Lawrence

• University of Kansas researchers joined a $1.9M NSF grant using KU's fungi library to study drought tolerance in wheat and rice crops. →
• The Lawrence Connected City Advisory Board approved a downtown street alignment for the Lawrence Loop using a $1.23 million state grant. →
• Lawrence signed a contract to equip sanitation vehicles with RFID readers and smart software to log cart pickups and illegal set-outs. →
• Lawrence will launch a $6,000 crosswalk compliance campaign using high-visibility signs to improve pedestrian safety near schools. →
• Expect partly sunny skies and light winds across Lawrence today with a pleasant high near 77°F.

🌾 Kansas

• Fitch Ratings revised Kansas' credit outlook from stable to positive on Sept. 22 while affirming its AA rating, citing stronger fiscal resilience and a $2 billion rainy day fund. →

• The Riley County Law Enforcement Agency Board will now require its approval before the police department can renew or expand its roughly $30,000 annual Flock Safety license plate reader contract. →

• Riley County's application for $31.7 million in federal jail funding faces renewed opposition, including a petition with more than 500 signatures, over requirements to cooperate with ICE. →

• Former Western Plains USD 106 Superintendent Jeff Michael Jones was charged Sept. 18 in Ness County District Court with nine felonies and 10 misdemeanors, including theft of district property valued at $25,000 to $100,000. →

• Kansas milk production rose 13.9% in August from a year earlier, the fastest growth among 24 major dairy states tracked in a USDA report released Sept. 22. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Wednesday as the two countries agreed to extend their trade truce through Jan. 10, 2027. →

• A federal judge issued an emergency 14-day restraining order early Thursday requiring the White House to restore permanent press credentials to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. →

• Kansas emerges as a Senate battleground as Democrat Adam Hamilton edges Republican incumbent Roger Marshall 45%-43% in a new poll, with ICE detentions in southwest Kansas meatpacking towns fueling tensions before the vote. →

• Ohio lawmakers plan to vote Sept. 30 on suspending state gas and diesel taxes, while more than 30 industry groups urged Trump to reject a proposed diesel export ban. →

• An FDA advisory committee voted Wednesday to recommend approval of Grail's Galleri multi-cancer blood test despite unresolved questions about its effectiveness in reducing cancer deaths. →

Weather

SEPTEMBER 24, 1789: FIRST U.S. SUPREME COURT IS ESTABLISHED

Congress passes the Judiciary Act of 1789, creating a six-justice Supreme Court with life tenure. President George Washington immediately nominates John Jay as chief justice and five associate justices, cementing the new federal judiciary’s authority.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.