the All-Central Region list, with five competitors from the GAC rounding out the 12-person list.

2023-24 WGCA Division II All-Region Team - Central Region Marelda Ayal, Rogers State University Allie Bianchi, Henderson State University Jinna Boonbumroongsuk, Henderson State University Morgan Brasser, Fort Hays State University Megan Brown, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Hayley Jones, University of Central Missouri Maya McVey, University of Central Missouri Mia Rallo, University of Central Missouri Nicole Rallo, University of Central Missouri Felisa Sajulga, Henderson State University Lydia Sitorus, Rogers State University Ellen Spigner, Arkansas Tech University&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716244000040.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsCORAL SPRINGS, Fla. - Fort Hays State's Morgan Brasser&nbsp;earned a spot on the 2023-24 Women's Golf Coaches Association All-Central Region team for a second-consecutive season, announced Monday (May 20) by the coaches organization.The Andale, Kan. native wrapped up her collegiate career with the best single-season scoring average in school history, posting a stroke average of 74.96 across 28 rounds as a senior. She won two events this spring and posted six top-5 finishes in 12 events. Brasser fired seven round at-or-under par this season, including tying the program record with a 3-under 69 (9/8/23).Brasser earned All-MIAA honors for the fourth-consecutive season this year, picking up first team honors for the second time after being named honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. The 2022-23 MIAA Player of the Year competed at the NCAA DII Central Regional for a fourth time earlier this month, becoming the first player in school history to reach the NCAA postseason four times in a career.She played in a school-record 99 rounds in her career, posting a career stroke average of 76.6, which lowered the school record for career stroke average by nearly three strokes. Brasser finished her career with a school-record 19 rounds at-or-under par, including a school-record eight sub-par rounds and a school-record 11 rounds at even-par. She is the only player in program history with multiple sub-70 rounds in a career, firing three rounds of 69. She tied the school record for top-10 finishes (24) and top-5 finishes (16) while finishing second in school history with six career tournament victories.Brasser was one of seven MIAA student-athletes listed on the All-Central Region list, with five competitors from the GAC rounding out the 12-person list.2023-24 WGCA Division II All-Region Team - Central Region Marelda Ayal, Rogers State University Allie Bianchi, Henderson State University Jinna Boonbumroongsuk, Henderson State University Morgan Brasser, Fort Hays State University Megan Brown, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Hayley Jones, University of Central Missouri Maya McVey, University of Central Missouri Mia Rallo, University of Central Missouri Nicole Rallo, University of Central Missouri Felisa Sajulga, Henderson State University Lydia Sitorus, Rogers State University Ellen Spigner, Arkansas Tech University&nbsp;&nbsp;

⛳ FHSU's Brasser earns All-Region honors

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689001138921.png" alt="File photo/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>File photo/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716242170151.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays Police Department arrest log, May 12-18, 2024

Beginning Tuesday, at approximately 8 a.m., Morgan Brothers Construction will begin work on pavement reconstruction on 28th Street in Hays, between Fort and Oak. 

The area will be closed to through traffic until further notice and traffic control will be set in areas of work being completed. 

If there are any questions, please call Morgan Brother Construction at either 785-394-1777 or 785-432-3104 or the Office of Project Management at 785-628-7350.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689603343931.jpeg" alt="File photo/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>File photo/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysBeginning Tuesday, at approximately 8 a.m., Morgan Brothers Construction will begin work on pavement reconstruction on 28th Street in Hays, between Fort and Oak. The area will be closed to through traffic until further notice and traffic control will be set in areas of work being completed. If there are any questions, please call Morgan Brother Construction at either 785-394-1777 or 785-432-3104 or the Office of Project Management at 785-628-7350.&nbsp;

Pavement reconstruction on 28th St. between Fort and Oak starts Tuesday in Hays

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Thirty-nine customers Midwest Energy customers in Russell were still listed without power as of 4:45 a.m. Monday.

According to the outage map, power has been restored in Gorham.

Send us your damage reports and storm shots to&nbsp;cjanney@eagleradio.net.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716242042179.jpeg" alt="Baseball-sized hail in Russell Sunday.&nbsp;Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Pratt" />
 <figcaption>Baseball-sized hail in Russell Sunday.&nbsp;Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Pratt</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThirty-nine customers Midwest Energy customers in Russell were still listed without power as of 4:45 a.m. Monday.According to the outage map, power has been restored in Gorham.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716241788762.jpeg" alt="The storm as it rolls in Russell on Sunday. Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Elizabeth Pratt" />
 <figcaption>The storm as it rolls in Russell on Sunday. Photo courtesy of&nbsp;Elizabeth Pratt</figcaption>
 </figure>Send us your damage reports and storm shots to&nbsp;cjanney@eagleradio.net.

