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Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was targeted by gunfire and a suicide bomber after a political rally near the capital. She was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital. National Security Correspondent Jackie Northam and author Shuja Narwaz discuss Bhutto's assassination and what it will mean for parliamentary elections scheduled for January.

Siemens Energy Plans 146 Layoffs at Hutchinson Facility HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Wind power equipment maker Siemens Energy says it plans to lay off nearly half its Kansas workers. Siemens announced Tuesday that about 146 employees at its wind turbine plant in Hutchinson are among 615 being laid off company-wide. The others are at plants in Iowa and Florida. The Hutchinson plant opened in 2010. Siemens said it's restructuring its wind power business because of changing market conditions and uncertainty about a tax credit for new wind turbine installations. The credit expires at the end of this year. The energy credit has split the all-Republican Kansas congressional delegation. Senator Jerry Moran blames the layoffs on the uncertainty coming from Washington. But U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas has joined a Republican push in Washington to end all energy tax credits.================UPDATE: US Education Secretary Addresses "Opportunity Gap" in Kansas RemarksTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the nation must work to close what he calls an "opportunity gap" among students if children are going to reach their potential. Duncan came to Kansas on Tuesday as part of a 10-day national bus tour. In Topeka, Duncan spoke on the steps of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. He says the Supreme Court's 1954 ruling in that landmark case moved the nation toward education equality. But he also says more is needed to have equity among students regardless of race, gender or where they live. Duncan was heading later Tuesday to Emporia for a town hall meeting on educational issues at Emporia State University.===================Kansas School Students Slipped on Standardized TestsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new report on Kansas public schools shows that students slipped in their performance on standardized tests during the past school year. Deputy Education Commissioner Brad Neuenswander says officials are studying why the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in reading and math fell slightly in the 2011-12 school year. The figures from the Kansas Department of Education were presented Tuesday to the State Board of Education. They show 85.7 percent of students taking reading tests met or exceeded standards last year, compared with 87.6 percent the previous year. In math, 83.7 percent of test-takers met or exceeded standards, down from 84.7 percent in the previous academic year. Some educators believe the figures suggested the state's past budget problems are hindering schools.===================Federal Appeals Court Upholds Kansas Election LawWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld the way Kansas deals with small political parties. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday for Kansas in a lawsuit by the Constitution Party of Kansas, which is not among the parties recognized by the state. The Constitution Party filed suit over the secretary of state's refusal to allow people to affiliate with it when registering to vote. In a summary judgment last year, a federal judge said the state's system of tracking party affiliation did not unconstitutionally burden the rights of the Constitution Party. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach argued the case before the appeals court. Kobach says in a news release that Tuesday's ruling spares the state from having to track an untold number of political parties.=================== Atty General to Appeal KS Supreme Court's Ruling in Capital CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says he'll appeal a state Supreme Court ruling ordering a new trial for a man sentenced to die for the 2005 killing of a sheriff. Scott Cheever was convicted of capital murder in the shooting death of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels. The sheriff was killed while serving a warrant at a southeastern Kansas home where authorities say meth was being made. The Kansas court ruled last month that Cheever's rights were violated during his trial when a psychiatrist disclosed his psychological records without his consent. Schmidt said Monday he has taken a preliminary step toward asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Kansas court's ruling in the case. Schmidt said he's asked the Kansas Supreme Court to put its ruling on hold.===================Kansas Atty General Faces Ethics Complaint Over Abortion CaseTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An anti-abortion group has filed an ethics complaint against Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt over the dismissal of a criminal case against a Kansas City-area Planned Parenthood clinic. Operation Rescue confirmed the filing Tuesday, a day after sending its complaint to the state office that reviews allegations against attorneys. The group accuses Schmidt of participating with Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe in seeing that charges against Planned Parenthood's clinic in Overland Park were dismissed under false pretenses. Howe's predecessor as district attorney filed 107 charges against the clinic in 2007, accusing it of falsifying documents and performing illegal abortions. The clinic strongly disputed the allegations, and the last of the charges were dismissed in August. A spokesman for Schmidt did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.