TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has issued an open letter to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into President Biden’s mishandling and storage of confidential records, according to a statement from the AG's office.

<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/3-letter-to-merrick-garland-01-18-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=832dbd1a_2">Click here to read</a> a full copy of the letter

“It has become clear, since the discovery of President Biden’s illegally stored records, that President Biden’s apparent disregard for the rule of law extends beyond unconstitutional executive orders and agency actions. The President appears to believe that the rules do not apply to him,” Kobach writes in the open letter. “Our nation expects the sitting President of the United States to approach with delicacy and discretion his obligation to protect the most important government secrets.”

Appointing a special counsel to investigate is an important first step, but questions remain about the Department of Justice’s actions since the initial discovery of classified materials stored in unsecure civilian locations. The Kansas Attorney General requests that the White House immediately cease meddling in the investigation and asks that the DOJ provide a timeline and explanation that clarifies additional steps the office has taken in the investigation.

Kobach’s letter includes a list of unanswered questions about how the DOJ handled the initial discovery, including whether the president can confirm that all of the confidential documents he took to his private residence in 2016 have been recovered.

“Please take these steps swiftly and assure the American people that the Department will no longer allow President Biden or his representatives to interfere with the investigation of his own potentially criminal actions,” the letter concludes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673546739694.png" alt="Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad" />
 <figcaption>Biden backing his Corvette into the garage next to stacks of boxes where classified documents were found-image from a 2020 Biden for President campaign ad</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has issued an open letter to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into President Biden’s mishandling and storage of confidential records, according to a statement from the AG's office.<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/3-letter-to-merrick-garland-01-18-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=832dbd1a_2">Click here to read</a> a full copy of the letter“It has become clear, since the discovery of President Biden’s illegally stored records, that President Biden’s apparent disregard for the rule of law extends beyond unconstitutional executive orders and agency actions. The President appears to believe that the rules do not apply to him,” Kobach writes in the open letter. “Our nation expects the sitting President of the United States to approach with delicacy and discretion his obligation to protect the most important government secrets.”Appointing a special counsel to investigate is an important first step, but questions remain about the Department of Justice’s actions since the initial discovery of classified materials stored in unsecure civilian locations. The Kansas Attorney General requests that the White House immediately cease meddling in the investigation and asks that the DOJ provide a timeline and explanation that clarifies additional steps the office has taken in the investigation.Kobach’s letter includes a list of unanswered questions about how the DOJ handled the initial discovery, including whether the president can confirm that all of the confidential documents he took to his private residence in 2016 have been recovered.“Please take these steps swiftly and assure the American people that the Department will no longer allow President Biden or his representatives to interfere with the investigation of his own potentially criminal actions,” the letter concludes.

Kan. AG seeks answers on President Biden's classified documents

LOS ANGELES (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/DavidCrosby">David Crosby,</a>&nbsp;the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; (sometimes) Young, has died at 81.

The New York Times reported Thursday, based on a text message from Crosby's sister in law, that the musician died Wednesday night. Several media outlets reported Crosby's death citing anonymous sources; The Associated Press was not able to confirm Crosby's death despite calls and messages to multiple representatives and Crosby's widow.

Crosby underwent a liver transplant in 1994 after decades of drug use and survived diabetes, hepatitis C and heart surgery in his 70s.

While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-bob-dylan-graham-nash-eb296a99ac3078e2eb66215488ac5eac">Graham Nash</a>&nbsp;and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem “Almost Cut My Hair” or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in “Long Time Gone.”

He was a founder and focus of the Los Angeles rock music community from which such performers as the Eagles and Jackson Browne later emerged. He was a twinkly-eyed hippie patriarch, the inspiration for Dennis Hopper’s long-haired stoner in “Easy Rider.” He advocated for peace, but was an unrepentant loudmouth who practiced personal warfare and acknowledged that many of the musicians he worked with no longer spoke to him.

“Crosby was a colorful and unpredictable character, wore a Mandrake the Magician cape, didn’t get along with too many people and had a beautiful voice — an architect of harmony,” Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir, “Chronicles: Volume One.”

Crosby's drug use left him bloated, broke and alienated. He kicked the addiction in 1985 and 1986&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c794f730038a4ca2c8f119f358a26240">during a year’s prison stretch</a>&nbsp;in Texas on drug and weapons charges. The conviction eventually was overturned.

“I’ve always said that I picked up the guitar as a shortcut to sex and after my first joint I was sure that if everyone smoked dope there’d be an end to war,” Crosby said in his 1988 autobiography, “Long Time Gone,” co-written with Carl Gottlieb. “I was right about the sex. I was wrong when it came to drugs.”

He lived years longer than even he expected and in his 70s enjoyed a creative renaissance, issuing several solo albums while collaborating with others including his son James Raymond, who became a favorite songwriting partner.

“Most guys my age would have done a covers record or duets on old material,” he told Rolling Stone in 2013, shortly before “Croz” was released. “This won’t be a huge hit. It’ll probably sell nineteen copies. I don’t think kids are gonna dig it, but I’m not making it for them. I’m making it for me. I have this stuff that I need to get off my chest.”

In 2019, Crosby was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0766ba0a5b604a428743802049a26939">featured in the documentary “David Crosby: Remember My Name,”</a>&nbsp;produced by Cameron Crowe.

While his solo career thrived, his seemingly lifetime bond with Nash dissolved. Crosby was angered by Nash’s 2013 memoir “Wild Tales” (whiny and dishonest, he called it) and relations between the two spilled into an ugly public feud, with Nash and Crosby agreeing on one thing: Crosby, Stills and Nash was finished. Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president did lead Crosby to suggest that he was open to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young protest tour, but his old bandmates declined to respond.

Crosby became a star in the mid-1960s with the seminal folk-rock group The Byrds, known for such hits as “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Clean-cut and baby-faced at the time, he contributed harmonies that were a key part of the band’s innovative blend of The Beatles and Dylan. Crosby was among the first American stars to become close to The Beatles, and helped introduce George Harrison to Eastern music.

Troubled relations with bandmates pushed Crosby out of The Byrds and into a new group. Crosby, Stills and Nash's first meeting is part of rock folklore: Stills and Crosby were at Joni Mitchell’s house in 1968 (Stills would contend they were at Mama Cass'), working on the ballad “You Don’t Have to Cry,” when Nash suggested they start over again. Nash’s high harmony added a magical layer to Stills' rough bottom and Crosby’s mellow middle and a supergroup was born.

Their eponymous debut album was an instant success that helped redefine commercial music. The songs were longer and more personal than their individual prior outputs, yet easily relatable for an audience also embracing a more open lifestyle.

Their spirited harmonies and themes of peace and love became emblematic of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their version of the Mitchell song “Woodstock” was the theme for the documentary about the 1969 rock concert during which the group made only its second live appearance together. Crosby had produced Mitchell’s first album, “Song to a Seagull,” in 1968, and for a time was her boyfriend (as was Nash).

Now wearing the drooping, bushy mustache that would define him ever after, Crosby provided harmony and rhythm guitar, and his songs reflected his own volatile personality. They ranged from the misty-eyed romanticism of “Guinevere,” to the spirituality of “Deja Vu,” to the operatic paranoia of “Almost Cut My Hair.”

Some critics panned the group as soft-headed and self-indulgent.

“If you’re into living-room rock, fireplace harmonies and just a taste of good old social consciousness, this is your group,” reported Rolling Stone, which nonetheless rarely missed a chance to write about the band.

But CSN, as they would soon be called, won a best new artist Grammy and remained a worldwide touring act and brand name decades later.

The first album was an easy, happy recording, but the mood darkened during the second album, “Deja Vu.” The band was joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-bob-dylan-graham-nash-eb296a99ac3078e2eb66215488ac5eac">by Neil Young,</a>&nbsp;who had feuded with Stills while both were in Buffalo Springfield and continued to do so.

Everyone in the band was troubled: Nash and Mitchell were splitting up, and so were Stills and singer Judy Collins. Crosby, meanwhile, was so devastated by the death of girlfriend Christine Hinton in a car accident, that he would lay on the studio floor and sob.

Featuring a rougher, less unified sound, the album released in 1970 and was another commercial smash. Yet within two years, the quartet had broken up, destined to continuously reunite and splinter for the rest of their lives.

They worked in every combination possible — as solo artists, as duos, trios and, occasionally, all four together. They played stadiums and clubs. They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3331110b71e891d7371e51e74dabf7ad">showed up at the Berlin Wall in 1989</a>&nbsp;as the Cold War was ending and turned up in 2011 for the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.

In recent years, Crosby toured often, and candidly answered questions on Twitter with a blend of affection and exasperation, whether commenting on rock star peers or assessing the quality of a fan’s marijuana joint. He loved sailing and his greatest regret, besides hard drugs, was selling his 74-foot boat because of money problems. Among the songs completed on the boat was the classic “Wooden Ships,” co-written with Stills and Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner.

Crosby was born David Van Cortlandt Crosby on Aug. 14, 1941, in Los Angeles. His father was Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby of “High Noon” fame. The family, including his mother, Aliph, and brother, Floyd Jr., later moved to Santa Barbara.

Crosby was exposed early to classical, folk and jazz music. In his autobiography, Crosby said that as a child he used to harmonize as his mother sang, his father played mandolin and his brother played guitar.

“When rock ‘n’ roll came in during that era and the Age of Elvis possessed America, I wasn’t into it,” he recalled.

