NEW YORK (AP) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to keep AM radio in the nation's cars.

A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced the “AM for Every Vehicle Act." The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/am_radio_for_every_vehicle_actpdf.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to keep AM radio in new cars at no additional cost.

The legislation would also require automakers selling cars manufactured before the proposed regulation takes effect to let buyers know if the vehicles don't come with AM radios.

Supporters of preserving AM radio in cars cite public safety concerns. The sponsors of the bill put forth Wednesday note AM radio's historic role in transmitting vital information during emergencies, such as communication during natural disasters, especially to people in rural areas.

“Carmakers shouldn’t tune out AM radio in new vehicles or put it behind a costly digital paywall," Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement. He added that the bill aims to "ensure that this resilient and popular communication tool does not become a relic of the past.”

The proposed legislation comes as more automakers are dropping broadcast AM radio from their newer models. According to Markey's office, eight out of 20 major car companies — including Tesla, BMW and Ford — have removed it from their electric vehicles.

Carmarkers cite interference from electric motors that can cause static and noise on AM transmissions. Some have suggested that internet radio or other communication tools could replace AM radio. But Markey and others have pushed back — pointing to situations where drivers might not have internet access.

“The truth is that broadcast AM radio is irreplaceable,” Markey said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-criticizes-eight-automakers-for-removing-broadcast-am-radio-from-vehicles">in March</a>.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a U.S. group that represents major automakers, criticized the proposed legislation, calling the AM radio mandate unnecessary.

The trade group pointed to FEMA's Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System, which can distribute safety warnings across AM, FM, internet-based and satellite radios — as well as over cellular networks.

“This is simply a bill to prop up and give preference to a particular technology that’s now competing with other communications options and adapting to changing listenership,” the alliance said, while adding that automakers are committed to ensuring drivers have access to public alerts and safety warnings.

The Federal Communications Commission and National Association of Broadcasters, meanwhile, praised the legislation, which is also backed by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., R-N.J., Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., among others.

“Having AM radio available in our cars means we always have access to emergency alerts and key warnings while we are out on the road,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Updating transportation should not mean sacrificing access to what can be life-saving information.”

Wednesday’s proposed legislation would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study whether “an alternative communication system” could replicate and have the same impact that AM radio has for transmitting emergency information.

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wearebroadcasters.com/dependonam/default.asp">National Association of Broadcasters</a>&nbsp;and Nielsen data, more than 80 million people in the U.S. listen to AM radio every month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679583338814.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to keep AM radio in the nation's cars.A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced the “AM for Every Vehicle Act." The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/am_radio_for_every_vehicle_actpdf.pdf">bill</a>&nbsp;calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to keep AM radio in new cars at no additional cost.The legislation would also require automakers selling cars manufactured before the proposed regulation takes effect to let buyers know if the vehicles don't come with AM radios.Supporters of preserving AM radio in cars cite public safety concerns. The sponsors of the bill put forth Wednesday note AM radio's historic role in transmitting vital information during emergencies, such as communication during natural disasters, especially to people in rural areas.“Carmakers shouldn’t tune out AM radio in new vehicles or put it behind a costly digital paywall," Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement. He added that the bill aims to "ensure that this resilient and popular communication tool does not become a relic of the past.”The proposed legislation comes as more automakers are dropping broadcast AM radio from their newer models. According to Markey's office, eight out of 20 major car companies — including Tesla, BMW and Ford — have removed it from their electric vehicles.Carmarkers cite interference from electric motors that can cause static and noise on AM transmissions. Some have suggested that internet radio or other communication tools could replace AM radio. But Markey and others have pushed back — pointing to situations where drivers might not have internet access.“The truth is that broadcast AM radio is irreplaceable,” Markey said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-criticizes-eight-automakers-for-removing-broadcast-am-radio-from-vehicles">in March</a>.The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a U.S. group that represents major automakers, criticized the proposed legislation, calling the AM radio mandate unnecessary.The trade group pointed to FEMA's Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System, which can distribute safety warnings across AM, FM, internet-based and satellite radios — as well as over cellular networks.“This is simply a bill to prop up and give preference to a particular technology that’s now competing with other communications options and adapting to changing listenership,” the alliance said, while adding that automakers are committed to ensuring drivers have access to public alerts and safety warnings.The Federal Communications Commission and National Association of Broadcasters, meanwhile, praised the legislation, which is also backed by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., R-N.J., Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., among others.“Having AM radio available in our cars means we always have access to emergency alerts and key warnings while we are out on the road,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “Updating transportation should not mean sacrificing access to what can be life-saving information.”Wednesday’s proposed legislation would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study whether “an alternative communication system” could replicate and have the same impact that AM radio has for transmitting emergency information.According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wearebroadcasters.com/dependonam/default.asp">National Association of Broadcasters</a>&nbsp;and Nielsen data, more than 80 million people in the U.S. listen to AM radio every month.

Bipartisan bill would require automakers to keep AM radio in new cars

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lawyers seeking to preserve pregnant women's access to a drug used in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">most common method</a>&nbsp;of abortion got pushback Wednesday from appellate judges with a history of supporting abortion restrictions.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-federal-appeals-judges-e53224d29061fadbcd073e500499019c">three-judge panel</a>&nbsp;of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments over whether the Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone should be revoked more than two decades after it was granted. The case is likely to wind up at the Supreme Court, which already intervened to keep the drug available while the legal fight winds through the courts. The high court's decision came after a Texas-based judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoked the drug's approval.</a>

Biden administration attorney Sarah Harrington opened by calling U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's April 7 ruling an “unprecedented and unjustified attack on the FDA's scientific expertise.”

“I hate to cut you off so early, but you said, `unprecendented'," Judge James Ho said, referring to an unrelated case that was argued Tuesday. “We had a challenge to the FDA just yesterday.”

“Yes, but I don't think there's ever been a court that has vacated the FDA's determination that a drug is safe to be on the market. ... It's not a court's role to come in and second-guess that expertise,” Harrington told Ho, who was appointed to the court by former President Donald Trump.

There is no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.

Arguments Wednesday went on for two hours, with Harrington and Jessica Ellsworth, an attorney for Danco Laboratories, telling the panel that the doctors and groups who brought the lawsuit did not have a right to sue because they failed to prove they have been or would be harmed by the approval of mifepristone. Their claims that they would be forced to treat people who suffer complications from mifepristone — perhaps even completing abortions when the drug fails — are “speculative,” Harrington said.

All three judges seemed skeptical of that argument.

“It just strikes me that what the FDA has done in making this more available ... is you’ve made it much more likely that patients are going to go to emergency care or a medical clinic where one of these doctors is a member,” said Judge Cory Wilson, another Trump appointee.

Harrington disputed that, saying mifepristone is extremely safe, rarely results in complications, and that doctors could cite their conscience and refuse to participate in procedures.

But Erin Hawley, an attorney arguing for the anti-mifepristone plaintiffs, insisted that doctors opposed to abortion can be forced to violate their consciences if they are called upon to remove fetuses from the wombs of women who have had an incomplete medical abortion.

“They allege that they feel complicit in an elective abortion by being forced to complete that procedure,” she said in answer to questions from Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, an appointee of President George W. Bush.

The case comes to the appeals court almost a year after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;ruling that had established abortion rights. Fourteen states have since banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy and other states have adopted, or are debating,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-veto-override-north-carolina-4282913637b499490494dd3e3cce3478">major restrictions</a>.

Ho twice referred an “FDA can do no wrong” theme in the pro-mifepristone arguments.

“We are allowed to look at the FDA just like we're allowed to look at any agency. That's the role of the courts,” Ho told Ellsworth, who went on to say that the FDA has approved drugs later found to have safety problems.

The third judge hearing the case was Jennifer Walker Elrod, a George W. Bush nominee.

Abortion opponents sued in November in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk</a>, a Trump nominee, presides. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pill-appeal-fe13d36218f1fb43590aff29b5ba4e9c">appellate panel</a>&nbsp;voted 2-1 to narrow, but not completely block, Kacsmaryk's ruling.

The panel's April 13 decision said the abortion opponents appeared to be barred by time limits from challenging the initial 2000 approval. But the panel said adjustments made in later years — among them allowing the drug to be sent via mail and administered without a physician present — could still be revoked.

Wednesday's hearing also dealt with the time limit issue, and whether the FDA's later-year changes reset the clock and made full approval ripe for review.

