MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Agriculture welcomed a beef genetics trade team from Canada in late October. The diverse trade team represented progressive seedstock operations located throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta and the participants had varied cattle breed interests including Black and Red Angus, Charolais, Hereford, and Simmental breeds.

The trade team’s itinerary included stops at McCurry Angus Ranch in Burrton, Bar S Ranch in Paradise, Schrader Ranch in Wells, Fink Beef Genetics in Randolph, River Creek Farms in Manhattan, Sunflower Genetics in Maple Hill, Mid-Am Genetics in Muscotah, and the Jensen Bros. annual sale at Sander’s Ranch in Louisburg. The trade mission concluded at the American Royal livestock show in Kansas City.&nbsp;

“We were fortunate enough to experience eight Kansas seedstock operation that have embraced innovation, service, and quality to elevate their customers’ profitability,” said Shari Leachman from Saskatchewan with Big Gully Farms. “Each family represented the state with a high standard of practicality, professionalism, hospitality, and industry foresight.”

Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, international trade director at KDA, highlighted the significance of the trade relationship with Canada. “This trade mission was the direct result of an outbound trade mission to Canadian Western Agribition last fall,” she said. “It highlights the growing interest in beef genetics and the potential for cross-border partnerships in the beef industry. Through these trade missions, Kansans have had the opportunity to market purebred beef cattle and expand their global networks.”

Supporting all facets of agriculture is central to KDA’s mission, including facilitating opportunities for producers to market and sell beef genetics both domestically and internationally. These missions were made possible through KDA’s membership in U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE) with USDA Market Access Program funding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730475517726.jpeg" alt="A trade team from Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, met with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam during a recent tour of seedstock operations hosted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Pictured (L to R) Tim Gardner, MacMillan Charolais, Saskatchewan; Shari Leachman, Big Gully Farms, Saskatchewan; Mike Beam, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture; Rob Young, High Country Cattle Services, Alberta; Deanne Young, High Country Cattle Services, Alberta; and Justine Gardner Diamond T Cattle Co, Alberta." />
 <figcaption>A trade team from Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, met with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam during a recent tour of seedstock operations hosted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Pictured (L to R) Tim Gardner, MacMillan Charolais, Saskatchewan; Shari Leachman, Big Gully Farms, Saskatchewan; Mike Beam, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture; Rob Young, High Country Cattle Services, Alberta; Deanne Young, High Country Cattle Services, Alberta; and Justine Gardner Diamond T Cattle Co, Alberta.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Department of AgricultureMANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Agriculture welcomed a beef genetics trade team from Canada in late October. The diverse trade team represented progressive seedstock operations located throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta and the participants had varied cattle breed interests including Black and Red Angus, Charolais, Hereford, and Simmental breeds.The trade team’s itinerary included stops at McCurry Angus Ranch in Burrton, Bar S Ranch in Paradise, Schrader Ranch in Wells, Fink Beef Genetics in Randolph, River Creek Farms in Manhattan, Sunflower Genetics in Maple Hill, Mid-Am Genetics in Muscotah, and the Jensen Bros. annual sale at Sander’s Ranch in Louisburg. The trade mission concluded at the American Royal livestock show in Kansas City.&nbsp;“We were fortunate enough to experience eight Kansas seedstock operation that have embraced innovation, service, and quality to elevate their customers’ profitability,” said Shari Leachman from Saskatchewan with Big Gully Farms. “Each family represented the state with a high standard of practicality, professionalism, hospitality, and industry foresight.”Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, international trade director at KDA, highlighted the significance of the trade relationship with Canada. “This trade mission was the direct result of an outbound trade mission to Canadian Western Agribition last fall,” she said. “It highlights the growing interest in beef genetics and the potential for cross-border partnerships in the beef industry. Through these trade missions, Kansans have had the opportunity to market purebred beef cattle and expand their global networks.”Supporting all facets of agriculture is central to KDA’s mission, including facilitating opportunities for producers to market and sell beef genetics both domestically and internationally. These missions were made possible through KDA’s membership in U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE) with USDA Market Access Program funding.

Beef Genetics Trade Team from Canada visits Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Rotary Club announced Friday that their speaker for Monday Nov. 4 is Enrico Villegas, Hutchinson City Manager. The event is at noon at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the campus of Hutchinson Community College. The public is invited to attend.

Villegas brings a wealth of experience in municipal management and infrastructure development to his new role. As the Assistant City Manager/Public Works &amp; IT Director for the City of Warrensburg, MO, and previously as a Project Manager for the City of Lawrence, KS, he has led numerous innovative projects focusing on road reconstruction, sewer upgrades, and broadband initiatives. 

His commitment to collaboration, efficiency, and community engagement has consistently delivered results.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713285230805.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Rotary ClubHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Rotary Club announced Friday that their speaker for Monday Nov. 4 is Enrico Villegas, Hutchinson City Manager. The event is at noon at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the campus of Hutchinson Community College. The public is invited to attend.Villegas brings a wealth of experience in municipal management and infrastructure development to his new role. As the Assistant City Manager/Public Works &amp; IT Director for the City of Warrensburg, MO, and previously as a Project Manager for the City of Lawrence, KS, he has led numerous innovative projects focusing on road reconstruction, sewer upgrades, and broadband initiatives. His commitment to collaboration, efficiency, and community engagement has consistently delivered results.

City Manager to speak to Rotary

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and South Korea have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia</a>&nbsp;to aid Moscow's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>. Beijing has so far stayed quiet.

In a rare meeting earlier this week, three top U.S. diplomats met with China’s ambassador to the United States to emphasize U.S. concerns and urge China to use its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-china-xi-f2b1aebf0016cc32fb40600802540a21">sway with North Korea</a>&nbsp;to try to curtail the cooperation, according to a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the sides had “a robust conversation just this week" and that China knows U.S. expectations are that “they’ll use the influence that they have to work to curb these activities."

“But I think this is a demand signal that’s coming not just from us, but from countries around the world,” he said at a news conference in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">their South Korean counterparts</a>.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is “consistent and clear.”

China strives "for peace talks and political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. This position remains unchanged. China will continue to play a constructive role to this end,” Liu said.

The U.S. says 8,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days</a>. China has yet to publicly comment on the move.

Beijing has forged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-russia-putin-beijing-xi-3212ef85d8318cf853f956173f3a682a">“no limits” partnership with Moscow</a>, and while it has also been a major ally for Pyongyang, experts say Beijing might not approve of the closer military partnership between Russia and North Korea because it sees it as destabilizing in the region.

The Russia-North Korea partnership runs contrary to Beijing’s goal for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at China’s Renmin University.

Beijing is “aware of the complexity and danger of the situation,” Shi said, noting that the “fact that China hasn’t said anything yet on the military alliance agreement between North Korea and Russia indicates that China strongly disagrees with it.”

Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on global issues at Georgetown University, called Beijing’s “radio silence” on North Korea’s move “staggering." He said Beijing must find a balance between supporting Moscow and not angering the West, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping might “for his own sake ignore the whole thing.”

Xi has built a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and “he cannot see Putin fail,” Wilder said this week at a panel discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

At the same time, Xi cannot anger the Europeans and Americans when his country's economy is struggling, Wilder said. “So he’s not going to say anything publicly about this,” Wilder said.

Victor Cha, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said at the same panel discussion that for China, “there’s probably a combination of a little bit of exasperation, a little bit of panic and a little bit of they don’t know what to do with regard to the current situation.”