His brother taught him to play guitar and, still in his teens, he began performing in Santa Barbara clubs. He moved to Los Angeles to study acting in 1960 but abandoned the idea and became a folk singer, working around the country before joining The Byrds. Like so many folk performers, Crosby was dazzled by the Beatles’ 1964 movie “A Hard Day’s Night” and decided to become a rock star.

Crosby&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e50f854d5a33237ef46ccaede16436d4">married longtime girlfriend Jan Dance</a>&nbsp;in 1987. The couple had a son, Django, in 1995. Crosby also had a daughter, Donovan, with Debbie Donovan. Shortly after he underwent the liver transplant, Crosby was reunited with Raymond, who had been placed for adoption in 1961. Raymond, Crosby and Jeff Pevar later performed together in a group called CPR.

“I regretted losing him many times,” Crosby told the AP of Raymond in 1998. “I was too immature to parent anybody, and too irresponsible.”

In 2000, Melissa Etheridge revealed that Crosby was the father of the two children she shared with then-partner Julie Cypher. Cypher carried the children Crosby fathered by artificial insemination, Etheridge told Rolling Stone. One son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-opioids-julie-cypher-music-0c0c1bfb50bbe51984f77fdbd8c90b2f">Beckett, died in 2020</a>.

Crosby didn’t help raise the children but said, “If, you know, in due time, at a distance, they’re proud of who their genetic dad is, that’s great.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) —<a href="https://apnews.com/DavidCrosby">David Crosby,</a>&nbsp;the brash rock musician who evolved from a baby-faced harmony singer with the Byrds to a mustachioed hippie superstar and an ongoing troubadour in Crosby, Stills, Nash &amp; (sometimes) Young, has died at 81.The New York Times reported Thursday, based on a text message from Crosby's sister in law, that the musician died Wednesday night. Several media outlets reported Crosby's death citing anonymous sources; The Associated Press was not able to confirm Crosby's death despite calls and messages to multiple representatives and Crosby's widow.Crosby underwent a liver transplant in 1994 after decades of drug use and survived diabetes, hepatitis C and heart surgery in his 70s.While he only wrote a handful of widely known songs, the witty and ever opinionated Crosby was on the front lines of the cultural revolution of the ’60s and ’70s — whether triumphing with Stephen Stills,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-bob-dylan-graham-nash-eb296a99ac3078e2eb66215488ac5eac">Graham Nash</a>&nbsp;and Neil Young on stage at Woodstock, testifying on behalf of a hirsute generation in his anthem “Almost Cut My Hair” or mourning the assassination of Robert Kennedy in “Long Time Gone.”He was a founder and focus of the Los Angeles rock music community from which such performers as the Eagles and Jackson Browne later emerged. He was a twinkly-eyed hippie patriarch, the inspiration for Dennis Hopper’s long-haired stoner in “Easy Rider.” He advocated for peace, but was an unrepentant loudmouth who practiced personal warfare and acknowledged that many of the musicians he worked with no longer spoke to him.“Crosby was a colorful and unpredictable character, wore a Mandrake the Magician cape, didn’t get along with too many people and had a beautiful voice — an architect of harmony,” Bob Dylan wrote in his 2004 memoir, “Chronicles: Volume One.”Crosby's drug use left him bloated, broke and alienated. He kicked the addiction in 1985 and 1986&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c794f730038a4ca2c8f119f358a26240">during a year’s prison stretch</a>&nbsp;in Texas on drug and weapons charges. The conviction eventually was overturned.“I’ve always said that I picked up the guitar as a shortcut to sex and after my first joint I was sure that if everyone smoked dope there’d be an end to war,” Crosby said in his 1988 autobiography, “Long Time Gone,” co-written with Carl Gottlieb. “I was right about the sex. I was wrong when it came to drugs.”He lived years longer than even he expected and in his 70s enjoyed a creative renaissance, issuing several solo albums while collaborating with others including his son James Raymond, who became a favorite songwriting partner.“Most guys my age would have done a covers record or duets on old material,” he told Rolling Stone in 2013, shortly before “Croz” was released. “This won’t be a huge hit. It’ll probably sell nineteen copies. I don’t think kids are gonna dig it, but I’m not making it for them. I’m making it for me. I have this stuff that I need to get off my chest.”In 2019, Crosby was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0766ba0a5b604a428743802049a26939">featured in the documentary “David Crosby: Remember My Name,”</a>&nbsp;produced by Cameron Crowe.While his solo career thrived, his seemingly lifetime bond with Nash dissolved. Crosby was angered by Nash’s 2013 memoir “Wild Tales” (whiny and dishonest, he called it) and relations between the two spilled into an ugly public feud, with Nash and Crosby agreeing on one thing: Crosby, Stills and Nash was finished. Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president did lead Crosby to suggest that he was open to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young protest tour, but his old bandmates declined to respond.Crosby became a star in the mid-1960s with the seminal folk-rock group The Byrds, known for such hits as “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Clean-cut and baby-faced at the time, he contributed harmonies that were a key part of the band’s innovative blend of The Beatles and Dylan. Crosby was among the first American stars to become close to The Beatles, and helped introduce George Harrison to Eastern music.Troubled relations with bandmates pushed Crosby out of The Byrds and into a new group. Crosby, Stills and Nash's first meeting is part of rock folklore: Stills and Crosby were at Joni Mitchell’s house in 1968 (Stills would contend they were at Mama Cass'), working on the ballad “You Don’t Have to Cry,” when Nash suggested they start over again. Nash’s high harmony added a magical layer to Stills' rough bottom and Crosby’s mellow middle and a supergroup was born.Their eponymous debut album was an instant success that helped redefine commercial music. The songs were longer and more personal than their individual prior outputs, yet easily relatable for an audience also embracing a more open lifestyle.Their spirited harmonies and themes of peace and love became emblematic of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their version of the Mitchell song “Woodstock” was the theme for the documentary about the 1969 rock concert during which the group made only its second live appearance together. Crosby had produced Mitchell’s first album, “Song to a Seagull,” in 1968, and for a time was her boyfriend (as was Nash).Now wearing the drooping, bushy mustache that would define him ever after, Crosby provided harmony and rhythm guitar, and his songs reflected his own volatile personality. They ranged from the misty-eyed romanticism of “Guinevere,” to the spirituality of “Deja Vu,” to the operatic paranoia of “Almost Cut My Hair.”Some critics panned the group as soft-headed and self-indulgent.“If you’re into living-room rock, fireplace harmonies and just a taste of good old social consciousness, this is your group,” reported Rolling Stone, which nonetheless rarely missed a chance to write about the band.But CSN, as they would soon be called, won a best new artist Grammy and remained a worldwide touring act and brand name decades later.The first album was an easy, happy recording, but the mood darkened during the second album, “Deja Vu.” The band was joined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-bob-dylan-graham-nash-eb296a99ac3078e2eb66215488ac5eac">by Neil Young,</a>&nbsp;who had feuded with Stills while both were in Buffalo Springfield and continued to do so.Everyone in the band was troubled: Nash and Mitchell were splitting up, and so were Stills and singer Judy Collins. Crosby, meanwhile, was so devastated by the death of girlfriend Christine Hinton in a car accident, that he would lay on the studio floor and sob.Featuring a rougher, less unified sound, the album released in 1970 and was another commercial smash. Yet within two years, the quartet had broken up, destined to continuously reunite and splinter for the rest of their lives.They worked in every combination possible — as solo artists, as duos, trios and, occasionally, all four together. They played stadiums and clubs. They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3331110b71e891d7371e51e74dabf7ad">showed up at the Berlin Wall in 1989</a>&nbsp;as the Cold War was ending and turned up in 2011 for the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.In recent years, Crosby toured often, and candidly answered questions on Twitter with a blend of affection and exasperation, whether commenting on rock star peers or assessing the quality of a fan’s marijuana joint. He loved sailing and his greatest regret, besides hard drugs, was selling his 74-foot boat because of money problems. Among the songs completed on the boat was the classic “Wooden Ships,” co-written with Stills and Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner.Crosby was born David Van Cortlandt Crosby on Aug. 14, 1941, in Los Angeles. His father was Oscar-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby of “High Noon” fame. The family, including his mother, Aliph, and brother, Floyd Jr., later moved to Santa Barbara.Crosby was exposed early to classical, folk and jazz music. In his autobiography, Crosby said that as a child he used to harmonize as his mother sang, his father played mandolin and his brother played guitar.“When rock ‘n’ roll came in during that era and the Age of Elvis possessed America, I wasn’t into it,” he recalled.His brother taught him to play guitar and, still in his teens, he began performing in Santa Barbara clubs. He moved to Los Angeles to study acting in 1960 but abandoned the idea and became a folk singer, working around the country before joining The Byrds. Like so many folk performers, Crosby was dazzled by the Beatles’ 1964 movie “A Hard Day’s Night” and decided to become a rock star.Crosby&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e50f854d5a33237ef46ccaede16436d4">married longtime girlfriend Jan Dance</a>&nbsp;in 1987. The couple had a son, Django, in 1995. Crosby also had a daughter, Donovan, with Debbie Donovan. Shortly after he underwent the liver transplant, Crosby was reunited with Raymond, who had been placed for adoption in 1961. Raymond, Crosby and Jeff Pevar later performed together in a group called CPR.“I regretted losing him many times,” Crosby told the AP of Raymond in 1998. “I was too immature to parent anybody, and too irresponsible.”In 2000, Melissa Etheridge revealed that Crosby was the father of the two children she shared with then-partner Julie Cypher. Cypher carried the children Crosby fathered by artificial insemination, Etheridge told Rolling Stone. One son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-opioids-julie-cypher-music-0c0c1bfb50bbe51984f77fdbd8c90b2f">Beckett, died in 2020</a>.Crosby didn’t help raise the children but said, “If, you know, in due time, at a distance, they’re proud of who their genetic dad is, that’s great.”___

Legendary musician David Crosby dies at 81

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">it has not determined who leaked a draft</a>&nbsp;of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues.

