LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge in Las Vegas postponed until next month a hearing in an assault case involving two NFL players and two other men accused of severely beating a man at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub the weekend of the Pro Bowl.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other defendants — Darrin Young and Percy Harris — did not have to appear in court in person Tuesday while a prosecutor acknowledged that video evidence and witness statements are still being provided to their attorneys.

Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia reset the hearing for April 25.

Kamara played in the Feb. 6 Pro Bowl game before he was arrested. Lammons turned himself in several days later. Young and Harris were arrested Feb. 14. Each faces felony charges of battery causing substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery.

Young’s attorney, John Spilotro, said defense lawyers also were awaiting evidence relating to statements the men allegedly made in a limousine while returning to their hotels following the 6:30 a.m. Feb. 5 attack at an elevator of the rooftop Drai’s nightclub.

Police have said surveillance video shows the alleged victim stepped toward the elevator with the four men and several other people, Kamara put his hand on the man’s chest to stop him, the man pushed Kamara’s hand away and Lammons punched the man.

More punches followed, the man fell unconscious on the floor and the defendants allegedly stomped on his face, chest and legs, police said, leaving him with facial fractures and injuries to his head, knees and arms.

Lammons’ attorney, Ross Goodman, has acknowledged that police allege his client threw the first punch.

Attorneys for all four men say they intend to plead not guilty.

Kamara, 26, is one of the top running backs in the NFL. He rushed for more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He was picked for his fifth Pro Bowl in five seasons.

Lammons, 26, signed with three NFL teams in 2018 — the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins — before signing with the Chiefs in 2019. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs in 2020.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645182338453.png" alt="Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons-photo Las Vegas Police" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons-photo Las Vegas Police</figcaption>
 </figure>LAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge in Las Vegas postponed until next month a hearing in an assault case involving two NFL players and two other men accused of severely beating a man at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub the weekend of the Pro Bowl.New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other defendants — Darrin Young and Percy Harris — did not have to appear in court in person Tuesday while a prosecutor acknowledged that video evidence and witness statements are still being provided to their attorneys.Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia reset the hearing for April 25.Kamara played in the Feb. 6 Pro Bowl game before he was arrested. Lammons turned himself in several days later. Young and Harris were arrested Feb. 14. Each faces felony charges of battery causing substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery.Young’s attorney, John Spilotro, said defense lawyers also were awaiting evidence relating to statements the men allegedly made in a limousine while returning to their hotels following the 6:30 a.m. Feb. 5 attack at an elevator of the rooftop Drai’s nightclub.Police have said surveillance video shows the alleged victim stepped toward the elevator with the four men and several other people, Kamara put his hand on the man’s chest to stop him, the man pushed Kamara’s hand away and Lammons punched the man.More punches followed, the man fell unconscious on the floor and the defendants allegedly stomped on his face, chest and legs, police said, leaving him with facial fractures and injuries to his head, knees and arms.Lammons’ attorney, Ross Goodman, has acknowledged that police allege his client threw the first punch.Attorneys for all four men say they intend to plead not guilty.Kamara, 26, is one of the top running backs in the NFL. He rushed for more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He was picked for his fifth Pro Bowl in five seasons.Lammons, 26, signed with three NFL teams in 2018 — the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins — before signing with the Chiefs in 2019. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs in 2020.

Court date reset for Chiefs cornerback in strip club assault case

GENEVA (AP) —An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said Tuesday it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine amid the global spread of omicron, capping a reversal of the U.N. agency’s repeated insistence last year that boosters weren’t necessary for healthy people and contributed to vaccine inequity.

In a statement, WHO said its expert group concluded that immunization with authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death amid the continuing spread of the hugely contagious omicron variant. WHO eased back on its earlier position in January by saying boosters were recommended once countries had adequate supplies and after protecting their most vulnerable.

It said vaccination, including the use of boosters, was especially important for people at risk of severe disease.

Last year, WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-world-health-organization-6384ff91c399679824311ac26e3c768a">moratorium&nbsp;</a>on booster doses while dozens of countries embarked on administering the doses, saying rich countries should immediately donate those vaccines to poor countries instead. WHO scientists said at the time they would continue to evaluate incoming data.

The updated recommendations came from an 18-member advisory group that focuses on the impact of “variants of concern” — the most worrying variants, like omicron — and assesses the vaccines’ effectiveness against them.

Numerous scientific studies have proven that booster doses of authorized vaccines help restore waning immunity and protect against serious COVID-19. Booster programs in rich countries including Britain, Canada and the U.S. have been credited with preventing the surge in omicron infections from spilling over into hospitals and cemeteries.

WHO said it is continuing to monitor the global spread of omicron, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">“stealth” version</a>&nbsp;known as BA.2, which has been documented to have re-infected some people after an initial case of omicron. There’s mixed research on whether it causes more severe disease, but vaccines appear just as effective against it.

WHO noted that the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are all based on the strain that was first detected in Wuhan, China more than three years ago.

“Since then, there has been continuous and substantial virus evolution and it is likely that this evolution will continue, resulting in the emergence of new variants,” the agency said. It added that coronavirus vaccines would likely need to be updated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638443255492.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GENEVA (AP) —An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said Tuesday it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine amid the global spread of omicron, capping a reversal of the U.N. agency’s repeated insistence last year that boosters weren’t necessary for healthy people and contributed to vaccine inequity.In a statement, WHO said its expert group concluded that immunization with authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death amid the continuing spread of the hugely contagious omicron variant. WHO eased back on its earlier position in January by saying boosters were recommended once countries had adequate supplies and after protecting their most vulnerable.It said vaccination, including the use of boosters, was especially important for people at risk of severe disease.Last year, WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-united-nations-world-health-organization-6384ff91c399679824311ac26e3c768a">moratorium&nbsp;</a>on booster doses while dozens of countries embarked on administering the doses, saying rich countries should immediately donate those vaccines to poor countries instead. WHO scientists said at the time they would continue to evaluate incoming data.The updated recommendations came from an 18-member advisory group that focuses on the impact of “variants of concern” — the most worrying variants, like omicron — and assesses the vaccines’ effectiveness against them.Numerous scientific studies have proven that booster doses of authorized vaccines help restore waning immunity and protect against serious COVID-19. Booster programs in rich countries including Britain, Canada and the U.S. have been credited with preventing the surge in omicron infections from spilling over into hospitals and cemeteries.WHO said it is continuing to monitor the global spread of omicron, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">“stealth” version</a>&nbsp;known as BA.2, which has been documented to have re-infected some people after an initial case of omicron. There’s mixed research on whether it causes more severe disease, but vaccines appear just as effective against it.WHO noted that the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are all based on the strain that was first detected in Wuhan, China more than three years ago.“Since then, there has been continuous and substantial virus evolution and it is likely that this evolution will continue, resulting in the emergence of new variants,” the agency said. It added that coronavirus vaccines would likely need to be updated.

WHO says COVID boosters needed, reversing previous call

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to four years in prison for a 2020 accidental shooting at the Kansas City Zoo that killed another man.

Anthony Meneses, 29, of Kansas City, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court after pleading guilty last year to being a felon in possession of a firearm, federal prosecutors for Missouri said in a news release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The shooting happened on Aug. 9, 2020, in the zoo’s parking lot while Meneses was in the back seat of a car, authorities said. Meneses grabbed a gun in the pocket of a seat in front on him and the gun fired.

The gunshot hit 19-year-old Jason Smith, who was in the front seat of the car, police said. Smith died at a hospital, and police said an investigation determined the shooting was accidental.