=================== Interactive Tool for Voters Launched in KansasWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new website allows Kansas voters to compare their views with those of candidates for the U.S. Senate, House and president. The interactive tool is called VoteEasy and was launched by the nonpartisan group Project Vote Smart. Voters can check their views on several critical issues against those of candidates who participated in a Project Vote Smart survey. For some candidates, the group researched public records to determine their positions. VoteEasy was launched in Kansas on Monday as part of a state-by-state national rollout.===================Tabor Football Player's Injuries InvestigatedMCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Officials at a central Kansas college say a member of its football team remains on life support while police try to determine how the man was injured over the weekend. Twenty-six-year-old Brandon Brown, a student at Tabor College in Hillsboro, was found unresponsive early Sunday along a street in McPherson. A Tabor spokeswoman told The Salina Journal on Tuesday that Brown has not regained consciousness at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita. McPherson Police have not released information about Brown's injuries or the investigation, except to confirm he was the person found unconscious at 4:10 am Sunday when officers responded to a complaint about loud music. Brown is a defensive lineman from Sacramento, California. He transferred to the school this fall as a red-shirt junior to the NAIA Tabor Bluejays from a California junior college.===================Truck Hits Kansas Prison Fence, Prompting LockdownEL DORADO, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a broken axle caused a delivery truck to crash into a fence at a south-central Kansas correctional facility. The Wichita Eagle reports that the El Dorado Correctional Facility was placed on lockdown for more than two hours afterward. Kansas Department of Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay says the UPS tractor-trailer had just made a delivery when its axle broke shortly after 2 pm Monday. The truck went crashing into the fence. Barkley says the fence wasn't breached, and there was never a security risk. Normal prison operations resumed before 5 pm after the truck was towed away and officials checked the fence. The driver of the truck wasn't injured.=================== Kansas Charges Filed in Death of Visiting DoctorOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors in northeastern Kansas have charged a suspect with murdering a South Carolina pediatrician who was in the area for a medical conference earlier this month. The body of 39-year-old Dr. Franchesca Brown, of Myrtle Beach, was discovered September 12 in a field near an Overland Park hotel. The suspect was identified Monday as John Meredith Hodges, believed to be from Virginia. Police say Hodges fled to South America and has been captured in Colombia. He's expected to be returned to the Kansas City area this week. Overland Park and Johnson County authorities said Hodges was Brown's occasional boyfriend. They believe she invited him to visit her in Kansas. Hodges is charged with first-degree murder, credit card fraud and identity theft. No other details were released Monday.===================Kansas County Calls 600 Prospective JurorsKINGMAN, Kan. (AP) — Summonses are going out this week to 12 percent of Kingman County's 4,900 registered voters to find enough jurors for a former police instructor's December trial. The Hutchinson News reports 600 prospective jurors are being directed to report October 16 to the Kingman County Activity Center to fill out questionnaires and return them to court staff. Anyone with connections to 36-year-old Brett Seacat, and those who already have formed an opinion, will be disqualified as jurors in the Kingman man's first-degree murder trial. The former instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center is accused of fatally shooting his wife, 34-year-old Vashti Seacat, and burning the couple's house down. Last month, a judge closed a pretrial hearing to the public because he didn't want to taint the jury pool.===================Man Named in Shooting Near Royals, Chiefs StadiumsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police have released the name of a man who killed himself after shooting and wounding his former girlfriend between the stadiums that are home to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. The Kansas City Star reports that the shooter was 40-year-old Marcus L. Collins of Raytown. He drove into the stadium Friday afternoon and apparently summoned his former girlfriend who was working as a parking lot attendant. Police said that when the 41-year-old woman approached, he shot at her several times. She tried to run, but was struck at least once in the abdomen. Collins then shot himself. Police said he never got out of his car. The woman survived, but police said she lost a kidney, her spleen, and parts of her pancreas and liver.