JOHNSON COUNTY—A suspect accused in a sex assault and robbery made his first court appearance.

A man has been charged after a sexual assault Tuesday in Overland Park, Kansas.

On Nov. 21, Gabriel Pascaul Hernandez, 37, was charged with rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and theft, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. November 19, in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.

The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description as a stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap.

EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Overland Park Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department arrested the suspect.

Hernandez is due back in court December 5, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732041800750.png" alt="Photo Overland Park Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Overland Park Police</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—A suspect accused in a sex assault and robbery made his first court appearance.A man has been charged after a sexual assault Tuesday in Overland Park, Kansas.On Nov. 21, Gabriel Pascaul Hernandez, 37, was charged with rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and theft, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732275700821.png" alt="Hernandez-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hernandez-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The incident occurred&nbsp; just after 2:30a.m. November 19, in a home near W. 97th Street and Reeder in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police Officer John Lacy.The victim did not know the suspect but was able to provide a description as a stocky build, clean-shaven, late twenties to early thirties man. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black beanie-style cap.EMS transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The Overland Park Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department arrested the suspect.Hernandez is due back in court December 5, according to online jail records.

Suspect charged in sex assault, robbery at Kansas home

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Just as there are good odds the turkey will taste dry, airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thanksgiving">during Thanksgiving</a>&nbsp;week, a holiday period likely to end in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-airlines-tsa-bbd1f1dfb4b83466f66954134db8684a">another record day</a>&nbsp;for air travel in the United States.

The people responsible for keeping security lines,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-gate-lice-boarding-technology-907dfe7a751a0b8f19b8b0f6150c0b7b">boarding areas</a>&nbsp;and jetliners moving — from the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buttigieg-airlines-regulations-trump-delta-southwest-e597e66af74f945e51fe71dc990248eb">transportation secretary and airline chiefs</a>&nbsp;on down the line — swear they are prepared for the crowds.

But a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-airport-workers-strike-3a00ed15aedfdd8b5e2383feab53cb5a">strike by service workers in Charlotte Douglas International Airport</a>&nbsp;threatens a hub in the Carolinas.

Airline passengers might get lucky like they did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-record-flights-travel-8f929993a5aa5c7e8c37c1af03e7265f">last year</a>, when relatively few flights were canceled during the holiday week. A repeat will require&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/northern-california-storm-rain-flooding-snow-590bac4e27f5ef91f3580561625d0f24">the weather's</a>&nbsp;cooperation. And even if skies are blue, a shortage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-air-traffic-controllers-fatigue-aec011887fec03a8f2132bc1b66411e2">air traffic controllers</a>&nbsp;could create delays.

Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car.

Drivers should get a slight break on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-prices-gasoline-israel-iran-6fb7f2e57072a09287374d67b4fda16a">gas prices</a>. The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year.

The Transportation Security Administration expects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-tsa-airport-security-privacy-7b97462591c49184d1cb19cda9c95211">to screen</a>&nbsp;18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.

The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/airport-security">airport security</a>&nbsp;checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next-busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.

“This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready.”

Pekoske said TSA will have enough screeners to keep general security lines under 30 minutes and lines for people who pay extra for PreCheck under 10 minutes.

Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport walked off the job to protest what they call unlivable wages.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials have said this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record, with an estimated 1.02 million passengers departing the airport between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Several hundred workers were expected to walk off the job and continue the work stoppage throughout Monday.

FAA staffing shortage could create delays

However, an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities. In the past, that has included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-limits-new-york-flights-6992dfe968891b414901f5bd2fef9de7">airports in New York City</a>&nbsp;and Florida.

“If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said.

The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency's lofty hiring goals.

Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.

With more time before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-grocery-prices-turkey-walmart-target-f1850209ebeac7d768efc4717efc57e5">the holiday</a>, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/southwest-airlines-co-dallas-national-ccd54018a9894e92bd3a651550177fb2">Southwest Airlines</a>.

“A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end — the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late," Watterson said.

Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights.

The rise of remote work also has caused the Thanksgiving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-health-covid-business-50228cd2965b7f7d2f2a526249df62a5">travel period to expand</a>, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.

“The pandemic changed everything,” she said. “What we have seen is that post-pandemic, people are leaving at certain times, perhaps even leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely from their destination a couple of days, and then enjoying time with their loved ones.”

Nightmares of Thanksgivings past have further shaped holiday traffic jams. Motorists who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-travel-tips-e2d9d9eb61dd0b1591560ff89b3e3c5e">learned to avoid</a>&nbsp;traveling the day before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving have created new bottlenecks on other days, according to Diaz.

“Because we warned for so long (that) Wednesday and Sunday are the worst days to travel, people were like, ‘OK, I’m going to leave on Tuesday and come back on Monday to avoid the rush,’" she said. “So now those two days are congested as well.”

Airport security officials are pleading with passengers to arrive early, not to put lithium-ion batteries in checked bags in case they overheat, and to keep guns out of carry-on bags. TSA has discovered more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-congresswoman-victoria-spartz-airport-firearm-charged-c0684e073b347f8ee5499c12675dc292">6,000 guns at checkpoints</a>&nbsp;this year, and most of them were loaded.

Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring out many infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane.

TSA has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all">list on its website</a>&nbsp;of items that are banned or restricted.

Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX.

On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said.

