By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-09-28/kansas-gets-ready-to-send-tax-dollars-to-small-businesses-hurt-by-pandemic-orders">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE —&nbsp;Tish Cobb figures she lost about $15,000 in
 the spring of 2020 when state and local health orders aimed at slowing 
the spread of the coronavirus shut down her hair salon.

“I lost business,” she said, “for eight weeks.”

Subsequent orders that limited the number of customers she could serve also cost her money.

Now, she and other small business owners can recoup some of their COVID-19 pandemic losses through a program established by the <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/summary_hb_2136_2022" target="_blank">Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Act </a>passed in the final days of the Kansas Legislature’s 2022 session and signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly in June.

The
 law earmarks $50 million in federal COVID tax dollars for partial 
property tax refunds to retail businesses forced to close or cut 
occupancy during the pandemic. Businesses with pandemic-related losses 
in 2020 and 2021 are eligible for up to $10,000 – $5,000 for each year.

The <a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/#:~:text=COVID%2D19%20Retail%20Storefront%20Property%20Tax%20Relief%20Act&amp;text=House%20Bill%202136%2C%20enacted%20during,tax%20years%202020%20and%202021." target="_blank">Kansas Department of Revenue</a> will start processing refund applications in October.

Revenue
 Secretary Mark Burghart said the agency is putting the finishing 
touches on a one-page application that business owners will complete 
online.

“We’re trying to keep this as simple as possible,” Burghart said.

A date hasn’t been set for the start of applications, he said, because the agency is still testing is website.

Only
 certain brick-and-mortar businesses are eligible for the refunds. 
Cobb’s salon, located in downtown Lawrence, qualifies. So do restaurants
 and other types of small retailers.

But the law excludes a long 
list of businesses, including grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores 
and service providers. Nonprofits, online businesses and companies that 
received more than $150,000 in Payroll Protection Loans or other types 
of federal and state COVID-19 assistance are also ineligible.

“That’s
 the way it should be,” Cobb said. “It was hard hearing about big 
companies getting bailouts when I don’t think they were impacted like we
 were.”

Refund amounts will be based on a businesses’ property taxes and the number of days it was affected by public health orders.

To
 assist businesses owners who may have incomplete records, the 
Department of Revenue has created a database of all the orders issued by
 the state and local governments during the pandemic. It will be linked 
to the online application form.

Business owners intending to apply for a refund from the state must first <a href="https://usfcr.com/" target="_blank">register online</a>
 for a federal ID number. Due to a backlog, Burghart said, that could 
take some time. So, he’s encouraging businesses to start the process 
before the state begins accepting refund applications.

“Because,” he said, “we will not be able to accept the application without that number.”

Kansas businesses have until April 15, 2023 to apply for assistance.

Jim McLean is the Statehouse Bureau Chief for Kansas Public Radio and
 the senior political reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him 
on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664401520936.png" alt="Tish Cobb hopes to recover some of the $15,000 she thinks she lost because of business restrictions during the pandemic. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Tish Cobb hopes to recover some of the $15,000 she thinks she lost because of business restrictions during the pandemic. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-09-28/kansas-gets-ready-to-send-tax-dollars-to-small-businesses-hurt-by-pandemic-orders">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE —&nbsp;Tish Cobb figures she lost about $15,000 in
 the spring of 2020 when state and local health orders aimed at slowing 
the spread of the coronavirus shut down her hair salon.“I lost business,” she said, “for eight weeks.”Subsequent orders that limited the number of customers she could serve also cost her money.Now, she and other small business owners can recoup some of their COVID-19 pandemic losses through a program established by the <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/summary_hb_2136_2022" target="_blank">Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Act </a>passed in the final days of the Kansas Legislature’s 2022 session and signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly in June.The
 law earmarks $50 million in federal COVID tax dollars for partial 
property tax refunds to retail businesses forced to close or cut 
occupancy during the pandemic. Businesses with pandemic-related losses 
in 2020 and 2021 are eligible for up to $10,000 – $5,000 for each year.The <a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/#:~:text=COVID%2D19%20Retail%20Storefront%20Property%20Tax%20Relief%20Act&amp;text=House%20Bill%202136%2C%20enacted%20during,tax%20years%202020%20and%202021." target="_blank">Kansas Department of Revenue</a> will start processing refund applications in October.Revenue
 Secretary Mark Burghart said the agency is putting the finishing 
touches on a one-page application that business owners will complete 
online.“We’re trying to keep this as simple as possible,” Burghart said.A date hasn’t been set for the start of applications, he said, because the agency is still testing is website.Only
 certain brick-and-mortar businesses are eligible for the refunds. 
Cobb’s salon, located in downtown Lawrence, qualifies. So do restaurants
 and other types of small retailers.But the law excludes a long 
list of businesses, including grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores 
and service providers. Nonprofits, online businesses and companies that 
received more than $150,000 in Payroll Protection Loans or other types 
of federal and state COVID-19 assistance are also ineligible.“That’s
 the way it should be,” Cobb said. “It was hard hearing about big 
companies getting bailouts when I don’t think they were impacted like we
 were.”Refund amounts will be based on a businesses’ property taxes and the number of days it was affected by public health orders.To
 assist businesses owners who may have incomplete records, the 
Department of Revenue has created a database of all the orders issued by
 the state and local governments during the pandemic. It will be linked 
to the online application form.Business owners intending to apply for a refund from the state must first <a href="https://usfcr.com/" target="_blank">register online</a>
 for a federal ID number. Due to a backlog, Burghart said, that could 
take some time. So, he’s encouraging businesses to start the process 
before the state begins accepting refund applications.“Because,” he said, “we will not be able to accept the application without that number.”Kansas businesses have until April 15, 2023 to apply for assistance.Jim McLean is the Statehouse Bureau Chief for Kansas Public Radio and
 the senior political reporter for the Kansas News Service. Follow him 
on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a>.

Kansas set to send aid to small businesses hurt by pandemic orders

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a police recruit in connection with an alleged criminal threat.

Just before 7 p.m. Wednesday the Wichita Police Department responded to a domestic violence disturbance in the 1700 block of South Beech Street in Wichita, according to Office Chad Ditch.

Officers arrived on the scene and contacted a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman both of Wichita. 

Officers learned that man was involved in a verbal argument with a 21- year-old man, identified as Recruit Officer Trevon Morrison.

For transparency purposes, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate and booked Morrison on a requested charge of Criminal Threat.

Morrison is a Recruit Officer with the Wichita Police Department and assigned to the training academy. He has been employed since July 25, 2022. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664465514664.png" alt="Morrison -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Morrison -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a police recruit in connection with an alleged criminal threat.Just before 7 p.m. Wednesday the Wichita Police Department responded to a domestic violence disturbance in the 1700 block of South Beech Street in Wichita, according to Office Chad Ditch.Officers arrived on the scene and contacted a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman both of Wichita. Officers learned that man was involved in a verbal argument with a 21- year-old man, identified as Recruit Officer Trevon Morrison.For transparency purposes, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate and booked Morrison on a requested charge of Criminal Threat.Morrison is a Recruit Officer with the Wichita Police Department and assigned to the training academy. He has been employed since July 25, 2022.

Kansas police recruit officer accused of criminal threat

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a scam reported good news for a victim on Wednesday.

According to Kansas City Police,&nbsp;&nbsp;someone stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a senior citizen and detectives in the agency's Economic Crimes Section went to work. They traced a crime that began years ago. 

Detectives recently found much of the money and confiscated it from the suspect’s bank.

Detectives have been able to recover and return more than $157,000 to the victim.

"This was a detailed, challenging investigation by detectives and we’re thankful the victim recouped some of their loss," KCPD reported.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a scam reported good news for a victim on Wednesday.According to Kansas City Police,&nbsp;&nbsp;someone stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a senior citizen and detectives in the agency's Economic Crimes Section went to work. They traced a crime that began years ago. Detectives recently found much of the money and confiscated it from the suspect’s bank.Detectives have been able to recover and return more than $157,000 to the victim. "This was a detailed, challenging investigation by detectives and we’re thankful the victim recouped some of their loss," KCPD reported.

