By&nbsp; TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/31/kansas-attorney-generals-office-eager-to-work-with-legislature-to-dam-robocall-tidal-wave/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gullible Kansas 
consumers and the state’s elderly population repeatedly victimized by 
telephone scammers land on so-called sucker lists sold to unscrupulous 
marketers, charities and organizations willing to pay for leads on 
potential victims.

“We have some consumers who just keep getting scammed,” said Fran 
Oleen, state deputy attorney general for consumer affairs. “The ones 
that are really problematic and concerning to us are … from especially 
elderly consumers. A lot of them are lonely and alone, and we see 
romance scams a lot.”

The consumer division chief for Attorney General Kris Kobach, who was
 sworn into office in mid-January, said Monday during a Senate hearing 
one of the many challenges for investigators was the reality of robocall
 technology evolving more rapidly than laws governing those businesses.

“It’s like whack-a-mole. Soon as you get this one stopped they’re going to come up with a new one,” she said.

Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican who chairs the Senate Utilities 
Committee, said a personal legislative goal over the next couple years 
was to make Kansas among the top states in terms of deterring robocalls.
 He said state lawmakers could work in partnership with Kobach and 
perhaps incentivize telecommunications companies to engage more 
aggressively in the fight against robocall businesses.

“We want to be your partner and get to the bottom of this,” Olson 
told Oleen. “A lot of wasted time and a lot of fraud going on. We can’t 
eliminate it all, but let’s do what we can. Maybe they’ll stay away from
 Kansas if they know we’re serious.”

Oleen said the attorney general was eager to amend state law to push 
back against the robocall plague. She said the office of attorney 
general in Kansas eceived 231 robocall complaints from January 2022 to 
January 2023. Of that total, the office opened 68 investigations of 
potentially illegal robocalls. The attorney general didn’t file any 
lawsuits tied to those complaints last year, she said.

“To explain that, most of the investigative requests ended in ‘no jurisdiction’ or a finding of ‘no violation,'” she said.

However, she said the Federal Trade Commission received in 2022 about
 29,000 robocall complaints from Kansans. She said the attorney 
general’s office would seek additional legal tools through the 
Legislature to initiate investigations of some of those FTC complaints.

Kansas joined an anti-robocall task force in July with 49 states and 
territories. Most, but not all, robocalls should be viewed as scams and a
 majority of robocalls originate overseas, she said.

Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, suggested the attorney general’s 
office “stop the one guy in India named ‘Brad'” who appeared to be 
responsible for robocalls coming into Kansas.

“We have proof that a lot of them come from India,” Oleen said. “We 
have suspicions that some of them come from a couple other countries. We
 would propose possibly working with the Kansas Fusion Center to work on
 some intelligence to try and figure out if there was anything we could 
do on a federal level or state level.”

The Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center was established in 2009 as a 
joint endeavor between the attorney general’s office and the adjutant 
general’s department. The center’s mission is to generate intelligence 
analysis useful for homeland security policy and relevant threat 
warnings.

In response to inquiries from senators, Oleen said Kansas had trouble
 verifying senders of waves of political texts sent during the 2022 
election cycle.

“Entities, which we had a hard time identifying, were sending texts 
supposedly on behalf of the candidate that the candidate did not 
endorse,” she said. “I personally got a couple of them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675196991104.png" alt="Sen. Rob Olson, left, an Olathe Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, wants to increase the state’s response to irritating robocalls often placed by financial scammers. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rob Olson, left, an Olathe Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, wants to increase the state’s response to irritating robocalls often placed by financial scammers. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp; TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/31/kansas-attorney-generals-office-eager-to-work-with-legislature-to-dam-robocall-tidal-wave/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gullible Kansas 
consumers and the state’s elderly population repeatedly victimized by 
telephone scammers land on so-called sucker lists sold to unscrupulous 
marketers, charities and organizations willing to pay for leads on 
potential victims.“We have some consumers who just keep getting scammed,” said Fran 
Oleen, state deputy attorney general for consumer affairs. “The ones 
that are really problematic and concerning to us are … from especially 
elderly consumers. A lot of them are lonely and alone, and we see 
romance scams a lot.”The consumer division chief for Attorney General Kris Kobach, who was
 sworn into office in mid-January, said Monday during a Senate hearing 
one of the many challenges for investigators was the reality of robocall
 technology evolving more rapidly than laws governing those businesses.“It’s like whack-a-mole. Soon as you get this one stopped they’re going to come up with a new one,” she said.Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican who chairs the Senate Utilities 
Committee, said a personal legislative goal over the next couple years 
was to make Kansas among the top states in terms of deterring robocalls.
 He said state lawmakers could work in partnership with Kobach and 
perhaps incentivize telecommunications companies to engage more 
aggressively in the fight against robocall businesses.“We want to be your partner and get to the bottom of this,” Olson 
told Oleen. “A lot of wasted time and a lot of fraud going on. We can’t 
eliminate it all, but let’s do what we can. Maybe they’ll stay away from
 Kansas if they know we’re serious.”Oleen said the attorney general was eager to amend state law to push 
back against the robocall plague. She said the office of attorney 
general in Kansas eceived 231 robocall complaints from January 2022 to 
January 2023. Of that total, the office opened 68 investigations of 
potentially illegal robocalls. The attorney general didn’t file any 
lawsuits tied to those complaints last year, she said.“To explain that, most of the investigative requests ended in ‘no jurisdiction’ or a finding of ‘no violation,'” she said.However, she said the Federal Trade Commission received in 2022 about
 29,000 robocall complaints from Kansans. She said the attorney 
general’s office would seek additional legal tools through the 
Legislature to initiate investigations of some of those FTC complaints.Kansas joined an anti-robocall task force in July with 49 states and 
territories. Most, but not all, robocalls should be viewed as scams and a
 majority of robocalls originate overseas, she said.Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, suggested the attorney general’s 
office “stop the one guy in India named ‘Brad'” who appeared to be 
responsible for robocalls coming into Kansas.“We have proof that a lot of them come from India,” Oleen said. “We 
have suspicions that some of them come from a couple other countries. We
 would propose possibly working with the Kansas Fusion Center to work on
 some intelligence to try and figure out if there was anything we could 
do on a federal level or state level.”The Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center was established in 2009 as a 
joint endeavor between the attorney general’s office and the adjutant 
general’s department. The center’s mission is to generate intelligence 
analysis useful for homeland security policy and relevant threat 
warnings.In response to inquiries from senators, Oleen said Kansas had trouble
 verifying senders of waves of political texts sent during the 2022 
election cycle.“Entities, which we had a hard time identifying, were sending texts 
supposedly on behalf of the candidate that the candidate did not 
endorse,” she said. “I personally got a couple of them.”

Kansas AG, legislators take aim at crush of robocalls

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — A furry critter in a western Pennsylvania town has predicted six more weeks of winter during an annual Groundhog Day celebration.

People&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZnhsUakIU">gathered Thursday at Gobbler’s Knob</a>&nbsp;as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned the groundhog from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow — and they say he did. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.

