WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election.

Temporary spending bills generally fund agencies at current levels, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and additional money was added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things.

Lawmakers have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-funding-speaker-johnson-b77fc73b1474cbee5213219358985f71">struggled</a>&nbsp;to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month's end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.

But Johnson abandoned that approach to reach an agreement, even as Trump insisted there should not be a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement.

Bipartisan negotiations began in earnest shortly after that, with leadership agreeing to extend funding into mid-December. That gives the current Congress the ability to fashion a full-year spending bill after the Nov. 5 election, rather than push that responsibility to the next Congress and president.

In a letter to Republican colleagues, Johnson said the budget measure would be “very narrow, bare-bones" and include "only the extensions that are absolutely necessary.”

“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances," Johnson wrote. "As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would evaluate the bill in its entirety before this week's vote, but with the agreement, “Congress is now on a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown that would hurt everyday Americans.”

Rep. Tom Cole, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, had said on Friday that talks were going well.

“So far, nothing has come up that we can't deal with," said Cole, R-Okla. “Most people don't want a government shutdown and they don't want that to interfere with the election. So nobody is like, ‘I’ve got to have this or we're walking.' It's just not that way.”

Johnson's earlier effort had no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate and was opposed by the White House, but it did give the speaker a chance to show Trump and conservatives within his conference that he fought for their request.

The final result — government funding effectively on autopilot — was what many had predicted. With the election just weeks away, few lawmakers in either party had any appetite for the brinksmanship that often leads to a shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the same agreement could have been reached two weeks ago, but “Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time.”

"As I have said throughout this process, there is only one way to get things done, with bipartisan, bicameral support,” Schumer said.

Now a bipartisan majority is expected to push the short-term measure over the finish line this week. The agreement on the short-term measure does not mean getting to a final spending bill will be easy in December. The election results could also influence the political calculations if one party fares much better than the other, potentially pushing the fight into early next year.

The Secret Service funding also comes with a string attached, with lawmakers making it contingent on the Department of Homeland Security providing certain information to a House task force and Senate committee investigating the assassination attempts made against Trump.

In a recent letter, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump’s security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. said this week that the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726703032615.png" alt="File photo House Speaker Johnson during a press briefing last week after a failed vote on the spending deal-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo House Speaker Johnson during a press briefing last week after a failed vote on the spending deal-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders announced an agreement Sunday on a short-term spending bill that will fund federal agencies for about three months, averting a possible partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1 and pushing final decisions until after the November election.Temporary spending bills generally fund agencies at current levels, but an additional $231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and additional money was added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things.Lawmakers have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-funding-speaker-johnson-b77fc73b1474cbee5213219358985f71">struggled</a>&nbsp;to get to this point as the current budget year winds to a close at month's end. At the urging of the most conservative members of his conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had linked temporary funding with a mandate that would have compelled states to require proof of citizenship when people register to vote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726692527169.png" alt="Johnson and Donald Trump during a visit last week in Florida-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Johnson and Donald Trump during a visit last week in Florida-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>But Johnson abandoned that approach to reach an agreement, even as Trump insisted there should not be a stop-gap measure without the voting requirement.Bipartisan negotiations began in earnest shortly after that, with leadership agreeing to extend funding into mid-December. That gives the current Congress the ability to fashion a full-year spending bill after the Nov. 5 election, rather than push that responsibility to the next Congress and president.In a letter to Republican colleagues, Johnson said the budget measure would be “very narrow, bare-bones" and include "only the extensions that are absolutely necessary.”“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances," Johnson wrote. "As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice.”House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would evaluate the bill in its entirety before this week's vote, but with the agreement, “Congress is now on a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown that would hurt everyday Americans.”Rep. Tom Cole, the House Appropriations Committee chairman, had said on Friday that talks were going well.“So far, nothing has come up that we can't deal with," said Cole, R-Okla. “Most people don't want a government shutdown and they don't want that to interfere with the election. So nobody is like, ‘I’ve got to have this or we're walking.' It's just not that way.”Johnson's earlier effort had no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate and was opposed by the White House, but it did give the speaker a chance to show Trump and conservatives within his conference that he fought for their request.The final result — government funding effectively on autopilot — was what many had predicted. With the election just weeks away, few lawmakers in either party had any appetite for the brinksmanship that often leads to a shutdown.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the same agreement could have been reached two weeks ago, but “Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time.”"As I have said throughout this process, there is only one way to get things done, with bipartisan, bicameral support,” Schumer said.Now a bipartisan majority is expected to push the short-term measure over the finish line this week. The agreement on the short-term measure does not mean getting to a final spending bill will be easy in December. The election results could also influence the political calculations if one party fares much better than the other, potentially pushing the fight into early next year.The Secret Service funding also comes with a string attached, with lawmakers making it contingent on the Department of Homeland Security providing certain information to a House task force and Senate committee investigating the assassination attempts made against Trump.In a recent letter, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump’s security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. said this week that the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.

House Speaker axes Trump voting restrictions in new gov't funding deal

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with robbing a bank in Lawrence, Kansas.

According to court documents, Alfonzo Cole, 41, of Lawrence is charged with one count of bank robbery.

Cole is accused of using force, violence, and intimidation on July 2, 2024, to take U.S. currency from an employee at a Bank of America branch on Ohio Street.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726863160188.png" alt="Photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with robbing a bank in Lawrence, Kansas.According to court documents, Alfonzo Cole, 41, of Lawrence is charged with one count of bank robbery.Cole is accused of using force, violence, and intimidation on July 2, 2024, to take U.S. currency from an employee at a Bank of America branch on Ohio Street.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case

Man accused of Kansas bank robbery

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man accused in deadly incident with a gun that left his roommate dead has accepted a plea deal.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Peter McKinney, 22, of Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 5-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On July 1, McKinney accidentally shot and killed his roommate 25-year-old Sebastion Crawford while handling a loaded handgun in a bedroom of their apartment on North Rock Road in Wichita.

Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

First responders located&nbsp; Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

McKinney was originally was charged with second-degree reckless murder. On July 23,&nbsp; he changed his plea to voluntary manslaughter. As part of the plea agreement, McKinney must also register as a violent offender for 15 years after his release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719921077048.png" alt="McKinney photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>McKinney photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A Kansas man accused in deadly incident with a gun that left his roommate dead has accepted a plea deal.On Thursday,&nbsp;Peter McKinney, 22, of Wichita, was sentenced to nearly 5-years in prison, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On July 1, McKinney accidentally shot and killed his roommate 25-year-old Sebastion Crawford while handling a loaded handgun in a bedroom of their apartment on North Rock Road in Wichita.Just after 11a.m. July 1, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications received a call reporting a shooting at the&nbsp;Rockborough apartment complex, 202 N Rock Road in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719885319829.png" alt="-Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located&nbsp; Crawford of Wichita with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.McKinney was originally was charged with second-degree reckless murder. On July 23,&nbsp; he changed his plea to voluntary manslaughter. As part of the plea agreement, McKinney must also register as a violent offender for 15 years after his release.

Kan. man takes plea deal for mishandling gun that killed his roommate

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansans are uninsured at a rate higher than the rest of the country for a third-straight year, but the effects of Medicaid “unwinding” have yet to be seen, recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows.

More than 240,000 Kansas residents are without health insurance, which translates to an uninsured rate of 8.4%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2023.S2701?q=Kansas%20uninsured" target="_blank">American Community Survey data</a>, which was released Sept. 12.

The national uninsured rate is just below 8%, and 2023 is the third year in a row Kansas’ rate has exceeded the national one, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khi.org/articles/kansas-uninsured-rate-holds-steady-but-remains-higher-than-the-u-s-rate/" target="_blank">Kansas Health Institute</a>, a Topeka-based nonpartisan research organization. However, the 2023 Kansas uninsured rate is an improvement from 2022, when it was at 8.6%.

“While the effects of policies such as the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provisions in Medicaid and the continuation of enhanced subsidies for the federally facilitated marketplace may have combined with other trends in 2023 to keep the uninsured rate steady for Kansans, we expect that those policy effects may not be fully seen until at least next year’s release,” said Kari Bruffett, KHI president and chief executive officer, in a news release.

COVID-19 policies required Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled in their health insurance until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.

Beginning in April 2023, states began “unwinding” these pandemic-era protections, which, in Kansas, resulted in roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/28/114k-kansans-lost-medicaid-coverage-in-post-pandemic-unwinding-review/">114,000 people losing coverage</a>&nbsp;as of August. Kansas completed its unwinding in May.

