WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-climate-health-bill-9a7f349fa7b07387d20ad603f2ff4875">after President Joe Biden signed legislation</a>&nbsp;extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-seniors-medicare-9c2b70dc2f2d7291acc4292799ff342c">sweeping climate, tax and health care bill</a>&nbsp;sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation.

As the calendar pushed closer to the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, Sara Cariano was growing nervous about her work helping people across Virginia sign up for subsidized, private health insurance on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/">HealthCare.gov</a>&nbsp;website.

“I expected very difficult conversation with folks to explain why their premiums were spiking,” said Cariano, a policy specialist at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.

But the passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” erased those worries.

“Things aren’t going to change for the worst for individuals who are purchasing coverage through the market,” she said.

The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-congress-dd18bbe9bfb69f7ef3e9393dc19ca023">coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/">Affordable Care Act’s marketplace</a>. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line.

Only Democrats supported the extended health care subsidies and the other proposals in the bill that Biden signed on Tuesday. Republicans criticized the measure as big government overreach that will only worsen inflation. In reality, economists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-congress-climate-and-environment-63df07e15002c01fb560a6f0e69fcb03">the bill will do little to either fan or extinguish the flames of exorbitant prices</a>.

Health insurance premiums in the marketplace are expected to rise significantly next year — roughly 10 percent — according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/an-early-look-at-what-is-driving-health-costs-in-2023-aca-markets/">analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>. The extended subsidies, which determine premium payments based on income, will guard most people from those price increases, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at the foundation.

“Generally speaking, people should not see increases in their premiums,” Cox said.

Those who bought plans on the government marketplace saved on average about $700 in premium payments from the subsidies this year, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

As costs dropped, more people signed up for the coverage over the last year and the number of those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-us-department-of-and-human-services-government-politics-24684188cb67c576ed00d01b2f53c09c">without health insurance dropped to an all-time low of 8% in August,</a>&nbsp;the Department of Health and Human Services announced. Roughly 26 million people, 2 percent of them children, remain uninsured in the U.S.

In California, many of the 1.7 million people who purchase health insurance through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coveredca.com/">Covered California</a>, the state-operated insurance marketplace will continue to see savings ranging from $29 and $324 per month, depending on their income level.

State officials predict about 220,000 people will be saved from being priced out of coverage. Between 2 million and 3 million people in California might also turn to the state marketplace if they lose coverage through Medicaid when the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expires. About 15 million people in the U.S. have been extended Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.

Cost is the biggest factor driving whether a person signs up for coverage or not, said Joseph Poindexter, the senior director of health insurance programs at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcareaccessmaryland.org/">HealthCare Access Maryland</a>.

Some parents, for example, sign their children up for Medicaid but skip buying coverage for themselves, he said.

“It’s really sad to see folks who will say, I’ll forgo treatment, or won’t go visit the doctor,” Poindexter said.

Fewer people have had to make that calculation with the subsidies, Poindexter said, attributing the lowered prices to a 9% increase in new enrollees in the state last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660769479347.png" alt="The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-seniors-medicare-9c2b70dc2f2d7291acc4292799ff342c">sweeping climate, tax and health care bill</a>&nbsp;sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-seniors-medicare-9c2b70dc2f2d7291acc4292799ff342c">sweeping climate, tax and health care bill</a>&nbsp;sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-signs-climate-health-bill-9a7f349fa7b07387d20ad603f2ff4875">after President Joe Biden signed legislation</a>&nbsp;extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-seniors-medicare-9c2b70dc2f2d7291acc4292799ff342c">sweeping climate, tax and health care bill</a>&nbsp;sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation.As the calendar pushed closer to the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, Sara Cariano was growing nervous about her work helping people across Virginia sign up for subsidized, private health insurance on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/">HealthCare.gov</a>&nbsp;website.“I expected very difficult conversation with folks to explain why their premiums were spiking,” said Cariano, a policy specialist at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.But the passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” erased those worries.“Things aren’t going to change for the worst for individuals who are purchasing coverage through the market,” she said.The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-congress-dd18bbe9bfb69f7ef3e9393dc19ca023">coronavirus relief bill</a>&nbsp;that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/">Affordable Care Act’s marketplace</a>. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line.Only Democrats supported the extended health care subsidies and the other proposals in the bill that Biden signed on Tuesday. Republicans criticized the measure as big government overreach that will only worsen inflation. In reality, economists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-biden-health-congress-climate-and-environment-63df07e15002c01fb560a6f0e69fcb03">the bill will do little to either fan or extinguish the flames of exorbitant prices</a>.Health insurance premiums in the marketplace are expected to rise significantly next year — roughly 10 percent — according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/an-early-look-at-what-is-driving-health-costs-in-2023-aca-markets/">analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>. The extended subsidies, which determine premium payments based on income, will guard most people from those price increases, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at the foundation.“Generally speaking, people should not see increases in their premiums,” Cox said.Those who bought plans on the government marketplace saved on average about $700 in premium payments from the subsidies this year, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.As costs dropped, more people signed up for the coverage over the last year and the number of those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-us-department-of-and-human-services-government-politics-24684188cb67c576ed00d01b2f53c09c">without health insurance dropped to an all-time low of 8% in August,</a>&nbsp;the Department of Health and Human Services announced. Roughly 26 million people, 2 percent of them children, remain uninsured in the U.S.In California, many of the 1.7 million people who purchase health insurance through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coveredca.com/">Covered California</a>, the state-operated insurance marketplace will continue to see savings ranging from $29 and $324 per month, depending on their income level.State officials predict about 220,000 people will be saved from being priced out of coverage. Between 2 million and 3 million people in California might also turn to the state marketplace if they lose coverage through Medicaid when the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expires. About 15 million people in the U.S. have been extended Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.Cost is the biggest factor driving whether a person signs up for coverage or not, said Joseph Poindexter, the senior director of health insurance programs at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcareaccessmaryland.org/">HealthCare Access Maryland</a>.Some parents, for example, sign their children up for Medicaid but skip buying coverage for themselves, he said.“It’s really sad to see folks who will say, I’ll forgo treatment, or won’t go visit the doctor,” Poindexter said.Fewer people have had to make that calculation with the subsidies, Poindexter said, attributing the lowered prices to a 9% increase in new enrollees in the state last year.

Biden bill to help millions escape higher health care costs

WASHINGTON (AP) —Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest omicron relatives — a key step toward opening a fall booster campaign.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-3742cacfc9c102e9748cd8ff17036db6">The Food and Drug Administration ordered vaccine makers to tweak their shots</a>&nbsp;to target BA.4 and BA.5 that are better than ever at dodging immunity from earlier vaccination or infection.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech aim to offer updated boosters to people 12 and older, and shots could begin within weeks if the FDA quickly clears the modified vaccine — a step not expected to require waiting on new studies.

Moderna is expected to file a similar application soon for updated boosters for adults. The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million of the Pfizer doses and 66 million Moderna ones, assuming FDA gives the green light.

“It’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shots. It’s designed for the virus that’s out there,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said last week.

For now at least. BA.5 currently is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S. and much of the world. There’s no way to know if it still will be a threat this winter -- or if another mutant will have replaced it.

The vaccines currently used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death, especially if people have gotten their recommended boosters. But those vaccines target the coronavirus strain that spread in early 2020 and their effectiveness against infection has dropped markedly as new mutants came along, particularly the super-contagious omicron family.

How would combo shots work? Sort of like a second-generation vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain the genetic instructions for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, to train the immune system to recognize the real virus. The new combo doses will contain instructions for both the original spike target and the spike mutations carried by BA.4 and BA.5.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-bbda6ba6107b3c839e42925136007fed">The news comes after Britain a week ago</a>&nbsp;became the first in the world to authorize a different update to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines -- shots that add protection against the original omicron that struck last winter.

European regulators also are considering the original omicron versions by Moderna and Pfizer. The U.S. opted not to use that earlier tweak -- setting up a fall where different countries will be using different versions of booster shots to rev up protection against another possible winter surge.

In the U.S., the FDA will be relying heavily on scientific testing of prior tweaks to the vaccine recipe — rather than a study of the newest boosters that could take months — to decide whether to fast-track updated shots for fall.

Pfizer previously announced results from a study that found its earlier omicron tweak significantly revved up antibodies capable of fighting the first omicron version, called BA.1, and to a lesser degree the genetically distinct BA.4 and BA.5 omicron relatives. Its application to the FDA contains that data plus animal testing of the newest recipe update.

