WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-1fef158c3a66bfc0ba6224570753ba47">classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home</a>, and refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review the entire tranche of records taken in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago</a>&nbsp;and set a November deadline for his work. In the meantime, she continued to block the department from using for its investigation roughly 100 documents marked as classified that were seized.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.89.0_1.pdf">sharply worded order from Cannon</a>, a Trump appointee, will almost certainly slow the pace of the investigation and set the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. The department had given Cannon until Thursday to put on hold her order pausing investigators' review of classified records while the special master completes his work. The department said it would ask the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene if she did not do so by then.

The Justice Department did not immediately comment on Thursday's ruling.

Cannon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-bc980316f80f88620b92e5666f96251c">who last week granted the Trump team's request</a>&nbsp;for a special master over the objections of the Justice Department, made clear in her Thursday order that she was not prepared to blindly accept the government's characterizations of the documents, saying “evenhanded procedure does not demand unquestioning trust in the determinations of the Department of Justice.”

She turned aside the department's position that Trump could not have any ownership interests in the documents, and said she was receptive to the possibility that the former president could raise valid claims of privilege over at least some of the records. She noted ongoing disagreements between the two sides about the “proper designation of the seized materials” and the “legal implications flowing from those designations.”

“The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” she wrote.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.91.0.pdf">selection of Dearie</a>, a former federal prosecutor who for years served as the chief judge of the federal court based in Brooklyn, came after both the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-4400379ff118bdaf16ffd7a51bb2c4e9">Justice Department and Trump’s lawyers made clear</a>&nbsp;they would be satisfied with his appointment as a so-called special master.

As special master, Dearie will be responsible for reviewing the entire inventory of documents taken during the search of Mar-a-Lago —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">the FBI says it recovered about 11,000 documents</a>&nbsp;from the home during its search, including roughly 100 with classification markings — and segregating out any that may be covered by claims of executive privilege or attorney-client privilege. He is also tasked with identifying any personal materials of Trump's that should possibly be returned to him.

The Justice Department said last week that it did not believe that the special master should inspect records with classified markings or evaluate the former president's claims of privilege. Cannon rejected both positions Thursday, directing the special master to prioritize in his review the documents marked as classified, “and thereafter consider prompt adjustments to the Court’s Orders as necessary." She set a deadline of Nov. 30 for the special master to complete the work.

The Justice Department has been investigating for months the hoarding of top-secret materials and other classified documents at the Florida property after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;left office. Citing national security concerns, it has said its investigation would be harmed if the judge did not quickly lift her block on the department from continuing to make use of the classified records in its probe.

Cannon rejected that idea Thursday, saying “there has been no actual suggestion by the Government of any identifiable emergency or imminent disclosure of classified information arising from Plaintiff’s allegedly unlawful retention of the seized property.”

She added, “Instead, and unfortunately, the unwarranted disclosures that float in the background have been leaks to the media after the underlying seizure.”

She also said nothing in her order barred the department from “conducting investigations or bringing charges based on anything other than the actual content of the seized materials,” saying investigators were welcome to interview witnesses and collect information about the “movement and storage of seized materials.”

Trump’s lawyers had asked last month for a judge to name a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-government-and-politics-1cc6c63010da10a19fb8cfc8595ffe38">special master</a>&nbsp;to do an independent review of the records and filter out any that may be covered by claims of privilege. The Justice Department argued the appointment was unnecessary, saying it had already done its own review and Trump had no right to raise executive privilege claims that ordinarily permit the president to withhold certain information from the public and Congress.

Cannon disagreed and directed both sides to name potential candidates for the role.

The Trump team recommended either Dearie or a Florida lawyer for the job. The Justice Department said Monday that, in addition to the two retired judges whose names it submitted, it would also be satisfied with a Dearie appointment.

Dearie served as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York from 1982 to 1986, at which point he was appointed to the federal bench by then-President Ronald Reagan. He has also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which authorizes Justice Department wiretap applications in investigations involving suspected agents of a foreign power.

