HAVEN, Kan. — City of Haven Public Works Director Steve Carmichael provided citizens with some positive news regarding recent power issues at the City Council meeting on Tuesday at Haven City Hall.

Community members have voiced their opinions on social media throughout the past several weeks after several brownouts and/or blackouts following any storms or high winds.

"We've been working really hard on the power issue for the last two weeks. I had Tim Goldson come in and help. He is the utilities director for the City of Kingman. He volunteered his time to come up and walk our system, drive our system, and he did it twice. He found some tiny little things in the city, nothing that was causing the blinks. He brought one of his line crews up on the last day and they went through and changed out some insulators and just took care of some small things."

Carmichael is pleased with how things turned out with the help of Evergy.

"Initially we thought it was a lightning strike, but after talking with Evergy when they came out and fixed it and stuff, we think maybe our gremlin up ahead finally exploded, so it's all been replaced," Carmichael said. "Other problems that we found on Evergy's line when we drove it, that we've been hounding Evergy about, they came out and fixed that."

Carmichael is hopeful the problem has been fixed and won't need to be addressed in the future.

"Let's cross our fingers that that was what the blinking was," Carmichael said. "The blink is literally a needle in a haystack to try and find, until something majorly goes bad. The problem was we looked in our haystack and they looked in their haystack, and we're still just looking for that needle in a haystack that I think we may have got some ground covered on that. I assure you that it wasn't due to a lack of effort. We'll continue to cross our fingers and hope."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725412072819.png" alt="Photo Courtesy City of Haven" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy City of Haven</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHAVEN, Kan. — City of Haven Public Works Director Steve Carmichael provided citizens with some positive news regarding recent power issues at the City Council meeting on Tuesday at Haven City Hall.Community members have voiced their opinions on social media throughout the past several weeks after several brownouts and/or blackouts following any storms or high winds."We've been working really hard on the power issue for the last two weeks. I had Tim Goldson come in and help. He is the utilities director for the City of Kingman. He volunteered his time to come up and walk our system, drive our system, and he did it twice. He found some tiny little things in the city, nothing that was causing the blinks. He brought one of his line crews up on the last day and they went through and changed out some insulators and just took care of some small things."Carmichael is pleased with how things turned out with the help of Evergy."Initially we thought it was a lightning strike, but after talking with Evergy when they came out and fixed it and stuff, we think maybe our gremlin up ahead finally exploded, so it's all been replaced," Carmichael said. "Other problems that we found on Evergy's line when we drove it, that we've been hounding Evergy about, they came out and fixed that."Carmichael is hopeful the problem has been fixed and won't need to be addressed in the future."Let's cross our fingers that that was what the blinking was," Carmichael said. "The blink is literally a needle in a haystack to try and find, until something majorly goes bad. The problem was we looked in our haystack and they looked in their haystack, and we're still just looking for that needle in a haystack that I think we may have got some ground covered on that. I assure you that it wasn't due to a lack of effort. We'll continue to cross our fingers and hope."

Haven power issues resolved

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is betting that Americans crave trillions of dollars in tax cuts — and that growth will be so fantastic that it's not worth worrying about budget deficits.

In short, he's hoping that most economic analyses of his ideas are dead wrong.

Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;believes that big corporations and the ultra-wealthy should pay more in taxes — and wants to use those revenues to help spur the construction of 3 million homes and offer tax breaks for parents.

She's hoping to deliver on the types of policies that President Joe Biden has been unable to secure in a lasting way.

The two presidential nominees are using the week before their debate to sharpen their economic messages about who could do more for the middle class. Harris will discuss her policy plans Wednesday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while Trump will address the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.

The economy has historically been a dominant issue in presidential elections. In an August survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, Trump did narrowly better on the economy with 45% saying he would handle it better and 38% saying Harris would.

There are high stakes in this showdown because the winner of November's election could rewrite much of the federal tax code next year, when parts of Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-486b4546115d42709ba56864bd6509c6">2017 tax cuts</a>&nbsp;are set to expire.

Trump and Harris have different ways of trying to help the middle class.

The former Republican president sees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-project-2025-biden-b7fb80fd689ed773da83c80e52559b4f">tax cuts</a>&nbsp;for businesses and the wealthy as essential for promoting more investment, with those who've previously advised him saying average growth would top 3%. Mind you, overall economic growth never hit 3% a year when Trump was president. But between 2018 and 2019, the median household income jumped by $5,220 to an inflation-adjusted $78,250, according to the Census Bureau.

“What I tell people all the time: The Trump policies were designed to lift middle-class wages, re-onshore and re-industrialize,” said Joseph LaVorgna, an economist who worked in the Trump White House. “The intention is to get wages higher.”

By contrast, Harris wants to upgrade the middle-class promise of home ownership and ease the high costs of parenthood. She also wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-small-business-tax-plan-new-hampshire-12f34210263458ddb1b02fbd846d2be5">tax breaks for entrepreneurs</a>. It's a message meant to show that Harris can address the problem of prices as people are still recovering from inflation spiking to a four-decade high in 2022.

First-time homebuyers could get $25,000 in down payment assistance that would be coupled with broader policies to encourage the construction of 3 million additional homes in four years. New parents could get a $6,000 tax credit and an expanded child tax credit.

“When working- and middle-class Americans have the opportunity to earn more, to build a business, to buy a home, to climb the economic ladder, it strengthens our economy and helps us grow," said Brian Nelson, a Harris adviser.

Trump has proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-tips-taxes-pay-workers-election-9ed6e049a53b1943471ce2b6479b9ffb">no taxes on tips paid to workers</a>&nbsp;or Social Security income. Harris has embraced the idea of not taxing workers' tips.

As Ernie Tedeschi at the Yale Budget Lab noted, excluding tips from taxes is unlikely to provide much of an economic boost even if some individuals feel better off. He noted that just 2.5% of workers receive tips and that many don't earn enough money to owe income taxes to the federal government.

Trump would also exclude Social Security payments from taxation, which could cost $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The risk is those taxes help fund Social Security. Without those revenues, the program would be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2033, or two years earlier than currently forecast, according to an analysis by Brendan Duke, senior director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

As much as Trump talks about tax cuts, he would also want to engage in a massive tax hike by charging higher tariffs on imports in order to grow jobs.

How much would the tariff be? No one really knows. Trump has proposed a broad tariff of 10%, but at an August event in North Carolina suggested it could be as high as 20%. Against Chinese products, he would like a tax of somewhere between 60% to 100%.

The Republican insists his tariffs wouldn't jack up inflation, but the whole goal of the tax is to make imports more expensive so that more manufacturing occurs domestically. The Harris campaign says the middle class would face a higher tax burden, with the 20% tariff applied broadly costing a typical household $4,000 annually.

The Trump campaign did not answer questions about how the tariffs would work. If the goal is to bring jobs back from overseas, the tariffs would presumably be phased in over time so that manufacturing jobs could return to the U.S. But if the goal is to raise revenues, then they would be implemented immediately.

It's not clear that Trump could pay for his ambitious tax cuts.

He wants to extend the expiring provisions of his 2017 tax overhaul. He’s floated the idea of chopping the 21% corporate tax rate to 15%, in addition to no taxes on tips and Social Security income. The estimated price is close to $6 trillion, but it could be higher. And the Congressional Budget Office already estimates $22 trillion in deficits over the next decade without the tax overhaul being extended.

Growth would not appear to cover the price tag. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget surveyed economic analyses and found that Trump extending his tax cuts would have roughly no impact on overall growth over 10 years because of the additional debt.

“The overall agenda doesn’t seem to be all that pro-growth,” said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

According to the Harris campaign, all her spending plans would be funded. Officials with her campaign have suggested that her sources of revenue would largely mirror Biden's 2025 budget proposal.

Still, the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that her policies would add $2.3 trillion in spending. It forecasts that her plan to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% would produce $1.1 trillion in tax revenues. But the group did not include other proposals such as taxing the unrealized income gains of people worth $100 million or more, as there are not enough details to produce an accurate number. Nor did it include other revenue increases.

The Penn Wharton Budget Model suggests that the Harris plans would hurt growth more than Trump's would through 2034, though it excluded his proposed tariffs from the analysis.

The real difference of the plan is how tax burdens would change starting in 2026.

Under Trump's plans, someone in the top 0.1% of earners would after taxes get on average $376,910 more in income. The poorest 20% would get just $320 more.

Harris' policies would reduce the average incomes of the top 0.1% by $167,225. But the bottom 20% get $2,355 more in income and benefits.

