K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For July 20th, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE JUNIOR SENATOR FROM ARIZONA SAYS SEN. JOHN MCCAIN TOLD HIM ABOUT HIS BRAIN TUMOR ONLY AT THE END OF A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, SAYING HE WAS "FEELING FINE, BUT I MIGHT HAVE SOME CHEMOTHERAPY IN MY FUTURE." SEN. JEFF FLAKE SAYS HIS COLLEAGUE IS "OPTIMISTIC OBVIOUSLY. HE'S JOHN MCCAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE'D EXPECT."

WASHINGTON (AP) - JEFF SESSIONS WAS THE FIRST REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATOR TO ENDORSE DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT AND TRUMP REWARDED HIM WITH THE POST OF ATTORNEY GENERAL. BUT NOW TRUMP IS DISPLEASED WITH SESSIONS, TELLING THE NEW YORK TIMES HE WOULDN'T HAVE INSTALLED HIM IN THE COUNTRY'S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT JOB IF HE'D KNOWN SESSIONS WAS GOING TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. SESSIONS DID SO AFTER IT WAS REVEALED HE FAILED TO DISCLOSE MEETINGS WITH MOSCOW'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A GROUP OF SENATE REPUBLICANS IS MAKING ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT PULLING TOGETHER A HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL BILL THAT CAN GAIN ENOUGH GOP VOTES TO GET THROUGH THE SENATE. SOME TWO-DOZEN LAWMAKERS WERE INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATIONS THAT WENT WELL INTO THE NIGHT WEDNESDAY. BUT THEY OFFERED NO SIGNS OF VISIBLE PROGRESS FOLLOWING THE CAPITOL HILL SESSION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. THEIR MEETING CAME AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP LECTURED THEM AT THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT SENDING HIM THE LEGISLATION.

LOVELOCK, NEV. (AP) - O.J. SIMPSON IS MAKING THE CASE ON LIVE TV FOR HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON, WHERE THE 70-YEAR-OLD FORMER FOOTBALL STAR HAS BEEN SERVING A 33-YEAR SENTENCE FOR AN ARMED ROBBERY INVOLVING SPORTS MEMORABILIA. SIMPSON WILL ASK NEVADA PAROLE OFFICIALS THURSDAY TO RELEASE HIM IN OCTOBER.

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA (AP) - HOW MUCH HAVE NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR AND MISSILE PROGRAMS COST? BY SOME MEASURES NOT MUCH: A SOUTH KOREAN ESTIMATE INDICATES THE NORTH HAS SPENT ROUGHLY AS MUCH ON ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS THE U.S. HAS ON A SINGLE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE. BUT NUKES ARE A HUGE PORTION OF THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND DRAW CRIPPLING SANCTIONS. SO FAR IT'S A PRICE NORTH KOREA IS WILLING TO ACCEPT.
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THE SHERIDAN MAN WHO DEMANDED THE RELEASE OF PUBLIC RECORDS ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KRISTI RICHARDSON AND THE DEATH OF MICK MCMURRY SAYS THE CITY OF CASPER AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT APPEAR TO BE STALLING.

SHERIDAN MEDIA, HEADED BY SHERIDAN BUSINESSMAN KIM LOVE, SUED THE CITY AND POLICE DEPARTMENT IN LATE MAY AFTER IT UNSUCCESSFULLY ASKED THEM FOR DOCUMENTS ABOUT RICHARDSON'S UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE IN OCTOBER 2014, MCMURRY'S SUICIDE THE FOLLOWING MARCH, AND ANY POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO CASES.

LOVE SAID RELEASING THE DOCUMENTS WILL GIVE THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE HANDLING OF THE CASES, AND RAISE THE POSSIBILITY THAT MORE LEADS MAY SURFACE.

THE CITY AND POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED THEY CAN'T TURN OVER THE RECORDS BECAUSE INTERIM POLICE CHIEF STEVE SCHULZ TURNED THEM TO THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.

TWO WEEKS AGO, NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE THOMAS SULLINS ORDERED DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY WILLIAM CHAMBERS AND INTERIM POLICE CHIEF STEVE SCHULZ TO APPEAR IN HIS COURT ON SEPTEMBER 21 TO ANSWER WHY THEY SHOULD NOT RELEASE ANY OTHER AVAILABLE RECORDS.

BUT LAST WEEK, CHAMBERS RESPONDED THAT SCHULZ WOULD BE OUT OF TOWN THAT DAY AND ASKED FOR A LATER DATE.

THAT DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH LOVE AND HIS ATTORNEY BRUCE MOATS, WHO WANT TO KEEP THE SEPTEMBER 21 DATE, ADDING OTHER POLICE OFFICIALS COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS AND THAT THE REQUEST FOR A LATER DATE LOOKS LIKE THE CITY IS STALLING.
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NATRONA COUNTY HAS ISSUED A FIRE BAN FOR ALL OF NATRONA COUNTY, THIS INCLUDES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF CASPER. NO OUTDOOR BURNING IS PERMITTED. THE ONLY EXCEPTION WOULD BE PERSONAL OR HOME USE OF CHARCOAL GRILLS.

NO CHARCOAL GRILLS ARE ALLOWED IN PARKS, RECREATIONAL AREAS, OR CAMPGROUNDS.
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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - GOV. MATT MEAD SAYS WYOMING'S BUDGET WOES AREN'T AS BAD AS PREDICTED, BUT HE SAYS THE STATE STILL FACES BIG CHALLENGES WITH FUNDING ITS PUBLIC K-12 SCHOOL SYSTEM.

MEAD SAID WEDNESDAY THAT THE STATE GENERAL FUND IS EXCEEDING PROJECTIONS BY ABOUT $70 MILLION. OTHER REVENUE, INCLUDING VARIOUS SCHOOL FUNDS, ALSO ARE DOING BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED.

HOWEVER, THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR SAYS THAT'S STILL ISN'T ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE ESTIMATED $250 MILLION A YEAR SHORTFALL EXPECTED IN EDUCATION.

WHILE THERE'S TALK OF MORE CUTS AND NEW REVENUE, MEAD SAYS EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR A REPORT FROM CONSULTANTS ON WHETHER WYOMING SHOULD CHANGE HOW IT FUNDS SCHOOLS.

SEPARATELY, MEAD SAYS HE OPPOSES SANCTUARY CITIES AND DOESN'T AGREE WITH LETTING THE FEDERAL HEALTH CARE LAW FAIL ON ITS OWN WITHOUT A REPLACEMENT.