“Is every time the FDA going to relax some prior restriction, requirement or safeguard based on a history of performance, does that mean we're here on a reopening issue? I mean, how do you draw that line?” Wilson asked Hawley.

“Absolutely not, your honor,” she replied.

Other mifepristone rules that have changed since the drug's initial approval include extending the time it can be used from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy, and reducing the dosage needed to safely end a pregnancy.

Mifepristone is one of two pills used in medication abortions, along with misoprostol. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680967457500.png" alt="The closely watched case is likely to wind up at the Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">already intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug, mifepristone, available while the legal fight winds through the courts-photo AP" />
 <figcaption>The closely watched case is likely to wind up at the Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-pill-mifepristone-access-f781488016640bf571faf36096339ea4">already intervened</a>&nbsp;to keep the drug, mifepristone, available while the legal fight winds through the courts-photo AP</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lawyers seeking to preserve pregnant women's access to a drug used in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-medication-abortion-works-f913375ec6f8ebcb1f1055e57a3aef63">most common method</a>&nbsp;of abortion got pushback Wednesday from appellate judges with a history of supporting abortion restrictions.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-mifepristone-federal-appeals-judges-e53224d29061fadbcd073e500499019c">three-judge panel</a>&nbsp;of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments over whether the Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone should be revoked more than two decades after it was granted. The case is likely to wind up at the Supreme Court, which already intervened to keep the drug available while the legal fight winds through the courts. The high court's decision came after a Texas-based judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone-misoprostol-kacsmaryk-74cb1c4cfab2c04f6cf2696151bc86ef">revoked the drug's approval.</a>Biden administration attorney Sarah Harrington opened by calling U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's April 7 ruling an “unprecedented and unjustified attack on the FDA's scientific expertise.”“I hate to cut you off so early, but you said, `unprecendented'," Judge James Ho said, referring to an unrelated case that was argued Tuesday. “We had a challenge to the FDA just yesterday.”“Yes, but I don't think there's ever been a court that has vacated the FDA's determination that a drug is safe to be on the market. ... It's not a court's role to come in and second-guess that expertise,” Harrington told Ho, who was appointed to the court by former President Donald Trump.There is no precedent for a U.S. court overturning the approval of a drug that the FDA has deemed safe and effective. While new drug safety issues often emerge after FDA approval, the agency is required to monitor medicines on the market, evaluate emerging issues and take action to protect U.S. patients. Congress delegated that responsibility to the FDA — not the courts— more than a century ago.Arguments Wednesday went on for two hours, with Harrington and Jessica Ellsworth, an attorney for Danco Laboratories, telling the panel that the doctors and groups who brought the lawsuit did not have a right to sue because they failed to prove they have been or would be harmed by the approval of mifepristone. Their claims that they would be forced to treat people who suffer complications from mifepristone — perhaps even completing abortions when the drug fails — are “speculative,” Harrington said.All three judges seemed skeptical of that argument.“It just strikes me that what the FDA has done in making this more available ... is you’ve made it much more likely that patients are going to go to emergency care or a medical clinic where one of these doctors is a member,” said Judge Cory Wilson, another Trump appointee.Harrington disputed that, saying mifepristone is extremely safe, rarely results in complications, and that doctors could cite their conscience and refuse to participate in procedures.But Erin Hawley, an attorney arguing for the anti-mifepristone plaintiffs, insisted that doctors opposed to abortion can be forced to violate their consciences if they are called upon to remove fetuses from the wombs of women who have had an incomplete medical abortion.“They allege that they feel complicit in an elective abortion by being forced to complete that procedure,” she said in answer to questions from Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, an appointee of President George W. Bush.The case comes to the appeals court almost a year after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;ruling that had established abortion rights. Fourteen states have since banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy and other states have adopted, or are debating,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-veto-override-north-carolina-4282913637b499490494dd3e3cce3478">major restrictions</a>.Ho twice referred an “FDA can do no wrong” theme in the pro-mifepristone arguments.“We are allowed to look at the FDA just like we're allowed to look at any agency. That's the role of the courts,” Ho told Ellsworth, who went on to say that the FDA has approved drugs later found to have safety problems.The third judge hearing the case was Jennifer Walker Elrod, a George W. Bush nominee.Abortion opponents sued in November in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-judge-matthew-kacsmaryk-abortion-pill-fda-75964b777ef09593a1ad948c6cfc0237">Kacsmaryk</a>, a Trump nominee, presides. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-abortion-pill-appeal-fe13d36218f1fb43590aff29b5ba4e9c">appellate panel</a>&nbsp;voted 2-1 to narrow, but not completely block, Kacsmaryk's ruling.The panel's April 13 decision said the abortion opponents appeared to be barred by time limits from challenging the initial 2000 approval. But the panel said adjustments made in later years — among them allowing the drug to be sent via mail and administered without a physician present — could still be revoked.Wednesday's hearing also dealt with the time limit issue, and whether the FDA's later-year changes reset the clock and made full approval ripe for review.“Is every time the FDA going to relax some prior restriction, requirement or safeguard based on a history of performance, does that mean we're here on a reopening issue? I mean, how do you draw that line?” Wilson asked Hawley.“Absolutely not, your honor,” she replied.Other mifepristone rules that have changed since the drug's initial approval include extending the time it can be used from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy, and reducing the dosage needed to safely end a pregnancy.Mifepristone is one of two pills used in medication abortions, along with misoprostol. Health care providers have said they could switch to misoprostol if mifepristone is no longer available or is too hard to obtain. Misoprostol is somewhat less effective in ending pregnancies.

Abortion pill battle on track for Supreme Court

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pipeline design issues, lapses by its operators and problems caused during its construction led to a massive oil spill on the Keystone pipeline system in northeastern Kansas, according to a report for U.S. government regulators.

An engineering consulting firm said in the report that the bend in the Keystone system where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-canada-kansas-34d8391337583fc242407141d24d66c2">the December 2022 spill</a>&nbsp;occurred had been “overstressed” since its installation in December 2010 — likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration posted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2023-05/MP14-Confidential-RCFA-FINAL-April-21-2023-Redacted.pdf">a redacted copy of the report</a>&nbsp;online Monday, about three weeks after it was completed by RSI Pipeline Solutions, based in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

The report raised questions about Canada-based TC Energy's oversight of the manufacturing of its pipeline, saying the report's authors could find no record of a pre-installation inspection of the welds on the pipeline bend in Washington County, Kansas. The report concluded that TC Energy underestimated the risks associated with the bend going from its round shape when installed to a more-restricted oval shape within two years and didn't replace the bend after excavating it in 2013.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/keystone-pipeline-oil-spill-kansas-a4169205b37e6774e5f5206a95b730db">The company said in February</a>&nbsp;that a faulty weld in the bend caused a crack that grew over time under stress. The spill dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil — each one enough to fill a standard household bathtub — into a creek running through a rural pasture about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. It was the largest onshore spill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-kansas-us-environmental-protection-agency-eda391fc0924b34a08ff840615a7bc58">in nearly nine years.</a>

“When you have a pipeline that is spilling and having as many problems as Keystone One, it is clearly a red flag that there are bigger issues going on," said Jane Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that helped fight off TC Energy's plan to build a second pipeline, the Keystone XL.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has documented 22 leaks along the Keystone pipeline since it was built in 2010. The one in Washington County was by far the largest.

“At what point, does the federal government ... step in and say this has reached a point where we need to shut the full line down to do a full review of the pipeline?" Kleeb said.

The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois. Concerns that spills could pollute waterways ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">scuttled TC Energy's plans</a>&nbsp;to build the Keystone XL across 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) of Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

In Kansas, no one was evacuated because of the December spill. State and U.S. government officials have said it didn't affect two rivers and a lake downstream from the creek.

In response to a request Tuesday for comment, TC Energy pointed to a statement it issued when the report was finished in April but not public. In it, Richard Prior, president of TC Energy's Liquids Pipeline operations, said the company was confident in the pipeline's reliability.

TC Energy has said the cleanup will cost the company $480 million, and it announced last week that it had finished recovering oil from the creek.

Prior said last month: “We are unwavering in our commitment to fully remediate the site.”

But Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust watchdog group, said that with the history of problems along the Keystone pipeline, the public has plenty of reasons to doubt its safety.

“I would certainly like to see PHMSA come up with a plan to work with TC Energy to develop a plan so that the public can be ensured that TC Energy will be able to operate this pipeline safely going forward. I don’t think the public has that kind of trust in this pipeline right now,” Caram said.

