NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html">federal data</a>&nbsp;posted Wednesday.

The share of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 3.3%, up from 3% the year before. Meanwhile, 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots, which is a little lower than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccination-exemptions-children-cdc-951427e55b24c8e7eb3a23b26946f630">the previous two years</a>. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the vaccination rate was 95%, the coverage level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.

The changes may seem slight but are significant, translating to about 80,000 kids not getting vaccinated, health officials say.

The rates help explain a worrisome creep in cases of whooping cough, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, said Dr. Raynard Washington, chair of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents 35 large metropolitan public health departments.

“We all have been challenged with emerging outbreaks ... across the country,” said Washington, the director of the health department serving Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that coverage with MMR, DTaP, polio and chickenpox vaccines decreased in more than 30 states among kindergartners for the 2023-2024 school year, Washington noted.

Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.

For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/years-4-6.html">a number of diseases</a>, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.

All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. And most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/states-with-religious-and-philosophical-exemptions-from-school-immunization-requirements">also permit exemptions</a>&nbsp;for religious or other nonmedical reasons.

In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to more than twice that last year.

The rates can be influenced by state laws or policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. For example, according to the CDC data, 14.3% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho. But fewer than 1% did in Connecticut and Mississippi.

Within states, clustering of unvaccinated kids can be even more concentrated in particular communities or schools, said Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior.

“People who are skeptical (about vaccinees) tend to live close to one another and create the conditions for a breakthrough of measles and other diseases,” he said.

The slide in vaccination rates was not unexpected. Online misinformation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-governor-hutchinson-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-09cadd2e75ddd5a4c0758b2cb1b6cbfd">the political schism</a>&nbsp;that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines have led more parents to question the routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, experts say.

A decrease has already been reported in Louisville, Kentucky — a city that has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-vaccinated-cdc-louisville-630b05bcd3b319a1d1028ca34e65b532">celebrated</a>&nbsp;as a vaccination success story. And a CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7338a3.htm?s_cid=mm7338a3_w">report</a>&nbsp;last week noted a decline in vaccination rates for 2-year-olds.

Measles and whooping cough cases are at their highest levels since 2019, and there are still three months left in the year. And 200 flu-associated pediatric deaths were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2024-week-38.html">reported</a>&nbsp;in the 2023-2024 season, the most since 2009.

Charlotte's Mecklenburg County this year saw North Carolina's first measles case since 2018. Mecklenburg also saw 19 whooping cough infections and three people with mumps earlier this year, said Washington, who noted the county usually sees none.

Increases in international travel and people moving to the Charlotte area from other countries raises the risk of introduction of vaccine-preventable diseases, “so it's concerning when you start to lose coverage of vaccines among your population,” Washington said.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html">federal data</a>&nbsp;posted Wednesday.The share of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 3.3%, up from 3% the year before. Meanwhile, 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots, which is a little lower than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccination-exemptions-children-cdc-951427e55b24c8e7eb3a23b26946f630">the previous two years</a>. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the vaccination rate was 95%, the coverage level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.The changes may seem slight but are significant, translating to about 80,000 kids not getting vaccinated, health officials say.The rates help explain a worrisome creep in cases of whooping cough, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, said Dr. Raynard Washington, chair of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents 35 large metropolitan public health departments.“We all have been challenged with emerging outbreaks ... across the country,” said Washington, the director of the health department serving Charlotte, North Carolina.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that coverage with MMR, DTaP, polio and chickenpox vaccines decreased in more than 30 states among kindergartners for the 2023-2024 school year, Washington noted.Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/years-4-6.html">a number of diseases</a>, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. And most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/health/states-with-religious-and-philosophical-exemptions-from-school-immunization-requirements">also permit exemptions</a>&nbsp;for religious or other nonmedical reasons.In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to more than twice that last year.The rates can be influenced by state laws or policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. For example, according to the CDC data, 14.3% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho. But fewer than 1% did in Connecticut and Mississippi.Within states, clustering of unvaccinated kids can be even more concentrated in particular communities or schools, said Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior.“People who are skeptical (about vaccinees) tend to live close to one another and create the conditions for a breakthrough of measles and other diseases,” he said.The slide in vaccination rates was not unexpected. Online misinformation and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-governor-hutchinson-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-09cadd2e75ddd5a4c0758b2cb1b6cbfd">the political schism</a>&nbsp;that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines have led more parents to question the routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, experts say.A decrease has already been reported in Louisville, Kentucky — a city that has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-vaccinated-cdc-louisville-630b05bcd3b319a1d1028ca34e65b532">celebrated</a>&nbsp;as a vaccination success story. And a CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7338a3.htm?s_cid=mm7338a3_w">report</a>&nbsp;last week noted a decline in vaccination rates for 2-year-olds.Measles and whooping cough cases are at their highest levels since 2019, and there are still three months left in the year. And 200 flu-associated pediatric deaths were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2024-week-38.html">reported</a>&nbsp;in the 2023-2024 season, the most since 2009.Charlotte's Mecklenburg County this year saw North Carolina's first measles case since 2018. Mecklenburg also saw 19 whooping cough infections and three people with mumps earlier this year, said Washington, who noted the county usually sees none.Increases in international travel and people moving to the Charlotte area from other countries raises the risk of introduction of vaccine-preventable diseases, “so it's concerning when you start to lose coverage of vaccines among your population,” Washington said.

US school-entry vaccination rates fall as exemptions keep rising

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — As the cost and supply of housing remain top issues for voters, both presidential candidates have put forth plans to tackle the crisis, in hopes of courting voters ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 exacerbated problems in the housing market, with supply chain disruptions, record-low interest rates and&nbsp; increased demand contributing to a rise in housing prices,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9744473/" target="_blank">according to a study by the Journal of Housing Economics.&nbsp;</a>

While housing is typically handled on the local level, the housing supply is tight and rents continue to skyrocket, putting increased pressure on the federal government to help. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump agree that it’s an issue that needs to be solved, but their solutions diverge.

The Harris and Trump campaigns did not respond to States Newsroom’s requests for details on the general housing proposals the nominees have discussed.

<a href="https://nhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Harris-Walz-economic-policy-press-release.pdf" target="_blank">Harris’ plan&nbsp;</a>calls for the construction of 3 million homes in four years.

The United States has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freddiemac.com/research/insight/20210507-housing-supply" target="_blank">shortage of about 3.8 million homes for sale and rent</a>, according to 2021 estimates from Freddie Mac that are still relied upon.

Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_Americas_Rental_Housing_2024.pdf" target="_blank">homelessness has hit a record-high of 653,100</a>&nbsp;people since January of last year, and a “record-high 22.4 million renter households spent more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities,” up from 2 million households since 2019, according to a study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

“This is obviously a multi-prong approach, because the factors contributing to high rents and housing affordability are many, and my plan is to attempt to address many of them at once, so we can actually have the net effect of bringing down the cost and making homeownership, renting more affordable,” Harris said during a September interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpr.org/shows/wisconsin-today-2/vice-president-kamala-harris-veterinary-cooperatives-finding-phantom-towns" target="_blank">Wisconsin Public Radio.&nbsp;</a>

Trump has long opposed building multi-family housing and has instead thrown his support behind single-family zoning, which would exclude other types of housing. Such land-use regulation is conducted by local government bodies, not the federal government, though the federal government could influence it.

“There will be no low-income housing developments built in areas that are right next to your house,” Trump said during an August rally in Montana. “I’m gonna keep criminals out of your neighborhood.”

<a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/09/22/racing-toward-election-day-control-of-u-s-senate-and-house-up-for-grabs/" target="_blank">Election forecasters have predicted</a>&nbsp;that Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House, but Republicans are poised to win the Senate, meaning any housing proposals will have to be overwhelmingly bipartisan.

“How much money is going to really be available without substantial increases in revenue to be able to do all these things that both Trump and Harris are proposing?” Ted Tozer, a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center, said in an interview with States Newsroom. “All the money comes from Congress.”

Many of Harris’ policies rely on cooperation from Congress, as historically the federal government has limited tools to address housing shortages.

“On the Democratic side, there’s a hunger for more action, for more direct government intervention in the housing market than we’ve seen in a long time,” said Francis Torres, the associate director of housing and infrastructure at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Nearly all proposals that Harris has put forth would require Congress to pass legislation and appropriate funds. The first is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2224/text" target="_blank">S.2224</a>, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, which would amend U.S. tax code to bar private equity firms from buying homes in bulk by denying “interest and depreciation deductions for taxpayers owning 50 or more single family properties,” according to the bill.

The second bill,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3692/text" target="_blank">S. 3692</a>, introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and chair of the Senate Finance Committee, would bar using algorithms to artificially inflate the cost of rents.

Both bills would need to reach the 60-vote threshold in order to advance in the Senate, whichever party is in control.

Harris has pledged to support first-time homebuyers, but Congress would need to appropriate funds for the $25,000 down payment assistance program she has proposed that would benefit an estimated 4 million first-time homebuyers over four years.

It’s a proposal that’s been met with skepticism.