===================North KC Police ID Baby Killed by Older DriverNORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police have identified the baby struck and killed when an 88-year-old driver sped backward out of a handicapped parking space in a North Kansas City church parking lot. The Kansas City Star said the victim was Autumn Humphrey. She would have turned 1 on September 30. The driver also slammed into the girl's 65-year-old grandfather and her 40-year-old aunt outside First Baptist Church. Police said they suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. The girl's grandfather was released from the hospital Monday morning. The driver wasn't injured, and police aren't identifying him. He is cooperating in the investigation.===================Wichita Inflatables Operator Faces Third ChargeWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man who operates a Wichita inflatables company where a child died faces a third charge of running the business without proper licensing. The Wichita Eagle reports that the misdemeanor charge against Jesse Zogleman stems from a sting operation. Police allege Zogleman entered into a contract in July to operate rides in Wichita. Zogleman runs the day-to-day operations for Moonwalks for Fun and Pure Entertainment. In 2010, a 5-year-old boy died at Pure Entertainment after falling off an inflatable provided by Moonwalks for Fun. Afterward, the city's inflatables ordinances were tightened. Zogleman's business has faced several hurdles, including having Moonwalks for Fun's license to operate inside city limits revoked after a liability coverage lapse. Zogleman didn't immediately return a call to The Associated Press.===================KCK Man Acquitted in 2011 HomicideKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Wyandotte County jurors have acquitted a Kansas City, Kansas man in the apartment killing of another man last year. The Kansas City Star reports that 30-year-old Allen L. Mitchell had been charged with first-degree felony murder in the June 2011 killing of 21-year-old Carlos Hernandez. Authorities allege the shooting happened during a drug transaction. Jurors began their deliberations Friday and returned the verdict Monday after breaking for the weekend.===================Hearings Set for Planned Plum Island Sale MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A federal agency has scheduled public hearings next month to discuss a plan to sell New York's Plum Island. The island off the eastern tip of Long Island is home to the country's only laboratory that studies infectious animal diseases that could affect the livestock industry. The General Services Administration released a draft environmental impact statement on the proposed sale this summer. The agency recommends selling the 840-acre island. No price has been set. The Department of Homeland Security is moving forward with plans to open a new $1.14 billion laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas to replace the Plum Island facility. The GSA hearings will be held October 17th and 18th . =================== Cool Temperatures, Scattered Rain Help Kansas CropsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Cooler temperatures and scattered rainfall in Kansas over the past week helped improve the condition of row crops a bit. But the picture remained fairly dismal. The Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service said in its weekly update Monday that about 69 of the state's soybeans and 68 percent of the sorghum crop are in poor to very poor condition. The agency also said range and pasture conditions have improved somewhat, with 86 percent now rated poor to very poor. Meanwhile, the corn harvest is rapidly progressing. Fifty-one percent of the corn crop was harvested as of Sunday, about three weeks ahead of last year's pace. Kansas growers have begun planting winter wheat. Five percent of seeding is now complete.=================== Kansas Schools to Sign 'Lifelong Learning' AgreementTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top administrators at the University of Kansas and Washburn University are preparing to sign an agreement to offer special classes in Topeka for people 50 and older. Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and Washburn President Jerry Farley plan to participate in a signing ceremony Wednesday on the Washburn campus. Classes will be offered through the University of Kansas's Lifelong Learning Institute, which provides courses in the arts, history, philosophy, culture, health and other popular topics. The goal is to reach older students from a wide range of backgrounds. The institute began offering classes in 2004 in Lawrence. It now has courses in the Kansas City area as well as Hesston, Hutchinson, Manhattan, North Newton, Ottawa and Ulysses.=================== Kansas Couple Pleads Not Guilty in Missouri KillingKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Court documents allege a Kansas couple charged in a Missouri killing helped forge a legal document used to deny the victim life-sustaining medical treatment. The indictments against 42-year-old Desre Dory and his 43-year-old wife, Stacey, of Shawnee, were made public Monday. Their release came after the couple was extradited to Boone County and pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and forgery. Sixty-seven-year-old William Van Note, of Liberty, was shot in October 2010 along with his partner, 59-year-old Sharon Dickson, at their Lake of the Ozarks vacation home. Dickson died at the home in the Camden County town of Sunrise Beach. Van Note died four days later at a Boone County hospital. The victim's daughter, Kansas City law firm owner Susan Elizabeth Van Note, also is charged in the killing.