In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732540283441.png" alt="Image courtesy TSA" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy TSA</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Just as there are good odds the turkey will taste dry, airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/thanksgiving">during Thanksgiving</a>&nbsp;week, a holiday period likely to end in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-travel-airlines-tsa-bbd1f1dfb4b83466f66954134db8684a">another record day</a>&nbsp;for air travel in the United States.The people responsible for keeping security lines,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-gate-lice-boarding-technology-907dfe7a751a0b8f19b8b0f6150c0b7b">boarding areas</a>&nbsp;and jetliners moving — from the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buttigieg-airlines-regulations-trump-delta-southwest-e597e66af74f945e51fe71dc990248eb">transportation secretary and airline chiefs</a>&nbsp;on down the line — swear they are prepared for the crowds.But a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-airport-workers-strike-3a00ed15aedfdd8b5e2383feab53cb5a">strike by service workers in Charlotte Douglas International Airport</a>&nbsp;threatens a hub in the Carolinas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732540863185.png" alt="Photo TSA" />
 <figcaption>Photo TSA</figcaption>
 </figure>Airline passengers might get lucky like they did&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-record-flights-travel-8f929993a5aa5c7e8c37c1af03e7265f">last year</a>, when relatively few flights were canceled during the holiday week. A repeat will require&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/northern-california-storm-rain-flooding-snow-590bac4e27f5ef91f3580561625d0f24">the weather's</a>&nbsp;cooperation. And even if skies are blue, a shortage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-air-traffic-controllers-fatigue-aec011887fec03a8f2132bc1b66411e2">air traffic controllers</a>&nbsp;could create delays.<h2>Thanksgiving, by the numbers</h2>Auto club and insurance company AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday. Most of them will travel by car.Drivers should get a slight break on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-prices-gasoline-israel-iran-6fb7f2e57072a09287374d67b4fda16a">gas prices</a>. The nationwide average price for gasoline was $3.06 a gallon on Sunday, down from $3.27 at this time last year.The Transportation Security Administration expects&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-tsa-airport-security-privacy-7b97462591c49184d1cb19cda9c95211">to screen</a>&nbsp;18.3 million people at U.S. airports during the same seven-day stretch. That would be 6% more than during the corresponding days last year but fit a pattern set throughout 2024.The TSA predicts that 3 million people will pass through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/airport-security">airport security</a>&nbsp;checkpoints on Sunday; more than that could break the record of 3.01 million set on the Sunday after the July Fourth holiday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next-busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week.<h2>TSA says it's ready</h2>“This will be the busiest Thanksgiving ever in terms of air travel,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “Fortunately, our staffing is also at the highest levels that they have ever been. We are ready.”Pekoske said TSA will have enough screeners to keep general security lines under 30 minutes and lines for people who pay extra for PreCheck under 10 minutes.<h2>“Strikesgiving”</h2>Service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport walked off the job to protest what they call unlivable wages.Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials have said this holiday travel season is expected to be the busiest on record, with an estimated 1.02 million passengers departing the airport between last Thursday and the Monday after Thanksgiving.Several hundred workers were expected to walk off the job and continue the work stoppage throughout Monday.<h2>FAA staffing shortage could create delays</h2>However, an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays.Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week that he expects his agency to use special measures to deal with shortages at some facilities. In the past, that has included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-limits-new-york-flights-6992dfe968891b414901f5bd2fef9de7">airports in New York City</a>&nbsp;and Florida.“If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe,” Whitaker said.The FAA has long struggled with a shortage of controllers that airline officials expect will last for years, despite the agency's lofty hiring goals.<h2>Timing of holiday shapes travel patterns</h2>Thanksgiving Day takes place late this year, with the fourth Thursday of November falling on Nov. 28. That shortens the traditional shopping season and changes the rhythm of holiday travel.With more time before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-grocery-prices-turkey-walmart-target-f1850209ebeac7d768efc4717efc57e5">the holiday</a>, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/southwest-airlines-co-dallas-national-ccd54018a9894e92bd3a651550177fb2">Southwest Airlines</a>.“A late Thanksgiving leads to a big crush at the end — the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving are usually very busy with Thanksgiving this late," Watterson said.Airlines did a relatively good job of handling holiday crowds last year, when the weather was mild in most of the country. Fewer than 400 U.S. flights were canceled during Thanksgiving week in 2023 — about one of every 450 flights. So far in 2024, airlines have canceled about 1.3% of all flights.<h2>Combining work and leisure</h2>The rise of remote work also has caused the Thanksgiving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-health-covid-business-50228cd2965b7f7d2f2a526249df62a5">travel period to expand</a>, AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.“The pandemic changed everything,” she said. “What we have seen is that post-pandemic, people are leaving at certain times, perhaps even leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving, working remotely from their destination a couple of days, and then enjoying time with their loved ones.”Nightmares of Thanksgivings past have further shaped holiday traffic jams. Motorists who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/thanksgiving-travel-tips-e2d9d9eb61dd0b1591560ff89b3e3c5e">learned to avoid</a>&nbsp;traveling the day before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving have created new bottlenecks on other days, according to Diaz.“Because we warned for so long (that) Wednesday and Sunday are the worst days to travel, people were like, ‘OK, I’m going to leave on Tuesday and come back on Monday to avoid the rush,’" she said. “So now those two days are congested as well.”<h2>Advice for travelers</h2>Airport security officials are pleading with passengers to arrive early, not to put lithium-ion batteries in checked bags in case they overheat, and to keep guns out of carry-on bags. TSA has discovered more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-congresswoman-victoria-spartz-airport-firearm-charged-c0684e073b347f8ee5499c12675dc292">6,000 guns at checkpoints</a>&nbsp;this year, and most of them were loaded.Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring out many infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane.TSA has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/all">list on its website</a>&nbsp;of items that are banned or restricted.Drivers should know that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons will be the worst times to travel by car, but it should be smooth sailing on freeways come Thanksgiving Day, according to transportation analytics company INRIX.On the return home, the best travel times for motorists are before 1 p.m. on Sunday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on Monday, the company said.In metropolitan areas like Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Washington, “traffic is expected to be more than double what it typically is on a normal day,” INRIX transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.

‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

Investigators determined, an ambulance was south on Broadway at West 32nd Street when an ATV, with no headlights, appeared on the roadway doing "tricks," according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The driver of the ATV accelerated and lost control and crashed into the ambulance. The ATV driver was ejected off the vehicle and was struck by the ambulance. 

The ATV driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and front passenger in the ambulance were not injured. The patient in the back of the ambulance was not injured in the crash. Another ambulance responded and completed the patient transport. This is fatality #86 in KCMO if 2024, according to DiMartino.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.Investigators determined, an ambulance was south on Broadway at West 32nd Street when an ATV, with no headlights, appeared on the roadway doing "tricks," according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The driver of the ATV accelerated and lost control and crashed into the ambulance. The ATV driver was ejected off the vehicle and was struck by the ambulance. The ATV driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and front passenger in the ambulance were not injured. The patient in the back of the ambulance was not injured in the crash. Another ambulance responded and completed the patient transport. This is fatality #86 in KCMO if 2024, according to DiMartino.

ATV driver dies after crash with ambulance transporting a patient

NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, has died. She was 91.

Bradford died Sunday at her home in New York City, a spokesperson said Monday.

Starting with "A Woman of Substance," published in 1979, Bradford averaged nearly a book a year as one of the world's most popular and wealthiest writers, her net worth estimated at more than $200 million and her fame so high that her image appeared on a postage stamp in 1999. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II awarded her an OBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

Her books were published in 40 languages and sold more than 90 million copies around the world.

With titles like “Breaking the Rules'' and ”Act of Will,'' she specialized in stories of women fighting for love and power in a man's world. Her favorite among her books was "The Women In His Life," inspired by her husband's escape from the Nazis

Bradford was married for 56 years to German-born film producer Robert Bradford, who died in 2019.

A native of Leeds, West Yorkshire, she was an only child in a working class family who loved books early. As a girl, she had a story published in a local magazine. By age 16, she left school against her parents' wishes to become a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Over the next 30 years, she would work as fashion editor of Woman's Own Magazine, cover a variety of beats for the London Evening News and, in the United States, write a syndicated column about interior design.

Although she wrote children's stories and advice books, novels were her dream. "A Woman of Substance" was a multi-generational chronicle of the travails and triumphs of retail baron Emma Harte, who would be featured in several other Bradford novels. The book has sold more than 30 million copies and was the basis of a 1984 television miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove as a young Emma and Deborah Kerr as Emma late in life.

“And if you want to meet the real Emma, meet me,” Bradford told the Telegraph of London in 2009. "Emma had to be tough and ruthless at times: but then so am I. I have to be, as a businesswoman. And I'm a bloody good businesswoman."