It’s unclear if Beijing was informed of Pyongyang's move in advance, Cha said. Beijing also could fret over Russia gaining more influence than China over North Korea, Cha said.

Austin said Thursday that China “should be asking Russia some hard questions at this point and whether it intends to broaden this conflict by this kind of behavior.”

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Dan Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien met with Chinese envoy Xie Feng in Washington on Tuesday, according to the State Department official, who would not detail the Chinese response.

Lu Chao, director of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University in China's northeastern province of Liaoning, said the U.S. should not expect China to manage North Korea.

“It is not the case that China is responsible to manage North Korea and the U.S. is responsible for managing South Korea,” Lu said. “I hope the U.S. government could understand China’s stance."

Lu also said the troop deployment is “a matter between Russia and North Korea,” while China’s attitude remains unchanged that the conflict should not be escalated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and South Korea have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia</a>&nbsp;to aid Moscow's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>. Beijing has so far stayed quiet.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecBlinken</a> on North Korean long-range missile test: &quot;We condemn it in the strongest terms.&quot; He also confirms there are an estimated ten thousands North Korean soldiers being trained in Russia. <a href="https://t.co/5rcpKOcD2q">pic.twitter.com/5rcpKOcD2q</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1852057821296116202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a rare meeting earlier this week, three top U.S. diplomats met with China’s ambassador to the United States to emphasize U.S. concerns and urge China to use its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-china-xi-f2b1aebf0016cc32fb40600802540a21">sway with North Korea</a>&nbsp;to try to curtail the cooperation, according to a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the sides had “a robust conversation just this week" and that China knows U.S. expectations are that “they’ll use the influence that they have to work to curb these activities."“But I think this is a demand signal that’s coming not just from us, but from countries around the world,” he said at a news conference in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">their South Korean counterparts</a>.Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is “consistent and clear.”China strives "for peace talks and political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. This position remains unchanged. China will continue to play a constructive role to this end,” Liu said.The U.S. says 8,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days</a>. China has yet to publicly comment on the move.Beijing has forged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-russia-putin-beijing-xi-3212ef85d8318cf853f956173f3a682a">“no limits” partnership with Moscow</a>, and while it has also been a major ally for Pyongyang, experts say Beijing might not approve of the closer military partnership between Russia and North Korea because it sees it as destabilizing in the region.The Russia-North Korea partnership runs contrary to Beijing’s goal for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at China’s Renmin University.Beijing is “aware of the complexity and danger of the situation,” Shi said, noting that the “fact that China hasn’t said anything yet on the military alliance agreement between North Korea and Russia indicates that China strongly disagrees with it.”Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on global issues at Georgetown University, called Beijing’s “radio silence” on North Korea’s move “staggering." He said Beijing must find a balance between supporting Moscow and not angering the West, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping might “for his own sake ignore the whole thing.”Xi has built a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and “he cannot see Putin fail,” Wilder said this week at a panel discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.At the same time, Xi cannot anger the Europeans and Americans when his country's economy is struggling, Wilder said. “So he’s not going to say anything publicly about this,” Wilder said.Victor Cha, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said at the same panel discussion that for China, “there’s probably a combination of a little bit of exasperation, a little bit of panic and a little bit of they don’t know what to do with regard to the current situation.”It’s unclear if Beijing was informed of Pyongyang's move in advance, Cha said. Beijing also could fret over Russia gaining more influence than China over North Korea, Cha said.Austin said Thursday that China “should be asking Russia some hard questions at this point and whether it intends to broaden this conflict by this kind of behavior.”Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Dan Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien met with Chinese envoy Xie Feng in Washington on Tuesday, according to the State Department official, who would not detail the Chinese response.Lu Chao, director of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University in China's northeastern province of Liaoning, said the U.S. should not expect China to manage North Korea.“It is not the case that China is responsible to manage North Korea and the U.S. is responsible for managing South Korea,” Lu said. “I hope the U.S. government could understand China’s stance."Lu also said the troop deployment is “a matter between Russia and North Korea,” while China’s attitude remains unchanged that the conflict should not be escalated.

US asks China for help as North Korea sends troops to help Russia in Ukraine

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that four Kansas communities have secured more than $1.9 million in infrastructure funding to improve local airports. One of those communities is Hutchinson.

The communities secured more than $1.7 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program. Additionally, these projects are receiving almost $200,000 in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.

“Kansas’ airports play a vital role in connecting businesses to more opportunities and strengthening local economies,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These four projects will improve airport infrastructure while strengthening the state’s transportation network.”

“The airports across the state of Kansas are just one of the modes of transportation that we need to enhance whether they are in small or larger communities,” said Rep. Troy Waymaster, Chair of the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee. “I am grateful that these airports in Kansas have been awarded the federal grants so they can enhance their needs for our economy.  This is precisely why the BUILD Kansas program was created so we can leverage the grant dollars for the benefit of Kansans.”

The Hutchinson project is to construct a general aviation taxilane. Build Kansas Funding is $97,888, with Federal Funding Awarded at $881,000, for a total project of $978,888.

“We are grateful for the Build Kansas Fund match we received on our BIL-AIG project. Bids had come in quite a bit higher than we had expected, and we would have had to drop the add-alternate portion to make up the difference. The match allowed us to carry through with the original vision of the project and even save some money for future airport projects,” said Alek Stang, Hutchinson Regional Airport Director.

“We have heard time and time again from our local stakeholders that with a little technical assistance and matching fund support, they would be able to leverage additional federal funding for their communities,” said Kansas Infrastructure Hub Executive Director Matt Volz. “The support provided through the Kansas Infrastructure Hub demonstrates Kansas as a national leader while ensuring that our local communities have the tools necessary to maximize the opportunity, which is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.”

In addition to the awards announced Friday, the Build Kansas Fund has provided the required match dollars for 23 other federal grant awards across Kansas. The combined total investment by the Build Kansas Fund in all projects is over $28.5 million, which has resulted in federal grant awards of more than $44.8 million.

The Kansas Infrastructure Hub connects multiple state agencies and serves as a resource center for Kansas communities to identify best practices for maximizing BIL funding opportunities. The Build Kansas Fund provides state matching dollars for projects throughout Kansas that successfully apply for federal grants under BIL. In 2023, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly approved $200 million for the Build Kansas Fund to provide state-matching dollars to Kansas entities and projects to meet federal-local match requirements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682178530942.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Office of Governor Laura KellyHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced Friday that four Kansas communities have secured more than $1.9 million in infrastructure funding to improve local airports. One of those communities is Hutchinson.The communities secured more than $1.7 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program. Additionally, these projects are receiving almost $200,000 in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.“Kansas’ airports play a vital role in connecting businesses to more opportunities and strengthening local economies,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These four projects will improve airport infrastructure while strengthening the state’s transportation network.”“The airports across the state of Kansas are just one of the modes of transportation that we need to enhance whether they are in small or larger communities,” said Rep. Troy Waymaster, Chair of the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee. “I am grateful that these airports in Kansas have been awarded the federal grants so they can enhance their needs for our economy. This is precisely why the BUILD Kansas program was created so we can leverage the grant dollars for the benefit of Kansans.”The Hutchinson project is to construct a general aviation taxilane. Build Kansas Funding is $97,888, with Federal Funding Awarded at $881,000, for a total project of $978,888.“We are grateful for the Build Kansas Fund match we received on our BIL-AIG project. Bids had come in quite a bit higher than we had expected, and we would have had to drop the add-alternate portion to make up the difference. The match allowed us to carry through with the original vision of the project and even save some money for future airport projects,” said Alek Stang, Hutchinson Regional Airport Director.“We have heard time and time again from our local stakeholders that with a little technical assistance and matching fund support, they would be able to leverage additional federal funding for their communities,” said Kansas Infrastructure Hub Executive Director Matt Volz. “The support provided through the Kansas Infrastructure Hub demonstrates Kansas as a national leader while ensuring that our local communities have the tools necessary to maximize the opportunity, which is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.”In addition to the awards announced Friday, the Build Kansas Fund has provided the required match dollars for 23 other federal grant awards across Kansas. The combined total investment by the Build Kansas Fund in all projects is over $28.5 million, which has resulted in federal grant awards of more than $44.8 million.The Kansas Infrastructure Hub connects multiple state agencies and serves as a resource center for Kansas communities to identify best practices for maximizing BIL funding opportunities. The Build Kansas Fund provides state matching dollars for projects throughout Kansas that successfully apply for federal grants under BIL. In 2023, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly approved $200 million for the Build Kansas Fund to provide state-matching dollars to Kansas entities and projects to meet federal-local match requirements.