“In addition, the data tell us that wide disparities in insurance coverage continued in 2023, and data that will be released this fall will allow us to describe more completely the experiences of Kansans across the state,” Buffett said.

Latino Kansans were uninsured in 2023 at a rate of 20%, which was four percentage points higher than the national uninsured rate among Latinos. Nearly 11% of Black Kansans were uninsured in 2023 while white Kansans were uninsured at a rate of nearly 6%. People with incomes below the federal poverty threshold, which was about $30,000 annually for a family of four in 2023, were uninsured at a rate of nearly 17%, according to the survey data.

Kansas is one of 10 U.S. states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility requirements to include most adults who make up to 138% of the federal poverty threshold. That’s $20,783 or less for an individual and no more than $43,056 for a family of four. In Kansas, the eligibility requirements to qualify for KanCare are much more stringent. Children, their parents, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities qualify for KanCare if their household income falls within&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/national-medicaid-chip-program-information/medicaid-childrens-health-insurance-program-basic-health-program-eligibility-levels/index.html" target="_blank">varying levels of the poverty threshold</a>. Parents qualify for coverage if their yearly earnings are less than 38% of the federal poverty threshold, which is about $11,900 or less for a family of four in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/" target="_blank">2024</a>.&nbsp;

Nationally, the uninsured rate for those making less than 138% of the poverty threshold “significantly decreased” in 2023, but Kansas’ decrease wasn’t significant, KHI said.

In February,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/22/new-estimate-predicts-medicaid-expansion-would-serve-152k-at-no-cost-to-state/">KHI estimated</a>&nbsp;a Medicaid expansion plan proposed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would provide coverage to 152,000 low-income Kansans, including 45,000 children, with no net cost to the state for eight years. The GOP-led Legislature blocked the plan from advancing.

The Kansas and national uninsured rates are both at their lowest since 2009, according to the survey data. Uninsured rates in Kansas and the rest of the country peaked in 2010 at nearly 14% and 15.5% respectively.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726771908515.jpeg" alt=" A sign held at a KanCare Medicaid expansion rally on March 15, 2023, highlights the coverage gap that makes health insurance unaffordable for many in the state. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> A sign held at a KanCare Medicaid expansion rally on March 15, 2023, highlights the coverage gap that makes health insurance unaffordable for many in the state. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Kansans are uninsured at a rate higher than the rest of the country for a third-straight year, but the effects of Medicaid “unwinding” have yet to be seen, recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows.More than 240,000 Kansas residents are without health insurance, which translates to an uninsured rate of 8.4%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2023.S2701?q=Kansas%20uninsured" target="_blank">American Community Survey data</a>, which was released Sept. 12.The national uninsured rate is just below 8%, and 2023 is the third year in a row Kansas’ rate has exceeded the national one, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khi.org/articles/kansas-uninsured-rate-holds-steady-but-remains-higher-than-the-u-s-rate/" target="_blank">Kansas Health Institute</a>, a Topeka-based nonpartisan research organization. However, the 2023 Kansas uninsured rate is an improvement from 2022, when it was at 8.6%.“While the effects of policies such as the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provisions in Medicaid and the continuation of enhanced subsidies for the federally facilitated marketplace may have combined with other trends in 2023 to keep the uninsured rate steady for Kansans, we expect that those policy effects may not be fully seen until at least next year’s release,” said Kari Bruffett, KHI president and chief executive officer, in a news release.COVID-19 policies required Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled in their health insurance until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.Beginning in April 2023, states began “unwinding” these pandemic-era protections, which, in Kansas, resulted in roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/28/114k-kansans-lost-medicaid-coverage-in-post-pandemic-unwinding-review/">114,000 people losing coverage</a>&nbsp;as of August. Kansas completed its unwinding in May.“In addition, the data tell us that wide disparities in insurance coverage continued in 2023, and data that will be released this fall will allow us to describe more completely the experiences of Kansans across the state,” Buffett said.Latino Kansans were uninsured in 2023 at a rate of 20%, which was four percentage points higher than the national uninsured rate among Latinos. Nearly 11% of Black Kansans were uninsured in 2023 while white Kansans were uninsured at a rate of nearly 6%. People with incomes below the federal poverty threshold, which was about $30,000 annually for a family of four in 2023, were uninsured at a rate of nearly 17%, according to the survey data.Kansas is one of 10 U.S. states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility requirements to include most adults who make up to 138% of the federal poverty threshold. That’s $20,783 or less for an individual and no more than $43,056 for a family of four. In Kansas, the eligibility requirements to qualify for KanCare are much more stringent. Children, their parents, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities qualify for KanCare if their household income falls within&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/national-medicaid-chip-program-information/medicaid-childrens-health-insurance-program-basic-health-program-eligibility-levels/index.html" target="_blank">varying levels of the poverty threshold</a>. Parents qualify for coverage if their yearly earnings are less than 38% of the federal poverty threshold, which is about $11,900 or less for a family of four in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/" target="_blank">2024</a>.&nbsp;Nationally, the uninsured rate for those making less than 138% of the poverty threshold “significantly decreased” in 2023, but Kansas’ decrease wasn’t significant, KHI said.In February,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/22/new-estimate-predicts-medicaid-expansion-would-serve-152k-at-no-cost-to-state/">KHI estimated</a>&nbsp;a Medicaid expansion plan proposed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would provide coverage to 152,000 low-income Kansans, including 45,000 children, with no net cost to the state for eight years. The GOP-led Legislature blocked the plan from advancing.The Kansas and national uninsured rates are both at their lowest since 2009, according to the survey data. Uninsured rates in Kansas and the rest of the country peaked in 2010 at nearly 14% and 15.5% respectively.

Kansas uninsured rate remains worse than national average; 240K without health coverage

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID A. LIEB &nbsp;Associated Press</a>

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The U.S. is divided when it comes to state and federal marijuana policy, but recent political developments could move the country toward a greater acceptance of cannabis.

Both major presidential candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-trump-kamala-harris-dea-election-bdf75d4cd71fda5975fd3dcf29638499">signaled support</a>&nbsp;for a federal policy change to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and voters in several additional states will get a say this fall on legalization.

Though still illegal under federal law, public approval of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">marijuana</a>&nbsp;has grown significantly — and so has the number of states where it's legally sold in stores.

Possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and prison time. Selling or cultivating marijuana is a more serious federal crime, punishable by prison sentences of five years to life, depending on the quantity of the drug.

But many states have abolished their own marijuana penalties.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia — representing 53% of the nation's population — have legalized marijuana and now tax and regulate sales similar to alcohol, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which supports legalizing cannabis. An additional seven states have removed jail sentences for possessing small amounts of marijuana. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia have laws that allow the medical use of marijuana.

The Justice Department in May&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">proposed to reclassify marijuana</a>&nbsp;from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous Schedule III drug, which includes such things as ketamine and some anabolic steroids. But that switch involves a lengthy process.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has set&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-dea-election-5b3c7b20d67577c0a99d510b7e549dc9">a Dec. 2 hearing to take comment</a>&nbsp;on the proposal. That means a final decision could come after President Joe Biden leaves office in January.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, backs marijuana decriminalization and has said it’s “absurd” that marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-trump-kamala-harris-dea-election-bdf75d4cd71fda5975fd3dcf29638499">signaled support for the policy change</a>&nbsp;this past week. He posted on his social media platform that he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug” and said he would vote “yes” on a Florida ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-marijuana-2024-election-supreme-court-ad831352cb90abd5bbc873f498cbf286">The Florida initiative</a>&nbsp;would allow recreational sales to people over 21 from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, with the potential for the Legislature to license additional retailers. The proposal needs at least a 60% vote to pass and would take effect six months after voter approval.

The campaign has been the costliest of nearly 160 measures on state ballots this year, attracting tens of millions of dollars of contributions primarily from supporters, according to the election tracking organization Ballotpedia. Among the opponents are the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said it would reduce quality of life by leaving a marijuana stench in the air.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-election-8f5a443e1dca69cd3ded19c4e9acb3d6">Voters in North</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-south-dakota-ballot-aea95344f3688425ce6f4dc63f29172d">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;will be asked for the third time whether to legalize marijuana beyond medical use. The measures need a simple majority to pass.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has said initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana appear to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures-62c5f3bffa6f90f0ed0fad001741827c">enough petition signatures</a>&nbsp;to qualify for a statewide vote. He faces a Friday deadline to certify measures for the ballot.