Dearie was chief judge of the district from 2007 to 2011, when he took senior status. But the Justice Department has said he remains active and had indicated to officials that he was available for the position and could work expeditiously if appointed to it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661941600753.jpeg" alt="This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image contained in a court filing by the Department of Justice on Aug. 30, 2022, and redacted by in part by the FBI, shows a photo of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search by the FBI of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The Justice Department says it has uncovered efforts to obstruct its investigation into the discovery of classified records at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. (Department of Justice via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday appointed a veteran New York jurist to serve as an independent arbiter in the criminal investigation into the presence of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-1fef158c3a66bfc0ba6224570753ba47">classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Florida home</a>, and refused to permit the Justice Department to resume its use of the highly sensitive records seized in an FBI search last month.U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon empowered the newly named special master, Raymond Dearie, to review the entire tranche of records taken in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago</a>&nbsp;and set a November deadline for his work. In the meantime, she continued to block the department from using for its investigation roughly 100 documents marked as classified that were seized.The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.89.0_1.pdf">sharply worded order from Cannon</a>, a Trump appointee, will almost certainly slow the pace of the investigation and set the stage for a challenge to a federal appeals court. The department had given Cannon until Thursday to put on hold her order pausing investigators' review of classified records while the special master completes his work. The department said it would ask the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene if she did not do so by then.The Justice Department did not immediately comment on Thursday's ruling.Cannon,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-bc980316f80f88620b92e5666f96251c">who last week granted the Trump team's request</a>&nbsp;for a special master over the objections of the Justice Department, made clear in her Thursday order that she was not prepared to blindly accept the government's characterizations of the documents, saying “evenhanded procedure does not demand unquestioning trust in the determinations of the Department of Justice.”She turned aside the department's position that Trump could not have any ownership interests in the documents, and said she was receptive to the possibility that the former president could raise valid claims of privilege over at least some of the records. She noted ongoing disagreements between the two sides about the “proper designation of the seized materials” and the “legal implications flowing from those designations.”“The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” she wrote.The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.91.0.pdf">selection of Dearie</a>, a former federal prosecutor who for years served as the chief judge of the federal court based in Brooklyn, came after both the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-criminal-investigations-government-and-politics-4400379ff118bdaf16ffd7a51bb2c4e9">Justice Department and Trump’s lawyers made clear</a>&nbsp;they would be satisfied with his appointment as a so-called special master.As special master, Dearie will be responsible for reviewing the entire inventory of documents taken during the search of Mar-a-Lago —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-6bd103a8e418166b17a34d77e8d9102d">the FBI says it recovered about 11,000 documents</a>&nbsp;from the home during its search, including roughly 100 with classification markings — and segregating out any that may be covered by claims of executive privilege or attorney-client privilege. He is also tasked with identifying any personal materials of Trump's that should possibly be returned to him.The Justice Department said last week that it did not believe that the special master should inspect records with classified markings or evaluate the former president's claims of privilege. Cannon rejected both positions Thursday, directing the special master to prioritize in his review the documents marked as classified, “and thereafter consider prompt adjustments to the Court’s Orders as necessary." She set a deadline of Nov. 30 for the special master to complete the work.The Justice Department has been investigating for months the hoarding of top-secret materials and other classified documents at the Florida property after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;left office. Citing national security concerns, it has said its investigation would be harmed if the judge did not quickly lift her block on the department from continuing to make use of the classified records in its probe.Cannon rejected that idea Thursday, saying “there has been no actual suggestion by the Government of any identifiable emergency or imminent disclosure of classified information arising from Plaintiff’s allegedly unlawful retention of the seized property.”She added, “Instead, and unfortunately, the unwarranted disclosures that float in the background have been leaks to the media after the underlying seizure.”She also said nothing in her order barred the department from “conducting investigations or bringing charges based on anything other than the actual content of the seized materials,” saying investigators were welcome to interview witnesses and collect information about the “movement and storage of seized materials.”Trump’s lawyers had asked last month for a judge to name a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-government-and-politics-1cc6c63010da10a19fb8cfc8595ffe38">special master</a>&nbsp;to do an independent review of the records and filter out any that may be covered by claims of privilege. The Justice Department argued the appointment was unnecessary, saying it had already done its own review and Trump had no right to raise executive privilege claims that ordinarily permit the president to withhold certain information from the public and Congress.Cannon disagreed and directed both sides to name potential candidates for the role.The Trump team recommended either Dearie or a Florida lawyer for the job. The Justice Department said Monday that, in addition to the two retired judges whose names it submitted, it would also be satisfied with a Dearie appointment.Dearie served as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York from 1982 to 1986, at which point he was appointed to the federal bench by then-President Ronald Reagan. He has also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which authorizes Justice Department wiretap applications in investigations involving suspected agents of a foreign power.Dearie was chief judge of the district from 2007 to 2011, when he took senior status. But the Justice Department has said he remains active and had indicated to officials that he was available for the position and could work expeditiously if appointed to it.

Veteran judge named special master in Trump documents search

KANSAS CITY (AP) —As Republican governors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-immigration-ron-desantis-charlie-baker-4fe96d293de4b189299a372b85c95add">ramp up their high-profile transports of migrants to Democratic-run jurisdictions,</a>&nbsp;the practice is getting a mixed reaction from Christian faith leaders — many of whom, especially evangelicals, have supported GOP candidates by large numbers in recent elections.

