Midwest
Kansas secretary of state launches 2026 GOP gubernatorial bid for seat held by 2-term Democrat
FIRST ON FOX: Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is launching a campaign for the state’s Democrat-held governor’s seat in 2026, announcing his run exclusively with Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
Schwab, who is running as a Republican, is seeking to replace Kansas’ Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly, who will have held the seat for eight years when her term ends next cycle.
“We need to return to the values and principles that have always fueled us, and gave me the strength to lead in Topeka,” Schwab, Kansas’ two-term secretary of state, said in a press release shared with Fox News Digital. “I have a proven conservative record. And a servant’s heart. It’s important for Kansas to take the right path.”
Schwab was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2002, serving as speaker pro tempore of the state’s House of Representatives before being elected secretary of state in 2018.
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Scott Schwab is running for the Kansas governor’s seat in 2026. (Schwab for Kansas)
“A Christian, a father, and a believer in the American dream. I believe that to do something great, you need to throw off the chains holding you back,” Schwab said in his official campaign launch. “For Kansas, that’s big government, and that is why I am running for Governor.”
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Schwab noted his alignment with President-elect Donald Trump on several key issues as one of the reasons he is launching a bid for governor.
Specifically, Schwab noted in his first campaign ad that, if elected, he intends to stop China from buying farmland, increase security as it pertains to elections and cut property taxes.
Scott Schwab, who won the Republican primary for Kansas secretary of state, addresses a watch party during an election night gathering on Aug. 7, 2018, in Overland Park. (John Sleezer)
The candidate, who made his Christian faith a focal point of his campaign launch, also highlighted that he wants the U.S. to return to the “values that have always fueled us.”
Although the state currently has a Democrat governor, its leadership is predominantly Republican, with two GOP senators and three of its four congressional seats held by Republicans.
Kelly, who has served two terms as governor, insinuated that she might not seek re-election in the 2026 midterms.
“It is really time for me to move on and to let others come up and serve,” Kelly told KCUR’s Up To Date in 2024.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite/File)
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the recently elected chair of the Republican Governors Association, said the Kansas race is going to be a top priority for the GOP in 2026.
“I’m going to be very engaged, you can rest assured, to making sure that my [successors] are Republican,” Kemp, who is term-limited next cycle, previously told Fox News Digital.
“We’ll be working with the Trump administration and a lot of other people to make sure that that’s happening not only in Georgia, but in other states around the country, in places like Kansas, where we have a Democratic governor right now, in places like Arizona, where we have a really good shot at winning the governor’s races. So we’re going to be on offense.”
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Michigan
Body of 13-year-old boy who went missing in Lake Michigan waters recovered by Indiana officials
The body of a 13-year-old boy who went into Lake Michigan waters at a northwest Indiana beach and didn’t resurface has been recovered, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The recovery was confirmed to NBC Chicago Wednesday morning. It comes two days after officials say the boy went swimming at Washington Beach in Michigan City with a group of friends.
No further details on the boy’s identity have been released.
Searches for the boy were suspended Monday night and Tuesday due to “challenging water conditions” and high waves. All day Monday, Lake Michigan beaches in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan were under a high swim risk with a beach hazards statement from the National Weather Service in effect.
The statement warned of dangerous waves as high as five feet, and “life threatening currents.”
The incident unfolded about 5:43 p.m. Monday at Washington Park Beach, with Michigan City police responding to the beach for a possible drowning. Witnesses say they saw a child wearing red shorts enter the water on the east side of the catwalk just south of the lighthouse and then disappear beneath the surface.
Dangerous water conditions “significantly complicated search efforts,” Michigan City police said. About 10:44 p.m., police posted an update saying dive operations had been suspended “due to hazardous conditions that posed a risk to responder safety.”
According to the update, three of the four MCFD divers sustained minor injuries during the search and were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. A DNR diver was also injured, police said, and was evaluated on scene.
“Strong currents, changing wave action, and limited visibility beneath the water can quickly overwhelm even experienced swimmers and rescuers,” police said. “We urge everyone to pay close attention to beach conditions, heed all posted warnings, and stay out of the water when hazardous conditions are present.”
According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, there have been 23 Great Lakes drownings to date in 2026. 12 of those, the site showed, have been in Lake Michigan.
The entirety of the Metro Transit Blue Line and parts of the Green Line will shut down for a few weeks this summer and be replaced by buses as crews work to swap worn track and outdated equipment.
The Blue Line will be offline from June 29 to Aug. 19. The west end of the Green Line — from West Bank to Target Field — will shut down between July 1 and July 26 and again between Aug. 16 and Aug. 19.
Metro Transit says buses will stop at or near the stations every 15 minutes. Some boarding locations will be moved to Hiawatha Avenue, and staff will help guide riders to their bus stops for the construction period.
Nearly every stop along the 22-year-old Blue Line will see improvement, Metro Transit says. The stations will be outfitted with real-time signs and shelter glass.
“We recognize that this needed maintenance work will be disruptive to riders, but once completed, the work we do this summer will help improve the customer experience for years to come,” said General Manager Lesley Kandaras.
The Green Line will be back in service for the beginning of August to accommodate summer events, such as Twins and Lynx games, the WWE Summer Slam at U.S. Bank Stadium and Noah Kahan and Ed Sheeran concerts.
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A practical guide to choosing an ice cream maker you’ll actually use.
Think you know the best ice cream shop in Missouri? Ask ten people, and you’ll likely get ten different answers.
Cheapism, a website focused on budget living, is weighing in on the debate with its recently released list of the best ice cream shops in every state. Here’s what it selected as Missouri’s best ice cream spot:
What’s the best ice cream shop in Missouri, according to Cheapism?
The media outlet selected the winners by scouring through Reddit threads, Yelp reviews, Google ratings and local favorites to find the best ice cream shop in every state.
Factoring all of that in, the honor of Missouri’s best ice cream shop goes to Clementine’s Ice Cream in St. Louis.
Clementine’s is a locally owned artisanal ice cream shop founded in 2015, known for its “naughty” (alcohol-infused) and “nice” (nonalcoholic) offerings, as well as non-dairy options.
The company has expanded from its beginnings as a single shop to multiple locations, boasting 11 shops across the Midwest, with three more on the way.
What’s Clementine’s best ice cream flavor?
Clementine’s also landed on Food & Wine’s list of essential ice cream flavors for all 50 states with its gooey butter cake ice cream.
The magazine praised the “super creamy” texture of the cream cheese ice cream and appreciated the large chunks of Clementine’s homemade gooey butter cake mixed throughout.
What is gooey butter cake?
For those not in the know, gooey butter cake is one of the Show Me State’s best-kept secrets, with its origins tracing back to St. Louis in the 1930s.
The cake allegedly came about when a baker accidentally reversed the butter-to-flour ratio while making a batch of coffee cake, resulting in a gooey, custard-like filling. Given it was the Great Depression, the bakery decided to sell the resulting cake rather than waste it, making it a hit with locals in the process.
It became so popular, in fact, that other bakeries in the city soon began making their own versions, and an iconic Missouri treat was born.
How to find a Clementine’s near you
Clementine’s has more than a dozen locations, mostly centered around St. Louis. It also has locations in Kansas City and Bentonville, Arkansas.
A Clementine’s is scheduled to open in Columbia this summer.
Check out this map to find the nearest Clementine’s location near you:
You can also get Clementine’s shipped directly to your front door via Goldbelly.
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