It’s similar to how flu vaccines are updated every year without having to undergo large studies.

Pfizer and BioNTech expect to start a trial using the BA.4 and BA.5 boosters in the coming weeks, to shed additional light on how well tweaked shots work. Moderna has begun a similar study although full results wouldn’t be available before a fall booster campaign.

“It’s clear that none of these vaccines are going to completely prevent infection,” said Dr. Rachel Presti of Washington University in St. Louis, a researcher with the Moderna trial.

But prior studies of variant booster candidates show “you still get a broader immune response giving a variant booster than giving the same booster” again, which should be helpful even if a newer omicron relative emerges, she added.

Pfizer and Moderna don’t make the only U.S. vaccine options. Novavax makes a more traditional, protein-based shot — and U.S. health authorities just expanded its use for people as young as 12. Novavax also plans to offer a variant update later in the year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658710648506.png" alt="“It’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shots. It’s designed for the virus that’s out there,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said last week.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“It’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shots. It’s designed for the virus that’s out there,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said last week.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARDWASHINGTON (AP) —Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its combination COVID-19 vaccine that adds protection against the newest omicron relatives — a key step toward opening a fall booster campaign.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-3742cacfc9c102e9748cd8ff17036db6">The Food and Drug Administration ordered vaccine makers to tweak their shots</a>&nbsp;to target BA.4 and BA.5 that are better than ever at dodging immunity from earlier vaccination or infection.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech aim to offer updated boosters to people 12 and older, and shots could begin within weeks if the FDA quickly clears the modified vaccine — a step not expected to require waiting on new studies.Moderna is expected to file a similar application soon for updated boosters for adults. The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million of the Pfizer doses and 66 million Moderna ones, assuming FDA gives the green light.“It’s going to be really important that people this fall and winter get the new shots. It’s designed for the virus that’s out there,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said last week.For now at least. BA.5 currently is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S. and much of the world. There’s no way to know if it still will be a threat this winter -- or if another mutant will have replaced it.The vaccines currently used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death, especially if people have gotten their recommended boosters. But those vaccines target the coronavirus strain that spread in early 2020 and their effectiveness against infection has dropped markedly as new mutants came along, particularly the super-contagious omicron family.How would combo shots work? Sort of like a second-generation vaccine. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain the genetic instructions for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, to train the immune system to recognize the real virus. The new combo doses will contain instructions for both the original spike target and the spike mutations carried by BA.4 and BA.5.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-bbda6ba6107b3c839e42925136007fed">The news comes after Britain a week ago</a>&nbsp;became the first in the world to authorize a different update to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines -- shots that add protection against the original omicron that struck last winter.European regulators also are considering the original omicron versions by Moderna and Pfizer. The U.S. opted not to use that earlier tweak -- setting up a fall where different countries will be using different versions of booster shots to rev up protection against another possible winter surge.In the U.S., the FDA will be relying heavily on scientific testing of prior tweaks to the vaccine recipe — rather than a study of the newest boosters that could take months — to decide whether to fast-track updated shots for fall.Pfizer previously announced results from a study that found its earlier omicron tweak significantly revved up antibodies capable of fighting the first omicron version, called BA.1, and to a lesser degree the genetically distinct BA.4 and BA.5 omicron relatives. Its application to the FDA contains that data plus animal testing of the newest recipe update.It’s similar to how flu vaccines are updated every year without having to undergo large studies.Pfizer and BioNTech expect to start a trial using the BA.4 and BA.5 boosters in the coming weeks, to shed additional light on how well tweaked shots work. Moderna has begun a similar study although full results wouldn’t be available before a fall booster campaign.“It’s clear that none of these vaccines are going to completely prevent infection,” said Dr. Rachel Presti of Washington University in St. Louis, a researcher with the Moderna trial.But prior studies of variant booster candidates show “you still get a broader immune response giving a variant booster than giving the same booster” again, which should be helpful even if a newer omicron relative emerges, she added.Pfizer and Moderna don’t make the only U.S. vaccine options. Novavax makes a more traditional, protein-based shot — and U.S. health authorities just expanded its use for people as young as 12. Novavax also plans to offer a variant update later in the year.

Pfizer seeks FDA approval for updated COVID-19 booster

DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of some of their large SUVs to park them outdoors and away from buildings after a series of fires involving trailer hitch wiring.

The Korean automakers are recalling more than 281,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of the problem, but they haven’t figured out how to fix it yet. The automakers reported 25 fires or melting incidents in the U.S. and Canada caused by the problem, but no crashes or injuries.

The recalls cover more than 245,000 Hyundai Palisade and over 36,000 Kia Telluride SUVs from the 2020 through 2022 model years.

In documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the companies said debris and moisture can accumulate in a circuit board in the tow hitch wiring. That can cause an electrical short, which can lead to a fire.

Hyundai said that dealers will inspect the wiring and remove a fuse as an interim repair. Kia doesn’t have an interim repair. The companies say a final repair is being developed.

In addition, dealers from both automakers have stopped selling the affected SUVs until repairs are made.

DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of some of their large SUVs to park them outdoors and away from buildings after a series of fires involving trailer hitch wiring.The Korean automakers are recalling more than 281,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of the problem, but they haven’t figured out how to fix it yet. The automakers reported 25 fires or melting incidents in the U.S. and Canada caused by the problem, but no crashes or injuries.The recalls cover more than 245,000 Hyundai Palisade and over 36,000 Kia Telluride SUVs from the 2020 through 2022 model years.In documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the companies said debris and moisture can accumulate in a circuit board in the tow hitch wiring. That can cause an electrical short, which can lead to a fire.Hyundai said that dealers will inspect the wiring and remove a fuse as an interim repair. Kia doesn’t have an interim repair. The companies say a final repair is being developed.In addition, dealers from both automakers have stopped selling the affected SUVs until repairs are made.

Park outside: Fire risk prompts Hyundai, Kia hitch recalls

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two Kansas men accused of a home invasion killing made their first court appearance on Monday.

&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">Shannon Cavitt Jr.</a>, 39, and <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">Caviontay Conway</a>, 21,&nbsp;both of Wichita were charged with First Degree Murder, burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 8a.m. August 15, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5200 block of East Gilbert in Wichita, according to a Officer Chad Ditch.

Upon arrival, Officers located 49-year-old Dennis Haynes unconscious and not breathing. Officers began life-saving measures.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. 

The investigation revealed that Haynes and several other people were inside the residence when two armed men entered and shot the victim.

They then fled the scene on foot. On Saturday, police reported the arrest of&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">Cavitt Jr.</a> in connection with the crime. On August 18, police reported the arrest of 21<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">&nbsp;Conway</a>. They are each being held on bond of $500,000, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661169987651.png" alt="Cavitt-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Cavitt-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Two Kansas men accused of a home invasion killing made their first court appearance on Monday.&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">Shannon Cavitt Jr.</a>, 39, and <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">Caviontay Conway</a>, 21,&nbsp;both of Wichita were charged with First Degree Murder, burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 8a.m. August 15, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5200 block of East Gilbert in Wichita, according to a Officer Chad Ditch.Upon arrival, Officers located 49-year-old Dennis Haynes unconscious and not breathing. Officers began life-saving measures.&nbsp; EMS&nbsp; transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The investigation revealed that Haynes and several other people were inside the residence when two armed men entered and shot the victim.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661171453509.png" alt="Conway-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Conway-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>They then fled the scene on foot. On Saturday, police reported the arrest of&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=302365">Cavitt Jr.</a> in connection with the crime. On August 18, police reported the arrest of 21<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20069997">&nbsp;Conway</a>. They are each being held on bond of $500,000, according to the district attorney's office.

2 charged in Kansas home invasion killing

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/22/election-official-says-recount-of-kansas-abortion-amendment-vote-proves-election-integrity/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab says the result of <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/kansas-anti-abortion-activists-secure-119k-for-nine-county-recount-on-abortion-amendment/">a nine-county hand recount</a> of ballots from the Aug. 2 election shows there is no systemic election fraud in Kansas.

The weeklong recount produced little change in vote totals showing Kansans <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">overwhelming rejected a constitutional amendment on abortion</a>. After exhausted election workers took a look at 556,364 ballots, the margin of rejection grew by 63 votes.