Bradford and Emma Harte were linked by more than money: both had family secrets. As a young woman, Emma became pregnant by a man who refused to marry her and gave birth to a daughter. Years later, Bradford learned through her biographer that her own mother had been born out of wedlock. It is now believed that Bradford’s maternal grandfather was Frederick Oliver Robinson, the second Marquess of Ripon and the owner of the Studley Royal estate.

Seagrove, who became friends with Bradford after starring in the miniseries, described her as a “powerhouse of glamour and warmth” and a “force of nature” who stayed true to her roots.

“Success never diluted her warmth and humor or her ability to relate to everyone she met, whether a cleaner or a princess,” Seagrove said. "She never, ever forgot that she was just a girl from Yorkshire that worked hard and made good. RIP dear friend.”

Bradford had a strict writing routine: at work behind her IBM Lexmark typewriter by 6 a.m., break around 1 p.m., then back to writing until 6 p.m., at the latest. According to an authorized 2006 biography, Piers Dudgeon's "The Woman of Substance," Bradford more than adapted to her midlife fortune, living in a 5,300 square foot apartment overlooking Manhattan's East River, collecting Impressionist art and enjoying refills of pink champagne poured by her Moroccan butler. When the Bradfords put their apartment up for sale in 2010, the asking price was just under $19 million. (They sold it to Uma Thurman in 2013 for $10 million).

Over the years, she met many other celebrities. Bradford befriended Sean Connery before he appeared in his first James Bond movie and remembered advising him, thankfully in vain, that he should lose his Scottish accent if he wanted to succeed.

Around the same time, she met a fellow journalist at the Yorkshire Evening Post. He was “lanky and disheveled with acne,” and kept trying to talk to her even after she turned him down for a date at the movies.

"Years later, (Evening Post editor) Keith Waterhouse and I were at an event where the producer Sam Spiegel introduced the star of his new movie," she told The Guardian in 2021. “Out walked the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, dressed as Lawrence of Arabia. Keith said: ‘Don’t you wish you’d gone to the pictures with him now?’ I never got over Peter’s transformation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732533691627.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, has died. She was 91.Bradford died Sunday at her home in New York City, a spokesperson said Monday.Starting with "A Woman of Substance," published in 1979, Bradford averaged nearly a book a year as one of the world's most popular and wealthiest writers, her net worth estimated at more than $200 million and her fame so high that her image appeared on a postage stamp in 1999. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II awarded her an OBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).Her books were published in 40 languages and sold more than 90 million copies around the world.With titles like “Breaking the Rules'' and ”Act of Will,'' she specialized in stories of women fighting for love and power in a man's world. Her favorite among her books was "The Women In His Life," inspired by her husband's escape from the NazisBradford was married for 56 years to German-born film producer Robert Bradford, who died in 2019.A native of Leeds, West Yorkshire, she was an only child in a working class family who loved books early. As a girl, she had a story published in a local magazine. By age 16, she left school against her parents' wishes to become a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Over the next 30 years, she would work as fashion editor of Woman's Own Magazine, cover a variety of beats for the London Evening News and, in the United States, write a syndicated column about interior design.Although she wrote children's stories and advice books, novels were her dream. "A Woman of Substance" was a multi-generational chronicle of the travails and triumphs of retail baron Emma Harte, who would be featured in several other Bradford novels. The book has sold more than 30 million copies and was the basis of a 1984 television miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove as a young Emma and Deborah Kerr as Emma late in life.“And if you want to meet the real Emma, meet me,” Bradford told the Telegraph of London in 2009. "Emma had to be tough and ruthless at times: but then so am I. I have to be, as a businesswoman. And I'm a bloody good businesswoman."Bradford and Emma Harte were linked by more than money: both had family secrets. As a young woman, Emma became pregnant by a man who refused to marry her and gave birth to a daughter. Years later, Bradford learned through her biographer that her own mother had been born out of wedlock. It is now believed that Bradford’s maternal grandfather was Frederick Oliver Robinson, the second Marquess of Ripon and the owner of the Studley Royal estate.Seagrove, who became friends with Bradford after starring in the miniseries, described her as a “powerhouse of glamour and warmth” and a “force of nature” who stayed true to her roots.“Success never diluted her warmth and humor or her ability to relate to everyone she met, whether a cleaner or a princess,” Seagrove said. "She never, ever forgot that she was just a girl from Yorkshire that worked hard and made good. RIP dear friend.”Bradford had a strict writing routine: at work behind her IBM Lexmark typewriter by 6 a.m., break around 1 p.m., then back to writing until 6 p.m., at the latest. According to an authorized 2006 biography, Piers Dudgeon's "The Woman of Substance," Bradford more than adapted to her midlife fortune, living in a 5,300 square foot apartment overlooking Manhattan's East River, collecting Impressionist art and enjoying refills of pink champagne poured by her Moroccan butler. When the Bradfords put their apartment up for sale in 2010, the asking price was just under $19 million. (They sold it to Uma Thurman in 2013 for $10 million).Over the years, she met many other celebrities. Bradford befriended Sean Connery before he appeared in his first James Bond movie and remembered advising him, thankfully in vain, that he should lose his Scottish accent if he wanted to succeed.Around the same time, she met a fellow journalist at the Yorkshire Evening Post. He was “lanky and disheveled with acne,” and kept trying to talk to her even after she turned him down for a date at the movies.He was Peter O'Toole."Years later, (Evening Post editor) Keith Waterhouse and I were at an event where the producer Sam Spiegel introduced the star of his new movie," she told The Guardian in 2021. “Out walked the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, dressed as Lawrence of Arabia. Keith said: ‘Don’t you wish you’d gone to the pictures with him now?’ I never got over Peter’s transformation.”

Barbara Taylor Bradford, million-selling novelist has died at 91

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating two homicides on Sunday in Kansas City.

Just after 4:30p.m. Sunday KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to Truman Road and Interstate 435 on an ambulance in route call, according to&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 An individual was reported to be slumped over in a vehicle on the southbound exit ramp of I-435 at Truman. Officers located a man&nbsp; inside of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was declared deceased at the scene. Police are investigating the incident as a homicide.

Early Sunday, police wer<a href="https://x.com/kcpolice">e</a>&nbsp;dispatched to Research Hospital on a walk-in shooting, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte. A private vehicle brought an adult male shooting victim to the hospital. He later succumbed to injuries. Shooting occurred near 63rd and Manchester, according to Forte. Police released no additional details on the shootings.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating two homicides on Sunday in Kansas City.Just after 4:30p.m. Sunday KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to Truman Road and Interstate 435 on an ambulance in route call, according to&nbsp;Sergeant Phil DiMartino. An individual was reported to be slumped over in a vehicle on the southbound exit ramp of I-435 at Truman. Officers located a man&nbsp; inside of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was declared deceased at the scene. Police are investigating the incident as a homicide.Early Sunday, police wer<a href="https://x.com/kcpolice">e</a>&nbsp;dispatched to Research Hospital on a walk-in shooting, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte. A private vehicle brought an adult male shooting victim to the hospital. He later succumbed to injuries. Shooting occurred near 63rd and Manchester, according to Forte. Police released no additional details on the shootings.

