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Kansas stops enforcing a law against impersonating election officials

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Kansas stops enforcing a law against impersonating election officials


TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is no longer enforcing a 3-year-old law making it a felony to impersonate election officials as it faces a legal challenge from critics who argue that the law has hindered efforts to register new voters.

Attorneys for the state and groups suing over the law agreed on stopping its enforcement, and District Judge Teresa Watson in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, issued an order earlier this week ratifying their agreement. Her order will remain in effect at least until another court hearing after the November election.

The law made “falsely representing” an elections official punishable by up to 13 months in prison for a first-time offender, though two years’ probation would have been the most likely sentence. The crime includes causing someone to believe another person is an election official. The Republican-controlled Legislature enacted the law in 2021 by overriding a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

The groups challenging the law argue it’s so vague that volunteers who register voters could face criminal charges if someone mistakenly believes they are election officials, even if those volunteers are clear that they aren’t verbally, in writing or on signs. State officials have scoffed at that argument, but groups curtailed their activities, including one involved in the lawsuit, Loud Light, which seeks to register young people.

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“We are fired up and ready to register thousands of young Kansans to vote again,” Davis Hammet, Loud Light’s president, said in a statement Wednesday, describing the law as a ”voter registration suppression scheme.”

The law was among a series of measures tightening election laws approved by GOP legislators who said they were trying to bolster public confidence in elections. There’s no evidence of significant fraud, but baseless conspiracies continue to circulate because of former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

This year, GOP lawmakers hoped to settle the groups’ legal challenge by rewriting the law so that someone would have to intentionally impersonate an election official to be guilty of a crime. They had the backing of the state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Scwhab, a Republican who has vouched for the integrity of state elections.

Schwab spokesperson Whitney Tempel said the goal was “reducing voter confusion,” but lawmakers tied the change to another measure limiting the spending of federal funds on state elections. Kelly vetoed it, and Republicans couldn’t override her.

“The recent temporary injunction issued underscores our concerns and continues to highlight the need to clarify this law,” Tempel said in a statement.

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Besides Loud Light, the other groups involved in the lawsuit are the League of Women Voters of Kansas, the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, which advocates for voters with disabilities.

Watson initially refused in 2021 to block the law’s enforcement and a state Court of Appeals panel later dismissed the case. But in December, the Kansas Supreme Court revived it, saying the law is vague enough for the groups to contest it.

In May, in a follow-up ruling that involved challenges to other election laws, the Supreme Court directed Watson to reconsider blocking the anti-impersonation law.

But that received far less attention than what the Supreme Court said about voting rights generally.

An article of the state constitution allows people 18 and older to vote, it requires “proper proofs” of their eligibility. A 4-3 majority of the Supreme Court declared that the constitution’s Bill of Rights doesn’t protect voting as an “inalienable natural” right — an idea the dissenters passionately rejected — significantly lessening the chances that legal challenges to restrictions will succeed.

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Where to watch Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 24

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Where to watch Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 24


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Wednesday as the Kansas City Royals visit the Tampa Bay Rays.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays?

First pitch between the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, June 24.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

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  • Matchup: KC at TB
  • Date: Wednesday, June 24
  • Time: 6:40 p.m. (ET)
  • Venue: Tropicana Field
  • Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
  • TV: Royals.TV and Rays.TV
  • Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for June 24 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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Jac Caglianone make puny ball go very far in Royals win

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Jac Caglianone make puny ball go very far in Royals win


Tonight, the Kansas City Royals dismantled the Tampa Bay Rays in a cathartic 12-5 victory. It was a full-team showing, with Carter Jensen extending his hit streak to 14 games, Nick Loftin swatting a home run on a four-hit night, and Luinder Avila navigating his way through five tough innings of one-run ball in front of some of some incredibly bad infield defense.

But you’re here for Jac Caglianone, who ended the day with three hits and a pair of home runs. Here’s his first, which came immediately after Loftin’s home run in the first frame of the game and sounded like a thunderclap.

And here’s the other one, an arguably more impressive center-left shot to the deepest part of the ballpark.

To say that Caglianone has been on fire would not be accurate, because he is fire right now. Tonight’s gigantic dongs were his eighth and ninth of the month of June; they extended his hitting streak to five games and his home run streak to four games.

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This was one of those games were so much happened that, paradoxically, nothing much happened, because each successive hit meant less and less as the score ballooned and ballooned. I mentioned the infield defense–Salvador Perez lost two popups, and the rest of the infield didn’t see them, either. That required Avila to essentially get five outs in one inning. It was really quite comical in hindsight, but groan-worthy in the moment for sure.

Pretty much everyone got involved in the offense. Lane Thomas and Starling Marte were the only two batters without a hit. Michael Massey, Perez, and Kameron Misner recorded doubles, which in addition to the home runs made six extra base hits. The Royals did a nice job totally putting the game away in the eighth inning against Steven Matz, who was just tossing batting practice out there.

Kansas City’s bullpen also did a nice job (mostly). It helps to have such a big lead, but Stephen Cruz and Matt Strahm pitched before the lead was quite as big as it was, and you know what? They both turned in clean innings! So, too, did Beck Way. Someone named “Connor Seabold” came in to pitch the ninth, and the Royals might as well have sent Tyler Tolbert out there. Seabold gave up a trio of runs, but the Royals closed it out.

At 34-46, the Royals are still closer to the American League basement than they are the penthouse. But have you looked at the AL right now? The current owners of the third Wild Card slot, the Toronto Blue Jays, don’t even have a .500 record. What a weird year.



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Kansas City police bring in extra help for World Cup events

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Kansas City police bring in extra help for World Cup events


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City police say extra help from other departments is giving the agency more flexibility during World Cup-related events, matches and regular patrols across the city.

KCPD said officers from dozens of other departments are helping with safety efforts around major events, including watch parties, Fan Fest and crowds at Kansas City Stadium.

The department said officers from across Kansas and Missouri have stepped up to help. Officers from Oklahoma City and Ohio are also assisting, including mounted officers who brought horses.

Police said the extra staffing is needed because officers still have to respond to regular calls across the metro during the events. KCPD blocked vacation time this month to keep officers available.

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Sgt. Jake Becchina with KCPD’s Media Relations Unit said people attending the events may notice officers from several agencies.

“If you walk through Fan Fest, you may see a dozen police officers from a dozen different departments that are here helping us out,” Becchina said.

Becchina said people have noticed the added police presence.

“Probably one of the most overwhelming themes or regular themes I hear is, ‘I feel safe here. I see a lot of police officers. Thank you guys for being here,’” Becchina said.

With the Netherlands playing Thursday, the Orange Bus and Army are en route, with a large parade planned that morning. Becchina said police are prepared for the crowds expected around the events.

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Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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