Airport project gets state funding

Just in time for home bakers to experiment over the holidays, entries for the 2025 National Festival of Breads will open on November 1. The biennial competition invites amateur bakers to showcase their baking skills with original recipes.&nbsp;

“The National Festival of Breads is a beloved tradition that helps to celebrate and preserve the tradition of baking bread at home,” said Cindy Falk, Kansas Wheat nutrition educator and co-director of the National Festival of Breads. “We look forward to seeing the baking skills and creativity of this year’s competitors.”&nbsp;

The Festival of Breads was started 34 years ago by the Kansas Wheat Commission, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Wheathearts, a women’s auxiliary group of wheat growers. The contest was designed to honor the art of baking, encourage the use of Kansas products and recognize the Kansas wheat and milling industries. The contest went national in 2009, and has received submissions and had champions from all over the United States.

Entries for the 2025 contest will be accepted online from November 1, 2024, through January 16, 2025. Winners and other awards will be announced online on the National Festival of Breads website and social media on June 4, 2025. Category winners will each receive a $1,000 check and a baking prize bundle. Honorable mention winners will receive a check for $100.&nbsp;

The contest is open to adult home bakers, 18 years or older, who submit an original recipe and photo in the online entry system. Recipes must state the brand and type of flour used and make one or more loaves or at least one dozen rolls, scones, muffins, biscuits, etc. No sourdough recipes will be accepted; all recipes must have 10 or fewer ingredients. Read the full rules at&nbsp;<a href="http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/" target="_blank">nationalfestivalofbreads.com</a>.&nbsp;

This year’s contest includes two categories — quick bread and yeast bread.&nbsp;

Quick bread is defined as recipes made without yeast and with a leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda), which allows for immediate baking after preparation. Examples include muffins, scones, soda bread, tortillas, coffeecakes, pancakes, fritters, dumplings, fruit and nut breads, waffles, beer bread, biscuits and more.&nbsp;

Yeast breads are made with yeast (instant, active dry, bread machine yeast, etc.) and most often use bread flour, high-protein flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of flours. Examples include sweet or savory breads and rolls, whole grain breads and rolls, Dutch oven breads, holiday breads and fancy braids, sandwich loaves and more.&nbsp;

Select recipes will be baked and evaluated in the test kitchen at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center by Falk and a team of experts before winners are selected and announced on June 4, 2025.&nbsp;

“The National Festival of Breads is not just a competition; it’s a celebration of the joy of baking,” Falk said. “Whether you are a seasoned baker or just starting your baking journey, the festival is the perfect place to share your spin on a family favorite, try something new over the holidays or just experiment in the kitchen. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!”

Find inspiration from previous winners, read the full rules and enter the&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001lqhiZNnmA2tAWxl0R717aQs-q5aKfUga6GA1FOKqswFEo4gsTmZzoS6t0wcuBmcx6ustvPYEKdAFRMl81Iv6D1HYhZVDLblmPcbR8w1Vmf63RHHWCOvExOcke95EdnGBm9KXAcK99eFC8WIURTWhyyc8EKMR__iXwXRWnv_MgIY=&amp;c=riXOCdNRU9Gjp-C804KUskS6EDqSfFxzKvKGfYbQYAvcXUsiG9Iwzw==&amp;ch=6N-9oty1uNd6nAh8Ncq4-L5W8Iv3fwhq6CgYNeGc6kpk6Q-K6owtNA==" target="_blank">National Festival of Breads</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730395622843.png" alt="Wheat Scoop Breads" />
 <figcaption>Wheat Scoop Breads</figcaption>
 </figure>JULIA DEBES Kansas WheatJust in time for home bakers to experiment over the holidays, entries for the 2025 National Festival of Breads will open on November 1. The biennial competition invites amateur bakers to showcase their baking skills with original recipes.&nbsp;“The National Festival of Breads is a beloved tradition that helps to celebrate and preserve the tradition of baking bread at home,” said Cindy Falk, Kansas Wheat nutrition educator and co-director of the National Festival of Breads. “We look forward to seeing the baking skills and creativity of this year’s competitors.”&nbsp;The Festival of Breads was started 34 years ago by the Kansas Wheat Commission, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Wheathearts, a women’s auxiliary group of wheat growers. The contest was designed to honor the art of baking, encourage the use of Kansas products and recognize the Kansas wheat and milling industries. The contest went national in 2009, and has received submissions and had champions from all over the United States.Entries for the 2025 contest will be accepted online from November 1, 2024, through January 16, 2025. Winners and other awards will be announced online on the National Festival of Breads website and social media on June 4, 2025. Category winners will each receive a $1,000 check and a baking prize bundle. Honorable mention winners will receive a check for $100.&nbsp;The contest is open to adult home bakers, 18 years or older, who submit an original recipe and photo in the online entry system. Recipes must state the brand and type of flour used and make one or more loaves or at least one dozen rolls, scones, muffins, biscuits, etc. No sourdough recipes will be accepted; all recipes must have 10 or fewer ingredients. Read the full rules at&nbsp;<a href="http://nationalfestivalofbreads.com/" target="_blank">nationalfestivalofbreads.com</a>.&nbsp;This year’s contest includes two categories — quick bread and yeast bread.&nbsp;Quick bread is defined as recipes made without yeast and with a leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda), which allows for immediate baking after preparation. Examples include muffins, scones, soda bread, tortillas, coffeecakes, pancakes, fritters, dumplings, fruit and nut breads, waffles, beer bread, biscuits and more.&nbsp;Yeast breads are made with yeast (instant, active dry, bread machine yeast, etc.) and most often use bread flour, high-protein flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of flours. Examples include sweet or savory breads and rolls, whole grain breads and rolls, Dutch oven breads, holiday breads and fancy braids, sandwich loaves and more.&nbsp;Select recipes will be baked and evaluated in the test kitchen at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center by Falk and a team of experts before winners are selected and announced on June 4, 2025.&nbsp;“The National Festival of Breads is not just a competition; it’s a celebration of the joy of baking,” Falk said. “Whether you are a seasoned baker or just starting your baking journey, the festival is the perfect place to share your spin on a family favorite, try something new over the holidays or just experiment in the kitchen. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!”Find inspiration from previous winners, read the full rules and enter the&nbsp;<a href="https://sfdzp7cab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001lqhiZNnmA2tAWxl0R717aQs-q5aKfUga6GA1FOKqswFEo4gsTmZzoS6t0wcuBmcx6ustvPYEKdAFRMl81Iv6D1HYhZVDLblmPcbR8w1Vmf63RHHWCOvExOcke95EdnGBm9KXAcK99eFC8WIURTWhyyc8EKMR__iXwXRWnv_MgIY=&amp;c=riXOCdNRU9Gjp-C804KUskS6EDqSfFxzKvKGfYbQYAvcXUsiG9Iwzw==&amp;ch=6N-9oty1uNd6nAh8Ncq4-L5W8Iv3fwhq6CgYNeGc6kpk6Q-K6owtNA==" target="_blank">National Festival of Breads</a>.