Some depict the actions as inhumanely exploiting vulnerable people for political ends, while others say it's a harmless way of calling attention to the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>&nbsp;on states near the southern border.

“Playing political games scores points — and the hypocrisy of the current immigration system is easy to point out,” Ed Stetzer, a professor, dean and executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center in Illinois, said in a statement.

“However, it does not solve the actual problems. ... Let’s fix the system,” he added, “and stop turning people into pawns of political one-upmanship.”

But the Rev. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Dallas and a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, who imposed restrictive immigration policies during his term, backed the transports.

“Government officials who refuse to fulfill their biblical responsibility to protect our borders should be made to feel the effects of their lawless policies,” Jeffress said via email.

“Busing illegal migrants to Washington D.C. or Martha’s Vineyard is not exactly the same as sending them to Siberia,” he continued. “Most Americans would love the opportunity to visit either destination.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew immigrants on two planes to the upscale island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts on Wednesday, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also dispatched migrants to cities with Democratic mayors. Most recently, on Thursday, two busloads from his state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-donald-trump-kamala-harris-immigration-ron-desantis-f9dcae99bdca91c1c874d68453a5960c?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_4">disembarked near Vice President Kamala Harris' residence</a>&nbsp;in Washington. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also has adopted the policy.

The Republican governors are trying to draw attention to what they contend is failed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-immigration-government-and-politics-5c7bb29c829d7f0711b23f9beb18755d">border policy</a>&nbsp;under the Biden administration.

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy agency, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said such actions “seem to be more about public relations.”

“We have called long for strengthened border protections and at the same time (for) folks who are coming into this country to be treated in a way that respects the imago dei (image of God),” he said.

Most Americans, including Southern Baptists, “want a solution to our broken immigration system,” Leatherwood added. “Let's cut down on some of these actions and instead come to the table and figure out a solution that actually respects human dignity.”

Joshua Manning, pastor of the ethnically diverse Community Baptist Church in Noel, Missouri, a town of 1,800 with a large immigrant population, agreed that the transports are the wrong way to highlight a real problem.

“You shouldn’t be loading people up and treating them as political props — that’s dehumanizing,” Manning said.

He said, however, that immigration is a tricky subject. Places that have declared themselves in support of migrants and asylum seekers may not “see the difficulties of everything that’s associated with that," he said.

In the mostly Latino neighborhood of Corona, in New York City's Queens borough, the large congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic church held a special service Wednesday to pray for the immigrants. In an interview, their pastor, the Rev. Manuel Rodriguez, called the transports a “horrible crime.”

“All of us are horrified about the steady violation of human rights by Gov. DeSantis and other governors who are so inhumane and unethical to keep sending human beings to places where they weren’t even informed that they’d be sent,” Rodriguez said.