About 70% of American adults said marijuana should be legal in&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/514007/grassroots-support-legalizing-marijuana-hits-record.aspx?link_id=2&amp;can_id=d2f7045307dbcbd674fa25210ee4af72&amp;source=email-gallup-more-americans-than-ever-say-marijuana-should-be-legal&amp;email_referrer=email_2106884&amp;email_subject=gallup-more-americans-than-ever-say-marijuana-should-be-legal">a Gallup poll</a>&nbsp;taken last year, the highest level recorded by the polling firm since it first asked about marijuana policy in 1969. By contrast, only about one-third of respondents supported marijuana legalization 20 years ago.

Last year's Gallup poll showed the highest support for marijuana among young voters, a key demographic in seven presidential battleground states.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.16519">analysis of national survey data</a>&nbsp;published earlier this year found that an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in 2022 — up dramatically from less than 1 million people in 1992. Though alcohol is still more widely used, the report marked the first time that the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-cannabis-alcohol-drinking-daily-use-b91c2c5957fdb2d48e6616c3baa14c13">Americans who use marijuana</a>&nbsp;just about every day surpassed the number who drink that often.

As legal marijuana becomes more widespread, some state officials are battling the sale of unregulated products derived from hemp, which is federally classified as distinct from marijuana. Some of those products are sold in packaging similar to common candies or chips and contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta8-marijuana-cbd-psychedelics-fda-ed31c96994d573368380b0cdf8a24acd">delta-8 THC</a>, a synthesized from of CBD that’s prevalent in hemp.

Some states have banned or restricted synthetic hemp products, including&nbsp;<a href="https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/266878.pdf">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2024/SF0032">Wyoming</a>, where new laws took effect July 1. Indiana authorities have warned stores to remove delta-8 THC products that they say also contain illegal amounts of the psychoactive delta-9 THC found in marijuana.

In Missouri, where marijuana was legalized in 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson raised concerns that certain hemp-derived products are being marketed to children and ordered a crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbd-delta8-thc-marijuana-cannabis-missouri-1eee287ba548058409b6d625a6f2fc82">by the state health department</a>. He joined with Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Tuesday to announce a task force focused on unregulated psychoactive cannabis products.

“We are not the only state facing this issue and not the only state taking action,” Parson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698531124512.png" alt="&nbsp;File Photo Rebecca Rivas" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;File Photo Rebecca Rivas</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVID%20A.%20LIEB%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVID A. LIEB &nbsp;Associated Press</a>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The U.S. is divided when it comes to state and federal marijuana policy, but recent political developments could move the country toward a greater acceptance of cannabis.Both major presidential candidates have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-trump-kamala-harris-dea-election-bdf75d4cd71fda5975fd3dcf29638499">signaled support</a>&nbsp;for a federal policy change to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and voters in several additional states will get a say this fall on legalization.Though still illegal under federal law, public approval of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">marijuana</a>&nbsp;has grown significantly — and so has the number of states where it's legally sold in stores.<h2>What does the law say?</h2>Possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and prison time. Selling or cultivating marijuana is a more serious federal crime, punishable by prison sentences of five years to life, depending on the quantity of the drug.But many states have abolished their own marijuana penalties.Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia — representing 53% of the nation's population — have legalized marijuana and now tax and regulate sales similar to alcohol, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which supports legalizing cannabis. An additional seven states have removed jail sentences for possessing small amounts of marijuana. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia have laws that allow the medical use of marijuana.<h2>What’s happening in Washington?</h2>The Justice Department in May&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-drug-policy-biden-15b43441670757b0c2bfa36731e47d07">proposed to reclassify marijuana</a>&nbsp;from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous Schedule III drug, which includes such things as ketamine and some anabolic steroids. But that switch involves a lengthy process.The Drug Enforcement Administration has set&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-rescheduling-dea-election-5b3c7b20d67577c0a99d510b7e549dc9">a Dec. 2 hearing to take comment</a>&nbsp;on the proposal. That means a final decision could come after President Joe Biden leaves office in January.Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, backs marijuana decriminalization and has said it’s “absurd” that marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD.Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-trump-kamala-harris-dea-election-bdf75d4cd71fda5975fd3dcf29638499">signaled support for the policy change</a>&nbsp;this past week. He posted on his social media platform that he would “continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug” and said he would vote “yes” on a Florida ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.<h2>What's on the ballot?</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-marijuana-2024-election-supreme-court-ad831352cb90abd5bbc873f498cbf286">The Florida initiative</a>&nbsp;would allow recreational sales to people over 21 from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, with the potential for the Legislature to license additional retailers. The proposal needs at least a 60% vote to pass and would take effect six months after voter approval.The campaign has been the costliest of nearly 160 measures on state ballots this year, attracting tens of millions of dollars of contributions primarily from supporters, according to the election tracking organization Ballotpedia. Among the opponents are the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said it would reduce quality of life by leaving a marijuana stench in the air.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-election-8f5a443e1dca69cd3ded19c4e9acb3d6">Voters in North</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-south-dakota-ballot-aea95344f3688425ce6f4dc63f29172d">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;will be asked for the third time whether to legalize marijuana beyond medical use. The measures need a simple majority to pass.Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has said initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana appear to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-medical-marijuana-ballot-measures-62c5f3bffa6f90f0ed0fad001741827c">enough petition signatures</a>&nbsp;to qualify for a statewide vote. He faces a Friday deadline to certify measures for the ballot.<h2>What are people saying?</h2>About 70% of American adults said marijuana should be legal in&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/514007/grassroots-support-legalizing-marijuana-hits-record.aspx?link_id=2&amp;can_id=d2f7045307dbcbd674fa25210ee4af72&amp;source=email-gallup-more-americans-than-ever-say-marijuana-should-be-legal&amp;email_referrer=email_2106884&amp;email_subject=gallup-more-americans-than-ever-say-marijuana-should-be-legal">a Gallup poll</a>&nbsp;taken last year, the highest level recorded by the polling firm since it first asked about marijuana policy in 1969. By contrast, only about one-third of respondents supported marijuana legalization 20 years ago.Last year's Gallup poll showed the highest support for marijuana among young voters, a key demographic in seven presidential battleground states.An&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.16519">analysis of national survey data</a>&nbsp;published earlier this year found that an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in 2022 — up dramatically from less than 1 million people in 1992. Though alcohol is still more widely used, the report marked the first time that the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-cannabis-alcohol-drinking-daily-use-b91c2c5957fdb2d48e6616c3baa14c13">Americans who use marijuana</a>&nbsp;just about every day surpassed the number who drink that often.<h2>What's happening with similar drugs?</h2>As legal marijuana becomes more widespread, some state officials are battling the sale of unregulated products derived from hemp, which is federally classified as distinct from marijuana. Some of those products are sold in packaging similar to common candies or chips and contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta8-marijuana-cbd-psychedelics-fda-ed31c96994d573368380b0cdf8a24acd">delta-8 THC</a>, a synthesized from of CBD that’s prevalent in hemp.Some states have banned or restricted synthetic hemp products, including&nbsp;<a href="https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/266878.pdf">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2024/SF0032">Wyoming</a>, where new laws took effect July 1. Indiana authorities have warned stores to remove delta-8 THC products that they say also contain illegal amounts of the psychoactive delta-9 THC found in marijuana.In Missouri, where marijuana was legalized in 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson raised concerns that certain hemp-derived products are being marketed to children and ordered a crackdown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cbd-delta8-thc-marijuana-cannabis-missouri-1eee287ba548058409b6d625a6f2fc82">by the state health department</a>. He joined with Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Tuesday to announce a task force focused on unregulated psychoactive cannabis products.“We are not the only state facing this issue and not the only state taking action,” Parson said.

Could America's divide on marijuana be coming to an end?

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Democrat Nancy Boyda says failure to say who paid for advertisements was result of ‘clerical errors’

TOPEKA — Democratic congressional candidate Nancy Boyda failed to disclose who paid for her advertisements as required by federal election rules, according to a complaint filed by Kansas Republican Party chairman Mike Brown.

Boyda admitted to “clerical errors” but she said Republicans were trying to distract voters from the impact of her opponent’s anti-abortion views. She faces Republican Derek Schmidt in the November election for the 2nd District seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.

Schmidt is a former Kansas Senate Majority Leader and three-term attorney general, and was the GOP nominee for governor in 2022. Boyda held the 2nd District seat for one term after winning a race in 2006.