Meneses was barred from possessing a weapon because he had a prior felony conviction for tampering with a motor vehicle, prosecutors said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597337741228.png" alt="Meneses-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Meneses-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to four years in prison for a 2020 accidental shooting at the Kansas City Zoo that killed another man.Anthony Meneses, 29, of Kansas City, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court after pleading guilty last year to being a felon in possession of a firearm, federal prosecutors for Missouri said in a news release. There is no parole in the federal system.The shooting happened on Aug. 9, 2020, in the zoo’s parking lot while Meneses was in the back seat of a car, authorities said. Meneses grabbed a gun in the pocket of a seat in front on him and the gun fired.The gunshot hit 19-year-old Jason Smith, who was in the front seat of the car, police said. Smith died at a hospital, and police said an investigation determined the shooting was accidental.Meneses was barred from possessing a weapon because he had a prior felony conviction for tampering with a motor vehicle, prosecutors said.

Man sentenced for fatal accidental shooting at Kansas City Zoo

LINN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a Kansas man&nbsp; evening for alleged terrorism and criminal threat.

Just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, authorities arrested Albert C. Hinds, 67, of Pleasanton at the Food Fair Super Market in Mound City, Kansas.

The charges allege that in December of 2021 Hinds made threatening statements toward banking personnel and law enforcement officers prompting a temporary shutdown of the Linn County Courthouse.&nbsp;

The Linn County Rural Fire Department also assisted during the arrest. Following his arrest Hinds was booked into the Linn County Jail. He was then transferred to the Bourbon County Jail, according to the KBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646873527110.png" alt="Hinds-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Hinds-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>LINN COUNTY&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a Kansas man&nbsp; evening for alleged terrorism and criminal threat.Just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, authorities arrested Albert C. Hinds, 67, of Pleasanton at the Food Fair Super Market in Mound City, Kansas.The charges allege that in December of 2021 Hinds made threatening statements toward banking personnel and law enforcement officers prompting a temporary shutdown of the Linn County Courthouse.&nbsp;The Linn County Rural Fire Department also assisted during the arrest. Following his arrest Hinds was booked into the Linn County Jail. He was then transferred to the Bourbon County Jail, according to the KBI.

KBI: Kan. man arrested for alleged terrorism and criminal threat

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a gold 1994 Ford Explorer near SE 29th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue for failing to stop at a stop sign, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver 32-year-old Anthony K. Herrera of Topeka, had a suspended driver’s license and warrants for his arrest out of the City of Topeka and Jefferson County. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.

Herrera was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for his warrants and on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended driver’s license, vehicle registration violations, no liability insurance and failure to stop at a stop sign, according to Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646774849455.png" alt="Herrera-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Herrera-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a gold 1994 Ford Explorer near SE 29th Street and SE Minnesota Avenue for failing to stop at a stop sign, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver 32-year-old Anthony K. Herrera of Topeka, had a suspended driver’s license and warrants for his arrest out of the City of Topeka and Jefferson County. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located.Herrera was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for his warrants and on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended driver’s license, vehicle registration violations, no liability insurance and failure to stop at a stop sign, according to Christian.

Sheriff: Kansas deputies found cocaine during traffic stop

TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm the appointment of Janet Stanek to serve as the Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), according to a media release from the governor's office.

“As a skilled and qualified leader in the world of health care, Secretary Stanek is well equipped to handle the changing scope public health has taken since the beginning of the pandemic,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “The state is in good hands with the thoughtfulness, collaboration, and sound judgment she brings to the agency."

“I have been impressed with the work of the KDHE team, particularly in leading the state’s response to the pandemic,”&nbsp;Secretary Stanek said, “I look forward to continue to work with the entire team and our stakeholders throughout the State to build on their outstanding work as we move out of the pandemic and into the future.”

Secretary Stanek previously served as the Director of the State Employee Health Benefits Program (SEHBP). Prior to her role at SEHBP, Stanek spent more than 35 years in various healthcare leadership positions in Pennsylvania, western New York and Kansas, including 21 years of her career at Stormont Vail Health Topeka where she last served as chief operating officer and senior vice president.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646407803859.png" alt="Janet Stanek during the confirmation process -photo by Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Janet Stanek during the confirmation process -photo by Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –&nbsp;The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm the appointment of Janet Stanek to serve as the Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), according to a media release from the governor's office.“As a skilled and qualified leader in the world of health care, Secretary Stanek is well equipped to handle the changing scope public health has taken since the beginning of the pandemic,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “The state is in good hands with the thoughtfulness, collaboration, and sound judgment she brings to the agency."“I have been impressed with the work of the KDHE team, particularly in leading the state’s response to the pandemic,”&nbsp;Secretary Stanek said, “I look forward to continue to work with the entire team and our stakeholders throughout the State to build on their outstanding work as we move out of the pandemic and into the future.”Secretary Stanek previously served as the Director of the State Employee Health Benefits Program (SEHBP). Prior to her role at SEHBP, Stanek spent more than 35 years in various healthcare leadership positions in Pennsylvania, western New York and Kansas, including 21 years of her career at Stormont Vail Health Topeka where she last served as chief operating officer and senior vice president.

Kansas Senate confirms Janet Stanek for Secretary of KDHE

By MARGARET STAFFORD,&nbsp;Associated Press

A&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;middle school teacher who was disciplined for refusing to use a student’s preferred first name and gender pronouns is suing the school district.

Fort Riley Middle School math teacher Pamela Ricard said in a federal lawsuit filed Monday that the Geary County School District violated her constitutional rights and did not accommodate her Christian beliefs when it suspended her for three days.

The district did not immediately return messages left Wednesday seeking comment on the lawsuit. The school is located in Fort Riley, a U.S. Army base that's 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Kansas City.

Ricard, who has taught at the school since 2005, was reprimanded and suspended in April 2021 for addressing a student as “miss” to avoid using the student’s preferred first name after Picard was told that the student used he/him pronouns.

Ricard believed addressing the student as “Miss (legal/enrolled last name)" respected the student while also upholding Ricard's religious convictions, according to the lawsuit.

A school counselor had told Ricard the student preferred a first name different from his legal and enrolled name. The student had never told Ricard of the preference, but a classmate told Ricard the student preferred he/him pronouns, according to the lawsuit, filed by Kriegshauser Ney Law Group.

The suit says Ricard believes that God assigns gender at birth and any policy requiring her to use language that is different from the student's biological sex “actively violates Ms. Ricard's religious beliefs.”

Neither the school nor the district had a formal policy on gender pronouns at the time. Ricard was suspended under the district's bullying and diversity and inclusion policies.

A week after her suspension, the middle school principal sent staff new training and protocol materials requiring them to use students' preferred names and pronouns.

During an appeal of her discipline, Ricard asked three times to be given a religious exemption to the policy, but her beliefs were never accommodated, according to the lawsuit.

The school district's Board of Education in September approved a policy requiring that students' preferred names and pronouns be used. At that meeting, the board also voted to deny Ricard's request for a religious accommodation.

The district is threatening to discipline Ricard again if she refuses to use students' preferred pronouns, or chooses to use gender-neutral language, according to the lawsuit.

Ricard is suing the school board, as well as Superintendent Reginald Eggleston and Fort Riley Middle School principal Kathleen Brennan. The lawsuit alleges the district's actions violated Ricard's constitutional rights to free speech, free exercise of her religion, due process and equal protection under the law.