Eight months after Politico published its explosive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">leak detailing the draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the court said its investigative team “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.”

Never before had an entire opinion made its way to the public before the court was ready to announce it.

Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-us-supreme-court-health-john-roberts-7737a7e3a2fbbcac985549941b884a61">Roberts ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;the next day into what he termed an “egregious breach of trust.”

Investigators “conducted 126 formal interviews of 97 employees, all of whom denied disclosing the opinion” in sworn statements, the court said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">a 23-page document posted on its website</a>.

Some employees had to amend their written statements after they “admitted to telling their spouses about the draft opinion or vote count,” the report said.

The court said it could not rule out that the opinion was inadvertently disclosed, “for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building."

Investigators looked closely at connections between court employees and reporters, and they found nothing to substantiate rampant speculation on social media about the identity of the leaker.

The investigation concluded that it “is unlikely that the Court’s information technology (IT) systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court,” following an examination of the court’s computers, networks, printers, and available call and text logs.

The “risk of both deliberate and accidental disclosures of Court-sensitive information” grew with the coronavirus pandemic and shift to working from home, the report said. More people working from home, ”as well as gaps in the Court’s security policies, created an environment where it was too easy to remove sensitive information from the building and the Court’s IT networks,” the report said.

Investigators are continuing to “review and process some electronic data that has been collected and a few other inquiries remain pending,” the report said.

Roberts also asked former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, himself a onetime federal judge, to assess the investigation. Chertoff, in a statement issued through the court, described it as thorough.

Politico published the draft decision on May 2. Less than 24 hours later, Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity and said he had directed the court’s marshal, former Army Col. Gail Curley, to lead the investigation.

Since then, there had been silence from the court — until Thursday.

The court had declined to say anything about the status of the investigation or whether an outside law firm or the FBI has been called in or whether it had taken steps to try to prevent a repeat. Speaking in Colorado in September, Justice Neil Gorsuch said he hoped a report was coming “soon” but he did not say whether it would be made public.

Gorsuch joined Roberts in condemning the breach of trust the leak engendered. Justice Clarence Thomas spoke in even starker terms about the leak’s effect on the justices.

“When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I’m in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s like kind of an infidelity that you can explain it, but you can’t undo it,” he said while speaking at a conference in Dallas less than two weeks after the leak became public.

The leak itself sparked protests and round-the-clock security at justices’ homes. Alito said it made the conservative justices who were thought to be in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade “targets for assassination” that “gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us.”

In early June, a man carrying a gun, a knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland after threatening to kill the justice. The man told police he was upset by the leaked draft.

Responding to protests outside the court, officials ringed the building with hard-to-climb fencing, the same barrier that was in place for months following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

When the final decision was released on June 24, it was remarkably similar to the draft that was leaked. Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted to overturn Roe.

Speculation has swirled since the draft’s release about who might be the source. Only the justices, a small number of staff and the justices’ law clerks, young lawyers who spend a year at the court helping the justices with their work, would have had access to the document.

Conservatives pointed fingers at the liberal side of the court, speculating that the leaker was someone upset about the outcome. Liberals suggested it could be someone on the conservative side of the court who wanted to ensure a wavering justice didn’t switch sides.

It would have taken just one conservative justice to side with Roberts to alter the decision. Instead of overturning Roe entirely, Roberts favored weakening abortion rights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656081470334.png" alt="Protestors outside the court when the Roe decision was announced June 24-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protestors outside the court when the Roe decision was announced June 24-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">it has not determined who leaked a draft</a>&nbsp;of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues.Eight months after Politico published its explosive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">leak detailing the draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the court said its investigative team “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.”Never before had an entire opinion made its way to the public before the court was ready to announce it.Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-us-supreme-court-health-john-roberts-7737a7e3a2fbbcac985549941b884a61">Roberts ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;the next day into what he termed an “egregious breach of trust.”Investigators “conducted 126 formal interviews of 97 employees, all of whom denied disclosing the opinion” in sworn statements, the court said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">a 23-page document posted on its website</a>.Some employees had to amend their written statements after they “admitted to telling their spouses about the draft opinion or vote count,” the report said.The court said it could not rule out that the opinion was inadvertently disclosed, “for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building."Investigators looked closely at connections between court employees and reporters, and they found nothing to substantiate rampant speculation on social media about the identity of the leaker.The investigation concluded that it “is unlikely that the Court’s information technology (IT) systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court,” following an examination of the court’s computers, networks, printers, and available call and text logs.The “risk of both deliberate and accidental disclosures of Court-sensitive information” grew with the coronavirus pandemic and shift to working from home, the report said. More people working from home, ”as well as gaps in the Court’s security policies, created an environment where it was too easy to remove sensitive information from the building and the Court’s IT networks,” the report said.Investigators are continuing to “review and process some electronic data that has been collected and a few other inquiries remain pending,” the report said.Roberts also asked former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, himself a onetime federal judge, to assess the investigation. Chertoff, in a statement issued through the court, described it as thorough.Politico published the draft decision on May 2. Less than 24 hours later, Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity and said he had directed the court’s marshal, former Army Col. Gail Curley, to lead the investigation.Since then, there had been silence from the court — until Thursday.The court had declined to say anything about the status of the investigation or whether an outside law firm or the FBI has been called in or whether it had taken steps to try to prevent a repeat. Speaking in Colorado in September, Justice Neil Gorsuch said he hoped a report was coming “soon” but he did not say whether it would be made public.Gorsuch joined Roberts in condemning the breach of trust the leak engendered. Justice Clarence Thomas spoke in even starker terms about the leak’s effect on the justices.“When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I’m in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s like kind of an infidelity that you can explain it, but you can’t undo it,” he said while speaking at a conference in Dallas less than two weeks after the leak became public.The leak itself sparked protests and round-the-clock security at justices’ homes. Alito said it made the conservative justices who were thought to be in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade “targets for assassination” that “gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us.”In early June, a man carrying a gun, a knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland after threatening to kill the justice. The man told police he was upset by the leaked draft.Responding to protests outside the court, officials ringed the building with hard-to-climb fencing, the same barrier that was in place for months following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.When the final decision was released on June 24, it was remarkably similar to the draft that was leaked. Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted to overturn Roe.Speculation has swirled since the draft’s release about who might be the source. Only the justices, a small number of staff and the justices’ law clerks, young lawyers who spend a year at the court helping the justices with their work, would have had access to the document.Conservatives pointed fingers at the liberal side of the court, speculating that the leaker was someone upset about the outcome. Liberals suggested it could be someone on the conservative side of the court who wanted to ensure a wavering justice didn’t switch sides.It would have taken just one conservative justice to side with Roberts to alter the decision. Instead of overturning Roe entirely, Roberts favored weakening abortion rights.

Supreme Court has failed to find leaker of abortion opinion

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/audit-of-kansas-economic-development-programs-offers-mixed-assessment-of-incentives/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Auditors working for the
 Kansas Legislature estimated five of the state’s major business 
development incentive programs would generate positive total returns for
 the private-sector economy but not produce enough growth in tax revenue
 to cover public investments.

The evaluation was ordered in June by a joint committee of the House 
and Senate due to skepticism among some legislators with the state 
government’s use of tax credits or exemptions, or direct expenditure of 
state funds, to convince businesses to make capital investments or 
create jobs in Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly, who won reelection in November,
 invited scrutiny by pointing to her first-term success in pursuing new 
jobs, including a $4 billion Panasonic battery plant for De Soto.

Legislative auditor Josh Luthi said during a briefing with lawmakers 
all five programs were viewed as “generally successful” despite 
projections the programs wouldn’t deliver enough new state and local 
income, sales or property taxes to cover every dollar in direct costs or
 foregone revenue devoted to economic development.

Ranking the five programs in terms of proficiency would be folly, 
Luthi said, because they were of different size, targeted different 
needs and were funded differently.

The audit focused on an alphabet soup of incentives: High Performance
 Incentive Program (HPIP), Job Creation Fund (JCF), Kansas Industrial 
Training (KIT), Kansas Industrial Retraining (KIR) and Promoting 
Employment Across Kansas (PEAK). At least $400 million has been awarded 
to businesses by the Kansas Department of Commerce through these 
programs from 2017 to 2021.

Luthi said auditors sent surveys to nearly 300 businesses that 
received benefits from the five programs to determine whether executives
 would have made the same business decisions if they hadn’t received 
state incentives. In response, 11 said they would have created a new 
business facility in Kansas and hired people to work there without the 
state’s generosity. Thirteen businesses said incentives convinced them 
to do bigger projects or to speed development timelines. Three 
businesses said they would have canceled the projects or moved to 
another state if denied tax dollars.