Richard Kuprewicz, who has five decades of experience in the pipeline industry and consults with governments about them, said problems like this flawed weld need to be found during construction but TC Energy clearly missed it amid the pressure to get the multibillion-dollar project built quickly.

“It looks like the quality control got out of hand at least in this segment. I can’t say for the whole line,” said Kuprewicz, who is president of Washington-based Accufacts Inc.

The consultants' report said the pipeline rupture and oil spill occurred only days after TC Energy began testing for increasing the pressure in the Keystone system, though the Kansas section was operating about 16% below the top pressure allowed by U.S. government regulators. At the same time, the company was running a device through the pipeline to look for potential leaks.

Pipeline valves were left open so that the leak-testing tool could pass through the pipeline, the report said, and that could have contributed to the size of the spill.

The report said a March 2021 engineering assessment of Keystone's pipeline from southern Nebraska to northern Oklahoma showed five bends, including Washington County's, had the same oval “deformation.”

The report noted that the industry generally does not see so-called “ovalities” as a threat, so the “obvious” focus in Washington County in 2012 and 2013 when that abnormality was found there was ensuring that a leak-detecting tool still could pass through the bend.

“Yet this focus may have caused the Pipe Integrity team and senior management to overlook a potential concern of added stress on the elbow and its possible impact on future integrity,” the report said.

The report added that 108 other pipe fittings manufactured for the Keystone system in 2010 could have “imperfections” similar to those in the Washington County bend. All of them were replacements for other fittings found to be deficient.

Because other bends made on the same day had weld flaws that were repaired, the report found it “plausible” that the Washington County bend also had flaws "repaired but not recorded.”

The lack of an inspection report means that, at a minimum, record-keeping procedures were not followed and, at worst, the report said, “The weld inspections were never performed.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673362197220.png" alt="The report raised questions about Canada-based TC Energy's oversight of the manufacturing of its pipeline -photo TC Energy" />
 <figcaption>The report raised questions about Canada-based TC Energy's oversight of the manufacturing of its pipeline -photo TC Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and JOSH FUNK&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pipeline design issues, lapses by its operators and problems caused during its construction led to a massive oil spill on the Keystone pipeline system in northeastern Kansas, according to a report for U.S. government regulators.An engineering consulting firm said in the report that the bend in the Keystone system where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-canada-kansas-34d8391337583fc242407141d24d66c2">the December 2022 spill</a>&nbsp;occurred had been “overstressed” since its installation in December 2010 — likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration posted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2023-05/MP14-Confidential-RCFA-FINAL-April-21-2023-Redacted.pdf">a redacted copy of the report</a>&nbsp;online Monday, about three weeks after it was completed by RSI Pipeline Solutions, based in the Columbus, Ohio, area.The report raised questions about Canada-based TC Energy's oversight of the manufacturing of its pipeline, saying the report's authors could find no record of a pre-installation inspection of the welds on the pipeline bend in Washington County, Kansas. The report concluded that TC Energy underestimated the risks associated with the bend going from its round shape when installed to a more-restricted oval shape within two years and didn't replace the bend after excavating it in 2013.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/keystone-pipeline-oil-spill-kansas-a4169205b37e6774e5f5206a95b730db">The company said in February</a>&nbsp;that a faulty weld in the bend caused a crack that grew over time under stress. The spill dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil — each one enough to fill a standard household bathtub — into a creek running through a rural pasture about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. It was the largest onshore spill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oil-spills-business-texas-kansas-us-environmental-protection-agency-eda391fc0924b34a08ff840615a7bc58">in nearly nine years.</a>“When you have a pipeline that is spilling and having as many problems as Keystone One, it is clearly a red flag that there are bigger issues going on," said Jane Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that helped fight off TC Energy's plan to build a second pipeline, the Keystone XL.The U.S. Department of Transportation has documented 22 leaks along the Keystone pipeline since it was built in 2010. The one in Washington County was by far the largest.“At what point, does the federal government ... step in and say this has reached a point where we need to shut the full line down to do a full review of the pipeline?" Kleeb said.The 2,700-mile (4,345-kilometer) Keystone system carries heavy crude oil extracted in western Canada to the Gulf Coast and to central Illinois. Concerns that spills could pollute waterways ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">scuttled TC Energy's plans</a>&nbsp;to build the Keystone XL across 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) of Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.In Kansas, no one was evacuated because of the December spill. State and U.S. government officials have said it didn't affect two rivers and a lake downstream from the creek.In response to a request Tuesday for comment, TC Energy pointed to a statement it issued when the report was finished in April but not public. In it, Richard Prior, president of TC Energy's Liquids Pipeline operations, said the company was confident in the pipeline's reliability.TC Energy has said the cleanup will cost the company $480 million, and it announced last week that it had finished recovering oil from the creek.Prior said last month: “We are unwavering in our commitment to fully remediate the site.”But Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust watchdog group, said that with the history of problems along the Keystone pipeline, the public has plenty of reasons to doubt its safety.“I would certainly like to see PHMSA come up with a plan to work with TC Energy to develop a plan so that the public can be ensured that TC Energy will be able to operate this pipeline safely going forward. I don’t think the public has that kind of trust in this pipeline right now,” Caram said.Richard Kuprewicz, who has five decades of experience in the pipeline industry and consults with governments about them, said problems like this flawed weld need to be found during construction but TC Energy clearly missed it amid the pressure to get the multibillion-dollar project built quickly.“It looks like the quality control got out of hand at least in this segment. I can’t say for the whole line,” said Kuprewicz, who is president of Washington-based Accufacts Inc.The consultants' report said the pipeline rupture and oil spill occurred only days after TC Energy began testing for increasing the pressure in the Keystone system, though the Kansas section was operating about 16% below the top pressure allowed by U.S. government regulators. At the same time, the company was running a device through the pipeline to look for potential leaks.Pipeline valves were left open so that the leak-testing tool could pass through the pipeline, the report said, and that could have contributed to the size of the spill.The report said a March 2021 engineering assessment of Keystone's pipeline from southern Nebraska to northern Oklahoma showed five bends, including Washington County's, had the same oval “deformation.”The report noted that the industry generally does not see so-called “ovalities” as a threat, so the “obvious” focus in Washington County in 2012 and 2013 when that abnormality was found there was ensuring that a leak-detecting tool still could pass through the bend.“Yet this focus may have caused the Pipe Integrity team and senior management to overlook a potential concern of added stress on the elbow and its possible impact on future integrity,” the report said.The report added that 108 other pipe fittings manufactured for the Keystone system in 2010 could have “imperfections” similar to those in the Washington County bend. All of them were replacements for other fittings found to be deficient.Because other bends made on the same day had weld flaws that were repaired, the report found it “plausible” that the Washington County bend also had flaws "repaired but not recorded.”The lack of an inspection report means that, at a minimum, record-keeping procedures were not followed and, at worst, the report said, “The weld inspections were never performed.”

Consultants: Design issues, operations lapses led to big Kansas oil spill

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a shooting near a bar early on Mother's Day that sent a victim to the hospital.

Just after 2a.m. May 14,&nbsp; Shawnee County Dispatch received multiple calls of gunshots in the area of Victoria’s Bar, 5011 SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 Shortly after those calls to law enforcement, a man arrived at a business in the 4500 Block of SW Topeka Boulevard suffering from gunshot wounds to the torso and head. The 35-year-old male victim was transported by AMR to Stormont Vail Hospital in critical condition.

A preliminary investigation at the scene indicated there were multiple shooting suspects with over 75 shell casings recovered in the parking lot of the business.&nbsp;The victim has been released from the hospital and is recovering, according to Christian.

On Wednesday, the sheriff's office reported four arrests. Leon D. Smith-Love I., 28, of Topeka, is being held for aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal discharge of a firearm.

Kathryn R. Hazelwood, 26, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Charles D. Wheat, 42, of Topeka, is in custody on requested charges of&nbsp; aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm.

Jason M. Blenden Sr., 49, of Topeka, was booked in on an arrest warrant and could face additional charges.

On Thursday the sheriff's office reported the arrest of Storm M. Morgan, 30, of Meriden, on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm.