“Bigger picture: both Harris and Trump are causing the debt path to rise even faster than the fast pace under current law,” said Kent Smetters, the faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724867447394.png" alt="File AP Photo" />
 <figcaption>File AP Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is betting that Americans crave trillions of dollars in tax cuts — and that growth will be so fantastic that it's not worth worrying about budget deficits.In short, he's hoping that most economic analyses of his ideas are dead wrong.Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;believes that big corporations and the ultra-wealthy should pay more in taxes — and wants to use those revenues to help spur the construction of 3 million homes and offer tax breaks for parents.She's hoping to deliver on the types of policies that President Joe Biden has been unable to secure in a lasting way.The two presidential nominees are using the week before their debate to sharpen their economic messages about who could do more for the middle class. Harris will discuss her policy plans Wednesday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while Trump will address the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.The economy has historically been a dominant issue in presidential elections. In an August survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, Trump did narrowly better on the economy with 45% saying he would handle it better and 38% saying Harris would.There are high stakes in this showdown because the winner of November's election could rewrite much of the federal tax code next year, when parts of Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-486b4546115d42709ba56864bd6509c6">2017 tax cuts</a>&nbsp;are set to expire.A look at the candidates' proposals:<h2>DIFFERENT PITCHES TO THE MIDDLE-CLASS</h2>Trump and Harris have different ways of trying to help the middle class.The former Republican president sees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-economy-tariffs-project-2025-biden-b7fb80fd689ed773da83c80e52559b4f">tax cuts</a>&nbsp;for businesses and the wealthy as essential for promoting more investment, with those who've previously advised him saying average growth would top 3%. Mind you, overall economic growth never hit 3% a year when Trump was president. But between 2018 and 2019, the median household income jumped by $5,220 to an inflation-adjusted $78,250, according to the Census Bureau.“What I tell people all the time: The Trump policies were designed to lift middle-class wages, re-onshore and re-industrialize,” said Joseph LaVorgna, an economist who worked in the Trump White House. “The intention is to get wages higher.”By contrast, Harris wants to upgrade the middle-class promise of home ownership and ease the high costs of parenthood. She also wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-small-business-tax-plan-new-hampshire-12f34210263458ddb1b02fbd846d2be5">tax breaks for entrepreneurs</a>. It's a message meant to show that Harris can address the problem of prices as people are still recovering from inflation spiking to a four-decade high in 2022.First-time homebuyers could get $25,000 in down payment assistance that would be coupled with broader policies to encourage the construction of 3 million additional homes in four years. New parents could get a $6,000 tax credit and an expanded child tax credit.“When working- and middle-class Americans have the opportunity to earn more, to build a business, to buy a home, to climb the economic ladder, it strengthens our economy and helps us grow," said Brian Nelson, a Harris adviser.<h2>NO TAXES ON TIPS, SOCIAL SECURITY</h2>Trump has proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-tips-taxes-pay-workers-election-9ed6e049a53b1943471ce2b6479b9ffb">no taxes on tips paid to workers</a>&nbsp;or Social Security income. Harris has embraced the idea of not taxing workers' tips.As Ernie Tedeschi at the Yale Budget Lab noted, excluding tips from taxes is unlikely to provide much of an economic boost even if some individuals feel better off. He noted that just 2.5% of workers receive tips and that many don't earn enough money to owe income taxes to the federal government.Trump would also exclude Social Security payments from taxation, which could cost $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The risk is those taxes help fund Social Security. Without those revenues, the program would be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2033, or two years earlier than currently forecast, according to an analysis by Brendan Duke, senior director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.<h2>TARIFFS</h2>As much as Trump talks about tax cuts, he would also want to engage in a massive tax hike by charging higher tariffs on imports in order to grow jobs.How much would the tariff be? No one really knows. Trump has proposed a broad tariff of 10%, but at an August event in North Carolina suggested it could be as high as 20%. Against Chinese products, he would like a tax of somewhere between 60% to 100%.The Republican insists his tariffs wouldn't jack up inflation, but the whole goal of the tax is to make imports more expensive so that more manufacturing occurs domestically. The Harris campaign says the middle class would face a higher tax burden, with the 20% tariff applied broadly costing a typical household $4,000 annually.The Trump campaign did not answer questions about how the tariffs would work. If the goal is to bring jobs back from overseas, the tariffs would presumably be phased in over time so that manufacturing jobs could return to the U.S. But if the goal is to raise revenues, then they would be implemented immediately.<h2>TRUMP'S NOT AFRAID OF DEBT</h2>It's not clear that Trump could pay for his ambitious tax cuts.He wants to extend the expiring provisions of his 2017 tax overhaul. He’s floated the idea of chopping the 21% corporate tax rate to 15%, in addition to no taxes on tips and Social Security income. The estimated price is close to $6 trillion, but it could be higher. And the Congressional Budget Office already estimates $22 trillion in deficits over the next decade without the tax overhaul being extended.Growth would not appear to cover the price tag. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget surveyed economic analyses and found that Trump extending his tax cuts would have roughly no impact on overall growth over 10 years because of the additional debt.“The overall agenda doesn’t seem to be all that pro-growth,” said Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.<h2>HARRIS IS MORE CAUTIOUS WITH DEFICITS</h2>According to the Harris campaign, all her spending plans would be funded. Officials with her campaign have suggested that her sources of revenue would largely mirror Biden's 2025 budget proposal.Still, the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that her policies would add $2.3 trillion in spending. It forecasts that her plan to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% would produce $1.1 trillion in tax revenues. But the group did not include other proposals such as taxing the unrealized income gains of people worth $100 million or more, as there are not enough details to produce an accurate number. Nor did it include other revenue increases.The Penn Wharton Budget Model suggests that the Harris plans would hurt growth more than Trump's would through 2034, though it excluded his proposed tariffs from the analysis.The real difference of the plan is how tax burdens would change starting in 2026.Under Trump's plans, someone in the top 0.1% of earners would after taxes get on average $376,910 more in income. The poorest 20% would get just $320 more.Harris' policies would reduce the average incomes of the top 0.1% by $167,225. But the bottom 20% get $2,355 more in income and benefits.“Bigger picture: both Harris and Trump are causing the debt path to rise even faster than the fast pace under current law,” said Kent Smetters, the faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

Raise taxes or cut them? Harris, Trump differ on how to boost the economy

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday gave approval for a series of Hutchinson projects in the amount of $4.34 million, along with the approval of general temporary notes in the amount of $1.615 million.

"While we were preparing to bond this, we realized bonding costs may be higher," said Hutchinson City Finance Director Angela Richard. "First on the agenda is to approve the resolution to start the bonding process and then the next two items will amend prior ordinances to authorize higher bonding, because of those projected bonding costs."

Richard also found out that if the city has to pay for the Atrium tear-down itself, it will require another type of financing.

"The bond sale is scheduled to be Oct. 15, with council approval on Oct. 16," Richard said. "Then, we anticipate to close the bonds on Nov. 12. One of the items that you might be thinking about is, why am I not waiting until we find out what's going to happen with the Atrium to bond that project with these, as well? That, according to our legal counsel, would probably be taxable general obligation bonds. These are tax exempt. It would have to be a different sale."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725404113780.jpeg" alt="City Finance Director Angela Richard" />
 <figcaption>City Finance Director Angela Richard</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday gave approval for a series of Hutchinson projects in the amount of $4.34 million, along with the approval of general temporary notes in the amount of $1.615 million."While we were preparing to bond this, we realized bonding costs may be higher," said Hutchinson City Finance Director Angela Richard. "First on the agenda is to approve the resolution to start the bonding process and then the next two items will amend prior ordinances to authorize higher bonding, because of those projected bonding costs."Richard also found out that if the city has to pay for the Atrium tear-down itself, it will require another type of financing."The bond sale is scheduled to be Oct. 15, with council approval on Oct. 16," Richard said. "Then, we anticipate to close the bonds on Nov. 12. One of the items that you might be thinking about is, why am I not waiting until we find out what's going to happen with the Atrium to bond that project with these, as well? That, according to our legal counsel, would probably be taxable general obligation bonds. These are tax exempt. It would have to be a different sale."The resolution was approved unanimously.

City approves bonding at Tuesday meeting

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — StartUp Hutch, in conjunction with The City of Hutchinson – Human Relations Office and NetWork Kansas, invite the public to join the excitement as local entrepreneurs present their business ideas at the Pitch Contest on Monday, September 16th. The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Blue Dragon Room at the Parker Student Union on the Hutchinson Community College campus. 

This dynamic event is the culmination of the Entrepreneurship Business Basics JUMP© (EBB Jump) program, a 12-week course designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. During the contest, participants will showcase their business pitches to a panel of judges in hopes of winning a share of $2,000 in prize money. 

“We’re thrilled to see the creativity and ambition that local entrepreneurs will bring to the Pitch Contest,” said Jackson Swearer, executive director of StartUp Hutch. “This event is an opportunity to witness the next wave of business innovation in Reno County and support the growth of our entrepreneurial community.” 

Community members, business leaders, and supporters of local entrepreneurship are encouraged to attend the event to cheer on the contestants and get inspired by their innovative ideas.  

The Pitch Contest marks the finale of the EBB Jump program, which has been instrumental in equipping participants with essential business skills, insights, and resources over the past three months. Led by facilitator Kira Cheree’ Cobb, the course has provided a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to accelerate their business growth and gain the confidence needed to succeed. 

