KANSAS CITY, KAN. (AP)&nbsp;— Two people, including a police officer, were hurt in an ambush shooting in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;City, Kansas, as officers sought to arrest a person in an earlier shooting, police there said.

The incident began Monday evening with reports of a shooting on Farrow Avenue, where officers found a person injured. During the investigation of that shooting, police were sent to a home where a person of interest was reported to be. Police arrested one person at the home.

As officers were leaving the home, officers came under gunfire from a nearby tree line, police said. One resident of the home was shot, and police said an officer was injured, but did not say whether that injury consisted of a gunshot. Neither the resident nor the officer’s injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Police said an officer returned fire, but that whoever had ambushed the officers fled from the area. Police continued Tuesday to search for the shooter or shooters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596554282339.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. (AP)&nbsp;— Two people, including a police officer, were hurt in an ambush shooting in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;City, Kansas, as officers sought to arrest a person in an earlier shooting, police there said.The incident began Monday evening with reports of a shooting on Farrow Avenue, where officers found a person injured. During the investigation of that shooting, police were sent to a home where a person of interest was reported to be. Police arrested one person at the home.As officers were leaving the home, officers came under gunfire from a nearby tree line, police said. One resident of the home was shot, and police said an officer was injured, but did not say whether that injury consisted of a gunshot. Neither the resident nor the officer’s injuries were believed to be life-threatening.Police said an officer returned fire, but that whoever had ambushed the officers fled from the area. Police continued Tuesday to search for the shooter or shooters.

Police officer, 1 other hurt in Kansas shooting

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/03/house-senate-members-dive-into-unemployment-broadband-shortcomings/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas 
Department of Labor’s interim secretary said Monday the agency paid out 
$1.6 billion in the past four months to the unemployed and would make 
certain every person deserving of assistance during the pandemic 
received financial aid.

Interim secretary Ryan 
Wright, a member of Gov. Laura Kelly’s staff reassigned in June after 
ouster of secretary Delia Garcia, said the public justifiably grew 
frustrated with the state unemployment benefit system overwhelmed by 
demand as COVID-19 staggered the economy. The labor department’s 
computer, leadership and funding problems had positioned the state with a
 structure that could barely handle $50 million in benefits over any 
four-month period, he said.

“None of this matters if 
you’re trying to put food on your table or pay your rent,” he told a 
joint House and Senate committee of the Legislature. “We know that we 
can and must do better.”

He said the state’s 
unemployment trust fund began the pandemic with nearly $1 billion and 
should make it through the 2020 calendar year without borrowing from the
 federal government to keep the trust fund solvent. If necessary, he 
said, the state would be able to borrow at zero percent interest.

“Even though this looks scary to some … we’re actually in a much healthier position than a lot of other state,” Wright said.

He said extension by 
Congress of the supplemental $600 weekly unemployment benefit could be 
accommodated by the labor department with the flip of a switch. If the 
federal government altered that weekly amount, it could take up to two 
weeks to implement that adjustment. An overhaul of eligibility for this 
extraordinary benefit could prompt a delay of months in Kansas, he said.

“There is talk they want 
to do this convoluted, very complicated formula that’s based on salary,”
 Wright said. “If that happens, it will take us a minimum of two months 
to implement — if we’re able to implement it. I’m not sure we can. This 
is a significant concern and we are watching what happens in Congress.”

Wright also said Kansas 
adopted new security procedures in response to a significant spike in 
attempted fraud in the temporary program delivering assistance to people
 not eligible for regular unemployment compensation. The state is 
receiving about 900 of those claims each day and estimated 80 percent 
may be fraudulent, he said.

Meanwhile, the 
House-Senate committee gathered input from telecommunications industry 
companies and other organizations interested in expansion of broadband 
services to underserved areas of Kansas. The testimony at the Capitol 
centered on a proposal from the Kelly administration to earmark up to 
$60 million in federal CARES Act funding to address shortcomings in 
broadband networks.

There was general 
agreement among lawmakers the state should move ahead with the 
investment in internet service improvements through public-private 
partnerships that emphasize expansion of telehealth services. There was 
disagreement about a GOP proposal to keep the broadband money out of the
 Kansas Department of Commerce.

Rep. Troy Waymaster, a 
Bunker Hill Republican, said he was disappointed the governor’s COVID-19
 task force last week requested legislative approval of the expenditure 
for broadband connectivity without presenting a reasonably detailed plan
 for how the money would be allocated. The State Finance Council, which 
includes the governor and state legislators of both parties, withheld 
endorsement of the broadband piece pending the legislative committee 
hearing.

“There was no plan brought
 forth to the State Finance Council,” he said. “The process was slowed 
because it didn’t follow the proper channels.”

Broadband shortcomings 
have been so extensive and state funding so limited that this chance to 
strengthen infrastructure with coronavirus funding cannot be wasted, 
Waymaster said. A string of organizations made clear at the hearing that
 bringing high-speech internet service to all Kansans will improve 
health care, education and business, he said.

David Toland, secretary of
 the Kansas Department of Commerce, said increasing access to quality 
broadband service was the most important economic development issue of 
this time. He said the challenge of delivering to communities the 
ingredients of connectivity, such as fiber-optic cable, isn’t new, but 
the issue has been given new relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic that
 interrupted in-person education, employment and medical care.

“High-speed internet 
service isn’t a luxury. It is a necessity,” Toland said. “This is not a 
political or partisan issue. It’s a matter of practicality and 
commonsense.”

He said the Kelly 
administration would seek to invest in public-private partnerships that 
supported telemedicine, distance learning and affordable delivery of 
services to rural or underserved regions of Kansas. There would be a 
cost sharing component, reflect demonstrated community needs and be 
entrusted to applicants capable to completing projects by the deadline 
in December.

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596548144867.jpeg" alt="A joint House and Senate budget committee Monday was given an update on the state's troubled unemployment system and debated the allocation of $60 million in federal CARES Act funding for broadband service improvements. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A joint House and Senate budget committee Monday was given an update on the state's troubled unemployment system and debated the allocation of $60 million in federal CARES Act funding for broadband service improvements. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/03/house-senate-members-dive-into-unemployment-broadband-shortcomings/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas 
Department of Labor’s interim secretary said Monday the agency paid out 
$1.6 billion in the past four months to the unemployed and would make 
certain every person deserving of assistance during the pandemic 
received financial aid.Interim secretary Ryan 
Wright, a member of Gov. Laura Kelly’s staff reassigned in June after 
ouster of secretary Delia Garcia, said the public justifiably grew 
frustrated with the state unemployment benefit system overwhelmed by 
demand as COVID-19 staggered the economy. The labor department’s 
computer, leadership and funding problems had positioned the state with a
 structure that could barely handle $50 million in benefits over any 
four-month period, he said.“None of this matters if 
you’re trying to put food on your table or pay your rent,” he told a 
joint House and Senate committee of the Legislature. “We know that we 
can and must do better.”He said the state’s 
unemployment trust fund began the pandemic with nearly $1 billion and 
should make it through the 2020 calendar year without borrowing from the
 federal government to keep the trust fund solvent. If necessary, he 
said, the state would be able to borrow at zero percent interest.“Even though this looks scary to some … we’re actually in a much healthier position than a lot of other state,” Wright said.He said extension by 
Congress of the supplemental $600 weekly unemployment benefit could be 
accommodated by the labor department with the flip of a switch. If the 
federal government altered that weekly amount, it could take up to two 
weeks to implement that adjustment. An overhaul of eligibility for this 
extraordinary benefit could prompt a delay of months in Kansas, he said.“There is talk they want 
to do this convoluted, very complicated formula that’s based on salary,”
 Wright said. “If that happens, it will take us a minimum of two months 
to implement — if we’re able to implement it. I’m not sure we can. This 
is a significant concern and we are watching what happens in Congress.”Wright also said Kansas 
adopted new security procedures in response to a significant spike in 
attempted fraud in the temporary program delivering assistance to people
 not eligible for regular unemployment compensation. The state is 
receiving about 900 of those claims each day and estimated 80 percent 
may be fraudulent, he said.Meanwhile, the 
House-Senate committee gathered input from telecommunications industry 
companies and other organizations interested in expansion of broadband 
services to underserved areas of Kansas. The testimony at the Capitol 
centered on a proposal from the Kelly administration to earmark up to 
$60 million in federal CARES Act funding to address shortcomings in 
broadband networks.There was general 
agreement among lawmakers the state should move ahead with the 
investment in internet service improvements through public-private 
partnerships that emphasize expansion of telehealth services. There was 
disagreement about a GOP proposal to keep the broadband money out of the
 Kansas Department of Commerce.Rep. Troy Waymaster, a 
Bunker Hill Republican, said he was disappointed the governor’s COVID-19
 task force last week requested legislative approval of the expenditure 
for broadband connectivity without presenting a reasonably detailed plan
 for how the money would be allocated. The State Finance Council, which 
includes the governor and state legislators of both parties, withheld 
endorsement of the broadband piece pending the legislative committee 
hearing.“There was no plan brought
 forth to the State Finance Council,” he said. “The process was slowed 
because it didn’t follow the proper channels.”Broadband shortcomings 
have been so extensive and state funding so limited that this chance to 
strengthen infrastructure with coronavirus funding cannot be wasted, 
Waymaster said. A string of organizations made clear at the hearing that
 bringing high-speech internet service to all Kansans will improve 
health care, education and business, he said.David Toland, secretary of
 the Kansas Department of Commerce, said increasing access to quality 
broadband service was the most important economic development issue of 
this time. He said the challenge of delivering to communities the 
ingredients of connectivity, such as fiber-optic cable, isn’t new, but 
the issue has been given new relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic that
 interrupted in-person education, employment and medical care.“High-speed internet 
service isn’t a luxury. It is a necessity,” Toland said. “This is not a 
political or partisan issue. It’s a matter of practicality and 
commonsense.”He said the Kelly 
administration would seek to invest in public-private partnerships that 
supported telemedicine, distance learning and affordable delivery of 
services to rural or underserved regions of Kansas. There would be a 
cost sharing component, reflect demonstrated community needs and be 
entrusted to applicants capable to completing projects by the deadline 
in December.Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

House, Senate members dive into unemployment, broadband shortcomings

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/01/food-insecurity-rates-rising-amid-covid-19-kansas-advocates-call-for-assistance/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Haley Kottler 
sees firsthand desperation of young families struggling to put food on 
the table as the economy wilts under the COVID-19 pandemic.