The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-pennsylvania-coronavirus-pandemic-d4a183fdd599322fb9b23a5cb2147f33">annual event in Punxsutawney</a>, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, originated from a German legend about a furry rodent. The gathering annually attracts thousands.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compared Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast to the national weather the last 10 years and found “on average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time.”

This year, Phil's prediction came during a week when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-disaster-planning-and-response-arkansas-climate-environment-texas-43eac24afe75fa5b0420959b0408b43d">a mess of ice, sleet and snow</a>&nbsp;has lingered across much of the southern U.S.

According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-prediction-85527080ccef649d2807bfa4804fec25">2021</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-groundhog-day-punxsutawney-c6179b6609274d43eb371363d2d816b5">2022 forecasts</a>&nbsp;also called for six more weeks of winter.

While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he’s certainly not the only one. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675340860775.png" alt="Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — A furry critter in a western Pennsylvania town has predicted six more weeks of winter during an annual Groundhog Day celebration.People&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZnhsUakIU">gathered Thursday at Gobbler’s Knob</a>&nbsp;as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned the groundhog from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow — and they say he did. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-pennsylvania-coronavirus-pandemic-d4a183fdd599322fb9b23a5cb2147f33">annual event in Punxsutawney</a>, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, originated from a German legend about a furry rodent. The gathering annually attracts thousands.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compared Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast to the national weather the last 10 years and found “on average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time.”This year, Phil's prediction came during a week when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-disaster-planning-and-response-arkansas-climate-environment-texas-43eac24afe75fa5b0420959b0408b43d">a mess of ice, sleet and snow</a>&nbsp;has lingered across much of the southern U.S.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675340840676.png" alt="Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-prediction-85527080ccef649d2807bfa4804fec25">2021</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-groundhog-day-punxsutawney-c6179b6609274d43eb371363d2d816b5">2022 forecasts</a>&nbsp;also called for six more weeks of winter.While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he’s certainly not the only one. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.

Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction: 6 more weeks of winter

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fire in a Walmart bathroom that sent a man to the hospital in Topeka have determined the cause of the fire. According to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols, the victim intentionally set the fire. Fire officials did not provide specifics on how he started the fire.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to reports of a fire in a bathroom in the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 335 SW MacVicar Avenue in Topeka. First responders located a man on fire in a bathroom and they immediately worked to get the fire out, and rendered aid to the man. American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital with serious injuries. He remained hospitalized late Wednesday, according to Nichols. His name has not been released.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fire in a Walmart bathroom that sent a man to the hospital in Topeka have determined the cause of the fire. According to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols, the victim intentionally set the fire. Fire officials did not provide specifics on how he started the fire.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to reports of a fire in a bathroom in the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 335 SW MacVicar Avenue in Topeka. First responders located a man on fire in a bathroom and they immediately worked to get the fire out, and rendered aid to the man. American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital with serious injuries. He remained hospitalized late Wednesday, according to Nichols. His name has not been released.

Victim in Kan. Walmart bathroom fire remains hospitalized

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;met face-to-face Wednesday for more than an hour of highly anticipated budget talks — "a good first meeting," the new Republican leader said — but expectations were low for quick progress as GOP lawmakers push for steep cuts in a deal to prevent a national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">debt limit crisis.</a>

Biden has resisted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-kevin-mccarthy-business-e04740d1d172cf3900e6548180909752">direct spending negotiations</a>&nbsp;linked to vital action raising the nation's legal debt ceiling, warning against potentially throwing the economy into chaos.

McCarthy had all but invited himself to the White House to start the conversation before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">summer debt deadline</a>. And he emerged saying the meeting went better than expected: The two agreed to meet again, and the speaker said he expected to hear from Biden soon.

“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House.

He said he told the president he would not raise the debt ceiling without concessions from Democrats.

“I was very clear," he said. “We’re not spending more next year than we spent this year.”

And Biden's response? McCarthy said the president insisted on a “clean debt ceiling” vote without the budget cuts Republicans are demanding.

“We both have different perspectives on this, but I thought this was a good meeting,” McCarthy said.

The White House said the president and the speaker agreed to continue the conversation. The president made clear that it is their “shared duty” to not allow a “catastrophic default,” the White House said.

The House speaker arrived for the afternoon session carrying no formal GOP budget proposal, but he is laden with the promises he made to far-right and other conservative Republican lawmakers during his difficult&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">campaign to become House speaker.</a>&nbsp;He vowed then to work to return federal spending to 2022 levels — an 8% reduction. He also promised to take steps to balance the budget within the decade — an ambitious, if politically unattainable goal.

McCarthy said he told the president, "I would like to see if we can come to an agreement long before the deadline.”

The political and economic stakes are high for both leaders, who have a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-63a86d17b98b8eebd46dede94cedf3e4">cordial relationship</a>, and for the nation as they work to prevent a debt default.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress last month that the government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity</a>, $31 trillion, with congressional approval needed to raise the ceiling to allow more debt to pay off the nation’s already accrued bills. While Yellen was able to launch “extraordinary measures” to cover the bills temporarily, that funding is to run out in June.

“Everyone is asking the same question of Speaker McCarthy: Show us your plan. Where is your plan, Republicans?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the meeting.

"For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sitdown as some kind of major win in his debt ceiling talks," Schumer said. But he added, “Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.”

Raising the debt ceiling is a once-routine vote in Congress that has taken on oversized significance over the past decade as the nation's debt toll mounts. Newly empowered in the majority, House Republicans want to force Biden and Senate Democrats into budget cuts as part of a deal to raise the limit.

Ahead of the White House meeting, House Republicans met in private to discuss policies. And McCarthy met with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday at the Capitol.

McConnell has a history of dealmaking with Biden during the last debt ceiling showdown a decade ago. But the GOP leader of the Senate, in the minority party, says it's up to McCarthy and the president to come up with a deal that would be acceptable to the new House majority.

Still, McConnell is doing his part to influence the process from afar, and nudging Biden to negotiate.

“The president of the United States does not get to walk away from the table,” McConnell said in Senate remarks.

Slashing the federal budget is often easier said than done, as past budget deals have shown.

After a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">2011 debt ceiling standoff</a>&nbsp;during the Obama era, Republicans and Democrats agreed to across-the-board federal budget caps on domestic and defense spending that were supposed to be in place for 10 years but ultimately proved too much to bear.

After initial cuts, both parties agreed in subsequent years to alter the budget caps to protect priority programs. The caps recently expired anyway, and last year Congress agreed to a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that sparked new outrage among fiscal hawks.

McCarthy reiterated that he would not be proposing any reductions to the Social Security and Medicare programs that are primarily for older Americans. But other Republicans want cuts to those as part of overall belt-tightening.

Such mainstay programs, along with the Medicaid health care system, make up the bulk of federal spending and are politically difficult to cut, particularly with a growing population of those in need of services in congressional districts nationwide.

Agreeing on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts will be a tall order for McCarthy as he struggles to build consensus within his narrow House Republican majority and bridge the divide between his conservative and far-right wings of the party.