Location: Blue Dragon Room, Parker Student Union, Hutchinson Community College 

Come out and be part of this exciting event as we celebrate entrepreneurship in Reno County!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712330175748.jpeg" alt="StartUp Hutch Square" />
 <figcaption>StartUp Hutch Square</figcaption>
 </figure>StartUp HutchHUTCHINSON, Kan. — StartUp Hutch, in conjunction with The City of Hutchinson – Human Relations Office and NetWork Kansas, invite the public to join the excitement as local entrepreneurs present their business ideas at the Pitch Contest on Monday, September 16th. The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Blue Dragon Room at the Parker Student Union on the Hutchinson Community College campus. This dynamic event is the culmination of the Entrepreneurship Business Basics JUMP© (EBB Jump) program, a 12-week course designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. During the contest, participants will showcase their business pitches to a panel of judges in hopes of winning a share of $2,000 in prize money. “We’re thrilled to see the creativity and ambition that local entrepreneurs will bring to the Pitch Contest,” said Jackson Swearer, executive director of StartUp Hutch. “This event is an opportunity to witness the next wave of business innovation in Reno County and support the growth of our entrepreneurial community.” Community members, business leaders, and supporters of local entrepreneurship are encouraged to attend the event to cheer on the contestants and get inspired by their innovative ideas. The Pitch Contest marks the finale of the EBB Jump program, which has been instrumental in equipping participants with essential business skills, insights, and resources over the past three months. Led by facilitator Kira Cheree’ Cobb, the course has provided a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to accelerate their business growth and gain the confidence needed to succeed. Event Details: Date: Monday, September 16th, 2024 Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Location: Blue Dragon Room, Parker Student Union, Hutchinson Community College Come out and be part of this exciting event as we celebrate entrepreneurship in Reno County!

Pitch contest coming up September 16

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 City of Hutchinson budget approved by the city council after its hearing Tuesday morning will spend down much of the city's ending balance.&nbsp;

According to budget documents, the 2025 Budget shows a beginning general fund balance of approximately $5.3 million with a projected 2025 year-end fund balance of $913,000.

"The goal here that council has expressed is to keep the mill levy the same," said City of Hutchinson Finance Director Angela Richard. "We are seeing those rising costs but along with that this year we have seen a decrease in our sales tax revenue."

Normally, trends would indicate that the general fund ending balance would be higher than budgeted because the city typically does not spend the full budget. Sales tax collections will greatly impact the balance in 2025, and the city portion of sales tax will actually go down in October when the Sports Arena bonds are paid off.

&nbsp;"The city portion will go from 1.5 to 0.75 percent," Richard said.

The 2025 budgeted expenditures of $47,169,865 exceed the 2024 general fund budgeted expenditures of $44,581,726.

The 2024 assessed valuation for 2025 budget purposes ($380,287,477) reflected a 5.1% increase from the 2023 assessed valuation of $361,840,574.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725374120573.jpeg" alt="City Council September 2" />
 <figcaption>City Council September 2</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 City of Hutchinson budget approved by the city council after its hearing Tuesday morning will spend down much of the city's ending balance.&nbsp;According to budget documents, the 2025 Budget shows a beginning general fund balance of approximately $5.3 million with a projected 2025 year-end fund balance of $913,000."The goal here that council has expressed is to keep the mill levy the same," said City of Hutchinson Finance Director Angela Richard. "We are seeing those rising costs but along with that this year we have seen a decrease in our sales tax revenue."Normally, trends would indicate that the general fund ending balance would be higher than budgeted because the city typically does not spend the full budget. Sales tax collections will greatly impact the balance in 2025, and the city portion of sales tax will actually go down in October when the Sports Arena bonds are paid off.&nbsp;"The city portion will go from 1.5 to 0.75 percent," Richard said.The 2025 budgeted expenditures of $47,169,865 exceed the 2024 general fund budgeted expenditures of $44,581,726.The 2024 assessed valuation for 2025 budget purposes ($380,287,477) reflected a 5.1% increase from the 2023 assessed valuation of $361,840,574.

City passes 2025 budget

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-darren">James Darren,</a>&nbsp;a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday at 88.

Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, his son Jim Moret told news outlets.

Moret told The Hollywood Reporter that Darren was supposed have had an aortic valve replacement but was too weak for the surgery. “I always thought he would pull through,” his son told the entertainment trade, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”

In his long career, Darren acted, sang and built up a successful behind-the-scenes career as a television director, helming episodes of such well-known series as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shannen-doherty-dies-65b9678241e44d0497e7d24baee49cb5">“Beverly Hills 90210”</a>&nbsp;and “Melrose Place.” In the 1980s, he was Officer Jim Corrigan on the television cop show “T.J. Hooker.”

But to young movie fans of the late 1950s, he would be remembered best as Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer boy in the smash 1959 release “Gidget.” Dee starred as the title character, a spunky Southern Californian who hits the beach and eventually falls in love with Moondoggie.

“I was in love with Sandra,” Darren later recalled. “I thought that she was absolutely perfect as Gidget. She had tremendous charm.”

The film was based on a novel that a California man, Frederick Kohner, had written&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/61b5d7ae9d854f27871df505947ff26e">about his own teenage daughter</a>&nbsp;and helped spur interest in surfing — one that influenced pop music, slang and even fashion.

For Darren, his success with teen fans led to a recording contract, as it did with many young actors at the time, among them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/65df2888398f471ea7a08824d46d3264">Tab Hunter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-movies-9b6a5876399f43b397e4c8fd2f40b474">Annette Funicello.</a>&nbsp;Two of Darren's singles, “Goodbye Cruel World” and “Her Royal Majesty,” reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (“Goodbye Cruel World” also appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-toronto-movies-film-festivals-steven-spielberg-7cb046cf458d033013f571f51905cea3">Steven Spielberg's 2022 semi-autobiographical film, “The Fabelmans.”</a>&nbsp;) Other singles included “Gidget” and “Angel Face.”

Darren was the only “Gidget” cast member who appeared in both its sequels, 1961's “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and 1963's “Gidget Goes to Rome.” Dee was replaced by Deborah Walley in the second film and Cindy Carol in the third. (“Gidget” later became a television show,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-93f107cc941d422995d84ecc08760828">launching the career of Sally Field.</a>&nbsp;)

“They had me under contract; I was a prisoner,” Darren told Entertainment Weekly in 2004. “But with those lovely young ladies, it was the best prison I think I'll ever be in.”

As a contract player at Columbia Studios, Darren appeared in grown-up films, too, including “The Brothers Rico,” “Operation Meatball” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-greece-movies-athens-83b241011246cd841fc862e8b3959a73">“The Guns of Navarone.”</a>

By the mid-'60s, when Darren appeared in “For Those Who Think Young” and “The Lively Set,” his big-screen acting career was almost over. He appeared in just a handful of movies after the 1960s ended, last appearing in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-f392cccf965443e3b0b88a2969be9bcf">2017's “Lucky,”</a>&nbsp;directed by John Carroll Lynch.

But he remained active on television, appearing as a lead on the sci-fi show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/murfreesboro-bruce-lee-tn-state-wire-entertainment-tennessee-740c524a090174151403a1aa69b022b9">“The Time Tunnel”</a>&nbsp;in the late 1960s, and doing guest spots and small recurring roles in TV shows such as “The Love Boat,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Fantasy Island.”

Darren was a series regular for four seasons of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-jeff-bezos-william-shatner-78800f892f5252e2c6d254a598753970">William Shatner-starrer</a>&nbsp;“T.J. Hooker” in the 1980s. While appearing on the show, he noticed that no director was listed for an upcoming sequence and asked if he could try out for it.

“When it was shown, I got several offers to direct,” he told the New York Daily News. “Soon I was getting so many offers to direct, I kind of gave up acting and singing.”

For almost two years, Darren directed episodes of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Hunter,” “Melrose Place,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and other series. He returned to acting in the 1990s with small roles in “Melrose Place” and “Star Trek, Deep Space Nine.”

Darren was born James Ercolani in 1936 and grew up in South Philadelphia, not far from such fellow teen idols of the 1950s and ’60s as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Singing came easy to him, and at 14 he was appearing in local nightclubs.

“From the age of 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, or famous maybe,” he said in a 2003 interview with the News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida. He noted that such luminaries as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-fceb9316de814de5a3ef7eae7f2b2d6c">Eddie Fisher</a>&nbsp;and Al Martino had lived in the same area as he did, “a real neighborhood. It made you feel you could be successful, too.”

According to a 1958 Los Angeles Times profile, he got a break when he went to New York to get some pictures taken and the photographer's office put him in touch with a talent scout.

He was soon signed by Columbia Pictures, and the newspaper said that after a few appearances, his fan mail at the studio was running “second only to Kim Novak's. ... The studio now feels that the young man is ready to hit the jackpot.”

Darren married his first wife, Gloria, in 1955 and together had Moret, an “Inside Edition” correspondent and former CNN anchorman. After a divorce he married Evy Norlund, who came to the U.S. as the Danish entry in the Miss Universe contest. They had two sons, Christian and Anthony.