“You don’t use human beings who are fleeing their homelands in fear, because of violence, hunger, persecution, because of the threat of rape ... as tools, as objects to make political points," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663345700116.png" alt="Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dispatched migrants to cities with Democratic mayor. Most recently, on Thursday, two busloads from his state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-donald-trump-kamala-harris-immigration-ron-desantis-f9dcae99bdca91c1c874d68453a5960c?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_4">disembarked near Vice President Kamala Harris' residence</a>&nbsp;in Washington.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dispatched migrants to cities with Democratic mayor. Most recently, on Thursday, two busloads from his state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-donald-trump-kamala-harris-immigration-ron-desantis-f9dcae99bdca91c1c874d68453a5960c?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_4">disembarked near Vice President Kamala Harris' residence</a>&nbsp;in Washington.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —As Republican governors&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-immigration-ron-desantis-charlie-baker-4fe96d293de4b189299a372b85c95add">ramp up their high-profile transports of migrants to Democratic-run jurisdictions,</a>&nbsp;the practice is getting a mixed reaction from Christian faith leaders — many of whom, especially evangelicals, have supported GOP candidates by large numbers in recent elections.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Republican governors have been pleading for help with Joe Biden&#39;s self-inflicted border crisis for more than a year, and Laura Kelly has done nothing but mock those requests as &quot;political games.&quot;&mdash; Derek Schmidt (@DerekSchmidtKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekSchmidtKS/status/1570551786792189957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Some depict the actions as inhumanely exploiting vulnerable people for political ends, while others say it's a harmless way of calling attention to the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>&nbsp;on states near the southern border.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our supposed Border Czar, VP Harris, has yet to see firsthand the impact of the open border policies she has helped implement. Texas will continue sending migrants to sanctuary cities like D.C. until Biden &amp; Harris do their jobs to secure the border. <a href="https://t.co/dJKTAvckXB">pic.twitter.com/dJKTAvckXB</a>&mdash; Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1570452667888967680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Playing political games scores points — and the hypocrisy of the current immigration system is easy to point out,” Ed Stetzer, a professor, dean and executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center in Illinois, said in a statement.“However, it does not solve the actual problems. ... Let’s fix the system,” he added, “and stop turning people into pawns of political one-upmanship.”But the Rev. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Dallas and a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, who imposed restrictive immigration policies during his term, backed the transports.“Government officials who refuse to fulfill their biblical responsibility to protect our borders should be made to feel the effects of their lawless policies,” Jeffress said via email.“Busing illegal migrants to Washington D.C. or Martha’s Vineyard is not exactly the same as sending them to Siberia,” he continued. “Most Americans would love the opportunity to visit either destination.”Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew immigrants on two planes to the upscale island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts on Wednesday, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also dispatched migrants to cities with Democratic mayors. Most recently, on Thursday, two busloads from his state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-donald-trump-kamala-harris-immigration-ron-desantis-f9dcae99bdca91c1c874d68453a5960c?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_4">disembarked near Vice President Kamala Harris' residence</a>&nbsp;in Washington. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also has adopted the policy.The Republican governors are trying to draw attention to what they contend is failed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-immigration-government-and-politics-5c7bb29c829d7f0711b23f9beb18755d">border policy</a>&nbsp;under the Biden administration.Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy agency, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said such actions “seem to be more about public relations.”“We have called long for strengthened border protections and at the same time (for) folks who are coming into this country to be treated in a way that respects the imago dei (image of God),” he said.Most Americans, including Southern Baptists, “want a solution to our broken immigration system,” Leatherwood added. “Let's cut down on some of these actions and instead come to the table and figure out a solution that actually respects human dignity.”Joshua Manning, pastor of the ethnically diverse Community Baptist Church in Noel, Missouri, a town of 1,800 with a large immigrant population, agreed that the transports are the wrong way to highlight a real problem.“You shouldn’t be loading people up and treating them as political props — that’s dehumanizing,” Manning said.He said, however, that immigration is a tricky subject. Places that have declared themselves in support of migrants and asylum seekers may not “see the difficulties of everything that’s associated with that," he said.In the mostly Latino neighborhood of Corona, in New York City's Queens borough, the large congregation of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic church held a special service Wednesday to pray for the immigrants. In an interview, their pastor, the Rev. Manuel Rodriguez, called the transports a “horrible crime.”“All of us are horrified about the steady violation of human rights by Gov. DeSantis and other governors who are so inhumane and unethical to keep sending human beings to places where they weren’t even informed that they’d be sent,” Rodriguez said.“You don’t use human beings who are fleeing their homelands in fear, because of violence, hunger, persecution, because of the threat of rape ... as tools, as objects to make political points," he said.___

Cruel or harmless? Pastors mixed on GOP migrant transports

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The city of Wichita has named Troy Livingston as interim Chief of the Wichita Police Department effective Sept. 27. Livingston is a former Deputy Chief and served in a variety of capacities with the department. 

In March, Deputy Chief Lemuel Moore took over as the department’s interim chief to fill the vacancy left by Chief Gordon Ramsay, who announced in December that he would resign effective March 1 to move to Minnesota. Moore announced in August he intended to retire.

&nbsp;Moore will serve until Sept. 30 to assist Livingston with the transition.

Livingston holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and a master’s in both criminal justice and public administration from Wichita State University, according to his bio. He also attended the FBI National Academy’s 274th Session, graduated from the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute and graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, Class 381.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663346268634.png" alt="Troy Livingston-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Troy Livingston-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The city of Wichita has named Troy Livingston as interim Chief of the Wichita Police Department effective Sept. 27. Livingston is a former Deputy Chief and served in a variety of capacities with the department. In March, Deputy Chief Lemuel Moore took over as the department’s interim chief to fill the vacancy left by Chief Gordon Ramsay, who announced in December that he would resign effective March 1 to move to Minnesota. Moore announced in August he intended to retire.&nbsp;Moore will serve until Sept. 30 to assist Livingston with the transition.Livingston holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and a master’s in both criminal justice and public administration from Wichita State University, according to his bio. He also attended the FBI National Academy’s 274th Session, graduated from the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute and graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, Class 381.

Second interim police chief in 6 months for Wichita

LABETTE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating after an explosive device was found in Parsons.

Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, a resident called police and reported a suspicious object in the 2700 block of Dirr Avenue, a residential neighborhood in Parsons, according to a media release from police.

Officers that arrived on scene tested the device with an explosive field-testing kit and the result was a positive for explosive material. Police called the Kansas Highway Patrol Hazardous Device Unit to collect and disposed of the device.&nbsp;

Officers blocked off the area and asked citizens to avoid the area for safety reasons. Parsons Fire and Labette County Emergency Medical Services staged in case of a detonation.

