OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Business and government officials are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike at the end of this week while talks carry on between the largest U.S. freight railroads and their unions.

The railroads have already started to curtail shipments of hazardous materials and have announced plans to stop hauling refrigerated products ahead of Friday's strike deadline. Now businesses that rely on Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Kansas City Southern and other railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products have started planning for the worst.

Meanwhile, Biden administration officials are scrambling to develop a plan to use trucks, ships and planes to try to keep the most crucial chemicals and other goods moving if the railroads stop rolling. But the White House is also keeping the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-economy-congress-eb70df8309880dfea8cbe36aaae3fc47">pressure</a>&nbsp;on the two sides to settle their differences, and a growing number of business groups are lobbying Congress to be prepared to intervene and block a strike if they can't reach an agreement.

“We have made crystal clear to the interested parties the harm that American families, business and farmers and communities would experience if they were not to reach a resolution,” White House press secretary Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. She said a shutdown is “not acceptable.”

In addition to all the businesses that rely on railroads to deliver their goods, passenger railroads are also affected because many of them operate on tracks owned by one of the freight railroads. Amtrak has already cancelled several of its long-distance trains because there wouldn’t be enough time for them to reach their destinations before a strike or lockout would be allowed to begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Amtrak already suspended its California Zephyr and Empire Builder lines that run from Chicago to the West Coast, and starting Wednesday it will stop running its City of New Orleans, Starlight and Texas Eagle lines along with several others.

Commuter railroads would also be affected. In Chicago, Metra warned its riders that it wouldn’t be able to run most of its trains if there is a strike.

The railroads have reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-government-and-politics-497a373594515a27e7435cdf97df7a41">tentative agreements</a>&nbsp;with most of their unions, including a ninth deal announced Tuesday, based on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;of a Presidential Emergency Board Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020. The deal also includes one additional paid leave day a year and higher health insurance costs.

But all 12 railroad unions must agree to prevent a strike. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union that represents engineers, and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union that represents conductors want the railroads to address some of their concerns about unpredictable work schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">strict attendance rules</a>&nbsp;in addition to agreeing to the recommended wage increases.

Ron Kaminkow, general secretary of the Railroad Workers United labor coalition that includes workers from a variety of railroad unions, said he doesn't think the unions are demanding much at this point — just the kind of things most U.S. workers already enjoy like the ability to take time off without being penalized.

“We have attendance policies that have gotten more and more and more draconian. That offer very, very little leeway for workers who need to take time off for doctor’s appointments, for time with family, to be rested,” Kaminkow said.

Starting Monday, all the major railroads put a hold on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transportation-strikes-congress-climate-and-environment-90ec66e850dae76a3215a9fcaef71e53">shipments</a>&nbsp;of hazardous materials to ensure those dangerous chemicals wouldn't be stranded along the tracks if there is a strike. Norfolk Southern told its customers that it will also stop accepting shipments of intermodal containers full of goods starting Wednesday evening as it prepares “for a controlled shutdown of the network.”

Some businesses would likely be affected more than others by a rail shutdown. For instance, nearly all ethanol and coal and most grain moves by rail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663119327130.png" alt="A Union Pacific train travels through Kansas on Tuesday Sept. 13, 2022" />
 <figcaption>A Union Pacific train travels through Kansas on Tuesday Sept. 13, 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Business and government officials are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike at the end of this week while talks carry on between the largest U.S. freight railroads and their unions.The railroads have already started to curtail shipments of hazardous materials and have announced plans to stop hauling refrigerated products ahead of Friday's strike deadline. Now businesses that rely on Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Kansas City Southern and other railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products have started planning for the worst.Meanwhile, Biden administration officials are scrambling to develop a plan to use trucks, ships and planes to try to keep the most crucial chemicals and other goods moving if the railroads stop rolling. But the White House is also keeping the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-economy-congress-eb70df8309880dfea8cbe36aaae3fc47">pressure</a>&nbsp;on the two sides to settle their differences, and a growing number of business groups are lobbying Congress to be prepared to intervene and block a strike if they can't reach an agreement.“We have made crystal clear to the interested parties the harm that American families, business and farmers and communities would experience if they were not to reach a resolution,” White House press secretary Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. She said a shutdown is “not acceptable.”In addition to all the businesses that rely on railroads to deliver their goods, passenger railroads are also affected because many of them operate on tracks owned by one of the freight railroads. Amtrak has already cancelled several of its long-distance trains because there wouldn’t be enough time for them to reach their destinations before a strike or lockout would be allowed to begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday.Amtrak already suspended its California Zephyr and Empire Builder lines that run from Chicago to the West Coast, and starting Wednesday it will stop running its City of New Orleans, Starlight and Texas Eagle lines along with several others.Commuter railroads would also be affected. In Chicago, Metra warned its riders that it wouldn’t be able to run most of its trains if there is a strike.The railroads have reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-government-and-politics-497a373594515a27e7435cdf97df7a41">tentative agreements</a>&nbsp;with most of their unions, including a ninth deal announced Tuesday, based on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;of a Presidential Emergency Board Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020. The deal also includes one additional paid leave day a year and higher health insurance costs.But all 12 railroad unions must agree to prevent a strike. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union that represents engineers, and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union that represents conductors want the railroads to address some of their concerns about unpredictable work schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">strict attendance rules</a>&nbsp;in addition to agreeing to the recommended wage increases.Ron Kaminkow, general secretary of the Railroad Workers United labor coalition that includes workers from a variety of railroad unions, said he doesn't think the unions are demanding much at this point — just the kind of things most U.S. workers already enjoy like the ability to take time off without being penalized.“We have attendance policies that have gotten more and more and more draconian. That offer very, very little leeway for workers who need to take time off for doctor’s appointments, for time with family, to be rested,” Kaminkow said.Starting Monday, all the major railroads put a hold on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transportation-strikes-congress-climate-and-environment-90ec66e850dae76a3215a9fcaef71e53">shipments</a>&nbsp;of hazardous materials to ensure those dangerous chemicals wouldn't be stranded along the tracks if there is a strike. Norfolk Southern told its customers that it will also stop accepting shipments of intermodal containers full of goods starting Wednesday evening as it prepares “for a controlled shutdown of the network.”Some businesses would likely be affected more than others by a rail shutdown. For instance, nearly all ethanol and coal and most grain moves by rail.

Businesses, White House plan for possible rail strike Friday

MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 400 Smoky Valley Public Schools continue investigating an alleged school threat that took place Monday and one student is in custody, according to a media release from police.

Smoky Valley school officials were made aware of information about a potential threat made through social media towards Smoky Valley High School, 1 Viking Boulevard in Lindsborg.

Police were notified of the potential threat and immediately started an investigation into this incident. Through a collaborative effort between USD 400 officials, the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lindsborg Police Department that went late into the morning hours, a juvenile subject was identified and taken into custody without incident.

While the immediate incident has been resolved, the investigation remains active and ongoing. The Lindsborg Police Department takes these incidents seriously and will investigate them accordingly.

MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 400-Smoky Valley Public School are investigating an alleged school threat.

Late Monday, school district officials and Lindsborg Police Department were contacted&nbsp;with information about a potential threat made through social media towards Smoky Valley High School, 1 Viking Boulevard in Lindsborg, according to a statement from&nbsp; Superintendent Heath Hogan on the school district web site.

The Lindsborg Police Department immediately started an investigation into the incident and numerous people of interest are being interviewed by police.&nbsp;

Smoky Valley High School is holding classes on its regular schedule on Tuesday.&nbsp; There is an increased law enforcement presence.&nbsp; Anyone who has specific information related to this threat should contact the Lindsborg Police Department, 785-227-2988.

"The school and the district take every threat seriously and all with be investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;The district encourages you to report any information about any school safety related incidents to administrators or staff at school, or to the Lindsborg Police Department."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573757762937.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 400 Smoky Valley Public Schools continue investigating an alleged school threat that took place Monday and one student is in custody, according to a media release from police.Smoky Valley school officials were made aware of information about a potential threat made through social media towards Smoky Valley High School, 1 Viking Boulevard in Lindsborg.Police were notified of the potential threat and immediately started an investigation into this incident. Through a collaborative effort between USD 400 officials, the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lindsborg Police Department that went late into the morning hours, a juvenile subject was identified and taken into custody without incident.While the immediate incident has been resolved, the investigation remains active and ongoing. The Lindsborg Police Department takes these incidents seriously and will investigate them accordingly.---------MCPHERSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities and USD 400-Smoky Valley Public School are investigating an alleged school threat.Late Monday, school district officials and Lindsborg Police Department were contacted&nbsp;with information about a potential threat made through social media towards Smoky Valley High School, 1 Viking Boulevard in Lindsborg, according to a statement from&nbsp; Superintendent Heath Hogan on the school district web site.The Lindsborg Police Department immediately started an investigation into the incident and numerous people of interest are being interviewed by police.&nbsp;Smoky Valley High School is holding classes on its regular schedule on Tuesday.&nbsp; There is an increased law enforcement presence.&nbsp; Anyone who has specific information related to this threat should contact the Lindsborg Police Department, 785-227-2988."The school and the district take every threat seriously and all with be investigated.&nbsp;&nbsp;The district encourages you to report any information about any school safety related incidents to administrators or staff at school, or to the Lindsborg Police Department."