He was also the godfather of Nancy Sinatra's daughter A.J. Lambert. Sinatra, his “For Those Who Think Young” co-star, posted The Hollywood Reporter obituary on her X page, with a broken heart emoji.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725357314829.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/james-darren">James Darren,</a>&nbsp;a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday at 88.Darren died in his sleep at a Los Angeles hospital, his son Jim Moret told news outlets.Moret told The Hollywood Reporter that Darren was supposed have had an aortic valve replacement but was too weak for the surgery. “I always thought he would pull through,” his son told the entertainment trade, “because he was so cool. He was always cool.”In his long career, Darren acted, sang and built up a successful behind-the-scenes career as a television director, helming episodes of such well-known series as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shannen-doherty-dies-65b9678241e44d0497e7d24baee49cb5">“Beverly Hills 90210”</a>&nbsp;and “Melrose Place.” In the 1980s, he was Officer Jim Corrigan on the television cop show “T.J. Hooker.”But to young movie fans of the late 1950s, he would be remembered best as Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer boy in the smash 1959 release “Gidget.” Dee starred as the title character, a spunky Southern Californian who hits the beach and eventually falls in love with Moondoggie.“I was in love with Sandra,” Darren later recalled. “I thought that she was absolutely perfect as Gidget. She had tremendous charm.”The film was based on a novel that a California man, Frederick Kohner, had written&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/61b5d7ae9d854f27871df505947ff26e">about his own teenage daughter</a>&nbsp;and helped spur interest in surfing — one that influenced pop music, slang and even fashion.For Darren, his success with teen fans led to a recording contract, as it did with many young actors at the time, among them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/65df2888398f471ea7a08824d46d3264">Tab Hunter</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-movies-9b6a5876399f43b397e4c8fd2f40b474">Annette Funicello.</a>&nbsp;Two of Darren's singles, “Goodbye Cruel World” and “Her Royal Majesty,” reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (“Goodbye Cruel World” also appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-toronto-movies-film-festivals-steven-spielberg-7cb046cf458d033013f571f51905cea3">Steven Spielberg's 2022 semi-autobiographical film, “The Fabelmans.”</a>&nbsp;) Other singles included “Gidget” and “Angel Face.”Darren was the only “Gidget” cast member who appeared in both its sequels, 1961's “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and 1963's “Gidget Goes to Rome.” Dee was replaced by Deborah Walley in the second film and Cindy Carol in the third. (“Gidget” later became a television show,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-93f107cc941d422995d84ecc08760828">launching the career of Sally Field.</a>&nbsp;)“They had me under contract; I was a prisoner,” Darren told Entertainment Weekly in 2004. “But with those lovely young ladies, it was the best prison I think I'll ever be in.”As a contract player at Columbia Studios, Darren appeared in grown-up films, too, including “The Brothers Rico,” “Operation Meatball” and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-greece-movies-athens-83b241011246cd841fc862e8b3959a73">“The Guns of Navarone.”</a>By the mid-'60s, when Darren appeared in “For Those Who Think Young” and “The Lively Set,” his big-screen acting career was almost over. He appeared in just a handful of movies after the 1960s ended, last appearing in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-f392cccf965443e3b0b88a2969be9bcf">2017's “Lucky,”</a>&nbsp;directed by John Carroll Lynch.But he remained active on television, appearing as a lead on the sci-fi show&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/murfreesboro-bruce-lee-tn-state-wire-entertainment-tennessee-740c524a090174151403a1aa69b022b9">“The Time Tunnel”</a>&nbsp;in the late 1960s, and doing guest spots and small recurring roles in TV shows such as “The Love Boat,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Fantasy Island.”Darren was a series regular for four seasons of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-arts-and-entertainment-jeff-bezos-william-shatner-78800f892f5252e2c6d254a598753970">William Shatner-starrer</a>&nbsp;“T.J. Hooker” in the 1980s. While appearing on the show, he noticed that no director was listed for an upcoming sequence and asked if he could try out for it.“When it was shown, I got several offers to direct,” he told the New York Daily News. “Soon I was getting so many offers to direct, I kind of gave up acting and singing.”For almost two years, Darren directed episodes of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Hunter,” “Melrose Place,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and other series. He returned to acting in the 1990s with small roles in “Melrose Place” and “Star Trek, Deep Space Nine.”Darren was born James Ercolani in 1936 and grew up in South Philadelphia, not far from such fellow teen idols of the 1950s and ’60s as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. Singing came easy to him, and at 14 he was appearing in local nightclubs.“From the age of 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, or famous maybe,” he said in a 2003 interview with the News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida. He noted that such luminaries as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/movies-general-news-fceb9316de814de5a3ef7eae7f2b2d6c">Eddie Fisher</a>&nbsp;and Al Martino had lived in the same area as he did, “a real neighborhood. It made you feel you could be successful, too.”According to a 1958 Los Angeles Times profile, he got a break when he went to New York to get some pictures taken and the photographer's office put him in touch with a talent scout.He was soon signed by Columbia Pictures, and the newspaper said that after a few appearances, his fan mail at the studio was running “second only to Kim Novak's. ... The studio now feels that the young man is ready to hit the jackpot.”Darren married his first wife, Gloria, in 1955 and together had Moret, an “Inside Edition” correspondent and former CNN anchorman. After a divorce he married Evy Norlund, who came to the U.S. as the Danish entry in the Miss Universe contest. They had two sons, Christian and Anthony.He was also the godfather of Nancy Sinatra's daughter A.J. Lambert. Sinatra, his “For Those Who Think Young” co-star, posted The Hollywood Reporter obituary on her X page, with a broken heart emoji.

James Darren, 'Gidget' teen idol, singer and director, dies at 88

TOPEKA — More than 100,000 Kansans have lost health care coverage through the state’s Medicaid program since April 2023 after the rocky “unwinding” of pandemic-era protections, but the agency in charge of the review has seen progress recently based on incremental changes.

The state’s review of eligibility for KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, was plagued by havoc in its early months. Before the review ended in May, the process smoothed, and officials have now determined an estimated 114,000 people lost their coverage, Christine Osterlund, the state’s Medicaid director, told the Legislature’s joint KanCare oversight committee Tuesday.

Recent efforts to rework the KanCare website, bolster text message and email communication systems and simplify the eligibility renewal process have made a difference, Osterlund said.

Average call center wait times peaked at 24 minutes in April 2023, and they were at their lowest in June at 13 seconds. The most recent data showed average wait times in July to be just less than one minute. The agency also reduced the number of unsigned eligibility renewal forms from 1.5% to 0.06% in about three months just by moving the order of the signature page up in the packet.

“These are some early results, but I think they’re indicative that we’re on the right track,” Osterlund said during Tuesday’s legislative hearing.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid programs were required to keep people continuously enrolled until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.

When the protections ended March 31, 2023, the state began to review KanCare eligibility for the first time in three years. Early in the review, participants and providers experienced a communication breakdown, technology troubles and overall confusion with the renewal process, which resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/29/state-official-on-kansas-medicaid-unwinding-we-probably-couldve-done-a-better-job/">thousands unnecessarily losing their eligibility status</a>, critics said.

Osterlund predicted in February that between 110,000 and 120,000 Kansans would lose their eligibility, so the 114,000 was well within the agency’s margins, she said Tuesday. April data revealed that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/12/24k-kansas-children-lose-health-insurance-in-medicaid-unwinding-review/">at least 24,000</a>&nbsp;people of the share that lost coverage were children.

That data was based on old numbers, and a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, under which KanCare is housed, told Kansas Reflector unwinding data will no longer be regularly updated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724867565547.png" alt=" Kansas Medicaid director Christine Osterlund updates the Legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on new initiatives to address a rocky rollback of pandemic-era protections. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Medicaid director Christine Osterlund updates the Legislature’s Medicaid oversight committee on new initiatives to address a rocky rollback of pandemic-era protections. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — More than 100,000 Kansans have lost health care coverage through the state’s Medicaid program since April 2023 after the rocky “unwinding” of pandemic-era protections, but the agency in charge of the review has seen progress recently based on incremental changes.The state’s review of eligibility for KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, was plagued by havoc in its early months. Before the review ended in May, the process smoothed, and officials have now determined an estimated 114,000 people lost their coverage, Christine Osterlund, the state’s Medicaid director, told the Legislature’s joint KanCare oversight committee Tuesday.Recent efforts to rework the KanCare website, bolster text message and email communication systems and simplify the eligibility renewal process have made a difference, Osterlund said.Average call center wait times peaked at 24 minutes in April 2023, and they were at their lowest in June at 13 seconds. The most recent data showed average wait times in July to be just less than one minute. The agency also reduced the number of unsigned eligibility renewal forms from 1.5% to 0.06% in about three months just by moving the order of the signature page up in the packet.“These are some early results, but I think they’re indicative that we’re on the right track,” Osterlund said during Tuesday’s legislative hearing.At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid programs were required to keep people continuously enrolled until the end of the public health emergency unless the person moved away, died or requested to end coverage. During that time, enrollment in KanCare increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people.When the protections ended March 31, 2023, the state began to review KanCare eligibility for the first time in three years. Early in the review, participants and providers experienced a communication breakdown, technology troubles and overall confusion with the renewal process, which resulted in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/29/state-official-on-kansas-medicaid-unwinding-we-probably-couldve-done-a-better-job/">thousands unnecessarily losing their eligibility status</a>, critics said.Osterlund predicted in February that between 110,000 and 120,000 Kansans would lose their eligibility, so the 114,000 was well within the agency’s margins, she said Tuesday. April data revealed that&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/12/24k-kansas-children-lose-health-insurance-in-medicaid-unwinding-review/">at least 24,000</a>&nbsp;people of the share that lost coverage were children.That data was based on old numbers, and a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, under which KanCare is housed, told Kansas Reflector unwinding data will no longer be regularly updated.