Colby resident Melissa Leavitt requested the recount, claiming vague 
problems with election integrity. She paid $119,000 toward the cost of 
the recount, combining money from her credit cards with an online 
fundraiser and support from Wichita anti-abortion activist Mark Gietzen.

The proposed constitutional amendment would have taken away the <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/amid-amendment-rhetoric-heres-what-abortion-actually-looks-like-in-kansas/">right to terminate a pregnancy</a>
 in Kansas, overturning a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling that 
protected abortion rights in Kansas after the U.S. Supreme Court 
overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

Instead of failing by 165,389 votes, the recount showed the amendment failed by&nbsp;165,452 votes.

“The results of this unprecedented recount of more than half the 
ballots cast in the 2022 Kansas primary election, with less than 
2/100ths of a percent difference in the county canvasses and the recount
 process, proves once and for all that there is no systemic election 
fraud in our state’s election process,” Schwab said. “Kansans should be 
confident that these results put to rest the unfounded claims of 
election fraud in our state and know that our elections are secure and 
that their vote counted.”

Two other recounts also affirmed the results of GOP contests for state treasurer and a state House district.

Schwab’s office said hand recounts typically result in minor 
discrepancies. They can be the result of human error, or a ballot marked
 in a way that a machine couldn’t read.

Schwab praised the work of election officials and volunteers who 
“worked tirelessly to administer a secure election and complete the 
recount requests.”

“I have immense gratitude for their hard work and commitment to a safe and secure election process,” Schwab said.

Leavitt has raised $54,000 through GiveSendGo, a Christian-themed 
fundraising platform. More than 800 people donated, and more than 600 
offered prayers, through the site.

In an interview Saturday with a GiveSendGo representative for Gab TV,
 Leavitt described herself as “an election integrity researcher.”

“When you’re talking about voting, you know, it’s vital that 
everything is fair, and free and it’s correct,” Leavitt said. “And so 
this is kind of a point where we can dig in, and it’s our right to ask 
for it.”

She also provided updates on her TikTok account while attending 
MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell’s “Moment of Truth Summit” in Springfield, 
Missouri, over the weekend.

The Secretary of State’s Office has pointed to the recount as a 
reason for not yet certifying a petition filed by Dennis Pyle, who hopes
 to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate for governor.
 <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/01/kansas-state-senator-delivers-signatures-needed-to-enter-governors-race-as-independent/">He turned in nearly 9,000 signatures</a>, which county election officials will have to review.

Pyle has repeatedly expressed frustration with the delay, accusing 
Schwab of helping Republicans who would prefer he stay off the ballot. 
Pyle is a conservative who is running because he thinks the Republican 
candidate, Derek Schmidt, is too liberal. Republicans fear his entry 
into the race will benefit Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

“Partisan politics is already backing up my ballot access, not to 
mention the campaign, and participation in events,” Pyle said. “A lot of
 folks in Kansas are already suspicious that Secretary Schwab is 
responsible for giving us dishonest elections. Keeping me off the ballot
 and disrupting the campaign by purposely holding up the certification 
of my petition has only made their suspicions stronger.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661194621855.png" alt="The Kansas constitutional amendment ballot question appears on a touch screen at a voting booth on July 29, 2022, at the Shawnee County Elections Office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas constitutional amendment ballot question appears on a touch screen at a voting booth on July 29, 2022, at the Shawnee County Elections Office. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/22/election-official-says-recount-of-kansas-abortion-amendment-vote-proves-election-integrity/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab says the result of <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/kansas-anti-abortion-activists-secure-119k-for-nine-county-recount-on-abortion-amendment/">a nine-county hand recount</a> of ballots from the Aug. 2 election shows there is no systemic election fraud in Kansas.The weeklong recount produced little change in vote totals showing Kansans <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/02/kansas-voters-defeat-abortion-amendment-in-unexpected-landslide-1/">overwhelming rejected a constitutional amendment on abortion</a>. After exhausted election workers took a look at 556,364 ballots, the margin of rejection grew by 63 votes.Colby resident Melissa Leavitt requested the recount, claiming vague 
problems with election integrity. She paid $119,000 toward the cost of 
the recount, combining money from her credit cards with an online 
fundraiser and support from Wichita anti-abortion activist Mark Gietzen.The proposed constitutional amendment would have taken away the <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/amid-amendment-rhetoric-heres-what-abortion-actually-looks-like-in-kansas/">right to terminate a pregnancy</a>
 in Kansas, overturning a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling that 
protected abortion rights in Kansas after the U.S. Supreme Court 
overturned Roe v. Wade in June.Instead of failing by 165,389 votes, the recount showed the amendment failed by&nbsp;165,452 votes.“The results of this unprecedented recount of more than half the 
ballots cast in the 2022 Kansas primary election, with less than 
2/100ths of a percent difference in the county canvasses and the recount
 process, proves once and for all that there is no systemic election 
fraud in our state’s election process,” Schwab said. “Kansans should be 
confident that these results put to rest the unfounded claims of 
election fraud in our state and know that our elections are secure and 
that their vote counted.”Two other recounts also affirmed the results of GOP contests for state treasurer and a state House district.Schwab’s office said hand recounts typically result in minor 
discrepancies. They can be the result of human error, or a ballot marked
 in a way that a machine couldn’t read.Schwab praised the work of election officials and volunteers who 
“worked tirelessly to administer a secure election and complete the 
recount requests.”“I have immense gratitude for their hard work and commitment to a safe and secure election process,” Schwab said.Leavitt has raised $54,000 through GiveSendGo, a Christian-themed 
fundraising platform. More than 800 people donated, and more than 600 
offered prayers, through the site.In an interview Saturday with a GiveSendGo representative for Gab TV,
 Leavitt described herself as “an election integrity researcher.”“When you’re talking about voting, you know, it’s vital that 
everything is fair, and free and it’s correct,” Leavitt said. “And so 
this is kind of a point where we can dig in, and it’s our right to ask 
for it.”She also provided updates on her TikTok account while attending 
MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell’s “Moment of Truth Summit” in Springfield, 
Missouri, over the weekend.The Secretary of State’s Office has pointed to the recount as a 
reason for not yet certifying a petition filed by Dennis Pyle, who hopes
 to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate for governor.
 <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/01/kansas-state-senator-delivers-signatures-needed-to-enter-governors-race-as-independent/">He turned in nearly 9,000 signatures</a>, which county election officials will have to review.Pyle has repeatedly expressed frustration with the delay, accusing 
Schwab of helping Republicans who would prefer he stay off the ballot. 
Pyle is a conservative who is running because he thinks the Republican 
candidate, Derek Schmidt, is too liberal. Republicans fear his entry 
into the race will benefit Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.“Partisan politics is already backing up my ballot access, not to 
mention the campaign, and participation in events,” Pyle said. “A lot of
 folks in Kansas are already suspicious that Secretary Schwab is 
responsible for giving us dishonest elections. Keeping me off the ballot
 and disrupting the campaign by purposely holding up the certification 
of my petition has only made their suspicions stronger.”

Kansas Sec. of State: Abortion amendment recount proves election integrity

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at a Kansas Lake have identified the victim as&nbsp;as 20-year-old Michael Allen Giesbrecht of Lane, Kansas, according to Sheriff Matthew Kelly.

Just before 2p.m. Sunday, deputies, the Kansas Department of Wildlife wardens and Miami County EMS responded to a medical call on someone unresponsive at the small watercraft ramp next to the Marina at Hillsdale Lake, 26353 Jayhawker Lane, according to Kelly.

Investigators learned that Giesbrecht had docked a jet ski at the small watercraft dock while the owner of the jet ski parked the vehicle and trailer.

 They had just unloaded the jet ski off the trailer into the water, and when the owner returned to the dock, he was unable to locate Giesbrecht.

Another jet ski driver found Giesbrecht nearby a short time later. He face down in shallow water, approximately five feed deep. He had no life preserve on, according to the sheriff's office.

Giesbrecht was taken to shore, where bystanders attempted life-saving measures. Emergency crews transported him Olathe Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

An underlying medical condition may have contributed to his death. No foul play is suspected, according to the sheriff’s office.

MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at a Kansas Lake have identified the victim as&nbsp;as 20-year-old Michael Allen Giesbrecht of Lane, Kansas, according to Sheriff Matthew Kelly.Just before 2p.m. Sunday, deputies, the Kansas Department of Wildlife wardens and Miami County EMS responded to a medical call on someone unresponsive at the small watercraft ramp next to the Marina at Hillsdale Lake, 26353 Jayhawker Lane, according to Kelly.Investigators learned that Giesbrecht had docked a jet ski at the small watercraft dock while the owner of the jet ski parked the vehicle and trailer. They had just unloaded the jet ski off the trailer into the water, and when the owner returned to the dock, he was unable to locate Giesbrecht.Another jet ski driver found Giesbrecht nearby a short time later. He face down in shallow water, approximately five feed deep. He had no life preserve on, according to the sheriff's office.Giesbrecht was taken to shore, where bystanders attempted life-saving measures. Emergency crews transported him Olathe Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.An underlying medical condition may have contributed to his death. No foul play is suspected, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man with jet ski who drowned

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the area of the 400 Block of NE Gordon in Topeka, in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks. First responders found a 70-year-old man at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound and he was transported to a hospital by American Medical Response. 

The two individuals involved are known to each other, according to Eubanks.

As a result of the investigation, Benjamin E. Folsom, 34, Topeka, was booked in to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal possession of a firearm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661181240026.png" alt="Folsom-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Folsom-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.Just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the area of the 400 Block of NE Gordon in Topeka, in reference to a shooting, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks. First responders found a 70-year-old man at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound and he was transported to a hospital by American Medical Response. The two individuals involved are known to each other, according to Eubanks.As a result of the investigation, Benjamin E. Folsom, 34, Topeka, was booked in to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal possession of a firearm.

Kan. man jailed after police find 70-year-old with gunshot wound

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;asked a federal judge Monday to halt the FBI's review of documents recovered from his Florida estate earlier this month until a neutral special master can be appointed to inspect the records.

The request was included in a federal lawsuit, the first filing by Trump's legal team in the two weeks since the search, that takes broad aim at the FBI investigation into the discovery of classified records at Mar-a-Lago and that foreshadows arguments his lawyers are expected to make as the probe proceeds.

It comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/us/politics/trump-mar-a-lago-documents.html">The New York Times reported</a>&nbsp;that the government has recovered more than 300 documents marked classified from Mar-a-Lago since Trump left office, including more than 150 retrieved by the National Archives in January — a number that helped trigger the criminal investigation.

The lawsuit casts the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">Aug. 8 search</a>, in which the FBI said it recovered 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, as a “shockingly aggressive move." It also attacks the warrant as overly broad, contends that Trump is entitled to a more detailed description of the records seized from the home and argues that the FBI and Justice Department has long treated him “unfairly.”

"Law enforcement is a shield that protects America. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes," the lawyers wrote Monday. “Therefore, we seek judicial assistance in the aftermath of an unprecedented and unnecessary raid” at Mar-a-Lago.

In a separate statement, Trump said “ALL documents have been previously declassified” — though he has not produced evidence to support that claim — and described the records as having been “illegally seized from my home." The Justice Department countered in a terse three-sentence statement pointing out that the search had been authorized by a federal judge after the FBI presented probable cause that a crime had been committed.

The filing requests the appointment of a special master not connected the case who would be tasked with inspecting the records recovered from Mar-a-Lago and setting aside those that are covered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">executive privilege</a>&nbsp;— a principle that permits presidents to withhold certain communications from public disclosure.

In some other high-profile cases — including investigations involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-trump-investigations-europe-technology-ef880f0c5b0e4d86089b2b2414a16ebc">Rudy Giuliani</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-cohen-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-kimba-wood-9329e82cb2e545fe8d9c43c8233163c7">Michael Cohen</a>, two of Trump's personal attorneys — that role has been filled by a former judge.

“This matter has captured the attention of the American public. Merely ‘adequate’ safeguards are not acceptable when the matter at hand involves not only the constitutional rights of President Trump, but also the presumption of executive privilege,” the attorneys wrote.

The lawsuit argues that the records, created during Trump's White House tenure, are “presumptively privileged.” But the Supreme Court has never determined whether a former president can assert executive privilege over documents, writing in January that the issue is unprecedented and raises “serious and substantial concerns.”

The high court turned down Trump’s plea to block records held by the National Archives from being turned over to the Jan. 6 committee, saying then that his request would have been denied even if he had been the incumbent president, so there was no need to tackle the thorny issue of a former president’s claims.

The lawsuit paints Trump as “fully cooperative” and compliant with investigators, saying members of his personal and household staff were made available for voluntary interviews and quoting him as telling FBI and Justice Department officials during a June visit to Mar-a-Lago, “Whatever you need, just let us know.”

But the chronology of events makes clear that the search took place only after other options to recover classified documents from the home had been incomplete or unsuccessful. In May, for instance, weeks before the search, the Justice Department issued a subpoena for records bearing classification markings.

The Trump team's lawsuit was assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate 56-21 later that year. She is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Florida, handling mainly criminal appeals.

The months-long investigation, which burst into public view with the Mar-a-Lago search, emerged from a referral from the National Archives, which earlier this year retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from the estate that should have been turned over to the agency when Trump left the White House. An initial review of that material concluded that Trump had brought presidential records and several other documents that were marked classified to Mar-a-Lago.

FBI and Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago in June and asked to inspect a storage room. Several weeks later, the Justice Department subpoenaed for video footage from surveillance cameras at the estate. After the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, investigators interviewed another witness who told them that there were likely additional classified documents still at the estate, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Separately Monday, a federal judge acknowledged that redactions to an FBI affidavit spelling out the basis for the search might be so extensive as to make the document “meaningless” if released to the public. But he said he continued to believe it should not remain sealed in its entirety because of the “intense” public interest in the investigation.

A written order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart largely restates what he said in court last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">when he directed the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;to propose redactions about the information in the affidavit that it wants to remain secret. That submission is due Thursday at noon.

Justice Department officials have sought to keep the entire document sealed, saying disclosing any portion of it risks compromising an ongoing criminal investigation, revealing information about witnesses and divulging investigative techniques. They have advised the judge that the necessary redactions to the affidavit would be so numerous that they would strip the document of any substantive information and make it effectively meaningless for the public.