“I’m really concerned that down payment assistance will actually put more pressure on home prices, because basically, you’re giving people additional cash to pay more for the house that they’re going to bid on,” Tozer said. “So by definition, they get in a bidding war, they’re going to spend more.”

Harris has also proposed a $40 billion innovation fund for local governments to build and create solutions for housing, which would also need congressional approval.

Both candidates support opening some federal lands for housing, which would mean selling the land for construction purposes with the commitment for a certain percentage of the units to be kept for affordable housing.

The federal government<a href="https://www.gao.gov/managing-federal-lands-and-waters" target="_blank">&nbsp;owns about 650 million acres of land</a>, or roughly 30% of all land.

Neither candidate has gone into detail on this proposal.

“I think it’s a sign that at least the Harris campaign and the people in her orbit are thinking about addressing this housing affordability problem really through stronger government action than has happened in several decades,” Torres said.

The biggest tool the federal government has used to address housing is through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, known as LIHTC. Harris has promised to expand this tax credit, but has not gone into detail about how much she wants it expanded.

This program awards tax credits to offset construction costs in exchange for a certain number of rent-restricted units for low-income households. But the restriction is temporary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/what_happens_lihtc_v2.pdf" target="_blank">lasting about 30 years.&nbsp;</a>

There is no similar program for housing meant to be owned.

“It’s an interesting moment, because then on the other side, on the Trump side, even though they diagnosed a lot of the similar problems, there’s not as much of a desire to leverage the strength of the federal government to ensure affordability,” Torres said.

The Trump campaign does not have a housing proposal, but various interviews, rallies and a review of Trump’s first four years in office provide a roadmap.

During Trump’s first administration, many of his HUD budget proposals were not approved by Congress.

In all four of his presidential budget requests, he laid out proposals that would increase rent by 40% for about 4 million low-income households using rental vouchers or for those who lived in public housing, according to an analysis by the left-leaning think tank the<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/trump-administration-budgets-and-programs-for-people-of-limited-means/#housing-and-rental-assistance" target="_blank">&nbsp;Brookings Institution.&nbsp;</a>

All four of Trump’s budgets also called for the elimination of housing programs such as the Community Development Block Grant, which directs funding to local and state governments to rehabilitate and build affordable housing. Trump’s budgets also would have slashed the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, which is a home energy assistance program for low-income families.

Additionally, Trump’s Opportunity Zones authorized through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which are tax incentives to businesses and real estate to invest in low-income communities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/metropolitan-housing-and-communities-policy-center/projects/opportunity-zones" target="_blank">have had mixed results.</a>

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-trump-interview-transcript/?embedded-checkout=true" target="_blank">In an interview with Bloomberg,</a>&nbsp;Trump said he wanted to focus on reducing regulations in the permitting process.

“Your permits, your permitting process. Your zoning, if — and I went through years of zoning. Zoning is like… it’s a killer,” he said. “But we’ll be doing that, and we’ll be bringing the price of housing down.”

During campaign rallies, Trump has often said he would impose a 10% tariff across the board on all goods entering the U.S. He’s also proposed 60% tariffs on China.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">Trump said at a rally in Georgia that tariff</a>&nbsp;is “one of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.”

Tozer said adding trade policies, such as tariffs on construction materials like lumber, would drive up the cost of homes.

Trump has argued that his plan for mass deportations will help free up the supply of housing. Karoline Leavitt, the Trump national press secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/business/economy/housing-plan-harris-trump.html" target="_blank">told the New York Times</a>&nbsp;that deporting immigrants would lower the cost of housing because migration “is driving up housing costs.”

The former president has made&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2024/09/03/trump-promises-mass-deportations-of-undocumented-people-how-would-that-work/" target="_blank">a core campaign promise</a>&nbsp;to deport millions of immigrants.

Tozer said housing and immigration are tied, because the ability to build houses comes down to workers, and&nbsp;<a href="https://immigrationforum.org/article/immigrant-construction-workers-in-the-united-states/" target="_blank">roughly 30% of construction workers are immigrants.&nbsp;</a>

“By shutting down the border, you’re possibly shutting down your capacity to build these houses,” he said, adding that all those policies are intertwined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1643731279132.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — As the cost and supply of housing remain top issues for voters, both presidential candidates have put forth plans to tackle the crisis, in hopes of courting voters ahead of the Nov. 5 election.The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 exacerbated problems in the housing market, with supply chain disruptions, record-low interest rates and&nbsp; increased demand contributing to a rise in housing prices,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9744473/" target="_blank">according to a study by the Journal of Housing Economics.&nbsp;</a>While housing is typically handled on the local level, the housing supply is tight and rents continue to skyrocket, putting increased pressure on the federal government to help. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump agree that it’s an issue that needs to be solved, but their solutions diverge.The Harris and Trump campaigns did not respond to States Newsroom’s requests for details on the general housing proposals the nominees have discussed.<h2>Promise: millions of new homes</h2><a href="https://nhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Harris-Walz-economic-policy-press-release.pdf" target="_blank">Harris’ plan&nbsp;</a>calls for the construction of 3 million homes in four years.The United States has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freddiemac.com/research/insight/20210507-housing-supply" target="_blank">shortage of about 3.8 million homes for sale and rent</a>, according to 2021 estimates from Freddie Mac that are still relied upon.Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_Americas_Rental_Housing_2024.pdf" target="_blank">homelessness has hit a record-high of 653,100</a>&nbsp;people since January of last year, and a “record-high 22.4 million renter households spent more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities,” up from 2 million households since 2019, according to a study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.“This is obviously a multi-prong approach, because the factors contributing to high rents and housing affordability are many, and my plan is to attempt to address many of them at once, so we can actually have the net effect of bringing down the cost and making homeownership, renting more affordable,” Harris said during a September interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wpr.org/shows/wisconsin-today-2/vice-president-kamala-harris-veterinary-cooperatives-finding-phantom-towns" target="_blank">Wisconsin Public Radio.&nbsp;</a><h2>Promise: single-family zoning</h2>Trump has long opposed building multi-family housing and has instead thrown his support behind single-family zoning, which would exclude other types of housing. Such land-use regulation is conducted by local government bodies, not the federal government, though the federal government could influence it.“There will be no low-income housing developments built in areas that are right next to your house,” Trump said during an August rally in Montana. “I’m gonna keep criminals out of your neighborhood.”<h2>Promise: getting Congress to agree</h2><a href="https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/09/22/racing-toward-election-day-control-of-u-s-senate-and-house-up-for-grabs/" target="_blank">Election forecasters have predicted</a>&nbsp;that Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House, but Republicans are poised to win the Senate, meaning any housing proposals will have to be overwhelmingly bipartisan.“How much money is going to really be available without substantial increases in revenue to be able to do all these things that both Trump and Harris are proposing?” Ted Tozer, a non-resident fellow at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center, said in an interview with States Newsroom. “All the money comes from Congress.”Many of Harris’ policies rely on cooperation from Congress, as historically the federal government has limited tools to address housing shortages.“On the Democratic side, there’s a hunger for more action, for more direct government intervention in the housing market than we’ve seen in a long time,” said Francis Torres, the associate director of housing and infrastructure at the Bipartisan Policy Center.Nearly all proposals that Harris has put forth would require Congress to pass legislation and appropriate funds. The first is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/2224/text" target="_blank">S.2224</a>, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, which would amend U.S. tax code to bar private equity firms from buying homes in bulk by denying “interest and depreciation deductions for taxpayers owning 50 or more single family properties,” according to the bill.The second bill,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3692/text" target="_blank">S. 3692</a>, introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and chair of the Senate Finance Committee, would bar using algorithms to artificially inflate the cost of rents.Both bills would need to reach the 60-vote threshold in order to advance in the Senate, whichever party is in control.<h2>Promise: $25,000 down payment assistance</h2>Harris has pledged to support first-time homebuyers, but Congress would need to appropriate funds for the $25,000 down payment assistance program she has proposed that would benefit an estimated 4 million first-time homebuyers over four years.It’s a proposal that’s been met with skepticism.“I’m really concerned that down payment assistance will actually put more pressure on home prices, because basically, you’re giving people additional cash to pay more for the house that they’re going to bid on,” Tozer said. “So by definition, they get in a bidding war, they’re going to spend more.”Harris has also proposed a $40 billion innovation fund for local governments to build and create solutions for housing, which would also need congressional approval.<h2>Promise: opening up federal lands</h2>Both candidates support opening some federal lands for housing, which would mean selling the land for construction purposes with the commitment for a certain percentage of the units to be kept for affordable housing.The federal government<a href="https://www.gao.gov/managing-federal-lands-and-waters" target="_blank">&nbsp;owns about 650 million acres of land</a>, or roughly 30% of all land.Neither candidate has gone into detail on this proposal.“I think it’s a sign that at least the Harris campaign and the people in her orbit are thinking about addressing this housing affordability problem really through stronger government action than has happened in several decades,” Torres said.<h2>Promise: expand tax credits</h2>The biggest tool the federal government has used to address housing is through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, known as LIHTC. Harris has promised to expand this tax credit, but has not gone into detail about how much she wants it expanded.This program awards tax credits to offset construction costs in exchange for a certain number of rent-restricted units for low-income households. But the restriction is temporary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/what_happens_lihtc_v2.pdf" target="_blank">lasting about 30 years.&nbsp;</a>There is no similar program for housing meant to be owned.“It’s an interesting moment, because then on the other side, on the Trump side, even though they diagnosed a lot of the similar problems, there’s not as much of a desire to leverage the strength of the federal government to ensure affordability,” Torres said.<h2>Trump’s record on housing</h2>The Trump campaign does not have a housing proposal, but various interviews, rallies and a review of Trump’s first four years in office provide a roadmap.During Trump’s first administration, many of his HUD budget proposals were not approved by Congress.In all four of his presidential budget requests, he laid out proposals that would increase rent by 40% for about 4 million low-income households using rental vouchers or for those who lived in public housing, according to an analysis by the left-leaning think tank the<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/trump-administration-budgets-and-programs-for-people-of-limited-means/#housing-and-rental-assistance" target="_blank">&nbsp;Brookings Institution.&nbsp;</a>All four of Trump’s budgets also called for the elimination of housing programs such as the Community Development Block Grant, which directs funding to local and state governments to rehabilitate and build affordable housing. Trump’s budgets also would have slashed the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, which is a home energy assistance program for low-income families.Additionally, Trump’s Opportunity Zones authorized through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which are tax incentives to businesses and real estate to invest in low-income communities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/metropolitan-housing-and-communities-policy-center/projects/opportunity-zones" target="_blank">have had mixed results.</a><h2>Promise: cut regulations and add tariffs</h2><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-trump-interview-transcript/?embedded-checkout=true" target="_blank">In an interview with Bloomberg,</a>&nbsp;Trump said he wanted to focus on reducing regulations in the permitting process.“Your permits, your permitting process. Your zoning, if — and I went through years of zoning. Zoning is like… it’s a killer,” he said. “But we’ll be doing that, and we’ll be bringing the price of housing down.”During campaign rallies, Trump has often said he would impose a 10% tariff across the board on all goods entering the U.S. He’s also proposed 60% tariffs on China.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">Trump said at a rally in Georgia that tariff</a>&nbsp;is “one of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.”Tozer said adding trade policies, such as tariffs on construction materials like lumber, would drive up the cost of homes.<h2>Promise: deport immigrants</h2>Trump has argued that his plan for mass deportations will help free up the supply of housing. Karoline Leavitt, the Trump national press secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/business/economy/housing-plan-harris-trump.html" target="_blank">told the New York Times</a>&nbsp;that deporting immigrants would lower the cost of housing because migration “is driving up housing costs.”The former president has made&nbsp;<a href="https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2024/09/03/trump-promises-mass-deportations-of-undocumented-people-how-would-that-work/" target="_blank">a core campaign promise</a>&nbsp;to deport millions of immigrants.Tozer said housing and immigration are tied, because the ability to build houses comes down to workers, and&nbsp;<a href="https://immigrationforum.org/article/immigrant-construction-workers-in-the-united-states/" target="_blank">roughly 30% of construction workers are immigrants.&nbsp;</a>“By shutting down the border, you’re possibly shutting down your capacity to build these houses,” he said, adding that all those policies are intertwined.

