WASHINGTON (AP) — Top aides to President Joe Biden on Sunday began talks with a group of moderate Senate Republicans and Democrats on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package as Biden faces increasing headwinds in his effort to win bipartisan backing for the initial legislative effort of his presidency.

Lawmakers on the right question the wisdom of racking up bigger deficits while those on the left are urging Biden not to spend too much time on bipartisanship when the pandemic is killing thousands of Americans each day and costing more jobs amid tightening restrictions in many communities.

At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump’s trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washington’s attention.

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, called the opening talks a “serious effort.”

“There was not a hint of cynicism or lack of commitment to at least trying to work something out,” King said. “If they were just trying to jam this through, I don’t think it would have interrupted the Packers game.”

King told reporters that there was “absolute consensus” among the group that the No. 1 priority was to speed up the distribution of vaccinations and expanding COVID-19 testing and tracing.

The White House did not seem to budge on breaking up the package or reducing the overall price tag, even as it pushes for bipartisan support. There was also no discussion of pushing it through on a procedural move that could be done without Republicans, King said.

One key Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said afterward, “It seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope.”

Collins said instead she would pull the bipartisan group together “and see if we could come up with a more targeted package.” She said in a statement that a bill with additional funding for vaccine distribution “would be useful.”

Senators from both parties raised questions about the economic aid provisions, particularly making direct $1,400 payments to Americans more tailored to recipients based on need.

Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure.

Many of the senators are from a bipartisan group that struck the contours of the last COVID-19 deal approved late last year. They were joined on the call by the two leaders of the House’s Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Tom Reed, R-N.Y., who were also part of earlier discussions.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told The Associated Press that no red lines were drawn. But she added there was consensus among the call’s participants “that the more targeted the aid is the more effective it can be.”

Overall, “it was a conversation and it was not about drawing lines in the sand,” Shaheen said. “It was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.”

White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call.

Out of the gate, Biden has made clear that quickly passing another round of coronavirus relief is a top priority as he seeks to get the surging pandemic and the related economic crisis under control, while demonstrating he can break the gridlock that has ailed Congress for much of the last two presidencies.

Biden and his aides in their public comments have stressed that his plan is a starting point and that finding common ground on relief should be attainable considering the devastating impact the pandemic is exacting on Democratic and Republican states alike. With more than 412,000 dead and the economy again losing jobs, Biden has argued there is no time to lose.

“We’re going to continue to push because we can’t wait,” said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “Just because Washington has been gridlocked before doesn’t mean it needs to continue to be gridlocked

Central to Biden’s campaign pitch, beyond healing the wounds created by Trump’s presidency, was that he was a proven bipartisan dealmaker, one who would draw upon his decades in the Senate and deep relationships with Republicans to bridge partisan divides.

Some Biden advisers watched with worry as the Senate, just days into the president’s term, was already in gridlock as to a power-sharing agreement, with Republican leader Mitch McConnell refusing to budge on a demand to keep the filibuster intact. If the Senate twists itself in knots over its very basics, some Democrats wondered, how could it reach a big deal?

Additionally, some of Biden’s preferred methods to lobby and schmooze have been curtailed by the pandemic. Though his address book remains one of the best in Washington, it stands to be far more difficult for Biden — at least for the foreseeable future — to engage in the face-to-face politicking that he prefers.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ahead of the meeting, raised concerns again about the wisdom of the government engaging in massive deficit spending.

“If we get beyond COVID, I believe that the economy is going to come roaring back,” Romney told “Fox News Sunday.” “And spending and borrowing trillions of dollars from the Chinese, among others, is not necessarily the best thing we can do to get our economy to be strong long-term.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he didn’t have high hopes for negotiations leading to Republican support and suggested Democrats may need to use budget reconciliation to pass it with a simple majority. The procedural tool would allow Democrats to push the package to approval without the 60-vote threshold typically needed to advance legislation past a filibuster. Republicans used the same tool to pass tax cuts during the Trump administration.

“What we cannot do is wait weeks and weeks and months and months to go forward,” Sanders said. “We have got to act now. That is what the American people want. “

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611542702528.png" alt="President Biden unveiled his COVID-19 plan Jan. 21. Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden unveiled his COVID-19 plan Jan. 21. Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top aides to President Joe Biden on Sunday began talks with a group of moderate Senate Republicans and Democrats on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package as Biden faces increasing headwinds in his effort to win bipartisan backing for the initial legislative effort of his presidency.Lawmakers on the right question the wisdom of racking up bigger deficits while those on the left are urging Biden not to spend too much time on bipartisanship when the pandemic is killing thousands of Americans each day and costing more jobs amid tightening restrictions in many communities.At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump’s trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washington’s attention.Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, called the opening talks a “serious effort.”“There was not a hint of cynicism or lack of commitment to at least trying to work something out,” King said. “If they were just trying to jam this through, I don’t think it would have interrupted the Packers game.”King told reporters that there was “absolute consensus” among the group that the No. 1 priority was to speed up the distribution of vaccinations and expanding COVID-19 testing and tracing.The White House did not seem to budge on breaking up the package or reducing the overall price tag, even as it pushes for bipartisan support. There was also no discussion of pushing it through on a procedural move that could be done without Republicans, King said.One key Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said afterward, “It seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope.”Collins said instead she would pull the bipartisan group together “and see if we could come up with a more targeted package.” She said in a statement that a bill with additional funding for vaccine distribution “would be useful.”Senators from both parties raised questions about the economic aid provisions, particularly making direct $1,400 payments to Americans more tailored to recipients based on need.Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure.Many of the senators are from a bipartisan group that struck the contours of the last COVID-19 deal approved late last year. They were joined on the call by the two leaders of the House’s Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Tom Reed, R-N.Y., who were also part of earlier discussions.Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told The Associated Press that no red lines were drawn. But she added there was consensus among the call’s participants “that the more targeted the aid is the more effective it can be.”Overall, “it was a conversation and it was not about drawing lines in the sand,” Shaheen said. “It was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.”White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call.Out of the gate, Biden has made clear that quickly passing another round of coronavirus relief is a top priority as he seeks to get the surging pandemic and the related economic crisis under control, while demonstrating he can break the gridlock that has ailed Congress for much of the last two presidencies.Biden and his aides in their public comments have stressed that his plan is a starting point and that finding common ground on relief should be attainable considering the devastating impact the pandemic is exacting on Democratic and Republican states alike. With more than 412,000 dead and the economy again losing jobs, Biden has argued there is no time to lose.“We’re going to continue to push because we can’t wait,” said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “Just because Washington has been gridlocked before doesn’t mean it needs to continue to be gridlockedCentral to Biden’s campaign pitch, beyond healing the wounds created by Trump’s presidency, was that he was a proven bipartisan dealmaker, one who would draw upon his decades in the Senate and deep relationships with Republicans to bridge partisan divides.Some Biden advisers watched with worry as the Senate, just days into the president’s term, was already in gridlock as to a power-sharing agreement, with Republican leader Mitch McConnell refusing to budge on a demand to keep the filibuster intact. If the Senate twists itself in knots over its very basics, some Democrats wondered, how could it reach a big deal?Additionally, some of Biden’s preferred methods to lobby and schmooze have been curtailed by the pandemic. Though his address book remains one of the best in Washington, it stands to be far more difficult for Biden — at least for the foreseeable future — to engage in the face-to-face politicking that he prefers.Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ahead of the meeting, raised concerns again about the wisdom of the government engaging in massive deficit spending.“If we get beyond COVID, I believe that the economy is going to come roaring back,” Romney told “Fox News Sunday.” “And spending and borrowing trillions of dollars from the Chinese, among others, is not necessarily the best thing we can do to get our economy to be strong long-term.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he didn’t have high hopes for negotiations leading to Republican support and suggested Democrats may need to use budget reconciliation to pass it with a simple majority. The procedural tool would allow Democrats to push the package to approval without the 60-vote threshold typically needed to advance legislation past a filibuster. Republicans used the same tool to pass tax cuts during the Trump administration.“What we cannot do is wait weeks and weeks and months and months to go forward,” Sanders said. “We have got to act now. That is what the American people want. “___

Biden, lawmakers begin fight over more COVID-19 relief

WASHINGTON (AP) —Public health experts blamed COVID-19 vaccine shortages around the U.S. in part on the Trump administration’s push to get states to vastly expand their vaccination drives to reach the nation’s estimated 54 million people age 65 and over.

The push that began over a week ago has not been accompanied by enough doses to meet demand, according to state and local officials, leading to frustration and confusion and limiting states’ ability to attack the outbreak that has killed over 400,000 Americans.