Police recover $157,000 taken from senior citizen in scam

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

To say that the Budweiser Clydesdales are popular in Salina might just be an understatement.

Hundreds of people young and old lined Santa Fe Avenue Wednesday evening to see and hear the world famous horse team clomp down the street. In fact, people were securing spots along the route from Chuck's Bar at 600 N. Santa Fe Avenue to The Temple at 336 S. Santa Fe Avenue before the horses even arrived in their trailers on N. Santa Fe Avenue.

They were not disappointed. Young fans could be heard squealing with delight as they pointed at the "horseys" passing by. An older woman who was there with a friend expressed amazement at the size of the horses. Clydesdales must be at least 18 hands (six feet) tall and weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds each, according to information provided by Pestinger Distributing.

The Budweiser Clydesdales and their gear, including the beer wagon they pulled behind them, arrived in Salina in three red tractor-trailer rigs festooned with the Budweiser name on the side. They were in town as a part of Pestinger Distributing of Salina and Colby recently winning the Anheuser-Busch Esteemed Ambassadors of Excellence Big Jake Award. 

"In order to achieve Ambassador status and earn the Big Jake Award, which is the highest company honor, a wholesaler must score gold proficiency three times in a five-year period. 

The Ambassador of Excellence award is given annually to distributors nationwide who perform at the highest level of sales execution, customer service, community involvement, environmental consciousness and the endorsement and engagement of responsible drinking programs," Mike Riemann, Pestinger Distributing's general manager, told Salina Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664430439813.jpeg" alt="Many who waited along Santa Fe Avenue were treated to a closeup look at the Clydesdales.&nbsp;-Salina Post photos" />
 <figcaption>Many who waited along Santa Fe Avenue were treated to a closeup look at the Clydesdales.&nbsp;-Salina Post photos</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostTo say that the Budweiser Clydesdales are popular in Salina might just be an understatement.Hundreds of people young and old lined Santa Fe Avenue Wednesday evening to see and hear the world famous horse team clomp down the street. In fact, people were securing spots along the route from Chuck's Bar at 600 N. Santa Fe Avenue to The Temple at 336 S. Santa Fe Avenue before the horses even arrived in their trailers on N. Santa Fe Avenue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664429821671.jpeg" alt="The Clydesdales arrived on N. Santa Fe Avenue near Chuck's Bar at 5 p.m. Wednesday to the delight of a sizeable crowd of people, some of whom could be seen through the trailer doors." />
 <figcaption>The Clydesdales arrived on N. Santa Fe Avenue near Chuck's Bar at 5 p.m. Wednesday to the delight of a sizeable crowd of people, some of whom could be seen through the trailer doors.</figcaption>
 </figure>They were not disappointed. Young fans could be heard squealing with delight as they pointed at the "horseys" passing by. An older woman who was there with a friend expressed amazement at the size of the horses. Clydesdales must be at least 18 hands (six feet) tall and weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds each, according to information provided by Pestinger Distributing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664430022979.jpeg" alt="Some of the Clydesdales await exiting their trailer." />
 <figcaption>Some of the Clydesdales await exiting their trailer.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Budweiser Clydesdales and their gear, including the beer wagon they pulled behind them, arrived in Salina in three red tractor-trailer rigs festooned with the Budweiser name on the side. They were in town as a part of Pestinger Distributing of Salina and Colby recently winning the Anheuser-Busch Esteemed Ambassadors of Excellence Big Jake Award. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664430135223.jpeg" alt="Staff prepare the beer wagon the Clydesdales pulled down Santa Fe Avenue." />
 <figcaption>Staff prepare the beer wagon the Clydesdales pulled down Santa Fe Avenue.</figcaption>
 </figure>"In order to achieve Ambassador status and earn the Big Jake Award, which is the highest company honor, a wholesaler must score gold proficiency three times in a five-year period. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664430267937.jpeg" alt="Cellphones were busy as the Clydesdales passed by." />
 <figcaption>Cellphones were busy as the Clydesdales passed by.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Ambassador of Excellence award is given annually to distributors nationwide who perform at the highest level of sales execution, customer service, community involvement, environmental consciousness and the endorsement and engagement of responsible drinking programs," Mike Riemann, Pestinger Distributing's general manager, told Salina Post.

Hundreds gather in Salina to see Budwiser Clydesdales

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-ian-live-updates-6302894797cae989ff855030cf332a97">Hurricane Ian</a>&nbsp;lashed Florida’s southwest coast.

(Click below to watch the President's statement)

“Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people,” Biden said at the start of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-philanthropy-9dc884edcdbce63c6df5f2337ff81922">conference on hunger in America and just hours before the hurricane</a>&nbsp;made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm.

Biden said that the hurricane “provides no excuse for price increases at the pump” and if it happens, he will ask federal officials to determine ”whether price gauging is going on.”

“America is watching. The industry should do the right thing,” Biden added.

There are few signs that average gas prices have jumped significantly in Florida as the hurricane began to approach. AAA put the statewide average at just under $3.40 a gallon, six-tenths of a cent higher than a week ago.

A 99-day run of falling pump prices nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-issues-3c8e1dd27e93b995b930035a7ead3cb6">ended recently</a>, and the 14-week decline was the longest streak since 2015. The nationwide average price had risen past $5 a gallon — and $6 in California — in June as the economic recovery and an increase in travel boosted demand for gasoline and Russia’s war in Ukraine caused a spike in oil prices.

Gasoline prices mostly reflect trends in global oil prices, and crude — both the U.S. benchmark and the international Brent — has been slumping since mid-June on growing fears of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-economy-d2fd0bbc09fbe98d8fdb4840be29e826">global recession</a>&nbsp;that would reduce demand for energy.

Many energy analysts believe prices are more likely to rise than fall in the next few months. But changes in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumer-confidence-264633cb0405d785e47ad81d6daafe28">sentiment about the economy</a>, Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>, and even hurricane season — always a threat to disrupt refineries along the Gulf Coast — make predictions uncertain.

A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry group, said the industry is focused on “delivering fuels where they are needed most while ensuring the safety of our workforce’’ during the hurricane.

“Gasoline prices are determined by market forces -– not individual companies -- and claims that the price at the pump is anything but a function of supply and demand are false,” spokeswoman Andrea Woods said.

The hurricane was lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Before making its way through the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba on Tuesday, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664394807506.png" alt="Radar image of Hurrixane Ian -National Hurricane Center&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Radar image of Hurrixane Ian -National Hurricane Center&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday warned oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-ian-live-updates-6302894797cae989ff855030cf332a97">Hurricane Ian</a>&nbsp;lashed Florida’s southwest coast.(Click below to watch the President's statement)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xfp9Cn5A5Mc?start=900" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people,” Biden said at the start of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-philanthropy-9dc884edcdbce63c6df5f2337ff81922">conference on hunger in America and just hours before the hurricane</a>&nbsp;made landfall as a massive Category 4 storm.Biden said that the hurricane “provides no excuse for price increases at the pump” and if it happens, he will ask federal officials to determine ”whether price gauging is going on.”“America is watching. The industry should do the right thing,” Biden added.There are few signs that average gas prices have jumped significantly in Florida as the hurricane began to approach. AAA put the statewide average at just under $3.40 a gallon, six-tenths of a cent higher than a week ago.A 99-day run of falling pump prices nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/political-issues-3c8e1dd27e93b995b930035a7ead3cb6">ended recently</a>, and the 14-week decline was the longest streak since 2015. The nationwide average price had risen past $5 a gallon — and $6 in California — in June as the economic recovery and an increase in travel boosted demand for gasoline and Russia’s war in Ukraine caused a spike in oil prices.Gasoline prices mostly reflect trends in global oil prices, and crude — both the U.S. benchmark and the international Brent — has been slumping since mid-June on growing fears of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-health-economy-d2fd0bbc09fbe98d8fdb4840be29e826">global recession</a>&nbsp;that would reduce demand for energy.Many energy analysts believe prices are more likely to rise than fall in the next few months. But changes in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-consumer-confidence-264633cb0405d785e47ad81d6daafe28">sentiment about the economy</a>, Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>, and even hurricane season — always a threat to disrupt refineries along the Gulf Coast — make predictions uncertain.A spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry group, said the industry is focused on “delivering fuels where they are needed most while ensuring the safety of our workforce’’ during the hurricane.“Gasoline prices are determined by market forces -– not individual companies -- and claims that the price at the pump is anything but a function of supply and demand are false,” spokeswoman Andrea Woods said.The hurricane was lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.Before making its way through the Gulf of Mexico to Florida, Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba on Tuesday, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid.