==================U.S. Education Secretary Visiting KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is bringing his 10-day national bus tour to two Kansas communities. Duncan scheduled a stop in Topeka at noon Tuesday at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site for a discussion of equal educational opportunities. Kansas Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker and members of the State Board of Education planned to take part. Later in the day, Duncan will lead a town hall meeting on educational issues at Emporia State University and tour the National Teachers Hall of Fame, located on the campus. Duncan, a former CEO of the Chicago public school system, will head to Kansas City on Tuesday evening to lead a town hall meeting on education and the Hispanic community.**this story has been updated. Please see above. ===================Siemens to Lay Off 615 in Iowa, Kansas, FloridaDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A wind energy equipment manufacturer says it will lay off 615 workers in Iowa, Kansas and Florida in part because Congress has not renewed a tax credit for wind energy. Siemens Energy says it told workers the news Tuesday at its plant in Hutchinson. Workers at facilities in Fort Madison, Iowa and Orlando, Florida were also notified. The biggest cuts will come in Fort Madison, where 407 workers at a wind turbine blade factory will be out of work. About 220 workers there will be retained. The company blamed difficult market conditions due to lack of congressional action on a wind energy tax credit as well as increased use of natural gas-fired power plants and an overall sluggish economy. In a statement, Siemens says the industry is seeing a significant drop in new wind turbine orders.**this story has been updated and revised. Please see above. ===================Education Secretary Expresses Hope for End of Chicago Strike TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday he's hopeful that both sides are close to agreement** to end a teacher strike in Chicago. Duncan is the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He said during a stop in Topeka Tuesday that the proposal made to teachers was one that respects and honors their profession while moving school reforms forward. He says both sides have compromised and it's important to get students back in school. The Chicago strike is in its seventh day. Duncan spoke on the steps of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. He says the Supreme Court's 1954 ruling in that landmark case moved the nation toward education equality. His stop in Topeka is part of a 10-day bus tour. **Chicago public school teachers announced late this (TUE) afternoon that they will return to work on Wednesday.

Escaped Sex Offender Recaptured in LawrenceLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A convicted sex offender who escaped in Lawrence while being driven from Virginia to Colorado is back in custody. Police captured 22-year-old Deon Gregory Routt shortly after 3pm yesterday (TUE) after a chase near Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas. A private security firm was transporting Routt when the van stopped in Lawrence around 5:30pm Monday so officers could check on a prisoner. Routt to the opportunity to bolt. Routt is a registered sex offender. He was convicted last year of sexually assaulting a child in Colorado. Authorities were uncertain if Routt was shackled or handcuffed when he made his escape. ==============================Salina Food Bank Reports Low SuppliesSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Officials at a Salina food bank say a marked increase in demand for services has cut into their supplies. The Salina Journal reports the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank normally serves 20 to 30 people a day. But the food bank has been seeing those numbers go up and recently set a one-day record when 40 people came for meals. Executive director Kathy Jackson says there have also been days when the number of people seeking food has topped 35. Jackson says the food bank has had to ration provisions to stretch its dwindling supplies. The organization is hoping a fundraiser scheduled for Sunday will help alleviate the shortage.==============================Burglary Ring with KS Connection Busted in SW MissouriJOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A burglary ring with a Kansas connection has been busted in southwest Missouri. Three suspects are in custody after authorities say they operated a burglary ring in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. So far, investigators in Jasper County, Missouri have identified 16 victims after discovering the stolen property last weekend in a Joplin house and in a storage unit.==============================KU Proposes Room and Board Increase for Next YearLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is seeking an increase of about 2.54 percent for room and board, starting next fall. The university says the proposed rate would increase the cost of a traditional residence hall double room to $3,902 per academic year. The cost of the dining plan would be $3,540. University officials are also proposing a $260 fee for Internet data service for each student, rather than having students pay the Internet provider. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that university housing officials say if the increases are approved, KU's housing and dining rates would remain below Big 12 and national averages. The Kansas Board of Regents will consider the request, along with those of five other universities, at its monthly meeting in November.