McCarthy told reporters he's not counting on Republican support alone and wants Democratic help to pass a deal in Congress. But relying on a bipartisan approach could bring a revolt from McCarthy's hard-right flank of lawmakers who can threaten to oust him from his speakership.

After Wednesday morning's closed-door House GOP briefing, several Republican lawmakers insisted they would not allow the negotiations to spiral into a debt crisis.

“Obviously, we don’t want to default on our debt. We’re not going to,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. “But we are going to have to have a discussion about the trajectory that we're on. Everyone knows that it’s not sustainable.”

Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, held a separate briefing for his group, whose 175 or so members make up most of the House GOP majority.

Hern sent a letter to McCarthy outlining their principles for budget cuts ahead of the White House meeting.

The federal budget's non-mandatory programs, in defense and domestic accounts, have also proven tough to trim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675300571808.png" alt="“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;met face-to-face Wednesday for more than an hour of highly anticipated budget talks — "a good first meeting," the new Republican leader said — but expectations were low for quick progress as GOP lawmakers push for steep cuts in a deal to prevent a national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">debt limit crisis.</a>Biden has resisted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-kevin-mccarthy-business-e04740d1d172cf3900e6548180909752">direct spending negotiations</a>&nbsp;linked to vital action raising the nation's legal debt ceiling, warning against potentially throwing the economy into chaos.McCarthy had all but invited himself to the White House to start the conversation before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">summer debt deadline</a>. And he emerged saying the meeting went better than expected: The two agreed to meet again, and the speaker said he expected to hear from Biden soon.“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House.He said he told the president he would not raise the debt ceiling without concessions from Democrats.“I was very clear," he said. “We’re not spending more next year than we spent this year.”And Biden's response? McCarthy said the president insisted on a “clean debt ceiling” vote without the budget cuts Republicans are demanding.“We both have different perspectives on this, but I thought this was a good meeting,” McCarthy said.The White House said the president and the speaker agreed to continue the conversation. The president made clear that it is their “shared duty” to not allow a “catastrophic default,” the White House said.The House speaker arrived for the afternoon session carrying no formal GOP budget proposal, but he is laden with the promises he made to far-right and other conservative Republican lawmakers during his difficult&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">campaign to become House speaker.</a>&nbsp;He vowed then to work to return federal spending to 2022 levels — an 8% reduction. He also promised to take steps to balance the budget within the decade — an ambitious, if politically unattainable goal.McCarthy said he told the president, "I would like to see if we can come to an agreement long before the deadline.”The political and economic stakes are high for both leaders, who have a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-63a86d17b98b8eebd46dede94cedf3e4">cordial relationship</a>, and for the nation as they work to prevent a debt default.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress last month that the government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity</a>, $31 trillion, with congressional approval needed to raise the ceiling to allow more debt to pay off the nation’s already accrued bills. While Yellen was able to launch “extraordinary measures” to cover the bills temporarily, that funding is to run out in June.“Everyone is asking the same question of Speaker McCarthy: Show us your plan. Where is your plan, Republicans?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the meeting."For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sitdown as some kind of major win in his debt ceiling talks," Schumer said. But he added, “Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.”Raising the debt ceiling is a once-routine vote in Congress that has taken on oversized significance over the past decade as the nation's debt toll mounts. Newly empowered in the majority, House Republicans want to force Biden and Senate Democrats into budget cuts as part of a deal to raise the limit.Ahead of the White House meeting, House Republicans met in private to discuss policies. And McCarthy met with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday at the Capitol.McConnell has a history of dealmaking with Biden during the last debt ceiling showdown a decade ago. But the GOP leader of the Senate, in the minority party, says it's up to McCarthy and the president to come up with a deal that would be acceptable to the new House majority.Still, McConnell is doing his part to influence the process from afar, and nudging Biden to negotiate.“The president of the United States does not get to walk away from the table,” McConnell said in Senate remarks.Slashing the federal budget is often easier said than done, as past budget deals have shown.After a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">2011 debt ceiling standoff</a>&nbsp;during the Obama era, Republicans and Democrats agreed to across-the-board federal budget caps on domestic and defense spending that were supposed to be in place for 10 years but ultimately proved too much to bear.After initial cuts, both parties agreed in subsequent years to alter the budget caps to protect priority programs. The caps recently expired anyway, and last year Congress agreed to a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that sparked new outrage among fiscal hawks.McCarthy reiterated that he would not be proposing any reductions to the Social Security and Medicare programs that are primarily for older Americans. But other Republicans want cuts to those as part of overall belt-tightening.Such mainstay programs, along with the Medicaid health care system, make up the bulk of federal spending and are politically difficult to cut, particularly with a growing population of those in need of services in congressional districts nationwide.Agreeing on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts will be a tall order for McCarthy as he struggles to build consensus within his narrow House Republican majority and bridge the divide between his conservative and far-right wings of the party.McCarthy told reporters he's not counting on Republican support alone and wants Democratic help to pass a deal in Congress. But relying on a bipartisan approach could bring a revolt from McCarthy's hard-right flank of lawmakers who can threaten to oust him from his speakership.After Wednesday morning's closed-door House GOP briefing, several Republican lawmakers insisted they would not allow the negotiations to spiral into a debt crisis.“Obviously, we don’t want to default on our debt. We’re not going to,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. “But we are going to have to have a discussion about the trajectory that we're on. Everyone knows that it’s not sustainable.”Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, held a separate briefing for his group, whose 175 or so members make up most of the House GOP majority.Hern sent a letter to McCarthy outlining their principles for budget cuts ahead of the White House meeting.The federal budget's non-mandatory programs, in defense and domestic accounts, have also proven tough to trim.___

Biden, McCarthy talk but are far from a debt limit deal

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced that total tax-only collections for January were $1.05 billion. That is $56.2 million, or 5.7%, more than the January estimate. Those collections were also $102.4 million, or 10.8%, more than January 2022, according to a statement from her office.

“Month after month of tax collections surpassing the estimates show that, thanks to our laser-sharp focus on supporting businesses, we are now able to responsibly cut taxes for Kansas families,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We should start by completely and immediately eliminating the state sales tax on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products, creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday, and providing Social Security income tax relief to Kansas seniors. We will get that done if we work together.”

Individual income tax collections were $494.9 million in January. That is $65.1 million, or 11.6%, less than the estimate and 8.7% less than January 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $166.1 million, which is $131.1 million, or 374.6%, more than the January 2023 estimate. Those collections are $134.5 million, or 425.0%, more than January 2022.

“Corporate tax receipts continue to be higher and individual income receipts lower because of the shift between the two tax types brought about by the SALT Parity Act,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. "The SALT Parity Act now allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax at the entity level on the income flowing through to the owners.

Retail sales tax collections were $275.2 million, which is $4.8 million, or 1.7%, less than the January estimate but 6.6% more than January 2022. Compensating use tax collections were $86.1 million, which is $3.9 million, or 4.3%, less than the estimate, but 2.4% more than January 2022.