“Incentives do not always make 100% of the difference,” Luthi said. “Sometimes they don’t make any difference.”

The audit didn’t delve into details of how the Kansas Department of 
Commerce administered these programs. For example, auditors didn’t 
examine how the department negotiated incentive awards with businesses.

Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, said cost recovery was the bottom-line issue related to incentives paid by Kansas taxpayers.

“If we’re putting more money into the program that we’re recovering, 
then it’s not doing its job. The taxpayers need to receive some kind of 
return,” he said.

Democratic Sen. Mary Ware of Wichita said she was frustrated by the 
audit’s lack of reform recommendations and absence of an 
apples-to-apples assessment of economic incentives. She said the 
Legislature could dig deeper into complex topics with the addition of 
personnel to the overloaded auditing division or by shrinking the number
 of audits assigned to them.

“I honestly am not sure what to do with this report,” she said. 
“Throughout this there’s the words estimate, assumption, not a 
projectable sample, survey results can’t be considered representative. 
My conclusion is that this is a 40-page report with limited utility.”

Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Republican from Stilwell and chairman of the 
House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, said 
legislators would welcome information about the experience of companies 
competing with business rivals that got state incentives.

Augusta Rep. Kristey Williams, a Republican, suggested the Department
 of Commerce’s reliance on economic development incentives could fail to
 address the state’s labor shortage. She said there was an estimated 2.5
 unfilled jobs for every unemployed Kansan seeking a job.

“Are you concerned that further incentives are going to not drive 
more people into Kansas, but to move Kansans from one job to another?” 
she said.

The Department of Commerce, which operates the five business 
incentive programs, responded to the report with criticism of the 
decision by auditors to rely on a new economic modeling program rather 
than stick with methodology deployed in 2014 to evaluate state 
incentives. The commerce department said the switch meant meaningful 
comparisons between audits would be impossible.

Bob North, chief counsel to the Department of Commerce, said auditors
 “arbitrarily” chose the new model. He viewed it as a drastic departure 
from the previous evaluation tool. He recommended the state select a 
model and stick with it so program success could be coherently measured 
over time. Internally, he said, the Department of Commerce used a system
 developed at Wichita State University.

He said the auditor’s process was flawed because it didn’t take into 
consideration the influence of construction jobs and capital 
expenditures flowing through the economy. In terms of the Panasonic 
facility, he said, there would be 16,000 construction jobs in the course
 of two years. If those jobs averaged $50,000 per year, he said, the 
auditors’ approach wouldn’t capture that significant fiscal impact.

“We want a tool that helps us administer a programs and we think that
 will be most meaningful to you as well,” North told legislators. “We 
want to give the least amount of incentives possible to recruit or 
retain a project to the state.”

The agency also disagreed with auditors’ decision to closely study 28
 Kansas projects — they were selected, not randomly identified — from 
among 600 projects involving state incentives from 2017 to 2021. Some 
projects were linked to several economic development initiatives. 
Auditors reported 23 of the 28 were projected to yield positive economic
 returns over a 20-year period.

North said the agency supported appropriation of additional funding 
to the Legislature’s auditing division to allow for more robust 
assessments of business incentives. It would be improper to extrapolate 
the value of programs through the lens of a couple dozen projects, he 
said.

In addition, the commerce department said broad conclusions shouldn’t
 be drawn from a supplemental survey of businesses with an “extremely 
low” response rate. The survey was sent to 298 businesses, but only 30 
volunteered to fully complete the survey.

“No one wants to go through another audit,” North said, “but if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674149932056.png" alt="Josh Luthi, an auditor with the Kansas Legislature’s auditing division, says a new report on five of the state’s prominent economic development incentives will produce positive business growth but may not generate enough tax revenue to cover taxpayers’ investment in those programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Josh Luthi, an auditor with the Kansas Legislature’s auditing division, says a new report on five of the state’s prominent economic development incentives will produce positive business growth but may not generate enough tax revenue to cover taxpayers’ investment in those programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/audit-of-kansas-economic-development-programs-offers-mixed-assessment-of-incentives/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Auditors working for the
 Kansas Legislature estimated five of the state’s major business 
development incentive programs would generate positive total returns for
 the private-sector economy but not produce enough growth in tax revenue
 to cover public investments.The evaluation was ordered in June by a joint committee of the House 
and Senate due to skepticism among some legislators with the state 
government’s use of tax credits or exemptions, or direct expenditure of 
state funds, to convince businesses to make capital investments or 
create jobs in Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly, who won reelection in November,
 invited scrutiny by pointing to her first-term success in pursuing new 
jobs, including a $4 billion Panasonic battery plant for De Soto.Legislative auditor Josh Luthi said during a briefing with lawmakers 
all five programs were viewed as “generally successful” despite 
projections the programs wouldn’t deliver enough new state and local 
income, sales or property taxes to cover every dollar in direct costs or
 foregone revenue devoted to economic development.Ranking the five programs in terms of proficiency would be folly, 
Luthi said, because they were of different size, targeted different 
needs and were funded differently.The audit focused on an alphabet soup of incentives: High Performance
 Incentive Program (HPIP), Job Creation Fund (JCF), Kansas Industrial 
Training (KIT), Kansas Industrial Retraining (KIR) and Promoting 
Employment Across Kansas (PEAK). At least $400 million has been awarded 
to businesses by the Kansas Department of Commerce through these 
programs from 2017 to 2021.Luthi said auditors sent surveys to nearly 300 businesses that 
received benefits from the five programs to determine whether executives
 would have made the same business decisions if they hadn’t received 
state incentives. In response, 11 said they would have created a new 
business facility in Kansas and hired people to work there without the 
state’s generosity. Thirteen businesses said incentives convinced them 
to do bigger projects or to speed development timelines. Three 
businesses said they would have canceled the projects or moved to 
another state if denied tax dollars.“Incentives do not always make 100% of the difference,” Luthi said. “Sometimes they don’t make any difference.”The audit didn’t delve into details of how the Kansas Department of 
Commerce administered these programs. For example, auditors didn’t 
examine how the department negotiated incentive awards with businesses.<h2>Frustration bubbles over</h2>Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, said cost recovery was the bottom-line issue related to incentives paid by Kansas taxpayers.“If we’re putting more money into the program that we’re recovering, 
then it’s not doing its job. The taxpayers need to receive some kind of 
return,” he said.Democratic Sen. Mary Ware of Wichita said she was frustrated by the 
audit’s lack of reform recommendations and absence of an 
apples-to-apples assessment of economic incentives. She said the 
Legislature could dig deeper into complex topics with the addition of 
personnel to the overloaded auditing division or by shrinking the number
 of audits assigned to them.“I honestly am not sure what to do with this report,” she said. 
“Throughout this there’s the words estimate, assumption, not a 
projectable sample, survey results can’t be considered representative. 
My conclusion is that this is a 40-page report with limited utility.”Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Republican from Stilwell and chairman of the 
House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, said 
legislators would welcome information about the experience of companies 
competing with business rivals that got state incentives.Augusta Rep. Kristey Williams, a Republican, suggested the Department
 of Commerce’s reliance on economic development incentives could fail to
 address the state’s labor shortage. She said there was an estimated 2.5
 unfilled jobs for every unemployed Kansan seeking a job.“Are you concerned that further incentives are going to not drive 
more people into Kansas, but to move Kansans from one job to another?” 
she said.<h2>Agency’s perspective</h2>The Department of Commerce, which operates the five business 
incentive programs, responded to the report with criticism of the 
decision by auditors to rely on a new economic modeling program rather 
than stick with methodology deployed in 2014 to evaluate state 
incentives. The commerce department said the switch meant meaningful 
comparisons between audits would be impossible.Bob North, chief counsel to the Department of Commerce, said auditors
 “arbitrarily” chose the new model. He viewed it as a drastic departure 
from the previous evaluation tool. He recommended the state select a 
model and stick with it so program success could be coherently measured 
over time. Internally, he said, the Department of Commerce used a system
 developed at Wichita State University.He said the auditor’s process was flawed because it didn’t take into 
consideration the influence of construction jobs and capital 
expenditures flowing through the economy. In terms of the Panasonic 
facility, he said, there would be 16,000 construction jobs in the course
 of two years. If those jobs averaged $50,000 per year, he said, the 
auditors’ approach wouldn’t capture that significant fiscal impact.“We want a tool that helps us administer a programs and we think that
 will be most meaningful to you as well,” North told legislators. “We 
want to give the least amount of incentives possible to recruit or 
retain a project to the state.”The agency also disagreed with auditors’ decision to closely study 28
 Kansas projects — they were selected, not randomly identified — from 
among 600 projects involving state incentives from 2017 to 2021. Some 
projects were linked to several economic development initiatives. 
Auditors reported 23 of the 28 were projected to yield positive economic
 returns over a 20-year period.North said the agency supported appropriation of additional funding 
to the Legislature’s auditing division to allow for more robust 
assessments of business incentives. It would be improper to extrapolate 
the value of programs through the lens of a couple dozen projects, he 
said.In addition, the commerce department said broad conclusions shouldn’t
 be drawn from a supplemental survey of businesses with an “extremely 
low” response rate. The survey was sent to 298 businesses, but only 30 
volunteered to fully complete the survey.“No one wants to go through another audit,” North said, “but if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right.”

Audit of Kansas eco-devo programs offers mixed assessment

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A police officer was injured during an arrest of a Kansas felon in Hutchinson on&nbsp; Wednesday.