Reinhart acknowledged that possibility in his Monday order, writing, “I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660337904040.jpeg" alt="The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)" />
 <figcaption>The receipt for property that was seized during the execution of a search warrant by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;asked a federal judge Monday to halt the FBI's review of documents recovered from his Florida estate earlier this month until a neutral special master can be appointed to inspect the records.The request was included in a federal lawsuit, the first filing by Trump's legal team in the two weeks since the search, that takes broad aim at the FBI investigation into the discovery of classified records at Mar-a-Lago and that foreshadows arguments his lawyers are expected to make as the probe proceeds.It comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/us/politics/trump-mar-a-lago-documents.html">The New York Times reported</a>&nbsp;that the government has recovered more than 300 documents marked classified from Mar-a-Lago since Trump left office, including more than 150 retrieved by the National Archives in January — a number that helped trigger the criminal investigation.The lawsuit casts the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">Aug. 8 search</a>, in which the FBI said it recovered 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, as a “shockingly aggressive move." It also attacks the warrant as overly broad, contends that Trump is entitled to a more detailed description of the records seized from the home and argues that the FBI and Justice Department has long treated him “unfairly.”"Law enforcement is a shield that protects America. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes," the lawyers wrote Monday. “Therefore, we seek judicial assistance in the aftermath of an unprecedented and unnecessary raid” at Mar-a-Lago.In a separate statement, Trump said “ALL documents have been previously declassified” — though he has not produced evidence to support that claim — and described the records as having been “illegally seized from my home." The Justice Department countered in a terse three-sentence statement pointing out that the search had been authorized by a federal judge after the FBI presented probable cause that a crime had been committed.The filing requests the appointment of a special master not connected the case who would be tasked with inspecting the records recovered from Mar-a-Lago and setting aside those that are covered by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">executive privilege</a>&nbsp;— a principle that permits presidents to withhold certain communications from public disclosure.In some other high-profile cases — including investigations involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-trump-investigations-europe-technology-ef880f0c5b0e4d86089b2b2414a16ebc">Rudy Giuliani</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-cohen-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-kimba-wood-9329e82cb2e545fe8d9c43c8233163c7">Michael Cohen</a>, two of Trump's personal attorneys — that role has been filled by a former judge.“This matter has captured the attention of the American public. Merely ‘adequate’ safeguards are not acceptable when the matter at hand involves not only the constitutional rights of President Trump, but also the presumption of executive privilege,” the attorneys wrote.The lawsuit argues that the records, created during Trump's White House tenure, are “presumptively privileged.” But the Supreme Court has never determined whether a former president can assert executive privilege over documents, writing in January that the issue is unprecedented and raises “serious and substantial concerns.”The high court turned down Trump’s plea to block records held by the National Archives from being turned over to the Jan. 6 committee, saying then that his request would have been denied even if he had been the incumbent president, so there was no need to tackle the thorny issue of a former president’s claims.The lawsuit paints Trump as “fully cooperative” and compliant with investigators, saying members of his personal and household staff were made available for voluntary interviews and quoting him as telling FBI and Justice Department officials during a June visit to Mar-a-Lago, “Whatever you need, just let us know.”But the chronology of events makes clear that the search took place only after other options to recover classified documents from the home had been incomplete or unsuccessful. In May, for instance, weeks before the search, the Justice Department issued a subpoena for records bearing classification markings.The Trump team's lawsuit was assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who was nominated by Trump in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate 56-21 later that year. She is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Florida, handling mainly criminal appeals.The months-long investigation, which burst into public view with the Mar-a-Lago search, emerged from a referral from the National Archives, which earlier this year retrieved 15 boxes of documents and other items from the estate that should have been turned over to the agency when Trump left the White House. An initial review of that material concluded that Trump had brought presidential records and several other documents that were marked classified to Mar-a-Lago.FBI and Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago in June and asked to inspect a storage room. Several weeks later, the Justice Department subpoenaed for video footage from surveillance cameras at the estate. After the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, investigators interviewed another witness who told them that there were likely additional classified documents still at the estate, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.Separately Monday, a federal judge acknowledged that redactions to an FBI affidavit spelling out the basis for the search might be so extensive as to make the document “meaningless” if released to the public. But he said he continued to believe it should not remain sealed in its entirety because of the “intense” public interest in the investigation.A written order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart largely restates what he said in court last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-donald-trump-west-palm-beach-bf4bd77e66e22d0b089a2a56c4ffc9a7">when he directed the Justice Department</a>&nbsp;to propose redactions about the information in the affidavit that it wants to remain secret. That submission is due Thursday at noon.Justice Department officials have sought to keep the entire document sealed, saying disclosing any portion of it risks compromising an ongoing criminal investigation, revealing information about witnesses and divulging investigative techniques. They have advised the judge that the necessary redactions to the affidavit would be so numerous that they would strip the document of any substantive information and make it effectively meaningless for the public.Reinhart acknowledged that possibility in his Monday order, writing, “I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government.”___

Trump wants special master to review Mar-a-Lago documents

To date, over $5.7B committed to close the 'homework gap'

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission today announced it is committing nearly $42 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.  Today’s funding commitments support applications from all three application windows, benefiting approximately 100,000 students, including students in Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin.  

“This is the time of year when families stock up on school supplies, and internet access should be on that list.  Yet we still have too many students who lack the ability to connect with school after hours,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “This latest round of funding will help more students get the online access they need for a successful education, and bring us closer to closing the Homework Gap.” 

To date, the Commission has committed over $5.7 billion to schools and libraries across the country as part of the Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched last year.  The program has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows,” for schools and libraries to apply for support.  Today’s announcement includes over $4.4 million from the first and second application windows providing support in the upcoming school year for 5 schools.  For the third application window, the Commission is committing nearly $37 million that will support over 230 schools, 30 libraries, and 5 consortia.  

The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensure

students across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education.  To date, the program has provided support to over 10,000 schools, 900 libraries, and 100 consortia, and providing nearly 12 million connected devices and over 7 million broadband connections.  Of the over $5.7 billion in funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $831 million from Window 2; and $811 million from Window 3.  

More details about which schools and libraries have received funding commitments can be found <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569445831519.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>To date, over $5.7B committed to close the 'homework gap'</h2> FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission today announced it is committing nearly $42 million in two new funding rounds through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country. Today’s funding commitments support applications from all three application windows, benefiting approximately 100,000 students, including students in Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. “This is the time of year when families stock up on school supplies, and internet access should be on that list. Yet we still have too many students who lack the ability to connect with school after hours,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “This latest round of funding will help more students get the online access they need for a successful education, and bring us closer to closing the Homework Gap.” To date, the Commission has committed over $5.7 billion to schools and libraries across the country as part of the Emergency Connectivity Program, which launched last year. The program has provided schools and libraries three different “application windows,” for schools and libraries to apply for support. Today’s announcement includes over $4.4 million from the first and second application windows providing support in the upcoming school year for 5 schools. For the third application window, the Commission is committing nearly $37 million that will support over 230 schools, 30 libraries, and 5 consortia. The funding can be used to support off-campus learning, such as nightly homework, to ensurestudents across the country have the necessary support to keep up with their education. To date, the program has provided support to over 10,000 schools, 900 libraries, and 100 consortia, and providing nearly 12 million connected devices and over 7 million broadband connections. Of the over $5.7 billion in funding commitments approved to date, approximately $4.1 billion is supporting applications from Window 1; $831 million from Window 2; and $811 million from Window 3. More details about which schools and libraries have received funding commitments can be found <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-connectivity-fund">HERE</a>.

FCC: Another $42M for emergency broadband connectivity

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Lawrence on Monday released police dash camera and body camera images of the July 31, high-speed chase through the community that led to the arrest of double homicide suspect 51-year-old Rodney Marshall.

Click below to watch Lawrence Police Chief&nbsp;Rich Lockhart explain the&nbsp; video.&nbsp;

Just after 1a.m. on July 31, police received 911 calls about shots fired in the 1100 block of Tennessee in Lawrence, according to Police spokesperson Laura McCabe.&nbsp;

Officers arrived at the home and found a 53-year-old man critically injured with gunshot wounds. Emergency Responders helped transfer him to a Kansas City trauma department where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp;

Not long after, another call came in about shots fired in the 300 block of Northwood Lane.&nbsp; Officers found another victim at that location.&nbsp; The 43-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Investigators worked through the night to identify a suspect, located him, and tried to pull him over in the 900 Block of Lawrence Avenue about 6:00 am.&nbsp;

The suspect later identified as 51-year-old Rodney Ericson Marshall did not comply and a led officers on a pursuit through town, down Haskell and to the Bypass accessing K-10 toward Kansas City.&nbsp;

Marshall fired several times at officers while on K-10 until eventually hitting the stop sticks near Eudora and was taken into custody.&nbsp; A female passenger was also in the car at the time of the arrest and was questioned by investigators.

This investigation involved multiple agencies, several locations, two victims, and the attempted murder of several Law Enforcement Officers, according to McCabe.

Marshall has previous convictions for aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal deprivation of property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659312423011.png" alt="-Marshall has previous convictions for aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal deprivation of property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>-Marshall has previous convictions for aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal deprivation of property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Lawrence on Monday released police dash camera and body camera images of the July 31, high-speed chase through the community that led to the arrest of double homicide suspect 51-year-old Rodney Marshall.Click below to watch Lawrence Police Chief&nbsp;Rich Lockhart explain the&nbsp; video.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IFHENkKFEog?start=230" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Just after 1a.m. on July 31, police received 911 calls about shots fired in the 1100 block of Tennessee in Lawrence, according to Police spokesperson Laura McCabe.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661199114171.png" alt="Images Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>Images Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers arrived at the home and found a 53-year-old man critically injured with gunshot wounds. Emergency Responders helped transfer him to a Kansas City trauma department where he was pronounced dead.&nbsp;Not long after, another call came in about shots fired in the 300 block of Northwood Lane.&nbsp; Officers found another victim at that location.&nbsp; The 43-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661199538451.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators worked through the night to identify a suspect, located him, and tried to pull him over in the 900 Block of Lawrence Avenue about 6:00 am.&nbsp;The suspect later identified as 51-year-old Rodney Ericson Marshall did not comply and a led officers on a pursuit through town, down Haskell and to the Bypass accessing K-10 toward Kansas City.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661199612066.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Marshall fired several times at officers while on K-10 until eventually hitting the stop sticks near Eudora and was taken into custody.&nbsp; A female passenger was also in the car at the time of the arrest and was questioned by investigators.This investigation involved multiple agencies, several locations, two victims, and the attempted murder of several Law Enforcement Officers, according to McCabe.Marshall has previous convictions for aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal deprivation of property and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

🎥 Police release video of pursuit, arrest Kan. double-murder suspect

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities were busy with drug arrests in northeast Kansas on Saturday.