<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MzQwMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDIvMDdfSmFudWFyeV9SZXZlbnVlX0ZZMjAyM18wMi0wMS0yMDIzX0ZpbmFsLnBkZiJ9.R4q1c3zBGZJOyHGvEorK5DO7g_XmBW5W3TSvbuc0Yvo/s/1303160919/br/153812305716-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the January 2023 revenue numbers.</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced that total tax-only collections for January were $1.05 billion. That is $56.2 million, or 5.7%, more than the January estimate. Those collections were also $102.4 million, or 10.8%, more than January 2022, according to a statement from her office.“Month after month of tax collections surpassing the estimates show that, thanks to our laser-sharp focus on supporting businesses, we are now able to responsibly cut taxes for Kansas families,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We should start by completely and immediately eliminating the state sales tax on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products, creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday, and providing Social Security income tax relief to Kansas seniors. We will get that done if we work together.”Individual income tax collections were $494.9 million in January. That is $65.1 million, or 11.6%, less than the estimate and 8.7% less than January 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $166.1 million, which is $131.1 million, or 374.6%, more than the January 2023 estimate. Those collections are $134.5 million, or 425.0%, more than January 2022.“Corporate tax receipts continue to be higher and individual income receipts lower because of the shift between the two tax types brought about by the SALT Parity Act,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. "The SALT Parity Act now allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax at the entity level on the income flowing through to the owners.Retail sales tax collections were $275.2 million, which is $4.8 million, or 1.7%, less than the January estimate but 6.6% more than January 2022. Compensating use tax collections were $86.1 million, which is $3.9 million, or 4.3%, less than the estimate, but 2.4% more than January 2022.<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MzQwMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDIvMDdfSmFudWFyeV9SZXZlbnVlX0ZZMjAyM18wMi0wMS0yMDIzX0ZpbmFsLnBkZiJ9.R4q1c3zBGZJOyHGvEorK5DO7g_XmBW5W3TSvbuc0Yvo/s/1303160919/br/153812305716-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the January 2023 revenue numbers.</a>

January taxes: Kan collections exceed estimate by $56.2M

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an intentionally set house fire that resulted in two people being seriously injured.

Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to 214 NE Chandler Street in reference to an unknown individual causing a disturbance outside of the home, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

When officers arrived, they observed a large house fire at 206 NE Chandler Street and requested the response of Topeka Fire crews and American Medical Response.

Fire crews found a man and woman&nbsp;outside the house suffering from serious fire-related injuries, according to Nichols.

While fire crews were performing an offensive fire attack on the house, police located an adult male suspect in the area from the earlier disturbance. 

Police took the suspect identified as Arturo R. Ramirez, 41, Topeka&nbsp; was&nbsp; into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Ramirez and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 1st degree: Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Arson: Substantial Risk To Great Bodily Endangerment; Reckless Expose to Danger, Bodily Harm, Violate protection order, Abuse order per KSA 60-3105, 60-3106, 60-3107, Probation County On Felony and Probation Violation County Misdemeanor.

The cause of the fire has been determined by fire investigators as incendiary; intentionally set in connection with a domestic incident, according to the Topeka Fire Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675280599060.png" alt="Ramirez-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ramirez-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an intentionally set house fire that resulted in two people being seriously injured.Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to 214 NE Chandler Street in reference to an unknown individual causing a disturbance outside of the home, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675262479413.png" alt="Crews on the scene of the fire-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene of the fire-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>When officers arrived, they observed a large house fire at 206 NE Chandler Street and requested the response of Topeka Fire crews and American Medical Response.Fire crews found a man and woman&nbsp;outside the house suffering from serious fire-related injuries, according to Nichols.While fire crews were performing an offensive fire attack on the house, police located an adult male suspect in the area from the earlier disturbance. Police took the suspect identified as Arturo R. Ramirez, 41, Topeka&nbsp; was&nbsp; into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Ramirez and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 1st degree: Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Arson: Substantial Risk To Great Bodily Endangerment; Reckless Expose to Danger, Bodily Harm, Violate protection order, Abuse order per KSA 60-3105, 60-3106, 60-3107, Probation County On Felony and Probation Violation County Misdemeanor.The cause of the fire has been determined by fire investigators as incendiary; intentionally set in connection with a domestic incident, according to the Topeka Fire Department.

Suspect accused of setting Kan. house fire that injured two

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly believes in being fiscally responsible, and she believes that her Axing Your Taxes package will be fiscally responsible while saving Kansans approximately $500 million over the next three years.

Kelly discussed her Axing Your Taxes package during an exclusive interview with Salina Post on Tuesday afternoon.

The governor announced on Jan. 19 that the package, comprised of three parts, had been introduced in the Kansas House and Senate.

Kelly told Salina Post that the package builds off of last year's bipartisan legislation that she signed to gradually eliminate over three years the 6.5 percent state sales tax on groceries.

"One of the three things my bill does is eliminate the state portion of the food sales tax completely and immediately," Kelly said. "The money is in the budget. The revenue would be coming in to cover that for as far out as we can see, so there's absolutely no reason to not do that."

If that part of the package is passed, the state sales tax would immediately be eliminated on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.

The second component of Kelly's proposed legislation would create in August a four-day sales tax holiday on school supplies, personal computers, instructional materials, and art supplies.

"That will help not only our parents and teachers, but I think it will also help our businesses, particularly those on the borders of states that have that sales tax holiday," she said.

The third component would benefit retirees who might be taxed on their Social Security income. Currently, Kansans earning less than $75,000 annually do not pay state income tax on social security income. Under Kelly's proposal, no Kansas retiree making under $100,000 would pay full taxes on Social Security income.

"That would help a lot of our senior citizens," Kelly said. "It would help put more money back in their pockets."

Kelly said that her administration is estimating a $500 million in savings for Kansans from the three components combined.

Should the tax cut package be approved, no state services will need to be cut to make up for the estimated $500 million in tax savings, Kelly said.

"I am a true fiscal conservative. I don't like to spend money I don't have. I won't spend money I don't have," she said. "So you can trust that we've looked at this every which way from Sunday. We won't touch our schools. We won't touch our transportation program. All of those will remain intact with these tax cuts in place."

Kelly said she was not proposing any additional relief measures at this point.

"We thought this was a fiscally responsible approach to take for providing relief," she said.

Kelly did say, however, that as her administration is putting together its budget proposal for next year, "we will look at the numbers and see if that allows us to do some more."

On Jan. 10, Kelly signed an executive order to establish the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. Kelly said the executive order will give her administration a year to study the current early childhood services that are being provided by the state.

"We have a slew of different entities that are providing some sort of service to early childhood. We want to study all of that. We'll likely be working with the Hunt Institute out of North Carolina. They are experts in this area," she said.

Once the study is complete, recommendations will be made for realigning early childhood services, including the possible creation of a cabinet-level agency.

"That agency would focus entirely on the range of services for early childhood to ensure that we have more consistency, more continuity, less overlap, with fewer gaps" to make better use of resources for early childhood, including childcare, Kelly said.