Over the past few days, authorities in California, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and Hawaii warned that their supplies were running out. New York City began canceling or postponing shots or stopped making new appointments because of the shortages, which President Joe Biden has vowed to turn around. Florida’s top health official said the state would deal with the scarcity by restricting vaccines to state residents.

The vaccine rollout so far has been “a major disappointment,” said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.

Problems started with the Trump administration’s “fatal mistake” of not ordering enough vaccine, which was then snapped up by other countries, Topol said. Then, opening the line to senior citizens set people up for disappointment because there wasn’t enough vaccine, he said. The Trump administration also left crucial planning to the states and didn’t provide the necessary funding.

“It doesn’t happen by fairy dust,” Topol said. “You need to put funds into that.”

Last week, before Biden took over as president, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department suggested that the frustration was the result of unrealistic expectations among the states as to how much vaccine was on the way.

But some public health experts said that the states have not been getting reliable information on vaccine deliveries and that the amounts they have been sent have been unpredictable. That, in turn, has made it difficult for them to plan how to inoculate people.

“It’s a bit of having to build it as we go,” said Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. “It’s a front-end supply issue, and unless we know how much vaccine is flowing down the pipe, it’s hard to get these things sized right, staffed, get people there, get them vaccinated and get them gone.”

State health secretaries have asked the Biden administration for earlier and more reliable predictions on vaccine deliveries, said Washington state Health Secretary Dr. Umair Shah.

Dr. Marcus Plescia of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials was also among those who said opening vaccinations to senior citizens was done too soon, before supply could catch up.

“We needed steady federal leadership on this early in the launch,” Plescia said. “That did not happen, and now that we are not prioritizing groups, there is going to be some lag for supply to catch up with demand.”

Supply will pick up over the next few weeks, he said. Deliveries go out to the states every week, and the government and drugmakers have given assurances large quantities are in the pipeline.

The rollout has proceeded at a disappointing pace. The U.S. government has delivered nearly 38 million doses of vaccine to the states, and about 17.5 million of those have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 2.4 million people have received the necessary two doses, by the CDC’s count — well short of the hundreds of millions who will have to be inoculated to vanquish the outbreak.

Biden, in one of his first orders of business, signed 10 executive orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, including one broadening the use of the Defense Production Act to expand vaccine production. The 1950 Korean War-era law enables the government to direct the manufacture of critical goods.

He also mandated masks for travel, including in airports and on planes, ships, trains, buses and public transportation, and ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up vaccination centers and the CDC to make vaccines available through pharmacies starting next month.

Biden has vowed to dispense 100 million shots in his first 100 days.

“We’ll move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated for free,” he said.

Florida was one of the first states to open vaccine eligibility to members of the general public over 65. Now uncertainty over the vaccine supply has prompted the state surgeon general, Scott Rivkees, to advise counties to prioritize available doses for state residents, including so-called snowbirds who live there part-time. People seeking vaccination will have to provide a driver’s license or other document, such as rental leases and utility bills.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been pleading for more doses. Appointments through Sunday for the first dose of the vaccine at 15 community vaccination hubs set up by the city health department were postponed to next week.

Vaccinations in New York haven’t stopped, but demand for the shots now far exceeds the number of doses available, the mayor said.

“It’s just tremendously sad that we have so many people who want the vaccine and so much ability to give the vaccine, what’s happening?” de Blasio said. “For lack of supply, we’re actually having to cancel appointments.”

Rosa Schneider had jumped at the chance to make a vaccination appointment once she heard that educators like her were eligible in New York. A high school English teacher who lives in New York City but works in New Jersey, she said that a day before she was to be vaccinated on Wednesday at a city-run hospital, she got a call saying the supply had run out and the appointment was canceled.

“I was concerned, and I was upset,” said Schneider, 32, but she is trying daily to book another appointment. She is hopeful availability will improve in the coming weeks.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Public health experts blamed COVID-19 vaccine shortages around the U.S. in part on the Trump administration’s push to get states to vastly expand their vaccination drives to reach the nation’s estimated 54 million people age 65 and over.The push that began over a week ago has not been accompanied by enough doses to meet demand, according to state and local officials, leading to frustration and confusion and limiting states’ ability to attack the outbreak that has killed over 400,000 Americans.Over the past few days, authorities in California, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and Hawaii warned that their supplies were running out. New York City began canceling or postponing shots or stopped making new appointments because of the shortages, which President Joe Biden has vowed to turn around. Florida’s top health official said the state would deal with the scarcity by restricting vaccines to state residents.The vaccine rollout so far has been “a major disappointment,” said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.Problems started with the Trump administration’s “fatal mistake” of not ordering enough vaccine, which was then snapped up by other countries, Topol said. Then, opening the line to senior citizens set people up for disappointment because there wasn’t enough vaccine, he said. The Trump administration also left crucial planning to the states and didn’t provide the necessary funding.“It doesn’t happen by fairy dust,” Topol said. “You need to put funds into that.”Last week, before Biden took over as president, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department suggested that the frustration was the result of unrealistic expectations among the states as to how much vaccine was on the way.But some public health experts said that the states have not been getting reliable information on vaccine deliveries and that the amounts they have been sent have been unpredictable. That, in turn, has made it difficult for them to plan how to inoculate people.“It’s a bit of having to build it as we go,” said Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. “It’s a front-end supply issue, and unless we know how much vaccine is flowing down the pipe, it’s hard to get these things sized right, staffed, get people there, get them vaccinated and get them gone.”State health secretaries have asked the Biden administration for earlier and more reliable predictions on vaccine deliveries, said Washington state Health Secretary Dr. Umair Shah.Dr. Marcus Plescia of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials was also among those who said opening vaccinations to senior citizens was done too soon, before supply could catch up.“We needed steady federal leadership on this early in the launch,” Plescia said. “That did not happen, and now that we are not prioritizing groups, there is going to be some lag for supply to catch up with demand.”Supply will pick up over the next few weeks, he said. Deliveries go out to the states every week, and the government and drugmakers have given assurances large quantities are in the pipeline.The rollout has proceeded at a disappointing pace. The U.S. government has delivered nearly 38 million doses of vaccine to the states, and about 17.5 million of those have been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About 2.4 million people have received the necessary two doses, by the CDC’s count — well short of the hundreds of millions who will have to be inoculated to vanquish the outbreak.Biden, in one of his first orders of business, signed 10 executive orders to combat the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, including one broadening the use of the Defense Production Act to expand vaccine production. The 1950 Korean War-era law enables the government to direct the manufacture of critical goods.He also mandated masks for travel, including in airports and on planes, ships, trains, buses and public transportation, and ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up vaccination centers and the CDC to make vaccines available through pharmacies starting next month.Biden has vowed to dispense 100 million shots in his first 100 days.“We’ll move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated for free,” he said.Florida was one of the first states to open vaccine eligibility to members of the general public over 65. Now uncertainty over the vaccine supply has prompted the state surgeon general, Scott Rivkees, to advise counties to prioritize available doses for state residents, including so-called snowbirds who live there part-time. People seeking vaccination will have to provide a driver’s license or other document, such as rental leases and utility bills.In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been pleading for more doses. Appointments through Sunday for the first dose of the vaccine at 15 community vaccination hubs set up by the city health department were postponed to next week.Vaccinations in New York haven’t stopped, but demand for the shots now far exceeds the number of doses available, the mayor said.“It’s just tremendously sad that we have so many people who want the vaccine and so much ability to give the vaccine, what’s happening?” de Blasio said. “For lack of supply, we’re actually having to cancel appointments.”Rosa Schneider had jumped at the chance to make a vaccination appointment once she heard that educators like her were eligible in New York. A high school English teacher who lives in New York City but works in New Jersey, she said that a day before she was to be vaccinated on Wednesday at a city-run hospital, she got a call saying the supply had run out and the appointment was canceled.“I was concerned, and I was upset,” said Schneider, 32, but she is trying daily to book another appointment. She is hopeful availability will improve in the coming weeks.

Health experts blame rapid expansion for vaccine shortages

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A newly elected Kansas lawmaker accused of threatening two state officials and abusive behavior toward girls and young women before taking his seat will get a public warning about his past conduct rather than facing possible removal from office, a committee decided Friday.

A state House committee reviewing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-city-kansas-topeka-a8396d22a454fb712cce1bf40193e8c7">a complaint</a>&nbsp;against state Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, Kansas, said it will draft and send him a public letter of warning that will include expectations about his future conduct. The panel’s three Democrats preferred stronger action against Coleman, but its three Republicans were wary of disciplining him for actions occurring before he took office.