Brown, who rose to GOP chairman by promoting false claims about election integrity, said he filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Boyda failed to include “paid for by” disclosures on billboards, videos, yard signs, campaign communications, and her campaign website. He questioned whether Boyda was trying to hide dark money interests.

“It’s shocking that Nancy Boyda, who previously served in Congress, wants to go back to writing laws for the rest of us while Boyda is unable or unwilling to follow federal rules herself,” Brown said. “The law is clear.”

Under FEC rules, candidates are to include legible disclaimers on printed communications.

Boyda’s campaign, responding to an inquiry for this story, faulted Republicans for talking about “clerical errors” after reports linked Georgia’s strict abortion ban to the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/20/stories-of-pregnant-womens-deaths-after-georgias-strict-abortion-ban-reignite-debate-over-law/">deaths of two pregnant women</a>.

“When you run a small grass-roots campaign for Congress, mistakes happen,” Boyda said. “But I refuse to let them change the subject.”

Schmidt has said he opposes a federal abortion ban. But he supported an attempt to remove reproductive rights from the Kansas Constitution, which voters overwhelmingly rejected in August 2022, and as attorney general he was responsible for defending unconstitutional restrictions on reproductive health care that were passed by the Kansas Legislature. His campaign declined to comment for this story.

“We will fix the printing error in our signs, but we won’t stop working to ensure every Kansan knows the truth about Schmidt’s extremism,” Boyda said. “Schmidt wants to impose his extreme views on reproductive rights, even after Kansas voters resoundingly voted to trust women, not the government, to make their own health care decisions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727015582485.png" alt="Nancy Boyda says she will fix a “printing error” after the Kanas Republican Party chairman filed a complaint over her failure to disclose who paid for campaign advertisements. (Grace Hills / Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Nancy Boyda says she will fix a “printing error” after the Kanas Republican Party chairman filed a complaint over her failure to disclose who paid for campaign advertisements. (Grace Hills / Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Democrat Nancy Boyda says failure to say who paid for advertisements was result of ‘clerical errors’</h2>TOPEKA — Democratic congressional candidate Nancy Boyda failed to disclose who paid for her advertisements as required by federal election rules, according to a complaint filed by Kansas Republican Party chairman Mike Brown.Boyda admitted to “clerical errors” but she said Republicans were trying to distract voters from the impact of her opponent’s anti-abortion views. She faces Republican Derek Schmidt in the November election for the 2nd District seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.Schmidt is a former Kansas Senate Majority Leader and three-term attorney general, and was the GOP nominee for governor in 2022. Boyda held the 2nd District seat for one term after winning a race in 2006.Brown, who rose to GOP chairman by promoting false claims about election integrity, said he filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Boyda failed to include “paid for by” disclosures on billboards, videos, yard signs, campaign communications, and her campaign website. He questioned whether Boyda was trying to hide dark money interests.“It’s shocking that Nancy Boyda, who previously served in Congress, wants to go back to writing laws for the rest of us while Boyda is unable or unwilling to follow federal rules herself,” Brown said. “The law is clear.”Under FEC rules, candidates are to include legible disclaimers on printed communications.Boyda’s campaign, responding to an inquiry for this story, faulted Republicans for talking about “clerical errors” after reports linked Georgia’s strict abortion ban to the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/20/stories-of-pregnant-womens-deaths-after-georgias-strict-abortion-ban-reignite-debate-over-law/">deaths of two pregnant women</a>.“When you run a small grass-roots campaign for Congress, mistakes happen,” Boyda said. “But I refuse to let them change the subject.”Schmidt has said he opposes a federal abortion ban. But he supported an attempt to remove reproductive rights from the Kansas Constitution, which voters overwhelmingly rejected in August 2022, and as attorney general he was responsible for defending unconstitutional restrictions on reproductive health care that were passed by the Kansas Legislature. His campaign declined to comment for this story.“We will fix the printing error in our signs, but we won’t stop working to ensure every Kansan knows the truth about Schmidt’s extremism,” Boyda said. “Schmidt wants to impose his extreme views on reproductive rights, even after Kansas voters resoundingly voted to trust women, not the government, to make their own health care decisions.”

Kansas GOP chairman complains about Democratic congressional candidate’s lack of disclosures

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just before noon Sept. 18, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.

Subrina L. M. Casey-Meredith, 50, of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726425328139.png" alt="Casey-Meredith-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Casey-Meredith-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just before noon Sept. 18, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at Main Street and Topeka Avenue in Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.Subrina L. M. Casey-Meredith, 50, of Topeka was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Kansas Sheriff's K9 found meth, marijuana during traffic stop

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Before Kansas officials revealed they had ousted Aetna Better Health as one of the providers for the state’s $4 billion Medicaid program, they destroyed documents that Aetna believes would have helped the company appeal the decision.

Aetna filed two lawsuits against the state that now await decisions ahead of an Oct. 2 deadline, by which the company must notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer provide coverage. Aetna’s attorney, Marc Kessler, encouraged Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke at a hearing Tuesday to take his time in making a decision on the case, while the state’s attorney, Anthony Rupp, urged expeditious action.

“The timing is so critical here,” said Rupp.

Aetna is interested in remaining a Medicaid insurance provider in Kansas while the lawsuits are hashed out, which another provider’s attorney said would be “inviting chaos.”

The state&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/22/incredibly-disappointed-provider-objects-after-being-left-out-of-new-kansas-medicaid-contracts/">announced in May</a>&nbsp;that it selected three private companies other than Aetna to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue, which led to Aetna filing two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court.

One, filed in July against three state departments, challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/08/kansas-official-rejects-appeal-by-unsuccessful-bidders-on-states-4-billion-kancare-contract/">the decision</a>&nbsp;by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, that denied Aetna’s appeal. The other, filed before the appeal was denied in June, challenges the same three departments and the governor’s office for records initially withheld from Aetna.

The state admits some of the documents the company requested were destroyed in March, which was before the decisions were announced and before Aetna submitted a request under the Kansas Open Records Act, according to court documents.

The destroyed records were the individual scoring notes that helped inform agency staff evaluations of each insurance provider. Judge Luedke likened them to jury notes, which are typically destroyed after a decision, like a trial verdict, has been made.

In court documents, the state called Aetna’s interest in obtaining the individual evaluation notes “a pure fishing expedition.”

But Aetna argued those notes were part of the decision-making process and should’ve been kept.

“They would’ve assisted us and pushed us over the line,” Kessler said.

At an Aug. 27 meeting of the KanCare oversight committee, legislators were concerned about the implications associated with the destruction of the scoring notes, using the words “disturbing” and “disappointing.”&nbsp;Jane Brown, Aetna president and CEO, asked the committee members to consider crafting rules to prevent future destruction of records and what she called “cherry-picking” and “arbitrary” decision making.

Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, said at the hearing Kansas’ executive branch “dropped the ball” during the award process.

“I don’t know how we legislate leadership and who should be held accountable for the lack of transparency in this process,” Erickson said.

Rep. Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado, said this procurement process will be “a stain” on Kansas’ contract processes “for years to come.”

Aetna, which has provided insurance for KanCare users for the past five years, was one of seven bidders. The winning companies — Healthy Blue, which is affiliated with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, and incumbents Sunflower State Health Plan and United Healthcare of the Midwest — all urged the judge to reject Aetna’s lawsuit.

Kessler said a lack of substantial evidence backing Aetna’s ousting amounts to an arbitrary and capricious decision. But Rupp said the record is “replete” with references to unresolved issues with Aetna in Kansas and other states.

Aetna apologized to Kansas lawmakers in 2019 for failing to abide by its $1 billion contract, which stemmed from data errors, payment issues and a provider credentialing backlog,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2019/08/27/aetna-apologizes-for-failure-to-abide-by-1-billion-medicaid-contract-in-kansas/4368077007/" target="_blank">The Topeka Capital-Journal</a>&nbsp;reported.

