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Democrat Ponders Challenge to JenkinsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence Democrat is considering challenging GOP incumbent Representative Lynn Jenkins next year for the 2nd District U.S. House seat in eastern Kansas. Margie Wakefield, a family law attorney, says Monday that she is meeting with Democrats in the district to assess her potential to be a candidate. She will spend the next two months meeting with voters before making a formal decision. Wakefield worked for Republican U.S. Senator Bob Dole after graduating from college. She said 2nd District voters need representation that will work with Republicans and Democrats on issues. Jenkins, a former state legislator and state treasurer, was elected to the U.S. House in 2008 when she defeated incumbent Democrat Nancy Boyda. The 2nd District includes the cities of Topeka, Lawrence, Pittsburg and Leavenworth.==========Brownback Names New Secretary of AdministrationTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has appointed a former utility executive to be the new secretary of the Department of Administration. Brownback named Jim Clark, a former vice president of Kansas Gas Service, to lead the Department of Administration, which oversees purchasing, upkeep of state office buildings and computer and phone services for state agencies. Clark was also a former vice president for Topeka-based Westar Energy. He replaces interim Secretary Mark McGivern who had filled the post since January when Dennis Taylor left the agency to become the executive director of the Kansas Lottery. Clark is a certified public accountant with a degree from Regis University in Denver. He serves as the chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants.==========Police Chief Made Decision to End Wichita StandoffWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police chief Norman Williams says he made the final decision to order a shot that ended a 32-hour standoff last week at a Wichita apartment complex. Williams told reporters Monday that authorities had tried numerous times to negotiate with the suspect. He says the decision to "take him out" was based on the man firing shots earlier at a Kmart store and at officers during the ensuing standoff. He also noted the length of the standoff. The police chief declined to say who took the kill shot because the investigation is continuing. Authorities used water pressure cannons to knock down sheet rock to see inside the barricaded apartment and explosive devices to gain entry. The Reno County sheriff is leading an ongoing investigation into the incident.==========Osage County Sheriff Seeking Missing Man, Age 67TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Osage County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a 67-year-old man. The sheriff's office said in a release Monday that Raleigh D. Heskett of Lyndon, was last seen late Sunday in Coffey County driving a 2002 GMC full size brown van, bearing Kansas license plate 417DCF. The sheriff's office says Heskett has a severe laceration to his right forearm that occurred Saturday. If Heskett is located, he may need immediate medical attention. Heskett is 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, and has a grey beard and mustache. He also has a panther and cobra tattoo on his left arm and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black ball cap.==========Analysis: Names Disclosure Dispute Actually About Future of Kansas CourtsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Governor Sam Brownback has riled his centrist and liberal critics by declaring that he won't release the names of the applicants for a new seat on the Kansas Court of Appeals. But a bigger issue fuels the angst of Brownback's critics. They see the changes for the state's second-highest court as part of a larger campaign to ensure that GOP conservatives take over the state's appellate courts. Under a law that took effect this month, Brownback will appoint Court of Appeals judges, subject to Senate confirmation. In the old system — still in place for the Kansas Supreme Court — a statewide commission screened applicants and named three finalists, with no role for legislators after the governor's appointment. The nominating commission served as a check on the governor's power.========== Brownback Monitoring Kansas Scale IssuesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback is monitoring efforts by the Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Weights and Measures to increase the accuracy of heavy capacity scales. The department's efforts to regulate more than 4,000 large scales used to weigh scrap metal, recyclables, agricultural products and other goods has been criticized for lack of accuracy. Brownback, a Republican and former state agriculture secretary, tells the Topeka Capital-Journal that a Kansas system that uses licensed private inspectors to certify scales, with follow-up inspections by state staff, may need some tweaks. However, the governor says the result is better than when scales were examined only by state inspectors. The governor helped develop the semi-privatized system when he was secretary from 1986 to 1993.==========Colloton to Lead Human Trafficking Fight in KansasTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Attorney General's office has named a former legislator to lead a unit aimed at implementing state laws on human trafficking. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday that Pat Colloton, a Leawood Republican, will be the assistant attorney general in charge of the newly-formed Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. Colloton's job will involve implementing legislation passed this year that includes increased penalties for trafficking and services for victims. Colloton is a lawyer and served four terms in the House, starting in 2004. Colloton was also chairwoman of the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.==========Tree-Killing Beetle Found in Johnson CountyKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A beetle that has killed millions of ash trees in the eastern U.S. and parts of the South has been detected in Johnson County. The Kansas Department of Agriculture said Monday that the emerald ash borer was found in a tree near the Johnson County landfill. Trees there were being inspected after the presence of emerald ash borer was found last summer in Wyandotte County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the beetle's presence in Johnson County on July 11. Ash trees become infested when adult beetles lay eggs on the bark, leading to larvae that bore into the tree. Kansas has enacted an emergency quarantine for Johnson County, similar to a quarantine in place in Wyandotte County, to prevent the further spread of the emerald ash borer in Kansas.