TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Dr. Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas Communication studies professor, said that the most successful presidents tend to be the best persuaders.

President Joseph R. Biden and Former President Donald J. Trump are trying to prove that point in the June 27th, 2024 Presidential Debates.

Biden and Trump have different rhetorical skills and styles, making this first presidential debate one to remember.

Dr. Rowland believes that Biden often speaks to a shared identity between all Americans, while Trump activates negative emotions, that resonate with his base.

Both candidates will need to answer public doubts over their perceptions.

“A lot of people are fearful about former President Trump and he needs to reassure them,” said Dr. Rowland. “His normal tendency is to attack, attack, and attack, and that risks activating the same kind of fear that led to President Biden being elected.”

Biden has a couple of issues he must address on the stage tonight. “President Biden needs to reassure people about the status of the economy, and that he gets it; that he knows that the inflation spike has been hard on people. He especially needs to reassure people about his vigor. That he has the mental acuity and the energy to serve another four years.”

The debate will be tonight at 7 pm. CST. You can view it on our station at that time.

Copyright 2024 WIBW. All rights reserved.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, police released the name of a teenager found shot to death June 24 in the parking lot of a church at Bannister and Raytown roads.

Tytus Bridgeford, 16, was found about 9:30 a.m.

Police asked for the public’s help to identify the victim and were able to get that information released Thursday.

No motive is known for the homicide and no arrests have been made.

This is the 72nd homicide of the year in KCMO.

There had been 97 homicides in KCMO at this time last yearl

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

Strike a pose and snap a photo at Topeka’s most Instagrammable location.

An organization recently named the Topeka Zoo the eighth most Instagrammable place in Kansas.

Top 10 most Instagrammable places in Kansas

Bonus Finder, a media company based in Denmark, checked the social media hashtags of more than 2,700 landmarks across the United States.

These were found to be the most popular Kansas sites, according to the hashtags.

• No. 1: Flint Hills has the most popular Kansas hashtag with 75,888 posts.
• No. 2: Kansas Speedway has 22,275 posts under its hashtag.
• No. 3: Allen Fieldhouse has 13,353 hash tagged posts.
• No. 4: The Sedgwick County Zoo hashtag has 13,327 posts.
• No. 5: Grinter Sunflower Farms has 10,795 hashtagged posts.
• No. 6: INTRUST Bank Arena has 7,323 posts.
• No. 7: Monuments Rocks Natural Landmark has 7,111 posts hashtagged.
• No. 8: Topeka Zoo had 5,865 hashtagged posts.
• No. 9: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve has 5,116 hashtagged posts.
• No. 10: The Wichita Gardens have 3,371 posts hashtagged.

Topeka Zoo employees and other reaction to the ranking

The Topeka Zoo has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram. The zoo also has a TikTok account with more than 35,000 followers and 1.3 million likes. On Facebook, the zoo has more than 55,000 followers and more than 44,000 likes.

“That’s very exciting,” guest engagement supervisor Brea Schmidt said. “I’m very happy to hear that. We definitely work hard every day to make sure we are sharing what we think guests want to see. So, to hear we were found eighth most Instagrammable is pretty exciting.”

Jen Goetz, creative and strategy director for the zoo, said the magic is in finding balance between what people want to see and following the zoo’s mission of conservation and education.

When asked what other Topeka sites they would have liked to see on the list, Schmidt and Goetz gave a shout-out to their neighbor, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center.

“I’m not surprised our incredible, growing Topeka Zoo made the list! From special displays like Zoo Lights to the furry faces that greet you, the Topeka Zoo is a must-visit attraction here,” president of Visit Topeka Sean Dixon said in a written statement. “The zoo is located in our beautiful Gage Park, which is where you’ll find more photogenic fun like the carousel and mini train.”

Here are some more Instagrammable sites in Topeka

Dixon said while the list didn’t include them, there are plenty of Instagrammable places across the city.

“And there are several other Instagrammable spots across Topeka that would have made our list,” Dixon said. “Don’t miss the rainbow-painted Equality House, the stunning Kansas Capitol, NOTO and its many murals, the Governor’s Mansion trails, and more.

“There is no shortage of photo ops when you know where to look.”