OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday asked Congress to intervene and block a railroad strike before next month’s deadline in the stalled contract talks, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers would take up legislation this week to impose the deal that unions agreed to in September.

“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy,” Biden said in a statement. “Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down.”

In a statement, Pelosi said: “We are reluctant to bypass the standard ratification process for the Tentative Agreement — but we must act to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike, which would grind our economy to a halt.”

Pelosi said the House would not change the terms of the September agreement, which would challenge the Senate to approve the House bill without changes.

The September agreement that Biden and Pelosi are calling for is a slight improvement over what the board of arbitrators recommended in the summer. The September agreement added three unpaid days off a year for engineers and conductors to tend to medical appointments as long as they scheduled them at least 30 days in advance. The railroads also promised in September not to penalize workers who are hospitalized and to negotiate further with the unions after the contract is approved about improving the regular scheduling of days off.

Hundreds of business groups had been urging Congress and the president to step into the deadlocked contract talk and prevent a strike.

Both the unions and railroads have been lobbying Congress while contract talks continue. If Congress acts, it will end talks between the railroads and four rail unions that rejected their deals Biden helped broker before the original strike deadline in September. Eight other unions have approved their five-year deals with the railroads and are in the process of getting back pay for their workers for the 24% raises that are retroactive to 2020.

If Congress does what Biden suggests and imposes terms similar to what was agreed on in September, that will end the union’s push to add paid sick time. The four unions that have rejected their deals have been pressing for the railroads to add that benefit to help address workers’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life concerns</a>, but the railroads had refused to consider that.

Biden said that as a “a proud pro-labor president” he was reluctant to override the views of people who voted against the agreement. “But in this case — where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families — I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal."

Biden's remarks and Pelosi's statement came after a coalition of more than 400 business groups sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the devastating potential impact of a strike that could force many businesses to shut down if they can’t get the rail deliveries they need. Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected in a strike because many of them use tracks owned by the freight railroads.

The business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and National Retail Federation said even a short-term strike would have a tremendous impact and the economic pain would start to be felt even before the Dec. 9 strike deadline. They said the railroads would stop hauling hazardous chemicals, fertilizers and perishable goods up to a week beforehand to keep those products from being stranded somewhere along the tracks.

“A potential rail strike only adds to the headwinds facing the U.S. economy,” the businesses wrote. “A rail stoppage would immediately lead to supply shortages and higher prices. The cessation of Amtrak and commuter rail services would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day. Many businesses would see their sales disrupted right in the middle of the critical holiday shopping season.”

A similar group of businesses sent another letter to Biden last month urging him to play a more active role in resolving the contract dispute.

On Monday, the Association of American Railroads trade group praised Biden’s action.

“No one benefits from a rail work stoppage — not our customers, not rail employees and not the American economy,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “Now is the appropriate time for Congress to pass legislation to implement the agreements already ratified by eight of the twelve unions."

Business groups that have been pushing for Congress to settle this contract dispute praised Biden’s move.

“The Biden administration’s endorsement of congressional intervention affirms what America’s food, beverage, household and personal care manufacturers have been saying: Freight rail operations cannot shut down and imperil the availability and affordability of consumers’ everyday essentials,” said Tom Madrecki, vice president of supply chain for the Consumer Brands Association. “The consequences to consumers if a strike were to occur are too serious, especially amid continued supply chain challenges and disruptions.”

Clark Ballew, a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, which represents track maintenance workers, said before Biden's announcement that the union was "headed to D.C. this week to meet with lawmakers on the Hill from both parties. We have instructed our members to contact their federal lawmakers in the House and Senate for several weeks now.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Neil Bradley said Biden was correct in advocating for the deal already reached. “Congress must do what it has done 18 times before: intervene against a national rail strike," Bradley said in a statement, and he called Congress enforcing the deal agreed to by railroads and union leaders the "only path to avoid crippling strike.”

The railroads, which include Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Kansas City Southern, wanted any deal to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer that called for the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses but didn't resolve workers' concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">demanding schedules</a>&nbsp;that make it hard to take a day off and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">working conditions</a>. That's what Biden is calling on Congress to impose.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Business groups are increasing the pressure on lawmakers to intervene and block a railroad strike before next month’s deadline in the stalled contract talks.

A coalition of more than 400 business groups&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uschamber.com/infrastructure/transportation/coalition-letter-on-rail-labor-negotiations">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to Congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-climate-and-environment-government-politics-92ea7632a29f807ccc0e2658c50d731e">devastating potential impact of a strike</a>&nbsp;that could force many businesses to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">shut down</a>&nbsp;if they can't get the rail deliveries they need. Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected in a strike because many of them use tracks owned by the freight railroads.

The business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and National Retail Federation said even a short-term strike would have a tremendous impact and the economic pain would start to be felt even before the Dec. 9 strike deadline because the railroads would stop hauling hazardous chemicals, fertilizers and perishable goods up to a week beforehand to keep those products from being stranded somewhere along the tracks.

A similar group of businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">sent another letter</a>&nbsp;to President Joe Biden last month urging him to play a more active role in resolving the contract dispute.

Congressional leaders and the White House have said they are monitoring the contract talks closely but haven't indicated when they might act or what they will do. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said leaders are aware of the situation with the rail negotiations and will monitor the talks in the coming days.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said on Fox News Sunday that Congressional intervention is a last resort, but lawmakers will have to be ready to act.

“Congress will not let this strike happen. That’s for sure,” said Fitzpatrick who helps lead a bipartisan group of 58 lawmakers. “It would be devastating to our economy. So, we’ll get to a resolution one way or another.”

A White House spokeswoman has said that a rail strike would be “unacceptable.”

Congress has the power to impose contract terms on the workers, but it's not clear what they might include if they do that. They could also force the negotiations to continue into the new year.

Both the unions and railroads have been lobbying Congress while contract talks continue. Four rail unions that represent more than half of the 115,000 workers in the industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-government-and-politics-79d2e2c2779598b0a14396464ee4f7e9">rejected the deals</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden helped broker before the original strike deadline in September and are back at the table trying to work out new agreements. Eight other unions have approved their five-year deals with the railroads and are in the process of getting back pay for their workers for the 24% raises that are retroactive to 2020.

“It certainly could end up in Congress’ lap, which is why we are headed to D.C. this week to meet with lawmakers on The Hill from both parties,” said Clark Ballew, a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track maintenance workers. “We have instructed our members to contact their federal lawmakers in the House and Senate for several weeks now.”

The unions have asked the railroads to consider adding paid sick time to what they already offered to address some of workers'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life concerns</a>. But so far, the railroads, which include Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Kansas City Southern, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">refused</a>&nbsp;to consider that.