Just before 1 a.m. a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2005 Nissan Altima near 150th and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Deputies arrested the driver of the vehicle, Tiffany Michelle Thompson, 42, of Topeka, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container and driving while suspended.

  The passenger, Dwan Maurice Taylor Sr., 41, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include felony interference with law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

&nbsp;Just after 3:30a.m.,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2010 GMC Terrain for a traffic infraction near 150th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75, according to Morse.

 The deputy arrested the driver, 31-year-old Arturo Garcia-Silva, of Kansas City, Kansas, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement and driving while suspended.

At 10 p.m., . A deputy conducted a traffic stop on an Infiniti G near 150th&nbsp;and Q. Road for a traffic infraction, according to Morse.&nbsp; Following a search, the passenger, Janet Sue Huhs, 60, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661114406715.png" alt="Thompson-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Thompson-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities were busy with drug arrests in northeast Kansas on Saturday.Just before 1 a.m. a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2005 Nissan Altima near 150th and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Deputies arrested the driver of the vehicle, Tiffany Michelle Thompson, 42, of Topeka, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container and driving while suspended.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661114432765.png" alt="Taylor-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Taylor-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure> The passenger, Dwan Maurice Taylor Sr., 41, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges that include felony interference with law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;Just after 3:30a.m.,&nbsp; a sheriff's deputy stopped a 2010 GMC Terrain for a traffic infraction near 150th&nbsp;and U.S. Highway 75, according to Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661114305899.png" alt="Garcia-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Garcia-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> The deputy arrested the driver, 31-year-old Arturo Garcia-Silva, of Kansas City, Kansas, on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement and driving while suspended.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661114521769.png" alt="Huhs-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Huhs-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>At 10 p.m., . A deputy conducted a traffic stop on an Infiniti G near 150th&nbsp;and Q. Road for a traffic infraction, according to Morse.&nbsp; Following a search, the passenger, Janet Sue Huhs, 60, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: 4 Kansans jailed for meth in 3 Saturday traffic stops

FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in a small plane crash just before 10:30a.m. Monday in Finney County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp;North Wing Design Apache Ultralight&nbsp; piloted by Dallas James Savolt, 46, Garden City, used the side of a residence at 455 East Sondreagger Road as a runway to take off northbound.

The pilot attempted to land in a field south of the residence. The aircraft rotated counter-clockwise and crashed.

Garden City Fire crews found the plane in the field on the&nbsp;north side of the road. Fire units made contact with a bystander who was trying to free the pilot from the aircraft. The bystander reported that he had seen the aircraft from north U.S. Highway 83 and Sondreagger Road. 

Fire personnel removed a wing of the aircraft to gain access to the pilot. They extricated him from the aircraft and loaded him into the ambulance to be transported by Finney County Emergency Medical Services to&nbsp; St. Catherine Hospital&nbsp; with facial injuries along with back and arm pain, according to the Garden City Fire Deparatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661209351883.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in a small plane crash just before 10:30a.m. Monday in Finney County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp;North Wing Design Apache Ultralight&nbsp; piloted by Dallas James Savolt, 46, Garden City, used the side of a residence at 455 East Sondreagger Road as a runway to take off northbound.The pilot attempted to land in a field south of the residence. The aircraft rotated counter-clockwise and crashed.Garden City Fire crews found the plane in the field on the&nbsp;north side of the road. Fire units made contact with a bystander who was trying to free the pilot from the aircraft. The bystander reported that he had seen the aircraft from north U.S. Highway 83 and Sondreagger Road. Fire personnel removed a wing of the aircraft to gain access to the pilot. They extricated him from the aircraft and loaded him into the ambulance to be transported by Finney County Emergency Medical Services to&nbsp; St. Catherine Hospital&nbsp; with facial injuries along with back and arm pain, according to the Garden City Fire Deparatment.

Kansas pilot hospitalized after small plane crash

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A woman was injured when she fell off a moving motorcycle Sunday afternoon in south Salina, and the driver was arrested on outstanding warrants.

&nbsp;Just before 5p.m. Sunday, a 2006 Honda motorcycle driven by 36-year-old Jody Meyer, 36, was&nbsp; northbound in the 1900 block of S. Ohio Street in Salina. 

A 33-year-old female passenger identified as his wife fell off the motorcycle just north of the Albert Avenue intersection. The woman received scrapes, but was not transported to the hospital.

Officers working the incident discovered that Meyer had multiple active warrants from Salina Municipal Court. Police arrested Meyer on the warrants and the following requested charges that included no proof of insurance and driving with a suspended driver's license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661174859678.jpeg" alt="Jody Meyer-photo&nbsp;Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Jody Meyer-photo&nbsp;Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA woman was injured when she fell off a moving motorcycle Sunday afternoon in south Salina, and the driver was arrested on outstanding warrants.&nbsp;Just before 5p.m. Sunday, a 2006 Honda motorcycle driven by 36-year-old Jody Meyer, 36, was&nbsp; northbound in the 1900 block of S. Ohio Street in Salina. A 33-year-old female passenger identified as his wife fell off the motorcycle just north of the Albert Avenue intersection. The woman received scrapes, but was not transported to the hospital.Officers working the incident discovered that Meyer had multiple active warrants from Salina Municipal Court. Police arrested Meyer on the warrants and the following requested charges that included no proof of insurance and driving with a suspended driver's license.

Wanted Kan. man jailed after motorcycle crash that injured his wife

KANSAS CITY—The suspect involved in the abduction of his young daughters after he allegedly committed a homicide on Sunday is in custody, according to Kanas City Police.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Jordan Owsley, 27,&nbsp; turned himself to authorities on Monday morning, according to Captain Leslie Foreman with the KCPD.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified Owsley as a suspect in a fatal shooting of 38-year-old Marvin Williams at the scene of the child abduction. Owsley then took his two daughters from the 1300 block of East 89th Street. That led authorities to issue the Sunday <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPAlerts">evening&nbsp;Amber Alert</a>.

Authorities found the 7-year-old and 4-year-old safe at a relative’s house and also located the suspect vehicle, a white Kia Optima.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661131710867.png" alt="Owsley-photo MSHP" />
 <figcaption>Owsley-photo MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—The suspect involved in the abduction of his young daughters after he allegedly committed a homicide on Sunday is in custody, according to Kanas City Police.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jordan Owsley, 27,&nbsp; turned himself to authorities on Monday morning, according to Captain Leslie Foreman with the KCPD.The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified Owsley as a suspect in a fatal shooting of 38-year-old Marvin Williams at the scene of the child abduction. Owsley then took his two daughters from the 1300 block of East 89th Street. That led authorities to issue the Sunday <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPAlerts">evening&nbsp;Amber Alert</a>.Authorities found the 7-year-old and 4-year-old safe at a relative’s house and also located the suspect vehicle, a white Kia Optima.Police released no additional details.

Suspect in Kansas City Amber Alert turns himself in

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — An anti-drug group on Monday announced support for a lawsuit to take a recreational marijuana legalization proposal off Missouri’s November ballot.

Jefferson City resident Joy Sweeney filed the lawsuit Friday with support from the national anti-drug group Protect Our Kids.

The suit alleged that marijuana supporters didn’t gather enough valid voter signatures to put the proposal to a vote. The lawsuit also claimed the ballot measure deals with too many policies in violation of the state constitution.

“We are proud to stand alongside Ms. Sweeney in her challenge to the scam that is this marijuana legalization referendum,” Protect Our Kids CEO Luke Niforatos said in a statement. “Not only does the language deceive voters about the harms of legalization, it is in violation of state law and the Missouri Constitution.”

Campaign manager John Payne said the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana “had the grassroots support necessary to collect the valid number of signatures required to reach the ballot” compared to dozens of other failed initiative petitions filed this election cycle.

“This lawsuit lacks merit and in less than three months Missouri will be the 20th state to regulate, tax and legalize cannabis,” Payne said in a statement.

Missouri’s secretary of state, the state's top election official, didn’t immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Monday.

