TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A woman has lunged at a man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing an 8-year-old girl during his capital murder trial.

The Topeka Capital-Journal eports that several police officers caught the woman before she made contact with Billy Frank Davis Jr. He is accused of kidnapping Ahliyah Irvin in March 2012 while she slept in her Topeka apartment, where Davis was a neighbor.

The altercation happened as Davis was being escorted from the courtroom at the start of the afternoon break. Earlier in the day the dryer in which the girl was found was wheeled into the courtroom. Jurors also saw a photo of the victim’s body.

Police have said Davis told detectives that he kidnapped and choked the girl during a flashback to his military service in Iraq.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has lost another legal skirmish in its efforts to salvage the state’s battered ban on gay marriage.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected on Tuesday the state’s request to convene the full court to hear its appeal of U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree’s order that the state allow same-sex marriages.

The latest procedural development from the federal appeals court in the case has little practical effect because the U.S. Supreme Court has already refused an emergency request to block Crabtree’s order. It means that, as usual, a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit will hear arguments over the preliminary injunction issued in the Kansas case.

Also, the U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to resolve soon the question of whether state marriage laws excluding same-sex couples are unconstitutional.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state economist says Kansas has regained the private-sector jobs it lost during the most recent recession but has seen a shift away from employment in manufacturing.

Kansas Department of Labor senior economist Tyler Tenbrink also said Wednesday that wages haven’t rebounded fully from the recession when adjusted for inflation.

Tenbrink reported on employment and wages during a meeting of a council advising Republican Gov. Sam Brownback on the economy. He said manufacturing jobs have been mostly replaced by jobs in professional and business services.

Tenbrink said the state should see continued growth in private, non-farm employment for the next six to 12 months.

Brownback successfully pushed personal income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy, but the state now faces budget shortfalls.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials say more state, municipal and school district workers will qualify for health coverage starting next year because of the federal health care law.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports more than 2,000 employees will become eligible for full-time health benefits starting Jan. 1. The director of the Kansas State Employee Health Plan says the expansion is the result of the federal Affordable Care Act. The law requires large employers to provide health benefits to full-time employees.

Officials say the increase will cost state and local taxpayers about $5.3 million a year.

Under the federal law, anyone who works at least 30 hours a week is a full-time employee.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from federal regulators, Honda is expanding a recall of driver’s side air bags to all 50 states.

The air bags, made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp., can explode with too much force, sending metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

Takata insists that current recalls covering 8 million U.S. cars in high-humidity areas are sufficient. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants the recalls expanded nationwide after some incidents outside the high-humidity zones.

Rick Schosteck, Honda’s executive vice president for North America, told House lawmakers Wednesday that Honda will expand the regional recall it began in June, but will continue to prioritize high-humidity areas.

He also said Honda is working with other air bag manufacturers to make sure it has enough parts.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas says it will start offering a bachelor’s degree in applied science in biotechnology.

Classes for the new degree will begin in the spring semester at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. It will be the university’s first bachelor of applied science degree.

The university said in a news released Tuesday that the new degree program will prepare students for careers in life-sciences by bridging the gap between biology, biochemistry and clinical laboratory sciences.

The university says the Monthly Labor Review report forecasts that jobs in life, physical and social science occupations will increase by 15 percent by 2020. Kansas City is home to 200 life-science companies, including 90 contract research organizations.

The Supreme Court announced it has selected Kathy S. Lloyd to become Missouri’s new state courts administrator, beginning January 1, 2015. Lloyd currently is the court administrator for the 13th Judicial Circuit (Boone and Callaway counties). The state courts administrator, who reports to the clerk of the Supreme Court of Missouri, is responsible for leading a staff of approximately 220 people in supporting the work of all of Missouri’s state courts.

“I am pleased that Kathy Lloyd has accepted the Court’s offer to become its new state courts administrator,” Chief Justice Mary R. Russell said. “After spending most of her professional career working at the circuit court level in a variety of increasingly responsible positions, Kathy has earned the respect of her judges, her staff and local community leaders. I believe Kathy’s proven track record in court management and understanding of our court system will enable her to serve Missouri’s citizens and legal community well in her new role.”

Missouri’s former state courts administrator, Gregory J. Linhares, resigned his position effective June 30 to become clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Since then, Gary Waint has been serving as interim state courts administrator.

MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up a pregnancy discrimination case with the potential to affect many American women who continue to work throughout their pregnancies.

The case before the justices Wednesday involves a former driver for United Parcel Service who wanted a temporary assignment to avoid lifting heavy packages after she became pregnant in 2006.

UPS refused to accommodate driver Peggy Young, who was on unpaid leave until two months after she gave birth.

The court is weighing whether the company’s actions violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Young says she should have been offered light-duty work because some UPS workers were.

The Atlanta-based package delivery company says it will voluntarily offer pregnant women light duty starting in January. But the company contends it complied with the law in Young’s case.