The device is classified as an Improvised Explosive Device, or IED. According to the Department of Homeland Security, IED is defined as a "homemade" bomb and/or destructive device to destroy, incapacitate, harass or distract.

Police encouraged the public with any further information on this incident to contact them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663343537487.png" alt="2700 Block of Dirr Avenue in Parsons -Google map" />
 <figcaption>2700 Block of Dirr Avenue in Parsons -Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>LABETTE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating after an explosive device was found in Parsons.Just after 2 p.m. Thursday, a resident called police and reported a suspicious object in the 2700 block of Dirr Avenue, a residential neighborhood in Parsons, according to a media release from police.Officers that arrived on scene tested the device with an explosive field-testing kit and the result was a positive for explosive material. Police called the Kansas Highway Patrol Hazardous Device Unit to collect and disposed of the device.&nbsp;Officers blocked off the area and asked citizens to avoid the area for safety reasons. Parsons Fire and Labette County Emergency Medical Services staged in case of a detonation.There were no injuries reported.The device is classified as an Improvised Explosive Device, or IED. According to the Department of Homeland Security, IED is defined as a "homemade" bomb and/or destructive device to destroy, incapacitate, harass or distract.Police encouraged the public with any further information on this incident to contact them.

Police: Explosive device found in Kan. residential neighborhood

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities including the FBI are investigating several false active shooter calls to schools in Kansas, Missouri and across the country on Thursday.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police received a single call of an active shooter at Hayden High School, 401 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to a statement from the city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Sedgwick County dispatch in Wichita reported a similar false call of an active shooter at North High School 1437 N Rochester Street in Wichita.&nbsp;

On Thursday morning, North Kansas City High School, 620 E 23rd Ave, North Kansas City, Missouri, was locked down after a reported active shooter call. Turner High School in Kansas City, Kansas had an increased police presence Thursday due to a reported school threat, according to USD 202.

The Topeka Police Department and local law enforcement in Wichita responded to the separate reports. No threats to the students, staff, or school were discovered at the schools.

The FBI said in a statement they are aware of the numerous swatting incidents wherein a report of an active shooter at a school is made.&nbsp;"The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663271079447.png" alt="-Police on the scene after report of an active shooter at Hayden High on Thursday-photo courtesy - WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>-Police on the scene after report of an active shooter at Hayden High on Thursday-photo courtesy - WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities including the FBI are investigating several false active shooter calls to schools in Kansas, Missouri and across the country on Thursday.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police received a single call of an active shooter at Hayden High School, 401 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to a statement from the city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from the FBI: <a href="https://t.co/XlmKmtpJsc">pic.twitter.com/XlmKmtpJsc</a>&mdash; FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIKansasCity/status/1570539835496214528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sedgwick County dispatch in Wichita reported a similar false call of an active shooter at North High School 1437 N Rochester Street in Wichita.&nbsp;On Thursday morning, North Kansas City High School, 620 E 23rd Ave, North Kansas City, Missouri, was locked down after a reported active shooter call. Turner High School in Kansas City, Kansas had an increased police presence Thursday due to a reported school threat, according to USD 202.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663288443816.png" alt="Police on the scene of the active shooter investigation Thursday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the active shooter investigation Thursday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The Topeka Police Department and local law enforcement in Wichita responded to the separate reports. No threats to the students, staff, or school were discovered at the schools.The FBI said in a statement they are aware of the numerous swatting incidents wherein a report of an active shooter at a school is made.&nbsp;"The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”

FBI responds to false report of active shooters at Kan. high schools

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/14/kansas-lawmakers-dig-into-pandemic-relief-spending-report/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Pastries,
 plastic tube people and festivals. Kansas lawmakers questioned whether 
federal COVID-19 relief funding was spent appropriately during a&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;review of expenditures.

The Kansas Legislative Division of 
Post Audit’s report focused on the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act, the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill passed by 
Congress. The act included $339.8 billion in aid to state and local 
governments, with Kansas receiving about $1 billion in discretionary 
funding.&nbsp;

In Kansas, CARES dollars were 
distributed by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas 
Taskforce, an organization created by Gov. Laura Kelly.&nbsp; Federal 
guidelines stipulated that funds had to be spent on activities or items 
to address COVID-19 emergency, and must have occurred from March 1, 
2020, to Dec. 31, 2021.&nbsp;

Several lawmakers voiced unhappiness 
with the funding distribution, saying money had been given out 
recklessly, with virtually no oversight. The task force’s decisions have
 been criticized, with lawmakers saying some counties have been favored 
over others.