KCPD investigating two homicides on Sunday

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-climate-talks-baku-azerbaijan-finance-8ab629945660ee97d58cdbef10136f35">countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds</a>&nbsp;to support poor countries in the face of climate change.

It's a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction.

World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.”

The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations.

What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks?

Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future.

The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cop29-climate-multilateral-development-banks-13332b960d36656e4187dec64744a57b">international mega-banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, to help foot the bill.</a>&nbsp;And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action.

The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015.

The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising.

The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance.

The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world's long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale.

Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters.

The Philippines, for example, has been hammered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philippines-typhoon-manyi-520b17b3c2b0ccfd33c7421f65ba177d">by six major storms in less than a month</a>, bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland.

“Family farmers need to be financed," said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won't again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income.

“If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said.

Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise.

The ending of COP29 is "reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump's recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward.

Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn't feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise.

Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out.

Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.”

The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.”

Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year.

In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732496415744.png" alt="U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) attended the event." />
 <figcaption>U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) attended the event.</figcaption>
 </figure>BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-climate-talks-baku-azerbaijan-finance-8ab629945660ee97d58cdbef10136f35">countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds</a>&nbsp;to support poor countries in the face of climate change.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I returned from COP29 this week where I talked with many world leaders and experts on the stages of climate change. <a href="https://t.co/Kr7s83zEZJ">pic.twitter.com/Kr7s83zEZJ</a>&mdash; Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWhitehouse/status/1860065466875805823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It's a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still deeply unsatisfied but some hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bakubreakthrough?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bakubreakthrough</a>: a result of months of intensive diplomacy by the COP29 Presidency, delivering some of the most complex tasks in multilateral <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimareAction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimareAction</a>. As we conclude <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COP29Azerbaijan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COP29Azerbaijan</a>, these achievements mark a critical step in putting in place the means to deliver a… <a href="https://t.co/ZmvEizKTX5">pic.twitter.com/ZmvEizKTX5</a>&mdash; COP29 Azerbaijan (@COP29_AZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/COP29_AZ/status/1860754331839987964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>World Resources Institute president and CEO Ani Dasgupta called it “an important down payment toward a safer, more equitable future,” but added that the poorest and most vulnerable nations are “rightfully disappointed that wealthier countries didn’t put more money on the table when billions of people’s lives are at stake.”The summit was supposed to end on Friday evening but negotiations spiraled on through early Sunday. With countries on opposite ends of a massive chasm, tensions ran high as delegations tried to close the gap in expectations.Here's how they got there:<h2>What was the finance deal agreed at climate talks?</h2>Rich countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It’s not near the full amount of $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, and that experts said was needed. But delegations more optimistic about the agreement said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future.The text included a call for all parties to work together using “all public and private sources” to get closer to the $1.3 trillion per year goal by 2035. That means also pushing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cop29-climate-multilateral-development-banks-13332b960d36656e4187dec64744a57b">international mega-banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, to help foot the bill.</a>&nbsp;And it means, hopefully, that companies and private investors will follow suit on channeling cash toward climate action.The agreement is also a critical step toward helping countries on the receiving end create more ambitious targets to limit or cut emissions of heat-trapping gases that are due early next year. It’s part of the plan to keep cutting pollution with new targets every five years, which the world agreed to at the U.N. talks in Paris in 2015.The Paris agreement set the system of regular ratcheting up climate fighting ambition as away to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The world is already at 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and carbon emissions keep rising.<h2>What will the money be spent on?</h2>The deal decided in Baku replaces a previous agreement from 15 years ago that charged rich nations $100 billion a year to help the developing world with climate finance.The new number has similar aims: it will go toward the developing world's long laundry list of to-dos to prepare for a warming world and keep it from getting hotter. That includes paying for the transition to clean energy and away from fossil fuels. Countries need funds to build up the infrastructure needed to deploy technologies like wind and solar power on a large scale.Communities hard-hit by extreme weather also want money to adapt and prepare for events like floods, typhoons and fires. Funds could go toward improving farming practices to make them more resilient to weather extremes, to building houses differently with storms in mind, to helping people move from the hardest-hit areas and to help leaders improve emergency plans and aid in the wake of disasters.The Philippines, for example, has been hammered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philippines-typhoon-manyi-520b17b3c2b0ccfd33c7421f65ba177d">by six major storms in less than a month</a>, bringing to millions of people howling wind, massive storm surges and catastrophic damage to residences, infrastructure and farmland.“Family farmers need to be financed," said Esther Penunia of the Asian Farmers Association. She described how many have already had to deal with millions of dollars of storm damage, some of which includes trees that won't again bear fruit for months or years, or animals that die, wiping out a main source of income.“If you think of a rice farmer who depends on his or her one hectare farm, rice land, ducks, chickens, vegetables, and it was inundated, there was nothing to harvest,” she said.<h2>Why was it so hard to get a deal?</h2>Election results around the world that herald a change in climate leadership, a few key players with motive to stall the talks and a disorganized host country all led to a final crunch that left few happy with a flawed compromise.The ending of COP29 is "reflective of the harder geopolitical terrain the world finds itself in,” said Li Shuo of the Asia Society. He cited Trump's recent victory in the US — with his promises to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement — as one reason why the relationship between China and the EU will be more consequential for global climate politics moving forward.Developing nations also faced some difficulties agreeing in the final hours, with one Latin American delegation member saying that their group didn't feel properly consulted when small island states had last-minute meetings to try to break through to a deal. Negotiators from across the developing world took different tacks on the deal until they finally agreed to compromise.Meanwhile, activists ramped up the pressure: many urged negotiators to stay strong and asserted that no deal would be better than a bad deal. But ultimately the desire for a deal won out.Some also pointed to the host country as a reason for the struggle. Mohamed Adow, director of climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, said Friday that “this COP presidency is one of the worst in recent memory,” calling it “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever.”The presidency said in a statement, “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator. We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.”Shuo retains hope that the opportunities offered by a green economy “make inaction self-defeating” for countries around the world, regardless of their stance on the decision. But it remains to be seen whether the UN talks can deliver more ambition next year.In the meantime, “this COP process needs to recover from Baku,” Shuo said.___

🎥U.S. Oks $300 billion funding deal at UN climate talks

HARVEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Harvey County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 GMC Sierra driven by&nbsp; James M&nbsp;Rundzieher, 21, Rayville, Louisiana, was&nbsp;southbound on Interstate 135 one half mile south of First Street in Newton. 

The pickup left the roadway, crashed through the guardrail, vaulted and&nbsp; landed on the train tracks under the Interstate.

Rundzieher was pronounced dead a that scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensics Center.&nbsp; The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.

