Lawrence

• The Douglas County Commission approved a 3.4 percent market pay increase pool and a 1 percent merit pay pool for county employees. →
• The Douglas County Commission approved $1.28 million in workforce stabilization funds for Douglas County Consolidated Fire District No. 1. →
• The Douglas County Commission approved $485,095 to pay off mortgages on Family Promise of Lawrence transitional housing properties. →
• The Douglas County Commission pledged $1.5 million in Behavioral Health Funds for the Judge Jean Shepherd Youth Recovery Center. →
• The Douglas County Commission approved $500,000 to support the Baldwin City Economic Development Corporation's childhood care facility. →
• A KU-developed AI chatbot that has fielded more than 1,000 questions connecting Kansas families with autism and disability resources could shut down by year's end, as its American Rescue Plan funding expires; researchers are seeking new funding to keep the human-vetted service running. →
• Grab your sunglasses today, Lawrence, because we're looking at a beautiful, sunny Tuesday with a high near 91°F and just a light breeze.

🌾 Kansas

• Gov. Laura Kelly on July 13 appointed Johnson County District Judge K. Christopher Jayaram to the Kansas Supreme Court, marking her fifth appointment to the seven-member bench. →

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 13 lowered its national winter-wheat estimate to about 990 million bushels, as Kansas farmers reported yields as low as 30 bushels per acre amid persistent drought in western Kansas. →

• Home-schooled and virtual student participation in Kansas public-school sports and activities rose 154% over three years, reaching 1,307 students in 2025-26, according to a July 8 legislative audit. →

• About 60 Kansas first responders from Johnson, Sherman and Reno counties deployed to Colorado on July 13 to help battle four large, actively spreading wildfires, including the 34,848-acre Gold Mountain Fire. →

• July 14 marks the deadline for Kansans to register to vote in the Aug. 4 primary, which features a crowded field for the open governor's seat and a ballot measure on electing Supreme Court justices. →

🇺🇸 US

• The U.S. reimposed its naval blockade of Iranian ports on July 13 after Iran struck two Emirati tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. strikes on more than 100 Iranian targets and a formal War Powers notification to Congress. →

• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone on July 13 to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, making her the state's first female senator. →

• A coalition of 12 Democratic attorneys general sued July 13 to block Paramount Skydance's roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging the Trump administration's earlier unconditional approval. →

• TSMC reported June revenue surged 67.9% year-over-year to about $13.75 billion, pushing first-half 2026 revenue up 35.6% amid continued AI chip demand. →

• Ukraine launched more than 350 drones at the Moscow region over two days through July 13, killing at least four people, as Kyiv and nine European allies announced a new Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition. →

Weather

JULY 14, 1789: FRENCH REVOLUTIONARIES STORM THE BASTILLE

Parisian crowds and mutinous troops seized the Bastille fortress, a hated symbol of Bourbon royal tyranny. The dramatic capture marked the beginning of the French Revolution and helped bring down King Louis XVI and the ancien régime. 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.