114K Kansans lost Medicaid coverage in post-pandemic ‘unwinding’ review

MCPHERSON, Kan. — A new exhibition featuring artwork from Hutchinson artists Don Fullmer and Scott Brown is on exhibit at McPherson College’s Friendship Hall through October 21. The exhibit features abstract paintings by Fullmer and mobiles made from reclaimed prints by Brown.

“Abstract Expressionism is the first truly American art movement of modern times,” said Michaela Valli Groeblacher, associate professor of art and gallery director at McPherson College. “The current exhibit is full of color, pattern, and movement and provides skilled examples of abstract expressionism. I invite visitors to enjoy getting lost in their thoughts while pondering the art on the walls and dangling from the ceiling.”

Fullmer’s paintings have been described as instinctual, sublime, ethereal, and highly crafted. A native of Hutchinson, Fullmer’s education includes a BFA from the University of Kansas and an MA and MFA in painting from the University of Iowa. He used his formal training as a starting point to create a long career as a painter. He has maintained an art studio in Hutchinson since 1978.

Brown is a multitalented, versatile artist from Hutchinson and a former art instructor at Hutchinson Community College. He and his wife, Michele, founded Big Nasty Press over a decade ago, and through that group, they have organized an annual print portfolio with other regional artists. They operate Arkanoe, a kayak, canoe, tube rental, and shuttle service serving the Arkansas River in Reno County.

A closing reception for the artists is planned for Friday, October 18, at 3 p.m. during McPherson College’s homecoming activities.

The Friendship Hall gallery at McPherson College is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725018159841.jpeg" alt="Space Spiral, mixed media on canvas by Don Fullmer. Photo Courtesy McPherson College." />
 <figcaption>Space Spiral, mixed media on canvas by Don Fullmer. Photo Courtesy McPherson College.</figcaption>
 </figure>TINA GOODWIN McPherson CollegeMCPHERSON, Kan. — A new exhibition featuring artwork from Hutchinson artists Don Fullmer and Scott Brown is on exhibit at McPherson College’s Friendship Hall through October 21. The exhibit features abstract paintings by Fullmer and mobiles made from reclaimed prints by Brown.“Abstract Expressionism is the first truly American art movement of modern times,” said Michaela Valli Groeblacher, associate professor of art and gallery director at McPherson College. “The current exhibit is full of color, pattern, and movement and provides skilled examples of abstract expressionism. I invite visitors to enjoy getting lost in their thoughts while pondering the art on the walls and dangling from the ceiling.”Fullmer’s paintings have been described as instinctual, sublime, ethereal, and highly crafted. A native of Hutchinson, Fullmer’s education includes a BFA from the University of Kansas and an MA and MFA in painting from the University of Iowa. He used his formal training as a starting point to create a long career as a painter. He has maintained an art studio in Hutchinson since 1978.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725018235456.jpeg" alt="Swinger, mobile, by Scott Brown. Photo Courtesy McPherson College." />
 <figcaption>Swinger, mobile, by Scott Brown. Photo Courtesy McPherson College.</figcaption>
 </figure>Brown is a multitalented, versatile artist from Hutchinson and a former art instructor at Hutchinson Community College. He and his wife, Michele, founded Big Nasty Press over a decade ago, and through that group, they have organized an annual print portfolio with other regional artists. They operate Arkanoe, a kayak, canoe, tube rental, and shuttle service serving the Arkansas River in Reno County.A closing reception for the artists is planned for Friday, October 18, at 3 p.m. during McPherson College’s homecoming activities.The Friendship Hall gallery at McPherson College is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

Hutchinson artists featured at McPherson College

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed this week, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials, according to a media release from the U.S. Secret Service.

Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.

According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home.

Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”

The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.

“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”

“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”

"The charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”

WASHINGTON –&nbsp;Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed this week, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials, according to a media release from the U.S. Secret Service.Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home.Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”"The charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”

2 charged in swatting conspiracy targeting lawmakers, houses of worship 

With eviction filings leaving a lasting mark on renters’ records, many states are reconsidering how much information landlords really need.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">ROBBIE SEQUEIRA</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

When&nbsp;pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities.

These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity,&nbsp;<a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/2024/07/16/research-shows-far-reaching-costs-of-eviction-filings-to-tenants-regardless-of-the-outcome-in-court/" target="_blank">according to a recent University of Michigan study</a>.

The situation underscores a growing debate across the country: Should&nbsp;<a href="https://americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Eviction-Record-Expungement-Can-Remove-Barriers.pdf" target="_blank">eviction records</a>&nbsp;be shielded from public access to offer tenants a cleaner shot at finding another home?

In recent years, more states are saying, “yes — at least in some cases.”

Eviction filings are public court records. Landlords and property owners can buy databases of the records to screen potential tenants.

Property owners argue that sealing data on eviction filings — most of which are for nonpayment of rent — eliminates crucial insights into rental history. Housing advocates, however, warn that any filing can unfairly block renters from future housing because the outcome may not be an eviction.

An eviction filing doesn’t provide enough information to determine a tenant’s ability to honor their next lease, said Katie Fallon, a principal policy associate with the Urban Institute, a research and advocacy think tank focusing on urban policies.

“Given the low quality of this eviction filing data and the lack of outcomes in the filings themselves, it is a very open question of how accurate these filings are and what information they really provide to landlords,” she said.

This year,&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1327/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0019" target="_blank">Maryland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;enacted laws to seal certain eviction records from public scrutiny and from tenant screening companies.

Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00207-R00SB-00998-PA.PDF" target="_blank">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/SenateText23/S0912Aaa.pdf" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;also enacted laws that allow for the sealing of certain eviction cases. Arizona, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2485H.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a law</a>&nbsp;in 2022 requiring courts to seal eviction records if cases are dismissed, dropped or adjudicated in the tenant’s favor.

In total, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have measures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.policylink.org/mapping-the-growth-of-eviction-record" target="_blank">sealing</a>&nbsp;at least some eviction records, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy group with a focus on housing.

Zafar Shah, assistant director of advocacy for Maryland Legal Aid, said lawmakers are starting to understand how&nbsp;eviction records can prevent tenants from finding another home.

“We have clients that know they will lose their eviction case, but they want us to shield the information so that the next potential housing provider is not going to use it against them,” said Shah.

“That has really been the impetus for shielding and sealing across the country. These filings don’t tell us a lot, but they carry so much weight in the search for housing.”

An eviction filing could be resolved in a number of ways: A case might be dismissed if the landlord and tenant reach an agreement. The judge might rule in favor of the tenant, allowing them to stay in their home. Or the judge could side with the landlord, evicting the tenant.

Regardless of the outcome, the records live on in online court databases.

Third-party tenant screening companies scan court records for eviction cases, then sell the data to landlords to use in their leasing decisions.

Housing advocates say the data is often inaccurate and misleading. In one state — Illinois — less than half of eviction filings led to actual evictions, according to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://housingactionil.org/downloads/EvictionBrief_February2019.pdf" target="_blank">review</a>&nbsp;by Housing Action Illinois, an advocacy group.

Alexandra Alvarado, director of education and marketing at the American Apartment Owners Association, a tenant screening provider, told Stateline that the group’s database only displays eviction records with a completed judgment that were filed within the past seven years, which is the time limit set by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

“It can be a monetary or non-monetary judgment, but there must be a judgment. So, if an eviction case is filed, but the parties settled outside of court or the tenant won, then it wouldn’t show up in our reports, even though technically it is public record,” Alvarado said. “Our members are getting evictions that have merit and weren’t erroneously filed.”

According to researchers at the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, of the 3.6 million eviction court records in the 12 states they tracked from 2011 to 2015, more than 1 in 5 eviction cases contained little information on the resolution of a case. Ambiguous data can also&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201029055456id_/https:/www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10511482.2020.1748084?needAccess=true" target="_blank">falsely represent</a>&nbsp;a tenant’s eviction history, affecting both renters and scholarly researchers, according to a 2020 study by the group.

“While many people think an eviction filing is evidence of late rent payment, nonpayment of rent or a violation of the lease terms, this is not necessarily true,” said Fallon, of the Urban Institute. “Filings can include inaccurate data, such as the parties named in the eviction filing and inaccurate name spellings.”