“Our suit contends that schools cannot force teachers to promote novel views about gender fluidity and ever-expanding pronoun categories without regard to the First Amendment or due process,” said Josh Ney, one of her attorneys. “Throughout her career, Ms. Ricard has consistently treated every student in her classroom with respect and dignity; unfortunately, the school district has not treated Ms. Ricard with similar good faith or basic fairness.”

Ricard is asking to have her disciplinary record cleared and is seeking “nominal damages.”

By MARGARET STAFFORD,&nbsp;Associated PressA&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;middle school teacher who was disciplined for refusing to use a student’s preferred first name and gender pronouns is suing the school district.Fort Riley Middle School math teacher Pamela Ricard said in a federal lawsuit filed Monday that the Geary County School District violated her constitutional rights and did not accommodate her Christian beliefs when it suspended her for three days.The district did not immediately return messages left Wednesday seeking comment on the lawsuit. The school is located in Fort Riley, a U.S. Army base that's 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Kansas City.Ricard, who has taught at the school since 2005, was reprimanded and suspended in April 2021 for addressing a student as “miss” to avoid using the student’s preferred first name after Picard was told that the student used he/him pronouns.Ricard believed addressing the student as “Miss (legal/enrolled last name)" respected the student while also upholding Ricard's religious convictions, according to the lawsuit.A school counselor had told Ricard the student preferred a first name different from his legal and enrolled name. The student had never told Ricard of the preference, but a classmate told Ricard the student preferred he/him pronouns, according to the lawsuit, filed by Kriegshauser Ney Law Group.The suit says Ricard believes that God assigns gender at birth and any policy requiring her to use language that is different from the student's biological sex “actively violates Ms. Ricard's religious beliefs.”Neither the school nor the district had a formal policy on gender pronouns at the time. Ricard was suspended under the district's bullying and diversity and inclusion policies.A week after her suspension, the middle school principal sent staff new training and protocol materials requiring them to use students' preferred names and pronouns.During an appeal of her discipline, Ricard asked three times to be given a religious exemption to the policy, but her beliefs were never accommodated, according to the lawsuit.The school district's Board of Education in September approved a policy requiring that students' preferred names and pronouns be used. At that meeting, the board also voted to deny Ricard's request for a religious accommodation.The district is threatening to discipline Ricard again if she refuses to use students' preferred pronouns, or chooses to use gender-neutral language, according to the lawsuit.Ricard is suing the school board, as well as Superintendent Reginald Eggleston and Fort Riley Middle School principal Kathleen Brennan. The lawsuit alleges the district's actions violated Ricard's constitutional rights to free speech, free exercise of her religion, due process and equal protection under the law.“Our suit contends that schools cannot force teachers to promote novel views about gender fluidity and ever-expanding pronoun categories without regard to the First Amendment or due process,” said Josh Ney, one of her attorneys. “Throughout her career, Ms. Ricard has consistently treated every student in her classroom with respect and dignity; unfortunately, the school district has not treated Ms. Ricard with similar good faith or basic fairness.”Ricard is asking to have her disciplinary record cleared and is seeking “nominal damages.”

Kansas teacher sues district over preferred pronouns policy

WICHITA — The B-1 System Program Office (SPO), Tinker AFB, Oklahoma awarded a six-year, $100 million follow-on contract to Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) on Wednesday to continue the B-1’s Digital Engineering (DE) transformation, according to a media release fro WSU.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) helped form the strategic partnership and created a flexible contract structure, which allows NIAR and the B-1 SPO to adapt requirements real time to meet critical warfighter needs.&nbsp;

According to Lt Col Joseph Lay, B-1 SPO Material Leader for Structures: “This project brings the B-1 into the same field as newly designed aircraft and allows digital modeling to predict future areas of concern. This will allow the SPO to proactively develop repairs, reduce the cost and schedule for parts procurement by eliminating the burden of interpreting legacy Air Force (AF) drawings, and increase the number of vendors who are capable of producing parts for the B-1 platform. DE will not only help reduce the time it takes to develop repairs but also to install them. We will be able to develop and test repairs well in advance virtually ensuring first time success and improving aircraft availability.”

While new AF systems are born digitally, the transition to DE for legacy systems is complicated by various factors to include return on investment over the platform’s lifecycle, vendor lock with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and understanding where to start on a task of this size and complexity. The B-1 is proving legacy aircraft can find a benefit and has become a trailblazer for other legacy platforms to follow.

Creating flexible requirements with a cost ceiling allows the B-1 to execute only those tasks which provide maximum benefit to the warfighter. Initially, B-1 chose to focus on structures, one of the main issues impacting fleet availability. With successes in Desert Fox, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve, the B-1 rapidly flew more hours than anticipated, accelerating the need to extend the original certified test life earlier than expected.

While the SPO has made significant progress in the arenas of structural life, maintenance and reliability, DE will breathe new life into the fleet, rejuvenating the B-1 to fly until the future bomber force is ready. Even in such short time, the SPO has already begun to benefit from DE activities. B-1 models have been delivered to aid in the design and manufacture of support fixtures for use at Depot Maintenance facilities and the first set of models are being supplied to third-party vendors to provide digital manufacturing data for complex components. &nbsp;

“NIAR is eagerly looking forward to continuing to support the B-1 SPO’s DE transformation by reducing cost, expanding the supply base, and increasing aircraft mission readiness. Over the past two years, the B-1 program team has developed smart ways to implement DE for maximum impact on legacy platforms. Flexibility afforded through the NCMS contract has allowed NIAR to adapt to changing priorities of the warfighter,” said Melinda Laubach-Hock, NIAR B-1 Program Director.

The B-1 SPO began their digital transformation in early 2020, creating a structural digital twin of a single wing. Since then the effort has expanded to include the structure of the entire airframe, the launch of an Integrated Digital Engineering Environment including a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tool, model based systems engineering (MBSE) efforts to create system modeling language (SySML) representations of various mechanical systems, technical order digitalization, the integration of systems and weapons to enhance the structural digital twin, structural and aerodynamic predictive simulation tool development, and other DE efforts.&nbsp;

“Wichita State’s partnership with the DoD supports sustainment efforts for legacy weapons systems, like the B-1, that will immediately impact the preparedness of the warfighter. In addition, these programs provide unique educational opportunities for students to work with seasoned professionals, developing a talent pipeline the DoD is capitalizing on, particularly in the emerging field of digital engineering,” said Dr. John Tomblin, Senior Vice President for Industry and Defense at Wichita State University.