Republican Sen. Mike Thompson of Johnson County said his blood pressure went up whenever he thought about the wasted dollars.&nbsp;

“Just thousands&nbsp; of dollars spent 
unnecessarily,” Thompson said. “The whole thing just makes me upset, and
 it makes me very concerned. I know there’s still about $1.2 billion in 
unspent funds from a variety of sources, I’m guessing. And I think we 
need a lot more oversight over where those funds go and whether they go 
anywhere. Because this looks like a Christmas tree for some people and 
there’s no accountability whatsoever.”&nbsp;

Auditors at the meeting said that the
 state’s distribution of CARES money was appropriate and that the 
majority of funds were spent correctly by counties and agencies.&nbsp;

The audit reviewed $18 million in 
CARES spending, reviewing 78 expenditures across 42 counties. The audit 
reported that 85% of audited expenditures were clearly allowable by 
federal guidelines, with counties spending the money on items such as 
personal protective equipment, food pantry supplies and funds to pay for
 COVID-19-related sick leave.&nbsp;

A little less than $3 million, or 15%
 of audited expenditures, went to unclear expenditures. That meant the 
auditors didn’t see how the purchase was related to COVID-19 relief. One
 county spent $218,000 to install big electronic signs in each of its 
towns. Another county bought a plastic “tube man” to advertise its food 
pantry.&nbsp;

Less than 1% of audit expenditures, 
about $48,000, was considered to be unallowable. The audit found that 
one county bought flu vaccines with its funding, while another spent 
funds on pastries and coffee for in-person meetings.&nbsp;

When auditors did an additional 
review to determine the reasonableness of these 78 expenditures, they 
determined that 6%, or about $1.1 million, was ill-advised. One county 
spent $450,000 to create a new grocery store, which folded in months. 
Another grant receipt spent $20,000 to help put on a local festival, 
encouraging people to congregate during the pandemic.&nbsp;

Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stillwell 
Republican, said the audit was a good start, but he wanted more 
transparency about funding distribution in general.&nbsp;

“My school district, for example, got
 $3 million, or something like that, where Wichita and Kansas City both 
got almost a billion. So it would be good to look into that,” he said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663278215266.png" alt="State Sen. Mike Thompson said he was fed up with the state’s distribution of federal COVID-19 relief funds during Wednesday’s funding review. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Mike Thompson said he was fed up with the state’s distribution of federal COVID-19 relief funds during Wednesday’s funding review. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/14/kansas-lawmakers-dig-into-pandemic-relief-spending-report/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Pastries,
 plastic tube people and festivals. Kansas lawmakers questioned whether 
federal COVID-19 relief funding was spent appropriately during a&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;review of expenditures.The Kansas Legislative Division of 
Post Audit’s report focused on the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 
Economic Security Act, the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill passed by 
Congress. The act included $339.8 billion in aid to state and local 
governments, with Kansas receiving about $1 billion in discretionary 
funding.&nbsp;In Kansas, CARES dollars were 
distributed by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas 
Taskforce, an organization created by Gov. Laura Kelly.&nbsp; Federal 
guidelines stipulated that funds had to be spent on activities or items 
to address COVID-19 emergency, and must have occurred from March 1, 
2020, to Dec. 31, 2021.&nbsp;Several lawmakers voiced unhappiness 
with the funding distribution, saying money had been given out 
recklessly, with virtually no oversight. The task force’s decisions have
 been criticized, with lawmakers saying some counties have been favored 
over others.Republican Sen. Mike Thompson of Johnson County said his blood pressure went up whenever he thought about the wasted dollars.&nbsp;“Just thousands&nbsp; of dollars spent 
unnecessarily,” Thompson said. “The whole thing just makes me upset, and
 it makes me very concerned. I know there’s still about $1.2 billion in 
unspent funds from a variety of sources, I’m guessing. And I think we 
need a lot more oversight over where those funds go and whether they go 
anywhere. Because this looks like a Christmas tree for some people and 
there’s no accountability whatsoever.”&nbsp;Auditors at the meeting said that the
 state’s distribution of CARES money was appropriate and that the 
majority of funds were spent correctly by counties and agencies.&nbsp;The audit reviewed $18 million in 
CARES spending, reviewing 78 expenditures across 42 counties. The audit 
reported that 85% of audited expenditures were clearly allowable by 
federal guidelines, with counties spending the money on items such as 
personal protective equipment, food pantry supplies and funds to pay for
 COVID-19-related sick leave.&nbsp;A little less than $3 million, or 15%
 of audited expenditures, went to unclear expenditures. That meant the 
auditors didn’t see how the purchase was related to COVID-19 relief. One
 county spent $218,000 to install big electronic signs in each of its 
towns. Another county bought a plastic “tube man” to advertise its food 
pantry.&nbsp;Less than 1% of audit expenditures, 
about $48,000, was considered to be unallowable. The audit found that 
one county bought flu vaccines with its funding, while another spent 
funds on pastries and coffee for in-person meetings.&nbsp;When auditors did an additional 
review to determine the reasonableness of these 78 expenditures, they 
determined that 6%, or about $1.1 million, was ill-advised. One county 
spent $450,000 to create a new grocery store, which folded in months. 
Another grant receipt spent $20,000 to help put on a local festival, 
encouraging people to congregate during the pandemic.&nbsp;Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stillwell 
Republican, said the audit was a good start, but he wanted more 
transparency about funding distribution in general.&nbsp;“My school district, for example, got
 $3 million, or something like that, where Wichita and Kansas City both 
got almost a billion. So it would be good to look into that,” he said.&nbsp;