Police make arrest for alleged threat at Kan. high school

WASHINGTON (AP) — Upending the political debate, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">nationwide abortion ban</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, sending shockwaves through both parties and igniting fresh debate on a fraught issue weeks before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>&nbsp;that will determine control of Congress.

Graham's own Republican Party leaders did not immediately embrace his abortion ban bill, which would prohibit the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy with rare exceptions, and has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-held Congress. Democrats torched it as an alarming signal of where “MAGA” Republicans are headed if they win control of the House and Senate in November.

"America’s got to make some decisions," Graham said at a news conference at the Capitol.

The South Carolina Republican said that rather than shying away from the Supreme Court's ruling this summer overturning Roe vs. Wade's nearly 50-year right to abortion access, Republicans are preparing to fight to make a nationwide abortion ban federal law.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, we’re going nowhere,” the senator said while flanked by female advocates from the anti-abortion movement. “We welcome the debate. We welcome the vote in the United States Senate as to what America should look like in 2022.”

Reaction was swift, fierce and unwavering from Democrats who viewed Graham's legislation as an extreme example of the far-right's hold on the GOP, and as a political gift of self-inflicted pain for Republican candidates now having to answer questions about an abortion ban heading toward the midterm elections.

“A nationwide abortion ban — that’s the contrast between the two parties, plain and simple,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-congress-government-and-politics-3470f5158353cf2797f8fac4d9330eaf">Patty Murray</a>, a Democrat from Washington who is in her own fight for reelection, said Republicans “want to force” women to stay pregnant and deliver babies.

“To anyone who thought they were safe, here is the painful reality,” she said. “Republicans are coming for your rights.”

The sudden turn of events comes in a razor-tight election season as Republicans hoping to win control of Congress are struggling to recapture momentum, particularly after the Supreme Court's landmark decision sparked deep concerns among some voters, with signs of female voters peeling away from the GOP.

In a midterm election where the party out of the White House traditionally holds an advantage, even more so this year with President Joe Biden's lackluster approval ratings, the Democrats have regained their own momentum pushing back the GOP candidates in House and Senate races.

Tuesday's announcement set up an immediate split screen with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>&nbsp;and Democrats poised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-89706a04bc727d3e58ab6bb4b2efa995">to celebrate their accomplishments</a>&nbsp;in a ceremony at the White House after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and Republicans forced to answer for Graham's proposed abortion ban.

"This bill is wildly out of step with what Americans believe," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

"While President Biden and Vice President Harris are focused on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, health care, and energy – and to take unprecedented action to address climate change — Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions of women," Jean-Pierre said.

Graham's legislation has almost zero chance of becoming law, but it elevates the abortion issue at a time when other Republicans would prefer to focus on inflation, border security and Biden's leadership.

The Republican bill would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or risk to the physical health of the mother. Graham said it would put the U.S. on par with many countries in Europe and around the world.

In particular, Graham's bill would leave in place state laws that are more restrictive. That provision is notable because many Republicans have argued that the Supreme Court's ruling leaves the abortion issue for the states to decide. But the legislation from the Republicans makes it clear states are only allowed to decide the issue if their abortion bans are more stringent.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is one seat away from majority control, declined to embrace Graham's legislation.

“I think every Republican senator running this year in these contested races has an answer as to how they feel about the issue," McConnell said. He said most GOP senators prefer having the issue dealt with by the states, rather than at the federal level. "So I leave it up to our candidates who are quite capable of handling this issue to determine for them what their response is.”

The Democratic senators most at risk this fall and other Democratic candidates running for Congress appeared eager to fight against Graham's proposed nationwide abortion ban.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, tweeted that Graham “and every other anti-choice extremist can take a hike.”

Her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt, has during his campaign insisted that abortion is protected in the state constitution, which it may no longer be under this bill.

In Colorado, another Democrat up for reelection, Sen. Michael Bennet, tweeted: “A nationwide abortion ban is outrageous. "

Bennet pledged "to defend a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, no matter what ZIP code she lives in. We cannot afford to let the Republicans take back the Senate.”

His opponent in Colorado, Republican Joe O’Dea, who supports putting abortion access that had been guaranteed under Roe vs. Wade into law, agreed, in part: “A Republican ban is as reckless and tone deaf as is Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer’s hostility to considering any compromise on late term abortion, parental notification or conscience protections for religious hospitals.”

The races for control of Congress are tight in the split 50-50 Senate, where one seat determines majority control, and in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose only a few seats.

Pelosi called Graham's bill the “clearest signal of extreme MAGA Republicans’ intent to criminalize women’s health freedom in all 50 states and arrest doctors for providing basic care. Make no mistake: if Republicans get the chance, they will work to pass laws even more draconian than this bill.”

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill tried to hold the party together amid the differences.

“I think that what it’s attempting to do is probably change the conversation a little bit,” said Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and second-ranking party leader.

“Democrats are implying that all Republicans are for a ban without exceptions, and that’s not true,” Thune said. “There are Republicans who are in favor of restrictions. And I think this is an attempt to at least put something out there that reflects the views of a lot of Republicans who are in favor of some restrictions.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Upending the political debate, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">nationwide abortion ban</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, sending shockwaves through both parties and igniting fresh debate on a fraught issue weeks before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>&nbsp;that will determine control of Congress.Graham's own Republican Party leaders did not immediately embrace his abortion ban bill, which would prohibit the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy with rare exceptions, and has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-held Congress. Democrats torched it as an alarming signal of where “MAGA” Republicans are headed if they win control of the House and Senate in November."America’s got to make some decisions," Graham said at a news conference at the Capitol.The South Carolina Republican said that rather than shying away from the Supreme Court's ruling this summer overturning Roe vs. Wade's nearly 50-year right to abortion access, Republicans are preparing to fight to make a nationwide abortion ban federal law.“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, we’re going nowhere,” the senator said while flanked by female advocates from the anti-abortion movement. “We welcome the debate. We welcome the vote in the United States Senate as to what America should look like in 2022.”Reaction was swift, fierce and unwavering from Democrats who viewed Graham's legislation as an extreme example of the far-right's hold on the GOP, and as a political gift of self-inflicted pain for Republican candidates now having to answer questions about an abortion ban heading toward the midterm elections.“A nationwide abortion ban — that’s the contrast between the two parties, plain and simple,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-abortion-congress-government-and-politics-3470f5158353cf2797f8fac4d9330eaf">Patty Murray</a>, a Democrat from Washington who is in her own fight for reelection, said Republicans “want to force” women to stay pregnant and deliver babies.“To anyone who thought they were safe, here is the painful reality,” she said. “Republicans are coming for your rights.”The sudden turn of events comes in a razor-tight election season as Republicans hoping to win control of Congress are struggling to recapture momentum, particularly after the Supreme Court's landmark decision sparked deep concerns among some voters, with signs of female voters peeling away from the GOP.In a midterm election where the party out of the White House traditionally holds an advantage, even more so this year with President Joe Biden's lackluster approval ratings, the Democrats have regained their own momentum pushing back the GOP candidates in House and Senate races.Tuesday's announcement set up an immediate split screen with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Biden</a>&nbsp;and Democrats poised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-89706a04bc727d3e58ab6bb4b2efa995">to celebrate their accomplishments</a>&nbsp;in a ceremony at the White House after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and Republicans forced to answer for Graham's proposed abortion ban."This bill is wildly out of step with what Americans believe," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement."While President Biden and Vice President Harris are focused on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, health care, and energy – and to take unprecedented action to address climate change — Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions of women," Jean-Pierre said.Graham's legislation has almost zero chance of becoming law, but it elevates the abortion issue at a time when other Republicans would prefer to focus on inflation, border security and Biden's leadership.The Republican bill would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or risk to the physical health of the mother. Graham said it would put the U.S. on par with many countries in Europe and around the world.In particular, Graham's bill would leave in place state laws that are more restrictive. That provision is notable because many Republicans have argued that the Supreme Court's ruling leaves the abortion issue for the states to decide. But the legislation from the Republicans makes it clear states are only allowed to decide the issue if their abortion bans are more stringent.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is one seat away from majority control, declined to embrace Graham's legislation.“I think every Republican senator running this year in these contested races has an answer as to how they feel about the issue," McConnell said. He said most GOP senators prefer having the issue dealt with by the states, rather than at the federal level. "So I leave it up to our candidates who are quite capable of handling this issue to determine for them what their response is.”The Democratic senators most at risk this fall and other Democratic candidates running for Congress appeared eager to fight against Graham's proposed nationwide abortion ban.Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, tweeted that Graham “and every other anti-choice extremist can take a hike.”Her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt, has during his campaign insisted that abortion is protected in the state constitution, which it may no longer be under this bill.In Colorado, another Democrat up for reelection, Sen. Michael Bennet, tweeted: “A nationwide abortion ban is outrageous. "Bennet pledged "to defend a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions, no matter what ZIP code she lives in. We cannot afford to let the Republicans take back the Senate.”His opponent in Colorado, Republican Joe O’Dea, who supports putting abortion access that had been guaranteed under Roe vs. Wade into law, agreed, in part: “A Republican ban is as reckless and tone deaf as is Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer’s hostility to considering any compromise on late term abortion, parental notification or conscience protections for religious hospitals.”The races for control of Congress are tight in the split 50-50 Senate, where one seat determines majority control, and in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose only a few seats.Pelosi called Graham's bill the “clearest signal of extreme MAGA Republicans’ intent to criminalize women’s health freedom in all 50 states and arrest doctors for providing basic care. Make no mistake: if Republicans get the chance, they will work to pass laws even more draconian than this bill.”Republican leaders on Capitol Hill tried to hold the party together amid the differences.“I think that what it’s attempting to do is probably change the conversation a little bit,” said Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and second-ranking party leader.“Democrats are implying that all Republicans are for a ban without exceptions, and that’s not true,” Thune said. “There are Republicans who are in favor of restrictions. And I think this is an attempt to at least put something out there that reflects the views of a lot of Republicans who are in favor of some restrictions.”