Housing: Where do Harris and Trump stand?

TOPEKA —On Friday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly joined Adjutant General Michael Venerdi to celebrate his promotion to major general. "His remarkable career has been marked by extraordinary dedication, insight, and loyalty to both Kansas and our nation." Kelly wrote on her social media account.

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the promotion ceremony. "Gen. Venerdi has served in the military for over 30 years. "Congratulations on this accomplishment and thank you for your service to Kansas and our country."

In April of 2023, the Kansas Senate unanimously confirmation of&nbsp; Venerdi&nbsp;to serve&nbsp;as&nbsp;the Adjutant General&nbsp;of Kansas.&nbsp; He is a graduate of the United State's Air Force Academy&nbsp;and&nbsp;flew combat missions in Afghanistan.

Prior to his appointment&nbsp;and confirmation as the 38th&nbsp;Adjutant General of Kansas,&nbsp;Venerdi&nbsp;served as the Director of the Joint Staff, Kansas National Guard at the Joint Force Headquarters in Topeka. He previously served as Commander of the 184th Wing at McConnell Air Force Base.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728734378669.png" alt="Governor Kelly with Ajutant General Michael Venerdi during the ceremony on Friday" />
 <figcaption>Governor Kelly with Ajutant General Michael Venerdi during the ceremony on Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —On Friday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly joined Adjutant General Michael Venerdi to celebrate his promotion to major general. "His remarkable career has been marked by extraordinary dedication, insight, and loyalty to both Kansas and our nation." Kelly wrote on her social media account.Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke at the promotion ceremony. "Gen. Venerdi has served in the military for over 30 years. "Congratulations on this accomplishment and thank you for your service to Kansas and our country."In April of 2023, the Kansas Senate unanimously confirmation of&nbsp; Venerdi&nbsp;to serve&nbsp;as&nbsp;the Adjutant General&nbsp;of Kansas.&nbsp; He is a graduate of the United State's Air Force Academy&nbsp;and&nbsp;flew combat missions in Afghanistan.Prior to his appointment&nbsp;and confirmation as the 38th&nbsp;Adjutant General of Kansas,&nbsp;Venerdi&nbsp;served as the Director of the Joint Staff, Kansas National Guard at the Joint Force Headquarters in Topeka. He previously served as Commander of the 184th Wing at McConnell Air Force Base.&nbsp;

Kansas Adjutant General promoted to Major General

TOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly has signed a proclamation approving updated drought declarations for Kansas counties.

“Drought conditions have persisted across the state through the summer season, and Kansans are continuing to see the effects,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “With conditions expected to remain dry throughout the fall, Kansans should consider their water usage and take extra care to prevent wildfires.”

The drought declaration placed three counties into emergency status, 55 into warning status, and 47 into watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Although recent rainfall provided widespread drought relief, this relief was short-term, with many areas experiencing below-average rainfall for several months. Forecasts indicate that drought will persist and expand across most of the state through October and into the winter.

“Many of our state’s large river basins are currently being supported by federal reservoirs, utilizing storage in those reservoirs to maintain streamflow,”&nbsp;said Owen.&nbsp;“If conditions persist, as predicted, the demand and stress on water resources may increase quickly. The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.”

Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in the emergency stage are eligible for emergency water use from certain state fishing lakes and some federal reservoirs.

Individuals and communities must contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request before withdrawing water from lakes. These requests will, in turn, be referred to the appropriate office to obtain the necessary permits to withdraw the requested water.

This proclamation shall remain in effect for those counties identified until rescinded by a proclamation ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans.&nbsp;Kansans are encouraged to report drought-related conditions and impacts in their region through the&nbsp;<a href="https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx" target="_blank">Condition Monitoring Observer Reports</a>&nbsp;(CMOR) system.

For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at&nbsp;<a href="https://climate-and-drought-ksdot.hub.arcgis.com/" target="_blank">kwo.ks.gov</a>.

Drought Emergency:&nbsp;Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick.

Drought Warning:&nbsp;Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Graham, Hamilton, Harper, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wyandotte.

Drought Watch:&nbsp;Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Butler, Chase, Clark, Coffey, Comanche, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Kearny, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Logan, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Morris, Ness, Osage, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Saline, Seward, Stevens, Trego, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728727237388.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Water OfficeTOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly has signed a proclamation approving updated drought declarations for Kansas counties.“Drought conditions have persisted across the state through the summer season, and Kansans are continuing to see the effects,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “With conditions expected to remain dry throughout the fall, Kansans should consider their water usage and take extra care to prevent wildfires.”The drought declaration placed three counties into emergency status, 55 into warning status, and 47 into watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Although recent rainfall provided widespread drought relief, this relief was short-term, with many areas experiencing below-average rainfall for several months. Forecasts indicate that drought will persist and expand across most of the state through October and into the winter.“Many of our state’s large river basins are currently being supported by federal reservoirs, utilizing storage in those reservoirs to maintain streamflow,”&nbsp;said Owen.&nbsp;“If conditions persist, as predicted, the demand and stress on water resources may increase quickly. The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the drought conditions across Kansas and make recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change.”Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in the emergency stage are eligible for emergency water use from certain state fishing lakes and some federal reservoirs.Individuals and communities must contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request before withdrawing water from lakes. These requests will, in turn, be referred to the appropriate office to obtain the necessary permits to withdraw the requested water.This proclamation shall remain in effect for those counties identified until rescinded by a proclamation ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.Effective immediately, the proclamation:<ul>
 <li>Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning, or Watch for the counties as identified below;</li><li>Authorizes and&nbsp;directs&nbsp;all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch, warning, or emergency-level drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.</li>
 </ul>The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans.&nbsp;Kansans are encouraged to report drought-related conditions and impacts in their region through the&nbsp;<a href="https://droughtimpacts.unl.edu/Tools/ConditionMonitoringObservations.aspx" target="_blank">Condition Monitoring Observer Reports</a>&nbsp;(CMOR) system.For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at&nbsp;<a href="https://climate-and-drought-ksdot.hub.arcgis.com/" target="_blank">kwo.ks.gov</a>.County Drought Stage Declarations:Drought Emergency:&nbsp;Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick.Drought Warning:&nbsp;Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Graham, Hamilton, Harper, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Republic, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wyandotte.Drought Watch:&nbsp;Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Butler, Chase, Clark, Coffey, Comanche, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Kearny, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Logan, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Morris, Ness, Osage, Pawnee, Pratt, Rice, Saline, Seward, Stevens, Trego, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson.