The railroads want any deal to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer that called for the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses but didn't resolve workers' concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">demanding schedules</a>&nbsp;that make it hard to take a day off and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">working conditions</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663279444886.png" alt="In Sept.&nbsp;President Biden celebrated a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House.-White House photo " />
 <figcaption>In Sept.&nbsp;President Biden celebrated a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House.-White House photo </figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday asked Congress to intervene and block a railroad strike before next month’s deadline in the stalled contract talks, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers would take up legislation this week to impose the deal that unions agreed to in September.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I&#39;m calling on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators. Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy. Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1597383590282682369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Let me be clear: a rail shutdown would devastate our economy,” Biden said in a statement. “Without freight rail, many U.S. industries would shut down.”In a statement, Pelosi said: “We are reluctant to bypass the standard ratification process for the Tentative Agreement — but we must act to prevent a catastrophic nationwide rail strike, which would grind our economy to a halt.”Pelosi said the House would not change the terms of the September agreement, which would challenge the Senate to approve the House bill without changes.The September agreement that Biden and Pelosi are calling for is a slight improvement over what the board of arbitrators recommended in the summer. The September agreement added three unpaid days off a year for engineers and conductors to tend to medical appointments as long as they scheduled them at least 30 days in advance. The railroads also promised in September not to penalize workers who are hospitalized and to negotiate further with the unions after the contract is approved about improving the regular scheduling of days off.Hundreds of business groups had been urging Congress and the president to step into the deadlocked contract talk and prevent a strike.Both the unions and railroads have been lobbying Congress while contract talks continue. If Congress acts, it will end talks between the railroads and four rail unions that rejected their deals Biden helped broker before the original strike deadline in September. Eight other unions have approved their five-year deals with the railroads and are in the process of getting back pay for their workers for the 24% raises that are retroactive to 2020.If Congress does what Biden suggests and imposes terms similar to what was agreed on in September, that will end the union’s push to add paid sick time. The four unions that have rejected their deals have been pressing for the railroads to add that benefit to help address workers’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life concerns</a>, but the railroads had refused to consider that.Biden said that as a “a proud pro-labor president” he was reluctant to override the views of people who voted against the agreement. “But in this case — where the economic impact of a shutdown would hurt millions of other working people and families — I believe Congress must use its powers to adopt this deal."Biden's remarks and Pelosi's statement came after a coalition of more than 400 business groups sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the devastating potential impact of a strike that could force many businesses to shut down if they can’t get the rail deliveries they need. Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected in a strike because many of them use tracks owned by the freight railroads.The business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and National Retail Federation said even a short-term strike would have a tremendous impact and the economic pain would start to be felt even before the Dec. 9 strike deadline. They said the railroads would stop hauling hazardous chemicals, fertilizers and perishable goods up to a week beforehand to keep those products from being stranded somewhere along the tracks.“A potential rail strike only adds to the headwinds facing the U.S. economy,” the businesses wrote. “A rail stoppage would immediately lead to supply shortages and higher prices. The cessation of Amtrak and commuter rail services would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day. Many businesses would see their sales disrupted right in the middle of the critical holiday shopping season.”A similar group of businesses sent another letter to Biden last month urging him to play a more active role in resolving the contract dispute.On Monday, the Association of American Railroads trade group praised Biden’s action.“No one benefits from a rail work stoppage — not our customers, not rail employees and not the American economy,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “Now is the appropriate time for Congress to pass legislation to implement the agreements already ratified by eight of the twelve unions."Business groups that have been pushing for Congress to settle this contract dispute praised Biden’s move.“The Biden administration’s endorsement of congressional intervention affirms what America’s food, beverage, household and personal care manufacturers have been saying: Freight rail operations cannot shut down and imperil the availability and affordability of consumers’ everyday essentials,” said Tom Madrecki, vice president of supply chain for the Consumer Brands Association. “The consequences to consumers if a strike were to occur are too serious, especially amid continued supply chain challenges and disruptions.”Clark Ballew, a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, which represents track maintenance workers, said before Biden's announcement that the union was "headed to D.C. this week to meet with lawmakers on the Hill from both parties. We have instructed our members to contact their federal lawmakers in the House and Senate for several weeks now.”The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Neil Bradley said Biden was correct in advocating for the deal already reached. “Congress must do what it has done 18 times before: intervene against a national rail strike," Bradley said in a statement, and he called Congress enforcing the deal agreed to by railroads and union leaders the "only path to avoid crippling strike.”The railroads, which include Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Kansas City Southern, wanted any deal to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer that called for the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses but didn't resolve workers' concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">demanding schedules</a>&nbsp;that make it hard to take a day off and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">working conditions</a>. That's what Biden is calling on Congress to impose.------------OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Business groups are increasing the pressure on lawmakers to intervene and block a railroad strike before next month’s deadline in the stalled contract talks.A coalition of more than 400 business groups&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uschamber.com/infrastructure/transportation/coalition-letter-on-rail-labor-negotiations">sent a letter</a>&nbsp;to Congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-strikes-climate-and-environment-government-politics-92ea7632a29f807ccc0e2658c50d731e">devastating potential impact of a strike</a>&nbsp;that could force many businesses to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">shut down</a>&nbsp;if they can't get the rail deliveries they need. Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected in a strike because many of them use tracks owned by the freight railroads.The business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and National Retail Federation said even a short-term strike would have a tremendous impact and the economic pain would start to be felt even before the Dec. 9 strike deadline because the railroads would stop hauling hazardous chemicals, fertilizers and perishable goods up to a week beforehand to keep those products from being stranded somewhere along the tracks.“A potential rail strike only adds to the headwinds facing the U.S. economy,” the businesses wrote. “A rail stoppage would immediately lead to supply shortages and higher prices. The cessation of Amtrak and commuter rail services would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day. Many businesses would see their sales disrupted right in the middle of the critical holiday shopping season.”A similar group of businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-economy-congress-government-and-politics-6b60d53fefc7b85f301b0a3e7011715b">sent another letter</a>&nbsp;to President Joe Biden last month urging him to play a more active role in resolving the contract dispute.Congressional leaders and the White House have said they are monitoring the contract talks closely but haven't indicated when they might act or what they will do. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said leaders are aware of the situation with the rail negotiations and will monitor the talks in the coming days.Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said on Fox News Sunday that Congressional intervention is a last resort, but lawmakers will have to be ready to act.“Congress will not let this strike happen. That’s for sure,” said Fitzpatrick who helps lead a bipartisan group of 58 lawmakers. “It would be devastating to our economy. So, we’ll get to a resolution one way or another.”A White House spokeswoman has said that a rail strike would be “unacceptable.”Congress has the power to impose contract terms on the workers, but it's not clear what they might include if they do that. They could also force the negotiations to continue into the new year.Both the unions and railroads have been lobbying Congress while contract talks continue. Four rail unions that represent more than half of the 115,000 workers in the industry have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-congress-government-and-politics-79d2e2c2779598b0a14396464ee4f7e9">rejected the deals</a>&nbsp;that President Joe Biden helped broker before the original strike deadline in September and are back at the table trying to work out new agreements. Eight other unions have approved their five-year deals with the railroads and are in the process of getting back pay for their workers for the 24% raises that are retroactive to 2020.“It certainly could end up in Congress’ lap, which is why we are headed to D.C. this week to meet with lawmakers on The Hill from both parties,” said Clark Ballew, a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track maintenance workers. “We have instructed our members to contact their federal lawmakers in the House and Senate for several weeks now.”The unions have asked the railroads to consider adding paid sick time to what they already offered to address some of workers'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-government-and-politics-207229bcd558b6a6c1d58f3f85e2d804">quality of life concerns</a>. But so far, the railroads, which include Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and Kansas City Southern, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-strikes-940da8fc519f8c526ca614e201d01216">refused</a>&nbsp;to consider that.The railroads want any deal to closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-norfolk-government-and-politics-eeedec386f2acba5d63181436ca03f3f">recommendations</a>&nbsp;a special board of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer that called for the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses but didn't resolve workers' concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">demanding schedules</a>&nbsp;that make it hard to take a day off and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">working conditions</a>.

Biden now wants Congress to prevent potential rail strike

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping and continue asking for help to locate a suspect.

Aldrick L. Scott, 47, of Topeka, is wanted by the Douglas County Nebraska Sheriff's Office in connection with the disappearance of 43-year-old Cari Allen.

Nebraska officials are working to locate Allen, according to a social media report from Omaha Police. She is described as a white female, 5-foot-8, 130 pounds, blonde hair and hazel eyes. She&nbsp;was last seen Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 p.m. Scott has ties to Topeka and Shawnee County, according to the sheriff's department. On Monday, the sheriff's office released photos of Scott.

Anyone with information on Allen's whereabouts is encouraged to call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 402-444-6000 or 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669652492930.png" alt="Scott-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Scott-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping and continue asking for help to locate a suspect.Aldrick L. Scott, 47, of Topeka, is wanted by the Douglas County Nebraska Sheriff's Office in connection with the disappearance of 43-year-old Cari Allen.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669587276863.png" alt="Allen-photo Omaha Police" />
 <figcaption>Allen-photo Omaha Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska officials are working to locate Allen, according to a social media report from Omaha Police. She is described as a white female, 5-foot-8, 130 pounds, blonde hair and hazel eyes. She&nbsp;was last seen Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 p.m. Scott has ties to Topeka and Shawnee County, according to the sheriff's department. On Monday, the sheriff's office released photos of Scott.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669652758142.png" alt="Scott-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Scott-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone with information on Allen's whereabouts is encouraged to call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 402-444-6000 or 911.