&nbsp;Officers arrested 33-year-old Jarrod Pollard on requested charges of theft, criminal trespass, felony interference, battery of a law enforcement officer,&nbsp;possession of opiates, possession of THC, and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

Just after 8:30p.m. police were dispatched to Walmart, 1905 East 17th in Hutchinson, according to Police Lt. Dayton Gates.

“They initially got a call of him [Pollard] inside the mall,” Lt. Gates said. “Then he ran from an officer and they lost track of him, and they later got called he was inside Walmart and then that’s how everything else lined up.” &nbsp;

Pollard was advised of criminal trespassing charges at Walmart on Jan. 17, according to Gates.&nbsp; Pollard has also been involved in theft cases at the Uptown Hutch Mall. &nbsp;

As Pollard was being placed under arrest, he tried to flee HPD officers, prompting an officer to tase him.&nbsp; During the altercation, an officer was injured.&nbsp;

“He was injured during the time officers were taking the suspect into custody,” Lt. Gates said. “He’s fine, he’s recovering at this point.”&nbsp; &nbsp;The officer is off work for the time being, but is expected to make a full recovery. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pollard has six previous convictions for theft, one for ID theft and for obstruction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674158476044.png" alt="Pollard has six previous convictions for theft, one for ID theft and for obstruction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Pollard has six previous convictions for theft, one for ID theft and for obstruction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>JUDD WEIL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A police officer was injured during an arrest of a Kansas felon in Hutchinson on&nbsp; Wednesday.&nbsp;Officers arrested 33-year-old Jarrod Pollard on requested charges of theft, criminal trespass, felony interference, battery of a law enforcement officer,&nbsp;possession of opiates, possession of THC, and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;Just after 8:30p.m. police were dispatched to Walmart, 1905 East 17th in Hutchinson, according to Police Lt. Dayton Gates.“They initially got a call of him [Pollard] inside the mall,” Lt. Gates said. “Then he ran from an officer and they lost track of him, and they later got called he was inside Walmart and then that’s how everything else lined up.” &nbsp;Pollard was advised of criminal trespassing charges at Walmart on Jan. 17, according to Gates.&nbsp; Pollard has also been involved in theft cases at the Uptown Hutch Mall. &nbsp;As Pollard was being placed under arrest, he tried to flee HPD officers, prompting an officer to tase him.&nbsp; During the altercation, an officer was injured.&nbsp;“He was injured during the time officers were taking the suspect into custody,” Lt. Gates said. “He’s fine, he’s recovering at this point.”&nbsp; &nbsp;The officer is off work for the time being, but is expected to make a full recovery. &nbsp;&nbsp;Pollard has six previous convictions for theft, one for ID theft and for obstruction, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

Kan. police officer injured during arrest of theft suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pro-life activists will have multiple reasons to celebrate — and some reasons for unease — when they gather Friday in Washington for the <a href="https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life/">annual March for Life.</a>

The march, which includes a rally drawing abortion opponents from across the nation, has been held annually since January 1974 — a year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision established a nationwide right to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>.

This year’s gathering — 50 years after that decision — will be the first since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">high court struck down Roe</a>&nbsp;in a momentous ruling last June.

Since then, 12 Republican-governed states have implemented sweeping bans on abortion, and several others seek to do the same. But those moves have been offset by other developments. Abortion opponents were defeated in votes on ballot measures in Kansas, Michigan and Kentucky. State courts have blocked several bans from taking effect. And myriad efforts are underway to help women in abortion-ban states either get abortions out of state or use the abortion pill for self-managed abortions.

“It’s almost like the old wild, wild West … everything is still shaking out,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.

With numerous Democratic-governed states taking steps to protect and expand abortion access, Tobias likened the current situation to the pre-Civil War era when the nation was closely divided between free states and slave states.

“I will not be surprised if we have something like that for a few years,” she said. “But I do know that pro-lifers are not going to give up — it’s a civil rights issue for us.”

The theme for this year’s March for Life is “Next Steps: Marching Forward into a Post-Roe America.” Scheduled speakers include Hall of Fame football coach Tony Dungy and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who won the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe.

The president of March for Life, Jeanne Mancini, depicted the June ruling as “a massive victory for the pro-life movement.”

“But the battle to build a culture of life is far from over,” she said. “March for Life will continue to advocate for the unborn and policies that protect them until abortion becomes unthinkable.”

Prospects for any federal legislation restricting abortion nationwide are negligible for now, given that any such measures emerging from the Republican-led House would face rejection in the Democratic-led Senate. The main battlegrounds will be in the states.

Since June, near-total bans on abortion have been implemented in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">Legal challenges are pending</a>&nbsp;against several of those bans.

Elective abortions also are unavailable in Wisconsin, due to legal uncertainties faced by abortion clinics, and in North Dakota, where the lone clinic relocated to Minnesota.

Bans passed by lawmakers in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming have been blocked by state courts while legal challenges are pending. And in South Carolina, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-south-carolina-state-government-6cd1469dbb550c70b64a30f183be203c">state Supreme Court on Jan. 5 struck down a ban</a>&nbsp;on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.

The Guttmacher Institute, a research group which supports abortion rights, says the overall result is “a chaotic legal landscape that is disruptive for providers trying to offer care and patients trying to obtain it.”

“When people do not have access to abortion care in their state, they are forced to make the difficult decision to travel long distances for care, self-manage an abortion or carry an unwanted pregnancy to term,” Guttmacher staffers Elizabeth Nash and Isabel Guarnieri wrote last week.

Looking ahead, some anti-abortion leaders hope the Republicans nominate a 2024 presidential candidate who will aggressively push for nationwide abortion restrictions, rather than keep it as a state-by-state matter.

“The approach to winning on abortion in federal races, proven for a decade, is this: state clearly the ambitious consensus pro-life position and contrast that with the extreme view of Democrat opponents,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America.

Dannenfelser says she’s not surprised by the divisive ups-and-downs that have unfolded since the June ruling.

“This is what it looks like when democracy is restored and we have a voice in the debate,” she said. “For 50 years, we had no voice because the judiciary was always going to shield public opinion from having an effect on the law.”

“We always knew it wouldn’t be a straight line (after Roe’s repeal),” she said, adding "we know neither side is going to lay down and die.”

Professor Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the University of Notre Dame’s Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, suggested the anti-abortion movement may suffer from a perception among many Americans that it’s more concerned with controlling women’s bodies than helping them cope with unintended pregnancies.

“It’s about consolidating their political power, more than about babies," she said.

Some abortion opponents are trying to counter such perceptions. In Texas, for example, anti-abortion groups are urging lawmakers to spend more money on services for pregnant and parenting Texans, including expanding Medicaid coverage for mothers.

According to Texas Right to Life, the state's new abortion ban has had a major impact — it says only 68 abortions were recorded by state health officials in July 2022, compared to 4,879 in July 2021.

The group noted the data does not include illegal, unreported abortions — which are widely believed to be increasing as women obtain abortion pills by mail from overseas or from Mexico suppliers.

Charles Camosy, a medical humanities professor at Creighton University School of Medicine who opposes abortion, has analyzed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-health-kentucky-fabb3a40797c5491e9b2a3a696435161">high-profile election defeats</a>&nbsp;suffered by the anti-abortion movement. Voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected constitutional amendments that would have declared there is no right to abortion; Michigan voters approved an amendment enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution.

“Pro-lifers have clearly and badly lost the PR battle since June and this has shaped how people are voting,” Camosy said via email. He said abortion-rights supporters were better organized and better funded, while many anti-abortion politicians either avoided the issue or sounded too extreme.

“There are obviously very good things that have happened, however,” added Camosy, citing the drop in abortions reported in states with bans.