She understands the lifeline offered by the federally funded <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that delivers food benefits nationwide.

“Families often depend on 
school lunches, and SNAP picks up the slack without them,” Kottler said.
 “I know a single mother who was able to continue to pay her utilities 
and keep the internet on so her daughter could continue her schoolwork 
because of the flexibility provided.”

Kotter works for Kansas 
Appleseed, a statewide advocacy group working to provide access to 
affordable food and housing. She said when Gov. Laura Kelly closed 
schools to slow the spread of COVID-19, it left many families requiring 
extra assistance from programs like SNAP.

SNAP affords qualifying 
low-income families targeted and temporary food benefits to get them 
through difficult periods. It is also known as the Food Assistance 
Program in Kansas.

Amid the pandemic, food 
insecurity rates are rising and the number of SNAP recipients in Kansas 
has skyrocketed from just under 190,000 in February to over 213,000 in 
June, a more than 12% increase. Expenditures rose to nearly $40 million 
in the month of June, a 95% increase.

Numbers nationwide have followed suit, with more than 54 million people expected to<a href="https://www.feedingamericaaction.org/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-food-insecurity/"> experience food insecurity due to COVID-19</a>.

“We’ve seen millions of 
people across the county struggling to put food on the table, as 
unemployment rises and food prices increase, turning to SNAP,” said Luis
 Guardia, president of the Food Research and Action Center, during a 
panel discussion Wednesday on the importance of increasing SNAP program 
boosts.

Last month, 2,500 organizations from every state <a href="https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-Senate-Letter_18June2020.pdf">signed a letter</a>
 asking Congress to boost the maximum snap benefit by 15% and to 
increase the minimum monthly benefit from $16 to $30. Kottler joined 
Guardia and several other advocates from across the United States to 
voice displeasure for a lack of such action in the US. Senate Majority 
Leader Mitch McConnell’s latest proposed COVID-19 relief package.

“With the uncertainty 
surrounding school scheduling, unemployment payments set to drop from 
$600 back to $200, this crisis will only continue to worsen, and more 
families will turn to SNAP,” Kottler said. “We need deep investment and 
care in the program as the situation potentially worsens.”

According to the Feeding America study<a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/coronavirus-hunger-research"> “The Impact of Coronavirus on Food Insecurity,”</a> Kansas’ projected overall food insecurity rate for 2020 is 17.7%. That marks a 5% increase since 2018.

Karen Siebert, public 
policy and advocacy adviser for Harvester’s — The Community Food 
Network, a food bank serving 16 counties in Kansas, said these numbers 
are troubling for organizations like hers.

“Our agencies have seen an
 average 40% increase in those coming in for help since the pandemic 
began,” Siebert said. “The problem isn’t going away for these people, 
and these supports, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/31/14000-attempts-balky-technology-expiring-benefits-worry-workers-state-leaders/">like unemployment</a>, are all falling away. We’re worried we’ll see another influx of people.”

From the 2019 fiscal year 
to fiscal year 2020, Harvesters saw a 20% increase in the amount of food
 distributed. In addition, as food donations plummeted, Harvesters spent
 $1.8 million during the 2020 fiscal year, as opposed to just $100,000 
in 2019, Siebert said.

Harvesters’ was prepared 
for the initial rush of pandemic food need, but for food banks who rely 
on donations and volunteers, continued demand at this rate is not a 
viable business model.

“We need our volunteers to
 help repackage foods so we can send them out to families, but many of 
them are at-risk, or we just can’t use them in the same way,” Siebert 
said. “Our entire business model has been upended.”

That is why Siebert and 
Harvester’s, a private charity, are staunch advocates for public 
programs like SNAP. Siebert said for every meal they provide, SNAP can 
provide nine.

“SNAP is a lifeline for so
 many Kansans,” Kottler said. “We need to do more because it’s the best 
way we can mitigate hunger in Kansas.”

Noah Taborda started his journalism career in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, covering local government and producing an episode of the podcast Show Me The State while earning his bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Noah then made a short move to Kansas City, Missouri, to work at KCUR as an intern on the talk show Central Standard and then in the newsroom, reporting on daily news and feature stories.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481208709.jpeg" alt="Harvesters, a private food bank, saw the amount of food distributed increase from 54 million pounds in 2019 to 65 million in 2020. In this picture, food is distributed at a drive-in in Kansas City, Kansas. (Harvesters — The Community Food Network)" />
 <figcaption>Harvesters, a private food bank, saw the amount of food distributed increase from 54 million pounds in 2019 to 65 million in 2020. In this picture, food is distributed at a drive-in in Kansas City, Kansas. (Harvesters — The Community Food Network)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/01/food-insecurity-rates-rising-amid-covid-19-kansas-advocates-call-for-assistance/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Haley Kottler 
sees firsthand desperation of young families struggling to put food on 
the table as the economy wilts under the COVID-19 pandemic.She understands the lifeline offered by the federally funded <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that delivers food benefits nationwide.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481276548.png" alt="Haley Kottler during a panel on the need for SNAP boosts from Congress, June 28, 2020 (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Haley Kottler during a panel on the need for SNAP boosts from Congress, June 28, 2020 (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Families often depend on 
school lunches, and SNAP picks up the slack without them,” Kottler said.
 “I know a single mother who was able to continue to pay her utilities 
and keep the internet on so her daughter could continue her schoolwork 
because of the flexibility provided.”Kotter works for Kansas 
Appleseed, a statewide advocacy group working to provide access to 
affordable food and housing. She said when Gov. Laura Kelly closed 
schools to slow the spread of COVID-19, it left many families requiring 
extra assistance from programs like SNAP.SNAP affords qualifying 
low-income families targeted and temporary food benefits to get them 
through difficult periods. It is also known as the Food Assistance 
Program in Kansas.Amid the pandemic, food 
insecurity rates are rising and the number of SNAP recipients in Kansas 
has skyrocketed from just under 190,000 in February to over 213,000 in 
June, a more than 12% increase. Expenditures rose to nearly $40 million 
in the month of June, a 95% increase.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481308150.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Numbers nationwide have followed suit, with more than 54 million people expected to<a href="https://www.feedingamericaaction.org/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-food-insecurity/"> experience food insecurity due to COVID-19</a>.“We’ve seen millions of 
people across the county struggling to put food on the table, as 
unemployment rises and food prices increase, turning to SNAP,” said Luis
 Guardia, president of the Food Research and Action Center, during a 
panel discussion Wednesday on the importance of increasing SNAP program 
boosts.Last month, 2,500 organizations from every state <a href="https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-Senate-Letter_18June2020.pdf">signed a letter</a>
 asking Congress to boost the maximum snap benefit by 15% and to 
increase the minimum monthly benefit from $16 to $30. Kottler joined 
Guardia and several other advocates from across the United States to 
voice displeasure for a lack of such action in the US. Senate Majority 
Leader Mitch McConnell’s latest proposed COVID-19 relief package.“With the uncertainty 
surrounding school scheduling, unemployment payments set to drop from 
$600 back to $200, this crisis will only continue to worsen, and more 
families will turn to SNAP,” Kottler said. “We need deep investment and 
care in the program as the situation potentially worsens.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481328931.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Feeding America study<a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/coronavirus-hunger-research"> “The Impact of Coronavirus on Food Insecurity,”</a> Kansas’ projected overall food insecurity rate for 2020 is 17.7%. That marks a 5% increase since 2018.Karen Siebert, public 
policy and advocacy adviser for Harvester’s — The Community Food 
Network, a food bank serving 16 counties in Kansas, said these numbers 
are troubling for organizations like hers.“Our agencies have seen an
 average 40% increase in those coming in for help since the pandemic 
began,” Siebert said. “The problem isn’t going away for these people, 
and these supports, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/31/14000-attempts-balky-technology-expiring-benefits-worry-workers-state-leaders/">like unemployment</a>, are all falling away. We’re worried we’ll see another influx of people.”From the 2019 fiscal year 
to fiscal year 2020, Harvesters saw a 20% increase in the amount of food
 distributed. In addition, as food donations plummeted, Harvesters spent
 $1.8 million during the 2020 fiscal year, as opposed to just $100,000 
in 2019, Siebert said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481366813.jpeg" alt="Karen Siebert, a public policy and advocacy adviser for Harvester’s, said while Harvesters was prepared for the initial surge at the beginning of the pandemic, a continued demand for food at this rate is unsustainable. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Karen Siebert, a public policy and advocacy adviser for Harvester’s, said while Harvesters was prepared for the initial surge at the beginning of the pandemic, a continued demand for food at this rate is unsustainable. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Harvesters’ was prepared 
for the initial rush of pandemic food need, but for food banks who rely 
on donations and volunteers, continued demand at this rate is not a 
viable business model.“We need our volunteers to
 help repackage foods so we can send them out to families, but many of 
them are at-risk, or we just can’t use them in the same way,” Siebert 
said. “Our entire business model has been upended.”That is why Siebert and 
Harvester’s, a private charity, are staunch advocates for public 
programs like SNAP. Siebert said for every meal they provide, SNAP can 
provide nine.“SNAP is a lifeline for so
 many Kansans,” Kottler said. “We need to do more because it’s the best 
way we can mitigate hunger in Kansas.”Noah Taborda started his journalism career in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, covering local government and producing an episode of the podcast Show Me The State while earning his bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Noah then made a short move to Kansas City, Missouri, to work at KCUR as an intern on the talk show Central Standard and then in the newsroom, reporting on daily news and feature stories.