Search continues for Kan. man in woman's disappearance

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nearly 9,000 laying hens in Webster County were killed after federal officials confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the flock, state agriculture officials said.

It is the 11th case of the highly contagious avian influenza in Missouri this year, involving nearly 435,000 birds on six commercial farms and four backyard flocks, the Missouri Department of Agriculture said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 52.3 million birds — mostly chickens and turkeys on domestic farms — have been killed in 46 states as part of this year’s outbreak.

On Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-nebraska-agriculture-omaha-ca8f94677d828d5838ecaff894403388">Nebraska agriculture officials</a>&nbsp;announced another 1.8 million chickens were to be slaughtered on a farm in northeast Nebraska. About 6.8 million birds have been killed in the state this year after the disease was found on 13 farms. That's second only to Iowa’s 15.5 million birds killed.

Federal health officials say the disease does not present a food safety risk to humans.

The farm in Webster County was quarantined and the birds were euthanized on the property, Missouri agriculture officials said. State and federal agriculture officials are conducting additional surveillance and testing in the areas around the affected flock.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nearly 9,000 laying hens in Webster County were killed after federal officials confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the flock, state agriculture officials said.It is the 11th case of the highly contagious avian influenza in Missouri this year, involving nearly 435,000 birds on six commercial farms and four backyard flocks, the Missouri Department of Agriculture said.The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 52.3 million birds — mostly chickens and turkeys on domestic farms — have been killed in 46 states as part of this year’s outbreak.On Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-nebraska-agriculture-omaha-ca8f94677d828d5838ecaff894403388">Nebraska agriculture officials</a>&nbsp;announced another 1.8 million chickens were to be slaughtered on a farm in northeast Nebraska. About 6.8 million birds have been killed in the state this year after the disease was found on 13 farms. That's second only to Iowa’s 15.5 million birds killed.Federal health officials say the disease does not present a food safety risk to humans.The farm in Webster County was quarantined and the birds were euthanized on the property, Missouri agriculture officials said. State and federal agriculture officials are conducting additional surveillance and testing in the areas around the affected flock.

9,000 hens killed after latest Missouri case of avian flu

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 
interest rates will increase for the calendar quarter beginning January 
1, 2023.

For individuals, the rate for overpayments and underpayments will be 
7% per year, compounded daily, up from 6% for the quarter that began on 
October 1. Here is a complete list of the new rates:

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is 
determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, 
the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate 
plus 3 percentage points.

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the
 federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment 
rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate 
for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 
percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of
 tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term 
rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal 
short-term rate determined during October 2022. See the revenue ruling 
for details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 
interest rates will increase for the calendar quarter beginning January 
1, 2023.For individuals, the rate for overpayments and underpayments will be 
7% per year, compounded daily, up from 6% for the quarter that began on 
October 1. Here is a complete list of the new rates:<ul>
 <li>7% for overpayments (payments made in excess of the amount owed), 6% for corporations.</li><li>4.5% for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.</li><li>7% for underpayments. (taxes owed but not fully paid)</li><li>9% for large corporate underpayments.</li>
 </ul>Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is 
determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, 
the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate 
plus 3 percentage points.Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the
 federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment 
rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate 
for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 
percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of
 tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term 
rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal 
short-term rate determined during October 2022. See the revenue ruling 
for details.

IRS: Interest rates increase for the first quarter of 2023

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 9:30 p.m. Friday, a sheriff's Deputy stopped a Dodge Neon for alleged traffic infractions near 190th&nbsp;and U.S. 75 Highway, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The deputies arrested the driver Jesse Scott Hartter, 29, of Sabetha, on requested charges of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, defacing identification marks on a firearm and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.&nbsp;

 The passenger, Robert Jason Hobbs, 46, of Fairview, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, no drug tax stamp.

Hartter has a previous conviction for selling drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669568346052.jpeg" alt="Hobbs-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hobbs-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a traffic stop. Just after 9:30 p.m. Friday, a sheriff's Deputy stopped a Dodge Neon for alleged traffic infractions near 190th&nbsp;and U.S. 75 Highway, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669568284454.jpeg" alt="Hartter -photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Hartter -photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The deputies arrested the driver Jesse Scott Hartter, 29, of Sabetha, on requested charges of criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, defacing identification marks on a firearm and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.&nbsp; The passenger, Robert Jason Hobbs, 46, of Fairview, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, no drug tax stamp.Hartter has a previous conviction for selling drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas felon caught with drugs, firearm

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drawing decorating inspiration from America's founding documents,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;chose a “We the People” theme to deck the White House halls and to remind Americans of what unites them throughout the year, especially during the holidays.

Journalists were given a sneak peek early Monday before the first lady was to unveil the transformational work of a small army of volunteer decorators during an event later in the day.

As part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-michelle-obama-michael-pence-volunteer-forces-c13b158b555669e8e46191f641e1538d">Joining Forces</a>, her White House initiative to support military families, Biden will be joined by National Guard leaders from across the country, as well as National Guard families. Her late son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">Beau Biden</a>, was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard.

“The soul of our nation is, and always has been, ‘We the People,’” she says in prepared remarks released by the White House. “And that is what inspired this year's White House holiday decoration.”

The decorations include more than 83,000 twinkling lights on trees, garlands, wreaths and other displays, 77 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths on the exterior of the executive mansion.

A copy of the Declaration of Independence is on display in the library, while the always-show-stopping gingerbread White House includes a sugar cookie replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed. The Constitution opens with the phrase, “We the People.”

“The values that unite us can be found all around you, a belief in possibility, optimism and unity,” Biden says in her prepared remarks. “Room by room, we represent what brings us together during the holidays and throughout the year.”

A new addition this year is a menorah, used in Jewish worship, that was built by White House carpenters from wood that was removed during a Truman-era renovation. The menorah is located on the State Floor.

Some 50,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House during the holidays, including tourists and guests invited to various receptions. Among them will be French President Emmanuel Macron, who is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday and be honored that evening at a White House state dinner, the first of the Biden administration.

More than 150 volunteers began decorating the interior and the exterior of the White House last week and continued through the Thanksgiving holiday. Planning began in the spring.

Illustrations of the family pets — dog Commander and cat Willow — can be found in the Vermeil Room, where the décor represents different ways of showing kindness and gratitude.

Groupings of snowy trees fill corners of the East Room, which reflects nature and recreation. Four well-known national parks are depicted on the fireplace mantels: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah.

In the Blue Room, the official White House Christmas tree — an 18 1/2-foot (5.6-meter) Concolor fir from Auburn, Pennsylvania — is decorated to represent unity and hope with handmade renderings of the official birds from all 57 territories, states and the District of Columbia.

The State Dining Room is dedicated to the next generation — children — and trees there are decorated with ornaments that are self-portraits of the students of the 2021 Teachers of the Year, “ensuring that children see themselves” in the décor, the White House said.

Hanging from the fireplace in the State Dining Room are the Biden family Christmas stockings.

The gingerbread White House was made using 20 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 30 sheets of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of pastillage, 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of chocolate and 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of royal icing.

“We the People” are celebrated in the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall on the State Floor, where metal ribbons also are inscribed with the names of all the states, territories and the District of Columbia.

“Mirrored ornaments and reflective surfaces ensure that visitors can see themselves in the décor, noting that the strength of our country — the Soul of our Nation — comes from ‘We the People,’” the White House said.