“Pro-lifers also now relish the chance to actually debate the issues in a democratic, open context ... as opposed to constantly running into the fiats of various courts,” he said. “We may lose some battles early on... but it is worth it to have the debates.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674052326441.png" alt="Friday’s gathering — 50 years after that decision — will be the first since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">high court struck down Roe</a>&nbsp;in a momentous ruling last June.-photo courtesy March for Life" />
 <figcaption>Friday’s gathering — 50 years after that decision — will be the first since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">high court struck down Roe</a>&nbsp;in a momentous ruling last June.-photo courtesy March for Life</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Pro-life activists will have multiple reasons to celebrate — and some reasons for unease — when they gather Friday in Washington for the <a href="https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life/">annual March for Life.</a>The march, which includes a rally drawing abortion opponents from across the nation, has been held annually since January 1974 — a year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision established a nationwide right to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion</a>.This year’s gathering — 50 years after that decision — will be the first since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">high court struck down Roe</a>&nbsp;in a momentous ruling last June.Since then, 12 Republican-governed states have implemented sweeping bans on abortion, and several others seek to do the same. But those moves have been offset by other developments. Abortion opponents were defeated in votes on ballot measures in Kansas, Michigan and Kentucky. State courts have blocked several bans from taking effect. And myriad efforts are underway to help women in abortion-ban states either get abortions out of state or use the abortion pill for self-managed abortions.“It’s almost like the old wild, wild West … everything is still shaking out,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.With numerous Democratic-governed states taking steps to protect and expand abortion access, Tobias likened the current situation to the pre-Civil War era when the nation was closely divided between free states and slave states.“I will not be surprised if we have something like that for a few years,” she said. “But I do know that pro-lifers are not going to give up — it’s a civil rights issue for us.”The theme for this year’s March for Life is “Next Steps: Marching Forward into a Post-Roe America.” Scheduled speakers include Hall of Fame football coach Tony Dungy and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who won the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe.The president of March for Life, Jeanne Mancini, depicted the June ruling as “a massive victory for the pro-life movement.”“But the battle to build a culture of life is far from over,” she said. “March for Life will continue to advocate for the unborn and policies that protect them until abortion becomes unthinkable.”Prospects for any federal legislation restricting abortion nationwide are negligible for now, given that any such measures emerging from the Republican-led House would face rejection in the Democratic-led Senate. The main battlegrounds will be in the states.Since June, near-total bans on abortion have been implemented in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-indiana-state-government-reproductive-rights-7308b2edc8a8ac62446d821abc5fae59">Legal challenges are pending</a>&nbsp;against several of those bans.Elective abortions also are unavailable in Wisconsin, due to legal uncertainties faced by abortion clinics, and in North Dakota, where the lone clinic relocated to Minnesota.Bans passed by lawmakers in Ohio, Indiana and Wyoming have been blocked by state courts while legal challenges are pending. And in South Carolina, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-politics-health-south-carolina-state-government-6cd1469dbb550c70b64a30f183be203c">state Supreme Court on Jan. 5 struck down a ban</a>&nbsp;on abortion after six weeks, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.The Guttmacher Institute, a research group which supports abortion rights, says the overall result is “a chaotic legal landscape that is disruptive for providers trying to offer care and patients trying to obtain it.”“When people do not have access to abortion care in their state, they are forced to make the difficult decision to travel long distances for care, self-manage an abortion or carry an unwanted pregnancy to term,” Guttmacher staffers Elizabeth Nash and Isabel Guarnieri wrote last week.Looking ahead, some anti-abortion leaders hope the Republicans nominate a 2024 presidential candidate who will aggressively push for nationwide abortion restrictions, rather than keep it as a state-by-state matter.“The approach to winning on abortion in federal races, proven for a decade, is this: state clearly the ambitious consensus pro-life position and contrast that with the extreme view of Democrat opponents,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America.Dannenfelser says she’s not surprised by the divisive ups-and-downs that have unfolded since the June ruling.“This is what it looks like when democracy is restored and we have a voice in the debate,” she said. “For 50 years, we had no voice because the judiciary was always going to shield public opinion from having an effect on the law.”“We always knew it wouldn’t be a straight line (after Roe’s repeal),” she said, adding "we know neither side is going to lay down and die.”Professor Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the University of Notre Dame’s Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, suggested the anti-abortion movement may suffer from a perception among many Americans that it’s more concerned with controlling women’s bodies than helping them cope with unintended pregnancies.“It’s about consolidating their political power, more than about babies," she said.Some abortion opponents are trying to counter such perceptions. In Texas, for example, anti-abortion groups are urging lawmakers to spend more money on services for pregnant and parenting Texans, including expanding Medicaid coverage for mothers.According to Texas Right to Life, the state's new abortion ban has had a major impact — it says only 68 abortions were recorded by state health officials in July 2022, compared to 4,879 in July 2021.The group noted the data does not include illegal, unreported abortions — which are widely believed to be increasing as women obtain abortion pills by mail from overseas or from Mexico suppliers.Charles Camosy, a medical humanities professor at Creighton University School of Medicine who opposes abortion, has analyzed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-voting-rights-health-kentucky-fabb3a40797c5491e9b2a3a696435161">high-profile election defeats</a>&nbsp;suffered by the anti-abortion movement. Voters in Kansas and Kentucky rejected constitutional amendments that would have declared there is no right to abortion; Michigan voters approved an amendment enshrining the right to abortion in the state constitution.“Pro-lifers have clearly and badly lost the PR battle since June and this has shaped how people are voting,” Camosy said via email. He said abortion-rights supporters were better organized and better funded, while many anti-abortion politicians either avoided the issue or sounded too extreme.“There are obviously very good things that have happened, however,” added Camosy, citing the drop in abortions reported in states with bans.“Pro-lifers also now relish the chance to actually debate the issues in a democratic, open context ... as opposed to constantly running into the fiats of various courts,” he said. “We may lose some battles early on... but it is worth it to have the debates.”

US divided over Roe's repeal as abortion foes gird for march

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — State troopers arrested a 13-year-old driver from Colorado after a chase that topped 100 mph along an interstate highway in Nebraska.

A state trooper spotted an SUV driving about 35 mph on Interstate 80 near the city of Kearney on Monday night, but the driver sped up and fled east when the trooper tried to pull her over.

The chase continued at speeds over 100 mph until another state trooper put out stop sticks, the Nebraska State Patrol said in a news release. But the Nissan Pathfinder took an exit off the highway and kept driving, although at slower speeds, until a state trooper used a tactical maneuver to bring the vehicle to a stop, the authorities said. The entire chase lasted about 15 minutes.

The 13-year-old girl who was driving the SUV and an 11-year-old boy riding with her were both arrested, and troopers said they found a gun and a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. The State Patrol said both the girl and boy are from Colorado but didn't release their names. They were placed in protective custody.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — State troopers arrested a 13-year-old driver from Colorado after a chase that topped 100 mph along an interstate highway in Nebraska.A state trooper spotted an SUV driving about 35 mph on Interstate 80 near the city of Kearney on Monday night, but the driver sped up and fled east when the trooper tried to pull her over.The chase continued at speeds over 100 mph until another state trooper put out stop sticks, the Nebraska State Patrol said in a news release. But the Nissan Pathfinder took an exit off the highway and kept driving, although at slower speeds, until a state trooper used a tactical maneuver to bring the vehicle to a stop, the authorities said. The entire chase lasted about 15 minutes.The 13-year-old girl who was driving the SUV and an 11-year-old boy riding with her were both arrested, and troopers said they found a gun and a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. The State Patrol said both the girl and boy are from Colorado but didn't release their names. They were placed in protective custody.

100mph chase: 13-year-old driver, juvenile passenger arrested

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident have identified the victim as 62-year-old Mary Dellor of Wichita.

Just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision at the intersection of East Harry Street and Faulders Lane in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Dellor unconscious and not breathing.&nbsp; EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.

Police investigators learned an eastbound 2020 Kia Soul driven by a 65-year-old man struck Dellor as she was crossing from the north side of East Harry to the south at Faulders Lane.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674129813335.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal pedestrian crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal pedestrian crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal pedestrian accident have identified the victim as 62-year-old Mary Dellor of Wichita.Just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision at the intersection of East Harry Street and Faulders Lane in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located Dellor unconscious and not breathing.&nbsp; EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.Police investigators learned an eastbound 2020 Kia Soul driven by a 65-year-old man struck Dellor as she was crossing from the north side of East Harry to the south at Faulders Lane.&nbsp; The accident remains under investigation.

Police: Kansas woman struck by car has died

CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in north-central Kansas have recently fielded several calls about illicit Fentanyl in Cloud County, according to a statement from Concordia Chief of Police and Cloud County Sheriff.

At this time law enforcement authorities believe it is circulating illegally within communities in Cloud County.&nbsp; "We would like to remind you that any illicit drug could be laced with Fentanyl. Typically it is found in counterfeit pills and homemade edibles among other illicit drugs."

"Any candies, edibles or pills not purchased directly from a store or pharmacy or not in its original packaging may have been tampered with."

"Fentanyl is often abused by addicts who obtain it on the street or illegally. Based on lab results, 2 out of 5 seized counterfeit pills contain lethal doses, which the Drug Enforcement Administration defines as being 2 mg of fentanyl."

"However, the different forms of lab-created fentanyl and its analogs, along with it being often combined with other illicit drugs, make it very difficult to determine a specific amount that would lead to death. Fentanyl also affects individuals differently, so what might be fatal for one person might not be for another."

"Any use of fentanyl is potentially deadly.People who use fentanyl can experience an overdose, which occurs when a drug causes severe and life-threatening symptoms."

"Typically, a fentanyl overdose will cause a person’s breathing to be impaired. When the brain does not get enough oxygen, one can go into a coma and suffer from brain damage. The effects of fentanyl on the brain also slow down the function of other major organs, including the heart, kidneys, and lungs, as well as a person’s motor function."

"Potent doses of fentanyl cause a user to experience several dangerous side effects beyond the initial euphoric feelings. When three symptoms are present at the same time, such as coma, small pupils, and difficulty breathing, overdose is very likely. Immediate medical care must be administered to keep that person from suffering from lasting complications and even death."

"If caught early enough and before it reaches the final life-threatening stage, fentanyl overdose can be treated. Naloxone is a medication that is effective against fentanyl and other opioids if given immediately."

"It binds to the opioid receptors in the brain, so that the effects of fentanyl are blocked. The solution can be injected with a needle. The brand names Narcan and Kloxxado are also naloxone but used as a nose spray. Because fentanyl is one of the most potent opioids, naloxone may have to be given multiple times to fully treat the overdose."

"If you suspect someone is overdosing on fentanyl, you can take the following actions:1. Call 911 immediately.2. Roll the person on their side in case they vomit to prevent choking.3. Monitor the person’s breathing and avoid giving any fluid.4. If the person is not breathing, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)."