“We are excited to continue this partnership and move the B-1 further into the virtual world. We could not have achieved this without the great partnership and team between the SPO, NIAR, and NCMS to make this all happen,” said Lt Col Lay.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646858838114.png" alt="Wichita State University continues to support our nation’s security priorities by offering innovative and effective solutions to the Air Force’s most pressing challenges. The partnership that has grown between NIAR and the B-1 System Program Office is improving B-1 readiness will keep these legacy bombers in the fight for years to come.” — Senator Jerry Moran -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Wichita State University continues to support our nation’s security priorities by offering innovative and effective solutions to the Air Force’s most pressing challenges. The partnership that has grown between NIAR and the B-1 System Program Office is improving B-1 readiness will keep these legacy bombers in the fight for years to come.” — Senator Jerry Moran -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA — The B-1 System Program Office (SPO), Tinker AFB, Oklahoma awarded a six-year, $100 million follow-on contract to Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) on Wednesday to continue the B-1’s Digital Engineering (DE) transformation, according to a media release fro WSU.The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) helped form the strategic partnership and created a flexible contract structure, which allows NIAR and the B-1 SPO to adapt requirements real time to meet critical warfighter needs.&nbsp;According to Lt Col Joseph Lay, B-1 SPO Material Leader for Structures: “This project brings the B-1 into the same field as newly designed aircraft and allows digital modeling to predict future areas of concern. This will allow the SPO to proactively develop repairs, reduce the cost and schedule for parts procurement by eliminating the burden of interpreting legacy Air Force (AF) drawings, and increase the number of vendors who are capable of producing parts for the B-1 platform. DE will not only help reduce the time it takes to develop repairs but also to install them. We will be able to develop and test repairs well in advance virtually ensuring first time success and improving aircraft availability.”While new AF systems are born digitally, the transition to DE for legacy systems is complicated by various factors to include return on investment over the platform’s lifecycle, vendor lock with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and understanding where to start on a task of this size and complexity. The B-1 is proving legacy aircraft can find a benefit and has become a trailblazer for other legacy platforms to follow.Creating flexible requirements with a cost ceiling allows the B-1 to execute only those tasks which provide maximum benefit to the warfighter. Initially, B-1 chose to focus on structures, one of the main issues impacting fleet availability. With successes in Desert Fox, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve, the B-1 rapidly flew more hours than anticipated, accelerating the need to extend the original certified test life earlier than expected.While the SPO has made significant progress in the arenas of structural life, maintenance and reliability, DE will breathe new life into the fleet, rejuvenating the B-1 to fly until the future bomber force is ready. Even in such short time, the SPO has already begun to benefit from DE activities. B-1 models have been delivered to aid in the design and manufacture of support fixtures for use at Depot Maintenance facilities and the first set of models are being supplied to third-party vendors to provide digital manufacturing data for complex components. &nbsp;“NIAR is eagerly looking forward to continuing to support the B-1 SPO’s DE transformation by reducing cost, expanding the supply base, and increasing aircraft mission readiness. Over the past two years, the B-1 program team has developed smart ways to implement DE for maximum impact on legacy platforms. Flexibility afforded through the NCMS contract has allowed NIAR to adapt to changing priorities of the warfighter,” said Melinda Laubach-Hock, NIAR B-1 Program Director.The B-1 SPO began their digital transformation in early 2020, creating a structural digital twin of a single wing. Since then the effort has expanded to include the structure of the entire airframe, the launch of an Integrated Digital Engineering Environment including a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tool, model based systems engineering (MBSE) efforts to create system modeling language (SySML) representations of various mechanical systems, technical order digitalization, the integration of systems and weapons to enhance the structural digital twin, structural and aerodynamic predictive simulation tool development, and other DE efforts.&nbsp;“Wichita State’s partnership with the DoD supports sustainment efforts for legacy weapons systems, like the B-1, that will immediately impact the preparedness of the warfighter. In addition, these programs provide unique educational opportunities for students to work with seasoned professionals, developing a talent pipeline the DoD is capitalizing on, particularly in the emerging field of digital engineering,” said Dr. John Tomblin, Senior Vice President for Industry and Defense at Wichita State University.“We are excited to continue this partnership and move the B-1 further into the virtual world. We could not have achieved this without the great partnership and team between the SPO, NIAR, and NCMS to make this all happen,” said Lt Col Lay.

Wichita St. lands $100M U.S. Air Force award for aviation research

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year.

Though a tiny fraction of the massive bill, the money countering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-europe-avril-haines-5c9707de86165915e7ce9d10d18464f3">a Russian blitzkrieg that’s devastated parts of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and prompted Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II ensured the measure would pass with robust bipartisan support. President Joe Biden requested $10 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12 billion Monday and $13.6 billion just a day later.

“We’re going to support them against tyranny, oppression, violent acts of subjugation,” Biden said at the White House.

Party leaders planned to whip the 2,741-page measure through the House on Wednesday and the Senate by week’s end, though that chamber’s exact timing was unclear. Lawmakers were spurred by the urgency of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-2bed71c00916d44ea951c5809b446db3">helping Ukraine before Russia’s military might makes it too late.</a>

They also faced a Friday deadline to approve the government-wide spending measure or face a weekend election-year federal shutdown. As a backstop against delays, the House planned to pass a bill Wednesday keeping agencies afloat through March 15.

Over $4 billion of the Ukraine aid was to help the country and Eastern European nations cope with the 2 million refugees who’ve already fled the fighting. Another $6.7 billion was for the deployment of U.S. troops and equipment to the region and to transfer American military items to Ukraine and U.S. allies, and there was economic aid and money to enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-russia-oil-ban-120c0152cf310a5b593f6ae7a2857e62">economic sanctions against Russia&nbsp;</a>as well.

“War in Europe has focused the energies of Congress to getting something done and getting it done fast,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the measure would provide loan guarantees to Poland to help it replace aircraft it is sending Ukraine. “It’s been like pulling teeth” to get Democrats to agree to some of the defense spending, he said. But he added, “It’s an important step. It needs to be passed. It needs to be passed quickly.”

The bipartisan rallying behind the Ukraine aid was just one manifestation of Congress’ eagerness to help the beleaguered country, though not all of it has been harmonious.

Republicans accused Biden of moving too slowly to help Ukraine and NATO allies and to impose sanctions against Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Democrats countered that time was needed to bring along European allies that rely heavily on Russian energy sources. And a bipartisan push to ban Russian oil imports had become nearly unstoppable before Biden announced Tuesday that he would do that on his own.

The huge overall bill was stocked with victories for both parties.

For Democrats, it provides $730 billion for domestic programs, 6.7% more than last year, the biggest boost in four years. Republicans won $782 billion for defense, 5.6% over last year’s levels.

In contrast, Biden’s 2022 budget last spring proposed a 16% increase for domestic programs and less than 2% more for defense — numbers that were doomed from the start thanks to Democrats’ slender congressional majorities.

The bill was also fueled by large numbers of hometown projects for both parties’ lawmakers, which Congress had banned since 2011 but were revived this year. The spending — once called earmarks, now dubbed community projects — includes money for courthouses in Connecticut and Tennessee and repairs to a post office in West Virginia. And it names a federal building in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after Sen. Richard Shelby, the state’s senior GOP senator, a chief author of the bill who’s retiring after six terms.

Democrats won $15.6 billion for a fresh round of spending for vaccines, testing and treatments for COVID-19, including $5 billion for fighting the pandemic around the world. That was below Biden’s $22.5 billion request.

Republicans said they’d forced Democrats to pay for the entire amount by pulling back money from COVID-19 relief bills enacted previously. Much of the money was to go to help states and businesses cope with the toll of the pandemic.

There’s added money for child care, job training, economic development in poorer communities and more generous Pell grants for low-income undergraduates. Public health and biomedical research would get increases, including $194 million for Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” effort to cure the disease.

Citizenship and Immigration Services would get funds to reduce huge backlogs of people trying to enter the U.S. There would be fresh efforts to bolster renewable energy and curb pollution, with some of that aimed specifically at communities of color.

There is added funding to build affordable housing. And the measure distributes billions of dollars initially provided by the bipartisan infrastructure bill enacted last year for road, rail and airport projects.

The bill “delivers transformative federal investments to help lower the cost of living for working families, create American jobs, and provide a lifeline for the vulnerable,” said House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

The bill renews programs protecting women against domestic violence and requires many infrastructure operators to report significant cyber attacks and ransomware demands to federal authorities. The Defense Department would have to report on extremist ideologies within the ranks.

The measure retains strict decades-old curbs against using federal money for nearly all abortions. It has $300 million in military assistance for Ukraine and $300 million to help nearby countries like the Baltic nations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-poland-nato-5724ff192113703d829024dc4410664e">Poland</a>. Service members would get 2.7% pay raises, and Navy shipbuilding would get a boost in a counter to China.