HARVEY COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. Sunday in Harvey County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 GMC Sierra driven by&nbsp; James M&nbsp;Rundzieher, 21, Rayville, Louisiana, was&nbsp;southbound on Interstate 135 one half mile south of First Street in Newton. The pickup left the roadway, crashed through the guardrail, vaulted and&nbsp; landed on the train tracks under the Interstate.Rundzieher was pronounced dead a that scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensics Center.&nbsp; The KHP did not have seat belt usage details.

KHP: Man dies after pickup lands on train tracks under Interstate 

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in the fatal shooting in a parking lot outside the victim's workplace in the 300 Block of East Linwood in Kansas City, according to&nbsp; Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Kandi J Galaviz, 24,&nbsp; faces Murder in the 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court documents, Galavis asked a man to drive her to&nbsp;34-year-old  Waleed M. Shaban's workplace where she shot him in the chest following an argument. One witness reported that during their argument the she said "square up and do something." Soon after the witness heard gun shots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732140302707.png" alt="Galaviz photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Galaviz photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City woman has been charged in the fatal shooting in a parking lot outside the victim's workplace in the 300 Block of East Linwood in Kansas City, according to&nbsp; Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Kandi J Galaviz, 24,&nbsp; faces Murder in the 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court documents, Galavis asked a man to drive her to&nbsp;34-year-old Waleed M. Shaban's workplace where she shot him in the chest following an argument. One witness reported that during their argument the she said "square up and do something." Soon after the witness heard gun shots.Galaviz is in custody on a $250,000 bond

Woman charged in fatal shooting outside victim's KC workplace

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating burglary/thefts in the southeast part of Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

"We have great cooperation&nbsp; from&nbsp; the public, victims of the crimes and surrounding&nbsp; law enforcement agencies throughout the investigation.&nbsp; "

The Brown County sheriff's deputies have spent many countless hours investigating these crimes, modifying patrol procedures, speaking with concerned individuals, reviewing camera footage, following up on leads as well as networking with other law enforcement agencies and collaborating information.

This week, based on this joint investigation and collected information,&nbsp;&nbsp; Brown County investigators and Valley Falls Police Chief coordinated a search warrant in Jefferson County that lead to the arrest of 42-year-old Richard Croft of Atchison.&nbsp; 

Brown County deputies took custody of Croft on requested charges that incoude&nbsp; 3 felony counts of Burglary and 1 felony count of Theft&nbsp; as well as 2 misdemeanor counts of Theft which occurred in Brown County, according to Merchant.

Deputies recovered stolen property from the Brown County burglaries at the search warrant location.

Additional agencies participating in the search warrant were Troy Police, Doniphan County Sheriffs office and Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732297056827.png" alt="Croft photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Croft photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating burglary/thefts in the southeast part of Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant."We have great cooperation&nbsp; from&nbsp; the public, victims of the crimes and surrounding&nbsp; law enforcement agencies throughout the investigation.&nbsp; "The Brown County sheriff's deputies have spent many countless hours investigating these crimes, modifying patrol procedures, speaking with concerned individuals, reviewing camera footage, following up on leads as well as networking with other law enforcement agencies and collaborating information.This week, based on this joint investigation and collected information,&nbsp;&nbsp; Brown County investigators and Valley Falls Police Chief coordinated a search warrant in Jefferson County that lead to the arrest of 42-year-old Richard Croft of Atchison.&nbsp; Brown County deputies took custody of Croft on requested charges that incoude&nbsp; 3 felony counts of Burglary and 1 felony count of Theft&nbsp; as well as 2 misdemeanor counts of Theft which occurred in Brown County, according to Merchant.Deputies recovered stolen property from the Brown County burglaries at the search warrant location.Additional agencies participating in the search warrant were Troy Police, Doniphan County Sheriffs office and Jefferson County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies capture suspect in series of Kan. burglaries

JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 1a.m. Nov. 21., a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Taurus for multiple traffic violations in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver was identified as Ashley Lynea Chase, 40, of Topeka. A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 detected the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted which resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs inside the vehicle.

Chase was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine,&nbsp;possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;driving while suspended, no proof of insurance, display any canceled, revoked, or suspended driver’s license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732309934192.png" alt="Chase photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Chase photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just after 1a.m. Nov. 21., a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Taurus for multiple traffic violations in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The driver was identified as Ashley Lynea Chase, 40, of Topeka. A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 detected the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted which resulted in the discovery of illegal drugs inside the vehicle.Chase was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine,&nbsp;possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia,&nbsp;driving while suspended, no proof of insurance, display any canceled, revoked, or suspended driver’s license.

Sheriff: Kan. woman driving while suspended was transporting drugs

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">CINDY GONZALEZ</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska nurse has had her licenses revoked for at least two years by the state’s chief medical officer for alleged fraud related to her business, which advertises weight-loss medications on social media, according to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

Andrea Meisinger of Weeping Water, an advanced practice registered nurse and registered nurse, has been running a business called AR Virtual Health, which markets medications such as Tirzepatide and Semaglutide for weight loss on its website, the Attorney General’s Office said in a news release issued Friday.

In a settlement agreement filed with the State Department of Health and Human Services, Meisinger said she neither admits nor denies allegations by the Attorney General’s Office. But she consented to the order from Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraska’s chief medical officer, that finds the allegations to be true and that grounds exist to revoke her licenses.

Meisinger, who was not immediately available for comment Friday, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $16,000. She allegedly prescribed to patients while her Nebraska licenses were suspended and authorized prescriptions to patients in states where she does not hold the required licensure.

She acknowledged that the revocation of her nursing licenses is for a minimum of two years and reinstatement is at the discretion of the Department of Health and Human Services and upon approval by the respective state nursing board.

The order signed by Tesmer was in response to a Nov. 5 petition filed by the Attorney General’s Office to seek disciplinary action, to revoke probation and to temporarily suspend Meisinger’s licenses.

The petition alleged that Meisinger was practicing a profession fraudulently, beyond authorized scope or with incompetence or negligence, including obtaining a fee for professional services by fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

Previously, the Attorney General’s Office filed a petition May 16 alleging that Meisinger was trying to sell Tirzepatide without establishing any patient/provider relationship.