As food insecurity rates rise, Kansas advocates call for assistance

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Establishment Republicans sought Tuesday to thwart polarizing conservative Kris Kobach’s bid for Kansas’ open Senate seat, a task complicated by President Donald Trump’s refusal to endorse their favored candidate in the primary.

Republicans haven’t lost a Senate contest in Kansas since 1932. But party leaders in Washington and many GOP activists in Kansas fear that the normally safe seat held by retiring four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will be in play if the party nominates Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who is nationally known for advocating restrictive immigration policies.

Trump didn’t intervene to help Rep. Roger Marshall in a crowded field, despite prodding from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others. The two-term congressman for western and central Kansas faced blistering attacks in the final weeks of the campaign, including from a political action committee with Democratic ties.

The GOP already faces a potentially tough year in trying to retain its 53-47 Senate majority with competitive races in other states, including Arizona, Colorado and Maine. Republicans are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2018 when Kobach lost the state’s gubernatorial race to Democrat Laura Kelly after alienating independent and moderate GOP voters.

The state saw a heavy reliance on mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic, and at least 234,000 voters cast ballots in advance — more than double the number from the 2018 and 2016 primaries. Counties could accept ballots until Friday so long as they were postmarked Tuesday, creating uncertainty that the GOP Senate primary would be decided before then.

Many Republicans were nervous about the Senate race because the presumed Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, has raised more than $8.2 million for her campaign, seeing a flood of contributions from outside Kansas. Bollier is a retired Kansas City-area anesthesiologist and former moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018.

Marshall raised about $2.9 million and Kobach, a little more than $1 million. Bob Hamilton, the founder of a Kansas City-area plumbing company largely self-funded a campaign heavy on television ads with $3.5 million in personal loans. Those figures were all dwarfed by PAC spending in the primary, which totaled about $11 million.

Marshall, Kobach and Hamilton sat atop an 11-person field, the largest one for the GOP since the state began holding Senate primaries more than 100 years ago. Kansas has no runoff elections, so if Kobach maintains his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/98bbc6391a974821b25c9226571e11e9">solid base on the right,</a>&nbsp;he could emerge if the rest of the vote splinters.

Marshall and his allies made Kobach’s loss in the governor’s race a key issue and argued that he was the best alternative. McConnell’s first choice was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e416bf60049b45ec8fb28a45af377584">U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,&nbsp;</a>a former Wichita-area congressman, but while Pompeo made multiple visits to Kansas suggesting interest, he declared himself out in January.

Kobach argued that the issues he’s often emphasized — particularly immigration — would play better in a fall Senate campaign and said he’d benefit from a flood of pro-Trump voters going to the polls in November after skipping voting in the 2018 midterms. He also played his status an an informal adviser to Trump and the White House and the first prominent Kansas official to endorse Trump’s presidential bid in 2016.

<a href="https://apnews.com/81b17238e1d74d8b3049f30fc7e99b9a">Roberts declared his support for Marshall</a>&nbsp;after the congressman had picked up endorsements from the U.S Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the National Right to Life Committee and Kansans for Life, the state’s most influential anti-abortion group. He also had the backing of 97-year-old political icon Bob Dole, the former U.S. Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574199016738.png" alt="Kris Kobach" />
 <figcaption>Kris Kobach</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Establishment Republicans sought Tuesday to thwart polarizing conservative Kris Kobach’s bid for Kansas’ open Senate seat, a task complicated by President Donald Trump’s refusal to endorse their favored candidate in the primary.Republicans haven’t lost a Senate contest in Kansas since 1932. But party leaders in Washington and many GOP activists in Kansas fear that the normally safe seat held by retiring four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will be in play if the party nominates Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who is nationally known for advocating restrictive immigration policies.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592941524976.png" alt="Rep. Roger Marshall" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Roger Marshall</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump didn’t intervene to help Rep. Roger Marshall in a crowded field, despite prodding from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others. The two-term congressman for western and central Kansas faced blistering attacks in the final weeks of the campaign, including from a political action committee with Democratic ties.The GOP already faces a potentially tough year in trying to retain its 53-47 Senate majority with competitive races in other states, including Arizona, Colorado and Maine. Republicans are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2018 when Kobach lost the state’s gubernatorial race to Democrat Laura Kelly after alienating independent and moderate GOP voters.The state saw a heavy reliance on mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic, and at least 234,000 voters cast ballots in advance — more than double the number from the 2018 and 2016 primaries. Counties could accept ballots until Friday so long as they were postmarked Tuesday, creating uncertainty that the GOP Senate primary would be decided before then.Many Republicans were nervous about the Senate race because the presumed Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, has raised more than $8.2 million for her campaign, seeing a flood of contributions from outside Kansas. Bollier is a retired Kansas City-area anesthesiologist and former moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018.Marshall raised about $2.9 million and Kobach, a little more than $1 million. Bob Hamilton, the founder of a Kansas City-area plumbing company largely self-funded a campaign heavy on television ads with $3.5 million in personal loans. Those figures were all dwarfed by PAC spending in the primary, which totaled about $11 million.Marshall, Kobach and Hamilton sat atop an 11-person field, the largest one for the GOP since the state began holding Senate primaries more than 100 years ago. Kansas has no runoff elections, so if Kobach maintains his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/98bbc6391a974821b25c9226571e11e9">solid base on the right,</a>&nbsp;he could emerge if the rest of the vote splinters.Marshall and his allies made Kobach’s loss in the governor’s race a key issue and argued that he was the best alternative. McConnell’s first choice was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e416bf60049b45ec8fb28a45af377584">U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,&nbsp;</a>a former Wichita-area congressman, but while Pompeo made multiple visits to Kansas suggesting interest, he declared himself out in January.Kobach argued that the issues he’s often emphasized — particularly immigration — would play better in a fall Senate campaign and said he’d benefit from a flood of pro-Trump voters going to the polls in November after skipping voting in the 2018 midterms. He also played his status an an informal adviser to Trump and the White House and the first prominent Kansas official to endorse Trump’s presidential bid in 2016.<a href="https://apnews.com/81b17238e1d74d8b3049f30fc7e99b9a">Roberts declared his support for Marshall</a>&nbsp;after the congressman had picked up endorsements from the U.S Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the National Right to Life Committee and Kansans for Life, the state’s most influential anti-abortion group. He also had the backing of 97-year-old political icon Bob Dole, the former U.S. Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee.____

Kansas Senate race tests GOP leaders' power to block Kobach

DETROIT (AP) — HONDA IS&nbsp;recalling over 1.6 million minivans and SUVs in the U.S. to fix problems that include faulty backup camera displays, malfunctioning dashboard lights and sliding doors that don’t latch properly.

The problems were revealed in four recalls posted Tuesday by the government. They cover certain Odyssey minivans from 2018 to 2020, Pilot SUVs from 2019 through 2021 and Passport SUVs from 2019 and 2020.

Honda has traced the problems to faulty backup camera software programming, water entering door handles, water getting into camera mounting holes, and defective instrument panel software.

Dealers will fix the problems at no cost to owners.

DETROIT (AP) — HONDA IS&nbsp;recalling over 1.6 million minivans and SUVs in the U.S. to fix problems that include faulty backup camera displays, malfunctioning dashboard lights and sliding doors that don’t latch properly.The problems were revealed in four recalls posted Tuesday by the government. They cover certain Odyssey minivans from 2018 to 2020, Pilot SUVs from 2019 through 2021 and Passport SUVs from 2019 and 2020.Honda has traced the problems to faulty backup camera software programming, water entering door handles, water getting into camera mounting holes, and defective instrument panel software.Dealers will fix the problems at no cost to owners.

Honda recalls 1.6M vans and SUVs in 4 different US recalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">schools struggling to reopen</a>&nbsp;safely assuming a higher profile in the talks.

Multiple obstacles remain, including an impasse on extending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0255528817e87bcee9087f4b8649b571">a $600-per-week pandemic jobless benefit</a>, funding for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/59c25efd4d325c4895f8ba85517f9bfd">the U.S. Postal Service</a>&nbsp;and aid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">renters facing eviction</a>. Democratic negotiators spoke of progress Monday at almost the very moment that top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell was slamming them for taking a hard line in the talks.

“We are really getting an understanding of each side’s position. And we’re making some progress on certain issues moving closer together,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “There are a lot of issues that are still outstanding. But I think there is a desire to get something done as soon as we can."

After the meeting, Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues on a call that she's hopeful a deal could be reached this week, but doesn’t know if it’s possible, according to a Democratic aide who was granted anonymity to describe the private discussion.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a lead negotiator for President Donald Trump, said afterward that “we continue to make a little bit of progress" and that the administration is not insistent on a small-bore approach centered on extending the supplemental unemployment benefit and leaving other items for later. A GOP move to advance a slimmed-down relief package has been a recent point of conflict, with Democrats insisting there must be a comprehensive deal.

“We’re open to a bigger package if we can reach an agreement,” Mnuchin said.

On the Senate floor, McConnell, R-Ky., re-upped his complaint that Democrats are taking too tough a line. McConnell is not a direct participant in the talks but is likely to be an important force in closing out any potential agreement.

“The speaker of the House and the Democratic Leader are continuing to say ‘our way or the highway' with a massive wish list for left-wing lobbyists that was slapped together a few weeks ago called a coronavirus bill," McConnell said.

Speaking to reporters after the two-hour session, Democratic negotiators pressed the case for additional food aid, funding for the Postal Service and the $600-per-week jobless benefit that lapsed last week. The benefit has helped prop up the economy and family budgets as the coronavirus has wrought havoc.