========== Missouri and Kansas See Increase in Drowning DeathsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drowning deaths have risen dramatically in both Missouri and Kansas this year. State officials say that before this weekend, 24 drownings had been reported this year in Missouri, four more than all of last year. And in Kansas, 12 drownings had been reported before this weekend, double the average for an entire year. The Kansas City Star reports that officials in both states say the pleasant summer weather likely has contributed to the increase, with more people venturing out to the states' waterways. Most of the drownings have occurred in lakes and man-made ponds, not swimming pools. Water patrol officials warn people to always wear life jackets and to be aware that lakes and ponds often have steep drop-offs that swimmers can't see.==========Ellsworth Man Drowns in Wilson LakeSYLVAN GROVE, Kan. (AP) — Russell County authorities say a man drowned during the weekend at Wilson Lake in central Kansas. The victim was identified as Monday as Richard Roach of Ellsworth. Fishermen competing in a bass tournament found the body near the lake's dam early Sunday. Russell County authorities say in a news release that alcohol appeared to be a factor in Roach's drowning. It was the second drowning at the lake in a week. The body of 38-year-old George Willenberg of Hoisington was found a week ago Sunday at the lake. He drowned while apparently trying to swim across a cove after the boat he was on experienced mechanical problems.========== Authorities Search for Missing Man in Kansas RiverKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are searching for a man who disappeared in the Kansas River while attempting to swim across it. The Kansas City Star reports that the 30-year-old man last was seen swimming around 7 pm Saturday near an Interstate 435 bridge. Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department deputy chief Craig Duke says the man's friends lost sight of him. Authorities using boats searched until 10 pm Saturday and then resumed the search Sunday morning. One of the boats being used in the search is equipped with sonar equipment.==========Body Found in Kansas RiverKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Rescue crews have recovered a body from the Kansas River. The Kansas City Star reports that the Kansas City, Kansas fire department declined to say if the body appeared to be the man who disappeared while swimming in the river Saturday evening. Searchers from several area agencies looked for the man, who was last seen about 7 pm Saturday swimming in the river. They suspended the search later Saturday before resuming efforts Sunday without success.==========Muslim Inmates at HCF Engage in Sacred ObservanceHUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Muslim inmates at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility are joining their religious brethren in the observance of Ramadan. That takes some effort from prison officials, who change procedures to allow about 60 inmates to follow the practice of not eating or drinking during daylight hours. Food services provide the inmates with a small meal before daylight and another meal after the sun has gone down. Those who are able to gather together four of the five times during the day to pray. Ramadan began July 8 and ends August 7. The Hutchinson News reportsthat Chaplain Oscar Gomez and prison staff plan for Ramadan for months. But Gomez says prison officials will reject some requests if they pose a safety risk.==========Kansas Survivalist Faces Trial over GrenadesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A survivalist who feared the world economy was on the verge of collapse faces trial in federal court in Wichita for possession of unregistered destructive devices. Alfred Dutton,a 67-year-old veteran of both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, goes to trial Tuesday for illegally having grenades. Investigators also found anti-government materials on his computer along with a "manifesto" on how make an ammonium nitrate bomb. Numerous containers of that chemical were found along with fireworks, ammunition, gunpowder and firearms. The defense contends the prosecution is trying to paint Dutton as a "mad bomber" with plans to take on the U.S. government. His attorney portrays him as a veteran who collected military items and was preparing to sell collectible World War II era hand grenades through the online auction site eBay.==========1 Dead, 4 Injured in Overnight Wichita ShootingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police have identified a man shot to death at a weekend party. The Wichita Eagle reportsthat 27-year-old James Gary was killed in the shootout early Sunday. Lieutenant Scott Heimerman says four other people were injured, including two critically. The shooting occurred at a warehouse that had been rented out for a party. Police say more than 100 people had gathered at the warehouse and parking lot when arguments broke out and shots were fired. Heimerman, head of the department's gang unit, says the shooting is gang-related. Heimerman says police have also identified a suspect but have not released the suspect's name or description. Captain Brent Allred says it's the ninth homicide of the year in Wichita.==========Man Killed in Drive-By Shooting in Overland ParkOVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Overland Park police are investigating the death of a man killed in a drive-by shooting outside his home. Police identified the victim as Raymon K. Thomas, who is in his 30s. He was shot Sunday afternoon as he was walking out of his house to his car. No one else was injured. Overland Park police are looking for two male suspects who witnesses said were in a red or maroon Ford Taurus with Missouri license plates. One of the men got out of the car and shot Thomas several times before the suspects drove away. Witnesses described the shooter as a heavy set black man with a shaved head or very short hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.