Some Democrats wanted to censure or expel the 20-year-old Coleman, but either action would take a two-thirds majority. The chamber’s Republican leaders were wary of overturning an election, and during Friday’s committee meeting, members of both parties said they didn’t want to base their decision on Coleman’s behavior as a minor.

The committee’s decision means a complaint filed against Coleman by 13 Democrats, including House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, of Wichita, will be dismissed. But committee members said the letter will act as a guide for Coleman, and if he does not abide by what it spells out, he could face another complaint.

Coleman was elected to the House as a Democrat but dropped affiliation with any party after Sawyer refused to give him committee assignments. He identifies as a progressive and socialist.

“Mr. Coleman’s going to be watched,” said committee Chair John Barker, an Abilene Republican.

A new allegation against Coleman became public Friday. Heather Sprague Scanlon, Sawyer’s former chief of staff, said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_spc_select_investigating_committee_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_spc_select_investigating_committee_1_20210122_08_testimony.html" target="_blank">a written statement</a>&nbsp;that Coleman called her during the summer after House Democrats had denounced Coleman on social media and launched into a “raging diatribe.” She said Coleman made threats to physically harm Sawyer.

When those statements were read to him, Coleman told the committee, “That is not accurate.”

But he later apologized to Sawyer and said he’s willing to apologize to Scanlon for his “inappropriate conduct.” He publicly asked for a Statehouse mentor and said he’s spoken to his attorney about counseling.

“I welcome an informal letter of warning and I am willing to voluntarily accept any recommendations,” he said.

The committee’s action ends the possibility of Coleman becoming the first state lawmaker in Kansas ousted from office. The Kansas State Library has found no record of any legislator being expelled, although in the past six years, lawmakers in at least four states have been expelled for misconduct.

“I know that prior to becoming a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, I have not always lived up to my own ideals of treating others with dignity and respect,” Coleman said in opening remarks that he read to the committee.

Coleman narrowly ousted a veteran Democratic lawmaker in the August primary while running on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d7ea4a5bc168f3b608ea96c81efb6c78">a platform&nbsp;</a>that included providing universal health coverage, ending college tuition and legalizing marijuana. He won that race even after admitting on social media that he had circulated revenge porn as a “sick and troubled” middle school-aged boy.

He faced only write-in candidates in the election, even as at least two other accusations of threatening or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-kansas-city-kansas-elections-topeka-d6ea4066903abd8ef70d60bebe6c8a3c">abusing&nbsp;</a>girls or young women came to light. In December, the campaign manager for his primary opponent obtained an anti-stalking court order against him, but they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-state-courts-legislature-kansas-city-lawsuits-fa6cd16ccb10518f157e4796522d214b">settled the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;she filed against him earlier this month.

The complaint against Coleman said another reason to expel him was a now-deleted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-topeka-elections-fd91a21ee706c19194c7d302a2315d28">post-November election tweet</a>&nbsp;in which Coleman suggested Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would face an “extremely bloody” primary in 2022 for not being progressive enough. Kelly has called Coleman unfit to serve in the Legislature.

“People will realize one day when I call a hit out on you it’s real,” he wrote. He later said he meant to use the phrase ”political hit.”

Coleman told the committee that the language of the tweet was “inappropriate” and said he now has a team of people handling social media posts for him.

Sawyer had called Coleman “a danger to women” and had said his removal from office was necessary to protect other lawmakers and the Legislature’s staff.

“We would not want this person to blow up and do something dangerous to someone else,” Sawyer told the committee Friday.

But later, Sawyer said he hopes a public letter will tell Coleman “he’s got to change or he’s gone,” and prevent bad behavior.

“I don’t want to send the wrong message and say it’s okay to be abusive to women and continue that pattern and get by with it,” Sawyer told reporters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611410498739.png" alt="Photo courtesy Rep. Aaron Coleman" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rep. Aaron Coleman</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A newly elected Kansas lawmaker accused of threatening two state officials and abusive behavior toward girls and young women before taking his seat will get a public warning about his past conduct rather than facing possible removal from office, a committee decided Friday.A state House committee reviewing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-city-kansas-topeka-a8396d22a454fb712cce1bf40193e8c7">a complaint</a>&nbsp;against state Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, Kansas, said it will draft and send him a public letter of warning that will include expectations about his future conduct. The panel’s three Democrats preferred stronger action against Coleman, but its three Republicans were wary of disciplining him for actions occurring before he took office.Some Democrats wanted to censure or expel the 20-year-old Coleman, but either action would take a two-thirds majority. The chamber’s Republican leaders were wary of overturning an election, and during Friday’s committee meeting, members of both parties said they didn’t want to base their decision on Coleman’s behavior as a minor.The committee’s decision means a complaint filed against Coleman by 13 Democrats, including House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, of Wichita, will be dismissed. But committee members said the letter will act as a guide for Coleman, and if he does not abide by what it spells out, he could face another complaint.Coleman was elected to the House as a Democrat but dropped affiliation with any party after Sawyer refused to give him committee assignments. He identifies as a progressive and socialist.“Mr. Coleman’s going to be watched,” said committee Chair John Barker, an Abilene Republican.A new allegation against Coleman became public Friday. Heather Sprague Scanlon, Sawyer’s former chief of staff, said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/committees/ctte_spc_select_investigating_committee_1/misc_documents/download_testimony/ctte_spc_select_investigating_committee_1_20210122_08_testimony.html" target="_blank">a written statement</a>&nbsp;that Coleman called her during the summer after House Democrats had denounced Coleman on social media and launched into a “raging diatribe.” She said Coleman made threats to physically harm Sawyer.When those statements were read to him, Coleman told the committee, “That is not accurate.”But he later apologized to Sawyer and said he’s willing to apologize to Scanlon for his “inappropriate conduct.” He publicly asked for a Statehouse mentor and said he’s spoken to his attorney about counseling.“I welcome an informal letter of warning and I am willing to voluntarily accept any recommendations,” he said.The committee’s action ends the possibility of Coleman becoming the first state lawmaker in Kansas ousted from office. The Kansas State Library has found no record of any legislator being expelled, although in the past six years, lawmakers in at least four states have been expelled for misconduct.“I know that prior to becoming a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, I have not always lived up to my own ideals of treating others with dignity and respect,” Coleman said in opening remarks that he read to the committee.Coleman narrowly ousted a veteran Democratic lawmaker in the August primary while running on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d7ea4a5bc168f3b608ea96c81efb6c78">a platform&nbsp;</a>that included providing universal health coverage, ending college tuition and legalizing marijuana. He won that race even after admitting on social media that he had circulated revenge porn as a “sick and troubled” middle school-aged boy.He faced only write-in candidates in the election, even as at least two other accusations of threatening or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-kansas-city-kansas-elections-topeka-d6ea4066903abd8ef70d60bebe6c8a3c">abusing&nbsp;</a>girls or young women came to light. In December, the campaign manager for his primary opponent obtained an anti-stalking court order against him, but they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-state-courts-legislature-kansas-city-lawsuits-fa6cd16ccb10518f157e4796522d214b">settled the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;she filed against him earlier this month.The complaint against Coleman said another reason to expel him was a now-deleted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-topeka-elections-fd91a21ee706c19194c7d302a2315d28">post-November election tweet</a>&nbsp;in which Coleman suggested Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would face an “extremely bloody” primary in 2022 for not being progressive enough. Kelly has called Coleman unfit to serve in the Legislature.“People will realize one day when I call a hit out on you it’s real,” he wrote. He later said he meant to use the phrase ”political hit.”Coleman told the committee that the language of the tweet was “inappropriate” and said he now has a team of people handling social media posts for him.Sawyer had called Coleman “a danger to women” and had said his removal from office was necessary to protect other lawmakers and the Legislature’s staff.“We would not want this person to blow up and do something dangerous to someone else,” Sawyer told the committee Friday.But later, Sawyer said he hopes a public letter will tell Coleman “he’s got to change or he’s gone,” and prevent bad behavior.“I don’t want to send the wrong message and say it’s okay to be abusive to women and continue that pattern and get by with it,” Sawyer told reporters.___

Kan. House panel to warn new member over abusive behavior

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a drug bust at a Kansas home.

On January 22, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 2800 SE Illinois Ave, related to an ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and an environment unsafe for children.

As a result, Joshua McGarity 24, and Darrell Levi, 46, both of Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

McGarity is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of marijuana with the intent of distribution, Aggravated child endangerment; reckless situation and&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute.