🎥.Biden warns oil industry: Don't raise gas prices due to hurricane

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting have arrested 35-year-old Emmanuel Rashad Walker, according to online jail records. Authorities booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at 6:30p.m. Tuesday.&nbsp;

Police have not released details of the arrest.

On July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.

First responders found <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bv3sq?member=20743751&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton </a>suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Several days later, Topeka Police issued an alert for help to locate Walker in reference to the homicide investigation.

Walker is being held on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated battery, domestic battery, assault, criminal trespass, burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement and a number of traffic violations, according to online jail records.

 Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658512386623.png" alt="&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Emmanuel Rashad Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstruction and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections -photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal July 16 shooting have arrested 35-year-old Emmanuel Rashad Walker, according to online jail records. Authorities booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections at 6:30p.m. Tuesday.&nbsp;Police have not released details of the arrest.On July 16, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 Block of SW 8th Street in Topeka, according to Police LT Ronnie Connell.First responders found <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bv3sq?member=20743751&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">34-year-old&nbsp; Kirk Sexton </a>suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.Several days later, Topeka Police issued an alert for help to locate Walker in reference to the homicide investigation.Walker is being held on a&nbsp;$1,000,000.00 on requested charges of&nbsp;Murder in the 1st degree; Intentional and premeditated, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated battery, domestic battery, assault, criminal trespass, burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, interference with law enforcement and a number of traffic violations, according to online jail records. Walker has previous convictions for aggravated assault in 2009 and for, obstruction and drug possession in 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections

Kansas man wanted for July murder captured, held on $1M bond

MOSCOW (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has issued another security alert for Americans in Russia, warning them to depart "immediately while limited commercial travel options remain."

<a href="https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-for-u-s-citizens-in-russia/">Click here to read </a>the alert from the embassy

The embassy cited the ongoing partial mobilization in Russia for the war in Ukraine.

"Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service," it said.

An Aug. 15 security alert from the embassy warned that Americans could be harassed in Russia and have difficulty obtaining consular assistance.

Tens of thousands of Russian men have fled in the week since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/tag/russia-ukraine" target="_blank">struggling Russian forces in Ukraine.</a>&nbsp;Although Putin said the callup was "partial," aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be much broader and more arbitrary than that. There are numerous reports of men with no military training and of all ages receiving draft notices.

Airline tickets to the limited number of countries still accepting flights from Russia sold out quickly despite steep prices, and long lines of Russians trying to escape continued to clog highways out of the country on Wednesday. Moscow reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of them.

The embassy warnings come as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscow’s rule. Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting, a move that’s likely to prompt more sanctions from the West.

The Biden administration said Wednesday it will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops. That brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

MOSCOW (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has issued another security alert for Americans in Russia, warning them to depart "immediately while limited commercial travel options remain."<a href="https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-for-u-s-citizens-in-russia/">Click here to read </a>the alert from the embassyThe embassy cited the ongoing partial mobilization in Russia for the war in Ukraine."Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service," it said.An Aug. 15 security alert from the embassy warned that Americans could be harassed in Russia and have difficulty obtaining consular assistance.Tens of thousands of Russian men have fled in the week since President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization to bolster&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/tag/russia-ukraine" target="_blank">struggling Russian forces in Ukraine.</a>&nbsp;Although Putin said the callup was "partial," aimed at calling up about 300,000 men with past military service, many Russians fear it will be much broader and more arbitrary than that. There are numerous reports of men with no military training and of all ages receiving draft notices.Airline tickets to the limited number of countries still accepting flights from Russia sold out quickly despite steep prices, and long lines of Russians trying to escape continued to clog highways out of the country on Wednesday. Moscow reportedly set up draft offices at borders to intercept some of them.The embassy warnings come as Russia moves to annex parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine that held Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on living under Moscow’s rule. Armed troops had gone door-to-door with election officials to collect ballots in five days of voting, a move that’s likely to prompt more sanctions from the West.The Biden administration said Wednesday it will provide an additional $1.1 billion in aid to Ukraine, with funding for about 18 more advanced rocket systems and other weapons to counter drones that Russia has been using against Ukrainian troops. That brings the total of U.S. aid to Ukraine to nearly $17 billion since the Biden administration took office.

U.S. Embassy: Americans urged to leave Russia ‘immediately'

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 68-year-old Charlie Jones of Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an injury accident at Broadway and MacArthur in Wichita.&nbsp; Officers arrived on the scene and located Jones with injuries to his upper body. 

EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The investigation revealed Jones was traveling northbound on Broadway in a motorized wheelchair when he was struck by a black 2011 Ford F-150 traveling eastbound on MacArthur.&nbsp; Police released no additional details Wednesday afternoon.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident and have identified the victim as 68-year-old Charlie Jones of Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to an injury accident at Broadway and MacArthur in Wichita.&nbsp; Officers arrived on the scene and located Jones with injuries to his upper body. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.The investigation revealed Jones was traveling northbound on Broadway in a motorized wheelchair when he was struck by a black 2011 Ford F-150 traveling eastbound on MacArthur.&nbsp; Police released no additional details Wednesday afternoon.

Police ID Kan. man who died after pickup struck motorized wheel chair

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The two biggest U.S. railroad unions were working Wednesday ahead of key ratification votes to dispel rumors about the contract deals that averted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">a potentially devastating</a>&nbsp;nationwide strike.

The unions have been fighting rumors on social media that they would impose the deals on workers if they vote to reject them. The rumors were sparked by a railroad trade publication suggesting that was possible in an article earlier this month.

And some newly formed worker groups that helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strikes-government-and-politics-fce93ab9e273265ab2543d34b6f529ac">organize protests</a>&nbsp;at railyards across the country last week have been urging workers, some harboring deep resentment over how they've been treated by the railroads in recent years, to reject the proposed contracts.

“The challenge is to first get past how angry they are,” said Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “The education process we’re working through now is to try to get concentrating on the facts of the deal instead of the emotions of what they’ve been through. And that’s a heavy lift.”

He added that there are some “out there from the outside and inside with their own agendas that are trying to keep everyone agitated.”

The BLET and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers unions are instead emphasizing to their members the potential benefits of the five-year deals, which include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union leaders are stressing that the only way a contract will be imposed on members is if Congress steps in to block a strike because so many businesses rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.

Workers were ready to strike until the Biden administration helped broker a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">last-minute deal</a>&nbsp;that prevented a mid-September walkout at Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and other railroads. But now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-33f95ad925d1a00b204c95a70c18db3c">all the unions,</a>&nbsp;which represent a total of 115,000 workers, must ratify their deals over the next six weeks to ensure there won't be a strike. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted Wednesday to join two smaller rail unions as the only ones to approve their deals so far.

The financial terms of these deals closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators Biden appointed made this summer, but that board didn't resolve all of the worker concerns about schedules and workloads after the major railroads&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">eliminated nearly one third</a>&nbsp;of their workforces over the past six years.

Conductors and engineers have been especially upset about quality-of-life issues because they say the strict attendance policies railroads imposed to make sure they have enough crews make it hard to take any time off and keep them on call 24-7.