The White House is seeking opportunities to boost Trump, like providing another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/61b3d38360745d64a98a2ab813501b13">$1,200 stimulus payments</a>&nbsp;and extending the supplemental jobless benefit and partial eviction ban. Pelosi appears intent on an agreement as well, but she's made it clear she needs big money for state and local governments, unemployment benefits and food aid.

“It was productive, we’re moving down the track. We still have our differences, we are trying to have a clearer understanding of what the needs are, and the needs are that millions of children in our country are food insecure," Pelosi said. "Millions of people in our country are concerned about being evicted. Tens of millions of people are on unemployment insurance."

Most members of the Democratic-controlled House have left Washington and won't return until there is an agreement to vote on, but the GOP-held Senate is trapped in the capital.

“I can’t see how we can go home and tell people we’ve failed, so I think that’s going to be a lot of pressure on everybody to come up with something," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "It really is a matter of will. It’s not a matter of substance at this point. This is just a painful period between people finally deciding OK, we want a deal, and then what that deal will ultimately look like.”

Areas of agreement already include the $1,200 direct payment and changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>&nbsp;to permit especially hard-hit businesses to obtain another loan under generous forgiveness terms.

But the terms and structure of the unemployment benefit have remained a sticking point, along with the money for state and local governments. Democrats want almost $1 trillion for localities grappling with pandemic-related revenue losses.

Speaking to reporters Monday evening, Trump made clear the two sides were still far apart on that issue.

“They want to bail out cities and states that have been in trouble for years of bad management," Trump said. "In all cases Democrat-run cities, and we don’t think that’s fair.”

McConnell is insistent on a liability shield against lawsuits by workers, students, and others against institutions seeking to remain open during the pandemic, including businesses, universities and charities.

On Monday, unions representing professional athletes — including NFL players and Major League Basesball players — weighed in against McConnell's proposal, saying in a letter to lawmakers, “It makes little sense during these uncertain times to both ask employees to return to work and, at the same time, accept all the risk for doing so."

On unemployment, Pelosi said she'd consider reducing the $600 benefit for people in states with lower unemployment rates. Republicans want to cut the benefit to encourage beneficiaries to return to work and say it is bad policy since it pays many jobless people more money than they made at their previous jobs.

Another sticking point is that Republicans want to give more school aid to systems that are restarting with in-school learning, even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad29c4d8fd12aeb00bd05ad96708f325">Dr. Deborah Birx</a>, Trump's top coronavirus adviser, cautioned that schools in areas with spikes in cases should delay reopening.

Pelosi said Monday's talks featured extensive discussion on reopening schools. Schumer said the discussion got into the details on the dollar figures involving school aid and food aid.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3c1ea3456f7d906dabf3ed336f6c1ad0">House passed a $3.5 trillion measure</a>&nbsp;in May, but Republicans controlling the Senate have demanded a slower approach, saying it was necessary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0646f93b849d126e97bae209c3db67a4">take a “pause” before passing additional legislation</a>. Since they announced that strategy, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e3081a60a6abf62effa2e6030556ee30">coronavirus caseloads have spiked</a>&nbsp;and the economy has absorbed an enormous blow.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596538425782.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves a meeting Monday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as they continue to negotiate a coronavirus relief package- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves a meeting Monday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as they continue to negotiate a coronavirus relief package- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">schools struggling to reopen</a>&nbsp;safely assuming a higher profile in the talks.Multiple obstacles remain, including an impasse on extending&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0255528817e87bcee9087f4b8649b571">a $600-per-week pandemic jobless benefit</a>, funding for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/59c25efd4d325c4895f8ba85517f9bfd">the U.S. Postal Service</a>&nbsp;and aid to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">renters facing eviction</a>. Democratic negotiators spoke of progress Monday at almost the very moment that top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell was slamming them for taking a hard line in the talks.“We are really getting an understanding of each side’s position. And we’re making some progress on certain issues moving closer together,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “There are a lot of issues that are still outstanding. But I think there is a desire to get something done as soon as we can."After the meeting, Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues on a call that she's hopeful a deal could be reached this week, but doesn’t know if it’s possible, according to a Democratic aide who was granted anonymity to describe the private discussion.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a lead negotiator for President Donald Trump, said afterward that “we continue to make a little bit of progress" and that the administration is not insistent on a small-bore approach centered on extending the supplemental unemployment benefit and leaving other items for later. A GOP move to advance a slimmed-down relief package has been a recent point of conflict, with Democrats insisting there must be a comprehensive deal.“We’re open to a bigger package if we can reach an agreement,” Mnuchin said.On the Senate floor, McConnell, R-Ky., re-upped his complaint that Democrats are taking too tough a line. McConnell is not a direct participant in the talks but is likely to be an important force in closing out any potential agreement.“The speaker of the House and the Democratic Leader are continuing to say ‘our way or the highway' with a massive wish list for left-wing lobbyists that was slapped together a few weeks ago called a coronavirus bill," McConnell said.Speaking to reporters after the two-hour session, Democratic negotiators pressed the case for additional food aid, funding for the Postal Service and the $600-per-week jobless benefit that lapsed last week. The benefit has helped prop up the economy and family budgets as the coronavirus has wrought havoc.The White House is seeking opportunities to boost Trump, like providing another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/61b3d38360745d64a98a2ab813501b13">$1,200 stimulus payments</a>&nbsp;and extending the supplemental jobless benefit and partial eviction ban. Pelosi appears intent on an agreement as well, but she's made it clear she needs big money for state and local governments, unemployment benefits and food aid.“It was productive, we’re moving down the track. We still have our differences, we are trying to have a clearer understanding of what the needs are, and the needs are that millions of children in our country are food insecure," Pelosi said. "Millions of people in our country are concerned about being evicted. Tens of millions of people are on unemployment insurance."Most members of the Democratic-controlled House have left Washington and won't return until there is an agreement to vote on, but the GOP-held Senate is trapped in the capital.“I can’t see how we can go home and tell people we’ve failed, so I think that’s going to be a lot of pressure on everybody to come up with something," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "It really is a matter of will. It’s not a matter of substance at this point. This is just a painful period between people finally deciding OK, we want a deal, and then what that deal will ultimately look like.”Areas of agreement already include the $1,200 direct payment and changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>&nbsp;to permit especially hard-hit businesses to obtain another loan under generous forgiveness terms.But the terms and structure of the unemployment benefit have remained a sticking point, along with the money for state and local governments. Democrats want almost $1 trillion for localities grappling with pandemic-related revenue losses.Speaking to reporters Monday evening, Trump made clear the two sides were still far apart on that issue.“They want to bail out cities and states that have been in trouble for years of bad management," Trump said. "In all cases Democrat-run cities, and we don’t think that’s fair.”McConnell is insistent on a liability shield against lawsuits by workers, students, and others against institutions seeking to remain open during the pandemic, including businesses, universities and charities.On Monday, unions representing professional athletes — including NFL players and Major League Basesball players — weighed in against McConnell's proposal, saying in a letter to lawmakers, “It makes little sense during these uncertain times to both ask employees to return to work and, at the same time, accept all the risk for doing so."On unemployment, Pelosi said she'd consider reducing the $600 benefit for people in states with lower unemployment rates. Republicans want to cut the benefit to encourage beneficiaries to return to work and say it is bad policy since it pays many jobless people more money than they made at their previous jobs.Another sticking point is that Republicans want to give more school aid to systems that are restarting with in-school learning, even as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad29c4d8fd12aeb00bd05ad96708f325">Dr. Deborah Birx</a>, Trump's top coronavirus adviser, cautioned that schools in areas with spikes in cases should delay reopening.Pelosi said Monday's talks featured extensive discussion on reopening schools. Schumer said the discussion got into the details on the dollar figures involving school aid and food aid.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3c1ea3456f7d906dabf3ed336f6c1ad0">House passed a $3.5 trillion measure</a>&nbsp;in May, but Republicans controlling the Senate have demanded a slower approach, saying it was necessary to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0646f93b849d126e97bae209c3db67a4">take a “pause” before passing additional legislation</a>. Since they announced that strategy, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e3081a60a6abf62effa2e6030556ee30">coronavirus caseloads have spiked</a>&nbsp;and the economy has absorbed an enormous blow.___

Multiple obstacles remain in virus relief bill negotiations 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Rep. Steve Watkins, who is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">felony illegal voting charges</a>, fought Tuesday to fend off a challenge in Kansas’ Republican primary.

Watkins was trying to survive the challenge from State Treasurer Jake LaTurner after having largely toed the conservative line and vocally supporting President Donald Trump while representing the 2nd District in eastern Kansas. LaTurner argued that the criminal charges against Watkins made an already vulnerable incumbent an even worse bet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e45b99726857ef28e34429a440c8cb68">Democrats sensing an opportunity</a>&nbsp;to pick up the seat despite the district’s Republican leanings.

The charges against Watkins were filed in state district court in his home of Shawnee County and arise from his listing a postal box at a UPS Inc. store as his residence on a state voter registration form.

Watkins and LaTurner were vying for the GOP nomination with Dennis Taylor, a Topeka lawyer and businessman with a long career in state and local government that has included heading several state agencies. Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla was favored to win the Democratic nomination against James Windholz, a University of Kansas graduate student and instructor.

Watkins is accused of voting illegally in a Topeka City Council race in November 2019 and of trying to mislead a sheriff’s detective who was investigating whether he broke state election laws by listing the UPS postal box as his residence for voter registration purposes last year. Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/07b5cc37067da9b23bd489a8e6eaddbe">later corrected</a>&nbsp;his residential address — twice — so that it’s now an apartment that lies outside the City Council district that includes the UPS store.