Levi is being held on requested charges that include Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent, aggravated child endangerment; reckless situation and Failure to have a drug tax stamp for a controlled substance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611410042620.png" alt="Levi photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Levi photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a drug bust at a Kansas home.On January 22, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 2800 SE Illinois Ave, related to an ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.While conducting the search warrant, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and an environment unsafe for children.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611410016294.png" alt="McGarity-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>McGarity-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As a result, Joshua McGarity 24, and Darrell Levi, 46, both of Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.McGarity is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of marijuana with the intent of distribution, Aggravated child endangerment; reckless situation and&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute.Levi is being held on requested charges that include Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent, aggravated child endangerment; reckless situation and Failure to have a drug tax stamp for a controlled substance.

2 Kan. men accused of drug distribution, child endangerment

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence City Council has unanimously approved a measure to return to a Native American tribe a prayer rock that was transformed into a monument honoring Kansas settlers. The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to return the rock to the Kaw Nation. 

Before the Kaw people were forcibly moved from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma in 1873, they held ceremonies and gathering before the 23-ton boulder known as the “Big Red Rock.” As Lawrence prepared for its 75th anniversary in 1929, the rock was moved to a park in town. Last month, the tribe sent a letter to the city seeking the rock's return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607822821935.png" alt="Big Red Rock -google image" />
 <figcaption>Big Red Rock -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence City Council has unanimously approved a measure to return to a Native American tribe a prayer rock that was transformed into a monument honoring Kansas settlers. The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to return the rock to the Kaw Nation. Before the Kaw people were forcibly moved from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma in 1873, they held ceremonies and gathering before the 23-ton boulder known as the “Big Red Rock.” As Lawrence prepared for its 75th anniversary in 1929, the rock was moved to a park in town. Last month, the tribe sent a letter to the city seeking the rock's return.

Kan. community will return sacred prayer rock to Kaw Nation

OLATHE – A former Kansas insurance agent has pleaded guilty to insurance fraud charges and agreed to repay nearly $86,000 in restitution, according to&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Armond R. Peghee, 42, pleaded guilty in Johnson County District Court to one count of fraudulent insurance act, one count of theft, one count of unlawful acts concerning computers, and three counts of identity theft. Peghee also agreed to repay $85,897.87 in restitution. Johnson County District Court Chief Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan accepted the plea agreement and set a sentencing date of March 17.

An investigation by the Kansas Insurance Department determined that Peghee engaged in a fraudulent scheme where he submitted false applications for insurance policies for his customers without his customers’ knowledge. Peghee would receive the commission for the sale of the policies. The customers were unaware of the policies and the premiums went unpaid. The policies were eventually canceled for nonpayment, but investigators found Peghee kept the commissions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591455268753.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE – A former Kansas insurance agent has pleaded guilty to insurance fraud charges and agreed to repay nearly $86,000 in restitution, according to&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.Armond R. Peghee, 42, pleaded guilty in Johnson County District Court to one count of fraudulent insurance act, one count of theft, one count of unlawful acts concerning computers, and three counts of identity theft. Peghee also agreed to repay $85,897.87 in restitution. Johnson County District Court Chief Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan accepted the plea agreement and set a sentencing date of March 17.An investigation by the Kansas Insurance Department determined that Peghee engaged in a fraudulent scheme where he submitted false applications for insurance policies for his customers without his customers’ knowledge. Peghee would receive the commission for the sale of the policies. The customers were unaware of the policies and the premiums went unpaid. The policies were eventually canceled for nonpayment, but investigators found Peghee kept the commissions.

Kan. insurance agent admits ID theft, will repay $85,000

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/state-regulators-expand-investigation-whats-causing-wichita-earthquakes">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA — State regulators have expanded their <a href="https://kcc.ks.gov/news-12-23-20" target="_blank">investigation</a> into what’s causing a recent string of earthquakes in eastern Wichita.

Regulators
 say the earthquakes are most likely naturally occurring, but want to 
make sure oil and gas operations aren’t contributing.

The
 earthquakes began around Thanksgiving, with three happening in the span
 of four days. The trend continued with a couple of days of quakes, then
 a break, then a couple of days of quakes, then a break. That lasted 
until Dec. 30, when the largest quake, a 3.9 magnitude, shook Wichita.

“You
 have an earthquake and everyone looks at the closest (oil and gas) well
 and blames it on the well,” said Rick Miller, a senior scientist with 
the Kansas Geological Survey. “Well, that’s not how it works.”

He
 said it’s not unheard of for there to be earthquakes in northeast 
Wichita. A known fault line sits nearby and people have recorded 
earthquakes there as far back as 1919.&nbsp;

For Miller, seeing earthquakes happening there again made sense.

“The
 real question,” he said, “is there anything that we can have an 
influence on that might have hit a pressure point for this particular 
fault?”

Since the beginning of November, the area in and around <a href="https://chasm.kgs.ku.edu/ords/elog.quake3.SelectQuakes?f_month1=NOV&amp;f_year1=2020&amp;f_month2=JAN&amp;f_year2=2021&amp;f_30=&amp;f_360=&amp;sort_by=1" target="_blank">Wichita has experienced more than two dozen earthquakes</a>.

None
 of them have been big enough to cause any damage. They’ve also appeared
 to have come to a stop. There haven't been any major earthquakes in the
 area since the beginning of the year.

But the seismic activity 
that did happen was enough to trigger the state’s seismic action plan. 
The plan was created in 2014 in response to the massive increase in the 
number of earthquakes happening in Harper and Sumner counties in 
south-central Kansas.

The action plan requires regulators at the 
Kansas Corporation Commission to look at how much wastewater oil and gas
 operations are injecting into the ground within a six-mile radius of 
any string of earthquakes.

“Just because there have been natural 
earthquakes doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be induced earthquakes in 
that same area,” said Ryan Hoffman, director of the conservation 
division of the KCC.

When investigating the connection between 
oil and gas operations and earthquakes, regulators look for two things: A
 large increase in the total amount of wastewater being pumped into the 
ground in an area, or wells with irregular bursts in the amount being 
pumped underground.

The investigation into the Wichita 
earthquakes found only six wastewater disposal wells within the six-mile
 boundary. They were all located a few miles north of Wichita near 
K-254.

Data showed that during the last five years, all six wells combined 
were consistently pumping about 9,000 barrels of wastewater a day. 
That’s a relatively small quantity compared to what regulators found 
around the spike of earthquakes in Harper and Sumner Counties in 2015 
and 2016. There, regulators found groups of dozens of wells each pumping
 as much as 15,000 barrels of wastewater a day.

In the case of 
Harper and Sumner counties, earthquake experts were able to clearly see 
that the number of earthquakes mirrored almost exactly the rise and fall
 of how much wastewater was being injected.

“What we saw there 
was nothing like what we see in Sedgwick County in terms of the large 
number of injection wells that were disposing of large volumes,” Hoffman
 said.

Ultimately, state regulators determined that the six wells
 investigated near Wichita did not contribute to the recent string of 
earthquakes. But the state’s investigation concluded before the largest 
of the earthquakes had even hit.

While the state still doesn’t 
suspect oil and gas operations played a role, it has decided to expand 
its investigation beyond what’s required in the state’s seismic action 
plan. It’s now gathering data from all wastewater injection wells within
 a 15-mile radius.

Miller, the expert from the Kansas Geological 
Survey, said he’s in favor of expanding the investigation. He said the 
geology of the area is complicated, and a large underground ridge nearby
 could be directing the pressure created from the wastewater pumping in 
unexpected directions.

“We don’t know that’s what’s going on,” he
 said. “We’re not suggesting it is going on, but we want to look at all 
possibilities.”

Hoffman said he doesn’t think the state’s seismic action plan needs to be changed or expanded officially.

He
 also says he doesn’t expect to find anything in the expanded 
investigation, but in a state with a history of links between oil and 
gas operations and earthquakes, it’s worth having more data than less.