"If you listened to the State of the State, you know that we have a lot of plans for the second term, including building on many of the things that we started in the first term. That would include things like broadband expansion. We are being focused like a laser ensuring that as many homes and hospitals, schools, and businesses as want are connected to high-speed internet. That will continue to be a major focus of our administration," Kelly said.

Affordable housing, which Kelly noted was an important issue for the Salina area, also will continue to be a focus of her administration.

"We've been working with your local folks to ensure that you have plenty of housing available for all the jobs that are being created in your area," she said.

"And then all of that flows into our effort to build our workforce. We have been very successful in bringing businesses and bringing jobs to Kansas. We need to ensure that they have the people they need," she added.

Kelly kicked off legal sports betting in Kansas on Sept. 1 in the&nbsp;Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kan. Kelly placed the first wager in the state, a $15 bet that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII.

On Sept. 1, Kelly placed the first legal sports wager in Kansas when she bet $15 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVII. The amount was no coincidence as 15 also happens to be the jersey number of Chiefs' QB1 Patrick Mahomes.

When asked whether she was still positive that the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl, Kelly said, "Absolutely! I don't know that Patrick Mahomes knows how to lose. Every time it seems like it's a possibility, he seems to pull it out. I'm confident that will happen and hopefully, he won't have to be coming from behind."

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostKansas Governor Laura Kelly believes in being fiscally responsible, and she believes that her Axing Your Taxes package will be fiscally responsible while saving Kansans approximately $500 million over the next three years.Kelly discussed her Axing Your Taxes package during an exclusive interview with Salina Post on Tuesday afternoon.The governor announced on Jan. 19 that the package, comprised of three parts, had been introduced in the Kansas House and Senate.Kelly told Salina Post that the package builds off of last year's bipartisan legislation that she signed to gradually eliminate over three years the 6.5 percent state sales tax on groceries."One of the three things my bill does is eliminate the state portion of the food sales tax completely and immediately," Kelly said. "The money is in the budget. The revenue would be coming in to cover that for as far out as we can see, so there's absolutely no reason to not do that."If that part of the package is passed, the state sales tax would immediately be eliminated on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.The second component of Kelly's proposed legislation would create in August a four-day sales tax holiday on school supplies, personal computers, instructional materials, and art supplies."That will help not only our parents and teachers, but I think it will also help our businesses, particularly those on the borders of states that have that sales tax holiday," she said.The third component would benefit retirees who might be taxed on their Social Security income. Currently, Kansans earning less than $75,000 annually do not pay state income tax on social security income. Under Kelly's proposal, no Kansas retiree making under $100,000 would pay full taxes on Social Security income."That would help a lot of our senior citizens," Kelly said. "It would help put more money back in their pockets."Kelly said that her administration is estimating a $500 million in savings for Kansans from the three components combined."Everybody benefits," she said.Should the tax cut package be approved, no state services will need to be cut to make up for the estimated $500 million in tax savings, Kelly said."I am a true fiscal conservative. I don't like to spend money I don't have. I won't spend money I don't have," she said. "So you can trust that we've looked at this every which way from Sunday. We won't touch our schools. We won't touch our transportation program. All of those will remain intact with these tax cuts in place."Kelly said she was not proposing any additional relief measures at this point."We thought this was a fiscally responsible approach to take for providing relief," she said.Kelly did say, however, that as her administration is putting together its budget proposal for next year, "we will look at the numbers and see if that allows us to do some more."Early childhood and childcareOn Jan. 10, Kelly signed an executive order to establish the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. Kelly said the executive order will give her administration a year to study the current early childhood services that are being provided by the state."We have a slew of different entities that are providing some sort of service to early childhood. We want to study all of that. We'll likely be working with the Hunt Institute out of North Carolina. They are experts in this area," she said.Once the study is complete, recommendations will be made for realigning early childhood services, including the possible creation of a cabinet-level agency."That agency would focus entirely on the range of services for early childhood to ensure that we have more consistency, more continuity, less overlap, with fewer gaps" to make better use of resources for early childhood, including childcare, Kelly said.Kelly's second term"If you listened to the State of the State, you know that we have a lot of plans for the second term, including building on many of the things that we started in the first term. That would include things like broadband expansion. We are being focused like a laser ensuring that as many homes and hospitals, schools, and businesses as want are connected to high-speed internet. That will continue to be a major focus of our administration," Kelly said.Affordable housing, which Kelly noted was an important issue for the Salina area, also will continue to be a focus of her administration."We've been working with your local folks to ensure that you have plenty of housing available for all the jobs that are being created in your area," she said."And then all of that flows into our effort to build our workforce. We have been very successful in bringing businesses and bringing jobs to Kansas. We need to ensure that they have the people they need," she added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662056609748.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly kicked off legal sports betting in Kansas on Sept. 1 in the&nbsp;Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kan. Kelly placed the first wager in the state, a $15 bet that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII.Kansas City ChiefsOn Sept. 1, Kelly placed the first legal sports wager in Kansas when she bet $15 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVII. The amount was no coincidence as 15 also happens to be the jersey number of Chiefs' QB1 Patrick Mahomes.When asked whether she was still positive that the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl, Kelly said, "Absolutely! I don't know that Patrick Mahomes knows how to lose. Every time it seems like it's a possibility, he seems to pull it out. I'm confident that will happen and hopefully, he won't have to be coming from behind."

Gov. Kelly talks axing taxes, early childhood, second term, Chiefs

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft and have made an arrest.

Just after noon Tuesday, a&nbsp;29 year old victim reported the theft of a 1992 Mercury passenger car from a parking lot in the 700 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

&nbsp;Police recovered the vehicle on Wednesday morning in a parking lot in the 400 block Main Street. They took Leanna M. Michaels, 59, Atchison, into custody on a requested charge of theft of the vehicle.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675273750296.png" alt="Michaels-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Michaels-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft and have made an arrest.Just after noon Tuesday, a&nbsp;29 year old victim reported the theft of a 1992 Mercury passenger car from a parking lot in the 700 block Kansas Avenue in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;Police recovered the vehicle on Wednesday morning in a parking lot in the 400 block Main Street. They took Leanna M. Michaels, 59, Atchison, into custody on a requested charge of theft of the vehicle.&nbsp;

Police arrest Kansas woman for alleged car theft

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A federal agency has recommended nearly $200,000 in fines after an apprentice technician died from electrocution at a construction site in Kansas City last year — just a year after another technician working for the company was electrocuted at a construction site in Kansas.

The technician working for U.S. Engineering Services died on Aug. 24, 2022, when he came in contact with energized parts while clearing a chiller unit at University Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday.

An OSHA investigation found the company did not follow required procedures that could have prevented the death. The agency cited similar violations when another company HVAC technician was electrocuted while working on a rooftop air conditioning unit in Wichita, Kansas, in July 2021.

OSHA cited U.S. Engineering Services, a subsidiary of U.S. Engineering, for three serious and two repeat violations and proposed $197,642 in penalties. The agency found similar violations after the worker died in Wichita. U.S. Engineering Services paid the penalties in that case.