Alvarado, of the American Apartment Owners Association, said landlords have mixed views about laws that allow courts to seal cases that have been dismissed or ruled in a tenant’s favor. What’s more important to landlords, she said, is that their screening process can look back the full seven years for problem evictions.

Laws that limit the lookback period — such as in&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB873/Enrolled" target="_blank">Oregon</a>, where tenants can request an expungement after five years — affect the tenant screening process more, she said.

The system is problematic, Eviction Lab found in a&nbsp;<a href="https://evictionlab.org/demographics-of-eviction/" target="_blank">2020 study</a>&nbsp;of eviction cases filed between 2012 and 2016 in 39 states. In addition to inaccurate information, Black households are overrepresented in eviction filings,&nbsp;Eviction Lab found, as are women — especially Black and Latina women.

“When landlords say they need to use eviction filings, which we know aren’t the most reliable information, to make housing decisions, we need to push back on that,” said Jasmine Rangel, senior housing associate for PolicyLink.

She and other advocates want eviction court records to be sealed as soon as a landlord files an eviction notice. Otherwise, she said, “third-party services can still scrape that eviction record from online databases and into their tenant screening algorithms.”

Advocates point out that eviction records could be made public later if a judge rules in the landlord’s favor.

But Shuntera Brown, who lost her home in Phoenix in 2021, said in an interview that any eviction record hurts single moms like herself.

Brown, who has three children, has struggled to pay rent even with a full-time job. In December 2020, a bout of COVID-19 caused her to miss work shifts, a paycheck disruption that eventually put her over the edge months later.

“It’s a Scarlet ‘E.’ You have this record, you have this thing on your file of an eviction, but there’s no understanding of the context or circumstances behind it,” Brown said. “I remember pleading with the judge that I’ve usually paid on time and that my kids need a home, but he sided with the landlord in, like, seven minutes, and the eviction immediately was on my credit.”

State by state, the laws differ on the details: Many states allow for eviction records to be sealed almost immediately if the case was dismissed or dropped, or if the tenant won the case. Other states have a waiting period, often several years, during which the tenant must demonstrate good behavior before a record is sealed.

Under Maryland’s new law, which takes effect in October, courts must shield records within 60 days of a resolution that doesn’t end in a tenant losing possession of their home. The state also will increase the eviction&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marylandbusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/renters-rights-stabilization-act-2024/" target="_blank">filing fee</a>&nbsp;from $8 to $43.

Maryland landlords filed roughly 400,000 “failure to pay rent” cases in the state’s 2023 fiscal year, according to housing advocates who testified in favor of the new law. In some cases, landlords would file monthly failure to pay rent cases against tenants prematurely and tack on illegal fees on top of the back rent,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PJC-AR_2023_FINAL_web.pdf" target="_blank">according to a report</a>&nbsp;from the Maryland-based advocacy group Public Justice Center.

“The low cost and low barrier to entry have driven the massive quantity of filings, with many cases simply being leveraged to get rent money out of tenants quickly,” said Shah, of Maryland Legal Aid. “I think that the court overall has become more receptive to shielding these cases, recognizing that if a case was dismissed or settled, there’s no reason to hold it against the renter.

“This attitude has shifted significantly over the past decade,” he said.

In&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_2801-2850/ab_2819_cfa_20160620_154723_sen_comm.html" target="_blank">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb20-1009" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, as in Maryland, an eviction lawsuit can be automatically sealed as soon as it’s been filed unless the landlord wins the case within 60 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1214/details" target="_blank">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/484.014" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;require a tenant to formally petition for sealing once a court reaches judgment.

Idaho’s new law shields dismissed eviction cases after three years. And in Massachusetts, tenants can request their case be sealed for a variety of reasons, no matter the outcome, after a period of time ranging from a few months to several years.

In Rhode Island, a tenant can only make a request once every five years.

Researchers at Eviction Lab told Stateline that state laws should still allow data access for scientists. The 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/24-115" target="_blank">eviction-sealing law</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C., for example, specifies that records can be unsealed for scholarly, educational, journalistic or governmental purposes.

“There is an important public right to know what is going on in the housing market, and this is one of our data points into the eviction crisis,” said Carl Gershenson, lab director at Eviction Lab. “There is a balance that can be achieved that is in the best interest of tenants and how these filings can be used as datapoints to understand the housing crisis.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641238301184.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>With eviction filings leaving a lasting mark on renters’ records, many states are reconsidering how much information landlords really need.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/rsequeira/">ROBBIE SEQUEIRA</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>When&nbsp;pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities.These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity,&nbsp;<a href="https://poverty.umich.edu/2024/07/16/research-shows-far-reaching-costs-of-eviction-filings-to-tenants-regardless-of-the-outcome-in-court/" target="_blank">according to a recent University of Michigan study</a>.The situation underscores a growing debate across the country: Should&nbsp;<a href="https://americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/09/Eviction-Record-Expungement-Can-Remove-Barriers.pdf" target="_blank">eviction records</a>&nbsp;be shielded from public access to offer tenants a cleaner shot at finding another home?In recent years, more states are saying, “yes — at least in some cases.”Eviction filings are public court records. Landlords and property owners can buy databases of the records to screen potential tenants.Property owners argue that sealing data on eviction filings — most of which are for nonpayment of rent — eliminates crucial insights into rental history. Housing advocates, however, warn that any filing can unfairly block renters from future housing because the outcome may not be an eviction.An eviction filing doesn’t provide enough information to determine a tenant’s ability to honor their next lease, said Katie Fallon, a principal policy associate with the Urban Institute, a research and advocacy think tank focusing on urban policies.“Given the low quality of this eviction filing data and the lack of outcomes in the filings themselves, it is a very open question of how accurate these filings are and what information they really provide to landlords,” she said.This year,&nbsp;<a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/S1327/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0019" target="_blank">Maryland</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>&nbsp;enacted laws to seal certain eviction records from public scrutiny and from tenant screening companies.Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/ACT/PA/PDF/2023PA-00207-R00SB-00998-PA.PDF" target="_blank">Connecticut</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText23/SenateText23/S0912Aaa.pdf" target="_blank">Rhode Island</a>&nbsp;also enacted laws that allow for the sealing of certain eviction cases. Arizona, meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/bills/HB2485H.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a law</a>&nbsp;in 2022 requiring courts to seal eviction records if cases are dismissed, dropped or adjudicated in the tenant’s favor.In total, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have measures&nbsp;<a href="https://www.policylink.org/mapping-the-growth-of-eviction-record" target="_blank">sealing</a>&nbsp;at least some eviction records, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy group with a focus on housing.Zafar Shah, assistant director of advocacy for Maryland Legal Aid, said lawmakers are starting to understand how&nbsp;eviction records can prevent tenants from finding another home.“We have clients that know they will lose their eviction case, but they want us to shield the information so that the next potential housing provider is not going to use it against them,” said Shah.“That has really been the impetus for shielding and sealing across the country. These filings don’t tell us a lot, but they carry so much weight in the search for housing.”An eviction filing could be resolved in a number of ways: A case might be dismissed if the landlord and tenant reach an agreement. The judge might rule in favor of the tenant, allowing them to stay in their home. Or the judge could side with the landlord, evicting the tenant.Regardless of the outcome, the records live on in online court databases.Third-party tenant screening companies scan court records for eviction cases, then sell the data to landlords to use in their leasing decisions.Housing advocates say the data is often inaccurate and misleading. In one state — Illinois — less than half of eviction filings led to actual evictions, according to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://housingactionil.org/downloads/EvictionBrief_February2019.pdf" target="_blank">review</a>&nbsp;by Housing Action Illinois, an advocacy group.Alexandra Alvarado, director of education and marketing at the American Apartment Owners Association, a tenant screening provider, told Stateline that the group’s database only displays eviction records with a completed judgment that were filed within the past seven years, which is the time limit set by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.“It can be a monetary or non-monetary judgment, but there must be a judgment. So, if an eviction case is filed, but the parties settled outside of court or the tenant won, then it wouldn’t show up in our reports, even though technically it is public record,” Alvarado said. “Our members are getting evictions that have merit and weren’t erroneously filed.”<h2>A Scarlet ‘E’</h2>According to researchers at the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, of the 3.6 million eviction court records in the 12 states they tracked from 2011 to 2015, more than 1 in 5 eviction cases contained little information on the resolution of a case. Ambiguous data can also&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201029055456id_/https:/www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10511482.2020.1748084?needAccess=true" target="_blank">falsely represent</a>&nbsp;a tenant’s eviction history, affecting both renters and scholarly researchers, according to a 2020 study by the group.“While many people think an eviction filing is evidence of late rent payment, nonpayment of rent or a violation of the lease terms, this is not necessarily true,” said Fallon, of the Urban Institute. “Filings can include inaccurate data, such as the parties named in the eviction filing and inaccurate name spellings.”Alvarado, of the American Apartment Owners Association, said landlords have mixed views about laws that allow courts to seal cases that have been dismissed or ruled in a tenant’s favor. What’s more important to landlords, she said, is that their screening process can look back the full seven years for problem evictions.Laws that limit the lookback period — such as in&nbsp;<a href="https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB873/Enrolled" target="_blank">Oregon</a>, where tenants can request an expungement after five years — affect the tenant screening process more, she said.The system is problematic, Eviction Lab found in a&nbsp;<a href="https://evictionlab.org/demographics-of-eviction/" target="_blank">2020 study</a>&nbsp;of eviction cases filed between 2012 and 2016 in 39 states. In addition to inaccurate information, Black households are overrepresented in eviction filings,&nbsp;Eviction Lab found, as are women — especially Black and Latina women.“When landlords say they need to use eviction filings, which we know aren’t the most reliable information, to make housing decisions, we need to push back on that,” said Jasmine Rangel, senior housing associate for PolicyLink.She and other advocates want eviction court records to be sealed as soon as a landlord files an eviction notice. Otherwise, she said, “third-party services can still scrape that eviction record from online databases and into their tenant screening algorithms.”Advocates point out that eviction records could be made public later if a judge rules in the landlord’s favor.But Shuntera Brown, who lost her home in Phoenix in 2021, said in an interview that any eviction record hurts single moms like herself.Brown, who has three children, has struggled to pay rent even with a full-time job. In December 2020, a bout of COVID-19 caused her to miss work shifts, a paycheck disruption that eventually put her over the edge months later.“It’s a Scarlet ‘E.’ You have this record, you have this thing on your file of an eviction, but there’s no understanding of the context or circumstances behind it,” Brown said. “I remember pleading with the judge that I’ve usually paid on time and that my kids need a home, but he sided with the landlord in, like, seven minutes, and the eviction immediately was on my credit.”<h2>Sealing the records</h2>State by state, the laws differ on the details: Many states allow for eviction records to be sealed almost immediately if the case was dismissed or dropped, or if the tenant won the case. Other states have a waiting period, often several years, during which the tenant must demonstrate good behavior before a record is sealed.Under Maryland’s new law, which takes effect in October, courts must shield records within 60 days of a resolution that doesn’t end in a tenant losing possession of their home. The state also will increase the eviction&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marylandbusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/renters-rights-stabilization-act-2024/" target="_blank">filing fee</a>&nbsp;from $8 to $43.Maryland landlords filed roughly 400,000 “failure to pay rent” cases in the state’s 2023 fiscal year, according to housing advocates who testified in favor of the new law. In some cases, landlords would file monthly failure to pay rent cases against tenants prematurely and tack on illegal fees on top of the back rent,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publicjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PJC-AR_2023_FINAL_web.pdf" target="_blank">according to a report</a>&nbsp;from the Maryland-based advocacy group Public Justice Center.“The low cost and low barrier to entry have driven the massive quantity of filings, with many cases simply being leveraged to get rent money out of tenants quickly,” said Shah, of Maryland Legal Aid. “I think that the court overall has become more receptive to shielding these cases, recognizing that if a case was dismissed or settled, there’s no reason to hold it against the renter.“This attitude has shifted significantly over the past decade,” he said.In&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_2801-2850/ab_2819_cfa_20160620_154723_sen_comm.html" target="_blank">California</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb20-1009" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, as in Maryland, an eviction lawsuit can be automatically sealed as soon as it’s been filed unless the landlord wins the case within 60 days.&nbsp;<a href="https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1214/details" target="_blank">Indiana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/484.014" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;require a tenant to formally petition for sealing once a court reaches judgment.Idaho’s new law shields dismissed eviction cases after three years. And in Massachusetts, tenants can request their case be sealed for a variety of reasons, no matter the outcome, after a period of time ranging from a few months to several years.In Rhode Island, a tenant can only make a request once every five years.Researchers at Eviction Lab told Stateline that state laws should still allow data access for scientists. The 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/24-115" target="_blank">eviction-sealing law</a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C., for example, specifies that records can be unsealed for scholarly, educational, journalistic or governmental purposes.“There is an important public right to know what is going on in the housing market, and this is one of our data points into the eviction crisis,” said Carl Gershenson, lab director at Eviction Lab. “There is a balance that can be achieved that is in the best interest of tenants and how these filings can be used as datapoints to understand the housing crisis.”