As a result of that lawsuit, Tesmer had ordered Meisinger to pay a $3,000 civil penalty and placed her on probation for a year. Her licenses were to be suspended and she was not to engage in activity that constitutes the practice of APRN or nursing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732462922427.png" alt=" Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraska’s chief medical officer. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption> Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraska’s chief medical officer. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">CINDY GONZALEZ</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/">Nebraska Examiner</a> LINCOLN — A Nebraska nurse has had her licenses revoked for at least two years by the state’s chief medical officer for alleged fraud related to her business, which advertises weight-loss medications on social media, according to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.Andrea Meisinger of Weeping Water, an advanced practice registered nurse and registered nurse, has been running a business called AR Virtual Health, which markets medications such as Tirzepatide and Semaglutide for weight loss on its website, the Attorney General’s Office said in a news release issued Friday.In a settlement agreement filed with the State Department of Health and Human Services, Meisinger said she neither admits nor denies allegations by the Attorney General’s Office. But she consented to the order from Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraska’s chief medical officer, that finds the allegations to be true and that grounds exist to revoke her licenses.Meisinger, who was not immediately available for comment Friday, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $16,000. She allegedly prescribed to patients while her Nebraska licenses were suspended and authorized prescriptions to patients in states where she does not hold the required licensure.She acknowledged that the revocation of her nursing licenses is for a minimum of two years and reinstatement is at the discretion of the Department of Health and Human Services and upon approval by the respective state nursing board.The order signed by Tesmer was in response to a Nov. 5 petition filed by the Attorney General’s Office to seek disciplinary action, to revoke probation and to temporarily suspend Meisinger’s licenses.The petition alleged that Meisinger was practicing a profession fraudulently, beyond authorized scope or with incompetence or negligence, including obtaining a fee for professional services by fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.Previously, the Attorney General’s Office filed a petition May 16 alleging that Meisinger was trying to sell Tirzepatide without establishing any patient/provider relationship.As a result of that lawsuit, Tesmer had ordered Meisinger to pay a $3,000 civil penalty and placed her on probation for a year. Her licenses were to be suspended and she was not to engage in activity that constitutes the practice of APRN or nursing.According to Tesmer, Meisinger:<ul>
 <li>Provided prescriptions to a Georgia patient, although she held no licensure in Georgia.</li><li>Provided care to a patient in Illinois, where she holds no licensure.</li><li>Held virtual appointments with a Nebraska patient while her license was suspended.</li><li>Prescribed medications in numerous states with no licensure.</li><li>Shipped patient medications to her own address or to a coworker/friend.</li><li>Authorized dozens of prescriptions to Nebraska patients while her license was suspended.</li>
 </ul>

Nurse gets licenses yanked in connection with weight-loss business

RENO COUNTY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of an apartment fire in Hutchinson. Just before 11:30a.m. Sunday, crews responded to report of a fire to 1212 North Severance, with fire showing.

First arriving crews found a row apartment with heavy fire and smoke pushing out of all the windows in one apartment. The fire was also venting from the attic over the affected apartment. Crews started fire attack on the outside of the structure and entered the apartment.

Other crews on scene were able to search and remove all occupants from the other six apartments. A passerby called the fire in and also started the evacuation of all the apartments.

The fire caused heavy damage to one apartment and the attic space. The other apartments were not affected. The structure did not have a sprinkler system or working smoke alarms.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732473935141.png" alt="Photo Hutchinson Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Hutchinson Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY—Investigators are working to determine the cause of an apartment fire in Hutchinson. Just before 11:30a.m. Sunday, crews responded to report of a fire to 1212 North Severance, with fire showing. First arriving crews found a row apartment with heavy fire and smoke pushing out of all the windows in one apartment. The fire was also venting from the attic over the affected apartment. Crews started fire attack on the outside of the structure and entered the apartment.Other crews on scene were able to search and remove all occupants from the other six apartments. A passerby called the fire in and also started the evacuation of all the apartments.The fire caused heavy damage to one apartment and the attic space. The other apartments were not affected. The structure did not have a sprinkler system or working smoke alarms.&nbsp;

Passerby helps evacuate residents from Kan. apartment fire

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/sofia-resnick/">SOFIA RESNICK</a>

The 2024 election results created complicated new realities for reproductive rights in the U.S., with Americans even in a few red states overwhelmingly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/voters-seven-states-restore-reproductive-rights" target="_blank">voting to protect</a>&nbsp;the right to have an abortion while also overwhelmingly electing anti-abortion representatives in state houses, courts, Congress and the White House.

With a Republican trifecta coming to the nation’s capital in January, anti-abortion activist groups are planning for the first potentially friendly presidential administration since the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated a 50-year federal right to terminate a pregnancy.

They aim to end other federal and state protections while vastly expanding restrictions on reproductive health care.

Though many anti-abortion leaders are skeptical of President-elect Donald Trump’s commitment to their cause, they say they are willing to compromise to maintain influence in his administration. Some groups are strategizing how to end-run Trump’s campaign pledge not to enact any federal abortion bans — by heavily restricting medication abortion or trying to ban a common abortion procedure.

“I don’t think we have a champion here for pro-life causes,” said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, longtime anti-abortion organizer. “What we have here is someone who will not work against us and try to crush us. We will not see pro-choice federal judges.”

Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition and the chief strategy officer of Stanton Public Policy Center, told States Newsroom that he is not a supporter of Trump and disagrees with his rhetoric on immigrants.

But he is happy Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris lost. The vice president had vowed to try to restore federal abortion rights and throughout her career has advocated for reproductive rights. As California attorney general, she&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-attorney-general-seizes-planned-parenthood-videos-20160405-story.html" target="_blank">prosecuted anti-abortion activists</a>&nbsp;charged with illegally recording abortion providers about a decade ago.

“We can have an opportunity now to begin the second phase after Roe was overturned,” Mahoney said. “We knew overturning Roe was only a starting line, not a finishing line.”

Lila Rose, president of Live Action, was one of the few prominent anti-abortion leaders who called out Trump before the election, after he criticized Florida’s six-week abortion ban and vowed to veto a federal ban. In late August, Rose&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/08/29/lila-rose-abortion-trump-interview-00176619" target="_blank">told Politico</a>&nbsp;she would write in a presidential candidate and would encourage her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/fighting-for-life-lila-rose-s-mission-to-save-the-unborn" target="_blank">millions of followers</a>&nbsp;to do the same if Trump did not change course.

On her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSgwXPGviUA" target="_blank">podcast</a>, the millennial activist recently revealed that she met with Trump and asked him to say he would vote against Florida’s abortion-rights amendment, which he did. Days before the election, Rose&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1852731859815542991" target="_blank">endorsed Trump on X</a>.

Live Action did not respond to an interview request.

Nationally,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/voters-seven-states-restore-reproductive-rights" target="_blank">three out of 10 abortion-rights measures</a>&nbsp;failed: Florida’s proposed amendment had the highest threshold to clear, but got 57% out of the required 60% of the vote. It would have reversed the ban that reproductive rights advocates say has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/reproductive-health-care-southeast-hinges-florida-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-doctors" target="_blank">decimated abortion access in the Southeast</a>.

Another anti-abortion leader willing to compromise with the incoming president and Congress is Steven Aden, general counsel at Americans United for Life, the policy shop behind many state and federal abortion restrictions. Aden said he was disappointed the Republican Party removed from its platform a&nbsp;<a href="https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL%5B1%5D-ben_1468872234.pdf" target="_blank">previous commitment</a>&nbsp;to a federal ban.

However, he said his group was still able to inject critical language into the&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.nucleusfiles.com/be/beb1a388-1d88-4389-a67d-c1e2d7f8bedf/2024-gop-platform-july-7-final.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=240708-2024_gop_platform_make_america_great_again&amp;utm_content=ncl-4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nlid=4NsN8UE5x2&amp;_nhids=g95bUYd" target="_blank">current platform</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/rnc-approves-platform-would-give-rights-fetuses-endangering-abortion-ivf" target="_blank">effectively supports states establishing fetal personhood</a>&nbsp;through the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which grants equal protection under the law. The platform also says Republicans “will oppose Late Term Abortion,” a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/political-rhetoric-about-third-trimester-abortion-misleading-experts-say" target="_blank">political term</a>&nbsp;used to refer to abortions in the second and third trimesters, the rarest but most restricted types of abortions in the U.S.