==========KC Man Charged in Motorcyclist's DeathKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 24-year-old Kansas City man is charged in a traffic accident that killed a Belton man whose wife and daughter were killed earlier in a separate traffic crash. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said Monday that Ronald J. O'Kelly is charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the April death of Leroy "Buddy" Bronson. Bronson's wife, Diane K. Bronson, and their 11-year-old daughter, Anna, died in July 2011 after their car was hit by a vehicle going the wrong way on an area interstate. The driver of the oncoming car had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and is serving 15 years in prison. Online court records didn't list a lawyer for O'Kelly.==========KU Endowment Receives $1M GiftLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Endowment Association has announced a $1 million unrestricted donation. The KU Endowment says Barbara Werbe Meek, a 1960 KU graduate who lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has committed to a $1 million gift to the university. The gift is unrestricted, which means it can be used for any purpose at KU with the approval of the Endowment's executive committee. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Meek chose to give the unrestricted gift because it was the wish of her late husband, Richard Meek, who died in 1999. The Meeks met at KU and were married for nearly 40 years. Barbara earned a bachelor's in education in 1960, while Richard received a bachelor's in 1958 and a master's in 1962, both in geology. He worked for Exxon.==========Kansas Reports Higher-Than-Average Skin Cancer Rate HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — As a state with a large number of outdoor workers, Kansas has a problem with skin cancer. The Hutchinson News reports that a 2009 study by the Center for Disease Control shows that more than a million people in the United States have been diagnosed with skin cancer. That makes it the most common cancer. Kansas has 9 percent more new melanoma cases than the national average. About 80 Kansans die from skin cancer every year. Bill Heer has had several suspicious spots removed from his arms, including a few that were pre-melanoma skin cancer. The former head agronomist at Kansas State's South-Central Kansas Research Field recalls burning often while growing up on a farm in the 1950s and 1960s. Experts say those early burns put people at risk.==========Teen Hurt in Joyride with 12-Year-Old DrivingWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 15-year-old boy is hospitalized with a head injury after four minors took a car for a joyride. Police say two 15-year-olds, a 12-year-old and a 9-year-old took their mother's rental car without permission Sunday morning and started driving around the neighborhood. Sergeant Scott Brunow says the 12-year-old was driving when one of the 15-year-olds tried to climb out onto the vehicle's back end. The 15-year-old slid off and hit his head on the street. The 12-year-old drove the injured teenager to the hospital.==========6-Year-Old Girl Burned in Fire Last Week DiesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 6-year-old Wichita girl who was burned last week in a fire has died. Wichita fire investigator Chris Dugan said Monday the girl died Sunday. She had been hospitalized since being burned Thursday in the fire in southeast Wichita. The fire began when she and her two sisters - ages 7 and 4 - were alone in the home. Fire officials say the 6-year-old used a lighter to set plastic on fire, which set her clothes on fire. Neighbors pulled the girls from the home. The 7-year-old was treated and released at a hospital. The 4-year-old was not hospitalized. The 6-year-old had second- and third-degree burns on 40 percent of her body. Police say the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office will consider possible charges against the mother.==========Carjacker Drives Away with Sleeping ChildrenINDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Two children who were sleeping in a car when it was stolen from an Independence (Missouri) motel were still snoozing when officers rescued them. The Kansas City Star reports that the car was stolen early Sunday while the mother was checking into America's Best Value Inn. She had left the children unattended with the keys in the car. Shortly after midnight, Independence police alerted law enforcement agencies across the area. Kansas City police officers called about 45 minutes after recovering the car. The children were still asleep and unharmed in the car. They were reunited with their mother. Independence detectives continue to investigate at the motel.==========Kansas Attraction Changes Name to Rolling Hills ZooSALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Salina attraction is getting a new name. The Salina Journal reports that Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure is becoming Rolling Hills Zoo. Executive director Robert Jenkins says the new name is a better reflection of what the 64,000-square-foot museum and 60-acre zoo has to offer. He says the name "Wildlife Adventure" is a little confusing to the general public. He says the new name will make billboards clean and allow people to know what to expect. The zoo started in 1999 as an area dedicated to the conservation and propagation of rare and endangered species in a natural setting. It now includes a wildlife museum, conference center, traveling exhibit area, children's exploration room and theater. There also are projects in science education, conservation and animal care and welfare.=========== Some Kansas Residents to Receive Help with Energy BillsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Eligible Kansas residents will receive additional assistance through a state program to help them pay their summer utility bills. The Kansas Department for Children and Families says that low-income residents who received assistance during the winter months to help will receive a supplemental payment of approximately $103. Those checks would be on top of average payment of $386 issued to 48,000 residents this winter through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program. DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore says the extra financial assistance helps residents stay safe from extreme heat. She says the funds are in the process of being distributed. The program is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is available for qualifying residents with disabilities, older adults and families with children.