The congressman has said he made a mistake and corrected it. He has called the criminal charges “bogus” and has accused the local district attorney, Mike Kagay, of colluding with LaTurner because both share a direct mail services firm. He acknowledged during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/faff2e547009d9795e274297029f3f21">a Kansas City Star interview</a>&nbsp;last week that he voted in the wrong City Council district but said he did not intend to break the law. He suggested the voter registration resulted from “collegial” work with his staff but denied an allegation that he tried to mislead the detective by blaming the voter registration problem&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f633ee2e7c2aa0f94b86607da66ecc71">on his staff.</a>

Democrats and some Republicans already saw Watkins as vulnerable this year because he won the November 2018 election by less than a percentage point after emerging from a crowded GOP primary with less than 27% of the vote. He is a former Army officer and military contractor.

LaTurner is a former state senator who has served as state treasurer since 2017. De La Isla is the first Latina and single mother to serve as Topeka mayor, winning the office in 2017 after serving on the City Council.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595018368769.png" alt="Photo courtesy Rep. Steve Watkins" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rep. Steve Watkins</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Freshman Rep. Steve Watkins, who is facing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">felony illegal voting charges</a>, fought Tuesday to fend off a challenge in Kansas’ Republican primary.Watkins was trying to survive the challenge from State Treasurer Jake LaTurner after having largely toed the conservative line and vocally supporting President Donald Trump while representing the 2nd District in eastern Kansas. LaTurner argued that the criminal charges against Watkins made an already vulnerable incumbent an even worse bet with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e45b99726857ef28e34429a440c8cb68">Democrats sensing an opportunity</a>&nbsp;to pick up the seat despite the district’s Republican leanings.The charges against Watkins were filed in state district court in his home of Shawnee County and arise from his listing a postal box at a UPS Inc. store as his residence on a state voter registration form.Watkins and LaTurner were vying for the GOP nomination with Dennis Taylor, a Topeka lawyer and businessman with a long career in state and local government that has included heading several state agencies. Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla was favored to win the Democratic nomination against James Windholz, a University of Kansas graduate student and instructor.Watkins is accused of voting illegally in a Topeka City Council race in November 2019 and of trying to mislead a sheriff’s detective who was investigating whether he broke state election laws by listing the UPS postal box as his residence for voter registration purposes last year. Watkins&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/07b5cc37067da9b23bd489a8e6eaddbe">later corrected</a>&nbsp;his residential address — twice — so that it’s now an apartment that lies outside the City Council district that includes the UPS store.The congressman has said he made a mistake and corrected it. He has called the criminal charges “bogus” and has accused the local district attorney, Mike Kagay, of colluding with LaTurner because both share a direct mail services firm. He acknowledged during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/faff2e547009d9795e274297029f3f21">a Kansas City Star interview</a>&nbsp;last week that he voted in the wrong City Council district but said he did not intend to break the law. He suggested the voter registration resulted from “collegial” work with his staff but denied an allegation that he tried to mislead the detective by blaming the voter registration problem&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f633ee2e7c2aa0f94b86607da66ecc71">on his staff.</a>Democrats and some Republicans already saw Watkins as vulnerable this year because he won the November 2018 election by less than a percentage point after emerging from a crowded GOP primary with less than 27% of the vote. He is a former Army officer and military contractor.LaTurner is a former state senator who has served as state treasurer since 2017. De La Isla is the first Latina and single mother to serve as Topeka mayor, winning the office in 2017 after serving on the City Council.

Kansas Rep. Watkins battles for seat while facing charges

BARBER COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help to locate Clinton Rogers, a person of interest connected to a homicide that occurred in Medicine Lodge.

Just before 1:50 p.m., Monday, a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.

Clinton Rogers is a 34-year-old white male with hazel eyes. He is 6-foot-1 in. tall, and weighs approximately 270 pounds.

Clinton W. Rogers, 34, stole a dark red 1995 Chevrolet Camaro with t-tops in Kingman County on Sunday. It is possible that the Camaro is still bearing Kansas license plate, 870JUK. Rogers is no longer traveling in the white F-150 pickup truck.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Clint Rogers, or encounters him or the Camaro, is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips related to this case can also be submitted online at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

BARBER COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help to locate a person of interest connected to a homicide that occurred in Medicine Lodge on Monday.

Just before 1:50 p.m., Monday a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Clint Rogers, or sees his white F-150 pickup truck, is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips related to this case can also be submitted online at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

BARBER COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are investigating after a Medicine Lodge woman was found dead Monday afternoon, according to a media release from the KBI.

The Medicine Lodge Police Department requested KBI assistance at approximately 2 p.m. on Monday, July 27. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

Just before 1:50 p.m., a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.

EMS, the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office responded. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.

Preliminary information leads investigators to believe Foulkrod’s death was a homicide. An autopsy will be conducted Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596104355298.png" alt="The Camaro is possibly still bearing Kansas license plate, 870JUK.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Camaro is possibly still bearing Kansas license plate, 870JUK.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BARBER COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help to locate Clinton Rogers, a person of interest connected to a homicide that occurred in Medicine Lodge.Just before 1:50 p.m., Monday, a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.Clinton Rogers is a 34-year-old white male with hazel eyes. He is 6-foot-1 in. tall, and weighs approximately 270 pounds.Clinton W. Rogers, 34, stole a dark red 1995 Chevrolet Camaro with t-tops in Kingman County on Sunday. It is possible that the Camaro is still bearing Kansas license plate, 870JUK. Rogers is no longer traveling in the white F-150 pickup truck.Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Clint Rogers, or encounters him or the Camaro, is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips related to this case can also be submitted online at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.------BARBER COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help to locate a person of interest connected to a homicide that occurred in Medicine Lodge on Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596053633735.png" alt="Rogers" />
 <figcaption>Rogers</figcaption>
 </figure>Clinton Rogers is a 34-year-old white male with hazel eyes. He is 6-foot-1 in. tall, and weighs approximately 270 pounds.Just before 1:50 p.m., Monday a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Clint Rogers, or sees his white F-150 pickup truck, is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips related to this case can also be submitted online at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596053857791.png" alt="Crime scene tape at the home of the homicide investigation-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Crime scene tape at the home of the homicide investigation-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>--------BARBER COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are investigating after a Medicine Lodge woman was found dead Monday afternoon, according to a media release from the KBI.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596053687495.png" alt="Rogers' 2002 Ford F-150 -with possible Kansas license plate 870JUK" />
 <figcaption>Rogers' 2002 Ford F-150 -with possible Kansas license plate 870JUK</figcaption>
 </figure>The Medicine Lodge Police Department requested KBI assistance at approximately 2 p.m. on Monday, July 27. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.Just before 1:50 p.m., a family member called 911 after finding 61-year-old Joyce A. Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane., in Medicine Lodge.EMS, the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office responded. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.Preliminary information leads investigators to believe Foulkrod’s death was a homicide. An autopsy will be conducted Tuesday.

Search continues for suspect in death of Kansas woman

WICHITA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating illegal protest activity that has occurred since Wednesday in Wichita and arrested 24-year-old Gabrille Griffie on a requested charge of unlawful assembly, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Griffie is the director of of Project Justice ICT.&nbsp; According to online jail records, she is no longer in custody.

The Wichita Police Department continues to monitor illegal activity involving a group of protestors including Project Justice ICT who have been meeting downtown.

The group is alleged to have been blocking traffic, causing disturbances, vandalizing property, aggravated assault with a firearm, and battery. Charges will be forthcoming, according to Davidson.

If anyone has any information regarding illegal activity or can identify photos of protestors who have engaged in illegal behavior, please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, or call the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282.

According to Davidson, the Wichita Police Department has always supported individual's right to demonstrate lawfully and has previously worked alongside other demonstration leaders to ensure their groups were able to share their views safely. However, the individuals protesting the past few days refuse to demonstrate lawfully.

"Police will continue to monitor any protest activities throughout Wichita. Illegal activity will not be tolerated, and criminals will be arrested and held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596455816022.png" alt="Griffie-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Griffie-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating illegal protest activity that has occurred since Wednesday in Wichita and arrested 24-year-old Gabrille Griffie on a requested charge of unlawful assembly, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Griffie is the director of of Project Justice ICT.&nbsp; According to online jail records, she is no longer in custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596488571255.png" alt="Weekend protest in Wichita -photo courtesy Project Justice ICT" />
 <figcaption>Weekend protest in Wichita -photo courtesy Project Justice ICT</figcaption>
 </figure>The Wichita Police Department continues to monitor illegal activity involving a group of protestors including Project Justice ICT who have been meeting downtown.The group is alleged to have been blocking traffic, causing disturbances, vandalizing property, aggravated assault with a firearm, and battery. Charges will be forthcoming, according to Davidson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596375478117.png" alt="Black Lives Matter protest late Friday night in Wichita -image courtesy Liberty ICT" />
 <figcaption>Black Lives Matter protest late Friday night in Wichita -image courtesy Liberty ICT</figcaption>
 </figure>If anyone has any information regarding illegal activity or can identify photos of protestors who have engaged in illegal behavior, please call WPD detectives at 316-268-4407, or call the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282.According to Davidson, the Wichita Police Department has always supported individual's right to demonstrate lawfully and has previously worked alongside other demonstration leaders to ensure their groups were able to share their views safely. However, the individuals protesting the past few days refuse to demonstrate lawfully."Police will continue to monitor any protest activities throughout Wichita. Illegal activity will not be tolerated, and criminals will be arrested and held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law."

Police arrest Kan. protest organizer after investigation

OSBORNE COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Osborne Police Department and the Osborne County Sheriff's office are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 58-year-old Patrick Johnson of Salina.

Just after 11 p.m. July 31, the Osborne Police Department requested KBI assistance in the case, according to a media release from the KBI. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

Law enforcement found Johnson in a basement of a home on Washington Street with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A family member at the home reported he had been in a physical altercation with Johnson that led to the shooting. No arrests have been made. Authorities have released no additional details.