The president of the SMART-TD union, Jeremy Ferguson, acknowledged in a video he sent out to his members that this deal “did not abolish the whole attendance policy like we asked” but he said it does include some key gains.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">concessions</a>&nbsp;the unions got include three unpaid leave days a year for medical appointments, although those must be scheduled 30 days ahead of time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. The railroads also promised not to dock workers when they are hospitalized and said they would negotiate at each railroad about ensuring workers have regularly scheduled days off.

Pierce said the unions focused on time off for medical needs because that seemed to be where the greatest harm was being done. In one case highlighted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/09/17/railroad-strike-attendance-workers/">Washington Post</a>, a BNSF engineer who skipped a doctor's appointment earlier this year because he was worried about being penalized under that railroad's attendance policy died on a train a few weeks later after suffering a heart attack.

Ferguson also emphasized that the unions were able to protect two-person crews by preventing the railroads from forcing them into arbitration over their proposals to cut train crews down to one person. Unions have vehemently opposed that idea for years because of concerns about safety and protecting jobs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663077336048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The two biggest U.S. railroad unions were working Wednesday ahead of key ratification votes to dispel rumors about the contract deals that averted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">a potentially devastating</a>&nbsp;nationwide strike.The unions have been fighting rumors on social media that they would impose the deals on workers if they vote to reject them. The rumors were sparked by a railroad trade publication suggesting that was possible in an article earlier this month.And some newly formed worker groups that helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strikes-government-and-politics-fce93ab9e273265ab2543d34b6f529ac">organize protests</a>&nbsp;at railyards across the country last week have been urging workers, some harboring deep resentment over how they've been treated by the railroads in recent years, to reject the proposed contracts.“The challenge is to first get past how angry they are,” said Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “The education process we’re working through now is to try to get concentrating on the facts of the deal instead of the emotions of what they’ve been through. And that’s a heavy lift.”He added that there are some “out there from the outside and inside with their own agendas that are trying to keep everyone agitated.”The BLET and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers unions are instead emphasizing to their members the potential benefits of the five-year deals, which include 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union leaders are stressing that the only way a contract will be imposed on members is if Congress steps in to block a strike because so many businesses rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.Workers were ready to strike until the Biden administration helped broker a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">last-minute deal</a>&nbsp;that prevented a mid-September walkout at Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and other railroads. But now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-33f95ad925d1a00b204c95a70c18db3c">all the unions,</a>&nbsp;which represent a total of 115,000 workers, must ratify their deals over the next six weeks to ensure there won't be a strike. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted Wednesday to join two smaller rail unions as the only ones to approve their deals so far.The financial terms of these deals closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators Biden appointed made this summer, but that board didn't resolve all of the worker concerns about schedules and workloads after the major railroads&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">eliminated nearly one third</a>&nbsp;of their workforces over the past six years.Conductors and engineers have been especially upset about quality-of-life issues because they say the strict attendance policies railroads imposed to make sure they have enough crews make it hard to take any time off and keep them on call 24-7.The president of the SMART-TD union, Jeremy Ferguson, acknowledged in a video he sent out to his members that this deal “did not abolish the whole attendance policy like we asked” but he said it does include some key gains.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">concessions</a>&nbsp;the unions got include three unpaid leave days a year for medical appointments, although those must be scheduled 30 days ahead of time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. The railroads also promised not to dock workers when they are hospitalized and said they would negotiate at each railroad about ensuring workers have regularly scheduled days off.Pierce said the unions focused on time off for medical needs because that seemed to be where the greatest harm was being done. In one case highlighted by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/09/17/railroad-strike-attendance-workers/">Washington Post</a>, a BNSF engineer who skipped a doctor's appointment earlier this year because he was worried about being penalized under that railroad's attendance policy died on a train a few weeks later after suffering a heart attack.Ferguson also emphasized that the unions were able to protect two-person crews by preventing the railroads from forcing them into arbitration over their proposals to cut train crews down to one person. Unions have vehemently opposed that idea for years because of concerns about safety and protecting jobs.

Rail unions emphasize positives of their tentative deal to avoid strike

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a disturbance and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 7 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with weapon call in the 1600 block of N. Pennsylvania in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch. 

911 operators had received a call from a citizen reporting an unknown man had thrown a brick through their car window.

Officers arrived in the area and contacted a 57-year-old victim who was bleeding severely from an injury to his wrist. An officer quickly applied a tourniquet to the man and rendered aid until EMS could transport him to an area hospital for treatment.

Officers learned the victim had followed the suspect after the brick was thrown at his car when the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Samuel Burns, approached him with a knife and cut him twice. 

Officers began checking the area for the suspect, who was still armed with the knife, and located him in the 1900 block of N. Hydraulic where he was taken into custody.

Burns booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for aggravated battery, interference with law enforcement, criminal damage, criminal threat, and a warrant for domestic battery. Hospital staff informed officers that their quick action in applying a tourniquet to the victim saved his life

Burns has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664327397847.png" alt="Burns has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Burns has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a disturbance and have a suspect in custody.Just before 7 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a disturbance with weapon call in the 1600 block of N. Pennsylvania in Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch. 911 operators had received a call from a citizen reporting an unknown man had thrown a brick through their car window.Officers arrived in the area and contacted a 57-year-old victim who was bleeding severely from an injury to his wrist. An officer quickly applied a tourniquet to the man and rendered aid until EMS could transport him to an area hospital for treatment.Officers learned the victim had followed the suspect after the brick was thrown at his car when the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Samuel Burns, approached him with a knife and cut him twice. Officers began checking the area for the suspect, who was still armed with the knife, and located him in the 1900 block of N. Hydraulic where he was taken into custody.Burns booked into the Sedgwick County Jail for aggravated battery, interference with law enforcement, criminal damage, criminal threat, and a warrant for domestic battery. Hospital staff informed officers that their quick action in applying a tourniquet to the victim saved his lifeBurns has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Quick action by police saved Kansas man after knife attack

KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for a fatal 2021 shooting, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Celon D. White, 35, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two other counts of Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, on Sept. 8, 2021 Kansas City police responded to Truman Medical Center and were advised that a deceased man had been fatally wounded while he was in the area of 19th and Vine that evening. 

The victim was identified as 33-year-old Mortez Falkner. In September 2022, police recovered the stolen vehicle involved in the shooting in the area of 28th and Walrond. Surveillance video showed that the vehicle was abandoned on Sept. 8, 2021, just hours after the homicide. 

Testing of spent shell casings found at the homicide scene linked the defendant to the casings. In addition, DNA taken from the stolen vehicle found Sept. 15, 2022, also matched to the defendant.

Prosecutors requested the White be held on no bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664238625699.png" alt="White-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges for a fatal 2021 shooting, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Celon D. White, 35, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and two other counts of Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, on Sept. 8, 2021 Kansas City police responded to Truman Medical Center and were advised that a deceased man had been fatally wounded while he was in the area of 19th and Vine that evening. The victim was identified as 33-year-old Mortez Falkner. In September 2022, police recovered the stolen vehicle involved in the shooting in the area of 28th and Walrond. Surveillance video showed that the vehicle was abandoned on Sept. 8, 2021, just hours after the homicide. Testing of spent shell casings found at the homicide scene linked the defendant to the casings. In addition, DNA taken from the stolen vehicle found Sept. 15, 2022, also matched to the defendant.Prosecutors requested the White be held on no bond.&nbsp;

DNA in stolen car linked Kansas City man to year-old murder

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday in Jackson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Ronnie&nbsp;Wewenis, 58, Horton, was northbound on U.S. 75 two miles north of Netawaka passing some northbound traffic. 

The driver lost control of the motorcycle as he was completing the pass. The motorcycle traveled into the west ditch and ejected the the driver.