It “rejects liberal policies and effectively addresses Republican priorities,” said Shelby, top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Since the government’s fiscal year began last Oct. 1, agencies have been running on spending levels approved during Donald Trump’s final weeks in the White House. Congress has approved three short-term bills since then keeping agency doors open.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646834086823.png" alt="“War in Europe has focused the energies of Congress to getting something done and getting it done fast,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.-photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>“War in Europe has focused the energies of Congress to getting something done and getting it done fast,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.-photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year.Though a tiny fraction of the massive bill, the money countering&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-europe-avril-haines-5c9707de86165915e7ce9d10d18464f3">a Russian blitzkrieg that’s devastated parts of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and prompted Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II ensured the measure would pass with robust bipartisan support. President Joe Biden requested $10 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12 billion Monday and $13.6 billion just a day later.“We’re going to support them against tyranny, oppression, violent acts of subjugation,” Biden said at the White House.Party leaders planned to whip the 2,741-page measure through the House on Wednesday and the Senate by week’s end, though that chamber’s exact timing was unclear. Lawmakers were spurred by the urgency of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-2bed71c00916d44ea951c5809b446db3">helping Ukraine before Russia’s military might makes it too late.</a>They also faced a Friday deadline to approve the government-wide spending measure or face a weekend election-year federal shutdown. As a backstop against delays, the House planned to pass a bill Wednesday keeping agencies afloat through March 15.Over $4 billion of the Ukraine aid was to help the country and Eastern European nations cope with the 2 million refugees who’ve already fled the fighting. Another $6.7 billion was for the deployment of U.S. troops and equipment to the region and to transfer American military items to Ukraine and U.S. allies, and there was economic aid and money to enforce&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-russia-oil-ban-120c0152cf310a5b593f6ae7a2857e62">economic sanctions against Russia&nbsp;</a>as well.“War in Europe has focused the energies of Congress to getting something done and getting it done fast,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646833210045.png" alt="<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell"> </a>Senate Republic Leader Mitch McConnell said, "The bill needs to be passed and it needs to be passed quickly." photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell"> </a>Senate Republic Leader Mitch McConnell said, "The bill needs to be passed and it needs to be passed quickly." photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the measure would provide loan guarantees to Poland to help it replace aircraft it is sending Ukraine. “It’s been like pulling teeth” to get Democrats to agree to some of the defense spending, he said. But he added, “It’s an important step. It needs to be passed. It needs to be passed quickly.”The bipartisan rallying behind the Ukraine aid was just one manifestation of Congress’ eagerness to help the beleaguered country, though not all of it has been harmonious.Republicans accused Biden of moving too slowly to help Ukraine and NATO allies and to impose sanctions against Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Democrats countered that time was needed to bring along European allies that rely heavily on Russian energy sources. And a bipartisan push to ban Russian oil imports had become nearly unstoppable before Biden announced Tuesday that he would do that on his own.The huge overall bill was stocked with victories for both parties.For Democrats, it provides $730 billion for domestic programs, 6.7% more than last year, the biggest boost in four years. Republicans won $782 billion for defense, 5.6% over last year’s levels.In contrast, Biden’s 2022 budget last spring proposed a 16% increase for domestic programs and less than 2% more for defense — numbers that were doomed from the start thanks to Democrats’ slender congressional majorities.The bill was also fueled by large numbers of hometown projects for both parties’ lawmakers, which Congress had banned since 2011 but were revived this year. The spending — once called earmarks, now dubbed community projects — includes money for courthouses in Connecticut and Tennessee and repairs to a post office in West Virginia. And it names a federal building in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after Sen. Richard Shelby, the state’s senior GOP senator, a chief author of the bill who’s retiring after six terms.Democrats won $15.6 billion for a fresh round of spending for vaccines, testing and treatments for COVID-19, including $5 billion for fighting the pandemic around the world. That was below Biden’s $22.5 billion request.Republicans said they’d forced Democrats to pay for the entire amount by pulling back money from COVID-19 relief bills enacted previously. Much of the money was to go to help states and businesses cope with the toll of the pandemic.There’s added money for child care, job training, economic development in poorer communities and more generous Pell grants for low-income undergraduates. Public health and biomedical research would get increases, including $194 million for Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” effort to cure the disease.Citizenship and Immigration Services would get funds to reduce huge backlogs of people trying to enter the U.S. There would be fresh efforts to bolster renewable energy and curb pollution, with some of that aimed specifically at communities of color.There is added funding to build affordable housing. And the measure distributes billions of dollars initially provided by the bipartisan infrastructure bill enacted last year for road, rail and airport projects.The bill “delivers transformative federal investments to help lower the cost of living for working families, create American jobs, and provide a lifeline for the vulnerable,” said House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.The bill renews programs protecting women against domestic violence and requires many infrastructure operators to report significant cyber attacks and ransomware demands to federal authorities. The Defense Department would have to report on extremist ideologies within the ranks.The measure retains strict decades-old curbs against using federal money for nearly all abortions. It has $300 million in military assistance for Ukraine and $300 million to help nearby countries like the Baltic nations and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-poland-nato-5724ff192113703d829024dc4410664e">Poland</a>. Service members would get 2.7% pay raises, and Navy shipbuilding would get a boost in a counter to China.It “rejects liberal policies and effectively addresses Republican priorities,” said Shelby, top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.Since the government’s fiscal year began last Oct. 1, agencies have been running on spending levels approved during Donald Trump’s final weeks in the White House. Congress has approved three short-term bills since then keeping agency doors open.

Senate Leader: War in Europe focused Congress on getting something done 

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 552 to a total of 768,422, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The state reported 15 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 8003.

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

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

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 552 to a total of 768,422, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;The state reported 15 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 8003.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646847853953.png" alt="Wednesday March 9, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday March 9, 2022 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: Statewide COVID death toll tops 8,000

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Co —A small plane traveling from Kansas crashed in Colorado just before 2:30p.m. Tuesday.

The single engine Cessna P210N, with seating for 6, was flying from Dodge City Regional Airport to Centennial Airport and was on final approach to land when the crash occurred in a wide highway median on E-470 between Peoria and Jamaica, according to&nbsp;Kristin Eckmann with South Metro Fire and Rescue.

No passing vehicles collided with the aircraft. Two adults on board the aircraft were safely evacuated from the plane as the engine caught fire. Both adults sustained minor injuries and were transported to an area hospital.

Flames from the engine rapidly spread to leaking fuel and quickly consumed most of the aircraft.&nbsp;Firefighters used a hose line and turrets from the aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles to extinguish the flames. Once the fire was extinguished SMFR and Colorado State Patrol Hazardous Materials Team personnel worked to mitigate concerns with the fuel.

A mixture of fuel and water was left in the wing tank which was drained into a catch basin. An environmental clean-up service assisted by containing and absorbing fuel that spilled in the median. Once the fuel was no longer a safety risk, a tow truck was used to remove the aircraft from the crash site.&nbsp;Authorities have not released the name of the pilot and passenger.