GOP Senator unveils nationwide abortion ban legislation

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay 
estimated taxes that the deadline to submit their third quarter payment 
is Sept. 15.

Taxpayers not subject to withholding, such as those who are self-employed, investors or retirees, may need to make <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">quarterly estimated tax payments</a>.
 Taxpayers with other income not subject to withholding, including 
interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony, cryptocurrency and rental 
income, also normally make estimated tax payments.

In most cases, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments if they expect:

Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, fishermen, casualty and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">disaster victims</a>, those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who receive income unevenly during the year. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>, provides more information on estimated tax rules. The worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, has details on who must pay estimated tax.

To figure estimated tax, individuals must figure their expected 
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), taxable income, taxes, deductions and 
credits for the year.

When figuring 2022 estimated tax, it may be helpful to use income, 
deductions and credits for 2021 as a starting point. Use the 2021 
federal tax return as a guide. Taxpayers can use Form 1040-ES to figure 
their estimated tax.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 on IRS.gov offers taxpayers a clear, step-by-step method to have their 
employers withhold the right amount of tax from their paycheck. It also 
has instructions to file a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a> to give to their employer to adjust the amount withheld each payday.

Taxpayers who underpaid their taxes may have to pay a penalty. This 
applies whether they paid through withholding or through estimated tax 
payments. A penalty may also apply for late estimated tax payments even 
if someone is due a refund when they file their tax return.

To see if they owe a penalty, taxpayers should use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>. Taxpayers can also see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2210">Form 2210 instructions</a>
 under the "Waiver of Penalty" section. The IRS may waive the penalty if
 someone underpaid because of unusual circumstances and not willful 
neglect. Examples include:

The fourth and final 2022 estimated tax payment is due Jan. 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay 
estimated taxes that the deadline to submit their third quarter payment 
is Sept. 15.Taxpayers not subject to withholding, such as those who are self-employed, investors or retirees, may need to make <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">quarterly estimated tax payments</a>.
 Taxpayers with other income not subject to withholding, including 
interest, dividends, capital gains, alimony, cryptocurrency and rental 
income, also normally make estimated tax payments.In most cases, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments if they expect:<ul>
 <li>To owe at least $1,000 in taxes for 2022 after subtracting their withholding and tax credits.</li><li>Their withholding and tax credits to be less than the smaller of:
	90% of the tax to be shown on their 2022 tax return or100% of the tax shown on their 2021 tax return. Their 2021 tax return must cover all 12 months.</li><li>90% of the tax to be shown on their 2022 tax return or</li><li>100% of the tax shown on their 2021 tax return. Their 2021 tax return must cover all 12 months.</li>
 </ul>Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, fishermen, casualty and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/disaster-assistance-and-emergency-relief-for-individuals-and-businesses">disaster victims</a>, those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who receive income unevenly during the year. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>, provides more information on estimated tax rules. The worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, or <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, has details on who must pay estimated tax.<h2>How to figure estimated tax</h2>To figure estimated tax, individuals must figure their expected 
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), taxable income, taxes, deductions and 
credits for the year.When figuring 2022 estimated tax, it may be helpful to use income, 
deductions and credits for 2021 as a starting point. Use the 2021 
federal tax return as a guide. Taxpayers can use Form 1040-ES to figure 
their estimated tax.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 on IRS.gov offers taxpayers a clear, step-by-step method to have their 
employers withhold the right amount of tax from their paycheck. It also 
has instructions to file a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a> to give to their employer to adjust the amount withheld each payday.<h2>How to avoid an underpayment penalty</h2>Taxpayers who underpaid their taxes may have to pay a penalty. This 
applies whether they paid through withholding or through estimated tax 
payments. A penalty may also apply for late estimated tax payments even 
if someone is due a refund when they file their tax return.To see if they owe a penalty, taxpayers should use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>. Taxpayers can also see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2210">Form 2210 instructions</a>
 under the "Waiver of Penalty" section. The IRS may waive the penalty if
 someone underpaid because of unusual circumstances and not willful 
neglect. Examples include:<ul>
 <li>Casualty, disaster or another unusual situation.</li><li>An individual retired after reaching age 62 during a tax year when estimated tax payments applied.</li><li>An individual became disabled during a tax year when estimated tax payments applied.</li><li>Specific written advice from an IRS agent given in response to a 
specific written request. The taxpayer must provide copies of both.</li>
 </ul>The fourth and final 2022 estimated tax payment is due Jan. 17.

IRS: Thursday the deadline for 3Q estimated tax payments

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect wanted for alleged child sex and immigration crimes after a traffic stop.

Just after 1a.m. Sunday, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1998 Honda Civic in the 1400 block of SW Topeka Boulevard that was failing to maintain its lane of traffic, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, it was determined that the driver was too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. After providing multiple false identities, Deputies arrested 41-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;Hugo Enrique Lopez-Vela of Topeka.

He is being held on requested charges of driving under the influence, felony interference with law enforcement, aggravated false impersonation, transporting an open container of liquor, driving with a suspended driver’s license and improper driving on a laned roadway.

Investigators also discovered that Lopez-Vela&nbsp; had a felony warrant for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and an immigration felony deportation violation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663012552351.png" alt="Lopez-Vela-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lopez-Vela-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect wanted for alleged child sex and immigration crimes after a traffic stop.Just after 1a.m. Sunday, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1998 Honda Civic in the 1400 block of SW Topeka Boulevard that was failing to maintain its lane of traffic, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, it was determined that the driver was too impaired to operate a motor vehicle. After providing multiple false identities, Deputies arrested 41-year-old&nbsp;&nbsp;Hugo Enrique Lopez-Vela of Topeka.He is being held on requested charges of driving under the influence, felony interference with law enforcement, aggravated false impersonation, transporting an open container of liquor, driving with a suspended driver’s license and improper driving on a laned roadway.Investigators also discovered that Lopez-Vela&nbsp; had a felony warrant for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and an immigration felony deportation violation.

Kan. child sex crime suspect was wanted for deportation violation

KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; Wisconsin woman has been charged with two felonies in connection with the crash Aug. 27 that killed bicyclist <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/criniere-family-benevolence-fund?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&amp;fbclid=IwAR3ceZF8RpML3WKR_BGamPVj5U4pHCAsXr7heQeF5ZyexD9j0bF-ArfZn08">Charles Criniere</a>, a father of 10, near Longview Lake and View High Drive, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Kyrie Fields, 27, faces Leaving The Scene of an Accident -- Accident Resulting in Death and Tampering With a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree.

According to court records filed Tuesday, Kansas City police responded on Aug. 27, 2022, to a fatal hit and run crash involving a bicycle. Officers found the victim who had been struck by a vehicle.