Wewenis was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Dishon Maple-Chaney. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday in Jackson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Ronnie&nbsp;Wewenis, 58, Horton, was northbound on U.S. 75 two miles north of Netawaka passing some northbound traffic. The driver lost control of the motorcycle as he was completing the pass. The motorcycle traveled into the west ditch and ejected the the driver.Wewenis was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Dishon Maple-Chaney. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after he lost control of motorcycle

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent domestic dispute and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 3322 Railroad Avenue in reference to a reported disturbance, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. Individuals at the scene reported a woman had been struck by a vehicle and there had also been a stabbing.

Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect vehicle as it was attempting to flee the scene. The driver identified as 42-year-old Justin Merritt of Hays was taken into custody.

Witnesses at the scene stated the driver of the vehicle, Merritt, accelerated toward the victim several times, at one point striking her causing the victim to go over the hood of the vehicle, according to Bellendir. Further investigation indicated the suspect had several self-inflicted lacerations to an arm.&nbsp;

Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called to the location to examine Merritt. After medical treatment, Merritt was transported to the Barton County Jail without incident and booked on requested charges of aggravated battery and is being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664395302809.jpeg" alt="Merritt photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Merritt photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent domestic dispute and have a suspect in custody.Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to 3322 Railroad Avenue in reference to a reported disturbance, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. Individuals at the scene reported a woman had been struck by a vehicle and there had also been a stabbing.Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect vehicle as it was attempting to flee the scene. The driver identified as 42-year-old Justin Merritt of Hays was taken into custody.Witnesses at the scene stated the driver of the vehicle, Merritt, accelerated toward the victim several times, at one point striking her causing the victim to go over the hood of the vehicle, according to Bellendir. Further investigation indicated the suspect had several self-inflicted lacerations to an arm.&nbsp;Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called to the location to examine Merritt. After medical treatment, Merritt was transported to the Barton County Jail without incident and booked on requested charges of aggravated battery and is being held in lieu of a $40,000 bond.

 Sheriff: Kan. man arrested after woman struck by car 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A woman accused in connection with the&nbsp;August 2020 deadly shooting outside a nightclub in Wichita made her first court appearance Tuesday.

Autumn Metcalf, 31 of Wichita, is charged with solicitation to commit murder in the 1st&nbsp;degree, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 7p.m. Monday, police booked Metcalf into the Sedgwick County jail, according to<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=422189"> online booking records.</a>

Just after 9p.m. August 24, 2020 police responded to a shooting at Baby Dolls in the 4900 Block of North Arkansas in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens.

At the scene, police found&nbsp; 33-year-old Joe Wheeler III dead of a gunshot wound in a vehicle.

Investigators learned there was a disturbance in the club that spilled out into the parking lot.&nbsp; Wheeler was shot while inside his car which was parked in the back business parking area, according to Stephens.&nbsp;

Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on Oct. 11. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=422189">She is being held</a> on a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598367893158.png" alt="-Police on the scene of the Aug. 2020 shooting investigation&nbsp; outside a Wichita night club-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>-Police on the scene of the Aug. 2020 shooting investigation&nbsp; outside a Wichita night club-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A woman accused in connection with the&nbsp;August 2020 deadly shooting outside a nightclub in Wichita made her first court appearance Tuesday.Autumn Metcalf, 31 of Wichita, is charged with solicitation to commit murder in the 1st&nbsp;degree, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 7p.m. Monday, police booked Metcalf into the Sedgwick County jail, according to<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=422189"> online booking records.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664314804304.png" alt="Metcalf -photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Metcalf -photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 9p.m. August 24, 2020 police responded to a shooting at Baby Dolls in the 4900 Block of North Arkansas in Wichita, according to Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens.At the scene, police found&nbsp; 33-year-old Joe Wheeler III dead of a gunshot wound in a vehicle.Investigators learned there was a disturbance in the club that spilled out into the parking lot.&nbsp; Wheeler was shot while inside his car which was parked in the back business parking area, according to Stephens.&nbsp;Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case on Oct. 11. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=422189">She is being held</a> on a $250,000 bond.

Woman charged in Kansas gentlemen’s club killing

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday his administration's goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by the end of the decade was ambitious but doable, if only the nation would work together toward achieving it.

(click below to watch the President's remarks)

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/White-House-National-Strategy-on-Hunger-Nutrition-and-Health-FINAL.pdf">Click here to read </a>the White House plan that indicates the U.S. faces an urgent, nutrition-related health crisis.

“I know we can do this," Biden told an auditorium full of public health officials, private companies and Americans who have experienced hunger. They were gathered for the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-medicaid-nutrition-medicare-b3025f27e29a2fef78a26138ddf41278">White House conference on hunger,</a>&nbsp;nutrition and health since 1969.

It was the president at his most optimistic, sketching out a future where no child in the U.S. would go hungry, and diet-related diseases would diminish because of better, healthier food alternatives and access to vast outdoor spaces.

“That’s why we’re here today, to harness our greatest resource: Our fellow Americans," Biden said. “Everyone, everyone has an important role to play.”

The 1969 conference, hosted President Richard Nixon, was a pivotal moment that influenced the U.S. food policy agenda for 50 years. It led to a major expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, and gave rise to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-united-states-congress-015b064f966cc8a0d5963994d6638b0e">Women, Infants and Children program</a>, which serves half the babies born in the U.S. by providing their mothers with parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance.

And yet, 10% of U.S. households in 2021 suffered food insecurity, meaning they were uncertain they could get enough food to feed themselves or their families because they lacked money or resources for food, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Scientific advances have helped Americans better understand how the foods they eat contribute to disease. One of the administration’s goals is to decrease obesity and diet-related disease like diabetes and hypertension through better promotion of healthy eating, good nutrition and physical activity.

Some of the conference attendees have known hunger. Jimmieka Mills, co-founder of Equitable Spaces, a nonprofit that connects those working on hunger solutions with people who have experienced hunger, said it was “an historic opportunity for us to learn directly from those impacted.”

She spoke of growing up and experiencing first-hand the impact of poverty, hunger and homelessness.

“I know what it’s like to not know where your next meal will come from," she said, adding she wanted solutions so that no one in the “country with the most abundant food system in the world ever goes hungry again.”

Before the kickoff, the administration released a list of more than $8 billion in commitments to the cause from private companies, charitable foundations and industry groups. They range from outright donations to in-kind contributions of services and include:

—A $20 million commitment from the Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical company to improve access to healthy foods and safe spaces for physical activity in marginalized communities.

—A $3.85 million commitment from the Publix grocery store chain to supply food to local food banks and establish free mobile food pantries.

—$22 million from the Danone food company to fund a program to help “at least 300 million Americans to build healthier dietary habits.”

—A commitment from the Meijer grocery store chain to offer up to a 10% discount to incentivize users of the SNAP program to buy fruits and vegetables.

While Biden is touting the successful buy-in campaign from the private sector, some of the strongest potential obstacles to his proposals lie in the increasingly partisan Congress.

Proposed policy changes include an expansion of SNAP eligibility, expanding access to free meals in schools and extending summer meal benefits to more schoolchildren. All of those changes would require congressional approval.

The president called on Congress, too, to revive and make permanent the expanded child tax credit that has expired. The number of children in America living in poverty jumped dramatically after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-poverty-columbia-university-0974fed3323ec98a75998817815f4af1">just one month</a>&nbsp;without the expanded child tax credit payment.

“Meeting our bold goals requires a whole of government approach ... And a whole of society effort," he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/27/executive-summary-biden-harris-administration-national-strategy-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health/">laying out its plan</a> to meet an ambitious goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030, including expanding monthly benefits that help low-income Americans buy food.

The administration, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22927254-national-strategy-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health">a plan released Tuesday</a>, is also seeking to increase healthy eating and physical activity so that fewer people are afflicted with diabetes, obesity, hypertension and other diet-related diseases. It said it would work to expand Medicaid and Medicare access to obesity counseling and nutrition.