Reno County under Drought Emergency

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Friday as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-earnings-bank-interest-loans-faec1fdd73f911ac70e9e659f852c603">big banks</a>&nbsp;rallied following a run of reassuring profit reports.

The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.6% to top its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-oil-china-7370004fad6b4347474465a25fbb4f80">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set earlier in the week and close out its fifth straight winning week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 409 points, or 1%, to set its own record. The Nasdaq composite lagged the market with a gain of 0.3% after a slide for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-unveiling-a00d063f2ffc67125889a6635a0a607e">Tesla</a>&nbsp;kept it in check.

Wells Fargo rose 5.6% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It benefited from better results from its venture-capital investments and higher fees for investment-banking services, among other things.

Banks and other financial giants traditionally kick off each earnings reporting season, and JPMorgan Chase climbed 4.4% after reporting a milder drop in profit than analysts feared. It was the strongest single force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500.

CEO Jamie Dimon said the nation’s largest bank is also still buying back shares of its stock to send cash to investors, but the pace is modest “given that market levels are at least slightly inflated.”

BlackRock, meanwhile, rose 3.6% after likewise delivering better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The investment giant ended September managing a record $11.5 trillion in total assets for its customers.

The gains for banks helped make up for the drag of Tesla, which tumbled 8.8% and was the heaviest weight on the market. The electric-vehicle maker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-unveiling-a00d063f2ffc67125889a6635a0a607e">unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night, but critics highlighted a lack of details about its planned rollout.

Following the unveiling of the “Cybercab,” potential rival Uber Technologies jumped 10.8% and was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500. Lyft rose 9.6%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 34.98 points to 5,815.03. The Dow rallied 409.74 to 42,863.86, and the Nasdaq composite gained 60.89 to 18,342.94.

Another automaker, Stellantis, saw its European-traded shares sink 2.8% after it announced some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stellantis-tevares-d6db36e05c7305eb4795db3fb382e101">significant leadership changes</a>, including the timing of CEO Carlos Tavares’ retirement. Its chief financial officer is also departing as the company formed by the merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler struggles to revive sales in North America.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed following the latest updates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-a551afcffbb495e5a302d5c847562df6">on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the wholesale level and on sentiment among U.S. consumers.

Prices paid by producers were 1.8% higher in September than a year earlier. That was an improvement from August’s year-over-year inflation level, but not as much as economists expected. Analysts said it likely helped calm worries stirred a day earlier, when a report showed inflation at the consumer level wasn’t cooling as quickly as economists expected.

A separate report on Friday suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is lower than economists expected. But the preliminary reading's decline in sentiment was still within the margin of error, according to Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers.

After Friday’s reports, traders built their bets that the Federal Reserve would cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point at its next meeting, according to data from CME Group.

They've pared back their expectations from earlier this month, when some traders were betting on the possibility for another larger-than-usual cut of half a percentage point in November. A run of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-87447d5187b37bb0f5cf996e25bad808">stronger-than-expected data</a>&nbsp;on the economy recently has wiped out such calls.

Regardless of how much the Fed cuts rates by at its next meeting, the longer-term trend for interest rates remains downward, according to Solita Marcelli, chief investment officer Americas, at UBS Global Wealth Management. That should offer an upward push to stock prices generally.

The Fed last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high as it widens its focus to include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">keeping the economy humming</a>&nbsp;instead of just&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">fighting high inflation</a>.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.09% from 4.07% late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed’s upcoming moves, edged down to 3.95% from 3.96%.

In markets abroad, stocks fell 2.5% in Shanghai for their latest sharp swing ahead of a briefing scheduled for Saturday by China’s Finance Ministry. Investors hope it will unveil a big stimulus plan for the world's second-largest economy.

South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.1% after its central bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-rate-cut-central-bank-economy-66f3bdd72aae9910f072b08f901b711f">cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;for the first time in more than four years in hopes of boosting its economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Friday as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jpmorgan-earnings-bank-interest-loans-faec1fdd73f911ac70e9e659f852c603">big banks</a>&nbsp;rallied following a run of reassuring profit reports.The S&amp;P 500 climbed 0.6% to top its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-oil-china-7370004fad6b4347474465a25fbb4f80">all-time high</a>&nbsp;set earlier in the week and close out its fifth straight winning week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 409 points, or 1%, to set its own record. The Nasdaq composite lagged the market with a gain of 0.3% after a slide for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-unveiling-a00d063f2ffc67125889a6635a0a607e">Tesla</a>&nbsp;kept it in check.Wells Fargo rose 5.6% after reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It benefited from better results from its venture-capital investments and higher fees for investment-banking services, among other things.Banks and other financial giants traditionally kick off each earnings reporting season, and JPMorgan Chase climbed 4.4% after reporting a milder drop in profit than analysts feared. It was the strongest single force pushing upward on the S&amp;P 500.CEO Jamie Dimon said the nation’s largest bank is also still buying back shares of its stock to send cash to investors, but the pace is modest “given that market levels are at least slightly inflated.”BlackRock, meanwhile, rose 3.6% after likewise delivering better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The investment giant ended September managing a record $11.5 trillion in total assets for its customers.The gains for banks helped make up for the drag of Tesla, which tumbled 8.8% and was the heaviest weight on the market. The electric-vehicle maker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-unveiling-a00d063f2ffc67125889a6635a0a607e">unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night, but critics highlighted a lack of details about its planned rollout.Following the unveiling of the “Cybercab,” potential rival Uber Technologies jumped 10.8% and was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&amp;P 500. Lyft rose 9.6%.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 34.98 points to 5,815.03. The Dow rallied 409.74 to 42,863.86, and the Nasdaq composite gained 60.89 to 18,342.94.Another automaker, Stellantis, saw its European-traded shares sink 2.8% after it announced some&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stellantis-tevares-d6db36e05c7305eb4795db3fb382e101">significant leadership changes</a>, including the timing of CEO Carlos Tavares’ retirement. Its chief financial officer is also departing as the company formed by the merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler struggles to revive sales in North America.In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed following the latest updates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-wholesale-prices-consumer-federal-reserve-rates-a551afcffbb495e5a302d5c847562df6">on inflation</a>&nbsp;at the wholesale level and on sentiment among U.S. consumers.Prices paid by producers were 1.8% higher in September than a year earlier. That was an improvement from August’s year-over-year inflation level, but not as much as economists expected. Analysts said it likely helped calm worries stirred a day earlier, when a report showed inflation at the consumer level wasn’t cooling as quickly as economists expected.A separate report on Friday suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is lower than economists expected. But the preliminary reading's decline in sentiment was still within the margin of error, according to Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers.After Friday’s reports, traders built their bets that the Federal Reserve would cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point at its next meeting, according to data from CME Group.They've pared back their expectations from earlier this month, when some traders were betting on the possibility for another larger-than-usual cut of half a percentage point in November. A run of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jobs-hiring-federal-reserve-inflation-unemployment-economy-87447d5187b37bb0f5cf996e25bad808">stronger-than-expected data</a>&nbsp;on the economy recently has wiped out such calls.Regardless of how much the Fed cuts rates by at its next meeting, the longer-term trend for interest rates remains downward, according to Solita Marcelli, chief investment officer Americas, at UBS Global Wealth Management. That should offer an upward push to stock prices generally.The Fed last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-0283bc6f92e9f9920094b78d821df227">cut its main interest rate</a>&nbsp;from a two-decade high as it widens its focus to include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-inflation-prices-federal-reserve-economy-31e05db08464c58ce8a3f2db0270f2d3">keeping the economy humming</a>&nbsp;instead of just&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">fighting high inflation</a>.The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.09% from 4.07% late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed’s upcoming moves, edged down to 3.95% from 3.96%.In markets abroad, stocks fell 2.5% in Shanghai for their latest sharp swing ahead of a briefing scheduled for Saturday by China’s Finance Ministry. Investors hope it will unveil a big stimulus plan for the world's second-largest economy.South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.1% after its central bank&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-rate-cut-central-bank-economy-66f3bdd72aae9910f072b08f901b711f">cut interest rates</a>&nbsp;for the first time in more than four years in hopes of boosting its economy.

Wall Street rises to close its latest record-setting week as banks jump

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Community College will hold a Management Forum on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Justice Theatre of the Shears Technology Center on the HutchCC campus.

The forum is free to attend and open to the public.

The featured speakers for the event are Matt Althouse and Daren Dunn, both of EAGLE Media. Althouse is the General Manager, while Dunn is the Program Director and On-Air Personality on My 93-1.