"If you suspect illegal drug activity in your area please contact law enforcement."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641841246356.png" alt="Fake OxyContin pills often contain fentanyl. -photo U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration" />
 <figcaption>Fake OxyContin pills often contain fentanyl. -photo U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration</figcaption>
 </figure>CLOUD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in north-central Kansas have recently fielded several calls about illicit Fentanyl in Cloud County, according to a statement from Concordia Chief of Police and Cloud County Sheriff.At this time law enforcement authorities believe it is circulating illegally within communities in Cloud County.&nbsp; "We would like to remind you that any illicit drug could be laced with Fentanyl. Typically it is found in counterfeit pills and homemade edibles among other illicit drugs." "Any candies, edibles or pills not purchased directly from a store or pharmacy or not in its original packaging may have been tampered with.""Fentanyl is often abused by addicts who obtain it on the street or illegally. Based on lab results, 2 out of 5 seized counterfeit pills contain lethal doses, which the Drug Enforcement Administration defines as being 2 mg of fentanyl.""However, the different forms of lab-created fentanyl and its analogs, along with it being often combined with other illicit drugs, make it very difficult to determine a specific amount that would lead to death. Fentanyl also affects individuals differently, so what might be fatal for one person might not be for another.""Any use of fentanyl is potentially deadly.People who use fentanyl can experience an overdose, which occurs when a drug causes severe and life-threatening symptoms.""Typically, a fentanyl overdose will cause a person’s breathing to be impaired. When the brain does not get enough oxygen, one can go into a coma and suffer from brain damage. The effects of fentanyl on the brain also slow down the function of other major organs, including the heart, kidneys, and lungs, as well as a person’s motor function.""Potent doses of fentanyl cause a user to experience several dangerous side effects beyond the initial euphoric feelings. When three symptoms are present at the same time, such as coma, small pupils, and difficulty breathing, overdose is very likely. Immediate medical care must be administered to keep that person from suffering from lasting complications and even death.""If caught early enough and before it reaches the final life-threatening stage, fentanyl overdose can be treated. Naloxone is a medication that is effective against fentanyl and other opioids if given immediately.""It binds to the opioid receptors in the brain, so that the effects of fentanyl are blocked. The solution can be injected with a needle. The brand names Narcan and Kloxxado are also naloxone but used as a nose spray. Because fentanyl is one of the most potent opioids, naloxone may have to be given multiple times to fully treat the overdose.""If you suspect someone is overdosing on fentanyl, you can take the following actions:1. Call 911 immediately.2. Roll the person on their side in case they vomit to prevent choking.3. Monitor the person’s breathing and avoid giving any fluid.4. If the person is not breathing, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).""If you suspect illegal drug activity in your area please contact law enforcement."

Law enforcement in north-central Kan. issues fentanyl warning

WASHINGTON (AP) — The countdown toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">a possible U.S. government default</a>&nbsp;is in the offing — with frictions between President Joe Biden and House Republicans raising alarms about whether the U.S. can sidestep a potential economic crisis.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">Treasury Department projects</a>&nbsp;that the federal government will on Thursday reach its legal borrowing capacity of $38.381 trillion, an artificially imposed cap that lawmakers have increased roughly 80 times since the 1960s. Markets so far remain calm, as the government can temporarily rely on accounting tweaks to stay open, meaning that any threats to the economy are several months away. Even many worried analysts assume there will be a deal.

But this particular moment seems more fraught than past brushes with the debt limit because of the broad differences between Biden and new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who presides over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mccarthy-first-week-4f9040a752fb1fd7cc5c949adf734ab3">a restive Republican caucus</a>.

Those differences increase the risk that the government could default on its obligations for political reasons, a problem that could rattle financial markets and — if not resolved — plunge the world's largest economy into a wholly preventable recession.

The pair have several months to forge a deal, as the Treasury Department imposes “extraordinary measures” to keep the government operating until at least June. But years of intensifying partisan hostility have led to a conflicting set of demands that jeopardize the ability of the U.S. lawmakers to work together on a basic duty.

Biden insists on a clean increase to the debt limit so that existing financial commitments can be sustained, refusing to even start talks with Republicans. McCarthy is calling for negotiations that he believes will lead to spending cuts. It's unclear how much he wants to trim and if his fellow Republicans would support any deal after a testy start to the new Congress that required 15 rounds of voting to elect McCarthy speaker.

Asked twice Wednesday if there was evidence that House Republicans can ensure that the government will avert a default, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it's their “constitutional responsibility” to protect the full faith and credit of the United States. She did not say whether the White House saw signs at this stage that a default was off the table.

“We're just not going to negotiate that,” Jean-Pierre said. “They should feel the responsibility.”

For his part, McCarthy said Biden needs to recognize the political realities that come with a divided government. He equates the debt ceiling to a credit card limit and calls for a level of fiscal restraint that did not occur under President Donald Trump, a Republican who in 2019 signed a bipartisan suspension of the debt ceiling.

“Why create a crisis over this?" McCarthy said this week. "I mean, we’ve got a Republican House, a Democratic Senate. We’ve got the president there. I think it’s arrogance to say, ‘Oh, we’re not going to negotiate about pretty much anything’ and especially when it comes to funding.”

Any deal would also need to pass the Democratic Senate. Many Democratic lawmakers are skeptical about the ability to work with Republicans aligned with the “Make America Great Again” movement started by Trump. The MAGA movement has claimed that the 2020 election lost by Trump was rigged, a falsehood that contributed to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“There should be no political brinkmanship with the debt limit,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “It’s reckless for Speaker McCarthy and MAGA Republicans to try and use the full faith and credit of the United States as a political bargaining chip.”

In order to keep the government open, the Treasury Department on Thursday was introducing a series of accounting maneuvers known as “extraordinary measures.” These measures put a hold on contributions and investment redemptions for government workers' retirement and health care funds, giving the government enough financial space to handle its day-to-day expenses until roughly June.

What happens if these measures are exhausted without a deal to raise the debt limit is unknown. A prolonged default could be devastating, with crashing markets and panic-driven layoffs if confidence evaporated in a cornerstone of the global economy, the U.S. Treasury note.

Analysts at Bank of America cautioned in a Friday report that “there is a high degree of uncertainty about the speed and magnitude of the damage the U.S. economy would incur.” The underlying challenge is that the government would have to balance its books on a daily basis if it lacks the ability to issue debt. If the government cannot issue debt, it would have to impose cuts equal in size on an annual basis to 5% of the total U.S. economy. But the analysts say their baseline case is that the U.S. avoids default.

Still, if past debt ceiling showdowns such as the one that occurred in 2011 are any guide, Washington may be in a nervous state of suspended animation with little progress until the “X-date,” the deadline when extraordinary measures are depleted. That creates its own set of challenges.

“A deal probably won’t be reached until the last minute, raising the risk that the deadline to lift the ceiling is inadvertently missed,” said Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">hitting the nation's legal borrowing limit on Thursday,</a>&nbsp;the government is resorting to “extraordinary measures” to avoid a default.

But -- take a breath -- the phrase technically refers to a bunch of accounting workarounds. Yes, accounting.

Because the debt cap limits the issuance of government bonds — a way the U.S. borrows money — these workarounds shift money among accounts and should keep the government open through at least June, according to a letter last week by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

In theory, President Joe Biden and Congress are supposed to use that additional time to work out an agreement to raise the nation's legal $31.38 trillion debt ceiling. These talks often grow heated and go down to the wire, with major economic damage in the balance. But there have been roughly 80 deals to raise or suspend the borrowing cap since the 1960s.

What could be worrisome is not the existence of extraordinary measures, but what happens if they are exhausted this summer without a deal in place. Economists have warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-business-covid-c3d5a98cf3722562e53d0c9a499510b0">could lead to a global financial crisis.</a>

So far, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden are playing what could be a dangerous game of chicken with the world’s largest economy in the middle.

Some questions and answers on the situation:

Yellen’s Friday letter listed two measures that will begin this month in order to prevent the government from defaulting.

First, the government will temporarily suspend payments to the retirement, disability and health benefit funds for federal employees. Second, it will suspend the reinvestment of maturing government bonds in the retirement savings accounts of government workers.

By suspending the payments, the government can reduce the amount of outstanding debt. That enables the Treasury Department to keep financing government operations, according to Yellen’s letter.

WHAT ALLOWS TREASURY TO USE THESE MEASURES?

No dispute there. Congress has given Treasury the authority to do so.

Because these are retirement accounts, no one is harmed by the government equivalent of an IOU. The funds are made whole after a debt ceiling increase or suspension becomes law. It’s not necessarily the measures that can harm the economy but rather the doubts among consumers and businesses about whether lawmakers will increase the borrowing cap.

There were $986 billion in net assets of the civil service and federal employees retirement funds at he end of fiscal 2021, according to a report by the Office of Personnel Management. The required government contributions to the funds are large enough to rely on these extraordinary measures for roughly five months.

“Treasury Secretaries in every Administration over recent decades have used these extraordinary measures when necessary,” Yellen wrote in her letter.

The measures were first deployed in 1985 and have been used at least 16 times since then, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.

Before World War I, Congress needed to approve each bond issuance. The debt limit was created as a workaround to finance the war effort without needing a constant series of votes.

Since then, a tool created to make it easier for the government to function has become a source of dysfunction, stoking partisan warfare and creating economic risk as the debt has increased in size over the past 20 years.

It looks alarming -- and it’s not clear how Biden, McCarthy and the Democratic Senate will find common ground. A default could cause millions of job losses, a deep recession that would reverberate globally and, ironically, higher interest rates that would make it harder to manage the federal debt.