Missouri's ballot proposal would allow those age 21 and older to buy and grow weed for personal consumption and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-marijuana-recreational-constitutions-missouri-65e4a10bb7d99fdf9fca2ea57e07d0c1">automatically erase records</a>&nbsp;of some past marijuana-related crimes.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — An anti-drug group on Monday announced support for a lawsuit to take a recreational marijuana legalization proposal off Missouri’s November ballot.Jefferson City resident Joy Sweeney filed the lawsuit Friday with support from the national anti-drug group Protect Our Kids.The suit alleged that marijuana supporters didn’t gather enough valid voter signatures to put the proposal to a vote. The lawsuit also claimed the ballot measure deals with too many policies in violation of the state constitution.“We are proud to stand alongside Ms. Sweeney in her challenge to the scam that is this marijuana legalization referendum,” Protect Our Kids CEO Luke Niforatos said in a statement. “Not only does the language deceive voters about the harms of legalization, it is in violation of state law and the Missouri Constitution.”Campaign manager John Payne said the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana “had the grassroots support necessary to collect the valid number of signatures required to reach the ballot” compared to dozens of other failed initiative petitions filed this election cycle.“This lawsuit lacks merit and in less than three months Missouri will be the 20th state to regulate, tax and legalize cannabis,” Payne said in a statement.Missouri’s secretary of state, the state's top election official, didn’t immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Monday.Missouri's ballot proposal would allow those age 21 and older to buy and grow weed for personal consumption and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-marijuana-recreational-constitutions-missouri-65e4a10bb7d99fdf9fca2ea57e07d0c1">automatically erase records</a>&nbsp;of some past marijuana-related crimes.

Lawsuit filed to knock recreational pot off Missouri ballot

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/22/kansas-democrat-mark-holland-not-interested-in-being-footnote-to-history-in-u-s-senate-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Democrat Mark Holland 
said he wouldn’t be deterred by political math resulting in Republicans 
winning every Kansas election for U.S. Senate since 1939.

Holland, former mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County 
and Kansas City, said a formula for success against Republican U.S. Sen.
 Jerry Moran was to prevail in 10 counties holding two-thirds of the 
state’s vote and by respecting interests of neglected rural voters.

His U.S. Senate campaign will take him to all 105 counties for 
face-to-face conversations with folks deciding Nov. 8 whether to end the
 longest GOP winning streak in the nation.

“We have a better message on public education. We have a better message on health care. We have a better message on wages. We need to get out and share our message,” Holland said on the Kansas Reflector podcast. “And,&nbsp;we need to spend the time listening to the real concerns of real people.”

Kansans interested in moderate representation in Washington, D.C., 
shouldn’t be bound to the legacy of Democrat George McGill, who was 
elected to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Sen. Charles Curtis in 1930 
and won a full term in 1932. He was the last Democrat from Kansas 
elected to the U.S. Senate.

Holland said reversing that trend required Democrats to resonate with
 voters in the state’s populous 10 counties and draw upon a reservoir of
 support in the others. A cadre of voters statewide, both urban and 
rural, feel abandoned by their representatives in Washington, he said.

“Everyone wants to win the big 10,” Holland said. “But we also have to respect the 95 counties that have a third of our votes. I get frustrated with Democrats nationally&nbsp;who complain about losing rural communities, complain about losing red states,&nbsp;and don’t spend a minute listening to people in these communities.”

Holland, 53,&nbsp; grew up in Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas. His father 
was a Methodist minister and his mother a public school teacher. He 
earned a philosophy degree at Southern Methodist University, a master’s 
degree in divinity at Iliff School of Theology in Denver and a doctorate
 of ministry at St. Paul School of Theology.

He served a congregation in Denver before serving churches in Elwood and Wathena in northeast Kansas.

“I was in two towns whose combined population was smaller than the high school I attended,” he said. “And one of the things I learned about that is we all want the same things. Right? We all want meaningful work. We all want opportunities for our kids. We all want to live in a community we’re proud of. I think Washington, D.C., could learn something that what holds us together is much greater than what pulls us apart.”

He was at Trinity Community Church in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1999 
to 2018. He co-founded Mainstream UMC to advocate for inclusion of 
LGBTQ+ people into the Methodist church in terms of marriage and 
ordination.

He serve six years on the city-county unified government before 
elected mayor and serving in that post from 2013 to 2017. He lost a 
campaign for reelection, but learned the necessity of striving to 
motivate low-propensity voters rather than concentrate on people most 
likely to cast ballots.

In 2021, Holland announced his campaign for the Democratic Party’s 
nomination for U.S. Senate. He prevailed in a six-candidate primary in 
August to earn the opportunity to challenge Moran, who was first elected
 to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and the U.S. House in 1997. In Moran’s two 
Senate campaigns, he won the 2010 general election with 70% of the vote 
and the 2016 race with 62% of the vote.

Holland said Washington was dominated by extremist Republicans who 
left moderates behind on issues of abortion, guns, economic policy and 
other issues.

“Kansas is a pretty moderate. Pretty low key plainspoken group as a whole,” Holland said. “We deserve someone who has the courage to stand up. Right now being a moderate takes courage, because the extremes want to pull you off.”

Holland is a proponent of expanding Medicaid coverage under the 
Affordable Care Act to lower-income Kansans because it would help 
families in urban and rural communities. He also supported federal 
legislation allowing Medicare negotiate to lower medication prices for 
the elderly, but couldn’t understand why federal lawmakers would oppose a
 price cap on the monthly cost of insulin to treat diabetes.

“We’re the only developed country in the world where families are worried about health care,” he said. “People are not able to take care of their families the way they need to because we’re not controlling costs. I will help control costs in D.C.”

Holland said U.S. senators from Kansas ought declare in clear 
language President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe 
Biden. Holland said dozens of lawsuits were filed, but no clear evidence
 of election fraud has been uncovered.

“What we’re seeing right now is this long-play grief cycle that is born because the leaders in the Republican Party have refused to have the courage to look people in the eye and tell them the plain truth,” Holland said. “I’m just as plainspoken preacher, and I’m just going to tell people the truth. We need&nbsp;the courage to tell people the truth, even an unpopular truth or a truth they don’t want to hear.”

Moran has said Biden won the 2020 national election and it would be 
wrong for Congress to not certify the Electoral College vote. He 
denounced the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, but opposed 
formation of an independent inquiry into violence precipitated by a 
rally led by Trump.

Holland said it was wrong for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe 
v. Wade and take away a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, even 
to save her own life or in the aftermath of a rape. It would be 
appropriate for Congress to embed in federal law a right to abortion, he
 said.

The overwhelming defeat in the Aug. 2 primary of a proposed amendment
 to the Kansas Constitution declaring no right to bodily autonomy, 
including abortion, was contained in the state’s Bill of Rights provided
 evidence of where the state’s voters stood on the issue. He noted 
Moran, who endorsed reversal of Roe v. Wade, donated $50,000 to 
organizations supporting passage of the Kansas abortion amendment.