Matt Althouse started his radio career at KJCK-FM in Junction City in 2003 as on-air talent and later, music director. In 2009 Matt joined Hull Broadcasting in Great Bend where he had the opportunity to be exposed to every facet of the business.

He was also Program Director for KBGL-FM from 2012 until 2021 when he accepted the position of General Manager for Eagle Communications in Great Bend. In his first year of station management, Matt and his sales team hit all but one of their monthly quotas. And in 2024 he accepted the General Manager position for EAGLE Media in Hutchinson.

Daren Dunn is a Hutchinson native and a proud graduate of Hutchinson Community College and the University of Kansas where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Daren earned several Kansas Association of Broadcaster awards at the collegiate level for his work in radio and television. He has since been honored by the KAB at the professional level in 2021 (Best Sports Feature) for his Public Address work and again in 2022 (Best Morning Show). Daren was the first radio personality to win the Medium Market category for Best Morning Show. His morning show took second in 2023 and was honored again as the best show in the state in 2024. In his spare time, Daren is the public address voice of the Blue Dragons and joins radio voice Sean Boston on the road as a color analyst.

The two guests will share information about how they entered their careers, as well as answer questions about business management from the audience.

To learn more about the forum, contact Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato at <a href="mailto:naccaratod@hutchcc.edu">naccaratod@hutchcc.edu</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728571720055.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Community College will hold a Management Forum on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Justice Theatre of the Shears Technology Center on the HutchCC campus.The forum is free to attend and open to the public.The featured speakers for the event are Matt Althouse and Daren Dunn, both of EAGLE Media. Althouse is the General Manager, while Dunn is the Program Director and On-Air Personality on My 93-1.Matt Althouse started his radio career at KJCK-FM in Junction City in 2003 as on-air talent and later, music director. In 2009 Matt joined Hull Broadcasting in Great Bend where he had the opportunity to be exposed to every facet of the business.He was also Program Director for KBGL-FM from 2012 until 2021 when he accepted the position of General Manager for Eagle Communications in Great Bend. In his first year of station management, Matt and his sales team hit all but one of their monthly quotas. And in 2024 he accepted the General Manager position for EAGLE Media in Hutchinson.Daren Dunn is a Hutchinson native and a proud graduate of Hutchinson Community College and the University of Kansas where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Daren earned several Kansas Association of Broadcaster awards at the collegiate level for his work in radio and television. He has since been honored by the KAB at the professional level in 2021 (Best Sports Feature) for his Public Address work and again in 2022 (Best Morning Show). Daren was the first radio personality to win the Medium Market category for Best Morning Show. His morning show took second in 2023 and was honored again as the best show in the state in 2024. In his spare time, Daren is the public address voice of the Blue Dragons and joins radio voice Sean Boston on the road as a color analyst.The two guests will share information about how they entered their careers, as well as answer questions about business management from the audience.To learn more about the forum, contact Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato at <a href="mailto:naccaratod@hutchcc.edu">naccaratod@hutchcc.edu</a>.&nbsp;

HutchCC to hold Management Forum on Oct. 24

The City of Pratt sent 5 of their linemen to assist with hurricane relief in the south. They are set to arrive shortly after Hurricane Milton. "We are very proud of our brave team for stepping up. Stay safe," the city wrote on their social media page.

&nbsp;According to the Associated Press,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milton-florida-hurricane-d40b1e47fd78844bf1ed528bab5099f1">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, pounding cities with ferocious winds and rain, and whipping up a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-tornadoes-florida-deaths-climate-change-oceans-f197c258022c189c6ce8bc59dc88223e">barrage of tornadoes</a>. It caused at least four deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.

The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night in Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed: Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings were in place for much of the east-central coast. Officials in the hard-hit counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.

“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, said on Facebook.

Though the deadly storm surge feared for Tampa appears not to have materialized, the city saw flooding from rain. Farther south, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported localized flooding and storm surge, and Lorraine Anderson, the public information officer for Venice Beach, said on CNN that the area saw an estimated 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2 meters) of storm surge, far below the feared 15.

The storm knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without electricity, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://poweroutage.us/">poweroutage.us</a>, which tracks utility reports.

The fabric that serves as the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, was ripped to shreds by the fierce winds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside. Multiple cranes were also toppled in the storm, the weather service said.

St. Petersburg residents also could no longer get water from their household taps because a water main break led the city to shut down service. Mayor Ken Welch had told residents to expect long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system.

Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according City Manager Bill McDaniel. Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight, said McDaniel, who estimated the city had received 13.5 inches (34 cm) of rain.

"We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” he said in a video posted online Thursday morning.

Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida Wednesday morning, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day. One twister touched down in the lightly populated Everglades and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NWSMiami/status/1844017185817342101">crossed Interstate 75.</a>&nbsp;Another apparent tornado hit in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station’s canopy to shreds.

The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.

Four people were killed in tornadoes there, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.

About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. By early Thursday, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 kph) and leaving the state near Cape Canaveral.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fema-misinformation-helene-milton-hurricane-aid-recovery-468b036784b1db05937e9a34d0146041">The storm slammed into a region</a>&nbsp;still reeling two weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-fema-826effecab238ff0acf0556ad64b0df2">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.

Officials had issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival. By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.

Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall. She and her husband started packing Monday to evacuate, but they struggled to find available hotel rooms, and the few they came by were too expensive.

With a 2-year-old son and a baby girl due Oct. 29, Curnick said there were too many unanswered questions if they got in the car and left: where to sleep, if they’d be able to fill up their gas tank, and if they could even find a safe route out of the state.

Video taken during the storm showed howling winds and sheets of rain lashing their glass-enclosed swimming pool as their son and dog watched. Trees shook violently.

“The thing is it’s so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula,” she said ahead of the storm. “In most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida, there are only so many roads that take you north or south."

At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.

“Unfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don’t think there’s any way around that,” DeSantis said.

Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. In Orlando,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-florida-theme-parks-orlando-383cbb4c442aef52650dbab028eb949d">Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World remained closed</a>&nbsp;Thursday.

More than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg were out of gas Wednesday night, according to GasBuddy, though DeSantis said the state’s overall supply was fine.

Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.

In Charlotte Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, clouds swirled and winds gusted as Josh Parks packed his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings Wednesday. Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge brought about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water to the neighborhood, and its streets remain filled with waterlogged furniture, torn-out drywall and other debris.

Parks, an auto technician, planned to flee to his daughter’s home inland and said his roommate already left.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728561808320.png" alt="Linemen John Giggy, Ethan Tilley, Gavin McAllister, Ruben Rayas, and Ty Weilert.-Photo courtesy city of Pratt" />
 <figcaption>Linemen John Giggy, Ethan Tilley, Gavin McAllister, Ruben Rayas, and Ty Weilert.-Photo courtesy city of Pratt</figcaption>
 </figure>The City of Pratt sent 5 of their linemen to assist with hurricane relief in the south. They are set to arrive shortly after Hurricane Milton. "We are very proud of our brave team for stepping up. Stay safe," the city wrote on their social media page.&nbsp;According to the Associated Press,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/milton-florida-hurricane-d40b1e47fd78844bf1ed528bab5099f1">Hurricane Milton</a>&nbsp;barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, pounding cities with ferocious winds and rain, and whipping up a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-tornadoes-florida-deaths-climate-change-oceans-f197c258022c189c6ce8bc59dc88223e">barrage of tornadoes</a>. It caused at least four deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night in Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed: Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings were in place for much of the east-central coast. Officials in the hard-hit counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, said on Facebook.Though the deadly storm surge feared for Tampa appears not to have materialized, the city saw flooding from rain. Farther south, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported localized flooding and storm surge, and Lorraine Anderson, the public information officer for Venice Beach, said on CNN that the area saw an estimated 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2 meters) of storm surge, far below the feared 15.The storm knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without electricity, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://poweroutage.us/">poweroutage.us</a>, which tracks utility reports.The fabric that serves as the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, was ripped to shreds by the fierce winds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside. Multiple cranes were also toppled in the storm, the weather service said.St. Petersburg residents also could no longer get water from their household taps because a water main break led the city to shut down service. Mayor Ken Welch had told residents to expect long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system.Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according City Manager Bill McDaniel. Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight, said McDaniel, who estimated the city had received 13.5 inches (34 cm) of rain."We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” he said in a video posted online Thursday morning.Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida Wednesday morning, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day. One twister touched down in the lightly populated Everglades and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NWSMiami/status/1844017185817342101">crossed Interstate 75.</a>&nbsp;Another apparent tornado hit in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station’s canopy to shreds.The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.Four people were killed in tornadoes there, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. By early Thursday, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 kph) and leaving the state near Cape Canaveral.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fema-misinformation-helene-milton-hurricane-aid-recovery-468b036784b1db05937e9a34d0146041">The storm slammed into a region</a>&nbsp;still reeling two weeks after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-fema-826effecab238ff0acf0556ad64b0df2">Hurricane Helene</a>&nbsp;flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.Officials had issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival. By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall. She and her husband started packing Monday to evacuate, but they struggled to find available hotel rooms, and the few they came by were too expensive.With a 2-year-old son and a baby girl due Oct. 29, Curnick said there were too many unanswered questions if they got in the car and left: where to sleep, if they’d be able to fill up their gas tank, and if they could even find a safe route out of the state.Video taken during the storm showed howling winds and sheets of rain lashing their glass-enclosed swimming pool as their son and dog watched. Trees shook violently.“The thing is it’s so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula,” she said ahead of the storm. “In most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida, there are only so many roads that take you north or south."At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.“Unfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don’t think there’s any way around that,” DeSantis said.Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. In Orlando,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-florida-theme-parks-orlando-383cbb4c442aef52650dbab028eb949d">Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World remained closed</a>&nbsp;Thursday.More than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg were out of gas Wednesday night, according to GasBuddy, though DeSantis said the state’s overall supply was fine.Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.In Charlotte Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, clouds swirled and winds gusted as Josh Parks packed his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings Wednesday. Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge brought about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water to the neighborhood, and its streets remain filled with waterlogged furniture, torn-out drywall and other debris.Parks, an auto technician, planned to flee to his daughter’s home inland and said his roommate already left.