“If there was something that caused those earthquakes,” Hoffman said, “we want to be able to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Brian
 Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for 
KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611328208558.png" alt=" The Matson wastewater disposal well located north of Wichita. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> The Matson wastewater disposal well located north of Wichita. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/state-regulators-expand-investigation-whats-causing-wichita-earthquakes">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA — State regulators have expanded their <a href="https://kcc.ks.gov/news-12-23-20" target="_blank">investigation</a> into what’s causing a recent string of earthquakes in eastern Wichita.Regulators
 say the earthquakes are most likely naturally occurring, but want to 
make sure oil and gas operations aren’t contributing.The
 earthquakes began around Thanksgiving, with three happening in the span
 of four days. The trend continued with a couple of days of quakes, then
 a break, then a couple of days of quakes, then a break. That lasted 
until Dec. 30, when the largest quake, a 3.9 magnitude, shook Wichita.“You
 have an earthquake and everyone looks at the closest (oil and gas) well
 and blames it on the well,” said Rick Miller, a senior scientist with 
the Kansas Geological Survey. “Well, that’s not how it works.”He
 said it’s not unheard of for there to be earthquakes in northeast 
Wichita. A known fault line sits nearby and people have recorded 
earthquakes there as far back as 1919.&nbsp;For Miller, seeing earthquakes happening there again made sense.“The
 real question,” he said, “is there anything that we can have an 
influence on that might have hit a pressure point for this particular 
fault?”Since the beginning of November, the area in and around <a href="https://chasm.kgs.ku.edu/ords/elog.quake3.SelectQuakes?f_month1=NOV&amp;f_year1=2020&amp;f_month2=JAN&amp;f_year2=2021&amp;f_30=&amp;f_360=&amp;sort_by=1" target="_blank">Wichita has experienced more than two dozen earthquakes</a>.None
 of them have been big enough to cause any damage. They’ve also appeared
 to have come to a stop. There haven't been any major earthquakes in the
 area since the beginning of the year.But the seismic activity 
that did happen was enough to trigger the state’s seismic action plan. 
The plan was created in 2014 in response to the massive increase in the 
number of earthquakes happening in Harper and Sumner counties in 
south-central Kansas.The action plan requires regulators at the 
Kansas Corporation Commission to look at how much wastewater oil and gas
 operations are injecting into the ground within a six-mile radius of 
any string of earthquakes.“Just because there have been natural 
earthquakes doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be induced earthquakes in 
that same area,” said Ryan Hoffman, director of the conservation 
division of the KCC.When investigating the connection between 
oil and gas operations and earthquakes, regulators look for two things: A
 large increase in the total amount of wastewater being pumped into the 
ground in an area, or wells with irregular bursts in the amount being 
pumped underground.The investigation into the Wichita 
earthquakes found only six wastewater disposal wells within the six-mile
 boundary. They were all located a few miles north of Wichita near 
K-254.<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1lkqDwBPx9kGr_-BAe3L8PZsaZqHvRUut&hl=en" width="640" height="480"></iframe></div>Data showed that during the last five years, all six wells combined 
were consistently pumping about 9,000 barrels of wastewater a day. 
That’s a relatively small quantity compared to what regulators found 
around the spike of earthquakes in Harper and Sumner Counties in 2015 
and 2016. There, regulators found groups of dozens of wells each pumping
 as much as 15,000 barrels of wastewater a day.In the case of 
Harper and Sumner counties, earthquake experts were able to clearly see 
that the number of earthquakes mirrored almost exactly the rise and fall
 of how much wastewater was being injected.“What we saw there 
was nothing like what we see in Sedgwick County in terms of the large 
number of injection wells that were disposing of large volumes,” Hoffman
 said.Ultimately, state regulators determined that the six wells
 investigated near Wichita did not contribute to the recent string of 
earthquakes. But the state’s investigation concluded before the largest 
of the earthquakes had even hit.While the state still doesn’t 
suspect oil and gas operations played a role, it has decided to expand 
its investigation beyond what’s required in the state’s seismic action 
plan. It’s now gathering data from all wastewater injection wells within
 a 15-mile radius.Miller, the expert from the Kansas Geological 
Survey, said he’s in favor of expanding the investigation. He said the 
geology of the area is complicated, and a large underground ridge nearby
 could be directing the pressure created from the wastewater pumping in 
unexpected directions.“We don’t know that’s what’s going on,” he
 said. “We’re not suggesting it is going on, but we want to look at all 
possibilities.”Hoffman said he doesn’t think the state’s seismic action plan needs to be changed or expanded officially.He
 also says he doesn’t expect to find anything in the expanded 
investigation, but in a state with a history of links between oil and 
gas operations and earthquakes, it’s worth having more data than less.“If there was something that caused those earthquakes,” Hoffman said, “we want to be able to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”Brian
 Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for 
KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

Regulators expand investigation into Wichita earthquakes

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Migrant workers lined up by the hundreds during a break from picking produce this week to receive the coronavirus vaccine on a Southern California grape farm.

The farmworkers who got their shots are among vulnerable immigrants in the United States — particularly the 11 million in the country illegally — who advocacy groups say may be some of the most difficult people to reach during the largest vaccination campaign in American history.

Some immigrants in the country illegally fear that information taken during vaccinations could be turned over to authorities and so may not seek out vaccines, while those who speak little or no English may find it difficult to access them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">Like other groups</a>, some are also hesitant about receiving a newly approved shot — and language barriers may also make it harder to get messages countering misinformation to them.

While these challenges may exist for many vulnerable immigrant groups, they are particularly worrying for Latino immigrants, who make a large portion of the workforce in industries where they have a significant risk of exposure.

“There is anxiety and it’s real ... but so is the fear of dying of COVID-19,” said Pablo Alvarado, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

To tackle these challenges, groups that advocate for Latino immigrants are heading into farm fields to bring vaccines and information to migrant laborers and trying to counter misinformation in Spanish and other languages.

In California’s sprawling Riverside County, home to a $1.3 billion agriculture industry, the health care nonprofit that brought vaccines to the grape farm recently took tablets into the fields to register workers for vaccine appointments, said Conrado Bárzaga, CEO of Desert Healthcare District and Foundation. The organization also shares information about the virus and how to get tested for it on WhatsApp in Spanish and Purépecha, an indigenous language from western Mexico spoken by some farm workers in California.

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network has used a Spanish-language radio show on social media to share information throughout the pandemic about the virus. Now, the show’s hosts, many of them migrants and low-income workers themselves, plan to spend airtime debunking myths about the vaccine to their 300,000 weekly listeners, Alvarado said.

He believes countering misinformation on social media is key to overcoming most hesitancy about the vaccine — such as knocking down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3287934e9316b008e2a6c7735b7b01df">false claims that the vaccine would insert a microchip&nbsp;</a>into people.

Daniel Cortés, a 58-year-old Mexican immigrant who lives in New York, is among those with doubts. He’s not authorized to live in the U.S. but any fears of deportation have nothing to do with it. He says he would not take the vaccine because he is healthy and fears a bad reaction. Trials for the vaccines being given in the U.S. involving tens of thousands of participants have so far surfaced no signs of serious side effects, and few unexpected adverse reactions have been reported in the early days of vaccine distribution in the country.

“I maintain social distancing, wash my hands, change my clothes when I get home,” Cortés said, explaining that he thinks those precautions are enough. “I haven’t been sick in eight years and hopefully it will stay that way.”

President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” includes a program to set up community vaccination centers across the U.S. and use mobile clinics to access hard-to-reach communities. It has also said it would take steps to make the vaccine free to all U.S. residents independent of their immigration status.

But some advocacy groups say the legacy of the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies will make reaching some immigrants especially tough.

In Florida, Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition in Miami, said fears persist about the former administration’s so-called public charge rule, which sought to deny green cards to immigrants who receive food stamps or other public benefits.

While the public charge rule never restricted access to testing or vaccinations for a communicable disease — and it is being challenged in courts — Rodriguez says, “it doesn’t matter, the perception still exists.”

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts recently came under criticism when he said workers with legal status would be prioritized in the state’s vaccine rollout over those without legal status when he was asked about the plan to protect the state’s meatpacking facilities, which historically have relied on foreign-born labor. But a day later, Ricketts appeared to walk back his statement, saying through his spokesman that “proof of citizenship is not required for vaccination,”&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/us-citizenship-not-a-requirement-for-covid-vaccine-in-nebraska/article_4da1d138-4fac-11eb-89a9-c3052b2306d2.html" target="_blank">the Omaha-World Herald reported</a>.

Blanca Flores, a community organizer at the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, an alliance of female farmworkers, said many of the women she works with in rural Homestead, Florida, believe that any personal information they provide could somehow be used against them later. They also worry about missing a few day’s work and possibly getting fired if they suffer adverse side effects.

“They would like to wait a month or two to see what happens and decide later,” said Flores, a Colombian-born immigrant with legal residency.

But others are eager — perhaps reflecting the way in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3c55be27a2549afa2906c190fe5adc9">Latino immigrant communities</a>&nbsp;have been disproportionately hit by the virus. In New York, Francisco Flores, a Mexican immigrant who lost a brother, a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law to COVID-19, said he would not hesitate to take the shot.