Hispanics in Nevada are poised to have a substantial say in choosing the Democratic presidential nominee. The Democratic Party is aggressively courting the community for caucus participants in Saturday's caucuses. Many of them are savoring the moment as a sign of political clout.

Investigators say the former president and first lady exerted undue influence on the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate during a 2022 election.

President Trump's signature came after the Senate voted 54 to 46 to approve a spending bill to fund the government through the end of September.

Kansas Income Tax Changes Take EffectTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Sweeping changes in the Kansas tax code take effect Tuesday, with new rates for individual income taxpayers. The laws were approved by the Legislature in May and signed by GOP Governor Sam Brownback. They are part of the administration's efforts to improve the state's business climate and increase the amount of money residents keep in their paychecks. The top individual income tax rate drops to 4.9 percent from 6.45 percent. The owners of 191,000 businesses are exempt from income taxes. The changes are expected to cost the state about $4.5 billion over the next six years. Brownback hasn't ruled out keeping the sales tax rate at 6.3 percent to help with budgeting. The rate was increased in 2010 and is scheduled to drop to 5.7 percent in July.================ Recent Audit Examines Sale of Surplus State PropertyLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A recent audit finds the state could do a better job of selling its unused property. The Legislative Division of Post Audit found that the Department of Administration has failed to accomplish some key tasks. The report says the division lacks the authority to independently designate what properties are surplus. The audit also says the state's central asset inventory of real property is inaccurate and incomplete. And the process for selling surplus property includes disincentives. But the Lawrence Journal-World reports that there are obstacles in selling the properties. Some of the properties need title searches, others need appraisals, and some land is being leased for other purposes. The Department of Administration says it will put many of the audit's recommendations into action and report back to legislators by April.================ Kansas Revenues Beat December ForecastTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say the state is finishing 2012 with strong revenue collections, beating estimates by $30 million for December. The Revenue Department said Monday the state collected $602 million in December, compared with the $572 million that had been forecast. Individual income tax payments in December played a big role, exceeding estimates by $27 million. December sales tax revenues came in at $184.6 million, about $5 million less than expected. The department also said revenue collections are running $32.7 million ahead of projections for the first half of the fiscal year that began July 1st. Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan called Monday's report a positive sign for the Kansas economy.================ Kansas State's Snyder Tapped as Bobby Dodd Coach of the YearATLANTA (AP) — Kansas State's Bill Snyder, who guided the Wildcats to an 11-1 regular season, is the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year. Snyder was announced as the unanimous winner of the award at halftime of Monday night's Chick-fil-A Bowl between 9th ranked LSU and Number 14 Clemson. The winner is picked each year by votes from a panel which includes previous winners. Kansas State will play Oregon in Thursday's Fiesta Bowl. The award is named for a longtime coach at Georgia Tech.================ Wichita Benefactor Jean Garvey Dies at 90WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita's Orpheum Theater will be the setting for a memorial service for Jean Kindel Garvey, a well-known philanthropist whose causes included education, social services and the arts. The Wichita Eagle reports that the 90-year-old widow of businessman Willard Garvey died Sunday at her Wichita home. In 1963, the Garveys co-founded the Wichita Collegiate School, a private school for children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. In 1980, Jean Garvey founded The Independent School, another private institution designed to provide quality education for children from all backgrounds. Jean Garvey also contributed time and resources to numerous nonprofit groups. And in May 2012, she donated $1 million toward the renovation of the Orpheum Theater, where her memorial service will take place Saturday.