Vehicle parts were found at the scene. The investigation determined that a white Acura MDX was the vehicle involved. A white Acura MDX was soon recovered by the Grandview Police Department. &nbsp;

The vehicle had been set on fire on Aug. 28, 2022. Police matched parts recovered at the scene to the burned vehicle. Detectives also determined the defendant, Kyrie Fields, had been driving the vehicle. The defendant told police she was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. She was texting a friend, then she took her eyes of the roadway and when she looked up she struck the victim on his bicycle.&nbsp;

This case remains under review. Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663094716077.png" alt="Charles Criniere and his family photo courtesy GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Charles Criniere and his family photo courtesy GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; Wisconsin woman has been charged with two felonies in connection with the crash Aug. 27 that killed bicyclist <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/criniere-family-benevolence-fund?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&amp;fbclid=IwAR3ceZF8RpML3WKR_BGamPVj5U4pHCAsXr7heQeF5ZyexD9j0bF-ArfZn08">Charles Criniere</a>, a father of 10, near Longview Lake and View High Drive, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Kyrie Fields, 27, faces Leaving The Scene of an Accident -- Accident Resulting in Death and Tampering With a Motor Vehicle 1st Degree.According to court records filed Tuesday, Kansas City police responded on Aug. 27, 2022, to a fatal hit and run crash involving a bicycle. Officers found the victim who had been struck by a vehicle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663094812944.png" alt="Fields is being held on a $100,000 bond-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Fields is being held on a $100,000 bond-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Vehicle parts were found at the scene. The investigation determined that a white Acura MDX was the vehicle involved. A white Acura MDX was soon recovered by the Grandview Police Department. &nbsp;The vehicle had been set on fire on Aug. 28, 2022. Police matched parts recovered at the scene to the burned vehicle. Detectives also determined the defendant, Kyrie Fields, had been driving the vehicle. The defendant told police she was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. She was texting a friend, then she took her eyes of the roadway and when she looked up she struck the victim on his bicycle.&nbsp;This case remains under review. Prosecutors requested a $100,000 bond.&nbsp;

Police: Woman tried to burn her SUV after fatal KC hit-and-run crash 

CHICAGO — Amtrak is canceling the Southwest Chief that travels across Kansas and many other long-distance routes as the rail carrier continues to assess the ongoing freight rail management - labor contract negotiations, according to a media release.

Railroad workers are prepared to go on strike later this week, which would cripple the nation's movement of freight and goods. The strike would also cause the disruption of long-distance trains, including the Southwest Chief.

Amtrak canceled Tuesday departures for its Western U.S.-focused Empire Builder, California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief routes. That means the train coming into Hutchinson on Thursday is canceled. On Tuesday afternoon, the railroad said it was suspending all service for the Chief.

If your train is canceled, Amtrak&nbsp; will attempt to notify you at least 24 hours in advance. If you need information, contact 1-800-USA-Rail.

On Tuesday afternoon, Amtrak released this statement:

Amtrak will be pre-emptively canceling trips over an additional seven Long Distance routes&nbsp;to avoid possible passenger disruptions while enroute&nbsp;on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. &nbsp;

Amtrak is closely monitoring the ongoing freight rail – rail labor contract negotiations. The negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce. While we are hopeful that parties will reach a resolution, Amtrak has now begun phased adjustments to our service in preparation for a possible freight rail service interruption later this week. Such an interruption could significantly impact intercity passenger rail service, as Amtrak operates almost all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on track owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads. These initial adjustments include canceling some Long Distance routes starting on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, and could be followed by impacts to all Long Distance and most State-Supported routes.&nbsp; These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most travel within the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (Boston - New York - Washington) and related branch lines to Albany, NY, Harrisburg, PA, and Springfield, MA would not be affected:&nbsp;Acela&nbsp;would operate a full schedule, and only a small number of&nbsp;Northeast Regional&nbsp;departures would be impacted. Amtrak will reach out to impacted and potentially impacted customers, informing them of the potential situation, offering to change their reservation to another travel date, waiving any difference in fare for departures through October 31, or receiving a full refund without cancelation fees.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609263248923.png" alt="The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas." />
 <figcaption>The Chief runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and serves Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO — Amtrak is canceling the Southwest Chief that travels across Kansas and many other long-distance routes as the rail carrier continues to assess the ongoing freight rail management - labor contract negotiations, according to a media release.Railroad workers are prepared to go on strike later this week, which would cripple the nation's movement of freight and goods. The strike would also cause the disruption of long-distance trains, including the Southwest Chief.Amtrak canceled Tuesday departures for its Western U.S.-focused Empire Builder, California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief routes. That means the train coming into Hutchinson on Thursday is canceled. On Tuesday afternoon, the railroad said it was suspending all service for the Chief.If your train is canceled, Amtrak&nbsp; will attempt to notify you at least 24 hours in advance. If you need information, contact 1-800-USA-Rail.On Tuesday afternoon, Amtrak released this statement:Amtrak will be pre-emptively canceling trips over an additional seven Long Distance routes&nbsp;to avoid possible passenger disruptions while enroute&nbsp;on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. &nbsp;Information:Amtrak is closely monitoring the ongoing freight rail – rail labor contract negotiations. The negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce. While we are hopeful that parties will reach a resolution, Amtrak has now begun phased adjustments to our service in preparation for a possible freight rail service interruption later this week. Such an interruption could significantly impact intercity passenger rail service, as Amtrak operates almost all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on track owned, maintained, and dispatched by freight railroads. These initial adjustments include canceling some Long Distance routes starting on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, and could be followed by impacts to all Long Distance and most State-Supported routes.&nbsp; These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most travel within the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (Boston - New York - Washington) and related branch lines to Albany, NY, Harrisburg, PA, and Springfield, MA would not be affected:&nbsp;Acela&nbsp;would operate a full schedule, and only a small number of&nbsp;Northeast Regional&nbsp;departures would be impacted. Amtrak will reach out to impacted and potentially impacted customers, informing them of the potential situation, offering to change their reservation to another travel date, waiving any difference in fare for departures through October 31, or receiving a full refund without cancelation fees.&nbsp;&nbsp;Customer Impact:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Amtrak will only operate trains this week that we can ensure will have enough time to reach their final destinations by 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Suspended services starting Tuesday, Sept. 13:</li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/southwest-chief-train.html" target="_blank">Southwest Chief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/empire-builder-train.html" target="_blank">Empire Builder</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/california-zephyr-train.html" target="_blank">California Zephyr</a></li><li>Train #421 portion of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/texas-eagle-train.html" target="_blank">Texas Eagle</a>&nbsp;(Los Angeles-San Antonio)</li><li>Suspended services starting Wednesday, Sept. 14:</li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/city-of-new-orleans-train.html" target="_blank">City of New Orleans</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/coast-starlight-train.html" target="_blank">Coast Starlight</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/crescent-train.html" target="_blank">Crescent</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/lake-shore-limited-train.html" target="_blank">Lake Shore Limited</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/silver-service-palmetto-train.html" target="_blank">Silver Star</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/sunset-limited-train.html" target="_blank">Sunset Limited</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amtrak.com/routes/texas-eagle-train.html" target="_blank">Texas Eagle</a></li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Amtrak will notify additional customers scheduled to be on upcoming trains about the possibility of disruptions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Amtrak cancels Southwest Chief due to pending rail strike

RENO COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 2p.m. Tuesday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 GMC Van driven by&nbsp; Michael L. Godwin, 46, McPherson, was northbound on Kansas 61 four miles north of Hutchinson.

The vehicle traveled through the median, across the southbound lanes of K61 and came to rest in the northwest ditch.

EMS transported&nbsp;Godwin to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RENO COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 2p.m. Tuesday in Reno County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 GMC Van driven by&nbsp; Michael L. Godwin, 46, McPherson, was northbound on Kansas 61 four miles north of Hutchinson.The vehicle traveled through the median, across the southbound lanes of K61 and came to rest in the northwest ditch.EMS transported&nbsp;Godwin to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after van lands in ditch 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita City Council on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and fentanyl test strips in the state's largest city.

(Click below to watch the council's discussion)

The move would eliminate between 750 and 850 prosecutions a year from the municipal courts. Marijuana possession is still illegal under state and federal law but local law enforcement agencies generally bring most minor marijuana possession cases to court.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett did not take a position on the proposal but said his office doesn't have the resources to prosecute an additional 750 to 850 marijuana possession cases a year.

The repeal is scheduled for a second reading next week and is set to take effect Sept. 23.

Kansas has been far slower than other states to liberalize its marijuana laws, largely because there’s no way for voters to get proposed laws on the ballot. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a measure this year to allow Kansans to use prescriptions derived from cannabis-related products if the drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as three currently are.