Shawn M. Ray, 39, of Topeka, is in custody on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684358381569.png" alt="Blenden-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Blenden-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a shooting near a bar early on Mother's Day that sent a victim to the hospital.Just after 2a.m. May 14,&nbsp; Shawnee County Dispatch received multiple calls of gunshots in the area of Victoria’s Bar, 5011 SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. Shortly after those calls to law enforcement, a man arrived at a business in the 4500 Block of SW Topeka Boulevard suffering from gunshot wounds to the torso and head. The 35-year-old male victim was transported by AMR to Stormont Vail Hospital in critical condition.A preliminary investigation at the scene indicated there were multiple shooting suspects with over 75 shell casings recovered in the parking lot of the business.&nbsp;The victim has been released from the hospital and is recovering, according to Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684358461475.png" alt="Smith-Love-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith-Love-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, the sheriff's office reported four arrests. Leon D. Smith-Love I., 28, of Topeka, is being held for aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal discharge of a firearm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684358501058.png" alt="Hazelwood-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hazelwood-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kathryn R. Hazelwood, 26, of Topeka is being held on requested charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684358303852.png" alt="Wheat-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wheat-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Charles D. Wheat, 42, of Topeka, is in custody on requested charges of&nbsp; aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm.Jason M. Blenden Sr., 49, of Topeka, was booked in on an arrest warrant and could face additional charges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684428008780.png" alt="Morgan-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Morgan-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Thursday the sheriff's office reported the arrest of Storm M. Morgan, 30, of Meriden, on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684428093932.png" alt="Ray-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ray-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawn M. Ray, 39, of Topeka, is in custody on requested charges of criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement.

6 jailed in connection with Mother's Day gunfight at Kansas bar

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling over 422,000 SUVs in the U.S. because the image from the rear camera may not be displayed.

The recall covers certain Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators from the 2020 through 2023 model years, as well as 2020 through 2022 Lincoln Corsairs. All have 360-degree cameras.

Some of the vehicles were recalled for the same problem earlier this year, but the remedy didn't work.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that the lack of a rear camera image can cut visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford says it's working with parts suppliers to identify the cause and develop a repair. Vehicles that were fixed under a January recall will have to be repaired again.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling over 422,000 SUVs in the U.S. because the image from the rear camera may not be displayed.The recall covers certain Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators from the 2020 through 2023 model years, as well as 2020 through 2022 Lincoln Corsairs. All have 360-degree cameras.Some of the vehicles were recalled for the same problem earlier this year, but the remedy didn't work.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that the lack of a rear camera image can cut visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.Ford says it's working with parts suppliers to identify the cause and develop a repair. Vehicles that were fixed under a January recall will have to be repaired again.

Ford recalls SUVs, some for a second time, to fix rear camera display

KU, K-State, WSU seeking 5% increases to confront inflation, raise salaries

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The state’s six public universities recommended Wednesday the Kansas Board of Regents authorize tuition increases ranging from 5% to 7% in the upcoming school year to counter inflationary pressure and limited success with requests for new funding from the Legislature.

Two-thirds of these institutions — Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Emporia State University and Pittsburg State University — requested a 5% boost in tuition assessed resident and nonresident undergraduate and graduate students. Wichita State University proposed a 5.9% hike for students, while Fort Hays State University opted for a 7% increase.

The last systemwide surge in tuition at these state-supported universities occurred in 2019. Those pre-COVID-19 adjustments ranged from 1.1% to 2.8%. KU didn’t amend tuition rates during the past four years, Board of Regents documents show, but each of the five other universities implemented one tuition increase in those intervening years ranging from 1.2% to 3.8%.

The Legislature, concerned about affordability of a public education, for several years appropriated millions of dollars to replace revenue the universities otherwise could have been acquired through tuition adjustments. The 2023 Legislature declined to allocate about $25 million sought by the Board of Regents to address inflation, which theoretically could have been used to moderate tuition increases.

Blake Flanders, president and chief executive officer of the Board of Regents, said the nine-member board would take final action on the 2023-2024 proposals in June.

“I know the universities have had significant pressure due to inflation in almost every commodity across the board, including high inflation in utilities,” he said. “The number one priority for the board has been affordability in terms of our tuition.”

Here are the per-semester, full-time undergraduate student tuition amounts assuming the Board of Regents approved requested increases: KU, $5,298, up $252; KSU, $4,981, up $237; WSU, $3,623, up $201; PSU, $3,064, up $146; ESU, $2,770, up $131; and FHSU, $2,218, up $145.

Board of Regents member Carl Ice, a graduate of K-State and appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, said the state universities might have raised tuition in the 2022-2023 academic year had the Legislature not issued a directive blocking blocking increases.

If the Board of Regents rejected the latest tuition recommendations, Ice said, each university would have to retool their budgets to account for the collective loss of approximately $25 million that would have been generated through alteration of the rates.

“It’s a big deal. We’re talking about millions and millions of additional dollars,” said Wint Winter, a Lawrence member of the Board of Regents appointed by Kelly and a graduate of KU.

Winter said the decline in the college-age population left U.S. universities with the choice of coping by slashing expenditures or engaging in aggressive programs to recruit students. It mattered how students, donors, legislators and the governor viewed the tuition issue, he said. There were signs each of those constituencies had a shared interest in pushing against enrollment trends and striving to make the six state universities better, he said.

“In my view,” Winter said, “students, the governor and Legislature, donors all are sending signals that the evidence is they support a more aggressive approach.”

Bella Price, student body president at Emporia State, said the 5% increase sought by the ESU administration was reasonable given that some students were supportive of a 6% hike.

“We didn’t want to put too much pressure on students,” Price said.

ESU officials said the 5% increase in tuition would generate nearly $1 million, but that had to be considered in light of a projected 5% enrollment decline that would eat into tuition revenue during the upcoming school year. In fact, Board of Regents documents indicated ESU anticipated collecting $3 million less in tuition next academic year than it did in the current academic year.

K-State president Richard Linton and KU chancellor Doug Girod said fundamental operating costs had increased along with consumer inflation. The public universities in Kansas required additional resources to deal with those costs and to meet needs of recruiting and retaining personnel, Linton said.

Linton said a 5% increase would leave K-State among the most affordable land-grant universities in the country. Girod said the 5% adjustment would place KU in the middle of the pack in terms of tuition at public universities in the Big 12 Conference.

Girod said inflation during the past five years climbed 20%, but KU endured that reality without tuition increases, in part, due to decisions that cut about $40 million from the budget.

“We’ve just kind of eaten it to try and maintain affordability,” Girod said. “We’re just kind of at a point where we need to meet inflationary expenses.”

Doug Ball, chief financial officer and vice president for administration at Pittsburg State, said the university would combine a 5% increase in tuition with approximately $2 million in budget cuts or reallocations.

He said a 9% increase would be required to cover shortfalls tied to inflation and compensation. If the university’s 2.5% tuition increase in 2021 were combined with the proposed 5% in 2023, he said, the average over the five-year period would be a modest 1.5%