OSBORNE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a death that occurred Friday in Osborne.

Just after 10:30p.m. Friday, the Osborne Police Department was notified of a shooting that occurred on Washington Street in Osborne,&nbsp; according to a facebook announcement posted by the department Saturday.

"A deceased individual was located in the residence and the scene was secured for processing," the department said.

The Osborne County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were assisting in the investigation.

The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596324701606.jpeg" alt="KBI on the scene of the investigation -photo Osborne Police" />
 <figcaption>KBI on the scene of the investigation -photo Osborne Police</figcaption>
 </figure>OSBORNE COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Osborne Police Department and the Osborne County Sheriff's office are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 58-year-old Patrick Johnson of Salina.Just after 11 p.m. July 31, the Osborne Police Department requested KBI assistance in the case, according to a media release from the KBI. Special agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.Law enforcement found Johnson in a basement of a home on Washington Street with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.A family member at the home reported he had been in a physical altercation with Johnson that led to the shooting. No arrests have been made. Authorities have released no additional details.-------OSBORNE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a death that occurred Friday in Osborne.Just after 10:30p.m. Friday, the Osborne Police Department was notified of a shooting that occurred on Washington Street in Osborne,&nbsp; according to a facebook announcement posted by the department Saturday."A deceased individual was located in the residence and the scene was secured for processing," the department said.The Osborne County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were assisting in the investigation.The name of the victim has not been released.

Authorities ID victim in fatal shooting in Osborne

SEDGWICK COUNTY—The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was notified Friday,&nbsp; that an inmate had tested positive for COVID-19, according to Colonel Brian White.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This inmate was not symptomatic, but was tested for an upcoming medical procedure.&nbsp; This inmate worked as a kitchen inmate worker.&nbsp; There are 54 inmates assigned as kitchen inmate workers.&nbsp; These kitchen workers prepare and deliver meals to the inmates throughout the facility.&nbsp;

Because of the inmate working in the kitchen, all the other inmates assigned as kitchen inmate workers were quarantined.&nbsp; We had to select and train 54 new inmates as kitchen workers.&nbsp; 

While the 54 inmates were being chosen and trained, there was a delay in getting meals to the inmates at the normal times.&nbsp; Although the meals were delayed, all of the inmates received breakfast, lunch, and dinner.&nbsp; Currently the jail is again serving meals at the regular times, according to White.

The jail staff is also continuing to maintain sanitization standards to take care of our staff and inmates which include issuing extra soap, and having disinfectant available as needed.&nbsp; All staff members have been issued masks to wear, and all inmates have been issued face coverings for the last several months.&nbsp; We also have a full medical staff on site.

If more inmates need to be quarantined or isolated, the jail already have an established plan to minimize further exposure to staff and inmates.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596486533365.png" alt="Colonel Brian White answers questions during Monday's news conference." />
 <figcaption>Colonel Brian White answers questions during Monday's news conference.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was notified Friday,&nbsp; that an inmate had tested positive for COVID-19, according to Colonel Brian White.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSedgwickCountySheriff%2Fvideos%2F741494509945008%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>This inmate was not symptomatic, but was tested for an upcoming medical procedure.&nbsp; This inmate worked as a kitchen inmate worker.&nbsp; There are 54 inmates assigned as kitchen inmate workers.&nbsp; These kitchen workers prepare and deliver meals to the inmates throughout the facility.&nbsp;Because of the inmate working in the kitchen, all the other inmates assigned as kitchen inmate workers were quarantined.&nbsp; We had to select and train 54 new inmates as kitchen workers.&nbsp; While the 54 inmates were being chosen and trained, there was a delay in getting meals to the inmates at the normal times.&nbsp; Although the meals were delayed, all of the inmates received breakfast, lunch, and dinner.&nbsp; Currently the jail is again serving meals at the regular times, according to White.The jail staff is also continuing to maintain sanitization standards to take care of our staff and inmates which include issuing extra soap, and having disinfectant available as needed.&nbsp; All staff members have been issued masks to wear, and all inmates have been issued face coverings for the last several months.&nbsp; We also have a full medical staff on site.If more inmates need to be quarantined or isolated, the jail already have an established plan to minimize further exposure to staff and inmates.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎥 Kitchen inmate worker at Kan. jail tested positive for virus

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The newest member of the Kansas Supreme Court has been sworn in.

Keynen “K.J.” Wall Jr. took the oath at the Kansas Judicial Center Monday. Chief Justice Marla Luckert presided at the ceremony.

The ceremony was smaller than usual because of the room needed to allow social distancing due to the coronavirus. Wall wore a mask as he was sworn in.

Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Wall in March to fill a vacancy created when former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss retired in December.

Wall had been in private practice with the Forbes Law Group of Overland Park since 2015. Before that he was special projects counsel to the Supreme Court, which involved managing the court’s capital appeals office.

His other experience includes stints as senior legal counsel for Federated Insurance in Owatonna, Minnesota, and as an associate attorney with a law firm in Greeley, Colorado. He was a judicial law clerk from 2002 to 2004 for U.S. District Judge John Lungstrum.

Wall has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in scientific and technical communication from the University of Minnesota, and a law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596471773322.png" alt="Chief Justice Marla Luckert presents a gavel to newly sworn in Justice KJ Wall, Jr. on Monday as member of the the Kansas Supreme Court and Wall's family wore face masks during the ceremony." />
 <figcaption>Chief Justice Marla Luckert presents a gavel to newly sworn in Justice KJ Wall, Jr. on Monday as member of the the Kansas Supreme Court and Wall's family wore face masks during the ceremony.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The newest member of the Kansas Supreme Court has been sworn in.Keynen “K.J.” Wall Jr. took the oath at the Kansas Judicial Center Monday. Chief Justice Marla Luckert presided at the ceremony.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596471490174.png" alt="Wall wore a mask while he was sworn in" />
 <figcaption>Wall wore a mask while he was sworn in</figcaption>
 </figure>The ceremony was smaller than usual because of the room needed to allow social distancing due to the coronavirus. Wall wore a mask as he was sworn in.Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Wall in March to fill a vacancy created when former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss retired in December.Wall had been in private practice with the Forbes Law Group of Overland Park since 2015. Before that he was special projects counsel to the Supreme Court, which involved managing the court’s capital appeals office.His other experience includes stints as senior legal counsel for Federated Insurance in Owatonna, Minnesota, and as an associate attorney with a law firm in Greeley, Colorado. He was a judicial law clerk from 2002 to 2004 for U.S. District Judge John Lungstrum.Wall has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in scientific and technical communication from the University of Minnesota, and a law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.

New Justice for Kan. Supreme Court sworn in wearing mask

At Democrat-backed ksvotes.org, voters agree to let lease personal information in exchange for better platform

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/02/privacy-concerns-shadow-popular-voter-registration-website/">Kansas Reflector</a>

The 41,700 people who have turned to <a href="https://www.ksvotes.org/">ksvotes.org</a>
 as a superior alternative to the state’s primitive online platform for 
voter registration probably don’t realize they signed away their 
personal information to be used in targeted advertisements.

Language in the site’s 
privacy policy gives permission to Blueprint Kansas, the organization 
that operates ksvotes.org, to collect contact information, website 
usage, details about your phone or laptop, and all the elements of a 
voter registration form — and use this personal data to send direct 
texts, or give the data to other entities, such as Facebook.

A data security expert says the <a href="https://www.ksvotes.org/privacy-policy">privacy policy</a>
 should be revised, but Blueprint Kansas’ Democratic officers deny using
 the data they collect for political purposes. Republicans fear the 
platform could be used as a tool for Democrats to bolster their ranks.

“We’re in a strange time 
right now in the state of Kansas,” said Mike Kuckelman, chairman of the 
Kansas Republican Party. “We’re seeing <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/28/democrats-see-opportunity-for-senate-seat-in-kansas-gop-primary-battle/">millions of dollars come in from out of state</a>
 trying to influence the Republican primary in the U.S. Senate race. If 
you think that people won’t undertake underhanded efforts to affect 
elections, that’s a pretty naive view.

“So I’m skeptical of sites
 like this, of what they’re really going to do with the data and what 
kind of an unfair advantage they’re going to give.”

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,&nbsp;Blueprint Kansas is prohibited from partisan activity.

Brian McClendon, the 
former Google executive and 2018 Democratic candidate for secretary of 
state, said he and the three others involved with Blueprint Kansas never
 have harvested data for political purposes. The organization only sends
 messages reminding people to vote, he said, and has never made the 
information available for campaigns to use.

Other officers for 
Blueprint Kansas are Jamie Shew, a Democrat who oversees elections as 
Douglas County clerk; Kate Davis, a legislative liaison in Democratic 
Gov. Laura Kelly’s office; and Patrick Miller, a registered Republican 
and political science professor at the University of Kansas.

“We have never sat down 
and said, ‘Well, what can we do to screw Republicans or benefit 
Democrats?’&nbsp;” Miller said. “We don’t talk about partisan things. We 
don’t have partisan goals. We just want a tool that’s going to make 
registration and ballot access easy for as many people as possible.”

A link to the ksvotes.org 
privacy policy can be found at the bottom of the website, below the form
 that asks for name, date of birth, zip code, email and phone number.

From the policy: “We may 
disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as 
described in this policy to third parties we use to support our 
business, including advertising.”

Lorrie Cranor, director of
 the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University,
 said her hunch is the operators of ksvotes.org only want to use the 
information to support the site, but the privacy policy is written too 
broadly to be sure.

“They didn’t make me completely convinced that the data wouldn’t be used for reasons that the users don’t want,” Cranor said.