Entries for the 2025 National Festival of Breads open November 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.

The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”

“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."

The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.

The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.

Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”

The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.

The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.

The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.

White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.

“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.

The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.

Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.

In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.

“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.

Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730427906351.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: Biden-Harris White House may have violated the law by altering President Biden’s “garbage” remarks in official transcript. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepStefanik</a>) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) are raising concerns… <a href="https://t.co/52z6J7EO7q">pic.twitter.com/52z6J7EO7q</a>&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1851727058251948288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

White House altered transcript of President Biden's "garbage" remarks

ATLANTA (AP) — Two ballot drop boxes in the Pacific Northwest were damaged in a suspected arson attack just over a week before Election Day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">destroying hundreds of ballots</a>&nbsp;at one location in Vancouver, Washington.

At the other, in neighboring Portland, Oregon, it appears a fire suppression system worked to contain the blaze and limited the number of ballots damaged to three. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage as they try to identify who is responsible.

Here’s what happened, how rules and security measures about drop boxes vary across the country, and how election conspiracy theories have undermined confidence in their use.

Police said incendiary devices started the fires in the drop boxes in Portland and Vancouver. Authorities said evidence showed the fires were connected and that they also are related to an Oct. 8 incident when an incendiary device was placed at a different drop box in Vancouver.

Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said his office was planning to contact the three voters whose ballots were damaged in Portland to help them get replacements.

In Vancouver, hundreds of ballots were lost at a ballot box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center when the drop box’s fire suppression system did not work as intended. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said the box was last emptied at 11 a.m. Saturday. Voters who dropped their ballots there afterward are being urged to contact the office to get a new one.

The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening to keep ballot boxes from remaining full overnight when vandalism is more likely to occur.

Kimsey described the suspected arson as "a direct attack on democracy.”

Drop boxes have been used for years in states such as Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington, where ballots are mailed to all registered voters.

They grew in popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as election officials sought options for voters who wanted to avoid crowded polling places or were worried about mail delays.

In all, 27 states and the District of Columbia allow ballot drop boxes, according to data collected by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Six others don’t have a specific law but allow local communities to use them.

Placement can vary widely. In some communities, they’re located inside public buildings, available only during office hours. Elsewhere, they are outside and accessible at any hour, typically with video surveillance or someone watching.

Sporadic problems have occurred over the years.

In 2020, a few drop boxes were hit by vehicles, and one in Massachusetts was damaged by arson. In that case, most of the ballots were legible enough for voters to be identified and sent replacements. A drop box also was set on fire in Los Angeles County in 2020.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises state and local election officials to place drop boxes in convenient, high-traffic areas that are familiar to voters, such as libraries and community centers.

If drop boxes are not staffed, they should be secured and locked at all times, located in well-lit areas and monitored by video surveillance cameras, the guidance says. Many are bolted to the ground, surveilled with cameras or confined to public buildings during business hours, where they can be monitored.

How have conspiracy theories contributed to concerns around drop boxes?

Ballot drop boxes have been in the spotlight for the last four years, targeted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;that falsely claimed they were responsible for massive voter fraud in 2020.

A debunked film called “2,000 Mules” amplified the claims, exposing millions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762">a groundless theory</a>&nbsp;that a ballot harvesting operation was depositing fraudulent ballots in drop boxes in the dark of night.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found there were no widespread problems associated with drop boxes in 2020.

Paranoia about drop boxes continued into the 2022 midterms, when armed vigilantes began showing up to monitor them in Arizona and were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-phoenix-5353cfd0774727e6dd03bdbf48c12211">restricted by a federal judge</a>. This year, the conservative group True the Vote launched a website hosting citizen livestreams of drop boxes in various states.

In Montana, where an important U.S. Senate race is on the ballot, Republicans recently seized on an unsubstantiated ballot box tampering claim to raise money off doubts about the electoral process.

How have states responded since the 2020 election?

Republican lawmakers in several states sought to tighten rules around mail voting after the 2020 election, and much of their focus was on the use of ballot drop boxes.

Six states have since banned them: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access.

Other states have restricted their use. This includes Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

In Georgia's Fulton County, which includes Atlanta and has over 1 million residents, 10 ballot drop boxes are available for this year’s presidential election. That's down from 38 four years ago under an emergency rule prompted by the pandemic. It’s the result of an election overhaul by Georgia Republicans in response to former President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of a stolen election.

Overall, 12 states prohibit drop boxes or do not list drop boxes as an approved method of returning a ballot, according to data collected by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Five other states do not have a state law and do not use drop boxes.