Kansas’ Medicaid system was privatized in 2013 under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. This year’s bidding process is the third in state history and the first under a Democratic governor. The most recent shuffle took place in 2018 under Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. The Republican-led Legislature blocked Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration in 2022 from selecting new contracts, operating on a hope that Republican Derek Schmidt would defeat Kelly in that year’s election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726860685515.png" alt=" Jane Brown, president and CEO of Aetna Better Health of Kansas, speaks to the legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on Aug. 27, 2024. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature video)" />
 <figcaption> Jane Brown, president and CEO of Aetna Better Health of Kansas, speaks to the legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on Aug. 27, 2024. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Before Kansas officials revealed they had ousted Aetna Better Health as one of the providers for the state’s $4 billion Medicaid program, they destroyed documents that Aetna believes would have helped the company appeal the decision.Aetna filed two lawsuits against the state that now await decisions ahead of an Oct. 2 deadline, by which the company must notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer provide coverage. Aetna’s attorney, Marc Kessler, encouraged Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke at a hearing Tuesday to take his time in making a decision on the case, while the state’s attorney, Anthony Rupp, urged expeditious action.“The timing is so critical here,” said Rupp.Aetna is interested in remaining a Medicaid insurance provider in Kansas while the lawsuits are hashed out, which another provider’s attorney said would be “inviting chaos.”The state&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/22/incredibly-disappointed-provider-objects-after-being-left-out-of-new-kansas-medicaid-contracts/">announced in May</a>&nbsp;that it selected three private companies other than Aetna to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue, which led to Aetna filing two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court.One, filed in July against three state departments, challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/08/kansas-official-rejects-appeal-by-unsuccessful-bidders-on-states-4-billion-kancare-contract/">the decision</a>&nbsp;by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, that denied Aetna’s appeal. The other, filed before the appeal was denied in June, challenges the same three departments and the governor’s office for records initially withheld from Aetna.The state admits some of the documents the company requested were destroyed in March, which was before the decisions were announced and before Aetna submitted a request under the Kansas Open Records Act, according to court documents.The destroyed records were the individual scoring notes that helped inform agency staff evaluations of each insurance provider. Judge Luedke likened them to jury notes, which are typically destroyed after a decision, like a trial verdict, has been made.In court documents, the state called Aetna’s interest in obtaining the individual evaluation notes “a pure fishing expedition.”But Aetna argued those notes were part of the decision-making process and should’ve been kept.“They would’ve assisted us and pushed us over the line,” Kessler said.At an Aug. 27 meeting of the KanCare oversight committee, legislators were concerned about the implications associated with the destruction of the scoring notes, using the words “disturbing” and “disappointing.”&nbsp;Jane Brown, Aetna president and CEO, asked the committee members to consider crafting rules to prevent future destruction of records and what she called “cherry-picking” and “arbitrary” decision making.Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, said at the hearing Kansas’ executive branch “dropped the ball” during the award process.“I don’t know how we legislate leadership and who should be held accountable for the lack of transparency in this process,” Erickson said.Rep. Will Carpenter, R-El Dorado, said this procurement process will be “a stain” on Kansas’ contract processes “for years to come.”Aetna, which has provided insurance for KanCare users for the past five years, was one of seven bidders. The winning companies — Healthy Blue, which is affiliated with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, and incumbents Sunflower State Health Plan and United Healthcare of the Midwest — all urged the judge to reject Aetna’s lawsuit.Kessler said a lack of substantial evidence backing Aetna’s ousting amounts to an arbitrary and capricious decision. But Rupp said the record is “replete” with references to unresolved issues with Aetna in Kansas and other states.Aetna apologized to Kansas lawmakers in 2019 for failing to abide by its $1 billion contract, which stemmed from data errors, payment issues and a provider credentialing backlog,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2019/08/27/aetna-apologizes-for-failure-to-abide-by-1-billion-medicaid-contract-in-kansas/4368077007/" target="_blank">The Topeka Capital-Journal</a>&nbsp;reported.Kansas’ Medicaid system was privatized in 2013 under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. This year’s bidding process is the third in state history and the first under a Democratic governor. The most recent shuffle took place in 2018 under Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. The Republican-led Legislature blocked Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration in 2022 from selecting new contracts, operating on a hope that Republican Derek Schmidt would defeat Kelly in that year’s election.

Aetna awaits court decisions on lost Kansas Medicaid contract, destroyed documents

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating alleged threats against USD 475 in Junction City have made a second arrest.

On Friday, police arrested a second juvenile for the alleged post made on Snapchat and also TikTok&nbsp; that featured the names of students and staff from Junction City Middle School, according to a media release.

The juvenile was arrested, transported to the police department for processing, and later released to their parents.

Both juveniles are facing charges of Aggravated Criminal Threat, a Level 5-person felony.

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating alleged threats against USD 475 in Junction City have made a second arrest.On Friday, police arrested a second juvenile for the alleged post made on Snapchat and also TikTok&nbsp; that featured the names of students and staff from Junction City Middle School, according to a media release.The juvenile was arrested, transported to the police department for processing, and later released to their parents.Both juveniles are facing charges of Aggravated Criminal Threat, a Level 5-person felony.Police released no additional details.

2nd juvenile arrested for alleged Kan. school threat on social media

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a shooting that has left one person dead.

Just before 3:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting reported in the area of 10th and Kansas Avenue, according to a media release.

 When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a man who was the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. 

This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726973418386.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Detectives with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department are investigating a shooting that has left one person dead.Just before 3:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting reported in the area of 10th and Kansas Avenue, according to a media release. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a man who was the victim of apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased on scene. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Major Case Unit. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.There is nothing further to report at this time.

Detectives looking for suspect in deadly Kansas shooting

WASHINGTON, DC —&nbsp;With the 2024/25 NFL football season newly underway,&nbsp;Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act,&nbsp;landmark legislation that would create nationwide consumer protections and standards for the mobile sports gambling industry, according to a media release from Tonko's office.

The SAFE Bet Act would, for the first time, address the public health implications resulting from the widespread legalization of sports&nbsp;betting in the United States. The legislation would require states offering sports betting to meet minimum federal standards in the categories of advertising, affordability and Artificial Intelligence to create a safer, less addictive product.

Congressman Tonko said,&nbsp;“Since their inception, sports and sporting events have been a chance for family, friends, and strangers to gather together in celebration of beloved teams and athletes in a great American pastime. But now, every single moment of every sporting event across the globe has become a betting opportunity. That’s resulted in a frightening rise in gambling disorder, which has in turn enacted a horrific toll on individuals, many of whom have lost their home, job, marriage, and their lives. We have a duty to protect people and their families from suffering the tremendous harm related to gambling addiction. Our SAFE Bet Act gets the job done and gives sports back to the American people.”

Senator Blumenthal said,&nbsp;“This bill is a matter of public health. It is a matter of stopping addiction, saving lives, and making sure that young people particularly are protected against exploitation.”

Dr. Harry Levant, Director of Gambling Policy, PHAI said,&nbsp;“We have known for more than 10 years that gambling is an addictive product and gambling disorder is an addiction similar to heroin, opioids, tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine. With every other addictive product or substance, the government regulates the advertising, promotion, distribution, and consumption of the product. This is to prevent harm and protect public health. With gambling, sadly, the exact opposite is occurring. The gambling industry business model is designed to deliver constant and non-stop gambling action on every phone, tablet, and computer. With the use of cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence, the gambling industry has turned every micro moment in each game or sporting event into constant gambling action. The gambling industry and its sports partners have taken sports away from children, families, and the American public. Every pitch, shot, snap, serve, swing, and more are now used for gambling. Sports have become the equivalent of a non-stop slot machine.”

Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director, PHAI said,&nbsp;“The predatory practices of the gambling industry have resulted in a looming public health crisis and at the Public Health Advocacy Institute we are duty bound to act. At PHAI we bring big ideas to solve public health problems. With gambling, this means replacing the failed “responsible gaming” model with a comprehensive public health response. This includes the SAFE Bet Act, and the Public Health Advocacy Institute is pleased to support Congressman Tonko and Senator Blumenthal as we work for passage of the SAFE Bet Act.”

Gordon Douglas, the father of Andrew, who is currently in recovery for gambling disorder said:&nbsp;“Andrew started online betting by signing up with 1 gambling company. He soon received promotions and offers from at least 6 more gambling companies. Gambling promotions and advertising were all over his phone, computer and television. With virtually no limits on his betting opportunities at all hours of the day, every day of the week, he couldn’t find relief. He became a different person that would say anything to get money to gamble. He reached a point of wanting to end his life because he saw no way out. Thankfully, our story did not end in tragedy. Unlike many people, we had the means to help him get on a path to recovery. We as a country should not allow him and others like him to be exploited. We should do what is right to limit access to this type of gambling.”