Flores, who is 54 and has lived without authorization in the U.S. for more than 20 years, plans to sign up the moment he can.

“The government already has my data. I have been here for a long time. I have a driver’s license, bank accounts. I have nothing to fear,” said Flores, who works for a company that makes golf courses. “And after what we went through with COVID, I would not hesitate to take the vaccine.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609851067615.png" alt="Vaccine arrived January 18 in Southwest Kansas- photo courtesy Western Plains Medical Center" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine arrived January 18 in Southwest Kansas- photo courtesy Western Plains Medical Center</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Migrant workers lined up by the hundreds during a break from picking produce this week to receive the coronavirus vaccine on a Southern California grape farm.The farmworkers who got their shots are among vulnerable immigrants in the United States — particularly the 11 million in the country illegally — who advocacy groups say may be some of the most difficult people to reach during the largest vaccination campaign in American history.Some immigrants in the country illegally fear that information taken during vaccinations could be turned over to authorities and so may not seek out vaccines, while those who speak little or no English may find it difficult to access them.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">Like other groups</a>, some are also hesitant about receiving a newly approved shot — and language barriers may also make it harder to get messages countering misinformation to them.While these challenges may exist for many vulnerable immigrant groups, they are particularly worrying for Latino immigrants, who make a large portion of the workforce in industries where they have a significant risk of exposure.“There is anxiety and it’s real ... but so is the fear of dying of COVID-19,” said Pablo Alvarado, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.To tackle these challenges, groups that advocate for Latino immigrants are heading into farm fields to bring vaccines and information to migrant laborers and trying to counter misinformation in Spanish and other languages.In California’s sprawling Riverside County, home to a $1.3 billion agriculture industry, the health care nonprofit that brought vaccines to the grape farm recently took tablets into the fields to register workers for vaccine appointments, said Conrado Bárzaga, CEO of Desert Healthcare District and Foundation. The organization also shares information about the virus and how to get tested for it on WhatsApp in Spanish and Purépecha, an indigenous language from western Mexico spoken by some farm workers in California.The National Day Laborer Organizing Network has used a Spanish-language radio show on social media to share information throughout the pandemic about the virus. Now, the show’s hosts, many of them migrants and low-income workers themselves, plan to spend airtime debunking myths about the vaccine to their 300,000 weekly listeners, Alvarado said.He believes countering misinformation on social media is key to overcoming most hesitancy about the vaccine — such as knocking down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3287934e9316b008e2a6c7735b7b01df">false claims that the vaccine would insert a microchip&nbsp;</a>into people.Daniel Cortés, a 58-year-old Mexican immigrant who lives in New York, is among those with doubts. He’s not authorized to live in the U.S. but any fears of deportation have nothing to do with it. He says he would not take the vaccine because he is healthy and fears a bad reaction. Trials for the vaccines being given in the U.S. involving tens of thousands of participants have so far surfaced no signs of serious side effects, and few unexpected adverse reactions have been reported in the early days of vaccine distribution in the country.“I maintain social distancing, wash my hands, change my clothes when I get home,” Cortés said, explaining that he thinks those precautions are enough. “I haven’t been sick in eight years and hopefully it will stay that way.”President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” includes a program to set up community vaccination centers across the U.S. and use mobile clinics to access hard-to-reach communities. It has also said it would take steps to make the vaccine free to all U.S. residents independent of their immigration status.But some advocacy groups say the legacy of the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies will make reaching some immigrants especially tough.In Florida, Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition in Miami, said fears persist about the former administration’s so-called public charge rule, which sought to deny green cards to immigrants who receive food stamps or other public benefits.While the public charge rule never restricted access to testing or vaccinations for a communicable disease — and it is being challenged in courts — Rodriguez says, “it doesn’t matter, the perception still exists.”Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts recently came under criticism when he said workers with legal status would be prioritized in the state’s vaccine rollout over those without legal status when he was asked about the plan to protect the state’s meatpacking facilities, which historically have relied on foreign-born labor. But a day later, Ricketts appeared to walk back his statement, saying through his spokesman that “proof of citizenship is not required for vaccination,”&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/us-citizenship-not-a-requirement-for-covid-vaccine-in-nebraska/article_4da1d138-4fac-11eb-89a9-c3052b2306d2.html" target="_blank">the Omaha-World Herald reported</a>.Blanca Flores, a community organizer at the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, an alliance of female farmworkers, said many of the women she works with in rural Homestead, Florida, believe that any personal information they provide could somehow be used against them later. They also worry about missing a few day’s work and possibly getting fired if they suffer adverse side effects.“They would like to wait a month or two to see what happens and decide later,” said Flores, a Colombian-born immigrant with legal residency.But others are eager — perhaps reflecting the way in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3c55be27a2549afa2906c190fe5adc9">Latino immigrant communities</a>&nbsp;have been disproportionately hit by the virus. In New York, Francisco Flores, a Mexican immigrant who lost a brother, a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law to COVID-19, said he would not hesitate to take the shot.Flores, who is 54 and has lived without authorization in the U.S. for more than 20 years, plans to sign up the moment he can.“The government already has my data. I have been here for a long time. I have a driver’s license, bank accounts. I have nothing to fear,” said Flores, who works for a company that makes golf courses. “And after what we went through with COVID, I would not hesitate to take the vaccine.”___

Language barriers, wariness make vaccinating immigrants hard

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-say-hybrid-learning-no-better-all-virtual-classes">Kansas News Service</a>

Hybrid learning has become the go-to compromise for Kansas’ largest school districts to get students back in classrooms.

Districts
 in Lawrence, Topeka, Olathe and elsewhere rotate students between 
in-person and online lessons. Kids get physical time in front of a 
teacher without risking crowded classrooms during the pandemic.

But some Kansas teachers say the hybrid model isn’t much better than keeping students online full-time.

The
 constant shift from the classroom to the screen disrupts learning. 
Teachers say they have twice the workload while splitting their focus 
between online and in-person students, giving neither the attention they
 deserve.

Educators say hybrid makes it easier to help kids 
struggling the most, but both hybrid and online-only are leading to 
students falling behind.

Monique
 Goodeyon loves that students will soon return to her classroom. The 
high school calculus teacher at Shawnee Mission East got into education 
to teach students face-to-face, not face-to-screen.

Shawnee Mission went from <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fox4kc.com/news/shawnee-mission-school-district-to-begin-hybrid-learning-for-elementary-students-beginning-in-october/&amp;sa=D&amp;ust=1611267009871000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jI6QVYtYVsPzyIm53T95Q" target="_blank">hybrid</a>
 learning to full remote around Thanksgiving because of concerns that 
holiday travel would lead to further coronavirus spikes. Students will <a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2021/01/05/middle-and-high-schoolers-in-smsd-are-returning-to-in-person-learning-what-you-need-to-know-110138/" target="_blank">return</a> to school and hybrid learning Jan. 26.

But, like other teachers, Goodeyon’s not convinced it’s better for students.

“The kids are not learning as much as they should,” Goodeyon said.

Yes,
 when students actually sit in Goodeyon’s classroom two days a week, 
they do better than when they’re on a computer. But she said when those 
students return to online learning for the other half of the week, they 
do worse than when they stuck with online-only.

It’s difficult 
for teachers to give the proper attention to both kids in the classroom 
and those tuning in via the computer screen. Teachers say the split 
focus hurts all students.

Instead, Goodeyon spends her class time
 attending to the kids physically present. Those at home can tune in if 
they want, but they have their own independent work.

She’s also 
calculated — math teachers can’t help it — her students get about 90 
fewer minutes of instruction time from her a week compared to when the 
school is in full remote.

“Between remote and hybrid, it is hard 
to decide which one is better,” Goodeyon said. “The 90 minutes I have 
them is wonderful. But is that worth them having to learn 90 minutes of 
material on their own?”

Teachers also say hybrid doubles their 
workload. They must make one lesson plan for the remote kids and another
 for those learning in-person that day. Shuffling lessons doesn’t work 
for a subject like calculus where a student must understand concept A 
before moving onto concept B.

Educators and experts said hybrid learning does come with a few clear benefits — the largest being intervention.

A
 teacher can better provide help to struggling students in-person. 
Educators are also more likely to realize a student even needs help — 
for both individual lessons and larger problems. Early identification of
 learning disorders such as dyslexia can prevent problems from 
snowballing.

It also gives an outside adult a chance to notice signs of problems in the home.

“Teachers
 are the ones to see a kid come in with a bruise,” said Katharine 
Strunk, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. 
“Teachers are the first people to notice when a kid is not OK.”