==============================Parade Turns into Vigil after Kansas Teen DiesMULVANE, Kan. (AP) — A parade planned in a southern Kansas town turned instead into a vigil after a 15-year-old girl died before she could return home. Residents in Mulvane decorated Main Street yesterday (TUE) to welcome home Taylor Heersche, who had battled leukemia. The town rallied for four years to support Taylor and her family. But Taylor died at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City just hours before she was scheduled to go home. Taylor, a sophomore at Mulvane High School, was diagnosed with the leukemia in May 2008, when she was 10 years-old. Her mother, DeAnne Heersche, told The Wichita Eagle that the disease returned last December in a genetic mutation that couldn't be cured. Services are Sunday at Central Community Church in Wichita, with a private burial Monday.==============================Kansas State Researchers Study High-Speed RailMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State is conducting research that could help high-speed rail systems better handle winter conditions. The university is leading a three-year study that looks at the freeze-thaw durability of concrete railroad ties. The school says the work is essential in efforts to develop safe and durable high-speed rail systems. Assistant civil engineering professor Kyle Riding is collaborating with researchers from the university's Institute of Environmental Research, the United Arab Emirates and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The commercial partners are the Canadian National Railroad and CXT Concrete Ties Incorporated. The Federal Railroad Association recently awarded Riding more than $1.2 million to study the materials and fabrication process.==============================Four KS Inmates Treated for Medical EmergenciesHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Officials at a Kansas prison are investigating a medical problem that sent two inmates to Wichita-area hospitals and two others to the prison clinic. The Hutchinson News reports the four were taken from Hutchinson Correctional Facility's administrative segregation unit yesterday (TUE) afternoon for what were described as "unknown medical issues." Prison spokesman Dirk Moss said in a news release that one inmate was evaluated and released from the clinic, while the other was held for observation. A third was flown to a hospital in the Wichita area. The fourth was transported by ambulance.==============================Olathe's Berry Named Kansas Superintendent of the YearOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The leader of a northeast Kansas school district has been named Kansas superintendent of the year. The Kansas City Star reports that Olathe's Marlin Berry is the recipient of the award from the Kansas School Superintendents' Association. The award was announced this week. It also allows Berry to select a high school senior for a $1,000 scholarship. The association says the award is based on "professionalism, communication, community involvement and leadership in meeting the needs of students." Berry has been an administrator with Olathe Public Schools since 2007 and superintendent since 2010. He has also been superintendent of the Smoky Valley and Abilene districts. ==============================Dems Outspend GOP Foes in Key KS Senate RacesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — New campaign finance reports show Democrats in hotly contested Kansas Senate races outspending their Republican opponents over the past three months. Reports filed this week with the secretary of state's office show the widest gap between Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley and GOP challenger Casey Moore. Both are from Topeka and running in the 19th Senate District. Hensley reported spending nearly $113,000 on his re-election campaign from July 27 through October 25, compared with the roughly $12,000 spent by Moore. Another closely watched race is in the 5th District in the Kansas City area. Democratic incumbent Kelly Kultala of Kansas City reported spending more than $56,000 over the past three months. Republican Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth spent about $51,000.==============================Democrat Spends Slightly More in KCK State Senate RaceKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Democratic candidate for a Kansas Senate seat from the Kansas City area has slightly outspent the party-switching Republican incumbent over the past three months. A finance report filed this week by Democratic challenger Pat Pettey of Kansas City shows that she spent more than $39,000 on her campaign from July 27 through October 25. She had about $43,000 to spend after raising $31,000 during the period. Pettey is running in the 6th District against Republican Senator Chris Steineger of Kansas City. Steineger raised almost $30,000 during the period, giving him about $61,000 in his campaign fund. He spent about $35,000. Steineger won his Senate seat as a Democrat in 1996 but switched parties after losing the Democratic primary for secretary of state in 2010.==============================Kansas Cold Weather Rule Takes Effect ThursdayTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Thursday marks the start of the cold weather rule period in Kansas, restricting utility cutoffs for nonpayment of bills. The rule is in effect from November 1 to March 31. It prohibits shutoffs of residential electricity or natural gas service when temperatures are expected to be at or below 35 degrees over the following 24 hours. Utilities also must contact a customer 24 hours before a disconnection, and offer a 12-month payment plan for the customer to maintain or re-establish service. The Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, says residents can help control heating costs by keeping furnaces maintained, weather-stripping and caulking doors and windows and setting thermostats at reasonable levels.