The White House noted that the holiday guide book visitors will receive was designed this year by Las Vegas-based Daria Peoples, who is Black. Peoples is a former elementary school teacher who has written and illustrated a series of picture books to support children of color, including those who have experienced race-based trauma.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drawing decorating inspiration from America's founding documents,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jill-biden">Jill Biden</a>&nbsp;chose a “We the People” theme to deck the White House halls and to remind Americans of what unites them throughout the year, especially during the holidays.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For this year’s holidays at the White House, we hope to capture the spirit embodied in the very idea of America: We the People. <a href="https://t.co/SKyXZ9RkI8">pic.twitter.com/SKyXZ9RkI8</a>&mdash; Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1597223258969247746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Journalists were given a sneak peek early Monday before the first lady was to unveil the transformational work of a small army of volunteer decorators during an event later in the day.As part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-michelle-obama-michael-pence-volunteer-forces-c13b158b555669e8e46191f641e1538d">Joining Forces</a>, her White House initiative to support military families, Biden will be joined by National Guard leaders from across the country, as well as National Guard families. Her late son,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d8f69eb645d74b7886387f713981b739">Beau Biden</a>, was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard.“The soul of our nation is, and always has been, ‘We the People,’” she says in prepared remarks released by the White House. “And that is what inspired this year's White House holiday decoration.”The decorations include more than 83,000 twinkling lights on trees, garlands, wreaths and other displays, 77 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths on the exterior of the executive mansion.A copy of the Declaration of Independence is on display in the library, while the always-show-stopping gingerbread White House includes a sugar cookie replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed. The Constitution opens with the phrase, “We the People.”“The values that unite us can be found all around you, a belief in possibility, optimism and unity,” Biden says in her prepared remarks. “Room by room, we represent what brings us together during the holidays and throughout the year.”A new addition this year is a menorah, used in Jewish worship, that was built by White House carpenters from wood that was removed during a Truman-era renovation. The menorah is located on the State Floor.Some 50,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House during the holidays, including tourists and guests invited to various receptions. Among them will be French President Emmanuel Macron, who is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday and be honored that evening at a White House state dinner, the first of the Biden administration.More than 150 volunteers began decorating the interior and the exterior of the White House last week and continued through the Thanksgiving holiday. Planning began in the spring.Illustrations of the family pets — dog Commander and cat Willow — can be found in the Vermeil Room, where the décor represents different ways of showing kindness and gratitude.Groupings of snowy trees fill corners of the East Room, which reflects nature and recreation. Four well-known national parks are depicted on the fireplace mantels: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah.In the Blue Room, the official White House Christmas tree — an 18 1/2-foot (5.6-meter) Concolor fir from Auburn, Pennsylvania — is decorated to represent unity and hope with handmade renderings of the official birds from all 57 territories, states and the District of Columbia.The State Dining Room is dedicated to the next generation — children — and trees there are decorated with ornaments that are self-portraits of the students of the 2021 Teachers of the Year, “ensuring that children see themselves” in the décor, the White House said.Hanging from the fireplace in the State Dining Room are the Biden family Christmas stockings.The gingerbread White House was made using 20 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 30 sheets of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of pastillage, 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of chocolate and 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of royal icing.“We the People” are celebrated in the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall on the State Floor, where metal ribbons also are inscribed with the names of all the states, territories and the District of Columbia.“Mirrored ornaments and reflective surfaces ensure that visitors can see themselves in the décor, noting that the strength of our country — the Soul of our Nation — comes from ‘We the People,’” the White House said.The White House noted that the holiday guide book visitors will receive was designed this year by Las Vegas-based Daria Peoples, who is Black. Peoples is a former elementary school teacher who has written and illustrated a series of picture books to support children of color, including those who have experienced race-based trauma.

'We the People' is the White House's theme for the holidays

LANSING– Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident George E. Dobbs died Saturday, November 26, 2022. He was found unresponsive while under observation inside the infirmary. 

Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived. Mr. Dobbs was pronounced deceased by medical staff. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy. A preliminary assessment indicates the death was not related to COVID-19.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Dobbs, 53, was serving an 89-month sentence, based on convictions in Leavenworth County, Kansas of Distribution of heroin or meth. He had previous convictions for arson, theft, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669652065351.png" alt="Dobbs -photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Dobbs -photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING– Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident George E. Dobbs died Saturday, November 26, 2022. He was found unresponsive while under observation inside the infirmary. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived. Mr. Dobbs was pronounced deceased by medical staff. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy. A preliminary assessment indicates the death was not related to COVID-19.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is currently ongoing.Dobbs, 53, was serving an 89-month sentence, based on convictions in Leavenworth County, Kansas of Distribution of heroin or meth. He had previous convictions for arson, theft, flee or attempt to elude law enforcement

Kansas inmate serving time for selling heroin died

By ROSE CONLON <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-11-28/kansas-judge-blocks-law-banned-prescribing-abortion-pills-telemedicine">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA&nbsp;— Kansas women could soon be able to seek abortion pills through telemedicine appointments after a judge <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-11-23-KS-Order-on-Remand.pdf" target="_blank">blocked</a> a state law banning the practice.

Abortion
 providers and abortion rights advocates say the decision will help 
expand access to abortion for people across the state, particularly in 
areas like western Kansas that might be several hours from the nearest 
clinic. The state’s five clinics are clustered around Wichita and Kansas
 City, Kansas.

The decision “paves the way for Kansas abortion 
clinics to expand services to women in remote, underserved areas of 
Kansas,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for 
Reproductive Rights, in a statement.

The legal status of 
telemedicine abortion has been tied up in Kansas courts for years, since
 the Center for Reproductive Rights and Wichita-based clinic Trust Women
 challenged a <a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch65/065_004a_0010.html#:~:text=(b)%20(1)%20Except,who%20prescribed%2C%20dispensed%20or%20otherwise" target="_blank">2011 law</a> requiring doctors to be in the same room as patients when prescribing abortion-inducing medication.

Last
 week, Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson granted a 
temporary injunction barring enforcement of the law. It follows her 
earlier ruling this summer denying an injunction, which an appellate 
court <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/06/wichita-abortion-clinic-trust-women-gets-kansas-court-win-telemedicine-misoprostol-mifepristone/9911760002/" target="_blank">overturned</a>.

While
 the legal fight is likely to continue in the Kansas court system, the 
decision will allow Kansas clinics to offer telemedicine abortion 
services. Existing restrictions including a mandatory 24-hour waiting 
period and parental consent rules for minors will still apply.

“Access
 to telemedicine services for Kansans will go a long way to easing the 
strain on our reproductive health care systems in the state,” Trust 
Women co-executive director Rebecca Tong said in a statement.

Anti-abortion advocates said they’re disappointed by the decision.

“While
 it’s disappointing, it’s certainly not surprising,” said Jeanne Gawdun,
 director of government relations with Kansans For Life. “It’s just one 
of the many limits that are protective for women and their children that
 (abortion providers) have fought and will continue to fight.”

The group said legal challenges to abortion laws like this are possible because voters <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">rejected a constitutional amendment</a> in August that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution.

It might still be several months before Kansas clinics begin offering telemedicine abortion services.

“There’s
 still some infrastructure that needs to be developed in order to 
successfully roll out a quality telehealth abortion care program,” Trust
 Women spokesperson Zachary Gingrich-Gaylord said.

He said the clinic continues to be <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-08-22/abortion-kansas-vote-legal-but-clinics-cant-keep-up" target="_blank">inundated by out-of-state patients</a> seeking appointments.

“Right
 now, our Wichita clinic is focused on trying to see as many people in 
clinic as possible,” he said. “We're still receiving far more phone 
calls than we can answer in a given day.”

Planned Parenthood Great
 Plains, which operates three Kansas clinics, didn’t immediately say 
whether or when it might offer telemedicine abortion services in the 
future.

“We applaud this step towards increasing accessibility to 
abortion services and continue to evaluate our next steps,” president 
and CEO Emily Wales said in a statement.

Medication abortion, or the use of the drugs to end a pregnancy, accounts for <a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22847/KS-Abortions-2021-PDF?bidId=" target="_blank">over two thirds of abortions</a>
 in Kansas, according to the state health department. Mifepristone and 
misoprostol, which are often used together, are approved by the Food and
 Drug Administration to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks.

Some 
Kansans have skirted the state’s telemedicine ban by using overseas 
pharmacies and mail-forwarding services. Online orders of abortion pills
 from Europe-based pharmacy Aid Access from Kansas <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-11-04/fall-roe-kansas-abortion-clinics-overseas-pills" target="_blank">doubled between May and August</a> of this year, according to data released earlier this month.