City of Pratt sent linemen to work Hurricane Milton relief in Florida

WICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;

The Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Tuesday announced the&nbsp;Stacker 8500&nbsp;is the winner of the&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfZJYTWvDm-K0pxROEeVeVjfMW3dFOUdCdW-2H7J60b4wf0sZlBXenAIyNzK5b-96yzhpIIM0_BuQt_70oyKUcSpxQ_iimtaDrf2sBZhZPUcB&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - Coolest Innovation</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The KMC is excited to celebrate the Stacker 8500 manufactured by Stinger Inc. as the 2024 Coolest Innovation," said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson. "Our panel of judges had a very difficult job in narrowing it down from the 28 products nominated to just one."

Presented by Forvis Mazars, the KMC added this category in 2022 to highlight the many ways Kansas manufacturers research and develop new products and work to improve products to address crucial challenges.

This year's contest began with 28 nominated products. Twelve moved on to the first round of judging by completing a questionnaire detailing their innovations. A panel of judges reviewed the questionnaires and then ranked the products for their innovative solutions, narrowing the competition for the final round of judging.

During the final round, the judges heard from the companies who advanced to the finals:

The judges choose the winning product&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfY4d3dTMT3JSZKXy3YJ5-9Bikqws8qDvXkYotbnnOYry1Yqt3XZlwnbLCMBXsKe1-zpm5vYLShtxhfvVgcL4sSmTTWhfZSucHiKA_tPqFvKJiiv-yP0fbWPXgh2dquCFfqAEw32ktcJCHOt4Nc6cNeP9qj_Hv5hdXvvB4dpPnxeGgpzu-5btk1k=&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">based on a criteria</a>&nbsp;that includes its impact on the challenge it solves as well as the impact it has on the business, its employees, and customers.

Manufactured in Burrton by Stinger, Inc., the Stacker 8500 is the first commercial bale stacker designed specifically for the expanding market of Ultra dense square bales.

It combines the most popular and proven features of Stingers of the past with the added performance and design to handle more bales at less cost than any other bale wagon in the world. Increased capacity, increased flotation, increased traction, speed, and horsepower.&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfZVX7KsDA33-3Li1NDUapyanM9LdngSQHrRShVxZnEprPGm6PTvMlHCn2i-LDYqrMg9X2An7iRtLPNTfN5melFgY39j6UDxMxlqsVZ0W0nsSp_5QaZI23BKJgfqxGyFsG4CNh_DNvFfOJdUmZKtqOeSjOAsno6wwTME3r52L1XoEtqVXNQUlfr7URR8eaZz1C_pNrcFkTdQI9yoZd_UC2C6OGb0W1Qkt6VislKefoni-I680Ot687mal5xxPhdM5Lw==&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a video of the Stacker 8500 in action.

The winner of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas - Coolest Innovation was announced during the KMC's Kansas Manufacturing Summit held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728523020280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Manufacturing CouncilWICHITA, Kan. —&nbsp;

The Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Tuesday announced the&nbsp;Stacker 8500&nbsp;is the winner of the&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfZJYTWvDm-K0pxROEeVeVjfMW3dFOUdCdW-2H7J60b4wf0sZlBXenAIyNzK5b-96yzhpIIM0_BuQt_70oyKUcSpxQ_iimtaDrf2sBZhZPUcB&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - Coolest Innovation</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The KMC is excited to celebrate the Stacker 8500 manufactured by Stinger Inc. as the 2024 Coolest Innovation," said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson. "Our panel of judges had a very difficult job in narrowing it down from the 28 products nominated to just one."Presented by Forvis Mazars, the KMC added this category in 2022 to highlight the many ways Kansas manufacturers research and develop new products and work to improve products to address crucial challenges.This year's contest began with 28 nominated products. Twelve moved on to the first round of judging by completing a questionnaire detailing their innovations. A panel of judges reviewed the questionnaires and then ranked the products for their innovative solutions, narrowing the competition for the final round of judging.During the final round, the judges heard from the companies who advanced to the finals:<ul>
 <li>Cosmic Soil Moisture Monitor by Radiation Detection Technologies, Manhattan</li><li>Stacker 8500 by Stinger, INC, Burrton</li><li>The Beast Rogue Fire Fighting Tools by Prohoe Manufacturing LLC, Munden</li><li>Command Center Tower on the OutStander Stand-On Mower By Grasshopper Mower, Moundridge</li>
 </ul>The judges choose the winning product&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfY4d3dTMT3JSZKXy3YJ5-9Bikqws8qDvXkYotbnnOYry1Yqt3XZlwnbLCMBXsKe1-zpm5vYLShtxhfvVgcL4sSmTTWhfZSucHiKA_tPqFvKJiiv-yP0fbWPXgh2dquCFfqAEw32ktcJCHOt4Nc6cNeP9qj_Hv5hdXvvB4dpPnxeGgpzu-5btk1k=&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">based on a criteria</a>&nbsp;that includes its impact on the challenge it solves as well as the impact it has on the business, its employees, and customers.Manufactured in Burrton by Stinger, Inc., the Stacker 8500 is the first commercial bale stacker designed specifically for the expanding market of Ultra dense square bales.It combines the most popular and proven features of Stingers of the past with the added performance and design to handle more bales at less cost than any other bale wagon in the world. Increased capacity, increased flotation, increased traction, speed, and horsepower.&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001cNGyDjtOrhRWCKmyep2Yxs5mEVZqUW7qFCzuZBf2ydqxMitN74rRfZVX7KsDA33-3Li1NDUapyanM9LdngSQHrRShVxZnEprPGm6PTvMlHCn2i-LDYqrMg9X2An7iRtLPNTfN5melFgY39j6UDxMxlqsVZ0W0nsSp_5QaZI23BKJgfqxGyFsG4CNh_DNvFfOJdUmZKtqOeSjOAsno6wwTME3r52L1XoEtqVXNQUlfr7URR8eaZz1C_pNrcFkTdQI9yoZd_UC2C6OGb0W1Qkt6VislKefoni-I680Ot687mal5xxPhdM5Lw==&amp;c=0wvmTPrnM1JN8bMTs2OMESeT9NV7-DfLNj0XNTEaz08Ocrvuz7FEtg==&amp;ch=jh_QaAhe_5RCLc311oDoW_QE7xlQOOAwF5bGsxLj-M3ynTrb0srAcw==" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a video of the Stacker 8500 in action.The winner of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas - Coolest Innovation was announced during the KMC's Kansas Manufacturing Summit held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita.

Burrton product named Coolest Innovation

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A Shawnee County judge rejected a lawsuit from Aetna Better Health of Kansas, which sued the state earlier this year after it was passed over as one of Kansas’ three Medicaid insurance providers.

In a 50-page decision, Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the decision by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, not to renew the contract for Medicaid services that Aetna has provided for the past five years.

The state announced in May that it selected three private companies, excluding Aetna, from seven bidders to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. In the state’s evaluation process, Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue. State officials destroyed documentation of scoring notes that were used by evaluators to inform their selection of Healthy Blue, a Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, over Aetna.

In response, Aetna filed two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court. One, filed in July and decided Oct. 1, challenged the decision itself. Another, filed in June, was an effort to challenge the state’s destruction of documents and awaits a ruling. The judge’s Oct. 1 decision came a day before the deadline for Aetna to notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer be a provider under KanCare.

Luedke wrote that the scoring process that evaluated each provider bidding for a multimillion dollar KanCare contract is “highly technical.”

“The Court is reluctant, and for the most part unable, to substitute its untutored judgment for that of the scoring officials,” Luedke wrote in his decision. “Nothing in Director Herman’s consideration of this issue was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.”

At a Sept. 17 hearing, Luedke likened the scoring notes to jury notes, which are commonly destroyed after a verdict is issued.

Court documents show Aetna beat out Healthy Blue in two evaluation areas, integrated whole person care and quality assurance, but the two had even scores overall. However, Healthy Blue topped Aetna in the remaining five categories. Handwritten notes showed decision-makers had concerns about Aetna’s “unresolved issues” in Kansas and other Medicaid states. But concerns were noted about Healthy Blue, too, including one that said it was “discouraging to see lack of initiative” from Healthy Blue.