Kansas lawmakers dig into pandemic relief spending report

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have identified a presumptive positive case of monkeypox in an adult resident of Sedgwick County who recently traveled out of state, according to a media release from the agency. 

This is the first presumptive positive case in Sedgwick County and the eighth case of monkeypox reported in Kansas. Still, the risk to the general public continues to remain low.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Close or sustained skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact with a person with monkeypox, or contact with an infected person's items (ex. towels, sheets) are the most significant risk factors for infection in this outbreak.

Symptoms can include fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash. Symptoms generally appear within 7 - 14 days of exposure. Infected individuals can spread the disease until the rash completely heals. This occurs 2 - 4 weeks after symptom onset. Infected individuals should isolate from others.

If you are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox or need to be tested, contact your healthcare provider or the Sedgwick County Health Department at 316-660-7300. Treatment options are available following a positive diagnosis. Vaccination is available to those who are eligible.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html">Click here for</a> additional information on monkeypox

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655678482994.png" alt="Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC" />
 <figcaption>Monkeypox Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network-CDC</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have identified a presumptive positive case of monkeypox in an adult resident of Sedgwick County who recently traveled out of state, according to a media release from the agency. This is the first presumptive positive case in Sedgwick County and the eighth case of monkeypox reported in Kansas. Still, the risk to the general public continues to remain low.Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Close or sustained skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact with a person with monkeypox, or contact with an infected person's items (ex. towels, sheets) are the most significant risk factors for infection in this outbreak.Symptoms can include fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash. Symptoms generally appear within 7 - 14 days of exposure. Infected individuals can spread the disease until the rash completely heals. This occurs 2 - 4 weeks after symptom onset. Infected individuals should isolate from others.If you are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox or need to be tested, contact your healthcare provider or the Sedgwick County Health Department at 316-660-7300. Treatment options are available following a positive diagnosis. Vaccination is available to those who are eligible.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html">Click here for</a> additional information on monkeypox

8th case of monkeypox reported in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; are investigating a violent incident at a Kansas home and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 11p.m. Wednesday, police were in the 3200 block of SW 11th Street in Topeka on an attempt to locate 42-year-old Damon Brook

Morgan, 42 of Topeka, on an alleged kidnapping and battery according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.

Officers determined that Morgan had barricaded himself inside of the residence. Topeka's Police Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene. At approximately 6:50 a.m. on Thursday , after several hours of negotiations, the Response Team made entry into the residence and took Morgan into custody without incident.

Morgan was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the original requested charges of Aggravated Domestic Battery, Domestic Battery, Kidnapping, and Criminal Damage to Property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663264720569.png" alt="Morgan-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Morgan-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; are investigating a violent incident at a Kansas home and have a suspect in custody.Just after 11p.m. Wednesday, police were in the 3200 block of SW 11th Street in Topeka on an attempt to locate 42-year-old Damon BrookMorgan, 42 of Topeka, on an alleged kidnapping and battery according to Police Lt. Edward Stanley.Officers determined that Morgan had barricaded himself inside of the residence. Topeka's Police Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene. At approximately 6:50 a.m. on Thursday , after several hours of negotiations, the Response Team made entry into the residence and took Morgan into custody without incident.Morgan was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the original requested charges of Aggravated Domestic Battery, Domestic Battery, Kidnapping, and Criminal Damage to Property.

Kansas man jailed for violent incident after all-night standoff

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement Thursday to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation's freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections.</a>

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

President Joe Biden announced the deal, which emerged from a marathon 20-hour negotiating session at the Labor Department and came just one day before the threatened walkout.

“This agreement is validation of what I’ve always believed — unions and management can work together ... for the benefit of everyone,” Biden said in the White House Rose Garden.

The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">which includes a 24% pay raise</a>, will go to union members for a vote after a cooling-off period of several weeks.

The threat of a shutdown carried political risks for Biden, a Democrat who believes unions built the middle class. But he also knew a rail strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms, when majorities in both chambers of Congress, key governorships and scores of important state offices will be up for grabs.