The FAA and the&nbsp;National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646824831246.png" alt="photo courtesy South Metro Fire and Rescue" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy South Metro Fire and Rescue</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY, Co —A small plane traveling from Kansas crashed in Colorado just before 2:30p.m. Tuesday.The single engine Cessna P210N, with seating for 6, was flying from Dodge City Regional Airport to Centennial Airport and was on final approach to land when the crash occurred in a wide highway median on E-470 between Peoria and Jamaica, according to&nbsp;Kristin Eckmann with South Metro Fire and Rescue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646824809448.png" alt="photo courtesy Douglas County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Douglas County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>No passing vehicles collided with the aircraft. Two adults on board the aircraft were safely evacuated from the plane as the engine caught fire. Both adults sustained minor injuries and were transported to an area hospital.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646841251466.png" alt="Photo Colorado State Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Colorado State Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>Flames from the engine rapidly spread to leaking fuel and quickly consumed most of the aircraft.&nbsp;Firefighters used a hose line and turrets from the aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles to extinguish the flames. Once the fire was extinguished SMFR and Colorado State Patrol Hazardous Materials Team personnel worked to mitigate concerns with the fuel.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646843993995.png" alt="photo courtesy South Metro Fire and Rescue" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy South Metro Fire and Rescue</figcaption>
 </figure>A mixture of fuel and water was left in the wing tank which was drained into a catch basin. An environmental clean-up service assisted by containing and absorbing fuel that spilled in the median. Once the fuel was no longer a safety risk, a tow truck was used to remove the aircraft from the crash site.&nbsp;Authorities have not released the name of the pilot and passenger.The FAA and the&nbsp;National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.-------------

Small plane that left SW Kansas crashed near Colorado highway

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — In the wake of shootings that left one police officer dead and two others badly wounded, the mayor of Joplin urged residents Wednesday to pull together, just as they did 11 years ago when a massive tornado devastated the southwestern Missouri city.

The officer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-missouri-joplin-brian-lewis-6151d6a29d0a0b0ecd2be9cea5029c4b">who was killed Tuesday</a>&nbsp;was Cpl. Benjamin Cooper, a husband and father of two, Joplin Police Chief Sloan Rowland said at a news conference. He had been with the department since 2003.

Another officer was hospitalized in critical condition and a third was in serious condition. Their names have not been released.

The suspected shooter, who died in the exchange of gunfire with police, was identified as 40-year-old Anthony Felix. No further information about Felix was released.

An emotional Mayor Ryan Stanley urged Joplin’s 50,000 residents to come together behind the slain and injured officers and their families.

“Please be present, show up, engage, and let the nation and world see, just like after our tornado, how we respond to tragedy as a community. We know how to pull together in love,” Stanley said.

An EF-5 tornado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-tornadoes-science-a2a06fb3773de5d24aded447a4ab7aed">tore through Joplin</a>&nbsp;on May 22, 2011, destroying hundreds of homes, leveling a hospital, and killing about 160 people, and the community came together to recover and rebuild.

Authorities said more information about the shooting was expected to be released later Wednesday, but Stanley said it began as a “routine” case.

“It makes you really try to appreciate, try to respect, try to understand what our brave men and women have to do every day as they respond to the normal, and then not knowing what will happen,” Stanley said.

The officers responded to a disturbance about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a store at the Northpark Crossing shopping center. Shots were exchanged and two officers were wounded.

The suspect stole a police car and fled, police said, before wrecking the car and fleeing on foot. Officers chased him to a street near an apartment complex and residential area in central Joplin, where another officer and the suspect were shot. Police have not specified which officer shot Felix.

Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said another scene was involved in the investigation, but he did not provide additional details.

Kim Jenkins, who lives near where the third officer and the suspect were shot, said she saw a man with a gun behind a fence across the street from her home,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/breaking-three-police-officers-suspect-shot-in-altercation/article_d0115624-9f25-11ec-97ac-43a306917aeb.html" target="_blank">The Joplin Globe</a>&nbsp;reported.

She said the officer drove down the street and stopped in front of a van the suspect was hiding behind. That’s when the suspect fired at the officer, apparently shooting him through the windshield of his patrol car.

“I don’t think he even had time to get out when the guy started shooting,” Jenkins said.

Several other officers arrived and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was hit by gunfire, she said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation.

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — One Joplin police officer and a suspect have died after a shooting Tuesday in the southwest Missouri city, police said.

Two other Joplin officers remain hospitalized, one in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition, Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said in a news release.

The officers responded to a disturbance about 1:30 p.m. outside a store at the Northpark Crossing shopping center. Shots were exchanged and two officers were injured, he said.

The suspect stole a police car and fled, police said, before wrecking the car and fleeing on foot. Officers chased him to a street near an apartment complex and residential area in central Joplin. That is where another officer and the suspect were struck by gunfire.

Lewis said a third scene was involved in the investigation, but he did not provide additional details.

Police plan to hold a news conference Wednesday morning to provide more details.

Kim Jenkins, who lives near where the third officer and the suspect were shot, said she saw a man with a gun hiding behind a fence across the street from her home, The Joplin Globe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/breaking-three-police-officers-suspect-shot-in-altercation/article_d0115624-9f25-11ec-97ac-43a306917aeb.html">reported</a>.

She said the officer drove down the street and stopped in front of a van the suspect was hiding behind.

That's when the suspect fired at the officer, apparently shooting him through the windshield of his patrol car.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation, Lewis said.

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Joplin police say three officers and a suspect were shot in a confrontation in the southwest Missouri city. Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said officers responded about 1:30 p.m. to a disturbance and exchanged gunfire with a suspect. 

Two officers were struck in that confrontation. Police said the suspect then fled and gunfire was exchanged again, injuring another officer and the suspect. Lewis did not provide information on the condition of the officers or the suspect. It is also unclear what sparked the shooting. Lewis said there is no continuing threat to the Joplin community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646825983603.png" alt="photo courtesy KOAM TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy KOAM TV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — In the wake of shootings that left one police officer dead and two others badly wounded, the mayor of Joplin urged residents Wednesday to pull together, just as they did 11 years ago when a massive tornado devastated the southwestern Missouri city.The officer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-missouri-joplin-brian-lewis-6151d6a29d0a0b0ecd2be9cea5029c4b">who was killed Tuesday</a>&nbsp;was Cpl. Benjamin Cooper, a husband and father of two, Joplin Police Chief Sloan Rowland said at a news conference. He had been with the department since 2003.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My condolences to the women and men of the Joplin Police Department tonight on the loss of their colleague and friend. I pray for the recovery of the other injured officers.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1501395456626151425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Another officer was hospitalized in critical condition and a third was in serious condition. Their names have not been released.The suspected shooter, who died in the exchange of gunfire with police, was identified as 40-year-old Anthony Felix. No further information about Felix was released.An emotional Mayor Ryan Stanley urged Joplin’s 50,000 residents to come together behind the slain and injured officers and their families.“Please be present, show up, engage, and let the nation and world see, just like after our tornado, how we respond to tragedy as a community. We know how to pull together in love,” Stanley said.An EF-5 tornado&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-tornadoes-science-a2a06fb3773de5d24aded447a4ab7aed">tore through Joplin</a>&nbsp;on May 22, 2011, destroying hundreds of homes, leveling a hospital, and killing about 160 people, and the community came together to recover and rebuild.Authorities said more information about the shooting was expected to be released later Wednesday, but Stanley said it began as a “routine” case.“It makes you really try to appreciate, try to respect, try to understand what our brave men and women have to do every day as they respond to the normal, and then not knowing what will happen,” Stanley said.The officers responded to a disturbance about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday outside a store at the Northpark Crossing shopping center. Shots were exchanged and two officers were wounded.The suspect stole a police car and fled, police said, before wrecking the car and fleeing on foot. Officers chased him to a street near an apartment complex and residential area in central Joplin, where another officer and the suspect were shot. Police have not specified which officer shot Felix.Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said another scene was involved in the investigation, but he did not provide additional details.Kim Jenkins, who lives near where the third officer and the suspect were shot, said she saw a man with a gun behind a fence across the street from her home,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/breaking-three-police-officers-suspect-shot-in-altercation/article_d0115624-9f25-11ec-97ac-43a306917aeb.html" target="_blank">The Joplin Globe</a>&nbsp;reported.She said the officer drove down the street and stopped in front of a van the suspect was hiding behind. That’s when the suspect fired at the officer, apparently shooting him through the windshield of his patrol car.“I don’t think he even had time to get out when the guy started shooting,” Jenkins said.Several other officers arrived and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was hit by gunfire, she said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation.-----------JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — One Joplin police officer and a suspect have died after a shooting Tuesday in the southwest Missouri city, police said.Two other Joplin officers remain hospitalized, one in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition, Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said in a news release.The officers responded to a disturbance about 1:30 p.m. outside a store at the Northpark Crossing shopping center. Shots were exchanged and two officers were injured, he said.The suspect stole a police car and fled, police said, before wrecking the car and fleeing on foot. Officers chased him to a street near an apartment complex and residential area in central Joplin. That is where another officer and the suspect were struck by gunfire.Lewis said a third scene was involved in the investigation, but he did not provide additional details.Police plan to hold a news conference Wednesday morning to provide more details.Kim Jenkins, who lives near where the third officer and the suspect were shot, said she saw a man with a gun hiding behind a fence across the street from her home, The Joplin Globe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/breaking-three-police-officers-suspect-shot-in-altercation/article_d0115624-9f25-11ec-97ac-43a306917aeb.html">reported</a>.She said the officer drove down the street and stopped in front of a van the suspect was hiding behind.That's when the suspect fired at the officer, apparently shooting him through the windshield of his patrol car.“I don’t think he even had time to get out when the guy started shooting,” Jenkins said.Several other officers arrived and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was hit by gunfire, she said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation, Lewis said.------------JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Joplin police say three officers and a suspect were shot in a confrontation in the southwest Missouri city. Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said officers responded about 1:30 p.m. to a disturbance and exchanged gunfire with a suspect. Two officers were struck in that confrontation. Police said the suspect then fled and gunfire was exchanged again, injuring another officer and the suspect. Lewis did not provide information on the condition of the officers or the suspect. It is also unclear what sparked the shooting. Lewis said there is no continuing threat to the Joplin community.

