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Petitions for compassionate release soared in the pandemic, but federal judges denied most requests. This week officials will review guidelines aimed at freeing imprisoned people who pose no threat.

Amid a series of missteps, the cricket star-turned-politician faces a no confidence vote after the country's all-powerful generals signaled that they would no longer back him.

The YMCA facility in downtown Topeka. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)Kansas lawmakers return to the Statehouse this week to wrap up this year’s session. One committee will be working on a bill that pits private health clubs against YMCAs. The bill would make privately owned, for-profit health clubs exempt from property taxes. Health club owners say non-profit YMCAs have an unfair advantage and the tax break would level the playing field. KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports.00000184-7fa7-d6f8-a1cf-7fa7ccd00000 ==================== (SCRIPT)It’s about 5 p.m. at a YMCA facility in downtown Topeka. There are dozens of kids here. They're getting help with their homework, working on activities and playing sports. In one room, a handful of small children in daycare have been decorating balloons with faces, and now they’re naming them.(Sounds of children, Charlie says hello to the kids)That’s Charlie Lord saying hello to the children. He’s the CEO of the YMCA of Topeka. He says there are few options for all-day childcare in the area, especially one that can assist people with low incomes.“That’s what’s sad, is some of these have gone away because all-day childcare is so expensive to run and hardly ever profitable,” says Lord.But on the other side of the YMCA building is a gym with a few dozen workout machines that anyone can pay the YMCA to use. And it’s this part of the YMCA that rubs Rodney Steven the wrong way. Steven owns Genesis Health Clubs and argues that YMCAs have driven private health clubs out of business.“These businesses were paying taxes, they were collecting sales tax and they were trying to compete with the YMCA. Many of them failed because the YMCA had an extreme cost advantage over them,” says Steven.That’s Steven speaking earlier this year to a legislative committee. He says the state needs to make private health clubs property tax exempt -the same as non-profits like the YMCA- as a way to level the playing field“They do provide nearly the same services, they collect membership dues, and they are for all intents and purposes in the health club business. The only real difference is that they are tax exempt. It is time to treat all health clubs the same,” says Steven.Steven says his health clubs do offers services, like grants to help kids and athletes play sports or compete in events, and they offer free tennis training for public school students. But back at the YMCA of Topeka, Charlie Lord points out that the Y offers sports and services like childcare and afterschool programs. He believes there’s just a fundamental difference between a for-profit health club and a not-for-profit YMCA.“I think the things we do for the entire family, or for the entire family of the community, are a lot more than a health club will do,” says Lord.Earlier this year, a proposal to make private health clubs tax exempt got stuck in a House committee. But Steven likely has the ear of some lawmakers, because he’s donated more than $50,000 in total to the campaigns of dozens of members of the House and Senate. Before lawmakers left for a spring break earlier this month, the Senate revived the tax exemption and added it to an unrelated bill. Senator Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, argued that Rodney Steven’s money was playing a part in the process.“And basically, he’s trying to buy a tax break. That’s what’s being attempted here,” says Hensley.Republican Senator Jeff Melcher, from Leawood, made the motion to revive the health club tax exemption. He says this is about fairness, and Rodney Steven has been spending his money for that cause.“I think it is a shame that a taxpayer has to expend so many resources to try to get tax fairness,” says Melcher.Steven was at the Statehouse in the days before the revival and during the debate. After Senator Hensley said he was trying to buy a tax break, Steven said he was supporting candidates he likes.“I don’t think that a $500 check or a $1,000 check can buy someone’s vote here,” says Steven.Most of the people in the Senate that Steven donated to did vote in favor of reviving the health club tax exemption. The proposal is now before a House/Senate conference committee, which will decided if the tax exemption stays attached to the bill and goes to both chambers for a final vote. The conference committee will likely start meeting this week.

Here's a summary of the day's Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press as compiled by the KPR news staff.