“We had direct input into the Trump campaign and framing the pro-life language in the party platform,” Aden told States Newsroom. “The platform language was much pared down, but we believe that the pro-life language preserves the essence of the party’s position on the pro-life issue, and we’re proud of that, and look forward to continuing to work with the incoming Trump administration.”

Federal reproductive rights protections in question

Early into his term, Democratic President Joe Biden began reversing blocks on federal funding domestically and globally for reproductive health organizations that also provide or refer for abortions. Leading up to and following the Dobbs decision, the Biden administration loosened restrictions to the medication abortion regimen, a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, which has become the most common way of terminating pregnancy in the U.S. during the first trimester.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed abortion medication to be obtained via telemedicine and dispensed directly at pharmacies.

Nearly half the country has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/see-data-reproductive-rights" target="_blank">partially or fully banned abortions</a>. But abortion numbers have risen since before Dobbs, researchers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/despite-bans-number-abortions-united-states-increased-2023#:~:text=New%20findings%20from%20the%20Monthly,Organization%20overturned%20Roe%20v.%20Wade." target="_blank">have reported</a>, attributing the increase in part to expanded access to telemedicine abortion and to more people using online abortion clinics that mail abortion drugs from states with so-called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/telehealth-abortion-still-rise-especially-states-shield-laws-report-shows" target="_blank">shield laws</a>&nbsp;to those with bans.

Anti-abortion groups&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/win-memo.pdf" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.studentsforlifeaction.org/roadmap/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=Time%20for%20a%20Pro-Life%20New%20Deal%20%F0%9F%A4%9D&amp;utm_campaign=PLG%3A%202024%20Primary%20Wins%3A%20KJH%20Op-Ed%20Email%20%28Nov%20%20%2024%29#form" target="_blank">Students for Life of America</a>&nbsp;recently unveiled memos asking the Trump administration to pull&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/health-experts-outline-how-trump-administration-could-affect-abortion-contraception-access" target="_blank">regulatory levers</a>&nbsp;that especially target abortion drugs.

Under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regulations could include:

When asked about stories of alleged&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/women-serious-pregnancy-complications-sue-over-state-abortion-bans-2" target="_blank">denied care</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/texas-woman-died-after-hospital-said-it-would-be-crime-intervene-her-miscarriage" target="_blank">maternal deaths</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/texas-ob-gyns-urge-lawmakers-change-abortion-laws-after-reports-pregnant-womens-deaths" target="_blank">doctor confusion</a>&nbsp;related to state abortion bans, Aden chalked up the problem to a misinterpretation of state laws, which he said should be clarified to address these problems, while noting several times, “I’m not a doctor.” Americans United for Life’s&nbsp;<a href="https://aul.org/2022/11/09/introducing-the-abortion-abolition-amendment/" target="_blank">recommended health-exception language</a>&nbsp;in part says abortion should be allowed “to preserve the life of a pregnant woman or to address a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.”

“That’s a health exception with teeth,” Aden said. “It doesn’t allow for a free-ranging, quote unquote, ‘mental health’ exception that would swallow the rule.”

Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-picks-dr-oz-run-mammoth-centers-medicare-and-medicaid-services" target="_blank">pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>, which manages the country’s largest health programs, is Dr. Mehmet Oz, who&nbsp;<a href="https://19thnews.org/2024/11/trump-picks-dr-oz-celebrity-tv-doctor-medicare-medicaid/" target="_blank">opposes abortion</a>.

The U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs could:

The U.S. Agency for International Development could:

As they brace for the potential impact of Dobbs without a federal safety net, reproductive justice activists are working to expand access and fight anti-abortion laws, while also protecting new state wins. The election results did not change the fact that most people want abortion access, said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, during a recent media press briefing organized by the progressive Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Donald Trump won the election, but so did abortion, and people need to hold this incoming administration to its word that it would not restrict abortion,” Graves said. “We have to square the idea that millions of people in the United States voted for reproductive freedom … but they also will be experiencing a situation that will become even more dire, and that people will feel scared and hopeless in this period.”

Aden said AUL would support a federal “dismemberment” bill, referring to a proposed ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure known as&nbsp;<a href="https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/health-encyclopedia/he.dilation-and-evacuation-d-e.tw2462" target="_blank">dilation and evacuation</a>, or D&amp;E. This procedure involves dilating the cervix and removing the contents of the uterus, typically performed beginning around 12 weeks. It would be a way to effectively get a 12- or 15-week ban without calling it that.

Despite its safety and efficacy record, the D&amp;E procedure has been banned in several states, over the objection of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/ban-standard-de-abortion-procedure-unsafe-unwarranted" target="_blank">American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists</a>. It’s part of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/political-rhetoric-about-third-trimester-abortion-misleading-experts-say" target="_blank">old anti-abortion playbook</a>, which under Republican President George W. Bush resulted in a federal ban on another later abortion procedure — dilation and extraction, or D&amp;X — by reframing it as “partial-birth” abortion, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in 2007’s Gonzales v. Carhart decision.

Abortion foes describe D&amp;Es as a gruesome procedure, or as Aden puts it, “tearing 13-week-old humans apart limb from limb.” Anti-abortion doctors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/anti-abortion-researchers-back-riskier-procedures-when-pregnancy-termination-needed-experts" target="_blank">recommend more risky and invasive</a>&nbsp;procedures like C-sections, even when the abortion is medically indicated.

If D&amp;Es are banned, there would be fewer options for later abortions, which are sometimes necessary, said reproductive-health legal expert Rachel Rebouché, dean of Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia. She noted that some of the U.S. Supreme Court justices have indicated support for abortion restrictions for reasons of preserving fetal dignity rather than preserving maternal health.

“That litigation, from the anti-abortion perspective, depends on saying the fetus is a person with rights that attach at a certain point, if not from conception,” Rebouché told States Newsroom. “Dobbs opens the door wide open for those kinds of regulations. … But the question is, is there a role for the federal government to enact a nationwide ban that would curtail the rights of states that have not gone the way of Idaho or Texas or others?”

Aden said that for now AUL will be more focused on the incremental approach to abortion restrictions, as well as calling for expanded child and prenatal tax credits and other social supports.

The attorney, who was 11 when Roe was decided in 1973, is expecting another half-century of litigation over abortion with the hopes that one day the U.S. Constitution gives personhood rights to the unborn, regardless of the stage of that pregnancy. Aden said a so-called Human Life Amendment is likely impossible in the near term, needing approval from two-thirds of both houses of Congress. He said U.S. culture is not there yet.