Experts
 say the rise could be tied to increased difficulty in obtaining 
abortion appointments in Kansas following the U.S. Supreme Court 
decision this summer overturning Roe v. Wade, which spurred a wave of 
abortion bans across the country and sent out-of-state patients to 
Kansas clinics.

“Banning telehealth for medication abortion had 
been something that conservative states had glommed on to starting about
 a decade ago,” said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the 
Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

Besides
 Kansas, 18 states have laws banning telemedicine abortions in effect, 
many of which also ban abortion in most cases. Only seven other states 
ban telemedicine abortion in instances where it would be legal in 
person.

“Kansas is a fairly critical state for abortion access in 
the country,” Nash said. “While the decision in this case is very 
important … it’s also not the end of the road. The case is not finished,
 and there’s certainly more that’s going to happen in the Legislature 
around abortion in the coming years.”

Rose Conlon reports on 
health for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on 
Twitter at @rosebconlon or email her at conlon@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669669217699.png" alt=" Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROSE CONLON <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-11-28/kansas-judge-blocks-law-banned-prescribing-abortion-pills-telemedicine">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA&nbsp;— Kansas women could soon be able to seek abortion pills through telemedicine appointments after a judge <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-11-23-KS-Order-on-Remand.pdf" target="_blank">blocked</a> a state law banning the practice.Abortion
 providers and abortion rights advocates say the decision will help 
expand access to abortion for people across the state, particularly in 
areas like western Kansas that might be several hours from the nearest 
clinic. The state’s five clinics are clustered around Wichita and Kansas
 City, Kansas.The decision “paves the way for Kansas abortion 
clinics to expand services to women in remote, underserved areas of 
Kansas,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for 
Reproductive Rights, in a statement.The legal status of 
telemedicine abortion has been tied up in Kansas courts for years, since
 the Center for Reproductive Rights and Wichita-based clinic Trust Women
 challenged a <a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch65/065_004a_0010.html#:~:text=(b)%20(1)%20Except,who%20prescribed%2C%20dispensed%20or%20otherwise" target="_blank">2011 law</a> requiring doctors to be in the same room as patients when prescribing abortion-inducing medication.Last
 week, Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson granted a 
temporary injunction barring enforcement of the law. It follows her 
earlier ruling this summer denying an injunction, which an appellate 
court <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/06/wichita-abortion-clinic-trust-women-gets-kansas-court-win-telemedicine-misoprostol-mifepristone/9911760002/" target="_blank">overturned</a>.While
 the legal fight is likely to continue in the Kansas court system, the 
decision will allow Kansas clinics to offer telemedicine abortion 
services. Existing restrictions including a mandatory 24-hour waiting 
period and parental consent rules for minors will still apply.“Access
 to telemedicine services for Kansans will go a long way to easing the 
strain on our reproductive health care systems in the state,” Trust 
Women co-executive director Rebecca Tong said in a statement.Anti-abortion advocates said they’re disappointed by the decision.“While
 it’s disappointing, it’s certainly not surprising,” said Jeanne Gawdun,
 director of government relations with Kansans For Life. “It’s just one 
of the many limits that are protective for women and their children that
 (abortion providers) have fought and will continue to fight.”The group said legal challenges to abortion laws like this are possible because voters <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">rejected a constitutional amendment</a> in August that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution.It might still be several months before Kansas clinics begin offering telemedicine abortion services.“There’s
 still some infrastructure that needs to be developed in order to 
successfully roll out a quality telehealth abortion care program,” Trust
 Women spokesperson Zachary Gingrich-Gaylord said.He said the clinic continues to be <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-08-22/abortion-kansas-vote-legal-but-clinics-cant-keep-up" target="_blank">inundated by out-of-state patients</a> seeking appointments.“Right
 now, our Wichita clinic is focused on trying to see as many people in 
clinic as possible,” he said. “We're still receiving far more phone 
calls than we can answer in a given day.”Planned Parenthood Great
 Plains, which operates three Kansas clinics, didn’t immediately say 
whether or when it might offer telemedicine abortion services in the 
future.“We applaud this step towards increasing accessibility to 
abortion services and continue to evaluate our next steps,” president 
and CEO Emily Wales said in a statement.Medication abortion, or the use of the drugs to end a pregnancy, accounts for <a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22847/KS-Abortions-2021-PDF?bidId=" target="_blank">over two thirds of abortions</a>
 in Kansas, according to the state health department. Mifepristone and 
misoprostol, which are often used together, are approved by the Food and
 Drug Administration to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks.Some 
Kansans have skirted the state’s telemedicine ban by using overseas 
pharmacies and mail-forwarding services. Online orders of abortion pills
 from Europe-based pharmacy Aid Access from Kansas <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/news/2022-11-04/fall-roe-kansas-abortion-clinics-overseas-pills" target="_blank">doubled between May and August</a> of this year, according to data released earlier this month.Experts
 say the rise could be tied to increased difficulty in obtaining 
abortion appointments in Kansas following the U.S. Supreme Court 
decision this summer overturning Roe v. Wade, which spurred a wave of 
abortion bans across the country and sent out-of-state patients to 
Kansas clinics.“Banning telehealth for medication abortion had 
been something that conservative states had glommed on to starting about
 a decade ago,” said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the 
Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.Besides
 Kansas, 18 states have laws banning telemedicine abortions in effect, 
many of which also ban abortion in most cases. Only seven other states 
ban telemedicine abortion in instances where it would be legal in 
person.“Kansas is a fairly critical state for abortion access in 
the country,” Nash said. “While the decision in this case is very 
important … it’s also not the end of the road. The case is not finished,
 and there’s certainly more that’s going to happen in the Legislature 
around abortion in the coming years.”Rose Conlon reports on 
health for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on 
Twitter at @rosebconlon or email her at conlon@kmuw.org.

Kan. law prescribing abortion pills over telemedicine blocked

JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;— Governor Mike Parson confirmed Monday that the State of Missouri will carry out the sentence of Mr. Kevin Johnson on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Missouri.

According to a statement's from the governor's office,&nbsp;"Mr. Johnson has received every protection afforded by the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and Mr. Johnson’s conviction and sentence remain for his horrendous and callous crime.&nbsp;The&nbsp;State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Johnson’s sentence according to the Court's order and&nbsp;deliver justice,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "The violent murder of any citizen, let alone a Missouri law enforcement&nbsp;officer, should be met only with the fullest punishment state law allows. Through Mr. Johnson's own heinous actions, he stole the life of Sergeant McEntee and left a family grieving, a wife widowed, and children fatherless. Clemency will not be granted."

&nbsp;Johnson ambushed and shot Sergeant Bill McEntee while he responded to a call in Johnson’s neighborhood. Even though Sergeant McEntee survived the first five shots, Mr. Johnson approached Sergeant McEntee and executed him with two more shots to the head while he was crawling on his hands and knees out of his wrecked squad car. 

There is not and never has been any doubt about Mr. Johnson’s guilt. Nor has Mr. Johnson’s conviction or sentence ever been reversed on appeal. Mr. Johnson’s case has been reviewed in the state trial court, Missouri Supreme Court, federal district court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661445268889.png" alt="Johnson-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;— Governor Mike Parson confirmed Monday that the State of Missouri will carry out the sentence of Mr. Kevin Johnson on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, as ordered by the Supreme Court of Missouri.According to a statement's from the governor's office,&nbsp;"Mr. Johnson has received every protection afforded by the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and Mr. Johnson’s conviction and sentence remain for his horrendous and callous crime.&nbsp;The&nbsp;State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Johnson’s sentence according to the Court's order and&nbsp;deliver justice,"&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. "The violent murder of any citizen, let alone a Missouri law enforcement&nbsp;officer, should be met only with the fullest punishment state law allows. Through Mr. Johnson's own heinous actions, he stole the life of Sergeant McEntee and left a family grieving, a wife widowed, and children fatherless. Clemency will not be granted."&nbsp;Johnson ambushed and shot Sergeant Bill McEntee while he responded to a call in Johnson’s neighborhood. Even though Sergeant McEntee survived the first five shots, Mr. Johnson approached Sergeant McEntee and executed him with two more shots to the head while he was crawling on his hands and knees out of his wrecked squad car. There is not and never has been any doubt about Mr. Johnson’s guilt. Nor has Mr. Johnson’s conviction or sentence ever been reversed on appeal. Mr. Johnson’s case has been reviewed in the state trial court, Missouri Supreme Court, federal district court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court.