The company has 15 business days to respond to OSHA'S recommendations.

U.S. Engineering said in a statement that it has reviewed the citations.

“Safety is a core value for our organization, and we are committed to the health and safety of all of our team members,” the statement said. "We look forward to continuing our work with OSHA on this matter. However, because these citations remain open to appeal, we have no additional comment at this time.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A federal agency has recommended nearly $200,000 in fines after an apprentice technician died from electrocution at a construction site in Kansas City last year — just a year after another technician working for the company was electrocuted at a construction site in Kansas.The technician working for U.S. Engineering Services died on Aug. 24, 2022, when he came in contact with energized parts while clearing a chiller unit at University Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday.An OSHA investigation found the company did not follow required procedures that could have prevented the death. The agency cited similar violations when another company HVAC technician was electrocuted while working on a rooftop air conditioning unit in Wichita, Kansas, in July 2021.OSHA cited U.S. Engineering Services, a subsidiary of U.S. Engineering, for three serious and two repeat violations and proposed $197,642 in penalties. The agency found similar violations after the worker died in Wichita. U.S. Engineering Services paid the penalties in that case.The company has 15 business days to respond to OSHA'S recommendations.U.S. Engineering said in a statement that it has reviewed the citations.“Safety is a core value for our organization, and we are committed to the health and safety of all of our team members,” the statement said. "We look forward to continuing our work with OSHA on this matter. However, because these citations remain open to appeal, we have no additional comment at this time.

OSHA fines company after worker's electrocution in KC

By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As Human 
Trafficking Awareness month comes to an end people should continue to 
show awareness and know the signs of potential trafficking.&nbsp;

Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security made a presentation in St. Joseph.&nbsp;

Unit Supervisor Scott Titus says one sign people may see in youth that are being trafficked is a disconnection from family.&nbsp;

"More
 recently disconnected from family, sudden changes in behaviorisms, if 
they go from doing exceptionally well in school to not being related to 
school or kind of disconnecting from friends as well," Titus tells 
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Often times we'll find unexplainable bruising on 
the arms, neck, legs, places that bruising just shouldn't normally 
occur."&nbsp;

Titus says victims will also not be in charge of their 
own passport or even financials and can be seen looking to their 
trafficker for confirmation on financial decisions. &nbsp;

Acting 
Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho says when people hear about 
trafficking, they think about it happening in continents such as Africa 
or Southeast Asia&nbsp;

"However, this happens in the United States, we
 just don't see it it's normally out of sight out of mind," Cho says. 
"Because this is such a threat, not only to public safety, but really 
national security because transnational criminal organizations, the 
cartels, are taking part in this illegal activity."&nbsp;

Cho says the 
involvement of the cartels and other criminal organizations is what 
makes his department a part of investigating these instances of 
trafficking.

The growing problem of human trafficking can happen anywhere, no matter the size of the town.&nbsp; &nbsp;

While
 Kansas City is ranked the fifth largest spot for occurrences of 
trafficking, cases are also being seen in small towns like 
Harrisonville, Missouri. &nbsp;

Titus says cases of human trafficking are happening anywhere and everywhere.&nbsp;

"It's
 not necessarily that it's more common in a small town, with that being 
said, you typically have more eyes in larger towns constantly watching 
for it, more training, more resources readily available," Titus 
explains. "In smaller towns those resources aren't nearly as available, 
not as many opportunities for federal law enforcement training or state 
local assistant training, so it's not as readily watched."&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675268737646.jpeg" alt="Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center director Rebecca Lobina (in red) looks on during a presentation on human trafficking by the Department of Homeland Security/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center director Rebecca Lobina (in red) looks on during a presentation on human trafficking by the Department of Homeland Security/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/212023-Journal--Federal-officials-visit-St--Joseph-with-message-on-human-trafficking-e1ualpj/a-a993du3" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As Human 
Trafficking Awareness month comes to an end people should continue to 
show awareness and know the signs of potential trafficking.&nbsp;Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security made a presentation in St. Joseph.&nbsp;Unit Supervisor Scott Titus says one sign people may see in youth that are being trafficked is a disconnection from family.&nbsp;"More
 recently disconnected from family, sudden changes in behaviorisms, if 
they go from doing exceptionally well in school to not being related to 
school or kind of disconnecting from friends as well," Titus tells 
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Often times we'll find unexplainable bruising on 
the arms, neck, legs, places that bruising just shouldn't normally 
occur."&nbsp;Titus says victims will also not be in charge of their 
own passport or even financials and can be seen looking to their 
trafficker for confirmation on financial decisions. &nbsp;Acting 
Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho says when people hear about 
trafficking, they think about it happening in continents such as Africa 
or Southeast Asia&nbsp;"However, this happens in the United States, we
 just don't see it it's normally out of sight out of mind," Cho says. 
"Because this is such a threat, not only to public safety, but really 
national security because transnational criminal organizations, the 
cartels, are taking part in this illegal activity."&nbsp;Cho says the 
involvement of the cartels and other criminal organizations is what 
makes his department a part of investigating these instances of 
trafficking.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675267278616.jpeg" alt="Rebecca Lobina introduces federal agents to a group of St. Joseph business leaders and community leaders/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Rebecca Lobina introduces federal agents to a group of St. Joseph business leaders and community leaders/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The growing problem of human trafficking can happen anywhere, no matter the size of the town.&nbsp; &nbsp;While
 Kansas City is ranked the fifth largest spot for occurrences of 
trafficking, cases are also being seen in small towns like 
Harrisonville, Missouri. &nbsp;Titus says cases of human trafficking are happening anywhere and everywhere.&nbsp;"It's
 not necessarily that it's more common in a small town, with that being 
said, you typically have more eyes in larger towns constantly watching 
for it, more training, more resources readily available," Titus 
explains. "In smaller towns those resources aren't nearly as available, 
not as many opportunities for federal law enforcement training or state 
local assistant training, so it's not as readily watched."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675267452976.jpeg" alt="The area covered by Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City division/ Photo courtesy of Taekuk Cho" />
 <figcaption>The area covered by Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City division/ Photo courtesy of Taekuk Cho</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎙 Homeland Security officials discuss human trafficking, signs

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a home in Topeka have made an arrest.

Just after 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of SE 34th Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First responders located a man later identified as 40-year-old Michael R. Comp suffering from life-threatening injuries believed to be associated with the shooting. 

American Medical Response (AMR) and the Topeka Fire Department (TFD) responded to the scene. A short time later, and Comp was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.

Late Tuesday night, police reported the arrest of&nbsp; 47-year-old Wesley Tyrone Rayton of Topeka. He is being held on requested charges of first degree murder, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a deadly weapon, according to Lt. Michael Hren.