Because the privacy policy
 allows Blueprint Kansas to partner with third parties, Cranor said, the
 group could obtain personal information from Google or any of the 
“gazillion advertising companies” that track the types of websites 
individuals visit and search terms they use.

In skilled hands, as a 
hypothetical example, the pairing of a marketing profile and voter 
registration data could allow someone to target messages to registered 
voters of a particular party who have visited websites affiliated with 
the Catholic church.

All of the individuals 
associated with Blueprint Kansas deny using the data in this way. Sam 
Coleman, a spokesman for the governor, said Davis’ duties for the 
governor involve working with legislators, stakeholders and advocates. 
He said Davis hasn’t provided data from ksvotes.org to the governor’s 
office, campaign or political allies.

Even if that is true, 
Cranor said, the language of the privacy policy indicates the operators 
of ksvotes.org eventually want to use the data for additional purposes.

“If they are not actually 
doing any of that tracking, then they should put it in writing and 
commit to it,” Cranor said. “Because otherwise, OK, so you’re not doing 
it today. And then tomorrow, you start. I’ll never know when you’re 
gonna start doing it because you’ve put it in your policy that you could
 do it.”

Kuckelman, the GOP chairman, said as an attorney, he advises clients when they sign an agreement, “read what it says they can do and assume that they will, because they have every right to do that.”

“When
 you go to this site, by agreeing to their terms, you agree they can 
give that information they collect to the third parties — including 
advertising, including businesses,” Kuckelman said. “They can do it, so 
I’m not sure what difference it makes what they say.”

McClendon oversaw 
construction of ksvotes.org, which launched in 2017 in direct response 
to a proof of citizenship law favored by former Secretary of State Kris 
Kobach.

Before <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180618/judge-sides-with-aclu-in-voter-registration-fight-orders-kobach-to-go-to-school">a federal judge struct down the law as unconstitutional</a>, Kansas required prospective voters to produce a copy of their birth certificate when they registered to vote.

As a result, McClendon said, online voter registrations dropped considerably.

He seized an opportunity 
to use the less restrictive federal voter registration form and bypass 
Kansas law. The ksvotes.org platform delivers a PDF to county clerks and
 sends verification to the voter that the registration was received. In 
2018, a Spanish language version of the form was added to the site, as 
well as a function to request advanced ballots.

This year, starting in 
April, more than 29,000 people have requested an advanced ballot through
 ksvotes.org — including more than 14,000 in the month of July, 
according to numbers <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pjiN48LhbNE6q7equH330kuJyAkBjEWNZEbG0iCyYqU/edit#gid=658147313">published directly through the site</a>. McClendon, whose technological aptitude includes <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/default-center-google-earth-1616453">creating Google Maps</a>, said he can determine who has requested a ballot but not yet turned it in, and send the individual a reminder to do so.

“The fact of the matter is
 people who ask for an advance ballot are going to vote 90% of the 
time,” McClendon said. “So getting folks to request an advanced ballot 
is just like getting them out to vote, and I think that’s incredibly 
valuable.”

By comparison, the 
Secretary of State’s voter registration platform isn’t responsive to the
 small screens on mobile devices and doesn’t notify a voter if there is a
 problem with the registration. Because it relies on a Kansas Department
 of Revenue database, the state platform requires prospective voters to 
have a driver’s license, which isn’t required at ksvotes.org.

Katie Koupal, a 
spokeswoman for Secretary of State’s office, said the department is 
working with the Kansas Department of Revenue to modernize the platform,
 but there is no timetable for the overhaul.

The current state platform
 is actually an improvement over the one that existed when Kobach was in
 office. Shew, the Douglas County clerk, said the previous system was 
full of bugs. He said he would get lengthy error reports from the state a
 day before the election with hundreds of registrations from months 
before that had to be manually entered into the poll book.

“I didn’t get involved in 
this project because I’m a Democrat,” Shew said of ksvotes.org. “I got 
involved because I’m a county clerk that saw that voters weren’t getting
 registered to vote through the system that was available to them and 
they were being denied their right to vote.”

Lauren Bonds, legal 
director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said any 
concerns with ksvotes.org should be considered in relation to the 
Secretary of State’s cumbersome process and track record.

The ACLU <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180325/aclu-no-lawyer-trick-needed-to-spurn-kobach-claims-of-voter-fraud">successfully sued Kobach</a>
 over his unfounded claims of voter fraud and the proof of citizenship 
law, which blocked more than 30,000 eligible Kansans from voting. The <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20191210/aclu-of-kansas-announces-deal-to-abandon-crosscheck-for-foreseeable-future">ACLU also forced discontinuation</a>
 of the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, a tool used to
 find duplicate voter registrations but which produced false positives 
99% of the time.

The ACLU’s class action 
lawsuit over the Crosscheck program was filed after a security failing 
in which passwords and partial Social Security numbers of 945 Kansas 
voters were exposed, and a Homeland Security audit confirmed 
vulnerabilities with the program.

“It’s not a particularly 
secure environment to begin with,” Bonds said, “and so I think that’s 
got to be part of the conversation, too, when we’re saying, ‘Where’s the
 best place for people to register?'”

Kobach, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/podcast/kris-kobach-warns-gop-voters-not-to-be-fooled-by-general-election-oddsmakers/">now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate</a>, said most people who go to ksvotes.org probably think of it as “just a handy registration website.”

“It’s not concerning that 
they’re registering people, but if you’re collecting data about somebody
 and not informing them, or people don’t know the full scope of the 
data, that does concern me,” Kobach said.

The Secretary of State’s office recommends prospective voters use its application to avoid security concerns.

Kuckelman said he was 
concerned that people who use ksvotes.org may mistakenly believe they 
are dealing directly with the state of Kansas.

“In
 the Republican Party, we’ve always felt that ksvotes.org is a mechanism
 driven by Democrats to try to sign up folks, and I’ve always been 
concerned about the data they’re capturing,” Kuckelman said.

Miller, the political 
science professor, said nobody has ever expressed concerns to him about 
the privacy policy before, and that he would be willing to consider 
recommendations to change it.

“Any
 implication that this is a partisan thing, or that voters’ data is 
being improperly used or shared, I just roundly reject that,” Miller 
said.

Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse. A lifelong Kansan, he graduated from Emporia State University in 2004 as a Shepherd Scholar with a degree in English.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596480863507.jpeg" alt="The ksvotes.org website offers the best platform for registering to vote online, but language in the privacy policy raises concerns about the data being collected and whether it could ever be used for political purposes. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The ksvotes.org website offers the best platform for registering to vote online, but language in the privacy policy raises concerns about the data being collected and whether it could ever be used for political purposes. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>At Democrat-backed ksvotes.org, voters agree to let lease personal information in exchange for better platform</h2>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/02/privacy-concerns-shadow-popular-voter-registration-website/">Kansas Reflector</a>The 41,700 people who have turned to <a href="https://www.ksvotes.org/">ksvotes.org</a>
 as a superior alternative to the state’s primitive online platform for 
voter registration probably don’t realize they signed away their 
personal information to be used in targeted advertisements.Language in the site’s 
privacy policy gives permission to Blueprint Kansas, the organization 
that operates ksvotes.org, to collect contact information, website 
usage, details about your phone or laptop, and all the elements of a 
voter registration form — and use this personal data to send direct 
texts, or give the data to other entities, such as Facebook.A data security expert says the <a href="https://www.ksvotes.org/privacy-policy">privacy policy</a>
 should be revised, but Blueprint Kansas’ Democratic officers deny using
 the data they collect for political purposes. Republicans fear the 
platform could be used as a tool for Democrats to bolster their ranks.“We’re in a strange time 
right now in the state of Kansas,” said Mike Kuckelman, chairman of the 
Kansas Republican Party. “We’re seeing <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/28/democrats-see-opportunity-for-senate-seat-in-kansas-gop-primary-battle/">millions of dollars come in from out of state</a>
 trying to influence the Republican primary in the U.S. Senate race. If 
you think that people won’t undertake underhanded efforts to affect 
elections, that’s a pretty naive view.“So I’m skeptical of sites
 like this, of what they’re really going to do with the data and what 
kind of an unfair advantage they’re going to give.”As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,&nbsp;Blueprint Kansas is prohibited from partisan activity.Brian McClendon, the 
former Google executive and 2018 Democratic candidate for secretary of 
state, said he and the three others involved with Blueprint Kansas never
 have harvested data for political purposes. The organization only sends
 messages reminding people to vote, he said, and has never made the 
information available for campaigns to use.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just got this unsolicited text (I am registered unaffiliated) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/jNxeUYh83t">pic.twitter.com/jNxeUYh83t</a>&mdash; Jonathan Shorman (@jonshorman) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonshorman/status/1287074982275756033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Other officers for 
Blueprint Kansas are Jamie Shew, a Democrat who oversees elections as 
Douglas County clerk; Kate Davis, a legislative liaison in Democratic 
Gov. Laura Kelly’s office; and Patrick Miller, a registered Republican 
and political science professor at the University of Kansas.“We have never sat down 
and said, ‘Well, what can we do to screw Republicans or benefit 
Democrats?’&nbsp;” Miller said. “We don’t talk about partisan things. We 
don’t have partisan goals. We just want a tool that’s going to make 
registration and ballot access easy for as many people as possible.”‘Commit to it’ 
A link to the ksvotes.org 
privacy policy can be found at the bottom of the website, below the form
 that asks for name, date of birth, zip code, email and phone number.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596480974303.jpeg" alt="Language in the ksvotes.org privacy policy allows the site to collect more personal data than what voters enter into their registration forms, and turn that data over to third parties for advertising. (Illustration by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Language in the ksvotes.org privacy policy allows the site to collect more personal data than what voters enter into their registration forms, and turn that data over to third parties for advertising. (Illustration by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>From the policy: “We may 
disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as 
described in this policy to third parties we use to support our 
business, including advertising.”Lorrie Cranor, director of
 the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University,
 said her hunch is the operators of ksvotes.org only want to use the 
information to support the site, but the privacy policy is written too 
broadly to be sure.“They didn’t make me completely convinced that the data wouldn’t be used for reasons that the users don’t want,” Cranor said.Because the privacy policy
 allows Blueprint Kansas to partner with third parties, Cranor said, the
 group could obtain personal information from Google or any of the 
“gazillion advertising companies” that track the types of websites 
individuals visit and search terms they use.In skilled hands, as a 
hypothetical example, the pairing of a marketing profile and voter 
registration data could allow someone to target messages to registered 
voters of a particular party who have visited websites affiliated with 
the Catholic church.All of the individuals 
associated with Blueprint Kansas deny using the data in this way. Sam 
Coleman, a spokesman for the governor, said Davis’ duties for the 
governor involve working with legislators, stakeholders and advocates. 
He said Davis hasn’t provided data from ksvotes.org to the governor’s 
office, campaign or political allies.“Unequivocally no,” Coleman said.Even if that is true, 
Cranor said, the language of the privacy policy indicates the operators 
of ksvotes.org eventually want to use the data for additional purposes.“If they are not actually 
doing any of that tracking, then they should put it in writing and 
commit to it,” Cranor said. “Because otherwise, OK, so you’re not doing 
it today. And then tomorrow, you start. I’ll never know when you’re 
gonna start doing it because you’ve put it in your policy that you could
 do it.”Kuckelman, the GOP chairman, said as an attorney, he advises clients when they sign an agreement, “read what it says they can do and assume that they will, because they have every right to do that.”“When
 you go to this site, by agreeing to their terms, you agree they can 
give that information they collect to the third parties — including 
advertising, including businesses,” Kuckelman said. “They can do it, so 
I’m not sure what difference it makes what they say.”‘Incredibly valuable’ 
McClendon oversaw 
construction of ksvotes.org, which launched in 2017 in direct response 
to a proof of citizenship law favored by former Secretary of State Kris 
Kobach.Before <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180618/judge-sides-with-aclu-in-voter-registration-fight-orders-kobach-to-go-to-school">a federal judge struct down the law as unconstitutional</a>, Kansas required prospective voters to produce a copy of their birth certificate when they registered to vote.As a result, McClendon said, online voter registrations dropped considerably.He seized an opportunity 
to use the less restrictive federal voter registration form and bypass 
Kansas law. The ksvotes.org platform delivers a PDF to county clerks and
 sends verification to the voter that the registration was received. In 
2018, a Spanish language version of the form was added to the site, as 
well as a function to request advanced ballots.This year, starting in 
April, more than 29,000 people have requested an advanced ballot through
 ksvotes.org — including more than 14,000 in the month of July, 
according to numbers <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pjiN48LhbNE6q7equH330kuJyAkBjEWNZEbG0iCyYqU/edit#gid=658147313">published directly through the site</a>. McClendon, whose technological aptitude includes <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/default-center-google-earth-1616453">creating Google Maps</a>, said he can determine who has requested a ballot but not yet turned it in, and send the individual a reminder to do so.“The fact of the matter is
 people who ask for an advance ballot are going to vote 90% of the 
time,” McClendon said. “So getting folks to request an advanced ballot 
is just like getting them out to vote, and I think that’s incredibly 
valuable.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481012727.jpeg" alt="The state’s official online voter registration platform, offered by the Secretary of State’s office and Kansas Department of Revenue, doesn’t respond to smartphone screens or other mobile devices. (Screenshot)" />
 <figcaption>The state’s official online voter registration platform, offered by the Secretary of State’s office and Kansas Department of Revenue, doesn’t respond to smartphone screens or other mobile devices. (Screenshot)</figcaption>
 </figure>By comparison, the 
Secretary of State’s voter registration platform isn’t responsive to the
 small screens on mobile devices and doesn’t notify a voter if there is a
 problem with the registration. Because it relies on a Kansas Department
 of Revenue database, the state platform requires prospective voters to 
have a driver’s license, which isn’t required at ksvotes.org.Katie Koupal, a 
spokeswoman for Secretary of State’s office, said the department is 
working with the Kansas Department of Revenue to modernize the platform,
 but there is no timetable for the overhaul.The current state platform
 is actually an improvement over the one that existed when Kobach was in
 office. Shew, the Douglas County clerk, said the previous system was 
full of bugs. He said he would get lengthy error reports from the state a
 day before the election with hundreds of registrations from months 
before that had to be manually entered into the poll book.“I didn’t get involved in 
this project because I’m a Democrat,” Shew said of ksvotes.org. “I got 
involved because I’m a county clerk that saw that voters weren’t getting
 registered to vote through the system that was available to them and 
they were being denied their right to vote.”‘Driven by Democrats’ 
Lauren Bonds, legal 
director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said any 
concerns with ksvotes.org should be considered in relation to the 
Secretary of State’s cumbersome process and track record.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481044132.jpeg" alt="Lauren Bonds, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, says the Secretary of State’s office has a history of not providing a secure environment, or a reliable voter registration platform. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Lauren Bonds, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, says the Secretary of State’s office has a history of not providing a secure environment, or a reliable voter registration platform. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>The ACLU <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180325/aclu-no-lawyer-trick-needed-to-spurn-kobach-claims-of-voter-fraud">successfully sued Kobach</a>
 over his unfounded claims of voter fraud and the proof of citizenship 
law, which blocked more than 30,000 eligible Kansans from voting. The <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20191210/aclu-of-kansas-announces-deal-to-abandon-crosscheck-for-foreseeable-future">ACLU also forced discontinuation</a>
 of the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, a tool used to
 find duplicate voter registrations but which produced false positives 
99% of the time.The ACLU’s class action 
lawsuit over the Crosscheck program was filed after a security failing 
in which passwords and partial Social Security numbers of 945 Kansas 
voters were exposed, and a Homeland Security audit confirmed 
vulnerabilities with the program.“It’s not a particularly 
secure environment to begin with,” Bonds said, “and so I think that’s 
got to be part of the conversation, too, when we’re saying, ‘Where’s the
 best place for people to register?'”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596481070084.jpeg" alt="Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach says he isn’t concerned with ksvotes.org registering people to vote, but not if the site is collecting data without telling people. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach says he isn’t concerned with ksvotes.org registering people to vote, but not if the site is collecting data without telling people. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kobach, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/podcast/kris-kobach-warns-gop-voters-not-to-be-fooled-by-general-election-oddsmakers/">now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate</a>, said most people who go to ksvotes.org probably think of it as “just a handy registration website.”“It’s not concerning that 
they’re registering people, but if you’re collecting data about somebody
 and not informing them, or people don’t know the full scope of the 
data, that does concern me,” Kobach said.The Secretary of State’s office recommends prospective voters use its application to avoid security concerns.Kuckelman said he was 
concerned that people who use ksvotes.org may mistakenly believe they 
are dealing directly with the state of Kansas.“In
 the Republican Party, we’ve always felt that ksvotes.org is a mechanism
 driven by Democrats to try to sign up folks, and I’ve always been 
concerned about the data they’re capturing,” Kuckelman said.Miller, the political 
science professor, said nobody has ever expressed concerns to him about 
the privacy policy before, and that he would be willing to consider 
recommendations to change it.“Any
 implication that this is a partisan thing, or that voters’ data is 
being improperly used or shared, I just roundly reject that,” Miller 
said.Sherman Smith has written award-winning news stories about the instability of the Kansas foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the Legislature. He spent 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal, where he started on the copy desk, then oversaw digital operations, was the managing editor and reported from the Statehouse. A lifelong Kansan, he graduated from Emporia State University in 2004 as a Shepherd Scholar with a degree in English.

Privacy concerns shadow popular voter registration website

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Board of Education primary election has drawn more attention than usual after the panel voted against the governor’s plan to delay the start of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One member who had been running unopposed, Deena Horst, voted against Gov. Laura Kelly’s order, and the next day a write-in challenger endorsed by a former governor joined the race.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596475890304.png" alt="Members of the Kansas Board of Education listen to KDHE Sec. Dr. Lee Norman during their July 22&nbsp; special meeting on Zoom" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Kansas Board of Education listen to KDHE Sec. Dr. Lee Norman during their July 22&nbsp; special meeting on Zoom</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Board of Education primary election has drawn more attention than usual after the panel voted against the governor’s plan to delay the start of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic.One member who had been running unopposed, Deena Horst, voted against Gov. Laura Kelly’s order, and the next day a write-in challenger endorsed by a former governor joined the race.Five of the board’s 10 seats are up for election, but just two have competitive primaries. Horst and two other board members have no opponents on either the primary or general election ballots.“People generally don’t pay much attention to the state board of ed. In general, they don’t make a lot of typically controversial decisions. There’s nothing like controversy to get people riled up and paying attention,” said Dave Colburn, who launched the write-in campaign against Horst.Colburn, a Democrat backed by former Democratic Gov. John Carlin, doesn’t need to win more votes than Horst, a Republican, in Tuesday’s primary. Under Kansas law, a write-in candidate needs the votes of 5% of all the registered voters in the district to appear on the general election ballot.Horst didn’t respond to a request for comment. She previously explained her vote against delaying a return to school by saying it is “very confusing to parents to have their local district making a decision that is trumped by the governor’s executive order.”Three of the four board members running for reelection — Ann May, Kathy Busch and Jim McNiece — supported the governor’s order delaying the start of school.The state board of education hasn’t gotten this much attention since debates over teaching evolution in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Mark Tallman, a lobbyist for the Kansas Association of School Boards.At that time, the board was sharply divided by conservative Republicans and a bloc of moderate Republicans and Democrats. In recent years, the board — where Republicans hold an 8-2 majority — hasn’t been as ideologically split, Tallman said.