Tonko has championed the push in Congress to address sports gambling. Last Congress, he authored the&nbsp;<a href="https://tonko.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3800" target="_blank">Betting on our Future Act</a>&nbsp;— legislation modeled after the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act — that bans all online and electronic advertising of sports gambling. Earlier this year, Tonko announced a legislative outline of the SAFE Bet Act.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726844099850.png" alt="Tonko introduced the SAFE Bet Act that creates nationwide consumer protections for the mobile sports gambling industry." />
 <figcaption>Tonko introduced the SAFE Bet Act that creates nationwide consumer protections for the mobile sports gambling industry.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, DC —&nbsp;With the 2024/25 NFL football season newly underway,&nbsp;Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act,&nbsp;landmark legislation that would create nationwide consumer protections and standards for the mobile sports gambling industry, according to a media release from Tonko's office.The SAFE Bet Act would, for the first time, address the public health implications resulting from the widespread legalization of sports&nbsp;betting in the United States. The legislation would require states offering sports betting to meet minimum federal standards in the categories of advertising, affordability and Artificial Intelligence to create a safer, less addictive product.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726844315257.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Congressman Tonko said,&nbsp;“Since their inception, sports and sporting events have been a chance for family, friends, and strangers to gather together in celebration of beloved teams and athletes in a great American pastime. But now, every single moment of every sporting event across the globe has become a betting opportunity. That’s resulted in a frightening rise in gambling disorder, which has in turn enacted a horrific toll on individuals, many of whom have lost their home, job, marriage, and their lives. We have a duty to protect people and their families from suffering the tremendous harm related to gambling addiction. Our SAFE Bet Act gets the job done and gives sports back to the American people.”Senator Blumenthal said,&nbsp;“This bill is a matter of public health. It is a matter of stopping addiction, saving lives, and making sure that young people particularly are protected against exploitation.”Dr. Harry Levant, Director of Gambling Policy, PHAI said,&nbsp;“We have known for more than 10 years that gambling is an addictive product and gambling disorder is an addiction similar to heroin, opioids, tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine. With every other addictive product or substance, the government regulates the advertising, promotion, distribution, and consumption of the product. This is to prevent harm and protect public health. With gambling, sadly, the exact opposite is occurring. The gambling industry business model is designed to deliver constant and non-stop gambling action on every phone, tablet, and computer. With the use of cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence, the gambling industry has turned every micro moment in each game or sporting event into constant gambling action. The gambling industry and its sports partners have taken sports away from children, families, and the American public. Every pitch, shot, snap, serve, swing, and more are now used for gambling. Sports have become the equivalent of a non-stop slot machine.”Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director, PHAI said,&nbsp;“The predatory practices of the gambling industry have resulted in a looming public health crisis and at the Public Health Advocacy Institute we are duty bound to act. At PHAI we bring big ideas to solve public health problems. With gambling, this means replacing the failed “responsible gaming” model with a comprehensive public health response. This includes the SAFE Bet Act, and the Public Health Advocacy Institute is pleased to support Congressman Tonko and Senator Blumenthal as we work for passage of the SAFE Bet Act.”Gordon Douglas, the father of Andrew, who is currently in recovery for gambling disorder said:&nbsp;“Andrew started online betting by signing up with 1 gambling company. He soon received promotions and offers from at least 6 more gambling companies. Gambling promotions and advertising were all over his phone, computer and television. With virtually no limits on his betting opportunities at all hours of the day, every day of the week, he couldn’t find relief. He became a different person that would say anything to get money to gamble. He reached a point of wanting to end his life because he saw no way out. Thankfully, our story did not end in tragedy. Unlike many people, we had the means to help him get on a path to recovery. We as a country should not allow him and others like him to be exploited. We should do what is right to limit access to this type of gambling.”Tonko has championed the push in Congress to address sports gambling. Last Congress, he authored the&nbsp;<a href="https://tonko.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3800" target="_blank">Betting on our Future Act</a>&nbsp;— legislation modeled after the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act — that bans all online and electronic advertising of sports gambling. Earlier this year, Tonko announced a legislative outline of the SAFE Bet Act.

Congressman: Mobile sports gambling a public health problem

SEDGWICK COUNTY — The parents of a 1-year-old boy are going to prison for his death.

District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced the boy's father&nbsp;Brijin McCullough, 31, Wichta, was sentenced Friday by Judge Goering to 36-years in prison. On July 9 he pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and other felonies, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Judge Goering also sentenced the boy's mother Wilma Presley of Wichita to 20-years in prison.

On October 31, 2023, emergency crews responded to the Walmart at Pawnee and Broadway where a woman, later identified as Presley, reported her one-year-old son was unresponsive. EMS took the child to a Wichita hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

On July 12, Presley pled guilty to distributing a controlled substance causing death and aggravated endangering a child along with drug crimes..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710080851907.png" alt="McCullough-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>McCullough-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — The parents of a 1-year-old boy are going to prison for his death.District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced the boy's father&nbsp;Brijin McCullough, 31, Wichta, was sentenced Friday by Judge Goering to 36-years in prison. On July 9 he pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and other felonies, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710080509979.png" alt="Presley-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Presley-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Judge Goering also sentenced the boy's mother Wilma Presley of Wichita to 20-years in prison.On October 31, 2023, emergency crews responded to the Walmart at Pawnee and Broadway where a woman, later identified as Presley, reported her one-year-old son was unresponsive. EMS took the child to a Wichita hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.On July 12, Presley pled guilty to distributing a controlled substance causing death and aggravated endangering a child along with drug crimes..----------

Kansas couple going to prison for death of 1-year-old son

KANSAS CITY– A citizen of Nigeria, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, was sentenced in federal court this week for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the world, according to the United State's Attorney.

Simon Kaura was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole. At sentencing, the court found that Kaura’s crimes resulted in an intended loss of $6,338,500.

On May 22, 2024, Kaura pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud.&nbsp; According to court documents, Kaura admitted to being part of a sophisticated, global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets — including a market he helped create and administer with his co-conspirators.&nbsp; Kaura operated under the online monikers&nbsp; “apples,” “applepiecards,” “cartman,” and “dpharoah.”

Kaura and his co-conspirators operated as prominent “carding” (stolen financial information) vendors, sometimes under the moniker brand “ggmccloud” and “ggmccloud1,” on multiple darknet markets. Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information. The markets operated much like conventional e-commerce websites, except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature. Each market required users to transact in digital currencies, such as Bitcoin. These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraud.

Kaura and his co-conspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other co-conspirators to check, organize, and sell on numerous darknet markets. Kaura and his co-conspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Kaura and his co-conspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb. 22, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2019.

During the conspiracy, Kaura and his co-conspirators also created, launched, and administered their own darknet market, Skynet. From April 2016 to October 2019, the co-conspirators’ market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale. The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service, allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes.&nbsp;

Co-defendant Taylor Ross Staats, 41, of Texas was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Staats’s main role in the conspiracy was to determine, prior to being advertised for sale, whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use. If so, he organized the card information, and it was posted for sale on the darknet.&nbsp; Staats operated under the online moniker “f9ac4”.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than $4.5 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the co-conspirators crimes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636114877089.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A citizen of Nigeria, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, was sentenced in federal court this week for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the world, according to the United State's Attorney.Simon Kaura was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole. At sentencing, the court found that Kaura’s crimes resulted in an intended loss of $6,338,500.On May 22, 2024, Kaura pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud.&nbsp; According to court documents, Kaura admitted to being part of a sophisticated, global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets — including a market he helped create and administer with his co-conspirators.&nbsp; Kaura operated under the online monikers&nbsp; “apples,” “applepiecards,” “cartman,” and “dpharoah.”Kaura and his co-conspirators operated as prominent “carding” (stolen financial information) vendors, sometimes under the moniker brand “ggmccloud” and “ggmccloud1,” on multiple darknet markets. Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information. The markets operated much like conventional e-commerce websites, except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature. Each market required users to transact in digital currencies, such as Bitcoin. These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraud.Kaura and his co-conspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other co-conspirators to check, organize, and sell on numerous darknet markets. Kaura and his co-conspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Kaura and his co-conspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb. 22, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2019.During the conspiracy, Kaura and his co-conspirators also created, launched, and administered their own darknet market, Skynet. From April 2016 to October 2019, the co-conspirators’ market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale. The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service, allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes.&nbsp;Co-defendant Taylor Ross Staats, 41, of Texas was sentenced on Jan. 25, 2024, to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Staats’s main role in the conspiracy was to determine, prior to being advertised for sale, whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use. If so, he organized the card information, and it was posted for sale on the darknet.&nbsp; Staats operated under the online moniker “f9ac4”.The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than $4.5 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the co-conspirators crimes.