“It would require a cultural sea change in the way that the majority of Americans view human life in the womb,” Aden said. “That’s our second generational goal. Having won our first generational goal of overturning Roe, we’d love to see the day when every life is welcomed and protected in law. And if that’s through a constitutional amendment, then we’re here for that.”

Abortion foes strategize to get Trump to ban some abortions while keeping his pledge

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting during a burglary have&nbsp;&nbsp;identified the victim as 51-year-old Craig L. Scott of Lee’s Summit, according to a statement from police.

The suspect in the investigation has been identified as 31-year-old Keith J. Marshall of Kansas City, MO.  The defendant was charged on Saturday by Jackson County Prosecutors with 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, 1st Degree Burglary and unlawful use of a weapon; bond was set at $250,000 cash.

Just after 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a disturbance call in the 2100 block of SW Rutherford Drive.  The 911 caller indicated that a man later identified as Scott had been shot inside of the residence.&nbsp; The caller also indicated that the suspect was a person known to them. As officers entered the home, they located Scott who was deceased.  The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival and surrendered himself to Police a few hours later. Detectives are working to also establish the timeline of events that led up to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732418783443.png" alt="Marshall-photo Lee's Summit Police" />
 <figcaption>Marshall-photo Lee's Summit Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting during a burglary have&nbsp;&nbsp;identified the victim as 51-year-old Craig L. Scott of Lee’s Summit, according to a statement from police.The suspect in the investigation has been identified as 31-year-old Keith J. Marshall of Kansas City, MO. The defendant was charged on Saturday by Jackson County Prosecutors with 2nd Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, 1st Degree Burglary and unlawful use of a weapon; bond was set at $250,000 cash.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732419029779.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a disturbance call in the 2100 block of SW Rutherford Drive. The 911 caller indicated that a man later identified as Scott had been shot inside of the residence.&nbsp; The caller also indicated that the suspect was a person known to them. As officers entered the home, they located Scott who was deceased. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival and surrendered himself to Police a few hours later. Detectives are working to also establish the timeline of events that led up to the shooting.

Police ID victim in burglary killing at Kansas City area home

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in hit-and-run incident on Saturday afternoon in Wyandotte County.

According to Kansas City, Kansas police, a woman was walking northbound in the southbound lane crossing the 65th Street Bridge above Interstate 70. A southbound vehicle struck the woman and fled.

EMS transported the woman to an area hospital where she ws pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in hit-and-run incident on Saturday afternoon in Wyandotte County.According to Kansas City, Kansas police, a woman was walking northbound in the southbound lane crossing the 65th Street Bridge above Interstate 70. A southbound vehicle struck the woman and fled.EMS transported the woman to an area hospital where she ws pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Kan. woman dies after hit-and-run while crossing bridge above I-70

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

TOPEKA — After years of fraud, delayed claims and long waits, Kansas’ beleaguered unemployment program has rolled out a new, modernized system.

Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor secretary Amber Shultz announced Friday the launch of the online claim system that has been three years in the making, and more than a decade overdue.&nbsp;

Kelly called it a “complete transformation.”

“Now we’ve unlocked access to a world of new possibilities,” Kelly said. “Modernizing an IT system is about more than just updating old software. It’s about rethinking the entire infrastructure.”

The old system was “slow, inefficient and, frankly, unresponsive, especially when Kansas needed it most,” Kelly told reporters and labor department staff.&nbsp;

Kansas’ aging unemployment system crumbled under the weight of a historic number of unemployment claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars worth were deemed fraudulent.&nbsp;

Officials&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/08/kansas-legislators-clash-with-labor-secretary-over-report-on-unemployment-fraud-identity-theft/">admitted</a>&nbsp;the system should have been updated years ago.

In 2011, former Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration halted efforts to revamp the system. Kelly had planned to upgrade the 1970s-era mainframe system before the pandemic, but the process didn’t begin until June 2022.&nbsp;

Kelly referenced floppy disks, the Beatles and the Vietnam War when characterizing the time in which the system came to be. Roughly 50 years later, transforming the system was like turning a rotary phone into a smartphone, she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732417306272.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor secretary Amber Shultz announce the launch of the state’s new online unemployment system Nov. 22, 2024, at the Statehouse. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor secretary Amber Shultz announce the launch of the state’s new online unemployment system Nov. 22, 2024, at the Statehouse. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — After years of fraud, delayed claims and long waits, Kansas’ beleaguered unemployment program has rolled out a new, modernized system.Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Labor secretary Amber Shultz announced Friday the launch of the online claim system that has been three years in the making, and more than a decade overdue.&nbsp;Kelly called it a “complete transformation.”“Now we’ve unlocked access to a world of new possibilities,” Kelly said. “Modernizing an IT system is about more than just updating old software. It’s about rethinking the entire infrastructure.”The old system was “slow, inefficient and, frankly, unresponsive, especially when Kansas needed it most,” Kelly told reporters and labor department staff.&nbsp;Kansas’ aging unemployment system crumbled under the weight of a historic number of unemployment claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars worth were deemed fraudulent.&nbsp;Officials&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/08/kansas-legislators-clash-with-labor-secretary-over-report-on-unemployment-fraud-identity-theft/">admitted</a>&nbsp;the system should have been updated years ago.In 2011, former Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration halted efforts to revamp the system. Kelly had planned to upgrade the 1970s-era mainframe system before the pandemic, but the process didn’t begin until June 2022.&nbsp;Kelly referenced floppy disks, the Beatles and the Vietnam War when characterizing the time in which the system came to be. Roughly 50 years later, transforming the system was like turning a rotary phone into a smartphone, she said.&nbsp;Kelly said the overhaul cost more than $40 million, but it would have cost about $27 million if done a decade ago. Continued investment in technology is important, Kelly said, “so we never fall behind the mark again.”Shultz, who took over as department secretary in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/16/shultz-formally-takes-reins-of-labor-department-plagued-by-challenges/">2021</a>, became emotional while thanking the labor department staff members. The “dark days” of the pandemic, as Kelly dubbed them, involved death threats and law enforcement protection for labor department staff.&nbsp;“They came into a burning building during the pandemic,” she said.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/27/kansas-labor-department-teams-with-new-federal-office-on-unemployment-modernization/">September 2021</a>&nbsp;state audit found that about 59% of the roughly 1 million unique claims filed during the pandemic were suspected to be fraudulent. That same audit showed the state processed $700 million in fraudulent benefit payments. Half came from federal funds and half from state funds.A backlog of fraudulent claims still exists, Shultz told the Reflector. However, the department believes every case of fraud has been identified.&nbsp;The new system, accessible at&nbsp;<a href="http://kansasui.gov/" target="_blank">KansasUI.gov</a>, was launched earlier this week. Some users encountered hiccups with the system’s multi-factor authentication, a process that is meant to add an extra layer of security, but Shultz said those affected have been contacted.With the new system’s launch, claim filings are at normal levels, Shultz said. Typically, seasonal layoffs bring in about 1,200 initial claims this time of year, while continued claims are at about 7,500. As the new system’s first week comes to a close, volumes remain normal, Shultz said.