The state signed contracts May 10 with Healthy Blue, United Healthcare and Sunflower Health Plan. Aetna then protested the decision, alleging the state used unstated and objective evaluation criteria, cherry-picked the criteria to break the tie between Aetna and Healthy Blue and ignored Healthy Blue’s alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/26/kansas-legislative-committee-jumps-into-battle-over-selection-of-medicaid-contractors/">conflicts of interest</a>.

“The State’s method of evaluating these scores was well within the scope of its expertise and discretion,” Luedke wrote. “The way the review was conducted should have been no surprised (sic) to any of the bidders.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728494523637.jpeg" alt=" Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the state's decision to drop Aetna as a Medicaid services provider. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the state's decision to drop Aetna as a Medicaid services provider. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A Shawnee County judge rejected a lawsuit from Aetna Better Health of Kansas, which sued the state earlier this year after it was passed over as one of Kansas’ three Medicaid insurance providers.In a 50-page decision, Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke upheld the decision by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, not to renew the contract for Medicaid services that Aetna has provided for the past five years.The state announced in May that it selected three private companies, excluding Aetna, from seven bidders to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. In the state’s evaluation process, Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue. State officials destroyed documentation of scoring notes that were used by evaluators to inform their selection of Healthy Blue, a Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, over Aetna.In response, Aetna filed two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court. One, filed in July and decided Oct. 1, challenged the decision itself. Another, filed in June, was an effort to challenge the state’s destruction of documents and awaits a ruling. The judge’s Oct. 1 decision came a day before the deadline for Aetna to notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer be a provider under KanCare.Luedke wrote that the scoring process that evaluated each provider bidding for a multimillion dollar KanCare contract is “highly technical.”“The Court is reluctant, and for the most part unable, to substitute its untutored judgment for that of the scoring officials,” Luedke wrote in his decision. “Nothing in Director Herman’s consideration of this issue was unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.”At a Sept. 17 hearing, Luedke likened the scoring notes to jury notes, which are commonly destroyed after a verdict is issued.Court documents show Aetna beat out Healthy Blue in two evaluation areas, integrated whole person care and quality assurance, but the two had even scores overall. However, Healthy Blue topped Aetna in the remaining five categories. Handwritten notes showed decision-makers had concerns about Aetna’s “unresolved issues” in Kansas and other Medicaid states. But concerns were noted about Healthy Blue, too, including one that said it was “discouraging to see lack of initiative” from Healthy Blue.The state signed contracts May 10 with Healthy Blue, United Healthcare and Sunflower Health Plan. Aetna then protested the decision, alleging the state used unstated and objective evaluation criteria, cherry-picked the criteria to break the tie between Aetna and Healthy Blue and ignored Healthy Blue’s alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/26/kansas-legislative-committee-jumps-into-battle-over-selection-of-medicaid-contractors/">conflicts of interest</a>.“The State’s method of evaluating these scores was well within the scope of its expertise and discretion,” Luedke wrote. “The way the review was conducted should have been no surprised (sic) to any of the bidders.”

Aetna loses challenge of Kansas Medicaid contract process

WICHITA, Kan. — After six weeks of competition, the Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Wednesday announced the Atom Pop corn popper is the winner of the&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I6z8pJ96zFbqbTnRUpBDT5bsxjE89gmOUsSVJKQxmil9bwdgU8cmKtF8ffDzNHUzhcXY6GhovV9gDxS9FC_RUCL4UOZalgF87zYp0sDhR0lUB_4aRBCGKX68m0gr29hYYUVZKsUvqg33_DGsyXZd-Lhq77C1kQp7&amp;c=D8eBoE8ADcYS_zk1XGSTnBrctCpw-kahmWrKewoHGu23DJMu0zvZdw==&amp;ch=4GnvdQbfN1aQB5LrW2R2BfUqMnQIW0aV_I16fl5yV-TErs0OY_Zf3g==" target="_blank">2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - People's Choice</a>&nbsp;.

"The KMC is excited to celebrate&nbsp;QuinCraft Production's Atom Pop corn popper as the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas, said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson.&nbsp;"Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for their favorite Kansas-made products. It once again has been a fun competition,"

McPherson said the KMC launched the Coolest Thing competition in 2020 to highlight the important role the manufacturing industry plays in the Kansas economy and&nbsp;as a way to promote the manufacturing industry and to raise awareness about the many cool products made in our state.

Presented by Forvis Mazars, the competition kicked off in August with 16 products in the bracket-style tournament. The products competed in two rounds of head-to-head match-ups with the product with the most votes moving to the next round. The final round put the final four Kansas-made products up against one another. The final four were:

Kansans cast nearly than 30,000 votes during the tournament and final round of voting.

Manufactured in Bushton&nbsp;by QuinCraft Production, the Atom Pop is a stove top popcorn popper. It makes 2 1/2 quarts of popped corn.​​ The conical shape and aluminum bowl allow the popcorn to be popped without stirring or shaking.&nbsp;

Popped kernels are pushed up away from the heat and the aluminum dissipates the heat so the corn does not burn.​&nbsp;It is as convenient as microwave popcorn and is healthier without the additives.

The winner of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas - People's Choice was announced during the KMC's annual Kansas Manufacturing Summit held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita.

There are nearly 2,500 manufacturers in Kansas, employing more than 160,000 people with an average annual compensation of $79,722. Manufacturing produces more than $26.7 billion in output annually, 15% of the total output in the state. Manufacturing helps drive the state's economy with more than $9.93 billion in annual manufactured good exports to markets such as Canada, Mexico, and Japan.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728491156443.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Kansas Manufacturing CouncilWICHITA, Kan. — After six weeks of competition, the Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Wednesday announced the Atom Pop corn popper is the winner of the&nbsp;<a href="https://9slwjycab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001I6z8pJ96zFbqbTnRUpBDT5bsxjE89gmOUsSVJKQxmil9bwdgU8cmKtF8ffDzNHUzhcXY6GhovV9gDxS9FC_RUCL4UOZalgF87zYp0sDhR0lUB_4aRBCGKX68m0gr29hYYUVZKsUvqg33_DGsyXZd-Lhq77C1kQp7&amp;c=D8eBoE8ADcYS_zk1XGSTnBrctCpw-kahmWrKewoHGu23DJMu0zvZdw==&amp;ch=4GnvdQbfN1aQB5LrW2R2BfUqMnQIW0aV_I16fl5yV-TErs0OY_Zf3g==" target="_blank">2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - People's Choice</a>&nbsp;."The KMC is excited to celebrate&nbsp;QuinCraft Production's Atom Pop corn popper as the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas, said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson.&nbsp;"Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for their favorite Kansas-made products. It once again has been a fun competition,"McPherson said the KMC launched the Coolest Thing competition in 2020 to highlight the important role the manufacturing industry plays in the Kansas economy and&nbsp;as a way to promote the manufacturing industry and to raise awareness about the many cool products made in our state.Presented by Forvis Mazars, the competition kicked off in August with 16 products in the bracket-style tournament. The products competed in two rounds of head-to-head match-ups with the product with the most votes moving to the next round. The final round put the final four Kansas-made products up against one another. The final four were:<ul>
 <li>Disc Tree Cutter by CVR Manufacturing, Galesburg.</li><li>Handy Hook Firefighter by Helten Panacea, LLC, Garden Plain.</li><li>Air Navigation Aid Systems by Indra Air Traffic, Inc., Overland Park.</li><li>Atom Pop Corn Popper by QuinCraft Production, Bushton.</li>
 </ul>Kansans cast nearly than 30,000 votes during the tournament and final round of voting.Manufactured in Bushton&nbsp;by QuinCraft Production, the Atom Pop is a stove top popcorn popper. It makes 2 1/2 quarts of popped corn.​​ The conical shape and aluminum bowl allow the popcorn to be popped without stirring or shaking.&nbsp;Popped kernels are pushed up away from the heat and the aluminum dissipates the heat so the corn does not burn.​&nbsp;It is as convenient as microwave popcorn and is healthier without the additives.The winner of the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas - People's Choice was announced during the KMC's annual Kansas Manufacturing Summit held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita.There are nearly 2,500 manufacturers in Kansas, employing more than 160,000 people with an average annual compensation of $79,722. Manufacturing produces more than $26.7 billion in output annually, 15% of the total output in the state. Manufacturing helps drive the state's economy with more than $9.93 billion in annual manufactured good exports to markets such as Canada, Mexico, and Japan.

Atom Pop corn popper wins contest

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has had as many as seven private phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;since leaving office and secretly sent the Russian president COVID-19 test machines during the height of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new book, “War."

The famed Watergate reporter also details President Joe Biden's frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;'s assortment of burner phones. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of the book, which is due out next week.

Trump denied the reporting, telling ABC News' Jonathan Karl that Woodward is “a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.”

Trump had previously spoken to Woodward for the journalist's 2021 book, “Rage.” Trump later sued over it, claiming Woodward never had permission to publicly release recordings of their interviews for the book. The publisher and Woodward denied his allegations.