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Blake-Flanders-contemplative-1024x768.jpg" alt="Kansas Board of Regents president Blake Flanders says proposed tuition increases of 5% to 7% at the six public universities in the system were a response to inflationary pressures and the need to improve compensation of faculty. The previous across-the-board tuition increase at Board of Regents universities was in 2019. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Board of Regents president Blake Flanders says proposed tuition increases of 5% to 7% at the six public universities in the system were a response to inflationary pressures and the need to improve compensation of faculty. The previous across-the-board tuition increase at Board of Regents universities was in 2019. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KU, K-State, WSU seeking 5% increases to confront inflation, raise salaries</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The state’s six public universities recommended Wednesday the Kansas Board of Regents authorize tuition increases ranging from 5% to 7% in the upcoming school year to counter inflationary pressure and limited success with requests for new funding from the Legislature.Two-thirds of these institutions — Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Emporia State University and Pittsburg State University — requested a 5% boost in tuition assessed resident and nonresident undergraduate and graduate students. Wichita State University proposed a 5.9% hike for students, while Fort Hays State University opted for a 7% increase.The last systemwide surge in tuition at these state-supported universities occurred in 2019. Those pre-COVID-19 adjustments ranged from 1.1% to 2.8%. KU didn’t amend tuition rates during the past four years, Board of Regents documents show, but each of the five other universities implemented one tuition increase in those intervening years ranging from 1.2% to 3.8%.The Legislature, concerned about affordability of a public education, for several years appropriated millions of dollars to replace revenue the universities otherwise could have been acquired through tuition adjustments. The 2023 Legislature declined to allocate about $25 million sought by the Board of Regents to address inflation, which theoretically could have been used to moderate tuition increases.Blake Flanders, president and chief executive officer of the Board of Regents, said the nine-member board would take final action on the 2023-2024 proposals in June.“I know the universities have had significant pressure due to inflation in almost every commodity across the board, including high inflation in utilities,” he said. “The number one priority for the board has been affordability in terms of our tuition.”Here are the per-semester, full-time undergraduate student tuition amounts assuming the Board of Regents approved requested increases: KU, $5,298, up $252; KSU, $4,981, up $237; WSU, $3,623, up $201; PSU, $3,064, up $146; ESU, $2,770, up $131; and FHSU, $2,218, up $145.<h2>Ice, Winter thoughts</h2>Board of Regents member Carl Ice, a graduate of K-State and appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, said the state universities might have raised tuition in the 2022-2023 academic year had the Legislature not issued a directive blocking blocking increases.If the Board of Regents rejected the latest tuition recommendations, Ice said, each university would have to retool their budgets to account for the collective loss of approximately $25 million that would have been generated through alteration of the rates.“It’s a big deal. We’re talking about millions and millions of additional dollars,” said Wint Winter, a Lawrence member of the Board of Regents appointed by Kelly and a graduate of KU.Winter said the decline in the college-age population left U.S. universities with the choice of coping by slashing expenditures or engaging in aggressive programs to recruit students. It mattered how students, donors, legislators and the governor viewed the tuition issue, he said. There were signs each of those constituencies had a shared interest in pushing against enrollment trends and striving to make the six state universities better, he said.“In my view,” Winter said, “students, the governor and Legislature, donors all are sending signals that the evidence is they support a more aggressive approach.”Bella Price, student body president at Emporia State, said the 5% increase sought by the ESU administration was reasonable given that some students were supportive of a 6% hike.“We didn’t want to put too much pressure on students,” Price said.ESU officials said the 5% increase in tuition would generate nearly $1 million, but that had to be considered in light of a projected 5% enrollment decline that would eat into tuition revenue during the upcoming school year. In fact, Board of Regents documents indicated ESU anticipated collecting $3 million less in tuition next academic year than it did in the current academic year.<h2>Linton, Girod weigh in</h2>K-State president Richard Linton and KU chancellor Doug Girod said fundamental operating costs had increased along with consumer inflation. The public universities in Kansas required additional resources to deal with those costs and to meet needs of recruiting and retaining personnel, Linton said.Linton said a 5% increase would leave K-State among the most affordable land-grant universities in the country. Girod said the 5% adjustment would place KU in the middle of the pack in terms of tuition at public universities in the Big 12 Conference.Girod said inflation during the past five years climbed 20%, but KU endured that reality without tuition increases, in part, due to decisions that cut about $40 million from the budget.“We’ve just kind of eaten it to try and maintain affordability,” Girod said. “We’re just kind of at a point where we need to meet inflationary expenses.”Doug Ball, chief financial officer and vice president for administration at Pittsburg State, said the university would combine a 5% increase in tuition with approximately $2 million in budget cuts or reallocations.He said a 9% increase would be required to cover shortfalls tied to inflation and compensation. If the university’s 2.5% tuition increase in 2021 were combined with the proposed 5% in 2023, he said, the average over the five-year period would be a modest 1.5%

Kansas Regents contemplate 5% to 7% tuition hikes at public state universities

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a suspect on multiple charges after a reported robbery.

Just before 10p.m. Sunday, a man walked into&nbsp;the Walgreens at 333 W. 13th Street N in Wichita and told the clerk to put the money in a bag and no one would get hurt, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

The suspect left with over $800 in cash. Officers arrived on the scene and watched surveillance video of the robbery. An officer from Patrol North was able to identify the suspect as 20-year-old Michael Heath from his experience and being in tune with the citizens on his beat. 

The investigation resulted in police issuing a felony pick up for the arrest of Heath for aggravated robbery. 

On Monday, a Patrol North Officer was actively patrolling the area of 700 N. Broadway and observed Heath walking down the street. The officer was aware of the felony pick up and arrested him. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=252291">He is being held on</a> requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and drug possession, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684286154431.png" alt="Heath-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Heath-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp; a suspect on multiple charges after a reported robbery.Just before 10p.m. Sunday, a man walked into&nbsp;the Walgreens at 333 W. 13th Street N in Wichita and told the clerk to put the money in a bag and no one would get hurt, according to Officer Chad Ditch.The suspect left with over $800 in cash. Officers arrived on the scene and watched surveillance video of the robbery. An officer from Patrol North was able to identify the suspect as 20-year-old Michael Heath from his experience and being in tune with the citizens on his beat. The investigation resulted in police issuing a felony pick up for the arrest of Heath for aggravated robbery. On Monday, a Patrol North Officer was actively patrolling the area of 700 N. Broadway and observed Heath walking down the street. The officer was aware of the felony pick up and arrested him. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=252291">He is being held on</a> requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and drug possession, according to online jail records.

Armed robbery: Kan. man took $800 cash from Walgreens

WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the U.S Senate passed a bipartisan measure authored by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to nullify the Biden Administration’s public charge rule that lowers the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) citizenship standards for legal immigrants.

This rule reduces the types of taxpayer-funded federal benefits – such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid – that DHS can consider when determining whether to grant admission or lawful permanent residence to green card applicants. The final vote was 50-47.

Passage of Senator Marshall’s resolution&nbsp;comes just after he led a group of Senators to Brownsville, Texas for an eyewitness account of the crisis at the southern border. The visit came just hours before the lifting of Title 42 last Thursday evening.&nbsp;In the build up to Title 42 ending, border patrol agents in the Brownsville sector reported over 11,000 illegal crossings in the local area. On the frontlines in Brownsville, American military patrol the area, and barbed wire lines are cut on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River. Camps of migrants line the opposite side of the Rio Grande, waiting for their chance to escape into our country. Striking down Joe Biden’s public charge rule sends a clear message to this Administration and migrants - legal or illegal - that potential new citizens need to be exceptional. They cannot come to America’s front door expecting a handout

“Joe Biden has a communication problem. His open borders agenda tells the world that the United States stands ready to take everybody in with open arms. But this is totally detached from reality,”&nbsp;Senator Marshall said.&nbsp;“As I saw in Brownsville last week, the United States of America does not have the capacity or resources to care for the thousands of migrants clamoring to be here. This is nothing new- our country has dealt with huge crowds of migrants at the southern border since the earliest days of the Biden Administration. But these crowds are coming because the Biden Administration keeps making promises to both legal and illegal immigrants about what they are entitled to in America. The public charge rules we just struck down in the Senate represent one of those promises. Our actions today deliver a resounding statement of truth to Joe Biden and anybody who wants to try and call our country home: we only reward the best and brightest and there is no room for freeloaders.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684377563439.png" alt="Marshall at the Texas-Mexico border last week-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Marshall at the Texas-Mexico border last week-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —On Wednesday, the U.S Senate passed a bipartisan measure authored by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall to nullify the Biden Administration’s public charge rule that lowers the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) citizenship standards for legal immigrants.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JAw7o3fSGn8?start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>This rule reduces the types of taxpayer-funded federal benefits – such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid – that DHS can consider when determining whether to grant admission or lawful permanent residence to green card applicants. The final vote was 50-47.Passage of Senator Marshall’s resolution&nbsp;comes just after he led a group of Senators to Brownsville, Texas for an eyewitness account of the crisis at the southern border. The visit came just hours before the lifting of Title 42 last Thursday evening.&nbsp;In the build up to Title 42 ending, border patrol agents in the Brownsville sector reported over 11,000 illegal crossings in the local area. On the frontlines in Brownsville, American military patrol the area, and barbed wire lines are cut on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River. Camps of migrants line the opposite side of the Rio Grande, waiting for their chance to escape into our country. Striking down Joe Biden’s public charge rule sends a clear message to this Administration and migrants - legal or illegal - that potential new citizens need to be exceptional. They cannot come to America’s front door expecting a handout“Joe Biden has a communication problem. His open borders agenda tells the world that the United States stands ready to take everybody in with open arms. But this is totally detached from reality,”&nbsp;Senator Marshall said.&nbsp;“As I saw in Brownsville last week, the United States of America does not have the capacity or resources to care for the thousands of migrants clamoring to be here. This is nothing new- our country has dealt with huge crowds of migrants at the southern border since the earliest days of the Biden Administration. But these crowds are coming because the Biden Administration keeps making promises to both legal and illegal immigrants about what they are entitled to in America. The public charge rules we just struck down in the Senate represent one of those promises. Our actions today deliver a resounding statement of truth to Joe Biden and anybody who wants to try and call our country home: we only reward the best and brightest and there is no room for freeloaders.”