Gov. will not intervene to block cop killer's Tuesday execution 

NEW YORK (AP) — “Gaslighting” — behavior that's mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year">Merriam-Webster's word of the year.</a>

Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasn't a single event that drove significant spikes in curiosity, as it usually goes with the chosen word of the year.

“It’s a word that has risen so quickly in the English language, and especially in the last four years, that it actually came as a surprise to me and to many of us,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday's unveiling.

“It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,” he said.

There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-artificial-intelligence-21fa207a1254401197fd1e0d7ecd14cb">deepfakes</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1ca51cba8bb14a289d678eaa746122d3">dark web.</a>&nbsp;There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-north-korea-james-comey-8720fde079e84237b8e6cca4219aafb2">deep states</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/not-real-news">fake news.</a>&nbsp;And there was a whole lot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-elections-social-media-technology-4086949d878336f8ea6daa4dee725d94">trolling.</a>

Merriam-Webster's top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”

More broadly, the dictionary defines the word thusly: "The act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage."

Gaslighting is a heinous tool frequently used by abusers in relationships —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9f781df5c184eaad8651659eb628857c">and by politicians and other newsmakers.</a>&nbsp;It can happen between romantic partners, within a broader family unit and among friends. It can be a corporate tactic, or a way to mislead the public. There's also “medical gaslighting,” when a health care professional dismisses a patient's symptoms or illness as “all in your head.”

Despite its relatively recent prominence — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-ap-top-news-natalie-maines-ingrid-bergman-217b8d650500e4a4e332cc53158201fb">“Gaslighter,” The Chicks' 2020 album</a>&nbsp;featuring the rousingly angry titular single — the word was brought to life more than 80 years ago with “Gas Light,” a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton.

It birthed two film adaptations in the 1940s. One, George Cukor's “Gaslight” in 1944, starred Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist and Charles Boyer as Gregory Anton. The two marry after a whirlwind romance and Gregory turns out to be a champion gaslighter. Among other instances, he insists her complaints over the constant dimming of their London townhouse's gaslights is a figment of her troubled mind. It wasn't.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/angela-lansbury-dies-0fd75fe45fe1501d02bd164ff1130d0f">death of Angela Lansbury</a>&nbsp;in October drove some interest in lookups of the word, Sokolowski said. She played Nancy Oliver, a young maid hired by Gregory and told not to bother his “high-strung” wife.

The term gaslighting was later used by mental health practitioners to clinically describe a form of prolonged coercive control in abusive relationships.

“There is this implication of an intentional deception,” Sokolowski said. “And once one is aware of that deception, it’s not just a straightforward lie, as in, you know, I didn’t eat the cookies in the cookie jar. It’s something that has a little bit more devious quality to it. It has possibly an idea of strategy or a long-term plan.”

Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-media-social-media-health-7763d1837b4075d6e19dde947caa57bf">on its site,</a>&nbsp;chooses its word of the year based solely on data. Sokolowski and his team weed out evergreen words most commonly looked up to gauge which word received a significant bump over the year before.

They don't slice and dice why people look up words, which can be anything from quick spelling and definition checks to some sort of attempt at inspiration or motivation. Some of the droves who looked up “gaslighting” this year might have wanted to know, simply, if it's one or two words, or whether it's hyphenated.

“Gaslighting,” Sokolowski said, spent all of 2022 in the top 50 words looked up on merriam-webster.com to earn top dog word of the year status. Last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merriam-webster-word-of-year-vaccine-89de731624901bc53f4febdbc5925f80">pick was “vaccine.”</a>&nbsp;Rounding out this year's Top 10 are:

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-new-york-manhattan-viktor-vekselberg-a3082f5072ad5a8ce5784038ccbfbfb1">“Oligarch,”</a>&nbsp;driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-united-states-d09b3c6cc8b047c41d6cbf74043d0713">“Omicron,”</a>&nbsp;the persistent COVID-19 variant and the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-voting-rights-filibusters-government-and-politics-a3b53867ffcbddcda13105891dbcdeec">“Codify,”</a>&nbsp;as in turning abortion rights into federal law.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/camilla-queen-consort-98f15d3c5482be8374e4ea85bc1eeda0">“Queen consort,”</a>&nbsp;what King Charles’ wife, Camilla is newly known as.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">“Raid,”</a>&nbsp;as in the search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-1a652de47c2d0e502c2896748d9d1d5f">“Sentient,”</a>&nbsp;with lookups brought on by Google canning the engineer who claimed an unreleased AI system had become sentient.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-george-packer-media-football-social-media-9090804abf933c422207660509aeef22">“Cancel culture,”</a>&nbsp;enough said.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gay-rights">“LGBTQIA,”</a>&nbsp;for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.

—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Holiday-gift-guide-adults-games-toys-4e953410c306b2db2ca69149b1d7f9fa">“Loamy,”</a>&nbsp;which many Wordle users tried back in August, though the right word that day was “clown.”

NEW YORK (AP) — “Gaslighting” — behavior that's mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year">Merriam-Webster's word of the year.</a>Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasn't a single event that drove significant spikes in curiosity, as it usually goes with the chosen word of the year.The gaslighting was pervasive.“It’s a word that has risen so quickly in the English language, and especially in the last four years, that it actually came as a surprise to me and to many of us,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday's unveiling.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Some things you should know about &#39;gaslighting&#39;: - it had a 1740% increase in lookups for the past year. - it comes from the title of a 1938 play (and the movie based on that play). - it is totally a real word, and not something we made up just to mess with you.&mdash; Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) <a href="https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/1597232594344501248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year,” he said.There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-artificial-intelligence-21fa207a1254401197fd1e0d7ecd14cb">deepfakes</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/1ca51cba8bb14a289d678eaa746122d3">dark web.</a>&nbsp;There were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-north-korea-james-comey-8720fde079e84237b8e6cca4219aafb2">deep states</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/not-real-news">fake news.</a>&nbsp;And there was a whole lot of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-elections-social-media-technology-4086949d878336f8ea6daa4dee725d94">trolling.</a>Merriam-Webster's top definition for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that “causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”More broadly, the dictionary defines the word thusly: "The act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage."Gaslighting is a heinous tool frequently used by abusers in relationships —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9f781df5c184eaad8651659eb628857c">and by politicians and other newsmakers.</a>&nbsp;It can happen between romantic partners, within a broader family unit and among friends. It can be a corporate tactic, or a way to mislead the public. There's also “medical gaslighting,” when a health care professional dismisses a patient's symptoms or illness as “all in your head.”Despite its relatively recent prominence — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-ap-top-news-natalie-maines-ingrid-bergman-217b8d650500e4a4e332cc53158201fb">“Gaslighter,” The Chicks' 2020 album</a>&nbsp;featuring the rousingly angry titular single — the word was brought to life more than 80 years ago with “Gas Light,” a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton.It birthed two film adaptations in the 1940s. One, George Cukor's “Gaslight” in 1944, starred Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist and Charles Boyer as Gregory Anton. The two marry after a whirlwind romance and Gregory turns out to be a champion gaslighter. Among other instances, he insists her complaints over the constant dimming of their London townhouse's gaslights is a figment of her troubled mind. It wasn't.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/angela-lansbury-dies-0fd75fe45fe1501d02bd164ff1130d0f">death of Angela Lansbury</a>&nbsp;in October drove some interest in lookups of the word, Sokolowski said. She played Nancy Oliver, a young maid hired by Gregory and told not to bother his “high-strung” wife.The term gaslighting was later used by mental health practitioners to clinically describe a form of prolonged coercive control in abusive relationships.“There is this implication of an intentional deception,” Sokolowski said. “And once one is aware of that deception, it’s not just a straightforward lie, as in, you know, I didn’t eat the cookies in the cookie jar. It’s something that has a little bit more devious quality to it. It has possibly an idea of strategy or a long-term plan.”Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-media-social-media-health-7763d1837b4075d6e19dde947caa57bf">on its site,</a>&nbsp;chooses its word of the year based solely on data. Sokolowski and his team weed out evergreen words most commonly looked up to gauge which word received a significant bump over the year before.They don't slice and dice why people look up words, which can be anything from quick spelling and definition checks to some sort of attempt at inspiration or motivation. Some of the droves who looked up “gaslighting” this year might have wanted to know, simply, if it's one or two words, or whether it's hyphenated.“Gaslighting,” Sokolowski said, spent all of 2022 in the top 50 words looked up on merriam-webster.com to earn top dog word of the year status. Last year's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merriam-webster-word-of-year-vaccine-89de731624901bc53f4febdbc5925f80">pick was “vaccine.”</a>&nbsp;Rounding out this year's Top 10 are:—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-new-york-manhattan-viktor-vekselberg-a3082f5072ad5a8ce5784038ccbfbfb1">“Oligarch,”</a>&nbsp;driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-united-states-d09b3c6cc8b047c41d6cbf74043d0713">“Omicron,”</a>&nbsp;the persistent COVID-19 variant and the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-voting-rights-filibusters-government-and-politics-a3b53867ffcbddcda13105891dbcdeec">“Codify,”</a>&nbsp;as in turning abortion rights into federal law.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/camilla-queen-consort-98f15d3c5482be8374e4ea85bc1eeda0">“Queen consort,”</a>&nbsp;what King Charles’ wife, Camilla is newly known as.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">“Raid,”</a>&nbsp;as in the search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-1a652de47c2d0e502c2896748d9d1d5f">“Sentient,”</a>&nbsp;with lookups brought on by Google canning the engineer who claimed an unreleased AI system had become sentient.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-george-packer-media-football-social-media-9090804abf933c422207660509aeef22">“Cancel culture,”</a>&nbsp;enough said.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/gay-rights">“LGBTQIA,”</a>&nbsp;for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.—&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Holiday-gift-guide-adults-games-toys-4e953410c306b2db2ca69149b1d7f9fa">“Loamy,”</a>&nbsp;which many Wordle users tried back in August, though the right word that day was “clown.”