This incident is being investigated as an isolated event, and is not believed to be connected to prior homicide investigations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675206373661.png" alt="First responders at the scene on Tuesday-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene on Tuesday-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide at a home in Topeka have made an arrest.Just after 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of SE 34th Street in Topeka, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First responders located a man later identified as 40-year-old Michael R. Comp suffering from life-threatening injuries believed to be associated with the shooting. American Medical Response (AMR) and the Topeka Fire Department (TFD) responded to the scene. A short time later, and Comp was pronounced deceased by medical personnel at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675251943235.png" alt="Rayton-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Rayton-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Late Tuesday night, police reported the arrest of&nbsp; 47-year-old Wesley Tyrone Rayton of Topeka. He is being held on requested charges of first degree murder, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a deadly weapon, according to Lt. Michael Hren.This incident is being investigated as an isolated event, and is not believed to be connected to prior homicide investigations.

Police ID man who died in shooting at Kansas home

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Toyota Tundra driven by Brent Young, 40, Mission, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just south of Interstate 635 in the number three lane.

The pickup rear-ended a 1998 Dodge Dakota driven by Curtis Brockman, 47, Kansas City, Kansas, who was traveling at a slow rate of speed, according to the KHP.

After impact, both vehicle traveled off the road and struck an embankment. The Dodge caught fire and Brockman was trapped inside. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

EMS transported Young to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675288162412.png" alt="Traffic backed up early Thursday-image KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Traffic backed up early Thursday-image KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 5a.m. Wednesday in Wyandotte County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Toyota Tundra driven by Brent Young, 40, Mission, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just south of Interstate 635 in the number three lane.The pickup rear-ended a 1998 Dodge Dakota driven by Curtis Brockman, 47, Kansas City, Kansas, who was traveling at a slow rate of speed, according to the KHP.After impact, both vehicle traveled off the road and struck an embankment. The Dodge caught fire and Brockman was trapped inside. He was pronounced dead at the scene.EMS transported Young to KU Medical Center. The KHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

Kansas man dies after rear-end crash on the Kansas Turnpike

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point, its eighth hike since March. And the Fed signaled that even though inflation is easing, it remains high enough to require further rate hikes.

Though smaller than its previous hike — and even larger rate increases before that — the Fed's latest move will likely further raise the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.

In a statement, Fed officials repeated language they've used before that says, “ongoing increases in the (interest rate) target range will be appropriate.” That is seen as a signal that they intend to raise their benchmark rate again when they next meet in March and perhaps in May as well.

The Fed’s hike was announced one day after the government reported that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-wage-growth-slows-4d4a328c345dd4a2e04fbc222d101ac7">pay and benefits for America’s workers grew more slowly</a>&nbsp;in the final three months of 2022, the third straight slowdown. That report might help reassure the Fed that wage gains won’t fuel higher inflation.

Though the Fed kept language in its statement Wednesday suggesting that more rate hikes are in store, it did note for the first time that price pressures are cooling. The statement also hinted that it will likely stick with modest quarter-point hikes in coming months and is considering when to eventually suspend them altogether.

But the Fed's overall message Wednesday was that it isn't done raising rates.

“We will need substantially more evidence to be confident that inflation is on a long, sustained downward path, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference.

“It would be very premature to declare victory or think that we really got this," Powell added. “We have to complete the job.”

Speculation is widespread, though, among Wall Street investors and many economists that with inflation continuing to cool, the Fed may soon decide to halt its aggressive drive to tighten credit. When they last met in December, the Fed’s policymakers forecast that they would eventually raise their benchmark rate to a level that would require two additional quarter-point hikes.

Yet Wall Street investors have priced in only one more hike. Collectively, in fact, they expect the Fed to reverse course and actually cut rates by the end of this year. That optimism has helped drive stock prices up and bond yields down, easing credit and pushing in the opposite direction that the Fed would prefer.

The divide between the Fed and financial markets is important because rate hikes need to work through markets to affect the economy. The Fed directly controls its key short-term rate. But it has only indirect control over borrowing rates that people and businesses actually pay — for mortgages, corporate bonds, auto loans and many others.

The consequences can be seen in housing. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage soared after the Fed first began hiking rates. Eventually, it topped 7%, more than twice where it had stood before the hiking began.

Yet since the fall, the average mortgage rate has eased to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-system-business-mortgages-ebfaa51802a8f32d93470ce3d3bcc806">6.13%, the lowest level since September</a>. And while home sales fell further in December, a measure of signed contracts to buy homes actually rose. That suggested that lower rates might be drawing some home buyers back to the market.

At his news conference Wednesday, Powell brushed aside the concern that the Fed will end up tightening credit too much and trigger a recession.

“I still think there is a path to getting inflation down to 2%," the Fed's target level, “without a significant economic decline or significant increase in unemployment,” he said.

Over the past several months, the Fed’s officials have reduced the size of their rate increases, from four unusually large three-quarter-point hikes in a row last year to a half-point increase in December to Wednesday’s quarter-point hike.

The more gradual pace is intended to help the Fed navigate what will be a high-risk series of decisions this year. The central bank’s latest move put its benchmark rate in a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, its highest level in about 15 years.

The slowdown in inflation suggests that its rate hikes have started to achieve their goal. But inflation is still far above the central bank’s 2% target. The risk is that with some sectors of the economy weakening, ever-higher borrowing costs could tip the economy into a downturn later this year.

Retail sales, for example, have fallen for two straight months, suggesting that consumers are becoming more cautious about spending. Manufacturing output has fallen for two months. On the other hand, the nation’s job market – the most important pillar of the economy – remains strong, with the unemployment rate at a 53-year low at 3.5%.

The Fed’s latest policy statement indicated that the central bank no longer regards COVID-19 as a driver of higher prices. It removed from its statement a reference to the pandemic as a cause of supply shocks that have heightened inflation.

Over the past year, with businesses sharply raising pay to try to attract and keep enough workers, Powell has expressed concern that wage growth in the labor-intensive service sector would keep inflation too high. Businesses typically pass their increased labor costs on to their customers by charging higher prices, thereby perpetuating inflation pressures.

But recent gauges show that wage growth is slowing. And in December, overall inflation eased to 6.5% in December from a year earlier, down from a four-decade peak of 9.1% in June. The decline has been driven in part by cheaper gas, which has tumbled to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$3.50 a gallon, on average</a>, nationwide, from $5 in June.

Supply chain backups have also largely been cleared, leading to a drop in prices for manufactured goods. Used car prices, having skyrocketed in the pandemic amid an auto shortage, have now fallen for several months.

Other major central banks are also fighting high inflation with rate hikes. The European Central Bank is expected to raise its benchmark rate by a half-point when it meets Thursday. Inflation in Europe, though slowing, remains high,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-european-union-europe-business-d7821ae6021fdd4f52ef669ad6467858">at 8.5% in January</a>&nbsp;compared with a year earlier.