Drop boxes had been used for years in Wisconsin, one of this year's presidential battlegrounds, but support for them has split along ideological lines since 2020. In Wausau, the conservative mayor carted away the city’s lone drop box, an action that’s under investigation by the state Department of Justice. The drop box has since been returned and is in use.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="-Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>-Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Two ballot drop boxes in the Pacific Northwest were damaged in a suspected arson attack just over a week before Election Day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff">destroying hundreds of ballots</a>&nbsp;at one location in Vancouver, Washington.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Breaking - Statement from the FBI, U.S. Attorney&#39;s Office. <a href="https://twitter.com/USAO_OR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAO_OR</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rn0ZNjZdP2">pic.twitter.com/Rn0ZNjZdP2</a>&mdash; FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIPortland/status/1851407956769656968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>At the other, in neighboring Portland, Oregon, it appears a fire suppression system worked to contain the blaze and limited the number of ballots damaged to three. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage as they try to identify who is responsible.Here’s what happened, how rules and security measures about drop boxes vary across the country, and how election conspiracy theories have undermined confidence in their use.<h2>What do we know?</h2>Police said incendiary devices started the fires in the drop boxes in Portland and Vancouver. Authorities said evidence showed the fires were connected and that they also are related to an Oct. 8 incident when an incendiary device was placed at a different drop box in Vancouver.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="-Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>-Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said his office was planning to contact the three voters whose ballots were damaged in Portland to help them get replacements.In Vancouver, hundreds of ballots were lost at a ballot box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center when the drop box’s fire suppression system did not work as intended. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said the box was last emptied at 11 a.m. Saturday. Voters who dropped their ballots there afterward are being urged to contact the office to get a new one.The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening to keep ballot boxes from remaining full overnight when vandalism is more likely to occur.Kimsey described the suspected arson as "a direct attack on democracy.”<h2>When and where can drop boxes be used?</h2>Drop boxes have been used for years in states such as Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington, where ballots are mailed to all registered voters.They grew in popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as election officials sought options for voters who wanted to avoid crowded polling places or were worried about mail delays.In all, 27 states and the District of Columbia allow ballot drop boxes, according to data collected by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Six others don’t have a specific law but allow local communities to use them.Placement can vary widely. In some communities, they’re located inside public buildings, available only during office hours. Elsewhere, they are outside and accessible at any hour, typically with video surveillance or someone watching.Sporadic problems have occurred over the years.In 2020, a few drop boxes were hit by vehicles, and one in Massachusetts was damaged by arson. In that case, most of the ballots were legible enough for voters to be identified and sent replacements. A drop box also was set on fire in Los Angeles County in 2020.<h2>How should they be secured?</h2>The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises state and local election officials to place drop boxes in convenient, high-traffic areas that are familiar to voters, such as libraries and community centers.If drop boxes are not staffed, they should be secured and locked at all times, located in well-lit areas and monitored by video surveillance cameras, the guidance says. Many are bolted to the ground, surveilled with cameras or confined to public buildings during business hours, where they can be monitored.<h2>How have conspiracy theories contributed to concerns around drop boxes?</h2>Ballot drop boxes have been in the spotlight for the last four years, targeted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;that falsely claimed they were responsible for massive voter fraud in 2020.A debunked film called “2,000 Mules” amplified the claims, exposing millions to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762">a groundless theory</a>&nbsp;that a ballot harvesting operation was depositing fraudulent ballots in drop boxes in the dark of night.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found there were no widespread problems associated with drop boxes in 2020.Paranoia about drop boxes continued into the 2022 midterms, when armed vigilantes began showing up to monitor them in Arizona and were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-phoenix-5353cfd0774727e6dd03bdbf48c12211">restricted by a federal judge</a>. This year, the conservative group True the Vote launched a website hosting citizen livestreams of drop boxes in various states.In Montana, where an important U.S. Senate race is on the ballot, Republicans recently seized on an unsubstantiated ballot box tampering claim to raise money off doubts about the electoral process.<h2>How have states responded since the 2020 election?</h2>Republican lawmakers in several states sought to tighten rules around mail voting after the 2020 election, and much of their focus was on the use of ballot drop boxes.Six states have since banned them: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access.Other states have restricted their use. This includes Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.In Georgia's Fulton County, which includes Atlanta and has over 1 million residents, 10 ballot drop boxes are available for this year’s presidential election. That's down from 38 four years ago under an emergency rule prompted by the pandemic. It’s the result of an election overhaul by Georgia Republicans in response to former President Donald&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump’s false claims</a>&nbsp;of a stolen election.Overall, 12 states prohibit drop boxes or do not list drop boxes as an approved method of returning a ballot, according to data collected by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Five other states do not have a state law and do not use drop boxes.Drop boxes had been used for years in Wisconsin, one of this year's presidential battlegrounds, but support for them has split along ideological lines since 2020. In Wausau, the conservative mayor carted away the city’s lone drop box, an action that’s under investigation by the state Department of Justice. The drop box has since been returned and is in use.___

Search continues for suspect in ballot drop box fires

RENO COUNTY — Reno County Solid Waste has developed procedures that provide a maximum benefit to citizens of Reno County, but in instances as high wind days and warnings posted in advance the Reno County Solid Waste Department reserves the right to turn away all customers of municipal solid waste, construction/demolition waste material and any other potentially airborne solid wastes when:

When the decision to close operations to the public is made, the gate will be closed at the discretion of the landfill. Customers currently weighed-in will be allowed to dump, but all others will be turned away and asked to leave the property.

Notifications of closure will be made immediately to affected customers, those haulers using the landfill on a regular basis through the media, by phone, and on social media sites within two hours of the decision/closing the gates.&nbsp;

Landfill staff will work diligently to cover the open disposal area as well as possible to keep trash and other debris from becoming airborne.

Reopening of the landfill will be scheduled when the high winds have ended. If the landfill remains closed through the end of the business day, efforts will be made to open the landfill one half hour early the next business morning.&nbsp;

Operational decisions at the site are made by the Reno County Solid Waste Director and in his or her absence by landfill staff in consultation with the Reno County Administrator.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650461756634.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY — Reno County Solid Waste has developed procedures that provide a maximum benefit to citizens of Reno County, but in instances as high wind days and warnings posted in advance the Reno County Solid Waste Department reserves the right to turn away all customers of municipal solid waste, construction/demolition waste material and any other potentially airborne solid wastes when:<ol>
 <li>There is a sustained wind speed above 45 miles per hour</li><li>There are wind gusts above 50-55 miles per hour</li><li>Before a forecasted wind of sustained 45 miles per hour or above arrives</li>
 </ol>When the decision to close operations to the public is made, the gate will be closed at the discretion of the landfill. Customers currently weighed-in will be allowed to dump, but all others will be turned away and asked to leave the property.Notifications of closure will be made immediately to affected customers, those haulers using the landfill on a regular basis through the media, by phone, and on social media sites within two hours of the decision/closing the gates.&nbsp;Landfill staff will work diligently to cover the open disposal area as well as possible to keep trash and other debris from becoming airborne.Reopening of the landfill will be scheduled when the high winds have ended. If the landfill remains closed through the end of the business day, efforts will be made to open the landfill one half hour early the next business morning.&nbsp;Operational decisions at the site are made by the Reno County Solid Waste Director and in his or her absence by landfill staff in consultation with the Reno County Administrator.

Landfill high wind policy

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Attorneys attempting to overturn the death penalty in Kansas argue capital juries are skewed toward conviction and disproportionately white

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The death penalty creates racially biased juries, results in wrongful convictions and does not deter crime, attorneys seeking to overturn capital punishment in Kansas said in a court hearing Monday.

A coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/16/aclu-challenges-kansas-death-penalty-as-arbitrary-racially-discriminatory-unreliable/">filed a challenge earlier this month</a>&nbsp;seeking to overturn Kansas’ death penalty. Hearings on the issue began Monday in Wyandotte County District Court.

In an opening statement and through witness testimony, attorneys made the case that capital punishment is unconstitutional, in part because of how it skews the makeup of juries. Testimony is expected to last the rest of the week and resume with one more witness in January.

“If you are charged with capital murder … you are less likely to get a fair trial,” Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project, said in her opening statement.

The challenge comes in a pair of capital murder cases against&nbsp;<a href="https://prodportal.kscourts.org/app/RegisterOfActions/#/9AB7D5E0EE5C1408647FEAE132D2D6DF0245E69EE5FBBF0C32749E4C4757020A5DEACCDEBD0957F756C43E976B366C3F3A9CD4E18CB4A60A59F34890D8662C130D5E02948CAE383A89AAB3F705F41DC8/auth/portalembed" target="_blank">Antoine Fielder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://prodportal.kscourts.org/app/RegisterOfActions/#/9900E7B05C2AA87AB632F7478B4E040A94A2F65353EF1D5995E0E0C128395FCC983002060B93424FBECDD1AC842E57BC1A128FEC1005B8865F1D7742C08A99E9A6EA6E5CC7AB92916AF6DDD411749865/auth/portalembed" target="_blank">Hugo Villanueva-Morales</a>. Fielder is accused of killing Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputies Patrick Rohrer and Theresa King in 2018 during an inmate transport. Villanueva-Morales is charged with capital murder in a 2019 mass shooting at a bar in Kansas City. He’s also charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and several counts of aggravated battery.

Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree argued in an opening statement that because neither defendant has been tried and convicted, the ACLU’s challenge is premature.

“At this point, the state stands by the law that neither of these arguments are ripe for hearing,” Dupree said.