==============================KS Parties Make Last Election PushTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican and Democratic volunteers are fanning out through Kansas neighborhoods and staffing telephone banks in a final push to urge voters to cast ballots in Tuesday's elections. Many voters will do so before Election Day. Advance voting in person continues through Monday in Kansas. Officials of the two parties said Wednesday they're poring over daily updates from the secretary of state on voters who have requested advance ballots and those who have yet to return them. There are no statewide races on this year's ballot, but all 125 seats in the Kansas House and all state Senate seats are being contested. Two of the state's four U.S. House seats also have contested races.==============================State School Board Member has Most Expensive RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Democratic incumbent is waging the most expensive fall campaign for Kansas' state school board as she tries to hold off a Republican with ties to a Topeka church known for picketing military funerals. But GOP challenger Jack Wu said Wednesday that he plans to spend no money in his race against Democratic incumbent Carolyn Campbell in the 4th State Board of Education District. Campbell filed a finance report this week showing her campaign spent about $12,000 from July 27 through Oct. 25. Most of the money went for cable TV spots pointing out Wu's affiliation with Westboro Baptist Church. The church has gained national attention over its funeral protests. Wu is not a member, but he attends services and has described the congregation as friends.==============================Feds Charge Wichita Firm for Hiring Illegal ImmigrantWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have charged a Wichita firm for knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant as manager of one of its McDonald's restaurants. A criminal information filed Wednesday in federal court charges McCalla Corp. with aiding and abetting the use of a false document. The firm operates six McDonald's restaurants. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says a tentative plea agreement has been reached in which the company will pay $400,000 in fines and forfeitures. He says the company was charged with only one count, but that the investigation revealed numerous illegal immigrants. Roy McCalla, the firm's president, says in a statement released through his attorney that the charge is based on the actions of one employee, who no longer works for the company. McCalla says the incident does not reflect the company's policies.==============================Judge Orders Newspaper to Reveal Name of CommenterTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas judge has ordered a newspaper to identify an online commenter who is accused of accessing a news story during a first-degree murder trial in which he was a juror. Shawnee County District Judge Steven Ebberts last week denied a request by The Topeka Capital-Journal to quash a subpoena for the information. The case involves a commenter on CJOnline.com using the pseudonym of "BePrepared" who accessed a news story in July about the trial of Anceo Stovall and posted a comment. A man believed to be "BePrepared" asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination at a September hearing when asked if he was a juror during the Stovall trial and posted under the identity of "BePrepared." The newspaper says it will comply with the order.==============================Kansas Proposes Room and Board Increase Next YearLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is seeking an increase of about 2.54 percent for room and board, starting next fall. The university says the proposed rate would increase the cost of a traditional residence hall double room to about $3,900 per academic year. The cost of the dining plan would be more than $3,500. University officials are also proposing a $260 fee for Internet data service for each student, rather than having students pay the Internet provider. The Lawrence Journal-World reports university housing officials say if the increases are approved, Kansas' housing and dining rates would remain below Big 12 and national averages. The Kansas Board of Regents will consider the request, along with those of five other universities, at its monthly meeting in November.

After trading fire across the Israel-Lebanon border for almost a year, this week Israel and Hezbollah have intensified the fighting. Here’s a look at Hezbollah, its origins, goals and leadership.

Mitch McConnell may well wish to wash his hands of this year's blood-letting over the debt limit and all it entails. But he knows it will not be that easy. He may know that better than anyone.

What had once been a sport associated largely with white girls is increasingly dominated by women of color. And more elite gymnasts are competing in the NCAA while they go for the gold.

Tong first blew minds as the drummer of the British post-punk band Bloc Party. In his recent years with the genre-agnostic Algiers, he's found his place chasing a more collective mood.

Ukraine has launched an investigation into war crimes officials believe have been committed by Russian forces during the course of the invasion.

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.

In an evenly divided Senate, the moderate Democrat is key to passing President Biden's massive infrastructure and jobs proposal. Now he's facing pressure from unions back home to support the measure.