Police release name of Missouri officer who died in gunfight

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will ask Congress for $2.6 billion for foreign aid programs that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/08/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-international-womens-day/" target="_blank">promote gender equality worldwide</a>, more than double the size of last year’s request.

Biden announced his intentions on International Women’s Day, which is set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world.

Biden created the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council on International Women’s Day last year to help promote gender equity throughout the administration.

He said everyone deserves to live up to their “God-given” potential, regardless of gender, and that societies perform better when women and girls are allowed to prosper.

“Ensuring that every woman and girl has that chance isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a strategic imperative that advances the prosperity, stability, and security of our nation and the world,” the president said in a written statement.

The White House also hosted a livestreamed International Women’s Day event Tuesday to discuss the announcement, featuring Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Europe, acting budget director Shalanda Young, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power and Jen Klein, director of the Gender Policy Council. They are to be joined by young women leaders from Ukraine, Brazil, Zambia, Burma, Jordan and the United States. Biden was not scheduled to participate.

Jill Biden marked International Women’s Day with a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1501183204010573824?s=20&amp;t=dVxHOa6TVvRWwtURyHu3LA" target="_blank">video tribute to women&nbsp;</a>throughout the world “who courageously use their voice, no matter the cost.”

“To our sisters from Ukraine who are fighting to keep their country free and their families alive: We stand with you in solidarity,” the first lady said. “To our sisters in Russia who are protesting and speaking out against the invasion at great personal risk: We see your courage,” she added.

“And to women warriors around the world, those fighting for justice and working for change: Thank you for building a better future for all of us,” said the first lady, who is visiting Arizona.

Biden’s $2.6 billion funding request will be included in his federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, which starts Oct. 1.

Biden sought $1.2 billion for gender equality programs in his 2022 budget proposal. The numbers haven’t been finalized since Congress is still working on the budget.

The White House has not said when Biden will send his 2023 spending proposal to Congress.

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Celebrates First Anniversary of the Establishment of the White&nbsp;House Gender Policy&nbsp;Council

One year ago today, on International Women’s Day, President Biden issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/03/08/executive-order-on-establishment-of-the-white-house-gender-policy-council/">Executive Order</a>&nbsp;establishing the White House Gender Policy Council and charged it with leading a government-wide effort to advance gender equity and equality both at home and abroad. &nbsp; In the year since, the Biden-Harris Administration laid out an ambitious agenda in the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/National-Strategy-on-Gender-Equity-and-Equality.pdf">National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality</a>&nbsp;and has taken significant steps to advance equal rights and opportunity: &nbsp; Expanded Economic Opportunity and Supported Women in the Workforce

Prevented and Responded to Gender-Based Violence

Expanded Access to Health Care, including Reproductive Health Care

Advanced Gender Equality Around the World

Promoted Diverse Leadership and Full Participation

Advanced equality for transgender Americans&nbsp;by signing an Executive Order to restore open service for transgender service members, expanding access to comprehensive gender-affirming medical care for transgender veterans, delivering more inclusive federal IDs like passports for transgender and non-binary people, and addressing anti-transgender violence, which continues to disproportionately impact trans women and girls of color.&nbsp;

In the past year, the Biden-Harris Administration has produced historic results. As the President said in his State of the Union address, “We are stronger today than we were a year ago…and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today.” Going forward, the Administration remains committed to helping women get back to work; creating good jobs; closing gender and racial wage gaps; lowering costs for families; ensuring that care is accessible and affordable – including child care, home health care and paid leave; expanding access to health care, including reproductive health care; advancing LGBTQI+ equality and civil rights; and preventing and responding to gender-based violence, wherever it occurs. In doing so, we will continuing our extensive engagement with domestic and international partners, which in the last year has included collaborating with nonprofit and community-based organizations, civil society groups, faith-based organizations, unions, worker organizations and academics; engaging over 270 girls, young women and gender nonconforming youth leaders from across the United States and more than dozen countries to provide input into the development of the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality; and hosting a historic White House roundtable with intersex advocates. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in the years ahead, in service of our vision of a world where people of all genders are guaranteed the equity, equality, and dignity they deserve.

Biden will ask Congress for $2.6B to promote gender equity

Manhattan — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a home in Manhattan.

At 4:17 a.m. on Wednesday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 2112 Farmingdale Ct. for a report of a structure fire, according to Assistant Chief Sam Dameron.

Upon arrival, crews found a two-story residential structure fully involved with fire. The fire reached a second alarm before it was contained within an hour and twenty minutes.&nbsp; The two-story structure was not occupied at the time of the fire. Loss to the structure is $230,000 and the value of the contents has not been determined., according to Dameron. The owner is listed as Lori Mitchell of the same address.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646833632433.png" alt="Photo courtesy Riley County Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Riley County Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Manhattan — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a home in Manhattan.At 4:17 a.m. on Wednesday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 2112 Farmingdale Ct. for a report of a structure fire, according to Assistant Chief Sam Dameron.Upon arrival, crews found a two-story residential structure fully involved with fire. The fire reached a second alarm before it was contained within an hour and twenty minutes.&nbsp; The two-story structure was not occupied at the time of the fire. Loss to the structure is $230,000 and the value of the contents has not been determined., according to Dameron. The owner is listed as Lori Mitchell of the same address.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Fire caused $230,000 damage to Kansas home 

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A prosecutor says a student used a “ghost gun” during a shooting at a Kansas high school that left two adults and the student wounded.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe says the gun 18-year-old Jaylon Elmore allegedly used in the shooting at Olathe East High School on Friday was an illegal firearm made from a kit or individual parts that can be purchased online. 