“The consequences of food insecurity and diet-related diseases are significant, far reaching, and disproportionately impact historically underserved communities,” Biden wrote in a memo outlining the White House strategy. “Yet, food insecurity and diet-related diseases are largely preventable, if we prioritize the health of the nation.”

Biden is hosting a conference this week on hunger, nutrition and health, the first by the White House since 1969. That conference, under President Richard Nixon, was a pivotal moment that influenced the U.S. food policy agenda for 50 years. It led to a greatly expanded food stamps program and gave rise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-united-states-congress-015b064f966cc8a0d5963994d6638b0e">the Women, Infants and Children program</a>, which serves half the babies born in the U.S. by providing women with parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance.

Noreen Springstead, executive director of the anti-hunger organization WhyHunger, said the whole-of-government nature of the summit will hopefully produce greater alignment across the multiple federal agencies that deal with hunger issues — from the USDA and Health and Human Services to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. That, ideally, would help Biden “set the North Star that nutritious food is a human right for all people.”

Springstead noted that a truly comprehensive approach to hunger and nutrition would have to include a major commitment from charities and philanthropic foundations. It would also likely include raising baseline salaries and employers paying their workers "wages that are livable so that they’re not standing in a food line.”

Over the years, cuts to federal programs coupled with stigmas over welfare and big changes to how food and farming systems are run have prompted declines in access to food.

Biden, a Democrat, is hoping this week's conference is similarly transformative. But the goal of Nixon, a Republican, also was “to put an end to hunger in America for all time.”

And yet 10% of U.S. households in 2021 suffered food insecurity, meaning they were uncertain they could get enough food to feed themselves or their families because they lacked money or resources for food, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration">the Food and Drug Administration</a>.

To succeed, Biden needs buy-in from the private sector and an increasingly partisan Congress. Some of the goals sound reminiscent of former first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8ab09f44288a4ab09501e5d2193a9f9c">Michelle Obama’s</a>&nbsp;Let’s Move initiative to tackle childhood obesity and promote healthy eating. The conference also will highlight the need for access to better, healthier food and exercise.

In response to the Biden plan's release, Partnership for a Healthy America hailed the emphasis on nutrition and health, saying that simply providing more food without prioritizing nutritional value would simply create different problems.

"We applaud the administration’s stated desire to shift from a mindset of treating diet-related diseases to preventing them from occurring in the first place," the organization said in a statement.

Biden said in his memo that over the past 50 years, “we have learned so much more about nutrition and the role that healthy eating plays in how our kids perform in the classroom and about nutrition and its linkages to disease prevention.”

Under the White House plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>&nbsp;eligibility would be expanded, children would get better access to free meals, and summer benefits would be extended to more schoolkids. Such changes would require congressional approval.

The other tenets of the strategy include the development of new food packaging to truth-check the “healthy” claims for some products, expanding SNAP incentives to select fruits and vegetables, providing more programs to encourage people to get outside and move, and boosting funding for research.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664304661367.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday his administration's goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by the end of the decade was ambitious but doable, if only the nation would work together toward achieving it.(click below to watch the President's remarks)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xfp9Cn5A5Mc?start=1006" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/White-House-National-Strategy-on-Hunger-Nutrition-and-Health-FINAL.pdf">Click here to read </a>the White House plan that indicates the U.S. faces an urgent, nutrition-related health crisis.“I know we can do this," Biden told an auditorium full of public health officials, private companies and Americans who have experienced hunger. They were gathered for the first&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-medicaid-nutrition-medicare-b3025f27e29a2fef78a26138ddf41278">White House conference on hunger,</a>&nbsp;nutrition and health since 1969.It was the president at his most optimistic, sketching out a future where no child in the U.S. would go hungry, and diet-related diseases would diminish because of better, healthier food alternatives and access to vast outdoor spaces.“That’s why we’re here today, to harness our greatest resource: Our fellow Americans," Biden said. “Everyone, everyone has an important role to play.”The 1969 conference, hosted President Richard Nixon, was a pivotal moment that influenced the U.S. food policy agenda for 50 years. It led to a major expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, and gave rise to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-united-states-congress-015b064f966cc8a0d5963994d6638b0e">Women, Infants and Children program</a>, which serves half the babies born in the U.S. by providing their mothers with parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance.And yet, 10% of U.S. households in 2021 suffered food insecurity, meaning they were uncertain they could get enough food to feed themselves or their families because they lacked money or resources for food, according to the Food and Drug Administration.Scientific advances have helped Americans better understand how the foods they eat contribute to disease. One of the administration’s goals is to decrease obesity and diet-related disease like diabetes and hypertension through better promotion of healthy eating, good nutrition and physical activity.Some of the conference attendees have known hunger. Jimmieka Mills, co-founder of Equitable Spaces, a nonprofit that connects those working on hunger solutions with people who have experienced hunger, said it was “an historic opportunity for us to learn directly from those impacted.”She spoke of growing up and experiencing first-hand the impact of poverty, hunger and homelessness.“I know what it’s like to not know where your next meal will come from," she said, adding she wanted solutions so that no one in the “country with the most abundant food system in the world ever goes hungry again.”Before the kickoff, the administration released a list of more than $8 billion in commitments to the cause from private companies, charitable foundations and industry groups. They range from outright donations to in-kind contributions of services and include:—A $20 million commitment from the Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical company to improve access to healthy foods and safe spaces for physical activity in marginalized communities.—A $3.85 million commitment from the Publix grocery store chain to supply food to local food banks and establish free mobile food pantries.—$22 million from the Danone food company to fund a program to help “at least 300 million Americans to build healthier dietary habits.”—A commitment from the Meijer grocery store chain to offer up to a 10% discount to incentivize users of the SNAP program to buy fruits and vegetables.While Biden is touting the successful buy-in campaign from the private sector, some of the strongest potential obstacles to his proposals lie in the increasingly partisan Congress.Proposed policy changes include an expansion of SNAP eligibility, expanding access to free meals in schools and extending summer meal benefits to more schoolchildren. All of those changes would require congressional approval.The president called on Congress, too, to revive and make permanent the expanded child tax credit that has expired. The number of children in America living in poverty jumped dramatically after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-poverty-columbia-university-0974fed3323ec98a75998817815f4af1">just one month</a>&nbsp;without the expanded child tax credit payment.“Meeting our bold goals requires a whole of government approach ... And a whole of society effort," he said.-------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/27/executive-summary-biden-harris-administration-national-strategy-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health/">laying out its plan</a> to meet an ambitious goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030, including expanding monthly benefits that help low-income Americans buy food.The administration, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22927254-national-strategy-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health">a plan released Tuesday</a>, is also seeking to increase healthy eating and physical activity so that fewer people are afflicted with diabetes, obesity, hypertension and other diet-related diseases. It said it would work to expand Medicaid and Medicare access to obesity counseling and nutrition.“The consequences of food insecurity and diet-related diseases are significant, far reaching, and disproportionately impact historically underserved communities,” Biden wrote in a memo outlining the White House strategy. “Yet, food insecurity and diet-related diseases are largely preventable, if we prioritize the health of the nation.”Biden is hosting a conference this week on hunger, nutrition and health, the first by the White House since 1969. That conference, under President Richard Nixon, was a pivotal moment that influenced the U.S. food policy agenda for 50 years. It led to a greatly expanded food stamps program and gave rise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-united-states-congress-015b064f966cc8a0d5963994d6638b0e">the Women, Infants and Children program</a>, which serves half the babies born in the U.S. by providing women with parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance.Noreen Springstead, executive director of the anti-hunger organization WhyHunger, said the whole-of-government nature of the summit will hopefully produce greater alignment across the multiple federal agencies that deal with hunger issues — from the USDA and Health and Human Services to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. That, ideally, would help Biden “set the North Star that nutritious food is a human right for all people.”Springstead noted that a truly comprehensive approach to hunger and nutrition would have to include a major commitment from charities and philanthropic foundations. It would also likely include raising baseline salaries and employers paying their workers "wages that are livable so that they’re not standing in a food line.”Over the years, cuts to federal programs coupled with stigmas over welfare and big changes to how food and farming systems are run have prompted declines in access to food.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664293756936.png" alt="President Biden during a White House Competition Council meeting Monday-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a White House Competition Council meeting Monday-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden, a Democrat, is hoping this week's conference is similarly transformative. But the goal of Nixon, a Republican, also was “to put an end to hunger in America for all time.”And yet 10% of U.S. households in 2021 suffered food insecurity, meaning they were uncertain they could get enough food to feed themselves or their families because they lacked money or resources for food, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration">the Food and Drug Administration</a>.To succeed, Biden needs buy-in from the private sector and an increasingly partisan Congress. Some of the goals sound reminiscent of former first lady&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/8ab09f44288a4ab09501e5d2193a9f9c">Michelle Obama’s</a>&nbsp;Let’s Move initiative to tackle childhood obesity and promote healthy eating. The conference also will highlight the need for access to better, healthier food and exercise.In response to the Biden plan's release, Partnership for a Healthy America hailed the emphasis on nutrition and health, saying that simply providing more food without prioritizing nutritional value would simply create different problems."We applaud the administration’s stated desire to shift from a mindset of treating diet-related diseases to preventing them from occurring in the first place," the organization said in a statement.Biden said in his memo that over the past 50 years, “we have learned so much more about nutrition and the role that healthy eating plays in how our kids perform in the classroom and about nutrition and its linkages to disease prevention.”Under the White House plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>&nbsp;eligibility would be expanded, children would get better access to free meals, and summer benefits would be extended to more schoolkids. Such changes would require congressional approval.The other tenets of the strategy include the development of new food packaging to truth-check the “healthy” claims for some products, expanding SNAP incentives to select fruits and vegetables, providing more programs to encourage people to get outside and move, and boosting funding for research.