Landlords cry foul as more states seal eviction records

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GIOVANNA%20DELL%E2%80%99ORTO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press</a>

For more than a year, religious organizations have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration to fix a sudden procedural change in how the government processes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faith-leaders-green-card-border-congress-f5355ad53bd7bde696b55fd39dcc4591">green cards for religious workers</a>, which threatens the ability of thousands of them to continue to minister in the United States.

The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and five of its priests whose legal status in the United States expires as soon as next spring, have now sued the federal agencies overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>. They argue that the change “will cause severe and substantial disruption to the lives and religious freedoms” of the priests as well as the hundreds of thousands of Catholics they serve.

“Our priests feel we’re doing the best we can,” said Bishop Kevin Sweeney, whose dioceses covers 400,000 Catholics and 107 parishes in three New Jersey counties.

Paterson is the first diocese to bring this suit against the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said Raymond Lahoud, its attorney in the lawsuit.

But “there is a buzz out there” among similarly impacted religious groups, Lahoud added, because of how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-religion-alabama-nigeria-0030847bd2a90880d32b0f05fed39177">reliant many are on foreign-born clergy</a>&nbsp;who build strong ties in their U.S. parishes.

“It’s so disruptive,” said Bishop Mark Seitz, who chairs the committee on migration for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The group has advocated for legislative and administrative fixes because the newly extralong delays in green card processing are “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migration-asylum-catholic-us-mexico-border-234448ae83b1ae6fb0f4bdef95f37925">not sustainable</a>.”

In his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-el-paso-mexico-immigration-shelters-c6a8684760041691c68b4c6b3274db96">border diocese of El Paso</a>, Texas, Seitz is facing the possibility of losing priests whose permanent residency cases now have little chance to be approved before their visas expire. The law mandates them to leave the United States for at least a year.

“One is pastor of a large, growing parish. Now I’m supposed to send him away for a year, put him on ice, as it were — and somehow provide Masses?” Seitz said.

To deal with a shortage of religious workers that has worsened in recent decades, American dioceses have long had agreements with foreign dioceses to bring in seminarians, priests and nuns from places as different as Poland, the Philippines and Nigeria, said the Rev. Thomas Gaunt of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

Most other faith denominations from Buddhism to Islam to Pentecostal Christians also recruit foreign-born clergy, for reasons ranging from the need to minister to growing non-English-speaking congregations to specialized training at foreign institutions steeped in a religion’s history.

Most such “religious workers,” in the U.S. government’s definition, come under temporary visas called R-1, which allow them to work in the United States for five years. That used to be plenty enough for an organization to assess if the clergy were in fact a good fit and then petition for permanent resident status — known as green cards — for them under a special category called EB-4.

Congress establishes a maximum number of green cards available per year per category, which is generally either based on types of employment or family links to U.S. citizens. The wait time depends on whether and by how much the demand exceeds the visas available in each category.

Citizens of countries with especially high demand get put in separate, often longer “lines” — currently, the most backlogged category is for the married Mexican children of U.S. citizens, where only applications filed more than 24 years ago are being processed.

Neglected or abused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-guatemala-us-election-youth-indigenous-faith-6c919ad842feac8d42f90ed9f9c871ec">minors from Guatemala</a>, Honduras and El Salvador — a surging number of whom have sought humanitarian green cards or asylum after illegally crossing into the U.S. since the mid-2010s — were also in a separate line. But in March 2023, the State Department announced that was a mistake and immediately started adding them to the general queue with the clergy.

That’s created a backlog that currently stands at more than 3.5 years and could increase. Some estimate it could take 10-15 years to get these green cards.

“This is an untenable situation,” said Lance Conklin, who co-chairs the religious workers group of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and often represents evangelical pastors. “The lawsuit is representative of the way a lot of people feel.”

The lawyers’ association, together with the bishops’ conference and other organizations, has been lobbying for long-term Congressional fixes — which most recognize will be hard to obtain given the political sensitivity of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d">immigration reform</a>&nbsp;— as well as simpler administrative changes that the agencies could implement quickly.

Among those, attorneys and advocates say, would be allowing applicants to change ministry jobs — moving from associate pastor to senior pastor, or relocating to a different convent, for example — without losing their place in the green card line. Or the government could reduce the time they need to spend outside the United States after their visa expires before they can get another one.

“We could deal with a month,” Seitz said, while the current required time is 12 months.

Most organizations are staying the course for now, hoping and praying that the administration will make at least these temporary fixes — perhaps nudged by the lawsuit, filed in August in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

That’s largely because they don’t have other options.

Different employment visas and green cards are far more laborious and expensive to apply for, and many clergy don’t qualify. For instance, those not receiving any salary cannot show they’re being offered “prevailing wages,” one of the requirements meant to protect U.S. native workers in non-religious employment categories.

That's often the case for Catholic nuns, said Mary O’Leary, a Michigan attorney who represents religious orders.

“A lot of religious orders are not wealthy,” she said. “They’re not like Microsoft, you can’t go to a business school or computer science school and recruit.”