Kansas Sen. Roberts Touts GOP Ties in First DebateHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Republican Senator Pat Roberts touted his experience and his party ties during his first debate with a surprisingly strong independent campaign challenger for his seat. Roberts went on the offensive against 45-year-old businessman Greg Orman from the outset of yesterday's (SAT) debate at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. The race has become surprisingly competitive and could affect the broader fight for control of the Senate. The 78-year-old three-term senator said he's the only candidate with proven experience and the only one working against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Orman said he'll focus on solving problems, not partisan politics. Orman has promised to caucus with whatever party holds the majority. Roberts has overhauled his campaign and the race was roiled this week by the Democrat's attempted withdrawal.==========Kansas Senate Hopefuls Spar Over Trips to Dodge CityHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Independent challenger Greg Orman had what sounded like a good line in his first debate with Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts, but the incumbent warded it off. The two squared off yesterday (SAT) at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. One question touched on how Roberts owns a Washington-area home but claims rented space in the Dodge City home of supporters as his official residence. Orman told Roberts that he suspected he's been to Dodge City more times this year than Roberts has. Orman says he's visited four times. Roberts told Orman that he's been to Dodge City "about seven times" this year. The 45-year-old Orman then suggested he's lived more of his adult life in Kansas than the 78-year-old Roberts. The senator noted he was born and educated in Kansas.==========Kansas Senate Candidates Debate Gun RestrictionsHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts and independent challenger Greg Orman disagree about whether federally mandated background checks for gun sales should be expanded. Orman said during their first debate yesterday (SAT) at the Kansas State Fair that he supports reasonable restrictions on gun sales, particularly to ensure that background checks are done on buyers at gun shows. But Orman says he owns two guns and supports the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, protecting gun ownership rights. Roberts mocked Orman for saying he supports Second Amendment rights while backing restrictions. The senator says he won't "mess with" anyone's gun rights. He has the backing of the Kansas State Rifle Association. But Orman says, "We don't want people with bazookas. We don't want people with automatic weapons."=========Duffy Out After 1 pitch Because of Sore ShoulderNEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City starter Danny Duffy lasted just one pitch against the New York Yankees yesterday (SAT), leaving because of left shoulder soreness. Duffy threw a ball to Jacoby Ellsbury and walked around the mound in discomfort, causing catcher Salvador Perez to motion toward Kansas City's dugout. Manager Ned Yost went to the mound with training staff. After a brief discussion, Duffy handed the ball to Yost and walked off the field. Duffy was relieved by Liam Hendriks, who retired Ellsbury and Derek Jeter, then allowed Martin Prado's double and Mark Teixeira's RBI single. The Yankees went on to win it 6-2 in the Bronx. Duffy is 8-11 and third in the AL with a 2.42 ERA in 22 starts and six relief appearances.==========Finnegan 1st From 2014 Draft to Reach MajorsNEW YORK (AP) — As if reaching the major leagues wasn't enough, Brandon Finnegan struck out Derek Jeter in his very first inning. The 21-year-old left-hander became the first player from the 2014 amateur draft to make his big league debut, pitching two perfect innings yesterday (SAT) in the Kansas City Royals' 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees. Selected in the first round from Texas Christian with the 17th pick overall, Finnegan signed for a bonus of $2,200,600. He relieved with Kansas City trailing 6-1 and retired John Ryan Murphy on a flyout to center with his first pitch, a 92 mile per hour fastball. Finnegan struck out Jacoby Ellsbury on a changeup and Jeter on a 94 mile per hour fastball. Finnegan was 2 years old when Jeter made his major league debut in 1995.

It's likely Ozark will be remembered as more of a clever thrill ride than a series with a coherent message.

A U.S. judge says the reversal shows "why individuals aspiring for public office and those achieving that objective" shouldn't call for a specific verdict in criminal cases.

Questions persist about how Jeffrey Epstein, who once moved among the world's elite, was able to avoid federal prosecution for so long. A timeline suggests some answers.

Efforts to contain the virus are falling short. A teenager in Canada is in critical condition after an unexplained infection. And the arrival of flu season has scientists on edge.

The Trump administration has a novel strategy to boost arrests and reduce courts' backlog: dismissing people's immigration cases and immediately arresting them.