Kansas is one of 27 states that still allows defendants to be sentenced to death and currently has nine inmates on death row. It hasn’t carried out an execution since 1965, and it was among the slowest to reinstate the death penalty after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for new capital punishment laws in 1976 — four years after it struck down previous laws across the country. Kansas didn’t adopt a new death penalty statute until 1994.

While Kansas courts have considered challenges to the death penalty before, the ACLU is seeking a finding that capital punishment is unconstitutional as it’s applied in cases. One of the witnesses called by the coalition argued the death penalty is “irretrievably broken.”

Attorneys in the case are also challenging Kansas’ practice of “death qualification” for prospective jurors. During jury selection in capital cases, attorneys can disqualify prospective jurors based on their views of the death penalty, which the ACLU argues “disproportionately discriminates against jurors who are Black, women and/or religious,” violating defendants’ rights to an impartial jury and excluding jurors’ rights to participate in democratic functions.

Witnesses called by the ACLU argued historic —&nbsp;and ongoing — racism in the criminal justice system make Black prospective jurors less likely to support the death penalty, resulting in juries that are disproportionately white.

Stubbs said in her opening statement that there’s “no question that death qualification results in juries that are more likely to convict.”

“If you have two people … and one person is charged with a theft and one person is charged with capital murder, the person charged with the theft is going to get a much, much more diverse jury,” Stubbs said in an interview following the hearing.

Not only are death penalty juries more likely to convict, according to one of the witnesses the ACLU called, they’re more likely to wrongfully convict an innocent person. Carol Steiker, a Harvard Law School professor and researcher, said pressure to solve high-profile murder cases can lead to poor police work, which is then presented to juries she argues are racially biased and prone to convict defendants.

“Those juries are way skewed in a way that is not the case … in sentencing on the noncapital side,” Steiker said.

Following Steiker’s testimony, the ACLU called as witnesses two historians who argued racism and racial terror is inextricably tied to Kansas’ history, pointing to the prevalence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 19th and 20th centuries and high-profile lynchings across the state.

“Segregation, racism, discrimination is not a southern phenomenon,” said Shawn Alexander, a professor of African and African American studies at the University of Kansas. “… It’s a national phenomenon, and Kansas is part of that and part of that history.”

Stubbs said the testimony demonstrated why Black Kansans are less likely to trust law enforcement or support the death penalty, leading to skewed juries.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/challenging-death-qualification-and-the-death-penalty-in-kansas-kansas-v-fielder#legal-documents" target="_blank">ACLU’s filings</a>&nbsp;argue the Kansas Supreme Court invited this challenge to the death penalty in a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/21/kansas-supreme-court-affirms-death-sentences-for-brothers-in-vicious-wichita-murder-spree/">decision two years ago concerning Jonathan and Reginald Carr</a>, who were convicted in a series of murders in Wichita.

In the case, the justices wrote that allegations that capital juries have higher levels of racial bias and are prone to convict defendants “warrant careful analysis and scrutiny.” But the issue wasn’t sufficiently argued in the court record and the justices wrote in the decision that they couldn’t conduct “any meaningful review” of the issue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730206594234.png" alt=" Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project, speaks with reporters after a hearing on the death penalty in Wyandotte County District Court. The ACLU is challenging the death penalty in Kansas, arguing it creates biased juries, results in wrongful conviction and fails to deter crime. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project, speaks with reporters after a hearing on the death penalty in Wyandotte County District Court. The ACLU is challenging the death penalty in Kansas, arguing it creates biased juries, results in wrongful conviction and fails to deter crime. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Attorneys attempting to overturn the death penalty in Kansas argue capital juries are skewed toward conviction and disproportionately white</h2>KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The death penalty creates racially biased juries, results in wrongful convictions and does not deter crime, attorneys seeking to overturn capital punishment in Kansas said in a court hearing Monday.A coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/16/aclu-challenges-kansas-death-penalty-as-arbitrary-racially-discriminatory-unreliable/">filed a challenge earlier this month</a>&nbsp;seeking to overturn Kansas’ death penalty. Hearings on the issue began Monday in Wyandotte County District Court.In an opening statement and through witness testimony, attorneys made the case that capital punishment is unconstitutional, in part because of how it skews the makeup of juries. Testimony is expected to last the rest of the week and resume with one more witness in January.“If you are charged with capital murder … you are less likely to get a fair trial,” Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project, said in her opening statement.The challenge comes in a pair of capital murder cases against&nbsp;<a href="https://prodportal.kscourts.org/app/RegisterOfActions/#/9AB7D5E0EE5C1408647FEAE132D2D6DF0245E69EE5FBBF0C32749E4C4757020A5DEACCDEBD0957F756C43E976B366C3F3A9CD4E18CB4A60A59F34890D8662C130D5E02948CAE383A89AAB3F705F41DC8/auth/portalembed" target="_blank">Antoine Fielder</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://prodportal.kscourts.org/app/RegisterOfActions/#/9900E7B05C2AA87AB632F7478B4E040A94A2F65353EF1D5995E0E0C128395FCC983002060B93424FBECDD1AC842E57BC1A128FEC1005B8865F1D7742C08A99E9A6EA6E5CC7AB92916AF6DDD411749865/auth/portalembed" target="_blank">Hugo Villanueva-Morales</a>. Fielder is accused of killing Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputies Patrick Rohrer and Theresa King in 2018 during an inmate transport. Villanueva-Morales is charged with capital murder in a 2019 mass shooting at a bar in Kansas City. He’s also charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and several counts of aggravated battery.Both are awaiting trial.Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree argued in an opening statement that because neither defendant has been tried and convicted, the ACLU’s challenge is premature.“At this point, the state stands by the law that neither of these arguments are ripe for hearing,” Dupree said.Kansas is one of 27 states that still allows defendants to be sentenced to death and currently has nine inmates on death row. It hasn’t carried out an execution since 1965, and it was among the slowest to reinstate the death penalty after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for new capital punishment laws in 1976 — four years after it struck down previous laws across the country. Kansas didn’t adopt a new death penalty statute until 1994.While Kansas courts have considered challenges to the death penalty before, the ACLU is seeking a finding that capital punishment is unconstitutional as it’s applied in cases. One of the witnesses called by the coalition argued the death penalty is “irretrievably broken.”Attorneys in the case are also challenging Kansas’ practice of “death qualification” for prospective jurors. During jury selection in capital cases, attorneys can disqualify prospective jurors based on their views of the death penalty, which the ACLU argues “disproportionately discriminates against jurors who are Black, women and/or religious,” violating defendants’ rights to an impartial jury and excluding jurors’ rights to participate in democratic functions.Witnesses called by the ACLU argued historic —&nbsp;and ongoing — racism in the criminal justice system make Black prospective jurors less likely to support the death penalty, resulting in juries that are disproportionately white.Stubbs said in her opening statement that there’s “no question that death qualification results in juries that are more likely to convict.”“If you have two people … and one person is charged with a theft and one person is charged with capital murder, the person charged with the theft is going to get a much, much more diverse jury,” Stubbs said in an interview following the hearing.Not only are death penalty juries more likely to convict, according to one of the witnesses the ACLU called, they’re more likely to wrongfully convict an innocent person. Carol Steiker, a Harvard Law School professor and researcher, said pressure to solve high-profile murder cases can lead to poor police work, which is then presented to juries she argues are racially biased and prone to convict defendants.“Those juries are way skewed in a way that is not the case … in sentencing on the noncapital side,” Steiker said.Following Steiker’s testimony, the ACLU called as witnesses two historians who argued racism and racial terror is inextricably tied to Kansas’ history, pointing to the prevalence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 19th and 20th centuries and high-profile lynchings across the state.“Segregation, racism, discrimination is not a southern phenomenon,” said Shawn Alexander, a professor of African and African American studies at the University of Kansas. “… It’s a national phenomenon, and Kansas is part of that and part of that history.”Stubbs said the testimony demonstrated why Black Kansans are less likely to trust law enforcement or support the death penalty, leading to skewed juries.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/challenging-death-qualification-and-the-death-penalty-in-kansas-kansas-v-fielder#legal-documents" target="_blank">ACLU’s filings</a>&nbsp;argue the Kansas Supreme Court invited this challenge to the death penalty in a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/21/kansas-supreme-court-affirms-death-sentences-for-brothers-in-vicious-wichita-murder-spree/">decision two years ago concerning Jonathan and Reginald Carr</a>, who were convicted in a series of murders in Wichita.In the case, the justices wrote that allegations that capital juries have higher levels of racial bias and are prone to convict defendants “warrant careful analysis and scrutiny.” But the issue wasn’t sufficiently argued in the court record and the justices wrote in the decision that they couldn’t conduct “any meaningful review” of the issue.