'Gaslighting' is Merriam-Webster's 2022 word of the year

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;27-year-old Chandler Christiansen of Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

Investigators determined that just after 8:20 p.m. Saturday, a 2007 GMC Sierra driven by Christiansen was westbound on Kellogg just west of Interstate 35.

He attempted to exit for Washington Street and lost control of the vehicle. The pickup left the roadway, struck two trees and Christiansen was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;

No other vehicles were involved, and no other injuries occurred, according to Ditch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669657994579.png" alt="Image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>Image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victim as&nbsp;27-year-old Chandler Christiansen of Wichita, according to Officer Chad Ditch.Investigators determined that just after 8:20 p.m. Saturday, a 2007 GMC Sierra driven by Christiansen was westbound on Kellogg just west of Interstate 35.He attempted to exit for Washington Street and lost control of the vehicle. The pickup left the roadway, struck two trees and Christiansen was ejected from the vehicle.&nbsp;No other vehicles were involved, and no other injuries occurred, according to Ditch.

Police ID Kansas man who died after ejected in pickup crash

I use a debit card for all my regular, day-to-day purchases. However, I use a credit card for plane tickets, big ticket items, or when I shop online because someone told me it’s easier to dispute purchases when they’re made with a credit card. Are you putting your checking account at risk by using a debit card for these types of purchases?

I don’t know who this “someone” is, but they’re a lousy financial advisor. The firm of Someone, They Said, and I Heard? That’s a financial planning company you don’t want to work with.&nbsp;

A debit card has the exact same protections for fraud that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/how-to-pay-off-credit-card-debt">credit card</a>&nbsp;has. It does come out of your checking account, but the bank has to put it back once you dispute the charge and prove your dispute. It may take a day or two, but they’ll get it done.

I’ve used a debit card for decades, and I haven’t owned a credit card since&nbsp;way&nbsp;back in my dumb-with-money days. I’ve never had any problems using a debit card, and I’m not going to make the mistake of playing around with debt ever again.

Dave Ramsey&nbsp;is an eight-time national bestselling author, personal finance expert and host of “The Ramsey Show,” heard by more than 18 million listeners. He&nbsp;has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” “Today,” Fox News, CNN, Fox Business and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO of Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648177011035.png" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,I use a debit card for all my regular, day-to-day purchases. However, I use a credit card for plane tickets, big ticket items, or when I shop online because someone told me it’s easier to dispute purchases when they’re made with a credit card. Are you putting your checking account at risk by using a debit card for these types of purchases?WendyDear Wendy,I don’t know who this “someone” is, but they’re a lousy financial advisor. The firm of Someone, They Said, and I Heard? That’s a financial planning company you don’t want to work with.&nbsp;A debit card has the exact same protections for fraud that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/how-to-pay-off-credit-card-debt">credit card</a>&nbsp;has. It does come out of your checking account, but the bank has to put it back once you dispute the charge and prove your dispute. It may take a day or two, but they’ll get it done.I’ve used a debit card for decades, and I haven’t owned a credit card since&nbsp;way&nbsp;back in my dumb-with-money days. I’ve never had any problems using a debit card, and I’m not going to make the mistake of playing around with debt ever again.I hope you won’t either!&nbsp;&nbsp;— DaveDave Ramsey&nbsp;is an eight-time national bestselling author, personal finance expert and host of “The Ramsey Show,” heard by more than 18 million listeners. He&nbsp;has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” “Today,” Fox News, CNN, Fox Business and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO of Ramsey Solutions.

ASK DAVE: Are debit cards safe for online purchases?

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, saying the move supported protesters in Iran ahead of the two nations'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">World Cup</a>&nbsp;match Tuesday.

Iran's government reacted by accusing America of removing the name of God from its national flag and calling for the U.S. to be removed from the competition.

The USSF decision added yet-another political firestorm to the Middle East's first World Cup, one organizers had hoped would be spared of off-the-field controversies.

It occurred as the U.S. prepared to face Iran in a decisive World Cup match already freighted by the decades of enmity between the countries and the nationwide protests challenging Tehran's theocratic government.

The USSF said in a statement Sunday morning it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”

The Twitter account of the U.S. men's team displayed a banner with the squad's matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors. The same was seen in a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialussoccer/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZn_crNqlI/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE%3D">Instagram accounts</a>&nbsp;laying out the point totals so far in its group.

By Sunday afternoon, the normal flag with the emblem had been restored in the Twitter banner and the Facebook and Instagram posts with the altered flag had been removed.

“We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours,” the federation said.

Federation spokesman Neil Buethe would not say whether the original decision had been cleared by USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former national team player. Buethe said Parlow Cone was not available to discuss the matter.

“This was a decision within the federation,” he said. “I'm not going to get into who knew and who didn't.”

Asked whether there had been discussions with diplomatic entities, Buethe said: “There have been at certain times. I'm not going to talk about those, but, again, this is our decision not anyone else's or pressure from anyone else.”

The USSF&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/competitions/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022/matches/iran-vs-united-states-11-29-22">displayed the official Iranian flag</a>&nbsp;in a graphic showing Group B standings on its website.

Defender Walker Zimmerman said the U.S. players were unaware of the posts.

"We didn’t know anything about the posts but we are supporters of women’s rights," he said. “We’re focused a lot on Tuesday, on the sporting side, as well. ... I think it’s such a focused group on the task but at the same time we empathize and we are firm believers in women’s rights and support them.”

The brief absence of the emblem came as monthslong demonstrations challenged Iran's government following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-world-cup-sports-soccer-religion-ba78b69f05edebc3e80d1b235ca71324">the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini</a>, who had been detained by the country's morality police.

The protests have seen at least 450 people killed since they started, as well as over 18,000 arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, an advocacy group following the demonstrations.

Iran has not released casualty or arrest figures for months and alleges without providing evidence that the protests have been fomented by its enemies abroad, including the U.S.

Tehran also restricts media access and has detained over 63 reporters and photographers since the demonstrations began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, making covering the unrest that much more difficult.