🎥.White House: U.S. facing urgent, nutrition-related health crisis

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/27/parents-of-disabled-kids-urge-kansas-lawmakers-to-expand-aid-and-fix-issues-with-health-care-system/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — A Kansas mother struggling to balance treating her cancer with caring
 for her disabled children urged lawmakers Monday to provide more 
support for people like her.

Kathy Keck, a mother of five kids, 
three of whom have developmental and medical disabilities, said she left
 the workforce more than five years ago to care for her children. Now, 
with a mastectomy scheduled, Keck said she doesn’t know who will watch 
them while she is recovering.&nbsp;

According to Keck, her daughter’s 
full-time nurse covers 52 hour a week, and her husband, a full-time 
nurse, handles 40 hours of child care per week, leaving Keck in charge 
of her daughter for about 76 hours per week. Keck doesn’t know what to 
do for her six- to eight-week mastectomy recuperation period, where she 
won’t be able to do any heavy lifting.

“I too have concerns about another 
mastectomy, but the biggest cause of stress and anxiety is not knowing 
how I will care for two of my three disabled children/adults long enough
 to take care of my own medical needs and recover with the ongoing 
workforce crisis,” Keck said in testimony submitted to the Robert G. 
Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare
 Oversight.&nbsp;

Keck asked lawmakers at the meeting 
to address systemic issues by increasing medically necessary nursing 
care for children on the Technology Assisted Waiver, a Kansan waiver 
that provides people with services such as personalized medical care, 
and find ways to address the statewide shortage of qualified health care
 workers.&nbsp;

Keck said the KanCare system, the state-administered form of Medicaid in Kansas, needs to be fixed.&nbsp;

“What is happening in our system is a lot like cancer,” Keck said.

An issue brought up several times 
during the seven-hour meeting Monday was the waitlist for receiving aid 
for intellectual and developmental disabilities.

More than 4,800 Kansans are currently
 on a waiting list for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 
HCBS waiver program, according to the Kansas Department for Aging and 
Disability Services. The waiver program provides extra resources, 
support staff and overnight care options, along with other disability 
aids.

Parent Rick Elskamp said his 
21-year-old daughter, Sheridan, got on the waitlist in 2013 and is still
 waiting for help, with advisers telling him the wait could be anywhere 
from 10 to 15 years.

According to Elskamp, Sheridan is 
mentally a 6-year-old and has sensory issues, a history of seizures, 
behavioral issues and communication delays. Elskamp and his wife work 
full time, and payment for her day care is very expensive.

Elskamp said he and his family tried 
to explore other options, such as contacting legislators, putting in a 
funding crisis request and utilizing a respite care plan offered by 
their insurance, all of which was denied or failed, Elskamp said.

“It should not be this difficult 
getting the funding for services Sheridan deserves. Could you imagine 
waiting 10 years after suffering a disabling injury to get benefits?” 
Elskamp said in his testimony.

Other speakers at the meeting brought up issues with child health care coverage in the state.&nbsp;

Approximately 76% of KanCare 
enrollees are children and their caregivers, according to the Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment, but child health care advocates 
say an outdated child insurance eligibility requirement is barring 
hundreds more from adequate coverage.&nbsp;

The Kansas Children’s Health 
Insurance Program determines program eligibility by federal poverty 
income guidelines, with children qualifying if their families make less 
than 250% of these income guidelines.

But advocates from the Kansas Action 
for Children say the state Legislature tied CHIP eligibility to the 2008
 fixed poverty level, and have never updated it. Legislators increased 
funding during the 2022 legislative session to address the issue, 
approving $1.4 million in increased CHIP coverage, but advocates are now
 asking legislators to find a permanent fix to the issue in the 2023 
legislative session.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664374349052.png" alt="Parent Rick Elskamp urges legislators to provide more aid to struggling families during Monday’s hearing on KanCare oversight. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Parent Rick Elskamp urges legislators to provide more aid to struggling families during Monday’s hearing on KanCare oversight. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/27/parents-of-disabled-kids-urge-kansas-lawmakers-to-expand-aid-and-fix-issues-with-health-care-system/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — A Kansas mother struggling to balance treating her cancer with caring
 for her disabled children urged lawmakers Monday to provide more 
support for people like her.Kathy Keck, a mother of five kids, 
three of whom have developmental and medical disabilities, said she left
 the workforce more than five years ago to care for her children. Now, 
with a mastectomy scheduled, Keck said she doesn’t know who will watch 
them while she is recovering.&nbsp;According to Keck, her daughter’s 
full-time nurse covers 52 hour a week, and her husband, a full-time 
nurse, handles 40 hours of child care per week, leaving Keck in charge 
of her daughter for about 76 hours per week. Keck doesn’t know what to 
do for her six- to eight-week mastectomy recuperation period, where she 
won’t be able to do any heavy lifting.“I too have concerns about another 
mastectomy, but the biggest cause of stress and anxiety is not knowing 
how I will care for two of my three disabled children/adults long enough
 to take care of my own medical needs and recover with the ongoing 
workforce crisis,” Keck said in testimony submitted to the Robert G. 
Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare
 Oversight.&nbsp;Keck asked lawmakers at the meeting 
to address systemic issues by increasing medically necessary nursing 
care for children on the Technology Assisted Waiver, a Kansan waiver 
that provides people with services such as personalized medical care, 
and find ways to address the statewide shortage of qualified health care
 workers.&nbsp;Keck said the KanCare system, the state-administered form of Medicaid in Kansas, needs to be fixed.&nbsp;“What is happening in our system is a lot like cancer,” Keck said.An issue brought up several times 
during the seven-hour meeting Monday was the waitlist for receiving aid 
for intellectual and developmental disabilities.More than 4,800 Kansans are currently
 on a waiting list for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 
HCBS waiver program, according to the Kansas Department for Aging and 
Disability Services. The waiver program provides extra resources, 
support staff and overnight care options, along with other disability 
aids.Parent Rick Elskamp said his 
21-year-old daughter, Sheridan, got on the waitlist in 2013 and is still
 waiting for help, with advisers telling him the wait could be anywhere 
from 10 to 15 years.According to Elskamp, Sheridan is 
mentally a 6-year-old and has sensory issues, a history of seizures, 
behavioral issues and communication delays. Elskamp and his wife work 
full time, and payment for her day care is very expensive.Elskamp said he and his family tried 
to explore other options, such as contacting legislators, putting in a 
funding crisis request and utilizing a respite care plan offered by 
their insurance, all of which was denied or failed, Elskamp said.“It should not be this difficult 
getting the funding for services Sheridan deserves. Could you imagine 
waiting 10 years after suffering a disabling injury to get benefits?” 
Elskamp said in his testimony.Other speakers at the meeting brought up issues with child health care coverage in the state.&nbsp;Approximately 76% of KanCare 
enrollees are children and their caregivers, according to the Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment, but child health care advocates 
say an outdated child insurance eligibility requirement is barring 
hundreds more from adequate coverage.&nbsp;The Kansas Children’s Health 
Insurance Program determines program eligibility by federal poverty 
income guidelines, with children qualifying if their families make less 
than 250% of these income guidelines.But advocates from the Kansas Action 
for Children say the state Legislature tied CHIP eligibility to the 2008
 fixed poverty level, and have never updated it. Legislators increased 
funding during the 2022 legislative session to address the issue, 
approving $1.4 million in increased CHIP coverage, but advocates are now
 asking legislators to find a permanent fix to the issue in the 2023 
legislative session.&nbsp;