Legislative leaders formed a committee to study medical marijuana this fall and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking reelection, supports the idea.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663099980871.png" alt="Wichita Mayor Dr. Brandon Whipple during Tuesday's discussion&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Wichita Mayor Dr. Brandon Whipple during Tuesday's discussion&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita City Council on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and fentanyl test strips in the state's largest city.(Click below to watch the council's discussion)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9k8TyXAZDB0?start=3898" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663100000837.png" alt="The former ordinance" />
 <figcaption>The former ordinance</figcaption>
 </figure>The move would eliminate between 750 and 850 prosecutions a year from the municipal courts. Marijuana possession is still illegal under state and federal law but local law enforcement agencies generally bring most minor marijuana possession cases to court.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: A bipartisan majority of 5-2 PASSED <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofWichita?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CityofWichita</a>&#39;s ordinance removing fentanyl test strips from our drug paraphernalia list, as well as removing marijuana from the city code! Thanks everyone who fought for these data based, harm reduction strategies. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a>&mdash; Dr. Brandon Whipple (@BWhippleKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BWhippleKS/status/1569743207793049602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett did not take a position on the proposal but said his office doesn't have the resources to prosecute an additional 750 to 850 marijuana possession cases a year.The repeal is scheduled for a second reading next week and is set to take effect Sept. 23.Kansas has been far slower than other states to liberalize its marijuana laws, largely because there’s no way for voters to get proposed laws on the ballot. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a measure this year to allow Kansans to use prescriptions derived from cannabis-related products if the drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as three currently are.Legislative leaders formed a committee to study medical marijuana this fall and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking reelection, supports the idea.

🎥 Wichita City Council votes to decriminalize marijuana possession

By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/13/emporia-state-university-is-about-to-suspend-tenure-heres-why-you-should-care/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

It would be an improper firing, a violation of my First Amendment 
rights as a university professor, an infringement of the ability to 
pursue my discipline and state the truth as I see it in the marketplace 
of ideas. The given reason might be restructuring, a need for change, a 
response to a crisis, or even “conduct.” But I fear the underlying 
reason for my firing, and that of my colleagues, would be that it’s a 
political maneuver to end tenure.

Outspoken professors like me would ordinarily rely on the protection 
offered by tenure, but shortly after you read this column, that 
foundational protection may have already been suspended at Emporia State
 University, one of six public universities in Kansas.

A <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/07/emporia-state-university-seeks-authority-to-begin-campus-workforce-restructuring/">plan to restructure the school</a>
 and allow the firing of faculty members with only a 30-day notice is 
expected to be approved this week by the Kansas Board of Regents, which 
oversees the state’s higher education. If adopted, the “workforce 
management plan” would effectively suspend tenure for the fall 2022 
semester.

A semester doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough time to wreck 
careers and burn down programs that have taken decades to build. It’s 
enough time to change an institution that has contributed to the common 
good in Kansas for more than 150 years to one that is dedicated to … 
well, we just don’t know yet.

There are few details in the draft “workforce management plan” 
presented to faculty just last Wednesday, no metrics by which to 
consider the closing of programs or the firing of instructors. There is a
 lot of hot air about being “forward focused and future ready.”

The draft is not a management plan, as observed by one professor at a
 faculty forum on Friday, but a blueprint to quickly terminate employees
 — and not just faculty, but classified staff, graduate assistants, 
anybody the university administration might want gone. The reasons for 
termination are so broad as to invite abuse, and range from program 
restructuring to employee conduct deemed disruptive of the work 
environment.

That could mean writing columns like this one, which are critical of 
university policy. I’ve never written much before about the university, 
at least not in column form, because I always considered it to be off 
tone. Self-serving.

But now is the time, and I do it not merely in my own self-interest, 
but to give voice to what many of my colleagues feel but cannot say for 
fear of reprisal.

Nobody denies the university is under financial pressure caused by 
COVID-19, somewhat declining enrollments, and changes in state funding 
over the past 20 years. Just about everyone, including professors, 
agrees that tuition is just too damned high. But professors aren’t the 
cause of that and, in fact, the pay for most of us who teach at Emporia 
State hasn’t even kept pace with the adjustments given across-the-board 
to state employees in the last few years. There’s been a lot of talk by 
administrators about anticipated enrollment drops, and some programs — 
especially those in the humanities — have been cut time and again. But 
from 2017 to 2021, overall enrollment at ESU has dropped only about 2%, 
according to KBOR data. The university disingenuously provided a 
misleading “fever chart” graph that, by manipulating the scale, showed 
that slight drop in enrollment as not a molehill but a mountainous 
plunge.

It’s only one of things the administration has been less than 
truthful about. Just consider the announcement that came from president 
Ken Hush on Wednesday telling faculty the emergency framework had 
already been submitted to KBOR. It hadn’t. <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/08/professors-frustrated-by-emporia-state-university-plans-to-eliminate-tenured-faculty-and-programs/">An email from the faculty president</a>
 late that night said the statement was “misleading” because the draft 
had not been submitted and feedback from the faculty had not yet been 
gathered. We were given about two business days to provide that 
feedback, an impossible deadline.

The termination policy, to call it what it is, is a desperate attempt
 to dismantle tenure at a state school and establish a cultural 
beachhead upon which others can land. Would it save money? Sure, in the 
same way that ending school lunches or cutting funds to the local fire 
department would save money. But it’s not a wise strategy, especially if
 your goal is to make your community better for everyone — or just to 
keep the town from burning down.

Tenure is no ivory tower; it’s as essential to higher education as 
the fire department is to your community. At Emporia State, as at most 
colleges, tenure is hard won. It is awarded only after a person already 
has a sufficiently advanced degree, is hired as an assistant professor, 
and puts in five to seven years of probationary time during which they 
demonstrate their ability to research, teach and contribute meaningfully
 to the campus community. Tenure isn’t given automatically, and many 
hardworking individuals fail to achieve it. It is granted based on 
rigorous university and department standards, which include student and 
peer evaluations. Tenure is not the same as promotion, although gaining 
it typically comes with an advancement in rank, usually to associate 
professor.

There’s little doubt that the university’s move to end tenure is in 
response to pressure from the deeply conservative Kansas Legislature, 
and I’ve heard the former university provost Gary Wyatt say as much. 
Once, in a department meeting, he told us that legislators viewed 
tenured professors as “the enemy.” Then again, at a faculty address this
 fall, he said the campus would have to come to grips with the reality 
that we live in a state that is mostly Republican, with a legislature 
that is GOP dominated. How much clearer could he make it? To his credit,
 Wyatt is one of the few administrators willing to speak the truth on 
the issue.

This draft policy, aimed to please most Republican lawmakers, will be
 submitted under a COVID-era KBOR plan that would allow universities to 
create alternate paths to summarily fire professors instead of adhering 
to long-established rules that required the university to either declare
 financial exigency, meaning a crisis in which there is no option but to
 terminate appointments of tenured faculty, or to follow the lengthy 
established process for program termination. Passed in January 2021 by 
KBOR, the policy was meant to give universities a tool to deal with the 
financial stress of the pandemic, lower enrollments and tight budgets. 
None of the six state universities implemented the policy, although the 
University of Kansas flirted with it before an intense backlash from 
faculty and students.

The KBOR policy was slated to expire July 1 of this year, but in June the regents extended it for another six months.

The same week KBOR extended the “workforce management” policy, it 
also hired a new president for Emporia State: Ken Hush. An ESU alum and 
former college tennis star, Hush had <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/18/at-emporia-state-a-former-grad-holds-fort-while-campus-waits/">served as interim president</a>
 since November 2021. Hush is a former CEO of Koch Carbon and, according
 to the Federal Election Commission database, a contributor of tens of 
thousands of dollars to KochPAC, which predominately funds conservative 
candidates for Congress.

Hush’s appointment as president came as a surprise to campus because 
many assumed a presidential search would select someone from the outside
 with an advanced degree. Hush holds a dual major bachelor’s, in 
business and marketing, making him <a target="_blank" href="http://www.esubulletin.com/campus_commons/hush-holds-fewest-degrees-among-kbor-chiefs/article_017d2dea-28b6-11ed-ab60-8ff9d0fdec3e.html">the least academically credentialed</a> of the leaders of the six universities in Kansas.

The presidential search process, unlike all previous searches at ESU,
 was a closed one, veiled in secrecy. There was no announcement of 
finalists or opportunities for faculty, students and staff to evaluate 
them, whoever they were. The chairman of the search committee was 
another former ESU tennis athlete, Greg Kossover — and a major donor to 
the new tennis complex on campus.

The selection of Hush at first seemed an odd fit.

Although he had served on the Wichita State University board of 
trustees, he didn’t have a deep background in public service in a 
classroom setting. He had run a Koch company that specialized in bulk 
commodities of coal and petroleum coke, and contributed heavily to a PAC
 that funded candidates who were often climate change deniers.

The libertarian Koch brothers, of course, kicked off the current 
culture war during the Obama years with their support of the Tea Party. 
The university and KBOR both refused to release a resume or curriculum 
vitae for Hush, something that most schools share with pride.