Update: Some customers still without power in Russell

The Southeastern Conference announced their 2024 baseball awards and Hays, Kan. native Dylan Dreiling is among the honorees.&nbsp;

Dreiling was named to the first team as an outfielder. The true sophomore recorded 61 hits while batting .333. Out of the 61 hits, 34 were for extra bases. He hit 15 doubles, 2 triples and 17 home runs.&nbsp;

Dreiling scored 53 runs and drove in 59 and registered a team high 37 walks.

The #1 ranked Volunteers won the SEC regular season title. Their first game in the SEC tournament will be on Wednesday, May 22nd.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716237029713.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy of&nbsp; University of Tennessee Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy of&nbsp; University of Tennessee Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostThe Southeastern Conference announced their 2024 baseball awards and Hays, Kan. native Dylan Dreiling is among the honorees.&nbsp;Dreiling was named to the first team as an outfielder. The true sophomore recorded 61 hits while batting .333. Out of the 61 hits, 34 were for extra bases. He hit 15 doubles, 2 triples and 17 home runs.&nbsp;Dreiling scored 53 runs and drove in 59 and registered a team high 37 walks.The #1 ranked Volunteers won the SEC regular season title. Their first game in the SEC tournament will be on Wednesday, May 22nd.

⚾ Hays native Dylan Dreiling 1st team All-SEC

Life is a journey…so they say…and Dad’s Journey on earth has come to an end. John Francis Brent, age 82, of Ulysses, Kansas, passed peacefully on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Manor of the Plains in Dodge City, Kansas. He was born January 3, 1942, in Alton, Kansas, to Ola LeRoy and Helen Elizabeth (Weethee) Brent.

John married Janice Irene Troxel on December 23, 1962. They settled with their family in Ulysses. Their home provided a setting for many happy memories and family gatherings. John was an accomplished musician. He could hear something and play it with his own flair and style on the organ, piano, or his instrument of choice, the accordion. His passion for music was shared with many and was passed down to his children and grandchildren. John lived his last few years at Manor of the Plains in Dodge City and enjoyed the daily visits from Shelia. He loved flowers and they kept the flowerpots full.

John is survived by his sister, Roma Dorain York of Ft. Smith, Arkansas; three children, Cheryl James and husband, Charles, of Conroe, Texas, Gregg Brent and wife, Sandra, of Nokomis, Florida, and Shelia Eichman and husband, Laverne of Dodge City, Kansas; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one due in August.

John is preceded in death by his wife, Janice Irene (Troxel) Brent; brothers, Orman L. Brent, William Leroy Brent, and David Owen Brent; and sister, Irene Lucille Branham.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 23, 2024, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses. Funeral service will be Friday, May 24, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home with Chaplain David Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at the Ulysses Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to the activity fund at Manor of the Plains in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave, Ulysses, KS 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

Life is a journey…so they say…and Dad’s Journey on earth has come to an end. John Francis Brent, age 82, of Ulysses, Kansas, passed peacefully on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Manor of the Plains in Dodge City, Kansas. He was born January 3, 1942, in Alton, Kansas, to Ola LeRoy and Helen Elizabeth (Weethee) Brent.John married Janice Irene Troxel on December 23, 1962. They settled with their family in Ulysses. Their home provided a setting for many happy memories and family gatherings. John was an accomplished musician. He could hear something and play it with his own flair and style on the organ, piano, or his instrument of choice, the accordion. His passion for music was shared with many and was passed down to his children and grandchildren. John lived his last few years at Manor of the Plains in Dodge City and enjoyed the daily visits from Shelia. He loved flowers and they kept the flowerpots full.John is survived by his sister, Roma Dorain York of Ft. Smith, Arkansas; three children, Cheryl James and husband, Charles, of Conroe, Texas, Gregg Brent and wife, Sandra, of Nokomis, Florida, and Shelia Eichman and husband, Laverne of Dodge City, Kansas; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one due in August.John is preceded in death by his wife, Janice Irene (Troxel) Brent; brothers, Orman L. Brent, William Leroy Brent, and David Owen Brent; and sister, Irene Lucille Branham.Visitation will be Thursday, May 23, 2024, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses. Funeral service will be Friday, May 24, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home with Chaplain David Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at the Ulysses Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to the activity fund at Manor of the Plains in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave, Ulysses, KS 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.

John Francis Brent

NEW YORK (AP) —A former OpenAI leader who resigned from the company earlier this week said Friday that safety has “taken a backseat to shiny products” at the influential artificial intelligence company.

Jan Leike, who ran OpenAI’s “Superalignment” team alongside a company co-founder who also resigned this week, wrote in a series of posts on the social media platform X that he joined the San Francisco-based company because he thought it would be the best place to do AI research.