================Sperm Donor Claims Child Support Case is Politically MotivatedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple who conceived a child says a state effort to force him to pay child support is politically motivated. William Marotta told The Topeka Capital-Journal Monday that he has already paid attorneys thousands of dollars to fight efforts by the state to collect child support. When he donated sperm to the couple in 2009, Marotta relinquished all parental rights, including financial responsibility to the child. After the couple filed for state assistance this year, the state demanded they provide the donor's name so it could collect child support. The state says the agreement between Marotta and the couple is not valid because it didn't meet the requirements of a Kansas law that requires a licensed physician to perform artificial insemination.================Woman's Mother-in-Law to Stand Trial in DeathTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The mother-in-law of a Topeka woman who was killed in October will go on trial for her alleged part in the death. A judge ruled after a preliminary hearing Monday that 57-year-old Manuela Alcala of El Paso, Texas, will be tried for first-degree murder in 34-year-old Ashley Alcala's death. Her trial is scheduled to start March 25. The victim's husband, 32-year-old Manuel Alcala of Topeka, and two 19-year-old men from El Paso are also charged with first-degree murder in her death. One of the 19-year-old men is also Manuela Alcala's son. Testimony on Monday indicated that investigators found a hand-drawn map at Manuela Alcala's home in El Paso that had an "X'' marking the Topeka home of Ashley Alcala. Testimony also showed that Manuela Alcala owed her daughter-in-law about $4,000.================ Judge Won't Block Suit Against Nebraska Pipeline LawLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A district judge in Lancaster County, Nebraska has refused to block a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Nebraska's new pipeline siting law. Judge Stephanie Stacy on Monday denied a state request to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed in May by three landowners along the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline. The lawsuit says the law that passed in April unlawfully delegated powers to the governor that belong with the Public Service Commission. It also says the law stemmed from unconstitutional special legislation because it benefited only one entity, TransCanada. The company's pipeline is designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. TransCanada also has proposed connecting it to the Bakken oil field in Montana and North Dakota.================ UMKC Receives $1.3M Federal GrantKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City has received a $1.3 million, five-year federal grant. The grant from the National Institute on Aging will be used to support the development of new drug therapies for protecting nerve cells from decay caused by chronic diseases. The lead investigator is Peter Koulen, a professor and vision researcher at the School of Medicine. Researchers at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and West Virginia University also are involved in the research.================Chiefs CEO Hunt Taking Bigger Role in FranchiseKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Clark Hunt is regarded as an intensely private man, someone who prefers to operate behind the scenes and away from the spotlight that comes with owning an NFL franchise. In some ways, that's about to change. Hunt fired coach Romeo Crennel on Monday as part of a shakeup of the entire structure of a franchise that his father, the late Lamar Hunt, founded 53 years ago. The younger Hunt said he plans to hire the next coach and that the individual will report to him, rather than through the general manager — a change in the way the team has operated since its inception. Hunt has refused to say whether GM Scott Pioli will be retained.

Jeanine Pirro, Tucker Carlson and others are being grilled under oath in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News for spreading lies about a voting tech company's role in the 2020 elections.

CIA director Michael Hayden says the agency destroyed videotapes of its interrogations of two top al Qaida suspects, made in 2002. Philip Zelikow, executive director of the 9/11 Commission, had hoped to review the tapes.

The top official of the EPA for the 4-state region that includes Kansas says state regulators misled the Kansas Supreme Court in arguments about a controversial coal-fired power plant. Kansas Public Radio’s Bryan Thompson has more.

The Big 12 Conference is still alive and kicking. But its commissioner, Dan Beebe, appears to be on his way out. The Kansas City Star has reported today (THUR) that Beebe is laying the ground work for his departure. And with the apparent shakeup at the top, Kansas Public Radio's Greg Echlin reports the Kansas Board of Regents is looking for some stability.

Top legislative leaders had called for Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson to suspend his deputy for giving out more money for school buses than the law directed.