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, a nun who works as a school aid has to leave the country when her visa expires in a couple of weeks, said Olga Rojas, the archdiocese's senior counsel for immigration.

“This principal is so devasted,” Rojas said, adding that across the U.S. religious workers have already been forced to leave. “They want to stay and finish their work."

In some cases, their organizations are trying hard to bring the religious workers back from overseas, said Miguel Naranjo, the director of Religious Immigration Services for Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

“It’s beyond ministry,” Naranjo added, because they often provide education, healthcare, youth and other social services. “They’re the last safety net of many communities.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GIOVANNA%20DELL%E2%80%99ORTO%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press</a>For more than a year, religious organizations have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration to fix a sudden procedural change in how the government processes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faith-leaders-green-card-border-congress-f5355ad53bd7bde696b55fd39dcc4591">green cards for religious workers</a>, which threatens the ability of thousands of them to continue to minister in the United States.The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and five of its priests whose legal status in the United States expires as soon as next spring, have now sued the federal agencies overseeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>. They argue that the change “will cause severe and substantial disruption to the lives and religious freedoms” of the priests as well as the hundreds of thousands of Catholics they serve.“Our priests feel we’re doing the best we can,” said Bishop Kevin Sweeney, whose dioceses covers 400,000 Catholics and 107 parishes in three New Jersey counties.Paterson is the first diocese to bring this suit against the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said Raymond Lahoud, its attorney in the lawsuit.But “there is a buzz out there” among similarly impacted religious groups, Lahoud added, because of how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-religion-alabama-nigeria-0030847bd2a90880d32b0f05fed39177">reliant many are on foreign-born clergy</a>&nbsp;who build strong ties in their U.S. parishes.“It’s so disruptive,” said Bishop Mark Seitz, who chairs the committee on migration for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The group has advocated for legislative and administrative fixes because the newly extralong delays in green card processing are “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/migration-asylum-catholic-us-mexico-border-234448ae83b1ae6fb0f4bdef95f37925">not sustainable</a>.”In his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-el-paso-mexico-immigration-shelters-c6a8684760041691c68b4c6b3274db96">border diocese of El Paso</a>, Texas, Seitz is facing the possibility of losing priests whose permanent residency cases now have little chance to be approved before their visas expire. The law mandates them to leave the United States for at least a year.“One is pastor of a large, growing parish. Now I’m supposed to send him away for a year, put him on ice, as it were — and somehow provide Masses?” Seitz said.To deal with a shortage of religious workers that has worsened in recent decades, American dioceses have long had agreements with foreign dioceses to bring in seminarians, priests and nuns from places as different as Poland, the Philippines and Nigeria, said the Rev. Thomas Gaunt of Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.Most other faith denominations from Buddhism to Islam to Pentecostal Christians also recruit foreign-born clergy, for reasons ranging from the need to minister to growing non-English-speaking congregations to specialized training at foreign institutions steeped in a religion’s history.Most such “religious workers,” in the U.S. government’s definition, come under temporary visas called R-1, which allow them to work in the United States for five years. That used to be plenty enough for an organization to assess if the clergy were in fact a good fit and then petition for permanent resident status — known as green cards — for them under a special category called EB-4.Congress establishes a maximum number of green cards available per year per category, which is generally either based on types of employment or family links to U.S. citizens. The wait time depends on whether and by how much the demand exceeds the visas available in each category.Citizens of countries with especially high demand get put in separate, often longer “lines” — currently, the most backlogged category is for the married Mexican children of U.S. citizens, where only applications filed more than 24 years ago are being processed.Neglected or abused&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-guatemala-us-election-youth-indigenous-faith-6c919ad842feac8d42f90ed9f9c871ec">minors from Guatemala</a>, Honduras and El Salvador — a surging number of whom have sought humanitarian green cards or asylum after illegally crossing into the U.S. since the mid-2010s — were also in a separate line. But in March 2023, the State Department announced that was a mistake and immediately started adding them to the general queue with the clergy.That’s created a backlog that currently stands at more than 3.5 years and could increase. Some estimate it could take 10-15 years to get these green cards.“This is an untenable situation,” said Lance Conklin, who co-chairs the religious workers group of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and often represents evangelical pastors. “The lawsuit is representative of the way a lot of people feel.”The lawyers’ association, together with the bishops’ conference and other organizations, has been lobbying for long-term Congressional fixes — which most recognize will be hard to obtain given the political sensitivity of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-border-security-ukraine-a39e188fa2c6a563203d2c69eaabdc6d">immigration reform</a>&nbsp;— as well as simpler administrative changes that the agencies could implement quickly.Among those, attorneys and advocates say, would be allowing applicants to change ministry jobs — moving from associate pastor to senior pastor, or relocating to a different convent, for example — without losing their place in the green card line. Or the government could reduce the time they need to spend outside the United States after their visa expires before they can get another one.“We could deal with a month,” Seitz said, while the current required time is 12 months.Most organizations are staying the course for now, hoping and praying that the administration will make at least these temporary fixes — perhaps nudged by the lawsuit, filed in August in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.That’s largely because they don’t have other options.Different employment visas and green cards are far more laborious and expensive to apply for, and many clergy don’t qualify. For instance, those not receiving any salary cannot show they’re being offered “prevailing wages,” one of the requirements meant to protect U.S. native workers in non-religious employment categories.That's often the case for Catholic nuns, said Mary O’Leary, a Michigan attorney who represents religious orders.“A lot of religious orders are not wealthy,” she said. “They’re not like Microsoft, you can’t go to a business school or computer science school and recruit.”In the Archdiocese of Chicago, a nun who works as a school aid has to leave the country when her visa expires in a couple of weeks, said Olga Rojas, the archdiocese's senior counsel for immigration.“This principal is so devasted,” Rojas said, adding that across the U.S. religious workers have already been forced to leave. “They want to stay and finish their work."In some cases, their organizations are trying hard to bring the religious workers back from overseas, said Miguel Naranjo, the director of Religious Immigration Services for Catholic Legal Immigration Network.“It’s beyond ministry,” Naranjo added, because they often provide education, healthcare, youth and other social services. “They’re the last safety net of many communities.”___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/ap-twir">collaboration</a>&nbsp;with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Thursday announced the 16 products that made it into the 2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - People's Choice Tournament.

"Congratulations to the 16 Kansas-made products that made it into this year's tournament. They are a great representation of the diverse items made in Kansas communities across the state," said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson. "We are excited to get this year's tournament started."

Stinger Stacker 8500 | Stinger Inc. | Burrton

Atom Pop Corn Popper | QuinCraft Production | Bushton

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725025499779.jpeg" alt="Coolest Thing Logo" />
 <figcaption>Coolest Thing Logo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Manufacturing Council (KMC) on Thursday announced the 16 products that made it into the 2024 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas - People's Choice Tournament."Congratulations to the 16 Kansas-made products that made it into this year's tournament. They are a great representation of the diverse items made in Kansas communities across the state," said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson. "We are excited to get this year's tournament started."The products in the 2024 tournament are:Product Name | Company Name | CityStinger Stacker 8500 | Stinger Inc. | BurrtonAtom Pop Corn Popper | QuinCraft Production | BushtonThe Beast Hoe/Ax Combo | Prohoe Manufacturing LLC | MundenEscoba Cattle Scrubbers | Escoba KC Ranch LLC | HugotonKey Denim Bib Overall | KEY Apparel | Fort ScottGarage Buddy | Shannon Brothers LLC | AugustaXLT 1620 Countertop Conveyor Oven | XLT Ovens | WichitaHandy Hook Firefighter | Helten Panacea, LLC | Garden PlainJB1 Pro Reserve Baseball Bat | Jaw Bats, LLC | Baldwin CityAir Navigation Aid Systems | Indra Air Traffic Inc | Overland ParkFlytyme Water Slide | Splashtacular | PaolaDisc Tree Cutter | CVR Manufacturing | GalesburgMetal Palm Trees | Designer Palms Inc | AndoverDB01-Dashboard | SM-Racing Products | ManhattanPureFlow Fittings System | Viega LLC | McPhersonMobile Flavor Station Condiment Cart | New Age Industrial Corp, Inc. | NortonThe 16 products will compete in head-to-head match-ups during the next six weeks. Those receiving the most votes in each match-up will advance to the next round, moving one step closer to winning the ultimate prize – being named the Coolest Thing Made in Kansas - People's Choice.McPherson said with the tournament set, voting is now open for the first round of the tournament until Wednesday, September 11th at 5:00 pm.The winner will be announced during the Kansas Manufacturing Summit on Tuesday, October 9th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita. The 16 manufacturers featured in the contest will be invited to the Coolest Celebration Reception the night before the summit and be asked to display their products during the summit.Presented by Forvis Mazars, the competition is a great way to learn about the many products manufactured in Kansas."It’s also a wonderful opportunity for Kansas manufacturers to show their best stuff and prove they have what it takes to be the Coolest Thing Made in Kansas," said McPherson.Kansans can learn more about the tournament at <a href="http://KansasCool.com">KansasCool.com</a>.