Newton

• The Newton City Commission will consider exceeding the revenue-neutral rate for the 2027 budget, which may increase property taxes. →
• The Harvey County Commission will meet to set the maximum tax levy for its 2027 budget and consider a revenue-neutral rate hearing notice. →
• The City of Newton Street Division will begin a three-day street resurfacing project on July 14, causing temporary road closures. →
• It's going to be a beautiful, sunny Monday here in Newton with a high near 89°F and just a light easterly breeze, making for a perfect day to head outdoors.

🌾 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.