ACLU starts hearings on Kansas death penalty by emphasizing evidence of racial bias

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.

The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.

But within a few hours, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-washington-house-congress-election-2024-4b0c35b5c2ed1d55eb037a1d1c0d3cdd">one of the closest U.S. House races</a>&nbsp;in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.

The ballot box in Vancouver also had a fire suppression system inside, but that failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. He urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.

“Heartbreaking,” Kimsey said. “It’s a direct attack on democracy.”

The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening, Kimsey said, to keep the ballot boxes from remaining full of ballots overnight when similar crimes are considered more likely to occur.

The county also decided late Monday to hire workers through a staffing agency to monitor all of its drop boxes 24 hours a day until the election is over, Kimsey said. The workers will have instructions to simply observe the ballot boxes and not confront anyone. Instead, they will call 911 if they see anything suspicious, he said.

Ballot drop boxes have faced increasing criticism from Republicans and have been the focus of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">baseless right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;in recent years, tied to former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found that there were no widespread issues with drop boxes in 2020, and none that could have affected the results.

Six states have banned ballot drop boxes since 2020: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access. Other states have restricted their use, including Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Washington and Oregon, which are both vote-by-mail states, have long used ballot drop boxes.

Authorities said at a news conference in Portland that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires Monday were connected — and that they were also connected to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.

Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner told a news conference. The incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes.

The fire suppression systems inside the ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon were designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots with a fire-suppressing powder.

The system appeared to have worked in the Portland drop box, and security staffers were nearby to help put out the fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said the county has contracted with private security officers to have “roving patrols” that drive around the county 24 hours a day and “put eyes” on all drop boxes.

He said one of the guards was at the county elections office, heard what sounded like a blast — likely the activation of the fire suppression system — and called police.

For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver.

Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement that she is requesting an overnight law enforcement presence posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day.

“Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” her statement said.

In a video posted on the social platform X, Kent also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism.” He said he trusted law enforcement to find out who was responsible, urged voters to make sure their ballots are counted and said he continues to have faith in the ballot drop box system in Washington.

“No one should be intimidated,” Kent said.

Voters were encouraged to check their ballot status online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track its return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the Secretary of State’s office said.

John Burnside, 68, said he and his wife dropped off their ballots at the Vancouver box Sunday afternoon and learned about the fire the next morning on the news. He checked the status of their ballots, did not see that they had been received by elections officials, and requested new ones.

They now plan to either mail their ballots or deliver them in person, he said.

“I’m certainly in favor of in-person voting simply because you know your ballot goes through right then,” he said. “It may be extra work but it does add a level of security.”

Officials in Portland were able to identify the three voters whose ballots were damaged and planned to contact them and provide replacement ballots. The Multnomah County sheriff's office said it would be increasing uniformed and plainclothes patrols around the drop boxes.

Monday afternoon, voters dropped off their ballots at the new drop box that replaced the one that had been set on fire in Portland. Pam Parnell said the incident shocked her.

“It just seems so wrong,” said Parnell, who was dropping off her ballot. “We’ve worked for over 200 years to have a country and have voting.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement: “Voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election is un-American and will not be tolerated."

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state would not tolerate threats or acts of violence meant to derail voting.

“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” he said.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said state and local elections officials were fully dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted accurately.

“This was a violent attack on democracy, and we will do everything to keep our election system strong and secure in Washington,” Inslee said in a statement. “There will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”

In Phoenix last week, officials said roughly five ballots were destroyed and others damaged when a fire was set in a drop box at a U.S. Postal Service station there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Breaking: FBI Portland statement regarding response to incidents in Vancouver, Wa, and Portland today. <a href="https://twitter.com/VancouverPDUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vancouverpdusa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PortlandPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@portlandpolice</a> <a href="https://t.co/tCely668te">pic.twitter.com/tCely668te</a>&mdash; FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIPortland/status/1850981148702261730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But within a few hours, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-washington-house-congress-election-2024-4b0c35b5c2ed1d55eb037a1d1c0d3cdd">one of the closest U.S. House races</a>&nbsp;in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.The ballot box in Vancouver also had a fire suppression system inside, but that failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. He urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.“Heartbreaking,” Kimsey said. “It’s a direct attack on democracy.”The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening, Kimsey said, to keep the ballot boxes from remaining full of ballots overnight when similar crimes are considered more likely to occur.The county also decided late Monday to hire workers through a staffing agency to monitor all of its drop boxes 24 hours a day until the election is over, Kimsey said. The workers will have instructions to simply observe the ballot boxes and not confront anyone. Instead, they will call 911 if they see anything suspicious, he said.Ballot drop boxes have faced increasing criticism from Republicans and have been the focus of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">baseless right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;in recent years, tied to former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found that there were no widespread issues with drop boxes in 2020, and none that could have affected the results.Six states have banned ballot drop boxes since 2020: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access. Other states have restricted their use, including Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.Washington and Oregon, which are both vote-by-mail states, have long used ballot drop boxes.Authorities said at a news conference in Portland that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires Monday were connected — and that they were also connected to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner told a news conference. The incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes.The FBI was also investigating.The fire suppression systems inside the ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon were designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots with a fire-suppressing powder.The system appeared to have worked in the Portland drop box, and security staffers were nearby to help put out the fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said the county has contracted with private security officers to have “roving patrols” that drive around the county 24 hours a day and “put eyes” on all drop boxes.He said one of the guards was at the county elections office, heard what sounded like a blast — likely the activation of the fire suppression system — and called police.For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver.Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement that she is requesting an overnight law enforcement presence posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day.“Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” her statement said.In a video posted on the social platform X, Kent also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism.” He said he trusted law enforcement to find out who was responsible, urged voters to make sure their ballots are counted and said he continues to have faith in the ballot drop box system in Washington.“No one should be intimidated,” Kent said.Voters were encouraged to check their ballot status online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track its return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the Secretary of State’s office said.John Burnside, 68, said he and his wife dropped off their ballots at the Vancouver box Sunday afternoon and learned about the fire the next morning on the news. He checked the status of their ballots, did not see that they had been received by elections officials, and requested new ones.They now plan to either mail their ballots or deliver them in person, he said.“I’m certainly in favor of in-person voting simply because you know your ballot goes through right then,” he said. “It may be extra work but it does add a level of security.”Officials in Portland were able to identify the three voters whose ballots were damaged and planned to contact them and provide replacement ballots. The Multnomah County sheriff's office said it would be increasing uniformed and plainclothes patrols around the drop boxes.Monday afternoon, voters dropped off their ballots at the new drop box that replaced the one that had been set on fire in Portland. Pam Parnell said the incident shocked her.“It just seems so wrong,” said Parnell, who was dropping off her ballot. “We’ve worked for over 200 years to have a country and have voting.”Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement: “Voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election is un-American and will not be tolerated."Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state would not tolerate threats or acts of violence meant to derail voting.“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” he said.Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said state and local elections officials were fully dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted accurately.“This was a violent attack on democracy, and we will do everything to keep our election system strong and secure in Washington,” Inslee said in a statement. “There will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”In Phoenix last week, officials said roughly five ballots were destroyed and others damaged when a fire was set in a drop box at a U.S. Postal Service station there.___

FBI: Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.