🎥 Senate OKs Marshall's bill on high standards for American citizenship

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that's more sweeping than any other state's attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company.

The measure, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-ceo-congressional-hearing-bytedance-china-44d948c5b0ba18e2a714e0fa62d52779">TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned.</a>&nbsp;Cybersecurity experts say it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-china-data-chinese-government-71143a3a87c9a0b692d927f72b6fec70">could be difficult to enforce the ban</a>.

“Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said in a statement.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter argued that the law infringes on people’s First Amendment rights and is unlawful. She declined to say whether the company will file a lawsuit.

“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” Oberwetter said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties of Montana and NetChoice, a trade group that counts Google and TikTok as its members, also called the law unconstitutional. Keegan Medrano, policy director for the ACLU of Montana, said the Legislature “trampled on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information and run their small business, in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment.”

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned the video-sharing app, owned by ByteDance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens</a>&nbsp;or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-hearing-bytedance-china-biden-ceo-a92f048762d6657f291affb7a0ce6386">TikTok says none of this has ever happened</a>.

A former executive at ByteDance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-government-data-bytedance-23233034319c2e1f84c384e5e8dc489c">alleges the tech giant has served as a “propaganda tool”</a>&nbsp;for the Chinese government, a claim ByteDance says is baseless.

When Montana banned the app on government-owned devices in late December, Gianforte said TikTok posed a “significant risk” to sensitive state data.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">More than half of U.S. states and the federal government</a>&nbsp;have a similar ban.

On Wednesday, Gianforte also announced he was prohibiting the use of all social media applications tied to foreign adversaries on state equipment and for state businesses in Montana effective on June 1. Among the apps he listed are WeChat, whose parent company is headquartered in China; and Telegram Messenger, which was founded in Russia.

The legislation, drafted by the attorney general’s office, easily passed through Montana’s GOP-controlled Legislature.

Gianforte&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-bytedance-b735350b367c3f3a0076eaf1267dab18">had wanted to expand the TikTok bill</a>&nbsp;to include apps tied to foreign adversaries, but lawmakers did not send him the bill until after the session ended this month, preventing him from offering any amendments.

Montana's new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state and would fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.

Opponents say Montana residents could easily circumvent the ban by using a virtual private network, a service that shields internet users by encrypting their data traffic, preventing others from observing their web browsing. Montana state officials say geofencing technology is used with online sports gambling apps, which are deactivated in states where online gambling is illegal.

Though many lawmakers in Montana have been enthusiastic about a ban, experts who followed the bill closely said the state will likely have to defend the legislation in court.

Officials are also bound to receive criticism from advocacy groups and TikTok users who don’t want their favorite app to be taken away. The app’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular, and U.S. tech giants like Snapchat and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, see it as a competitive threat.

TikTok has been recruiting so-called influencers and small businesses who use the platform to push back on a ban. But others who haven’t been part of an official campaign coordinated by the company are also worried about what lawmakers are doing.

Adam Botkin, a former football player and recent graduate at the University of Montana, said it was a scary time for him as a content creator in Montana. The 22-year-old has nearly 170,000 followers on TikTok, where he mostly posts short videos of himself performing football kicks.

He says he sometimes makes “tens of thousands” of dollars per month from brands looking to market their products on his social media accounts, including Instagram, where he has roughly 44,000 followers.

Botkin says most of his income comes from Instagram, which is believed to be more lucrative for content creators. But he has to grow his following on that platform — and others — to have the same level of popularity that he does on TikTok. He says he’s trying to do that and won’t try to circumvent the TikTok ban by using a VPN.

“You got to adapt and evolve with how things move,” Botkin said. “So, if I have to adapt and move, I’ll adapt.”

Chatter about a TikTok ban has been around since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump attempted to bar the company from operating in the U.S. through an executive order that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-entertainment-pennsylvania-courts-3573972d3aa6bee78304e3195ffe4ade">halted in federal courts</a>. President Joe Biden’s administration initially shelved those plans, but more recently threatened to ban the app if the company’s Chinese owners don’t sell their stakes.

TikTok doesn’t want either option and has been clamoring to prove it's free of any Chinese government interference. It’s also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-biden-bytedance-data-misinformation-02b59e4a6611ce97c775da19de31d7ad">touting a data safety plan</a>&nbsp;it calls “Project Texas” to assuage bipartisan concerns in Washington.

At the same time, some lawmakers have emerged as allies, arguing efforts to restrict data harvesting practices need to include all social media companies, not just one. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked a bill in March that would ban TikTok nationally, saying such a move would violate the Constitution and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-hearing-bytedance-china-biden-ceo-a92f048762d6657f291affb7a0ce6386">anger the millions of voters</a>&nbsp;who use the app.

Montana’s TikTok ban also comes amid a growing movement to limit social media use among kids and teens and, in some cases, impose bans. Several bills circulating in Congress aim to get at the issue, including one that would prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media and require permission from a guardian for users under 18 to create an account.

Some states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-utah-kids-84bd1f6481071726327bce25cf3e7522">Utah</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-facebook-children-social-media-restrictions-c8f14534e2452d8b0f102d6eb17cbe44">Arkansas</a>, have already enacted laws that would hinge social media use on parental consent. Similar bills are in the works in other states. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-california-gavin-newsom-d044d21d28176f5c5010fccf78f0697c">California</a>&nbsp;enacted a law requiring companies to beef up data protection practices for children and offer them the highest privacy settings.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that's more sweeping than any other state's attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company.The measure, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-ceo-congressional-hearing-bytedance-china-44d948c5b0ba18e2a714e0fa62d52779">TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned.</a>&nbsp;Cybersecurity experts say it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-china-data-chinese-government-71143a3a87c9a0b692d927f72b6fec70">could be difficult to enforce the ban</a>.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovGianforte%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0t7LJY3cGuSLPNQxqJ8mmyHQ7DkudvR8K2kxkCUTURnrT4uLoX7zNnptzfa2BAiiKl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="170" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said in a statement.TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter argued that the law infringes on people’s First Amendment rights and is unlawful. She declined to say whether the company will file a lawsuit.“We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana,” Oberwetter said in a statement.The American Civil Liberties of Montana and NetChoice, a trade group that counts Google and TikTok as its members, also called the law unconstitutional. Keegan Medrano, policy director for the ACLU of Montana, said the Legislature “trampled on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information and run their small business, in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment.”Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned the video-sharing app, owned by ByteDance,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-bytedance-shou-zi-chew-8d8a6a9694357040d484670b7f4833be">could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens</a>&nbsp;or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-hearing-bytedance-china-biden-ceo-a92f048762d6657f291affb7a0ce6386">TikTok says none of this has ever happened</a>.A former executive at ByteDance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-china-government-data-bytedance-23233034319c2e1f84c384e5e8dc489c">alleges the tech giant has served as a “propaganda tool”</a>&nbsp;for the Chinese government, a claim ByteDance says is baseless.When Montana banned the app on government-owned devices in late December, Gianforte said TikTok posed a “significant risk” to sensitive state data.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">More than half of U.S. states and the federal government</a>&nbsp;have a similar ban.On Wednesday, Gianforte also announced he was prohibiting the use of all social media applications tied to foreign adversaries on state equipment and for state businesses in Montana effective on June 1. Among the apps he listed are WeChat, whose parent company is headquartered in China; and Telegram Messenger, which was founded in Russia.The legislation, drafted by the attorney general’s office, easily passed through Montana’s GOP-controlled Legislature.Gianforte&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-bytedance-b735350b367c3f3a0076eaf1267dab18">had wanted to expand the TikTok bill</a>&nbsp;to include apps tied to foreign adversaries, but lawmakers did not send him the bill until after the session ended this month, preventing him from offering any amendments.Montana's new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state and would fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.Opponents say Montana residents could easily circumvent the ban by using a virtual private network, a service that shields internet users by encrypting their data traffic, preventing others from observing their web browsing. Montana state officials say geofencing technology is used with online sports gambling apps, which are deactivated in states where online gambling is illegal.Though many lawmakers in Montana have been enthusiastic about a ban, experts who followed the bill closely said the state will likely have to defend the legislation in court.Officials are also bound to receive criticism from advocacy groups and TikTok users who don’t want their favorite app to be taken away. The app’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular, and U.S. tech giants like Snapchat and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, see it as a competitive threat.TikTok has been recruiting so-called influencers and small businesses who use the platform to push back on a ban. But others who haven’t been part of an official campaign coordinated by the company are also worried about what lawmakers are doing.Adam Botkin, a former football player and recent graduate at the University of Montana, said it was a scary time for him as a content creator in Montana. The 22-year-old has nearly 170,000 followers on TikTok, where he mostly posts short videos of himself performing football kicks.He says he sometimes makes “tens of thousands” of dollars per month from brands looking to market their products on his social media accounts, including Instagram, where he has roughly 44,000 followers.Botkin says most of his income comes from Instagram, which is believed to be more lucrative for content creators. But he has to grow his following on that platform — and others — to have the same level of popularity that he does on TikTok. He says he’s trying to do that and won’t try to circumvent the TikTok ban by using a VPN.“You got to adapt and evolve with how things move,” Botkin said. “So, if I have to adapt and move, I’ll adapt.”Chatter about a TikTok ban has been around since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump attempted to bar the company from operating in the U.S. through an executive order that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-entertainment-pennsylvania-courts-3573972d3aa6bee78304e3195ffe4ade">halted in federal courts</a>. President Joe Biden’s administration initially shelved those plans, but more recently threatened to ban the app if the company’s Chinese owners don’t sell their stakes.TikTok doesn’t want either option and has been clamoring to prove it's free of any Chinese government interference. It’s also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-biden-bytedance-data-misinformation-02b59e4a6611ce97c775da19de31d7ad">touting a data safety plan</a>&nbsp;it calls “Project Texas” to assuage bipartisan concerns in Washington.At the same time, some lawmakers have emerged as allies, arguing efforts to restrict data harvesting practices need to include all social media companies, not just one. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked a bill in March that would ban TikTok nationally, saying such a move would violate the Constitution and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-hearing-bytedance-china-biden-ceo-a92f048762d6657f291affb7a0ce6386">anger the millions of voters</a>&nbsp;who use the app.Montana’s TikTok ban also comes amid a growing movement to limit social media use among kids and teens and, in some cases, impose bans. Several bills circulating in Congress aim to get at the issue, including one that would prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media and require permission from a guardian for users under 18 to create an account.Some states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-utah-kids-84bd1f6481071726327bce25cf3e7522">Utah</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-facebook-children-social-media-restrictions-c8f14534e2452d8b0f102d6eb17cbe44">Arkansas</a>, have already enacted laws that would hinge social media use on parental consent. Similar bills are in the works in other states. Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-california-gavin-newsom-d044d21d28176f5c5010fccf78f0697c">California</a>&nbsp;enacted a law requiring companies to beef up data protection practices for children and offer them the highest privacy settings.