But
 teachers say many of those positive learning gains happening inside the
 classroom begin to disappear once students return to at-home learning. 
Neither remote or hybrid has kept students from slipping behind where 
they would be during a normal school year.

“I have no control 
over their environment,” said Shane Heiman, a third-grade teacher at New
 York Elementary in Lawrence. “They are becoming more behind because 
even though I’m providing content for them, there’s still limited ways 
where I can engage them.”

Blue Valley North High School English teacher Shelly Weir calls hybrid a mixed bag.

A back and forth discussion on Brave New World becomes a slog with half the class divided into squares on a screen.

“It takes the Zoom classroom twice as long to give their discussion because I have to physically call them out,” Weir.

But
 she’s found success keeping the discussion to just the in-person kids. 
Those at home get assigned their dystopian novel of choice to read 
before it’s their turn in the school building.

Weir surveyed her 
students about whether they preferred hybrid or all remote learning — 
and a slim majority preferred the remote option.

Her students 
told her school just didn’t feel like school, especially when your best 
friend attends on opposite days. Some students did not want to come back
 because they didn’t feel safe with coronavirus cases so high.

“They said ‘You know what? We know that coronavirus is escalating. Why are you bringing us back?’ ” Weir said.

Despite hybrid’s flaws, more of the state’s largest school districts are adopting the model.

School
 districts like Blue Valley and Wichita started the school year without a
 hybrid option — schools would either be all in-person or all remote.

Both
 districts eventually accepted the hybrid trend. The idea of some 
students not having any classroom time since March — excluding the 
elementary students that started the school year in-person — became 
unbearable for educators and parents.

New <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/students-kansas-largest-school-districts-return-classrooms-during-pandemic" target="_blank">research</a>
 also suggested having kids in school buildings — with students 
remaining masked and socially distanced — hasn’t led to the massive 
disease spread educators and health officials worried about over the 
summer.

Wichita School Board member Ben Blankley thinks hybrid 
learning is the worst option for teachers and students. But he voted to 
bring middle and high school students back under hybrid on Jan. 25 
anyway.

He said filling classrooms will let the district make the
 inevitable switch back to full in-person learning swiftly. Hybrid means
 cafeterias reopen. Security guards come back. Custodians reopen 
mothballed sections of school buildings.

“Even though it's got more drawbacks than remote, It’s on our way to getting to fully in-person,” Blankley said.

Moving
 to hybrid for the first time means Wichita North High School business 
teacher Brent Lewis will have three different sets of students in the 
same class — students at home on the hybrid schedule, students in-person
 and students who opted to remain remote full-time.

Lewis said 
the biggest challenge will be maintaining equity for all three groups. 
He can’t have the students in front of him collaborate on an involved 
mock business plan if the online students get left behind. So he’ll 
start the new semester teaching as if all students were on a computer 
screen.

“I can’t say for sure what success looks like,” Lewis 
said. “It’s going to take a lot of learning from what’s working, what’s 
not working to go beyond treating everyone like they’re remote.”

Lewis thinks he’ll eventually find some benefits to hybrid — but he’ll need the school district’s help to get there.

“We’re professionals,” Lewis said. “We’re going to rise to the challenge. But we’re going to need support.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha" target="_blank">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611328411099.png" alt="Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-say-hybrid-learning-no-better-all-virtual-classes">Kansas News Service</a>Hybrid learning has become the go-to compromise for Kansas’ largest school districts to get students back in classrooms.Districts
 in Lawrence, Topeka, Olathe and elsewhere rotate students between 
in-person and online lessons. Kids get physical time in front of a 
teacher without risking crowded classrooms during the pandemic.But some Kansas teachers say the hybrid model isn’t much better than keeping students online full-time.The
 constant shift from the classroom to the screen disrupts learning. 
Teachers say they have twice the workload while splitting their focus 
between online and in-person students, giving neither the attention they
 deserve.Educators say hybrid makes it easier to help kids 
struggling the most, but both hybrid and online-only are leading to 
students falling behind.<h2>Split attention</h2>Monique
 Goodeyon loves that students will soon return to her classroom. The 
high school calculus teacher at Shawnee Mission East got into education 
to teach students face-to-face, not face-to-screen.Shawnee Mission went from <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fox4kc.com/news/shawnee-mission-school-district-to-begin-hybrid-learning-for-elementary-students-beginning-in-october/&amp;sa=D&amp;ust=1611267009871000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jI6QVYtYVsPzyIm53T95Q" target="_blank">hybrid</a>
 learning to full remote around Thanksgiving because of concerns that 
holiday travel would lead to further coronavirus spikes. Students will <a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2021/01/05/middle-and-high-schoolers-in-smsd-are-returning-to-in-person-learning-what-you-need-to-know-110138/" target="_blank">return</a> to school and hybrid learning Jan. 26.But, like other teachers, Goodeyon’s not convinced it’s better for students.“The kids are not learning as much as they should,” Goodeyon said.Yes,
 when students actually sit in Goodeyon’s classroom two days a week, 
they do better than when they’re on a computer. But she said when those 
students return to online learning for the other half of the week, they 
do worse than when they stuck with online-only.It’s difficult 
for teachers to give the proper attention to both kids in the classroom 
and those tuning in via the computer screen. Teachers say the split 
focus hurts all students.Instead, Goodeyon spends her class time
 attending to the kids physically present. Those at home can tune in if 
they want, but they have their own independent work.She’s also 
calculated — math teachers can’t help it — her students get about 90 
fewer minutes of instruction time from her a week compared to when the 
school is in full remote.“Between remote and hybrid, it is hard 
to decide which one is better,” Goodeyon said. “The 90 minutes I have 
them is wonderful. But is that worth them having to learn 90 minutes of 
material on their own?”Teachers also say hybrid doubles their 
workload. They must make one lesson plan for the remote kids and another
 for those learning in-person that day. Shuffling lessons doesn’t work 
for a subject like calculus where a student must understand concept A 
before moving onto concept B.Educators and experts said hybrid learning does come with a few clear benefits — the largest being intervention.A
 teacher can better provide help to struggling students in-person. 
Educators are also more likely to realize a student even needs help — 
for both individual lessons and larger problems. Early identification of
 learning disorders such as dyslexia can prevent problems from 
snowballing.It also gives an outside adult a chance to notice signs of problems in the home.“Teachers
 are the ones to see a kid come in with a bruise,” said Katharine 
Strunk, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. 
“Teachers are the first people to notice when a kid is not OK.”But
 teachers say many of those positive learning gains happening inside the
 classroom begin to disappear once students return to at-home learning. 
Neither remote or hybrid has kept students from slipping behind where 
they would be during a normal school year.“I have no control 
over their environment,” said Shane Heiman, a third-grade teacher at New
 York Elementary in Lawrence. “They are becoming more behind because 
even though I’m providing content for them, there’s still limited ways 
where I can engage them.”Blue Valley North High School English teacher Shelly Weir calls hybrid a mixed bag.A back and forth discussion on Brave New World becomes a slog with half the class divided into squares on a screen.“It takes the Zoom classroom twice as long to give their discussion because I have to physically call them out,” Weir.But
 she’s found success keeping the discussion to just the in-person kids. 
Those at home get assigned their dystopian novel of choice to read 
before it’s their turn in the school building.Weir surveyed her 
students about whether they preferred hybrid or all remote learning — 
and a slim majority preferred the remote option.Her students 
told her school just didn’t feel like school, especially when your best 
friend attends on opposite days. Some students did not want to come back
 because they didn’t feel safe with coronavirus cases so high.“They said ‘You know what? We know that coronavirus is escalating. Why are you bringing us back?’ ” Weir said.<h2>Hybrid semester</h2>Despite hybrid’s flaws, more of the state’s largest school districts are adopting the model.School
 districts like Blue Valley and Wichita started the school year without a
 hybrid option — schools would either be all in-person or all remote.Both
 districts eventually accepted the hybrid trend. The idea of some 
students not having any classroom time since March — excluding the 
elementary students that started the school year in-person — became 
unbearable for educators and parents.New <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/students-kansas-largest-school-districts-return-classrooms-during-pandemic" target="_blank">research</a>
 also suggested having kids in school buildings — with students 
remaining masked and socially distanced — hasn’t led to the massive 
disease spread educators and health officials worried about over the 
summer.Wichita School Board member Ben Blankley thinks hybrid 
learning is the worst option for teachers and students. But he voted to 
bring middle and high school students back under hybrid on Jan. 25 
anyway.He said filling classrooms will let the district make the
 inevitable switch back to full in-person learning swiftly. Hybrid means
 cafeterias reopen. Security guards come back. Custodians reopen 
mothballed sections of school buildings.“Even though it's got more drawbacks than remote, It’s on our way to getting to fully in-person,” Blankley said.Moving
 to hybrid for the first time means Wichita North High School business 
teacher Brent Lewis will have three different sets of students in the 
same class — students at home on the hybrid schedule, students in-person
 and students who opted to remain remote full-time.Lewis said 
the biggest challenge will be maintaining equity for all three groups. 
He can’t have the students in front of him collaborate on an involved 
mock business plan if the online students get left behind. So he’ll 
start the new semester teaching as if all students were on a computer 
screen.“I can’t say for sure what success looks like,” Lewis 
said. “It’s going to take a lot of learning from what’s working, what’s 
not working to go beyond treating everyone like they’re remote.”Lewis thinks he’ll eventually find some benefits to hybrid — but he’ll need the school district’s help to get there.“We’re professionals,” Lewis said. “We’re going to rise to the challenge. But we’re going to need support.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha" target="_blank">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

Kan. teachers say hybrid learning no better than all-virtual classes 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – First District Representative Tracey Mann has announced his Congressional staff for Washington, D.C., and Kansas.