Even before school started this fall, Hush put his foot in his mouth <a target="_blank" href="http://www.esubulletin.com/campus_commons/new-prez-says-i-laugh-at-criticism-about-butcher-closure-then-he-regrets-word-choice/article_191f1e20-1b7f-11ed-8ddf-eb6b24db73d5.html">when talking to the editor of the campus newspaper</a>, saying &nbsp;“I laugh” at criticism of his decision to close a program that offered <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/26/emporia-state-university-to-close-child-care-center-despite-student-and-faculty-objections/">the only child care on campus</a>. Such condescension seems a feature, not a bug.

It all makes perfect sense now, considering how devalued higher 
education has become. We are quickly moving toward an oligarchy where 
only money and power matter. What has traditionally been rewarded in 
higher education, merit in the form of academic achievement and 
expertise in a discipline, is sneered at because it doesn’t make it 
rain.

There is little recognition at ESU that a public university serves a 
broader good, to the community and to the state, than just providing 
workers. I’ve always believed higher education was mostly involved in 
making citizens. But I guess the laugh is on me. Those in power are 
looting the culture of higher education like somebody would after a fire
 or a tornado or any other disaster.

It will be a loss for the students, for the community and for the state.

I’m not against change. Innovation is necessary. But one of the goals
 of tenure is to protect institutions from sudden and catastrophic 
change.

“Tenure promotes stability,” says the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aaup.org/issues/tenure">American Association of University Professors</a>.
 “Faculty members who are committed to the institution can develop ties 
with the local community, pursue ongoing research projects, and mentor 
students and beginning scholars over the long term.”

Tenure also doesn’t protect professors from being fired for the kinds
 of things you would expect others to be fired for. Professors are 
subject to termination for chronic low performance or sexually 
assaulting a student, for example. That’s how it should be.

Tenure serves the public interest because society benefits when 
teachers and researchers are free of control by corporations, religious 
groups, special interests, and the government, according to the AAUP.

“Free inquiry, free expression, and open dissent are critical for 
student learning and the advancement of knowledge,” the association 
says. “Therefore, it is important to have systems in place to protect 
academic freedom. Tenure serves that purpose.”

Academic freedom is “of special concern to the First Amendment,” 
according to Justice William Brennan in a seminal 1967 Supreme Court 
decision, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/15/keyishian-v-board-of-regents">Keyishian v. Board of Regents</a>.
 He wrote, “Our Nation is deeply committed to safeguarding academic 
freedom, which is of transcendent value to all of us and not merely the 
teachers concerned.”

If that statement seems a little pie-in-the-sky for you, consider those <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/24856:global-index-finds-most-countries-do-not-respect-academic-freedom-and-shows-signs-of-decline">countries that do not</a>
 protect academic freedom, according to the Global Academic Freedom 
Index published by Education International. North Korea and China are 
among the worst offenders on the list.

“Academic freedom is part of the essential rights to maintain strong 
democracies,” according to EI. “High quality, independent research can 
serve as a sound basis for public decision-making and democratic debate.
 In recent years disinformation, often instantly and massively 
transmitted by social media, has distorted debate, spread hatred, and 
polarised opinion. A dramatic example is the spread of false information
 on global warming.”

But it just might be a country club for young fossil fuel 
entrepreneurs, each with a copy of “Atlas Shrugged” tucked beneath an 
elbow, drifting through an undergraduate “experience” complete with 
tennis courts and classrooms free of the inane nattering of humanities 
types like me.

Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A native Kansan, he started his career at the Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. His investigative stories on unsolved murders, serial killers and hate groups earned him first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and other organizations.&nbsp;Max teaches journalism at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663100814988.png" alt="Ken Hush, president at Emporia State University, said financial realities compel ESU to consider realigning the budget through process that could include employee layoffs and changes in of academic programs. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Ken Hush, president at Emporia State University, said financial realities compel ESU to consider realigning the budget through process that could include employee layoffs and changes in of academic programs. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAX MCCOY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/13/emporia-state-university-is-about-to-suspend-tenure-heres-why-you-should-care/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>I may be fired for writing this.It would be an improper firing, a violation of my First Amendment 
rights as a university professor, an infringement of the ability to 
pursue my discipline and state the truth as I see it in the marketplace 
of ideas. The given reason might be restructuring, a need for change, a 
response to a crisis, or even “conduct.” But I fear the underlying 
reason for my firing, and that of my colleagues, would be that it’s a 
political maneuver to end tenure.Outspoken professors like me would ordinarily rely on the protection 
offered by tenure, but shortly after you read this column, that 
foundational protection may have already been suspended at Emporia State
 University, one of six public universities in Kansas.A <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/07/emporia-state-university-seeks-authority-to-begin-campus-workforce-restructuring/">plan to restructure the school</a>
 and allow the firing of faculty members with only a 30-day notice is 
expected to be approved this week by the Kansas Board of Regents, which 
oversees the state’s higher education. If adopted, the “workforce 
management plan” would effectively suspend tenure for the fall 2022 
semester.A semester doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough time to wreck 
careers and burn down programs that have taken decades to build. It’s 
enough time to change an institution that has contributed to the common 
good in Kansas for more than 150 years to one that is dedicated to … 
well, we just don’t know yet.There are few details in the draft “workforce management plan” 
presented to faculty just last Wednesday, no metrics by which to 
consider the closing of programs or the firing of instructors. There is a
 lot of hot air about being “forward focused and future ready.”The draft is not a management plan, as observed by one professor at a
 faculty forum on Friday, but a blueprint to quickly terminate employees
 — and not just faculty, but classified staff, graduate assistants, 
anybody the university administration might want gone. The reasons for 
termination are so broad as to invite abuse, and range from program 
restructuring to employee conduct deemed disruptive of the work 
environment.That could mean writing columns like this one, which are critical of 
university policy. I’ve never written much before about the university, 
at least not in column form, because I always considered it to be off 
tone. Self-serving.But now is the time, and I do it not merely in my own self-interest, 
but to give voice to what many of my colleagues feel but cannot say for 
fear of reprisal.Nobody denies the university is under financial pressure caused by 
COVID-19, somewhat declining enrollments, and changes in state funding 
over the past 20 years. Just about everyone, including professors, 
agrees that tuition is just too damned high. But professors aren’t the 
cause of that and, in fact, the pay for most of us who teach at Emporia 
State hasn’t even kept pace with the adjustments given across-the-board 
to state employees in the last few years. There’s been a lot of talk by 
administrators about anticipated enrollment drops, and some programs — 
especially those in the humanities — have been cut time and again. But 
from 2017 to 2021, overall enrollment at ESU has dropped only about 2%, 
according to KBOR data. The university disingenuously provided a 
misleading “fever chart” graph that, by manipulating the scale, showed 
that slight drop in enrollment as not a molehill but a mountainous 
plunge.It’s only one of things the administration has been less than 
truthful about. Just consider the announcement that came from president 
Ken Hush on Wednesday telling faculty the emergency framework had 
already been submitted to KBOR. It hadn’t. <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/08/professors-frustrated-by-emporia-state-university-plans-to-eliminate-tenured-faculty-and-programs/">An email from the faculty president</a>
 late that night said the statement was “misleading” because the draft 
had not been submitted and feedback from the faculty had not yet been 
gathered. We were given about two business days to provide that 
feedback, an impossible deadline.The termination policy, to call it what it is, is a desperate attempt
 to dismantle tenure at a state school and establish a cultural 
beachhead upon which others can land. Would it save money? Sure, in the 
same way that ending school lunches or cutting funds to the local fire 
department would save money. But it’s not a wise strategy, especially if
 your goal is to make your community better for everyone — or just to 
keep the town from burning down.Tenure is no ivory tower; it’s as essential to higher education as 
the fire department is to your community. At Emporia State, as at most 
colleges, tenure is hard won. It is awarded only after a person already 
has a sufficiently advanced degree, is hired as an assistant professor, 
and puts in five to seven years of probationary time during which they 
demonstrate their ability to research, teach and contribute meaningfully
 to the campus community. Tenure isn’t given automatically, and many 
hardworking individuals fail to achieve it. It is granted based on 
rigorous university and department standards, which include student and 
peer evaluations. Tenure is not the same as promotion, although gaining 
it typically comes with an advancement in rank, usually to associate 
professor.There’s little doubt that the university’s move to end tenure is in 
response to pressure from the deeply conservative Kansas Legislature, 
and I’ve heard the former university provost Gary Wyatt say as much. 
Once, in a department meeting, he told us that legislators viewed 
tenured professors as “the enemy.” Then again, at a faculty address this
 fall, he said the campus would have to come to grips with the reality 
that we live in a state that is mostly Republican, with a legislature 
that is GOP dominated. How much clearer could he make it? To his credit,
 Wyatt is one of the few administrators willing to speak the truth on 
the issue.This draft policy, aimed to please most Republican lawmakers, will be
 submitted under a COVID-era KBOR plan that would allow universities to 
create alternate paths to summarily fire professors instead of adhering 
to long-established rules that required the university to either declare
 financial exigency, meaning a crisis in which there is no option but to
 terminate appointments of tenured faculty, or to follow the lengthy 
established process for program termination. Passed in January 2021 by 
KBOR, the policy was meant to give universities a tool to deal with the 
financial stress of the pandemic, lower enrollments and tight budgets. 
None of the six state universities implemented the policy, although the 
University of Kansas flirted with it before an intense backlash from 
faculty and students.The KBOR policy was slated to expire July 1 of this year, but in June the regents extended it for another six months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663100887867.png" alt=" After the official announcement of Ken Hush being voted the next president of Emporia State University, Hush spent time talking with the faculty, staff, students and community members who attended the event. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> After the official announcement of Ken Hush being voted the next president of Emporia State University, Hush spent time talking with the faculty, staff, students and community members who attended the event. (Margaret Mellott/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The same week KBOR extended the “workforce management” policy, it 
also hired a new president for Emporia State: Ken Hush. An ESU alum and 
former college tennis star, Hush had <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/18/at-emporia-state-a-former-grad-holds-fort-while-campus-waits/">served as interim president</a>
 since November 2021. Hush is a former CEO of Koch Carbon and, according
 to the Federal Election Commission database, a contributor of tens of 
thousands of dollars to KochPAC, which predominately funds conservative 
candidates for Congress.Hush’s appointment as president came as a surprise to campus because 
many assumed a presidential search would select someone from the outside
 with an advanced degree. Hush holds a dual major bachelor’s, in 
business and marketing, making him <a target="_blank" href="http://www.esubulletin.com/campus_commons/hush-holds-fewest-degrees-among-kbor-chiefs/article_017d2dea-28b6-11ed-ab60-8ff9d0fdec3e.html">the least academically credentialed</a> of the leaders of the six universities in Kansas.The presidential search process, unlike all previous searches at ESU,
 was a closed one, veiled in secrecy. There was no announcement of 
finalists or opportunities for faculty, students and staff to evaluate 
them, whoever they were. The chairman of the search committee was 
another former ESU tennis athlete, Greg Kossover — and a major donor to 
the new tennis complex on campus.The selection of Hush at first seemed an odd fit.Although he had served on the Wichita State University board of 
trustees, he didn’t have a deep background in public service in a 
classroom setting. He had run a Koch company that specialized in bulk 
commodities of coal and petroleum coke, and contributed heavily to a PAC
 that funded candidates who were often climate change deniers.The libertarian Koch brothers, of course, kicked off the current 
culture war during the Obama years with their support of the Tea Party. 
The university and KBOR both refused to release a resume or curriculum 
vitae for Hush, something that most schools share with pride.Even before school started this fall, Hush put his foot in his mouth <a target="_blank" href="http://www.esubulletin.com/campus_commons/new-prez-says-i-laugh-at-criticism-about-butcher-closure-then-he-regrets-word-choice/article_191f1e20-1b7f-11ed-8ddf-eb6b24db73d5.html">when talking to the editor of the campus newspaper</a>, saying &nbsp;“I laugh” at criticism of his decision to close a program that offered <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/26/emporia-state-university-to-close-child-care-center-despite-student-and-faculty-objections/">the only child care on campus</a>. Such condescension seems a feature, not a bug.It all makes perfect sense now, considering how devalued higher 
education has become. We are quickly moving toward an oligarchy where 
only money and power matter. What has traditionally been rewarded in 
higher education, merit in the form of academic achievement and 
expertise in a discipline, is sneered at because it doesn’t make it 
rain.There is little recognition at ESU that a public university serves a 
broader good, to the community and to the state, than just providing 
workers. I’ve always believed higher education was mostly involved in 
making citizens. But I guess the laugh is on me. Those in power are 
looting the culture of higher education like somebody would after a fire
 or a tornado or any other disaster.Or a pandemic.It will be a loss for the students, for the community and for the state.I’m not against change. Innovation is necessary. But one of the goals
 of tenure is to protect institutions from sudden and catastrophic 
change.“Tenure promotes stability,” says the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aaup.org/issues/tenure">American Association of University Professors</a>.
 “Faculty members who are committed to the institution can develop ties 
with the local community, pursue ongoing research projects, and mentor 
students and beginning scholars over the long term.”Tenure also doesn’t protect professors from being fired for the kinds
 of things you would expect others to be fired for. Professors are 
subject to termination for chronic low performance or sexually 
assaulting a student, for example. That’s how it should be.Tenure serves the public interest because society benefits when 
teachers and researchers are free of control by corporations, religious 
groups, special interests, and the government, according to the AAUP.“Free inquiry, free expression, and open dissent are critical for 
student learning and the advancement of knowledge,” the association 
says. “Therefore, it is important to have systems in place to protect 
academic freedom. Tenure serves that purpose.”Academic freedom is “of special concern to the First Amendment,” 
according to Justice William Brennan in a seminal 1967 Supreme Court 
decision, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/15/keyishian-v-board-of-regents">Keyishian v. Board of Regents</a>.
 He wrote, “Our Nation is deeply committed to safeguarding academic 
freedom, which is of transcendent value to all of us and not merely the 
teachers concerned.”If that statement seems a little pie-in-the-sky for you, consider those <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/24856:global-index-finds-most-countries-do-not-respect-academic-freedom-and-shows-signs-of-decline">countries that do not</a>
 protect academic freedom, according to the Global Academic Freedom 
Index published by Education International. North Korea and China are 
among the worst offenders on the list.“Academic freedom is part of the essential rights to maintain strong 
democracies,” according to EI. “High quality, independent research can 
serve as a sound basis for public decision-making and democratic debate.
 In recent years disinformation, often instantly and massively 
transmitted by social media, has distorted debate, spread hatred, and 
polarised opinion. A dramatic example is the spread of false information
 on global warming.”What now for ESU?Faculty members do not know.But it just might be a country club for young fossil fuel 
entrepreneurs, each with a copy of “Atlas Shrugged” tucked beneath an 
elbow, drifting through an undergraduate “experience” complete with 
tennis courts and classrooms free of the inane nattering of humanities 
types like me.Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A native Kansan, he started his career at the Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. His investigative stories on unsolved murders, serial killers and hate groups earned him first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and other organizations.&nbsp;Max teaches journalism at Emporia State University.

OPINION: Emporia State is about to suspend tenure: Here’s why you should care

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twitter's former security chief told Congress Tuesday there was “at least one agent” from China's intelligence service on Twitter's payroll and that the company knowingly allowed India to add agents to the company roster as well, potentially giving those nations access to sensitive data about users.

These were some of the troubling revelations from Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert and Twitter whistleblower who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to lay out his allegations against the company.

Zatko told lawmakers that the social media platform is plagued by weak cyber defenses that make it vulnerable to exploitation by “teenagers, thieves and spies” and put the privacy of its users at risk.

“I am here today because Twitter leadership is misleading the public, lawmakers, regulators and even its own board of directors," Zatko said as he began his sworn testimony.

“They don’t know what data they have, where it lives and where it came from and so, unsurprisingly, they can’t protect it,” Zatko said. “It doesn’t matter who has keys if there are no locks."

“Twitter leadership ignored its engineers,” he said, in part because “their executive incentives led them to prioritize profit over security.”

In a statement, Twitter said its hiring process is “independent of any foreign influence” and access to data is managed through a host of measures, including background checks, access controls, and monitoring and detection systems and processes.

One issue that didn't come up in the hearing was the question of whether Twitter is accurately counting its active users, an important metric for its advertisers. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is trying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-4193a27d86458952542dfa2176150a01">to get out of a $44 billion deal</a>&nbsp;to buy Twitter, has argued without evidence that many of Twitter’s roughly 238 million daily users are fake or malicious accounts, aka “spam bots.”

The Delaware judge overseeing the case ruled last week that Musk can include new evidence related to Zatko’s allegations in the high-stakes trial, which is set to start Oct. 17. During the hearing, Musk tweeted a popcorn emoji, often used to suggest that one is sitting back in anticipation of unfolding drama.

Separately on Tuesday, Twitter's shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the deal, according to multiple media reports. Shareholders have been voting remotely on the issue for weeks. The vote was largely a formality, particularly given Musk's efforts to nullify the deal, although it does clear a legal hurdle to closing the sale.

Zatko's message echoed one brought to Congress against another social media giant last year. But unlike that Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, Zatko hasn't brought troves of internal documents to back up his claims.