Nigerian sentenced in KC for selling stolen financial information online

WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department on Saturday released a new travel advisory for Lebanon, due to the the unpredictable nature of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

American who are still in the Country should immediately depart using commercial options while they remain available.

Israel has claimed the death of a senior Hezbollah military official after a rare Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed at least 37 people and wounded dozens more, shortly after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets. 

The strikes are part of a new cycle of escalation between the enemies that has raised fears of a full-out war erupting in the Middle East, particularly after two separate attacks in Lebanon in which communication devices exploded simultaneously around the country, reportedly killing 37 people and injuring more than 3,400 others. 

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire regularly since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel ignited the Israeli military’s devastating offensive in Gaza.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726954727408.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department on Saturday released a new travel advisory for Lebanon, due to the the unpredictable nature of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.American who are still in the Country should immediately depart using commercial options while they remain available.Israel has claimed the death of a senior Hezbollah military official after a rare Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed at least 37 people and wounded dozens more, shortly after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets. The strikes are part of a new cycle of escalation between the enemies that has raised fears of a full-out war erupting in the Middle East, particularly after two separate attacks in Lebanon in which communication devices exploded simultaneously around the country, reportedly killing 37 people and injuring more than 3,400 others. Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire regularly since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel ignited the Israeli military’s devastating offensive in Gaza.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

U.S. State Department issues new travel advisory in Middle East

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — As freight trains have grown longer, the U.S. has seen an increase in the number of a type of derailment caused by the forces of railcars pushing and pulling against each other, the National Academies of Sciences said Tuesday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27807/long-freight-trains-ensuring-safe-operations-mitigating-adverse-impacts?utm_medium=email">long-awaited report</a>&nbsp;that urges regulators, Congress and the industry to reexamine their risks.

Railroads should take special care in the way they assemble trains that routinely measure more than a mile or two, especially those with a mix of different types of cars, the report said, echoing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-railroad-administration-freight-safety-derailments-53145452535c089190565ee43eceaafc">warning</a>&nbsp;the Federal Railroad Administration issued last year.

“Long trains aren’t inherently dangerous. But if you don’t have adequate planning on how to put the train together, they can be,” said Peter Swan, a Penn State University professor who was one of the report's authors.

The increased use of long trains has allowed the major freight railroads — CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CPKC and Canadian National — to cut costs because they can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">employ fewer crews</a>&nbsp;and maintain fewer locomotives. The average length of trains increased by about 25% from 2008 to 2017. By 2021, when the report was commissioned, some trains had grown to nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 meters), or more than 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) long.

The unions representing train crews have said that longer trains are harder to handle, especially when they travel across uneven territory, because of the way cars push and pull against each other. On a train that's more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) long, one section can be going uphill while another section is going downhill. Such trains are so long that the radios rail workers use might not work from the front to the back of them.

“Anybody and everybody that’s in rail safety knows that this is a problem. It cannot be overstated," said Jared Cassity, the top safety expert at the SMART-TD union that represents conductors. "Long trains absolutely are a risk to the public and a risk to the workers and anybody with common sense can see that."

Mark Wallace with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said Tuesday's report reinforces what engineers have long known: “Long trains have a greater risk of derailing, have communications issues, and pose a threat to the public due to blocked crossings, among other issues.” The union urged Congress and regulators to act quickly.

The railroads say they work to ensure their trains are safe at any length. The president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads trade group, Ian Jefferies, said many railroads use software that helps them model train forces before railcars are hooked together.

“As operations continue to evolve, railroads are pulling on three key levers — technology, training and infrastructure — to further enhance safety and reliability,” Jefferies said.

But Cassity said countless derailments over the years have shown that software and the cruise control systems that help engineers operate a train are imperfect.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailment-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-bef9b47b5200f033d2f045c850745e94">number of derailments</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has held steady at more than 1,000 a year, or more than three a day, even as rail traffic decreased. Railroads say two-thirds of those are minor. Derailments have gotten increased attention since a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">disastrous one</a>&nbsp;in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 in which hazardous chemicals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">leaked and burned</a>&nbsp;for days. That Norfolk Southern train had more than 149 cars and was 9,300 -feet-long. (1.76 miles long) But the National Transportation Safety Board&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-train-derailment-ntsb-east-palestine-944991c7a44286aa9675995f5eb677f0">determined</a>&nbsp;that derailment was caused by an overheating bearing that wasn't caught in time by trackside sensors — not its length.

The biggest concern with long trains is related to derailments caused by the forces that can tear a train apart as it crosses the countryside. Tuesday's report said Congress should make sure the FRA has the power to address the dangers of those trains, and that agency should require railroads to plan carefully on how they handle them.

Railroads can make long trains easier to control by including locomotives in the middle and back of them to help pull and stop them, which is a common tactic.

The report said it's also important for railroads to take great care in where they place heavy tank cars, empty cars and specialized cars like automotive carriers that are equipped with shock absorbers.

Union Pacific said mainline derailments are down on its network over the past five years. The railroad said “technology plays a pivotal role in helping reduce variability and risk, and each year we invest billions back into our network to maintain infrastructure.”

Most of the other major freight railroads didn't immediately respond to the report.

A Federal Railroad Administration spokesperson said it has urged railroads to ensure they train their employees adequately to handle longer trains and take other steps to keep them safe. The agency is also trying to gather additional data about long trains to assess their risks.

In addition to the derailment concerns, long trains can block crossings for extended periods, sometimes cutting off ambulance and police access to entire sections of their communities. They also cause delays for Amtrak passenger trains that get stuck behind monster freight trains that can't fit within side tracks that are supposed to allow trains to pass each other in such situations.

The report said Congress should give federal regulators the power to penalize railroads for causing such problems.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681764311558.png" alt="File photo A Union Pacific train rolls across western Kansas" />
 <figcaption>File photo A Union Pacific train rolls across western Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — As freight trains have grown longer, the U.S. has seen an increase in the number of a type of derailment caused by the forces of railcars pushing and pulling against each other, the National Academies of Sciences said Tuesday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27807/long-freight-trains-ensuring-safe-operations-mitigating-adverse-impacts?utm_medium=email">long-awaited report</a>&nbsp;that urges regulators, Congress and the industry to reexamine their risks.Railroads should take special care in the way they assemble trains that routinely measure more than a mile or two, especially those with a mix of different types of cars, the report said, echoing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-railroad-administration-freight-safety-derailments-53145452535c089190565ee43eceaafc">warning</a>&nbsp;the Federal Railroad Administration issued last year.“Long trains aren’t inherently dangerous. But if you don’t have adequate planning on how to put the train together, they can be,” said Peter Swan, a Penn State University professor who was one of the report's authors.The increased use of long trains has allowed the major freight railroads — CSX, Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CPKC and Canadian National — to cut costs because they can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">employ fewer crews</a>&nbsp;and maintain fewer locomotives. The average length of trains increased by about 25% from 2008 to 2017. By 2021, when the report was commissioned, some trains had grown to nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 meters), or more than 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) long.The unions representing train crews have said that longer trains are harder to handle, especially when they travel across uneven territory, because of the way cars push and pull against each other. On a train that's more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) long, one section can be going uphill while another section is going downhill. Such trains are so long that the radios rail workers use might not work from the front to the back of them.“Anybody and everybody that’s in rail safety knows that this is a problem. It cannot be overstated," said Jared Cassity, the top safety expert at the SMART-TD union that represents conductors. "Long trains absolutely are a risk to the public and a risk to the workers and anybody with common sense can see that."Mark Wallace with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said Tuesday's report reinforces what engineers have long known: “Long trains have a greater risk of derailing, have communications issues, and pose a threat to the public due to blocked crossings, among other issues.” The union urged Congress and regulators to act quickly.The railroads say they work to ensure their trains are safe at any length. The president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads trade group, Ian Jefferies, said many railroads use software that helps them model train forces before railcars are hooked together.“As operations continue to evolve, railroads are pulling on three key levers — technology, training and infrastructure — to further enhance safety and reliability,” Jefferies said.But Cassity said countless derailments over the years have shown that software and the cruise control systems that help engineers operate a train are imperfect.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailment-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-bef9b47b5200f033d2f045c850745e94">number of derailments</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. has held steady at more than 1,000 a year, or more than three a day, even as rail traffic decreased. Railroads say two-thirds of those are minor. Derailments have gotten increased attention since a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">disastrous one</a>&nbsp;in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 in which hazardous chemicals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">leaked and burned</a>&nbsp;for days. That Norfolk Southern train had more than 149 cars and was 9,300 -feet-long. (1.76 miles long) But the National Transportation Safety Board&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/norfolk-southern-train-derailment-ntsb-east-palestine-944991c7a44286aa9675995f5eb677f0">determined</a>&nbsp;that derailment was caused by an overheating bearing that wasn't caught in time by trackside sensors — not its length.The biggest concern with long trains is related to derailments caused by the forces that can tear a train apart as it crosses the countryside. Tuesday's report said Congress should make sure the FRA has the power to address the dangers of those trains, and that agency should require railroads to plan carefully on how they handle them.Railroads can make long trains easier to control by including locomotives in the middle and back of them to help pull and stop them, which is a common tactic.The report said it's also important for railroads to take great care in where they place heavy tank cars, empty cars and specialized cars like automotive carriers that are equipped with shock absorbers.Union Pacific said mainline derailments are down on its network over the past five years. The railroad said “technology plays a pivotal role in helping reduce variability and risk, and each year we invest billions back into our network to maintain infrastructure.”Most of the other major freight railroads didn't immediately respond to the report.A Federal Railroad Administration spokesperson said it has urged railroads to ensure they train their employees adequately to handle longer trains and take other steps to keep them safe. The agency is also trying to gather additional data about long trains to assess their risks.In addition to the derailment concerns, long trains can block crossings for extended periods, sometimes cutting off ambulance and police access to entire sections of their communities. They also cause delays for Amtrak passenger trains that get stuck behind monster freight trains that can't fit within side tracks that are supposed to allow trains to pass each other in such situations.The report said Congress should give federal regulators the power to penalize railroads for causing such problems.