TikTok responds to total ban in first U.S. state

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have recovered an industrial-size smoker that was stolen from Hog Wild Pit BBQ in the 200 block of South West Street in Wichita around midnight on March 29, according to a media release from Wichita Police.

Detective Dustin Fussell with the Property Crimes Division recovered the smoker valued at $25,000 dollars.

According to police, Fussell had very few leads on the case but by following his instincts and his undeniable persistence, he was able to locate the smoker and identify the suspects involved in the theft.

Police released no additional details as the investigation continues and the case is sent to the district attorney’s office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684407069191.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities have recovered an industrial-size smoker that was stolen from Hog Wild Pit BBQ in the 200 block of South West Street in Wichita around midnight on March 29, according to a media release from Wichita Police.Detective Dustin Fussell with the Property Crimes Division recovered the smoker valued at $25,000 dollars.According to police, Fussell had very few leads on the case but by following his instincts and his undeniable persistence, he was able to locate the smoker and identify the suspects involved in the theft.Police released no additional details as the investigation continues and the case is sent to the district attorney’s office.

Police recover $25,000 smoker stolen from Kan. BBQ restaurant

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri prosecutor is asking a judge to carefully consider the public's right to information while determining whether to seal court records in the case of Andrew Lester, a white homeowner who is accused of shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly came to his home.

Lester's attorney, Steven Salmon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yarl-shooting-court-motion-seal-case-4198795a6a1e67d38f5cd49200ab8a15">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;May 1 asking a judge to seal court records. He argued that local and national publicity surrounding the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl in Kansas City had created a bias against his client and would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.

In a motion filed Tuesday, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson did not specifically oppose the request but said legal precedent has established a “strong presumption” in favor of keeping court records open.

Lester, 84, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-updates-c13170d6759f2963b01a68fc8a6332f7">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He is accused of shooting Yarl twice after he mistakenly came to Lester's home looking for his younger brothers.

Yarl, who is now 17, was shot in the head and an arm and is recovering at home after being hospitalized for three days.

“If records are to be closed, the public has a right to know why,” Thompson said. “In cases such as this, the Court must strike a balance between the public’s legitimate interest in access, and the equally legitimate interest in preserving the legal integrity of the case and ensuring a fair trial. If justice is to be served, it must be done in a manner consistent with both due process and public interest.”

Lester admitted that he shot Yarl without warning through his home's front door then shot him again while the teenager was on the ground. He said was “scared to death” the person at the front door was there to rob him.

It is unclear when the judge might rule on closing the records. Lester, who is out on bond, is scheduled for a hearing on June 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681726215314.png" alt="Ralph Yarl photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Ralph Yarl photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri prosecutor is asking a judge to carefully consider the public's right to information while determining whether to seal court records in the case of Andrew Lester, a white homeowner who is accused of shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly came to his home.Lester's attorney, Steven Salmon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yarl-shooting-court-motion-seal-case-4198795a6a1e67d38f5cd49200ab8a15">filed a motion</a>&nbsp;May 1 asking a judge to seal court records. He argued that local and national publicity surrounding the April 13 shooting of Ralph Yarl in Kansas City had created a bias against his client and would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.In a motion filed Tuesday, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson did not specifically oppose the request but said legal precedent has established a “strong presumption” in favor of keeping court records open.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681844207619.png" alt="Lester photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Lester photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Lester, 84, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ralph-yarl-shooting-updates-c13170d6759f2963b01a68fc8a6332f7">pleaded not guilty</a>&nbsp;to first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He is accused of shooting Yarl twice after he mistakenly came to Lester's home looking for his younger brothers.Yarl, who is now 17, was shot in the head and an arm and is recovering at home after being hospitalized for three days.“If records are to be closed, the public has a right to know why,” Thompson said. “In cases such as this, the Court must strike a balance between the public’s legitimate interest in access, and the equally legitimate interest in preserving the legal integrity of the case and ensuring a fair trial. If justice is to be served, it must be done in a manner consistent with both due process and public interest.”Lester admitted that he shot Yarl without warning through his home's front door then shot him again while the teenager was on the ground. He said was “scared to death” the person at the front door was there to rob him.It is unclear when the judge might rule on closing the records. Lester, who is out on bond, is scheduled for a hearing on June 1.

Prosecutor in Ralph Yarl case: Legal precedent favors keeping court records open

WASHINGTON (AP) — An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mccarthy-debt-limit-default-ce36241e652f7eb022009152001c254e">talks with congressional Republicans</a>&nbsp;have been productive. He left for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-asia-pacific-us-news-world-news-3573ce03d4d20b8832572ad22019ce7e">G-7 summit in Japan</a>&nbsp;but planned to return by the weekend in hopes of approving a solid agreement.&nbsp;

(click below to watch the comments from the&nbsp; President)

Biden's upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer out the final contours of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mccarthy-debt-limit-cap-meeting-budget-df8b27ab75e5901309f24c08f74a81ca">budget spending deal</a>&nbsp;to unlock a path for raising the debt limit as soon June 1. That is when the Treasury Department says the U.S. could begin defaulting on its obligations and trigger financial chaos.

“I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget and America will not default,” Biden said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Later Wednesday evening, negotiations resumed behind closed doors at the Capitol.

Democrat Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have traded blame for a debt-ceiling impasse for weeks. But Biden said of the latest White House session with congressional leaders that “everyone came to the meeting, I think, in good faith.”

McCarthy was upbeat, too, though contending Biden had given ground. The president said the budget talks were still separate from the debt limit issue, but the speaker said Biden had "finally backed off” his refusal to negotiate.