Chief of Staff: Brandon Harder of Haven, Kan.&nbsp;Harder has worked in and around the Kansas Congressional Delegation for over a decade. He served as Senator Jerry Moran’s Agriculture and Trade Advisor and served Chairman Moran at the National Republican Senatorial Committee where he helped Republicans regain control of the U.S. Senate. Harder has spent the last six years representing agriculture, trade, and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. Harder is a native of the Big First where he grew up on a hay and cattle operation before attending Kansas State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in animal science. He and his wife Kristina will split time between Washington D.C. and Kansas.

Legislative Director | Counsel: Riley Pagett of Woodward, Okla.&nbsp;Pagett was born in&nbsp;Liberal, Kansas and grew up 50 miles south of the border near his family’s cow calf operation. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and a Juris Doctor degree from American University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Pagett worked for the House Agriculture Committee, Senator James Lankford, the National FFA Organization, and most recently as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Riley, his wife Lauren, and their son Ford live in Washington, D.C.

Communications Director | Military Legislative Assistant: Laura Schlapp of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Laura received a Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communication from Wichita State University. She worked for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Kansas and Senator Pat Roberts in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Schlapp served in the administration for the Department of Defense and most recently served as Regional Media Director for Vice President Mike Pence. Schlapp and her husband Bryan reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Deputy Legislative Director: Katherine Thomas of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in biology from the College of William and Mary and has worked in the Kansas delegation for seven-and-a-half years. She began her career working for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Thomas worked on agriculture issues for Senator Pat Roberts, both as a Legislative Assistant on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, &amp; Forestry and as Senior Agriculture Policy Advisor in his personal office.

Legislative Correspondent: Cale Beam of Topeka, Kan.&nbsp;Beam received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics from Washburn University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Beam served as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rick Billinger and worked on the legislative relations team for the Kansas Contractors Association and for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Staff Assistant: Michaela Todd of Baldwin City, Kan.&nbsp;Todd is a fourth generation Kansan who attended Highland Community College and received a Bachelor of Science in communication and political science from Emporia State University. Todd started her career as an intern for former Representative Lynn Jenkins and was selected for the America’s Future Writing Fellows Program and the Heritage Foundation Young Leaders Program. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Todd served as a Field Representative at Mann for Congress.

Staff Assistant: Brycen Gulick of Caney, Kan.&nbsp;Gulick received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Washburn University. Gulick started his career as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rob Olson and served as Legislative and Policy Assistant for Governor Jeff Colyer. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Gulick served as Political Director at Mann for Congress.

Scheduler: Emily Woods of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Woods attended Butler Community College where she was on the soccer team and received a Bachelor of Science in human resources management at Kansas State University. She also studied aboard in Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Woods was an intern for Governor Jeff Colyer and served as the Finance Director at Mann for Congress.

District Director: Reid Petty of Liberal, Kan.&nbsp;Petty received a Bachelor of Arts in education from Oklahoma Panhandle State University and was elected to serve on the USD 480 Board of Education. Petty also was elected and served in the Kansas House of Representatives for the 125th&nbsp;District. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, he worked as Senator Jerry Moran’s SW Kansas District Director. Petty and his wife Hannah have a son, Nicholas, and reside in Manhattan.

Constituent Services Director | Community Outreach: Martha Ruiz-Mendoza of California.&nbsp;Ruiz-Mendoza attended Cabot College in National City, Calif., but considers Kansas home. She has lived in Kansas for 26 years and worked for Senator Pat Roberts for 19 and-a-half years. Ruiz-Mendoza loves helping constituents and is excited to continue supporting Kansans in the First District. She is a mother to three children: Joe, Gio, and Alexyss.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – First District Representative Tracey Mann has announced his Congressional staff for Washington, D.C., and Kansas.Washington, D.C., staffChief of Staff: Brandon Harder of Haven, Kan.&nbsp;Harder has worked in and around the Kansas Congressional Delegation for over a decade. He served as Senator Jerry Moran’s Agriculture and Trade Advisor and served Chairman Moran at the National Republican Senatorial Committee where he helped Republicans regain control of the U.S. Senate. Harder has spent the last six years representing agriculture, trade, and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. Harder is a native of the Big First where he grew up on a hay and cattle operation before attending Kansas State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in animal science. He and his wife Kristina will split time between Washington D.C. and Kansas.Legislative Director | Counsel: Riley Pagett of Woodward, Okla.&nbsp;Pagett was born in&nbsp;Liberal, Kansas and grew up 50 miles south of the border near his family’s cow calf operation. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and a Juris Doctor degree from American University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Pagett worked for the House Agriculture Committee, Senator James Lankford, the National FFA Organization, and most recently as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Riley, his wife Lauren, and their son Ford live in Washington, D.C.Communications Director | Military Legislative Assistant: Laura Schlapp of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Laura received a Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communication from Wichita State University. She worked for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Kansas and Senator Pat Roberts in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Schlapp served in the administration for the Department of Defense and most recently served as Regional Media Director for Vice President Mike Pence. Schlapp and her husband Bryan reside in Alexandria, Virginia.Deputy Legislative Director: Katherine Thomas of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in biology from the College of William and Mary and has worked in the Kansas delegation for seven-and-a-half years. She began her career working for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Thomas worked on agriculture issues for Senator Pat Roberts, both as a Legislative Assistant on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, &amp; Forestry and as Senior Agriculture Policy Advisor in his personal office.Legislative Correspondent: Cale Beam of Topeka, Kan.&nbsp;Beam received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics from Washburn University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Beam served as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rick Billinger and worked on the legislative relations team for the Kansas Contractors Association and for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.Staff Assistant: Michaela Todd of Baldwin City, Kan.&nbsp;Todd is a fourth generation Kansan who attended Highland Community College and received a Bachelor of Science in communication and political science from Emporia State University. Todd started her career as an intern for former Representative Lynn Jenkins and was selected for the America’s Future Writing Fellows Program and the Heritage Foundation Young Leaders Program. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Todd served as a Field Representative at Mann for Congress.Staff Assistant: Brycen Gulick of Caney, Kan.&nbsp;Gulick received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Washburn University. Gulick started his career as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rob Olson and served as Legislative and Policy Assistant for Governor Jeff Colyer. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Gulick served as Political Director at Mann for Congress.Scheduler: Emily Woods of Wichita, Kan.&nbsp;Woods attended Butler Community College where she was on the soccer team and received a Bachelor of Science in human resources management at Kansas State University. She also studied aboard in Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Woods was an intern for Governor Jeff Colyer and served as the Finance Director at Mann for Congress.Kansas staffDistrict Director: Reid Petty of Liberal, Kan.&nbsp;Petty received a Bachelor of Arts in education from Oklahoma Panhandle State University and was elected to serve on the USD 480 Board of Education. Petty also was elected and served in the Kansas House of Representatives for the 125th&nbsp;District. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, he worked as Senator Jerry Moran’s SW Kansas District Director. Petty and his wife Hannah have a son, Nicholas, and reside in Manhattan.Constituent Services Director | Community Outreach: Martha Ruiz-Mendoza of California.&nbsp;Ruiz-Mendoza attended Cabot College in National City, Calif., but considers Kansas home. She has lived in Kansas for 26 years and worked for Senator Pat Roberts for 19 and-a-half years. Ruiz-Mendoza loves helping constituents and is excited to continue supporting Kansans in the First District. She is a mother to three children: Joe, Gio, and Alexyss.