Trump has had multiple calls with Putin since his White House term ended

Woodward reports that Trump asked an aide to leave his office at his Florida resort,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Mar-a-Lago</a>, so that the former president could have a private call with Putin in early 2024. The aide, whom Woodward doesn’t name, said there have been multiple calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office, perhaps as many as seven, according to the book, though it does not detail what they discussed.

Trump senior adviser and longtime aide Jason Miller told Woodward that he had not heard Trump was having calls with Putin and said, “I'd push back on that.” But Miller also said, according to the book, “I’m sure they’d know how to get in touch with each other."

Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said none of the stories in Woodward’s books are true. In a statement on Tuesday, he called them “the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reporting about the calls was “not true.”

Trump's relationship with Putin has been scrutinized since his 2016 campaign for president, when he memorably called on Russia to find and make public missing emails deleted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, his Democratic opponent. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he said.

U.S. intelligence agencies later determined that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump, though an investigation by special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-mueller">Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">no conspiracy</a>&nbsp;between the Trump team and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned that finding following an in-person meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

In recent years, Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">said Ukraine should have made concessions</a>&nbsp;to Putin before Russia invaded in 2022. He also previously touted his good relationship with Putin and called the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.

Trump sent COVID-19 test machines to Putin for his personal use

Woodward reports that Trump sent Putin COVID-19 test machines for his personal use as the virus began spreading in 2020.

Putin told Trump not to tell anyone because people would be mad at Trump over it, but Trump said he didn’t care if anyone knew, according to the book. Trump ended up agreeing not to tell anyone.

The book doesn’t specify when the machines were sent but describes it as being when the virus spread rapidly through Russia. It was previously reported by The Associated Press and other agencies that Trump’s administration in May 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-politics-virus-outbreak-e08621567fd8758c89b0c5aed5ac5d72">sent</a>&nbsp;ventilators and other equipment to several countries, including Russia.

“There were no secret shipments. The pandemic was starting back then," Peskov said Wednesday via a messaging app. “Many countries were exchanging equipment. We sent ventilators. Testers came from America.”

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728413843207.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has had as many as seven private phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a>&nbsp;since leaving office and secretly sent the Russian president COVID-19 test machines during the height of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new book, “War."The famed Watergate reporter also details President Joe Biden's frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;and Saudi Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;'s assortment of burner phones. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of the book, which is due out next week.Trump denied the reporting, telling ABC News' Jonathan Karl that Woodward is “a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.”Trump had previously spoken to Woodward for the journalist's 2021 book, “Rage.” Trump later sued over it, claiming Woodward never had permission to publicly release recordings of their interviews for the book. The publisher and Woodward denied his allegations.Here is more from the new book:<h2>Trump has had multiple calls with Putin since his White House term ended</h2>Woodward reports that Trump asked an aide to leave his office at his Florida resort,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mar-a-lago">Mar-a-Lago</a>, so that the former president could have a private call with Putin in early 2024. The aide, whom Woodward doesn’t name, said there have been multiple calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office, perhaps as many as seven, according to the book, though it does not detail what they discussed.Trump senior adviser and longtime aide Jason Miller told Woodward that he had not heard Trump was having calls with Putin and said, “I'd push back on that.” But Miller also said, according to the book, “I’m sure they’d know how to get in touch with each other."Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said none of the stories in Woodward’s books are true. In a statement on Tuesday, he called them “the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reporting about the calls was “not true.”Trump's relationship with Putin has been scrutinized since his 2016 campaign for president, when he memorably called on Russia to find and make public missing emails deleted by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hillary-clinton">Hillary Clinton</a>, his Democratic opponent. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” he said.U.S. intelligence agencies later determined that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump, though an investigation by special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-mueller">Robert Mueller</a>&nbsp;found&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f109a539220b41218860fa68176a9c98">no conspiracy</a>&nbsp;between the Trump team and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned that finding following an in-person meeting with Putin in Helsinki.In recent years, Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-0f4d539aa73a943474d779716e5fe42a">said Ukraine should have made concessions</a>&nbsp;to Putin before Russia invaded in 2022. He also previously touted his good relationship with Putin and called the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.<h2>Trump sent COVID-19 test machines to Putin for his personal use</h2>Woodward reports that Trump sent Putin COVID-19 test machines for his personal use as the virus began spreading in 2020.Putin told Trump not to tell anyone because people would be mad at Trump over it, but Trump said he didn’t care if anyone knew, according to the book. Trump ended up agreeing not to tell anyone.The book doesn’t specify when the machines were sent but describes it as being when the virus spread rapidly through Russia. It was previously reported by The Associated Press and other agencies that Trump’s administration in May 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-politics-virus-outbreak-e08621567fd8758c89b0c5aed5ac5d72">sent</a>&nbsp;ventilators and other equipment to several countries, including Russia.“There were no secret shipments. The pandemic was starting back then," Peskov said Wednesday via a messaging app. “Many countries were exchanging equipment. We sent ventilators. Testers came from America.”Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview Tuesday with radio host Howard Stern, accused Trump of giving the machines to a “murderous dictator” at a time when “everyone was scrambling" to get tests.“This person who wants to be president again, who secretly is helping out an an adversary while the American people are dying by the hundreds every day," said Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.Biden highlighted the report during a stop in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.“You see what came out today?” Biden said at a fundraiser for Sen. Bob Casey. “So he calls his good friend Putin — not a joke — and makes sure he had the tests. He had the tests.”<h2>Biden's anger at Netanyahu has boiled over in private</h2>The book also details Biden’s complicated relationship with Netanyahu as well as private moments when the president has been fed up with him over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>.Biden’s “frustrations and distrust” of Netanyahu “erupted” this past spring, Woodward writes. The president privately unleashed a profanity-laden tirade, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “bad f——— guy," according to the book. Biden said he felt, in Woodward’s accounting, that Netanyahu “had been lying to him regularly.” With Netanyahu “continuing to say he was going to kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote, “Biden had told him that was impossible, threatening both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons shipment.”Biden and Netanyahu have long been acquainted, although their relationship has not been known to be close or overly friendly. Last week, Biden said he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-mideast-israel-d9f53ba8c7b3b4db953be020f676274c">didn’t know whether</a>&nbsp;the Israeli leader was holding up a Mideast peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.Asked about the book's reporting, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons told reporters Tuesday that “The commitment that we have to the state of Israel is ironclad.”Simons, when pressed on the details, said she wouldn't comment on every anecdote that may come out in reporting. She added of Biden and Netanyahu: “They have a long-term relationship. They have a very honest and direct relationship, and I don’t have a comment on those specific anecdotes.”<h2>Biden criticized Obama's handling of the Russian invasion of Crimea</h2>The book details Biden’s criticism late last year of President Barack Obama’s handling of Putin’s earlier invasion of Ukraine, when Russia seized Crimea and a section of the Donbas in 2014, at a time when Biden was serving as the Democrat’s vice president.“They f----- up in 2014,” Woodward wrote that Biden said to a close friend in December, blaming the lack of action for Putin’s actions in Ukraine. “Barack never took Putin seriously.”Biden was angry while speaking to the friend and said they “never should have let Putin just walk in there” in 2014 and that the U.S. “did nothing.”<h2>Biden regrets choosing Garland as attorney general</h2>Woodward reports Biden was privately furious with Attorney General Merrick Garland for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6">appointing a special counsel</a>&nbsp;to investigate Biden’s son Hunter in a tax-and-gun prosecution.“Should never have picked Garland,” Biden told an associate, according to Woodward. The journalist did not name the associate.Hunter Biden was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-trial-federal-charges-delaware-5dd8a9380235c6360a1ddb691ef24a06">convicted in June</a>&nbsp;on federal gun charges and faces sentencing in federal court in Delaware in December. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-tax-trial-justice-department-6873692c030244b450e27826e7097946">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;to federal tax charges in California and is also set to be sentenced in that case in December.The Justice Department declined to comment.<h2>Graham says going to Mar-a-Lago is ‘a little bit like going to North Korea’</h2>One of Trump’s longest-term allies, South Carolina Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lindsey-graham">Lindsey Graham</a>, blamed Trump’s ongoing false claims that the 2020 election was rigged to a cult of personality in which the former president’s ensconcement at Mar-a-Lago and circle of aides and advisers “constantly feed this narrative,” according to the book.The weekend after Russia invaded Ukraine, Graham was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which the senator characterized as “a little bit like going to North Korea.” Graham added that “everybody stands up and claps every time Trump comes in.”On politics, Woodward wrote that Graham’s counsel was part of what persuaded Trump to run again for the presidency.In March, during one of his many visits to the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Graham told Woodward that he had been meeting with the Saudi crown prince when Graham suggested they call Trump. From “a bag containing about 50 burner phones,” Prince Mohammed “pulled out one labeled ‘TRUMP 45.’” On another trip, Woodward wrote, the Saudi leader retrieved another burner phone, "this time labeled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jake-sullivan">JAKE SULLIVAN</a>&nbsp;” when the men called Biden’s national security adviser.___Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Aamer Madhani aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.