“The idea that women don’t have the right to make their own decisions about their body is, again, that’s looking backwards to the 1950s,” Holland said. “The majority of people in Kansas came out in force and said, not only did&nbsp;they vote no, they voted hell no.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661181414610.png" alt="Mark Holland, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, participates in a Kansas Reflector podcast interview in Topeka about his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the Republican Party’s nominee. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Mark Holland, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, participates in a Kansas Reflector podcast interview in Topeka about his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the Republican Party’s nominee. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/22/kansas-democrat-mark-holland-not-interested-in-being-footnote-to-history-in-u-s-senate-race/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Democrat Mark Holland 
said he wouldn’t be deterred by political math resulting in Republicans 
winning every Kansas election for U.S. Senate since 1939.Holland, former mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County 
and Kansas City, said a formula for success against Republican U.S. Sen.
 Jerry Moran was to prevail in 10 counties holding two-thirds of the 
state’s vote and by respecting interests of neglected rural voters.His U.S. Senate campaign will take him to all 105 counties for 
face-to-face conversations with folks deciding Nov. 8 whether to end the
 longest GOP winning streak in the nation.“We have a better message on public education. We have a better message on health care. We have a better message on wages. We need to get out and share our message,” Holland said on the Kansas Reflector podcast. “And,&nbsp;we need to spend the time listening to the real concerns of real people.”<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1327319194&color=%232b7fb4&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast" title="Reflector Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Reflector Podcast</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast/democrat-mark-holland-campaigns-for-us-senate-seat" title="Democrat Mark Holland on why he wants to be a U.S. senator" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Democrat Mark Holland on why he wants to be a U.S. senator</a></div></div>Kansans interested in moderate representation in Washington, D.C., 
shouldn’t be bound to the legacy of Democrat George McGill, who was 
elected to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Sen. Charles Curtis in 1930 
and won a full term in 1932. He was the last Democrat from Kansas 
elected to the U.S. Senate.Holland said reversing that trend required Democrats to resonate with
 voters in the state’s populous 10 counties and draw upon a reservoir of
 support in the others. A cadre of voters statewide, both urban and 
rural, feel abandoned by their representatives in Washington, he said.“Everyone wants to win the big 10,” Holland said. “But we also have to respect the 95 counties that have a third of our votes. I get frustrated with Democrats nationally&nbsp;who complain about losing rural communities, complain about losing red states,&nbsp;and don’t spend a minute listening to people in these communities.”<h2>‘Courage to stand up’</h2>Holland, 53,&nbsp; grew up in Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas. His father 
was a Methodist minister and his mother a public school teacher. He 
earned a philosophy degree at Southern Methodist University, a master’s 
degree in divinity at Iliff School of Theology in Denver and a doctorate
 of ministry at St. Paul School of Theology.He served a congregation in Denver before serving churches in Elwood and Wathena in northeast Kansas.“I was in two towns whose combined population was smaller than the high school I attended,” he said. “And one of the things I learned about that is we all want the same things. Right? We all want meaningful work. We all want opportunities for our kids. We all want to live in a community we’re proud of. I think Washington, D.C., could learn something that what holds us together is much greater than what pulls us apart.”He was at Trinity Community Church in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1999 
to 2018. He co-founded Mainstream UMC to advocate for inclusion of 
LGBTQ+ people into the Methodist church in terms of marriage and 
ordination.He serve six years on the city-county unified government before 
elected mayor and serving in that post from 2013 to 2017. He lost a 
campaign for reelection, but learned the necessity of striving to 
motivate low-propensity voters rather than concentrate on people most 
likely to cast ballots.In 2021, Holland announced his campaign for the Democratic Party’s 
nomination for U.S. Senate. He prevailed in a six-candidate primary in 
August to earn the opportunity to challenge Moran, who was first elected
 to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and the U.S. House in 1997. In Moran’s two 
Senate campaigns, he won the 2010 general election with 70% of the vote 
and the 2016 race with 62% of the vote.Holland said Washington was dominated by extremist Republicans who 
left moderates behind on issues of abortion, guns, economic policy and 
other issues.“Kansas is a pretty moderate. Pretty low key plainspoken group as a whole,” Holland said. “We deserve someone who has the courage to stand up. Right now being a moderate takes courage, because the extremes want to pull you off.”<h2>Plainspoken preacher</h2>Holland is a proponent of expanding Medicaid coverage under the 
Affordable Care Act to lower-income Kansans because it would help 
families in urban and rural communities. He also supported federal 
legislation allowing Medicare negotiate to lower medication prices for 
the elderly, but couldn’t understand why federal lawmakers would oppose a
 price cap on the monthly cost of insulin to treat diabetes.“We’re the only developed country in the world where families are worried about health care,” he said. “People are not able to take care of their families the way they need to because we’re not controlling costs. I will help control costs in D.C.”Holland said U.S. senators from Kansas ought declare in clear 
language President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe 
Biden. Holland said dozens of lawsuits were filed, but no clear evidence
 of election fraud has been uncovered.“What we’re seeing right now is this long-play grief cycle that is born because the leaders in the Republican Party have refused to have the courage to look people in the eye and tell them the plain truth,” Holland said. “I’m just as plainspoken preacher, and I’m just going to tell people the truth. We need&nbsp;the courage to tell people the truth, even an unpopular truth or a truth they don’t want to hear.”Moran has said Biden won the 2020 national election and it would be 
wrong for Congress to not certify the Electoral College vote. He 
denounced the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, but opposed 
formation of an independent inquiry into violence precipitated by a 
rally led by Trump.Holland said it was wrong for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe 
v. Wade and take away a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, even 
to save her own life or in the aftermath of a rape. It would be 
appropriate for Congress to embed in federal law a right to abortion, he
 said.The overwhelming defeat in the Aug. 2 primary of a proposed amendment
 to the Kansas Constitution declaring no right to bodily autonomy, 
including abortion, was contained in the state’s Bill of Rights provided
 evidence of where the state’s voters stood on the issue. He noted 
Moran, who endorsed reversal of Roe v. Wade, donated $50,000 to 
organizations supporting passage of the Kansas abortion amendment.“The idea that women don’t have the right to make their own decisions about their body is, again, that’s looking backwards to the 1950s,” Holland said. “The majority of people in Kansas came out in force and said, not only did&nbsp;they vote no, they voted hell no.”

Kan. Democrat not interested in being footnote to history in Senate race

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Abortion opponents and abortion rights advocates together spent more than $22 million on a ballot question this month in Kansas, and famed film director and producer Steven Spielberg contributed to the successful effort to affirm abortion rights.

Finance reports filed by 40 groups and individuals with the state as of this week showed that abortion rights supporters spent $11.3 million on their campaign to defeat a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow the Republican-controlled Legislature to further restrict or ban abortion. Abortion opponents who pushed the measure spent nearly $11.1 million.

In Kansas' vote Aug. 2,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">the abortion rights side prevailed</a>&nbsp;by 18 percentage points or 165,000 votes. It was the first state referendum on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade.</a>

By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Abortion opponents and abortion rights advocates together spent more than $22 million on a ballot question this month in Kansas, and famed film director and producer Steven Spielberg contributed to the successful effort to affirm abortion rights.Finance reports filed by 40 groups and individuals with the state as of this week showed that abortion rights supporters spent $11.3 million on their campaign to defeat a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow the Republican-controlled Legislature to further restrict or ban abortion. Abortion opponents who pushed the measure spent nearly $11.1 million.In Kansas' vote Aug. 2,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">the abortion rights side prevailed</a>&nbsp;by 18 percentage points or 165,000 votes. It was the first state referendum on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade.</a>“What it did was give huge fuel to the ”no" campaign because we didn’t any longer have to say to people, ‘This could happen or this might be what the Legislature will do,’ or any other hypothetical," said former two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, also a former U.S. health and human services secretary. “They could watch in real time as Missouri shut down abortion.”Two Republican activists have forced a hand recount of the Aug. 2 vote in nine counties accounting for 59% of the ballots cast, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-abortion-2022-midterm-elections-health-election-recounts-0baf939e0a2d461e919ddac8579a9ec5">it won't change the result.</a>&nbsp;They have questioned the conduct of the election without providing evidence of problems.Other Kansas abortion opponents argue that their cause was defeated mainly by out-of-state donors and groups with ties to abortion providers. Their proposed amendment would have overturned a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights.“The no campaign’s most recent campaign finance report is a who’s who of out-of-state, liberal elites and shows the lengths they were willing to go in order to keep Kansas a ‘haven’ for extreme practices," said Danielle Underwood, spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most politically influential anti-abortion group.Spielberg, the Oscar-winning director of films such as “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Jurassic Park,” contributed $25,000 to the main group opposing the proposed amendment. His wife, actress Kate Capshaw, contributed an additional $25,000.While notable, Spielberg and Capshaw's donations were far from the largest to the “vote no” campaign. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who ran for president in 2020, contributed $1.25 million, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which finances liberal causes, contributed nearly $1.5 million.In addition, Planned Parenthood affiliates and other abortion rights groups contributed almost $2.3 million to the main vote no coalition. But more than 30 other groups and individuals reported raising funds for their own efforts to defeat the proposed amendment.On the anti-abortion side, Roman Catholic dioceses and the Kansas Catholic Conference contributed more than $4.3 million to the main coalition pushing the proposed amendment.Kansans for Life not only spent $1.6 million on its own pro-amendment efforts but it contributed more than $1.1 million to the main “vote yes” group.In addition, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life has said it spent $1.4 million on bringing a team of 300 college students from across the U.S. to Kansas to canvass in favor of the proposed amendment.The activists seeking the recount also must file finance reports, Mark Skoglund, the executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission said this week. But one of them, Mark Gietzen, disputed that in a text to The Associated Press, saying, “we are working on Election Integrity,” not promoting the ballot initiative.Seven of the nine counties recounting ballots were wrapped up or expected to wrap up by Friday. Only the two most populous counties — Johnson in the Kansas City area and Sedgwick, home to Wichita — expected to continue counting Saturday.So far, the totals are mostly the same, with no more than four votes changing. Officials said the changes are a mix of human error and how voters marked their mail-in ballots. In one case, a voter put a check mark in the oval that wasn’t picked up by the scanning machine.