Report: Railroads and regulators must address the dangers of long trains

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad”, “Anatomy of a Murder,” and “Operation Mad Ball” before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.

She died of natural causes Friday night at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough, a family spokesperson said Saturday.

Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in “Mister Cory” in 1957 and Victor Mature in “The Big Circus” in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including “Tight Spot” and “The Phenix City Story,” both in 1955.

Her other leading men included Jack Lemmon in “Operation Mad Ball,” James Darren in “The Brothers Rico,” and James Stewart in “Anatomy of a Murder,” directed by Otto Preminger.

Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on Nov. 25, 1933, in West Columbia, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in fine arts. She came to Hollywood and began her movie career in 1953.

She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54.

She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963.

In the 1970s, she hosted a morning talk show on KPIX-TV in Northern California.

After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of “Same Time, Next Year” and “Charley's Aunt.” She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway revival of “State Fair.”

For 16 years ending in 2001, she hosted the Crosby National golf tournament in Bermuda Run, North Carolina.

She is survived by children Harry, Mary, an actor best known for the TV show “Dallas,” and Nathaniel, a successful amateur golfer. She was married to Maurice Sullivan for 10 years before he was killed in a 2010 car accident that seriously injured Crosby.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726948364049.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad”, “Anatomy of a Murder,” and “Operation Mad Ball” before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.She died of natural causes Friday night at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough, a family spokesperson said Saturday.Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in “Mister Cory” in 1957 and Victor Mature in “The Big Circus” in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including “Tight Spot” and “The Phenix City Story,” both in 1955.Her other leading men included Jack Lemmon in “Operation Mad Ball,” James Darren in “The Brothers Rico,” and James Stewart in “Anatomy of a Murder,” directed by Otto Preminger.Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on Nov. 25, 1933, in West Columbia, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in fine arts. She came to Hollywood and began her movie career in 1953.She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54.She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963.In the 1970s, she hosted a morning talk show on KPIX-TV in Northern California.After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of “Same Time, Next Year” and “Charley's Aunt.” She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway revival of “State Fair.”For 16 years ending in 2001, she hosted the Crosby National golf tournament in Bermuda Run, North Carolina.She is survived by children Harry, Mary, an actor best known for the TV show “Dallas,” and Nathaniel, a successful amateur golfer. She was married to Maurice Sullivan for 10 years before he was killed in a 2010 car accident that seriously injured Crosby.

Kathryn Crosby, actor and widow of famed singer Bing Crosby, dies at 90

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — As private student loan companies take heat over accusations of predatory behavior and deception, members of a U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs panel and student advocates voiced concerns over the industry at a hearing Tuesday.

The Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection hearing came as the broader student debt crisis impacts millions, with more than $1.74 trillion in outstanding student loans as of the second quarter of 2024, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html" target="_blank">U.S. Federal Reserve</a>.

Subcommittee Chairman Raphael Warnock said he and his staff analyzed some of the myriad complaints the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received related to private student loans and federal student loan servicing in roughly the last year and were “struck by the sheer scope and magnitude of the problem.”

“Private lenders and servicers routinely misled or deceived borrowers, and the stories are frustrating and heartbreaking,” the Georgia Democrat said.

Some borrowers have found loans offered by private lenders to be extraordinary burdens, Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director at the Student Borrower Protection Center, an advocacy group, told the panel.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726745923175.png" alt="Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director at the Student Borrower Protection Center testified during the hearing -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director at the Student Borrower Protection Center testified during the hearing -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — As private student loan companies take heat over accusations of predatory behavior and deception, members of a U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs panel and student advocates voiced concerns over the industry at a hearing Tuesday.The Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection hearing came as the broader student debt crisis impacts millions, with more than $1.74 trillion in outstanding student loans as of the second quarter of 2024, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html" target="_blank">U.S. Federal Reserve</a>.Subcommittee Chairman Raphael Warnock said he and his staff analyzed some of the myriad complaints the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received related to private student loans and federal student loan servicing in roughly the last year and were “struck by the sheer scope and magnitude of the problem.”“Private lenders and servicers routinely misled or deceived borrowers, and the stories are frustrating and heartbreaking,” the Georgia Democrat said.Some borrowers have found loans offered by private lenders to be extraordinary burdens, Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director at the Student Borrower Protection Center, an advocacy group, told the panel.“Student loans were supposed to grant all families — regardless of race and economic status — the chance to unlock the promise of a higher education,” she said.“But for too many, student debt has become a life sentence, holding borrowers back from buying a home, starting a small business and even starting or growing a family,” Canchola Bañez said.Canchola Bañez said “the absence of comprehensive data in the private student loan space has too often left borrowers, policymakers and advocates in the dark” and that “this has allowed for significant gaps in protections for the millions of Americans forced to take on private student loan debt and has made it harder for policymakers and law enforcement officials to protect borrowers.”Dalié Jiménez, a law professor and director of the Student Loan Law Initiative at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, said the private student loan industry had transformed in the last decade.“New financial products have emerged, offering alternatives to traditional loans, but they’ve come with added risks that we’re only beginning to understand,” Jiménez said, adding that “many are offered by schools that provide dubious value in return for costly credit.”<h2>Troubled industry</h2>Major student loan servicers, such as Navient, have been at the center of legal issues and scrutiny in recent years. Last week, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-bans-navient-from-federal-student-loan-servicing-and-orders-the-company-to-pay-120-million-for-wide-ranging-student-lending-failures/" target="_blank">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>&nbsp;reached a&nbsp;<a href="https://news.navient.com/news-releases/news-release-details/navient-resolves-legal-matters-consumer-financial-protection" target="_blank">$120 million settlement</a>&nbsp;with Navient that&nbsp;<a href="https://news.navient.com/news-releases/news-release-details/navient-resolves-legal-matters-consumer-financial-protection" target="_blank">bans the company</a>&nbsp;from federal student loan servicing.Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and member of the subcommittee, has led investigations into Navient for nearly a decade.Warren said Tuesday that “Republican extremists want to return to the days where borrowers were just at the mercy of predatory servicers like Navient” and that “the Biden-Harris administration has a different vision.”Warren added that it’s “long past time for Navient to do the right thing by their countless defrauded borrowers and cancel out these loans for the private student loan borrowers as well.”On the other side of the aisle, GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis defended the industry’s basic mission.“While individual cases of malfeasance certainly exist in the private loan market — as they do in any market — private lenders fill a crucial gap in higher education financing and equip borrowers with the tools to meet the barriers to education in place today,” Lummis said.Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, also noted that the private student loan market only accounts for 8% of outstanding loans and that the vast majority of loans are federal loans.Beth Akers, senior fellow at the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute, pointed out that while “private student loan origination and servicing, both for federal and private loans, hasn’t been perfect” and “lending institutions and those that service loans are fallible,” these private entities supporting student lending “don’t deserve the ire of lawmakers looking for a quick fix or even a scapegoat for what is happening more broadly in student lending.”