The Bank of England is forecast to lift its rate at a meeting Thursday as well. Inflation has reached 10.5% in the United Kingdom. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-international-monetary-fund-china-economy-business-b38530a50416d0356fec60d30da97b61">International Monetary Fund has forecast</a>&nbsp;that the U.K. economy will likely enter recession this year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve extended its fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point, its eighth hike since March. And the Fed signaled that even though inflation is easing, it remains high enough to require further rate hikes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Jerome Powell: &quot;Today the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> raised our policy interest rate by 25 basis points. We continue to anticipate that ongoing increases will be appropriate...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/7GQEWEMW6n">pic.twitter.com/7GQEWEMW6n</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1620874948645425176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Though smaller than its previous hike — and even larger rate increases before that — the Fed's latest move will likely further raise the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.In a statement, Fed officials repeated language they've used before that says, “ongoing increases in the (interest rate) target range will be appropriate.” That is seen as a signal that they intend to raise their benchmark rate again when they next meet in March and perhaps in May as well.The Fed’s hike was announced one day after the government reported that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-wage-growth-slows-4d4a328c345dd4a2e04fbc222d101ac7">pay and benefits for America’s workers grew more slowly</a>&nbsp;in the final three months of 2022, the third straight slowdown. That report might help reassure the Fed that wage gains won’t fuel higher inflation.Though the Fed kept language in its statement Wednesday suggesting that more rate hikes are in store, it did note for the first time that price pressures are cooling. The statement also hinted that it will likely stick with modest quarter-point hikes in coming months and is considering when to eventually suspend them altogether.But the Fed's overall message Wednesday was that it isn't done raising rates.“We will need substantially more evidence to be confident that inflation is on a long, sustained downward path, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference.“It would be very premature to declare victory or think that we really got this," Powell added. “We have to complete the job.”Speculation is widespread, though, among Wall Street investors and many economists that with inflation continuing to cool, the Fed may soon decide to halt its aggressive drive to tighten credit. When they last met in December, the Fed’s policymakers forecast that they would eventually raise their benchmark rate to a level that would require two additional quarter-point hikes.Yet Wall Street investors have priced in only one more hike. Collectively, in fact, they expect the Fed to reverse course and actually cut rates by the end of this year. That optimism has helped drive stock prices up and bond yields down, easing credit and pushing in the opposite direction that the Fed would prefer.The divide between the Fed and financial markets is important because rate hikes need to work through markets to affect the economy. The Fed directly controls its key short-term rate. But it has only indirect control over borrowing rates that people and businesses actually pay — for mortgages, corporate bonds, auto loans and many others.The consequences can be seen in housing. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage soared after the Fed first began hiking rates. Eventually, it topped 7%, more than twice where it had stood before the hiking began.Yet since the fall, the average mortgage rate has eased to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-system-business-mortgages-ebfaa51802a8f32d93470ce3d3bcc806">6.13%, the lowest level since September</a>. And while home sales fell further in December, a measure of signed contracts to buy homes actually rose. That suggested that lower rates might be drawing some home buyers back to the market.At his news conference Wednesday, Powell brushed aside the concern that the Fed will end up tightening credit too much and trigger a recession.“I still think there is a path to getting inflation down to 2%," the Fed's target level, “without a significant economic decline or significant increase in unemployment,” he said.Over the past several months, the Fed’s officials have reduced the size of their rate increases, from four unusually large three-quarter-point hikes in a row last year to a half-point increase in December to Wednesday’s quarter-point hike.The more gradual pace is intended to help the Fed navigate what will be a high-risk series of decisions this year. The central bank’s latest move put its benchmark rate in a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, its highest level in about 15 years.The slowdown in inflation suggests that its rate hikes have started to achieve their goal. But inflation is still far above the central bank’s 2% target. The risk is that with some sectors of the economy weakening, ever-higher borrowing costs could tip the economy into a downturn later this year.Retail sales, for example, have fallen for two straight months, suggesting that consumers are becoming more cautious about spending. Manufacturing output has fallen for two months. On the other hand, the nation’s job market – the most important pillar of the economy – remains strong, with the unemployment rate at a 53-year low at 3.5%.The Fed’s latest policy statement indicated that the central bank no longer regards COVID-19 as a driver of higher prices. It removed from its statement a reference to the pandemic as a cause of supply shocks that have heightened inflation.Over the past year, with businesses sharply raising pay to try to attract and keep enough workers, Powell has expressed concern that wage growth in the labor-intensive service sector would keep inflation too high. Businesses typically pass their increased labor costs on to their customers by charging higher prices, thereby perpetuating inflation pressures.But recent gauges show that wage growth is slowing. And in December, overall inflation eased to 6.5% in December from a year earlier, down from a four-decade peak of 9.1% in June. The decline has been driven in part by cheaper gas, which has tumbled to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">$3.50 a gallon, on average</a>, nationwide, from $5 in June.Supply chain backups have also largely been cleared, leading to a drop in prices for manufactured goods. Used car prices, having skyrocketed in the pandemic amid an auto shortage, have now fallen for several months.Other major central banks are also fighting high inflation with rate hikes. The European Central Bank is expected to raise its benchmark rate by a half-point when it meets Thursday. Inflation in Europe, though slowing, remains high,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-inflation-european-union-europe-business-d7821ae6021fdd4f52ef669ad6467858">at 8.5% in January</a>&nbsp;compared with a year earlier.The Bank of England is forecast to lift its rate at a meeting Thursday as well. Inflation has reached 10.5% in the United Kingdom. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-international-monetary-fund-china-economy-business-b38530a50416d0356fec60d30da97b61">International Monetary Fund has forecast</a>&nbsp;that the U.K. economy will likely enter recession this year.

🎥 Interest rates jump again and more hikes expected 

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Wamego Police Department, and the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of a man identified as Justin L. Meyer 47, of Wamego after his body was found Sunday afternoon at a residence in Wamego

Just after 1 p.m., on Sunday, a man called 911 after finding Meyer dead inside a residence at 1001 Ash St., Lot 29, in Wamego, according to a media release from the KBI.

When officers from the Wamego Police Department arrived, they located Meyer on the floor of the bathroom. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. As the case unfolded, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and the KBI were asked to assist in the investigation.

At this time, evidence is not suggesting that foul play occurred, but investigators are awaiting the final autopsy report, according to the KBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675120537689.jpeg" alt="-Wamego Police Department outside residence at 1001 Ash St. in Wamego, picture submitted by a community member" />
 <figcaption>-Wamego Police Department outside residence at 1001 Ash St. in Wamego, picture submitted by a community member</figcaption>
 </figure>POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Wamego Police Department, and the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of a man identified as Justin L. Meyer 47, of Wamego after his body was found Sunday afternoon at a residence in WamegoJust after 1 p.m., on Sunday, a man called 911 after finding Meyer dead inside a residence at 1001 Ash St., Lot 29, in Wamego, according to a media release from the KBI.When officers from the Wamego Police Department arrived, they located Meyer on the floor of the bathroom. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. As the case unfolded, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and the KBI were asked to assist in the investigation.At this time, evidence is not suggesting that foul play occurred, but investigators are awaiting the final autopsy report, according to the KBI.

KBI identifies man found dead at Kansas home

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">2,163 new</a> coronavirus cases in Kansas from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2, for a total of 928,185 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 2,148 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>25 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Jan. 25, for a total of 9,969

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">2,163 new</a> coronavirus cases in Kansas from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2, for a total of 928,185 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 2,148 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>25 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Jan. 25, for a total of 9,969<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.