“However, I have been disagreeing with OpenAI leadership about the company’s core priorities for quite some time, until we finally reached a breaking point,” wrote Leike, whose last day was Thursday.

An AI researcher by training, Leike said he believes there should be more focus on preparing for the next generation of AI models, including on things like safety and analyzing the societal impacts of such technologies. He said building “smarter-than-human machines is an inherently dangerous endeavor” and that the company “is shouldering an enormous responsibility on behalf of all of humanity.”

“OpenAI must become a safety-first AGI company,” wrote Leike, using the abbreviated version of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/agi-artificial-general-intelligence-existential-risk-meta-openai-deepmind-science-ff5662a056d3cf3c5889a73e929e5a34">artificial general intelligence</a>, a futuristic vision of machines that are as broadly smart as humans or at least can do many things as well as people can.

Open AI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a reply to Leike’s posts that he was “super appreciative” of Leike’s contributions to the company was “very sad to see him leave.”

Leike is “right we have a lot more to do; we are committed to doing it,” Altman said, pledging to write a longer post on the subject in the coming days.

The company also confirmed Friday that it had disbanded Leike’s&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/introducing-superalignment/" target="_blank">Superalignment team</a>, which was launched last year to focus on AI risks, and is integrating the team’s members across its research efforts.

Leike’s resignation came after OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever said Tuesday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-ilya-sutskever-leaving-chatgpt-cofounder-419276b50007ad41adfd27764da3188c">he was leaving the company</a>&nbsp;after nearly a decade. Sutskever was one of four board members last fall who voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/altman-ai-chatgpt-murati-893e4a460c10eb3a8f1afefa6156eca3">push out Altman</a>&nbsp;— only to quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/altman-openai-chatgpt-31187f7f6eca8ff9d0eef7585aac6ace">reinstate him</a>. It was Sutskever who told Altman last November that he was being fired, but he later said he regretted doing so.

NEW YORK (AP) —A former OpenAI leader who resigned from the company earlier this week said Friday that safety has “taken a backseat to shiny products” at the influential artificial intelligence company.Jan Leike, who ran OpenAI’s “Superalignment” team alongside a company co-founder who also resigned this week, wrote in a series of posts on the social media platform X that he joined the San Francisco-based company because he thought it would be the best place to do AI research.“However, I have been disagreeing with OpenAI leadership about the company’s core priorities for quite some time, until we finally reached a breaking point,” wrote Leike, whose last day was Thursday.An AI researcher by training, Leike said he believes there should be more focus on preparing for the next generation of AI models, including on things like safety and analyzing the societal impacts of such technologies. He said building “smarter-than-human machines is an inherently dangerous endeavor” and that the company “is shouldering an enormous responsibility on behalf of all of humanity.”“OpenAI must become a safety-first AGI company,” wrote Leike, using the abbreviated version of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/agi-artificial-general-intelligence-existential-risk-meta-openai-deepmind-science-ff5662a056d3cf3c5889a73e929e5a34">artificial general intelligence</a>, a futuristic vision of machines that are as broadly smart as humans or at least can do many things as well as people can.Open AI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a reply to Leike’s posts that he was “super appreciative” of Leike’s contributions to the company was “very sad to see him leave.”Leike is “right we have a lot more to do; we are committed to doing it,” Altman said, pledging to write a longer post on the subject in the coming days.The company also confirmed Friday that it had disbanded Leike’s&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/introducing-superalignment/" target="_blank">Superalignment team</a>, which was launched last year to focus on AI risks, and is integrating the team’s members across its research efforts.Leike’s resignation came after OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever said Tuesday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-ilya-sutskever-leaving-chatgpt-cofounder-419276b50007ad41adfd27764da3188c">he was leaving the company</a>&nbsp;after nearly a decade. Sutskever was one of four board members last fall who voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/altman-ai-chatgpt-murati-893e4a460c10eb3a8f1afefa6156eca3">push out Altman</a>&nbsp;— only to quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/altman-openai-chatgpt-31187f7f6eca8ff9d0eef7585aac6ace">reinstate him</a>. It was Sutskever who told Altman last November that he was being fired, but he later said he regretted doing so.Sutskever said he is working on a new project that’s meaningful to him without offering additional details. He will be replaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openai.com/index/jakub-pachocki-announced-as-chief-scientist/" target="_blank">Jakub Pachocki&nbsp;</a>as chief scientist. Altman called Pachocki “also easily one of the greatest minds of our generation” and said he is “very confident he will lead us to make rapid and safe progress towards our mission of ensuring that AGI benefits everyone.”On Monday, OpenAI showed off the latest update to its artificial intelligence model, which can mimic human cadences in its verbal responses and can even try to detect people’s moods.——