“Keep working — we'll work again tonight,” McCarthy told reporters later. "We’re going to work until we can get it done."

Biden said that every leader at Tuesday's Oval Office meeting — Vice President Kamala Harris, McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — agreed the U.S. must not default on its obligations.

“It would be catastrophic for the American economy and the American people if we didn’t pay our bills,” Biden said. “I’m confident everyone in the room agreed … that we’re going to come together because there’s no alternative. We have to do the right thing for the country. We have to move on.”

He said he would be in “constant contact” with White House officials while at the summit in Hiroshima. He is canceling stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea that were to follow so he can return to Washington on Sunday.

Biden and McCarthy tasked a handful of representatives to work swiftly to try and close out a final deal. They include Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president; legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young for the administration, and Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., a close McCarthy ally, for the Republicans.

McCarthy, who has said he would personally be involved, said he planned to stop by the talks later Wednesday. He said he would be in Washington for the weekend while negotiations are underway.

Agreement by the negotiators would still leave any deal needing approval by Democratic Senate and Republican House.

Democrats are upset about the possibility of new work requirements for some recipients of government aid. And Republicans want much tougher budget restraints than the Democrats support.

The positive comments by Biden and McCarthy suggest they believe they can gain the backing of their parties' lawmakers.

McCarthy was flanked Wednesday on the Capitol steps by some of the most conservative Republicans from the House and Senate in a feisty show of support.

The national debt currently stands at $31.4 trillion. An increase in the debt limit would not authorize new federal spending; it would only allow for borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved.

The contours of an agreement have begun to take shape, but the details of spending cuts and policy changes will make or break whether the divided Congress can strike a bipartisan deal with the White House.

In exchange for lifting the debt limit to keep paying the bills, newly majority House Republicans are trying to extract steep budget caps of no more than 1% growth a year over the next decade, alongside bolstered work requirements.

Negotiators are preparing to claw back some $30 billion of unspent COVID-19 aid, now that the government has lifted the pandemic emergency. And they are working on a potential agreement for permit changes that would speed the development of energy projects that both Republicans and Democrats want, though the details remain daunting.

But Democrats are not at all willing to accept the 10-year cap on spending that Republicans approved in their own House bill, and the Democrats are instead pushing for a shorter window of budget cuts.

Biden is facing fierce blowback from progressive Democrats after he opened the door to tougher work requirements. But he insisted Wednesday any new work requirements would be of “no consequence” and that he's not willing to impact health programs, presumably referring to Medicaid.

Asked about that, the Republicans behind McCarthy — who support more work requirements on Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance programs — broke out in laughter at the Capitol.

The Republicans scoffed aloud as helicopters with the presumably departing Biden flew overhead.

McCarthy, who depended on Donald Trump's backing to become the new speaker, still has work to do to keep his narrow House majority in line for any final deal, particularly among the hardline Freedom Caucus conservatives who almost blocked his election earlier this year for the gavel.

Former President Trump has encouraged Republicans to “do a default” if they don't get everything they want from Biden.

“Bipartisanship is needed,” Schumer said Wednesday. "It’s the only way to go."

As backup on Wednesday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a process that would force a vote on raising the debt limit.

It's a cumbersome legislative discharge procedure, but Jeffries urged House Democrats to sign on to the measure in hopes of gathering the 218 majority backers including Republicans needed to put it in motion.

“Emerging from the White House meeting, I am hopeful that a real pathway exists to find an acceptable, bipartisan resolution that prevents a default,” Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues.

“However, given the impending June 1 deadline and urgency of the moment, it is important that all legislative options be pursued in the event that no agreement is reached.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684325905935.png" alt="Biden met with Congressional leaders again Tuesday-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden met with Congressional leaders again Tuesday-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mccarthy-debt-limit-default-ce36241e652f7eb022009152001c254e">talks with congressional Republicans</a>&nbsp;have been productive. He left for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-asia-pacific-us-news-world-news-3573ce03d4d20b8832572ad22019ce7e">G-7 summit in Japan</a>&nbsp;but planned to return by the weekend in hopes of approving a solid agreement.&nbsp;(click below to watch the comments from the&nbsp; President)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F133764606366765%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=44" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden's upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer out the final contours of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mccarthy-debt-limit-cap-meeting-budget-df8b27ab75e5901309f24c08f74a81ca">budget spending deal</a>&nbsp;to unlock a path for raising the debt limit as soon June 1. That is when the Treasury Department says the U.S. could begin defaulting on its obligations and trigger financial chaos.“I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget and America will not default,” Biden said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. Later Wednesday evening, negotiations resumed behind closed doors at the Capitol.Democrat Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have traded blame for a debt-ceiling impasse for weeks. But Biden said of the latest White House session with congressional leaders that “everyone came to the meeting, I think, in good faith.”McCarthy was upbeat, too, though contending Biden had given ground. The president said the budget talks were still separate from the debt limit issue, but the speaker said Biden had "finally backed off” his refusal to negotiate.“Keep working — we'll work again tonight,” McCarthy told reporters later. "We’re going to work until we can get it done."Biden said that every leader at Tuesday's Oval Office meeting — Vice President Kamala Harris, McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — agreed the U.S. must not default on its obligations.“It would be catastrophic for the American economy and the American people if we didn’t pay our bills,” Biden said. “I’m confident everyone in the room agreed … that we’re going to come together because there’s no alternative. We have to do the right thing for the country. We have to move on.”He said he would be in “constant contact” with White House officials while at the summit in Hiroshima. He is canceling stops in Australia and Papua New Guinea that were to follow so he can return to Washington on Sunday.Biden and McCarthy tasked a handful of representatives to work swiftly to try and close out a final deal. They include Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president; legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young for the administration, and Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., a close McCarthy ally, for the Republicans.McCarthy, who has said he would personally be involved, said he planned to stop by the talks later Wednesday. He said he would be in Washington for the weekend while negotiations are underway.Agreement by the negotiators would still leave any deal needing approval by Democratic Senate and Republican House.Democrats are upset about the possibility of new work requirements for some recipients of government aid. And Republicans want much tougher budget restraints than the Democrats support.The positive comments by Biden and McCarthy suggest they believe they can gain the backing of their parties' lawmakers.McCarthy was flanked Wednesday on the Capitol steps by some of the most conservative Republicans from the House and Senate in a feisty show of support.The national debt currently stands at $31.4 trillion. An increase in the debt limit would not authorize new federal spending; it would only allow for borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved.The contours of an agreement have begun to take shape, but the details of spending cuts and policy changes will make or break whether the divided Congress can strike a bipartisan deal with the White House.In exchange for lifting the debt limit to keep paying the bills, newly majority House Republicans are trying to extract steep budget caps of no more than 1% growth a year over the next decade, alongside bolstered work requirements.Negotiators are preparing to claw back some $30 billion of unspent COVID-19 aid, now that the government has lifted the pandemic emergency. And they are working on a potential agreement for permit changes that would speed the development of energy projects that both Republicans and Democrats want, though the details remain daunting.But Democrats are not at all willing to accept the 10-year cap on spending that Republicans approved in their own House bill, and the Democrats are instead pushing for a shorter window of budget cuts.Biden is facing fierce blowback from progressive Democrats after he opened the door to tougher work requirements. But he insisted Wednesday any new work requirements would be of “no consequence” and that he's not willing to impact health programs, presumably referring to Medicaid.Asked about that, the Republicans behind McCarthy — who support more work requirements on Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance programs — broke out in laughter at the Capitol.The Republicans scoffed aloud as helicopters with the presumably departing Biden flew overhead.McCarthy, who depended on Donald Trump's backing to become the new speaker, still has work to do to keep his narrow House majority in line for any final deal, particularly among the hardline Freedom Caucus conservatives who almost blocked his election earlier this year for the gavel.Former President Trump has encouraged Republicans to “do a default” if they don't get everything they want from Biden.“Bipartisanship is needed,” Schumer said Wednesday. "It’s the only way to go."As backup on Wednesday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a process that would force a vote on raising the debt limit.It's a cumbersome legislative discharge procedure, but Jeffries urged House Democrats to sign on to the measure in hopes of gathering the 218 majority backers including Republicans needed to put it in motion.“Emerging from the White House meeting, I am hopeful that a real pathway exists to find an acceptable, bipartisan resolution that prevents a default,” Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues.“However, given the impending June 1 deadline and urgency of the moment, it is important that all legislative options be pursued in the event that no agreement is reached.”