With just over a week before Election Day, speakers labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.

His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-latino-election-trump-harris-42afc4d9fe388923b713b45b94e0adcb">win over Puerto Rican communities</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania and other swing states.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-bad-bunny-latino-vote-18ed2c1307264f2651ab4375d4b5070d">Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;endorsed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.

The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

But other speakers also made incendiary comments. Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.”

The marquee event reflected the former president's tone throughout his third White House campaign. Though he refrained from doing so Sunday, Trump often tears into Harris in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kamala-lazy-trope-stereotype-4c2ded1046e492c5d24c7382245d0f7b">offensive and personal terms</a>&nbsp;himself, questioning in recent weeks her mental stability and her intelligence as well as calling her “lazy,” long a racist trope used against Black people.

The event was a surreal spectacle that included former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building, and politicians including House Speaker Mike Johnson. At times, it felt like an amped-up version of the Republican National Convention in July that convened two days after Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which featured many of the same personalities — this time delivering speeches with far more volume.

And that was all before Trump was to take the stage, running more than two hours late.

After being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, in a rare public appearance, the former president began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”

“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” he said.

Trump announced a new tax credit for caregivers

Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.

This comes after Harris has talked about the “sandwich generation” of adults caring for aging parents while raising their children at the same time. Harris has proposed federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans.

Trump otherwise repeated familiar lines about foreign policy and immigration, calling for the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen and saying that the day he takes office, “The migrant invasion of our country ends.”

As Trump’s remarks came up on an hour, some of the crowd began trickling out.

Tech mogul Elon Musk, who spoke earlier and introduced Melania Trump, was a prominent part of Trump’s closing campaign message. The former president called Musk “a genius” and “special.”

Musk nodded to Trump's recent plan to allow him to lead a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government. Several of Musk's businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, have major government contracts or have relied on U.S. subsidies, and Musk has faced criticism after reports that he spoke privately in recent years with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Your money is being wasted and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that," Musk said before taking a place offstage beside Melania Trump.

The rally was an amped-up version of the RNC

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730061402605.png" alt="Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.With just over a week before Election Day, speakers labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730074043797.png" alt="Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-latino-election-trump-harris-42afc4d9fe388923b713b45b94e0adcb">win over Puerto Rican communities</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania and other swing states.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-bad-bunny-latino-vote-18ed2c1307264f2651ab4375d4b5070d">Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;endorsed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.But other speakers also made incendiary comments. Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.”The marquee event reflected the former president's tone throughout his third White House campaign. Though he refrained from doing so Sunday, Trump often tears into Harris in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kamala-lazy-trope-stereotype-4c2ded1046e492c5d24c7382245d0f7b">offensive and personal terms</a>&nbsp;himself, questioning in recent weeks her mental stability and her intelligence as well as calling her “lazy,” long a racist trope used against Black people.The event was a surreal spectacle that included former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building, and politicians including House Speaker Mike Johnson. At times, it felt like an amped-up version of the Republican National Convention in July that convened two days after Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which featured many of the same personalities — this time delivering speeches with far more volume.And that was all before Trump was to take the stage, running more than two hours late.After being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, in a rare public appearance, the former president began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump x MSG 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/DZT6E3ZnYC">pic.twitter.com/DZT6E3ZnYC</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@margommartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/margommartin/status/1850692338051424429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump at Madison Square Garden rally: &quot;I&#39;m announcing a new policy today that I will support a tax credit for family care givers who take care of a parents or a loved one...I&#39;ll also make interest on car loans fully tax deductible, but only for cars made in… <a href="https://t.co/J1CI9XAHwt">pic.twitter.com/J1CI9XAHwt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1850723685453242420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Trump announced a new tax credit for caregivers</h2>Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.This comes after Harris has talked about the “sandwich generation” of adults caring for aging parents while raising their children at the same time. Harris has proposed federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans.Trump otherwise repeated familiar lines about foreign policy and immigration, calling for the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen and saying that the day he takes office, “The migrant invasion of our country ends.”As Trump’s remarks came up on an hour, some of the crowd began trickling out.Tech mogul Elon Musk, who spoke earlier and introduced Melania Trump, was a prominent part of Trump’s closing campaign message. The former president called Musk “a genius” and “special.”Musk nodded to Trump's recent plan to allow him to lead a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government. Several of Musk's businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, have major government contracts or have relied on U.S. subsidies, and Musk has faced criticism after reports that he spoke privately in recent years with Russian President Vladimir Putin.“Your money is being wasted and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that," Musk said before taking a place offstage beside Melania Trump.<h2>The rally was an amped-up version of the RNC</h2>Many of the speakers Sunday appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention. This time, the same speakers shouted and railed more against Democrats.Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, seemed to reprise his character, emerging wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and violently waving a large American flag as he posed and danced. He spat on the stage during his speech, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: “Trump is the only man that can fix this country today.”Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a “fascist,” have compared his Sunday event to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-political-events-04c6f2d4e090c94cfdb1e949db82c532">pro-Nazi rally at the Garden</a>&nbsp;in February 1939. Several speakers on Sunday ripped Hillary Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for saying recently that Trump would be “reenacting” the 1939 event.“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And you know what they’re claiming, guys? It’s very scary. They’re claiming we’re going to go after them and try and put them in jail. Well, ain’t that rich?”Declared Hogan in his characteristic raspy growl: “I don't see no stinkin' Nazis in here.”Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62">ramped up</a>&nbsp;his denunciations in recent weeks of “enemies from within,” naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them. Harris, in turn, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fascism-meaning-harris-trump-kelly-fda56694feb1825dcf6477c8081a563d">called</a>&nbsp;Trump a “fascist.”The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.In the crowd was Philip D’Agostino, a longtime Trump backer from Queens, the borough where Trump grew up. The 64-year-old said it was appropriate for Trump to be speaking at a place bills itself as “the world’s most famous arena.”“It just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,” D'Agostino said.<h2>A New Yorker returns home</h2>New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that hasn't stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win.Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil before audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He’s cast it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent, immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire and that made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He was found guilty in that case, and also found liable in civil court for business fraud and sexual abuse.On Sunday, however, Trump was much more complimentary of the city. He said “no city embodies the spirit” and energy of the American people more.And as he concluded his speech after over an hour, opera singer Christopher Macchio came on stage to perform the song “New York, New York.”The former president smiled and swayed slightly, his wife standing next to him on stage.