Zatko was the head of security for the influential platform until he was fired early this year. He filed a whistleblower complaint in July with Congress, the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among his most serious accusations is that Twitter violated the terms of a 2011 FTC settlement by falsely claiming that it had put stronger measures in place to protect the security and privacy of its users.

Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who heads the Judiciary Committee, said Zatko has detailed flaws “that may pose a direct threat to Twitter’s hundreds of millions of users as well as to American democracy.”

“Twitter is an immensely powerful platform and can’t afford gaping vulnerabilities,” he said.

Unknown to Twitter users, there’s far more of their personal information disclosed than they — or sometimes even Twitter itself — realize, Zatko testified. He said Twitter did not address “basic systemic failures” brought forward by company engineers.

The FTC has been “a little over its head”, and far behind European counterparts, in policing the sort of privacy violations that have occurred at Twitter, Zatko said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said one positive result that could come out of Zatko’s findings would be bipartisan legislation to set up a tighter system of regulation of tech platforms.

“We need to up our game in this country,” he said.

Many of Zatko’s claims are uncorroborated and appear to have little documentary support. Twitter has called Zatko’s description of events “a false narrative ... riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies” and lacking important context.

Still, Zatko came off as a convincing whistleblower who has “a lot of credibility in this space,” said Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. But he said many of the problems he raised can likely be found at many other digital technology platforms

“They avoid security protocols in a sense of innovating and running really fast,” Lightman said. “We gave digital platforms so much autonomy at the beginning to grow and develop. Now we’re at a point where we’re, ‘Wait a minute ... This has gotten out of hand.’

Among the assertions from Zatko that drew attention from lawmakers Tuesday was that Twitter knowingly allowed the government of India to place its agents on the company payroll, where they had access to highly sensitive data on users. Twitter’s lack of ability to log how employees accessed user accounts made it hard for the company to detect when employees were abusing their access, Zatko said.

Zatko said he spoke with “high confidence” about a foreign agent that the government of India placed at Twitter to “understand the negotiations” between India’s ruling party and Twitter about new social media restrictions and how well those negotiations were going.

Zatko also revealed Tuesday that he was told about a week before his firing that “at least one agent” from the Chinese intelligence service MSS, or the Ministry of State Security, was “on the payroll” at Twitter.

He said he was similarly “surprised and shocked” by an exchange with current Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal about Russia — in which Twitter's current CEO, who was chief technology officer at the time, asked if it would be possible to “punt” content moderation and surveillance to the Russian government, since Twitter doesn't really “have the ability and tools to do things correctly.”

“And since they have elections, doesn’t that make them a democracy?” Zatko recalled Agrawal saying.

Sen. Charles Grassley, the committee's ranking Republican, said Tuesday that Agrawal declined to testify at the hearing, citing the ongoing legal proceedings with Musk. But the hearing is “more important than Twitter’s civil litigation in Delaware," Grassley said. Twitter declined to comment on Grassley's remarks.

In his complaint, Zatko accused Agrawal as well as other senior executives and board members of numerous violations, including making “false and misleading statements to users and the FTC about the Twitter platform’s security, privacy and integrity.”

Zatko, 51, first gained prominence in the 1990s as a pioneer in the ethical hacking movement and later worked in senior positions at an elite Defense Department research unit and at Google. He joined Twitter in late 2020 at the urging of then-CEO Jack Dorsey.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The former security chief at Twitter told Congress that the social media platform is plagued by weak cyber defenses that make it vulnerable to exploitation by “teenagers, thieves and spies” and put the privacy of its users at risk. Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to lay out his allegations Tuesday.

Zatko said “Twitter leadership ignored its engineers,” in part because “their executive incentives led them to prioritize profit over security.”

His message echoed one brought to Congress against another social media giant last year, but unlike that Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, Zatko hasn't brought troves of internal documents to back up his claims.

Unknown to Twitter users, there’s far more personal information disclosed than they —or sometimes even Twitter itself — realize, Zatko testified. He said “basic systemic failures” that were brought forward by company engineers were not addressed.

Zatko's claims could also affect Tesla billionaire Elon Musk's attempt to back out of his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-takeover-2d0eb4e0511fe0e296fd6974a851a252">$44 billion deal to acquire the social platform</a>. Musk claims that Twitter has long underreported spam bots on its platform and cites that as a reason to nix the deal he struck in April.

Zatko also accuses the company of deception in its handling of automated “spam bots,” or fake accounts. That allegation is at the core of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-4193a27d86458952542dfa2176150a01">billionaire tycoon Elon Musk’s attempt to back out of his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter.</a>&nbsp;Musk and Twitter are locked in a bitter legal battle, with Twitter having sued Musk to force him to complete the deal. The Delaware judge overseeing the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-media-46c16a35ec410cc480798682ef482a52">ruled last week</a>&nbsp;that Musk can include new evidence related to Zatko's allegations in the high-stakes trial, which is set to start Oct. 17.

Sen. Charles Grassley, the committee's ranking Republican, said Tuesday that Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal declined to testify at the hearing, citing the ongoing legal proceedings with Musk. But the hearing is “more important that Twitter’s civil litigation in Delaware," Grassley said. Twitter declined to comment on Grassley's remarks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the Twitter whistleblower who is warning of security flaws, privacy threats and lax controls at the social platform, will take his case to Congress on Tuesday.

Senators who will hear Zatko’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee are alarmed by his Twitter allegations at a time of heightened concern over the safety of powerful tech platforms.

It’s Zatko’s second Capitol Hill appearance, and in some ways a 21st-century echo of his first. In 1998, he testified before a Senate panel along with fellow members of a hacker collective who warned about the security dangers of the then-emerging internet age.

Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, was Twitter’s head of security until he was fired early this year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-federal-trade-commission-us-securities-and-exchange-f1fe41b0bd7c5c407ecfb83509c671f5">He has brought the stunning allegations to Congress and federal regulators,</a>&nbsp;asserting that the influential social platform misled regulators about its cyber defenses and efforts to control millions of “spam” or fake accounts.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the panel, has said that if Zatko’s claims are accurate, “they may show dangerous data-privacy and security risks for Twitter users around the world.”

Zatko's accusations are also playing into billionaire tycoon Elon Musk's battle with Twitter. The Tesla CEO is trying to get out of his $44 billion bid to buy the company; Twitter has sued to force him to complete the deal. The Delaware judge overseeing that case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-media-46c16a35ec410cc480798682ef482a52">ruled last week</a>&nbsp;that Musk can include new evidence related to Zatko’s allegations in the high-stakes trial set to start Oct. 17.

The allegation that Twitter engaged in deception in its handling of automated “spam bot” accounts is at the core of Musk’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-4193a27d86458952542dfa2176150a01">attempt to back out of the Twitter deal.</a>

At the same time, many of Zatko’s claims are uncorroborated and appear to have little documentary support. In a statement, Twitter has called Zatko’s description of events “a false narrative.”

Also on Tuesday, Twitter’s shareholders are scheduled to vote on the company’s pending buyout by Musk. The vote is something of a formality given that the deal is on hold while the court case plays out. But if the measure passes as expected, it would also pave the way for a Musk takeover should Twitter prevail in court.

Zatko also filed complaints with the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among his most serious accusations is that Twitter violated the terms of a 2011 FTC settlement by falsely claiming that it had put stronger measures in place to protect the security and privacy of its users.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-434b2c0588a6cee2fd7c9477b0bd7902">The SEC is questioning Twitter about how it counts fake accounts on its platform</a>. Twitter uses counts of its presumably real users to attract advertisers, whose payments make up about 90% of its revenue. The “spam bots” have no value to advertisers because there’s no person behind them.

San Francisco-based Twitter has an estimated 238 million daily active users worldwide.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-misinformation-social-media-e9fa93bc9132a4adf8535a8a34bebec9">The company says it removes 1 million spam accounts daily.</a>

Zatko’s 84-page complaint alleges that he found “extreme, egregious deficiencies" on the platform, including issues with "user privacy, digital and physical security, and platform integrity/content moderation.”

It accuses CEO Parag Agrawal and other senior executives and board members of making “false and misleading statements to users and the FTC" about these issues. Twitter denies those claims and said that Zatko was fired in January for “ineffective leadership and poor performance.” Zatko’s attorneys say the performance claim is false.

Twitter also hinted that Zatko's complaint might be designed to bolster Musk's legal fight with the company. Twitter called Zatko’s complaint “a false narrative” that is “riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and lacks important context."

News of Zatko’s complaint surfaced on Aug. 23, almost two months before the Twitter-Musk trial is scheduled to begin. . One of Zatko’s attorneys has said “he’s never met Elon Musk. Doesn’t know Elon Musk. They know people in common.”

The company also says it has significantly tightened security since 2020.