The Kansas City Star reports that Howe says such guns have no serial number and are untraceable. Elmore is charged with attempted capital murder after the shooting wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer. Elmore also was shot. He remained in critical condition Tuesday at a Kansas hospital.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646530374745.png" alt="Elmore photo courtesy Olathe East High School football" />
 <figcaption>Elmore photo courtesy Olathe East High School football</figcaption>
 </figure> OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A prosecutor says a student used a “ghost gun” during a shooting at a Kansas high school that left two adults and the student wounded.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646417385414.png" alt="Scene outside Olathe East High School on Friday -photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Scene outside Olathe East High School on Friday -photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe says the gun 18-year-old Jaylon Elmore allegedly used in the shooting at Olathe East High School on Friday was an illegal firearm made from a kit or individual parts that can be purchased online. The Kansas City Star reports that Howe says such guns have no serial number and are untraceable. Elmore is charged with attempted capital murder after the shooting wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer. Elmore also was shot. He remained in critical condition Tuesday at a Kansas hospital.

Prosecutor: Kansas high school shooter used 'ghost gun'

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Pentagon on Tuesday rejected a surprise announcement from Poland that it would give the United States its MiG-29 fighter jets for use by Ukraine, a rare display of disharmony as NATO allies seek to boost Ukrainian fighters while avoiding getting caught up in a wider war with Russia.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Poland’s declaration that it intended to deliver the 28 jets to the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany raised the concerning prospect of warplanes departing from a U.S. and NATO base to fly into airspace contested with Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby said in a statement.

The proposed gift of more warplanes would be a morale booster for Ukrainians now under Russian assault for nearly two weeks. But it also raises the risk of the war expanding beyond Ukraine.

Russia has declared that supporting Ukraine’s air force in this way would be tantamount to participating in the war, and would possibly spur retaliation.

White House officials were blindsided by the Polish government announcement on the MiGs. The proposal did not come up during talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he was recently in Poland, according to a U.S. official familiar with the talks.

The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said White House officials did not think the proposal would easily solve the logistical challenges of providing aircraft to Ukraine.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland told lawmakers at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Ukraine crisis Tuesday she learned of Poland’s plans only while driving to the hearing.

“To my knowledge, it wasn’t pre-consulted with us,” Nuland told senators.

Ukraine has been pleading for more warplanes as it puts up a tough resistance against stronger Russian forces. Washington has been looking at a proposal under which Poland would supply Ukraine with the Mig29s and in turn receive American F-16s to make up for their loss. Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly the Soviet-era fighter jets.

The Polish Foreign Ministry announced the plan in a statement, which said the jets would be delivered to Ramstein free of charge.

“At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities,” it said.

The Polish government also appealed to other owners of MIG-29 jets to follow suit.

Former Soviet-bloc NATO members Bulgaria and Slovakia also still have Soviet-made fighter jets in their air forces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646824139876.png" alt="“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby said in a statement.-Defense Dept. photo" />
 <figcaption>“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby said in a statement.-Defense Dept. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Pentagon on Tuesday rejected a surprise announcement from Poland that it would give the United States its MiG-29 fighter jets for use by Ukraine, a rare display of disharmony as NATO allies seek to boost Ukrainian fighters while avoiding getting caught up in a wider war with Russia.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Poland’s declaration that it intended to deliver the 28 jets to the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany raised the concerning prospect of warplanes departing from a U.S. and NATO base to fly into airspace contested with Russia in the Ukraine conflict.“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby said in a statement.The proposed gift of more warplanes would be a morale booster for Ukrainians now under Russian assault for nearly two weeks. But it also raises the risk of the war expanding beyond Ukraine.Russia has declared that supporting Ukraine’s air force in this way would be tantamount to participating in the war, and would possibly spur retaliation.White House officials were blindsided by the Polish government announcement on the MiGs. The proposal did not come up during talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he was recently in Poland, according to a U.S. official familiar with the talks.The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said White House officials did not think the proposal would easily solve the logistical challenges of providing aircraft to Ukraine.U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland told lawmakers at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Ukraine crisis Tuesday she learned of Poland’s plans only while driving to the hearing.“To my knowledge, it wasn’t pre-consulted with us,” Nuland told senators.Ukraine has been pleading for more warplanes as it puts up a tough resistance against stronger Russian forces. Washington has been looking at a proposal under which Poland would supply Ukraine with the Mig29s and in turn receive American F-16s to make up for their loss. Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly the Soviet-era fighter jets.The Polish Foreign Ministry announced the plan in a statement, which said the jets would be delivered to Ramstein free of charge.“At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities,” it said.The Polish government also appealed to other owners of MIG-29 jets to follow suit.Former Soviet-bloc NATO members Bulgaria and Slovakia also still have Soviet-made fighter jets in their air forces.

White House officials blindsided by Poland's jet offer for Ukraine 

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2022— The Federal Communications Commission today announced that it is ready to authorize more than $640 million through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to fund new broadband deployments in 26 states bringing service to nearly 250,000 locations.  To date, the program has provided $4.7 billion in funding to nearly 300 carriers for new deployments in 47 states to bring broadband to almost 2.7 million locations.  

“Today’s funding will help connect hundreds of thousands of Americans to high-speed, broadband internet service,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “As we approve this funding, we remain committed to making sure that this program serves areas that truly need broadband and funds carriers that can do the job, and our new Rural Broadband Accountability Plan will ensure just that.” 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON, March 10, 2022— The Federal Communications Commission today announced that it is ready to authorize more than $640 million through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to fund new broadband deployments in 26 states bringing service to nearly 250,000 locations. To date, the program has provided $4.7 billion in funding to nearly 300 carriers for new deployments in 47 states to bring broadband to almost 2.7 million locations. “Today’s funding will help connect hundreds of thousands of Americans to high-speed, broadband internet service,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “As we approve this funding, we remain committed to making sure that this program serves areas that truly need broadband and funds carriers that can do the job, and our new Rural Broadband Accountability Plan will ensure just that.” Earlier this year, Chairwoman Rosenworcel established the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan (RBAP), a new effort to monitor and ensure compliance for universal service high-cost programs including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and Connect America Fund Phase II Auction. The RBAP made a number of changes and enhancements to existing audit and verification procedures, including doubling the number of audits and verifications, conducting the first on-site audits for the programs, and focusing audits and verifications on the largest winning bidders. A fact sheet on the RBAP is available here: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-creates-rural-broadband-accountability-plan.The Commission also announced a number of defaulted bids, making the census blocks in those defaulted bids potentially eligible for other funding programs. A list of the eligible census blocks covered by defaulted bids is available on the Auction 904 website under the “Results” tab, https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results.Other steps to strengthen oversight of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program include:· Sending letters to 197 applicants concerning areas where there was evidence of existing service or questions of waste. Bidders have already chosen not to pursue support in approximately 5,000 census blocks in response to the Commission’s letters. · Denying waivers for winning bidders that have not made appropriate efforts to secure state approvals or prosecute their applications. These bidders would have otherwise received approximately $350 million. · Conducting an exhaustive technical, financial, and legal review of all winning bidders. A list of the eligible census blocks covered by the winning bids announced today is available under the “Results” tab on this page: https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904/round-results. For a list of RDOF providers and funding amounts by state, see https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904.###Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).