McCarthy said Tuesday that talks should begin immediately on the potential spending cuts that Republicans are seeking in exchange for raising the debt limit, even though the Biden administration has equated that demand to holding the U.S. economy hostage.

“Who wants to put the nation in some type of threat at the last minute of the debt ceiling?” McCarthy said. “Nobody wants to do that. That’s why we’re asking, ’Let’s change our behavior now. Let’s sit down.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674129864216.png" alt="Biden insists on a clean increase to the debt limit so that existing financial commitments can be sustained, refusing to even start talks with Republicans-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden insists on a clean increase to the debt limit so that existing financial commitments can be sustained, refusing to even start talks with Republicans-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The countdown toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-department-of-the-treasury-united-states-government-janet-yellen-business-6fe9b54dcdfea58bead0f4c5f9f89a64">a possible U.S. government default</a>&nbsp;is in the offing — with frictions between President Joe Biden and House Republicans raising alarms about whether the U.S. can sidestep a potential economic crisis.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">Treasury Department projects</a>&nbsp;that the federal government will on Thursday reach its legal borrowing capacity of $38.381 trillion, an artificially imposed cap that lawmakers have increased roughly 80 times since the 1960s. Markets so far remain calm, as the government can temporarily rely on accounting tweaks to stay open, meaning that any threats to the economy are several months away. Even many worried analysts assume there will be a deal.But this particular moment seems more fraught than past brushes with the debt limit because of the broad differences between Biden and new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who presides over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mccarthy-first-week-4f9040a752fb1fd7cc5c949adf734ab3">a restive Republican caucus</a>.Those differences increase the risk that the government could default on its obligations for political reasons, a problem that could rattle financial markets and — if not resolved — plunge the world's largest economy into a wholly preventable recession.The pair have several months to forge a deal, as the Treasury Department imposes “extraordinary measures” to keep the government operating until at least June. But years of intensifying partisan hostility have led to a conflicting set of demands that jeopardize the ability of the U.S. lawmakers to work together on a basic duty.Biden insists on a clean increase to the debt limit so that existing financial commitments can be sustained, refusing to even start talks with Republicans. McCarthy is calling for negotiations that he believes will lead to spending cuts. It's unclear how much he wants to trim and if his fellow Republicans would support any deal after a testy start to the new Congress that required 15 rounds of voting to elect McCarthy speaker.Asked twice Wednesday if there was evidence that House Republicans can ensure that the government will avert a default, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it's their “constitutional responsibility” to protect the full faith and credit of the United States. She did not say whether the White House saw signs at this stage that a default was off the table.“We're just not going to negotiate that,” Jean-Pierre said. “They should feel the responsibility.”For his part, McCarthy said Biden needs to recognize the political realities that come with a divided government. He equates the debt ceiling to a credit card limit and calls for a level of fiscal restraint that did not occur under President Donald Trump, a Republican who in 2019 signed a bipartisan suspension of the debt ceiling.“Why create a crisis over this?" McCarthy said this week. "I mean, we’ve got a Republican House, a Democratic Senate. We’ve got the president there. I think it’s arrogance to say, ‘Oh, we’re not going to negotiate about pretty much anything’ and especially when it comes to funding.”Any deal would also need to pass the Democratic Senate. Many Democratic lawmakers are skeptical about the ability to work with Republicans aligned with the “Make America Great Again” movement started by Trump. The MAGA movement has claimed that the 2020 election lost by Trump was rigged, a falsehood that contributed to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.“There should be no political brinkmanship with the debt limit,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “It’s reckless for Speaker McCarthy and MAGA Republicans to try and use the full faith and credit of the United States as a political bargaining chip.”In order to keep the government open, the Treasury Department on Thursday was introducing a series of accounting maneuvers known as “extraordinary measures.” These measures put a hold on contributions and investment redemptions for government workers' retirement and health care funds, giving the government enough financial space to handle its day-to-day expenses until roughly June.What happens if these measures are exhausted without a deal to raise the debt limit is unknown. A prolonged default could be devastating, with crashing markets and panic-driven layoffs if confidence evaporated in a cornerstone of the global economy, the U.S. Treasury note.Analysts at Bank of America cautioned in a Friday report that “there is a high degree of uncertainty about the speed and magnitude of the damage the U.S. economy would incur.” The underlying challenge is that the government would have to balance its books on a daily basis if it lacks the ability to issue debt. If the government cannot issue debt, it would have to impose cuts equal in size on an annual basis to 5% of the total U.S. economy. But the analysts say their baseline case is that the U.S. avoids default.Still, if past debt ceiling showdowns such as the one that occurred in 2011 are any guide, Washington may be in a nervous state of suspended animation with little progress until the “X-date,” the deadline when extraordinary measures are depleted. That creates its own set of challenges.“A deal probably won’t be reached until the last minute, raising the risk that the deadline to lift the ceiling is inadvertently missed,” said Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">hitting the nation's legal borrowing limit on Thursday,</a>&nbsp;the government is resorting to “extraordinary measures” to avoid a default.Sounds ominous, right?But -- take a breath -- the phrase technically refers to a bunch of accounting workarounds. Yes, accounting.Because the debt cap limits the issuance of government bonds — a way the U.S. borrows money — these workarounds shift money among accounts and should keep the government open through at least June, according to a letter last week by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.In theory, President Joe Biden and Congress are supposed to use that additional time to work out an agreement to raise the nation's legal $31.38 trillion debt ceiling. These talks often grow heated and go down to the wire, with major economic damage in the balance. But there have been roughly 80 deals to raise or suspend the borrowing cap since the 1960s.What could be worrisome is not the existence of extraordinary measures, but what happens if they are exhausted this summer without a deal in place. Economists have warned that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-business-covid-c3d5a98cf3722562e53d0c9a499510b0">could lead to a global financial crisis.</a>So far, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden are playing what could be a dangerous game of chicken with the world’s largest economy in the middle.Some questions and answers on the situation:WHAT ARE “EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES”?Yellen’s Friday letter listed two measures that will begin this month in order to prevent the government from defaulting.First, the government will temporarily suspend payments to the retirement, disability and health benefit funds for federal employees. Second, it will suspend the reinvestment of maturing government bonds in the retirement savings accounts of government workers.By suspending the payments, the government can reduce the amount of outstanding debt. That enables the Treasury Department to keep financing government operations, according to Yellen’s letter.WHAT ALLOWS TREASURY TO USE THESE MEASURES?No dispute there. Congress has given Treasury the authority to do so.Because these are retirement accounts, no one is harmed by the government equivalent of an IOU. The funds are made whole after a debt ceiling increase or suspension becomes law. It’s not necessarily the measures that can harm the economy but rather the doubts among consumers and businesses about whether lawmakers will increase the borrowing cap.HOW BIG ARE THESE RETIREMENT FUNDS?There were $986 billion in net assets of the civil service and federal employees retirement funds at he end of fiscal 2021, according to a report by the Office of Personnel Management. The required government contributions to the funds are large enough to rely on these extraordinary measures for roughly five months.HOW COMMON IS THIS?“Treasury Secretaries in every Administration over recent decades have used these extraordinary measures when necessary,” Yellen wrote in her letter.The measures were first deployed in 1985 and have been used at least 16 times since then, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.WHY DO WE HAVE A DEBT LIMIT?Before World War I, Congress needed to approve each bond issuance. The debt limit was created as a workaround to finance the war effort without needing a constant series of votes.Since then, a tool created to make it easier for the government to function has become a source of dysfunction, stoking partisan warfare and creating economic risk as the debt has increased in size over the past 20 years.HOW RISKY IS THE BRINKMANSHIP THIS TIME?It looks alarming -- and it’s not clear how Biden, McCarthy and the Democratic Senate will find common ground. A default could cause millions of job losses, a deep recession that would reverberate globally and, ironically, higher interest rates that would make it harder to manage the federal debt.McCarthy said Tuesday that talks should begin immediately on the potential spending cuts that Republicans are seeking in exchange for raising the debt limit, even though the Biden administration has equated that demand to holding the U.S. economy hostage.“Who wants to put the nation in some type of threat at the last minute of the debt ceiling?” McCarthy said. “Nobody wants to do that. That’s why we’re asking, ’Let’s change our behavior now. Let’s sit down.”The Biden administration wants the borrowing cap increased without any preconditions. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday ruled out holding talks with McCarthy.DO DEBT LIMIT SHOWDOWNS HELP REDUCE GOVERNMENT DEBT?Not so much.The Congressional Budget Office estimates that annual budget deficits will grow from roughly $1 trillion to more than $2 trillion over the next 10 years.The imbalance over the coming years increasingly reflects government expenses for programs such as Medicare and Social Security that are outstripping tax revenue. That suggests the government would need severe cuts to spending, major tax hikes or some combination of those options.In 2011 when Barack Obama was president and Biden was vice president, there was a bipartisan deal to raise the debt limit by $900 billion in return for $917 billion worth of automatic spending cuts over 10 years.But the debt reduction never fully materialized.After Donald Trump became president in 2017, Republican lawmakers fueled further debt increases by passing deficit-financed tax cuts. Debt accelerated even more with the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, which caused massive government borrowing in order to pull the U.S. out of a deep recession.The CBO last year estimated that the U.S. debt would exceed $40 trillion in 2032.