Lawrence

• The Douglas County Commission debated lowering the projected property tax delinquency rate to 1.5 percent to free up $461,000 in funds. →
• The Douglas County Commission backed a $1.28 million staffing expansion to add 10 full-time positions to Consolidated Fire District No. 1. →
• The Douglas County Commission debated whether to retain a proposed 1 percent merit pay pool for county employees. →
• The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission recommended approval of a new Burroughs Creek Trail mural by artist Dave Loewenstein. →
• The Peoples Market has opened at 846 Illinois Street in Lawrence, partnering with local groups to host workshops, studio events, and more. →
• The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission is seeking local artist applications and nominations for the annual Phoenix Awards by early August. →
• Grab your sunglasses, Lawrence, because we're looking at a beautiful, sunny Monday with a high near 90°F and just a light breeze.

🌾 Kansas

• Ellsworth County prosecutors charged Aaron French, 37, and Makayla French, 28, each with four felony counts of aggravated child endangerment after a young child found an unsecured shotgun and fatally shot two siblings, ages 5 and 8, in Brookville in March. →

• The Lyon County Election Office rejected a petition seeking to ban high-impact data centers in Emporia, ruling that circulators failed to properly document or notarize signature witnessing despite gathering nearly 1,400 signatures. →

• South Bow, operator of the Keystone pipeline system, agreed to a roughly $70 million federal consent decree, including a $26.9 million civil penalty, over a December 2022 rupture that spilled about 543,000 gallons of crude oil into a Washington County, Kansas, creek. →

• Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rev. Adam Hamilton campaigned in McPherson on July 11, pitching himself as a moderate who would push for higher Medicaid and KanCare reimbursements ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. →

• Authorities arrested Ricardo Johary Cadena-Garcia, 36, in Oklahoma after a shooting early July 12 at a Dodge City bar killed two men and wounded two others. →

🇺🇸 US

• Iranian and U.S. forces exchanged wider strikes across the Gulf, with the two sides reaching an initial agreement early July 13 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend their ceasefire. →

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died July 11 at age 71 from a torn artery, triggering a special election process that begins with candidate filing July 21 and culminates in the Nov. 3 general election. →

• Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., revealed July 12 that a June 14 fall left him briefly unconscious and hospitalized, ending weeks of silence amid rumors about his health. →

• The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law July 11 without President Trump's signature, enacting more than 45 provisions to boost housing supply as Trump pushes a separate voter-ID bill. →

• Palm Beach International Airport officially became President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, changing its FAA and IATA codes from PBI to DJT. →

Weather

JULY 13, 2013: #BLACKLIVESMATTER HASHTAG FIRST APPEARS, SPARKING A MOVEMENT

After George Zimmerman was acquitted in the killing of Trayvon Martin, Alicia Garza posted “Black lives matter” on Facebook, a phrase that was quickly turned into the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter by fellow organizer Patrisse Cullors. The slogan soon spread across social media and the streets, becoming a rallying cry for a growing movement against racism and police violence in the United States and around the world. 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.