Iran's mission to the United Nations and its soccer federation did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. As comments raged online, Iranian state television described the U.S. federation as “removing the symbol of Allah” from the Iranian flag.

Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Safiollah Fagahanpour, an adviser to the Iranian Football Federation, saying that the “measures taken regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran flag are against the law" of FIFA competitions.

"They must be held responsible,” Fagahanpour said. “Obviously they want to affect Iran’s performance against the U.S by doing this.”

The Islamic Republic emblem, designed in 1980, is four curves with a sword between them. It represents the Islamic saying: “There is no god but God.” It also resembles a tulip or lotus.

At the top and the bottom of the flag, there are 22 inscriptions of “God is Great” as well, which honors the date on the Persian calendar when the Islamic Revolution took hold.

The flag has become a point of contention at the World Cup. Apparent pro-government supporters have waved it, shouting at those demonstrating over Amini's death. Others at matches have waved Iran's lion and sun flag, an emblem of its former ruler, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

More security forces could be seen at Iran's last match against Wales. In the capital Tehran, anti-riot police — the same ones cracking down on protests — waved the Iranian flag after the Wales win, angering demonstrators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669654905037.png" alt="The Twitter account of the U.S. men's team displayed a banner with the squad's matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors." />
 <figcaption>The Twitter account of the U.S. men's team displayed a banner with the squad's matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran's national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, saying the move supported protesters in Iran ahead of the two nations'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">World Cup</a>&nbsp;match Tuesday.Iran's government reacted by accusing America of removing the name of God from its national flag and calling for the U.S. to be removed from the competition.The USSF decision added yet-another political firestorm to the Middle East's first World Cup, one organizers had hoped would be spared of off-the-field controversies.It occurred as the U.S. prepared to face Iran in a decisive World Cup match already freighted by the decades of enmity between the countries and the nationwide protests challenging Tehran's theocratic government.The USSF said in a statement Sunday morning it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”The Twitter account of the U.S. men's team displayed a banner with the squad's matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors. The same was seen in a post on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialussoccer/">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZn_crNqlI/?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE%3D">Instagram accounts</a>&nbsp;laying out the point totals so far in its group.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Two days away. <a href="https://t.co/iPz10sFNto">pic.twitter.com/iPz10sFNto</a>&mdash; U.S. Men&#39;s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1596888638180446209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>By Sunday afternoon, the normal flag with the emblem had been restored in the Twitter banner and the Facebook and Instagram posts with the altered flag had been removed.“We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours,” the federation said.Federation spokesman Neil Buethe would not say whether the original decision had been cleared by USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former national team player. Buethe said Parlow Cone was not available to discuss the matter.“This was a decision within the federation,” he said. “I'm not going to get into who knew and who didn't.”Asked whether there had been discussions with diplomatic entities, Buethe said: “There have been at certain times. I'm not going to talk about those, but, again, this is our decision not anyone else's or pressure from anyone else.”The USSF&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/competitions/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022/matches/iran-vs-united-states-11-29-22">displayed the official Iranian flag</a>&nbsp;in a graphic showing Group B standings on its website.Defender Walker Zimmerman said the U.S. players were unaware of the posts."We didn’t know anything about the posts but we are supporters of women’s rights," he said. “We’re focused a lot on Tuesday, on the sporting side, as well. ... I think it’s such a focused group on the task but at the same time we empathize and we are firm believers in women’s rights and support them.”The brief absence of the emblem came as monthslong demonstrations challenged Iran's government following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-world-cup-sports-soccer-religion-ba78b69f05edebc3e80d1b235ca71324">the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini</a>, who had been detained by the country's morality police.The protests have seen at least 450 people killed since they started, as well as over 18,000 arrested, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, an advocacy group following the demonstrations.Iran has not released casualty or arrest figures for months and alleges without providing evidence that the protests have been fomented by its enemies abroad, including the U.S.Tehran also restricts media access and has detained over 63 reporters and photographers since the demonstrations began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, making covering the unrest that much more difficult.Iran's mission to the United Nations and its soccer federation did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. As comments raged online, Iranian state television described the U.S. federation as “removing the symbol of Allah” from the Iranian flag.Iran's semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted Safiollah Fagahanpour, an adviser to the Iranian Football Federation, saying that the “measures taken regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran flag are against the law" of FIFA competitions."They must be held responsible,” Fagahanpour said. “Obviously they want to affect Iran’s performance against the U.S by doing this.”The Islamic Republic emblem, designed in 1980, is four curves with a sword between them. It represents the Islamic saying: “There is no god but God.” It also resembles a tulip or lotus.At the top and the bottom of the flag, there are 22 inscriptions of “God is Great” as well, which honors the date on the Persian calendar when the Islamic Revolution took hold.The flag has become a point of contention at the World Cup. Apparent pro-government supporters have waved it, shouting at those demonstrating over Amini's death. Others at matches have waved Iran's lion and sun flag, an emblem of its former ruler, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.More security forces could be seen at Iran's last match against Wales. In the capital Tehran, anti-riot police — the same ones cracking down on protests — waved the Iranian flag after the Wales win, angering demonstrators.

Iran wants US kicked out of 2022 World Cup after social media furor

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

A Salina man died as the result of a work accident&nbsp; just south of Salina.

Just before 4p.m. November 23, emergency personnel responded to Crestwood, Inc., 601. E. Water Well Road for the report of an accident, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Nathaniel T.R. Goben, 27, of Salina, was moving a load of lumber when it fell on him.&nbsp; EMS transported Goben to Salina Regional Health Center, where he later died.

In the following post on its Facebook page, Crestwood announced Goben's death.

<a href="https://crestwood-inc.com/?fbclid=IwAR2J_O_Jaa7kfL2dxFTZkI6pXHh9vTgOKOZlG2ldDbof_tgy7gzMdLvGNQQ">Crestwood manufactures </a>wood products including&nbsp;fine custom cabinetry for kitchens and bathrooms, according to the company web site.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostA Salina man died as the result of a work accident&nbsp; just south of Salina.Just before 4p.m. November 23, emergency personnel responded to Crestwood, Inc., 601. E. Water Well Road for the report of an accident, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.Nathaniel T.R. Goben, 27, of Salina, was moving a load of lumber when it fell on him.&nbsp; EMS transported Goben to Salina Regional Health Center, where he later died.In the following post on its Facebook page, Crestwood announced Goben's death.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCrestwoodCabinets%2Fposts%2Fpfbid037jbCxXampJMFLHbonaiBEP2pMbkAZoquGCGwtwwzSqTohuuXiZrNyNbmT28aUdJQl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="228" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><a href="https://crestwood-inc.com/?fbclid=IwAR2J_O_Jaa7kfL2dxFTZkI6pXHh9vTgOKOZlG2ldDbof_tgy7gzMdLvGNQQ">Crestwood manufactures </a>wood products including&nbsp;fine custom cabinetry for kitchens and bathrooms, according to the company web site.

Kan. man dies after accident at custom cabinetry business

GEARY COUNTY —One person died in a fire early Monday in Junction City.

Just before 1a.m., Junction City firefighters responded to a trailer house fire at 948 Grant Avenue lot 381, according to a media release.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On arrival the trailer house was fully involved with fire. A single fatality was found inside the residence. The Kansas State Fire Marshal office was called and took over investigations once on scene.&nbsp;

No first responder injuries were reported. Multiple agencies were involved to help assist with this scene, included JCPD, Investigations, and KSFM.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669650927727.jpeg" alt="Photo Junction City fire department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Junction City fire department</figcaption>
 </figure>By Dewey TerrillJC PostGEARY COUNTY —One person died in a fire early Monday in Junction City.Just before 1a.m., Junction City firefighters responded to a trailer house fire at 948 Grant Avenue lot 381, according to a media release.&nbsp;&nbsp;On arrival the trailer house was fully involved with fire. A single fatality was found inside the residence. The Kansas State Fire Marshal office was called and took over investigations once on scene.&nbsp;No first responder injuries were reported. Multiple agencies were involved to help assist with this scene, included JCPD, Investigations, and KSFM.