Parents of disabled Kan. kids: Expand aid, fix health care system issues

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-kansas-kansas-city-topeka-elections-b660dba7114ca83eaa3d9e97604970c9">redrew Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids</a>&nbsp;' suburban Kansas City, Kansas-area district this year to make a third term harder for her to win, adding rural areas where former President Donald Trump did well and removing urban areas that Davids had carried handily.

But the dynamic changed in June, when the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. Kansas voters responded in August by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">overwhelmingly rejecting</a>&nbsp;a ballot measure expected to lead to more restrictions or a ban on abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664368382021.png" alt="Amanda Adkins, a former corporate executive and Kansas GOP chair, is hitting Davids hard on pocketbook issues." />
 <figcaption>Amanda Adkins, a former corporate executive and Kansas GOP chair, is hitting Davids hard on pocketbook issues.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-kansas-kansas-city-topeka-elections-b660dba7114ca83eaa3d9e97604970c9">redrew Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids</a>&nbsp;' suburban Kansas City, Kansas-area district this year to make a third term harder for her to win, adding rural areas where former President Donald Trump did well and removing urban areas that Davids had carried handily.But the dynamic changed in June, when the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. Kansas voters responded in August by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">overwhelmingly rejecting</a>&nbsp;a ballot measure expected to lead to more restrictions or a ban on abortion.The magnitude of that vote has left Davids and other Democrats optimistic. That’s why she is spending the final stretch of the campaign focused on abortion, attempting to keep the same abortion-rights supporters who turned out to vote in August energized to do so again in November.It's a delicate task, asking voters who may fault Democrats for rising housing and grocery prices to nonetheless support Davids for Congress.“I think this has more to do with control and limiting people’s rights,” said swing voter Tanner Klingzell, a 42-year-old from the suburb of Prairie Village who says he is fiscally conservative but socially progressive. He supports abortion rights and says, “I just don’t feel comfortable voting for Republicans.”The Supreme Court's abortion ruling has rewritten the script in districts around the country, and both Davids and Republican challenger Amanda Adkins must win over independents and GOP moderates to win the one swing congressional district in an otherwise red state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610038234095.png" alt="Rep. Sharie Davids-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Sharie Davids-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Davids became the first lesbian Native American in Congress when she rode suburban anti-Trump sentiment to office in the 2018 election. Her background as a mixed martial arts fighter drew national interest, and Republicans initially tried to group her with “The Squad” of new liberal House members. Those efforts fell flat as she focused on such non-divisive issues as road projects, prescription drug prices and high-speed internet for rural areas.Adkins, a former corporate executive and Kansas GOP chair, is hitting Davids hard on pocketbook issues, a tactic Republicans nationally expect to carry them back to a House majority. She's also started highlighting crime and border security. She held a news conference on those issues Monday, days after House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy released Republicans'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-kevin-mccarthy-newt-gingrich-border-security-97f04b6997ea980a868b8d7628378824">“Commitment to America” agenda,</a>&nbsp;which promises to fight inflation but also to “protect the lives of unborn children.”The two have faced off before. Davids defeated Adkins in 2020 by 10 percentage points, but that was before redistricting after the 2020 census. While Democrat Joe Biden would have prevailed in the new district in 2020, his margin would have been roughly half the 10 percentage points he racked up in the old district — and that’s likely true for Davids as well. If Adkins’ percentage of the vote in the suburbs is a few points higher this year than in 2020, she can win.In suburban Overland Park, Andrea Calvo, a 33-year-old freight-company accounts manager, is hoping Republicans emerge a little stronger from the November election because, in her view, “they have proven to be able to handle the economy better.”While Calvo, a Republican, doesn’t see herself as a moderate, she voted in August against the proposed anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution. She sees Adkins’ support for it as “definitely a problem.” But it’s not a deal-breaker.“It’s all about the economy at the end of the day for me,” she said.The two campaigns, the parties and political groups are now on track to spend about $8 million on television ads.Davids' ads attack Adkins for her long association with former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, whose nationally notorious 2012-13 experiment in cutting taxes was followed by huge, persistent state budget shortfalls. Davids on Saturday launched an ad attacking Adkins on abortion that follows up on multiple Kansas Democratic Party mailings, including to Republicans.Davids and her backers are painting Adkins as an extremist for supporting the proposed amendment that voters rejected in August. It would have removed protections for abortion from the state Constitution, which would have allowed the state Legislature, dominated by abortion opponents, to greatly restrict or ban abortion.Davids' strong, public opposition to the Kansas anti-abortion measure contrasts with three decades of Democratic candidates soft-pedaling their support for abortion rights in most areas of the state. Abortion has been a dominant issue in Kansas politics since the 1991 anti-abortion “Summer of Mercy” protests outside Dr. George Tiller's clinic in Wichita. Tiller was among the few doctors known to perform abortions late in pregnancy and was shot to death in 2009 by an anti-abortion zealot. Anti-abortion groups have been powerful forces in state politics.Even with the 3rd District's new, more Republican leanings, 67.5% of its voters opposed the Kansas anti-abortion measure in the August abortion referendum.“They were very engaged and sent a strong message about us not wanting to have politicians making our decisions for us,” Davids said.Adkins describes herself as a Catholic who has “always been pro-life” and “100% committed to protecting life at every stage.” But Adkins said she respects the August vote and opposes federal laws on abortion, saying the issue should be decided at the state level.“It should not be a federal issue, and Sharice Davids still is focusing on it as a federal issue,” Adkins said after a recent suburban meet-and-greet. Davids voted last year for a Democratic measure to guarantee abortion rights across the U.S. and override state restrictions.Adkins has not been specific about how far she thinks abortion law should go in Kansas, which bans most abortions at the 22nd week, but said Monday that she would favor any new, incremental state measures that would reduce the number of abortions.In the new, rural parts of the 3rd District, Democrats say the abortion ruling means volunteers are energized. But Republican state Rep. Samantha Poetter Parshall said that Davids is an “extremely hard sell,” especially with conservative farmers. Even Democrats tend to take more conservative positions on issues such as gun rights, she said.“Also, taxes — people are extremely upset with how high their taxes are right now,” she said.But about 85% of the district’s voters still live in the suburbs, where centrist and conservative Republicans have feuded for decades, and voters have been electing more Democrats in recent years.Former U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, the four-term GOP incumbent ousted by Davids in 2018, praised Adkins as a candidate, but he pointed to the dominance of those suburbs in the district as the reason the race remains challenging for the GOP.“It’s still a Biden district,” he said.