Biden made a key phone call Wednesday evening to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;as negotiators were talking and being offered Italian food for dinner, according to White House officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the conversations.

On speakerphone, the president urged both sides to get a deal done and to consider the harm that a shutdown would inflict on families, farmers and businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">,</a>&nbsp;the officials said.

One union had to wake up its board to move forward on the agreement, which involved 50 calls from White House officials to organized labor officials.

Joined in the Oval Office by business and union leaders, a beaming Biden joked that he was surprised everyone was “still standing” after the late night and that they should be “home in bed.”

A strike would also have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">disrupted passenger traffic</a>&nbsp;as well as freight, because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak canceled all of its long-distance trains ahead of the strike deadline and was working to restore full service.

The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, also includes $5,000 in bonuses. The railroads agreed to ease their strict attendance policies to address union concerns about working conditions.

Railroad workers will now be able to take unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without being penalized. Previously, workers would lose points under the attendance systems at BNSF and Union Pacific railways, and they could be disciplined if they lost all their points.

The talks also included Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National.

The unions that represent conductors and engineers who drive the trains had pressed hard for changes in the attendance rules, and they said the deal sets a precedent that ensures they will be able to negotiate such rules in the future.

Kelly Pettus, who is married to an engineer in Atlanta, said she wanted more details about the attendance policy.

Earlier this year, her husband had to leave work when their 2-year-old daughter ended up in the emergency room with the flu. He spent the entire time worrying about the penalty involved in taking a single day off.

“You can’t just call and say your baby is in hospital,” Pettus said.

Hugh Sawyer, an engineer in the Atlanta area, said the pay raise was long overdue and did not completely make up for the regular cost-of-living increases that he lost several years ago.

“It’s something to build on,” Sawyer said of the deal.

Victor Chen, a sociologist at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies labor, said concerns about working conditions have increasingly become a priority for unions and the workers they represent.

“At a certain point, good wages just aren’t enough to make up for the toll these sorts of working conditions impose on workers,” Chen said. “The companies need to treat workers like human beings, rather than just inputs in a business process.”

The railroad unions pointed to workload and attendance rules after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce — some 45,000 jobs — over the past six years.

The rail industry has aggressively cut costs everywhere and shifted its operations to rely more on fewer, longer trains that use fewer locomotives and fewer employees. The unions said the remaining workers, particularly engineers and conductors, were on call 24-7 because of jobs cuts and could hardly take any time off under strict attendance rules.

Unions had an advantage at the bargaining table because of the tight labor market and ongoing service problems on the railroads, Chen said.

Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delays and poor service</a>&nbsp;as railroads struggled to hire quickly enough to handle a surge in demand as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The shipping problems gave rail workers extra leverage.

Newly hired CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said he hopes the new deal helps the railroad hire and retain more employees to address the service problems.

"Now we can move our conversation into how do we work together to grow the business and better serve our customers,” he said.

Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56% increase in petitions for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year, including prominent organizing efforts at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies. A number of unions have gone on strike over the past two years to get better deals.

Rutgers University professor Todd Vachon, who teaches about labor relations, said rail workers were particularly attuned to work-life balance and the ability to take time off for health reasons.

That has led to a “real resurgence in the labor movement that goes beyond merely reacting to inflation,” Vachon said.

Before the deal was reached, business groups including the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were predicting that a rail strike would be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">“economic disaster.”</a>

The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a strike would cost the economy more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day</a>&nbsp;and force many businesses to scale back or cease production and consider layoffs.

With the economy still recovering from the pandemic's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-prices-inflation-542f50c1fc779ae75d9574b9703fb4fa">supply chain disruptions</a>, the president’s goal was to keep all parties talking so a deal could be reached.

Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to soaring inflation and created a political headache for the party in power.

He confronted the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how does a president balance the needs of labor and business in doing what’s best for the nation?

Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.

So the administration jumped into the middle of the talks. Biden and cabinet officials called both sides, and the labor secretary participated directly in negotiations.

It was clear the effort had paid off when Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663279444886.png" alt="President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and National Economic Council director Brian Deese.-White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and National Economic Council director Brian Deese.-White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement Thursday to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation's freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections.</a>(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bin8ajdT_14?start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>President Joe Biden announced the deal, which emerged from a marathon 20-hour negotiating session at the Labor Department and came just one day before the threatened walkout.“This agreement is validation of what I’ve always believed — unions and management can work together ... for the benefit of everyone,” Biden said in the White House Rose Garden.The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">which includes a 24% pay raise</a>, will go to union members for a vote after a cooling-off period of several weeks.The threat of a shutdown carried political risks for Biden, a Democrat who believes unions built the middle class. But he also knew a rail strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms, when majorities in both chambers of Congress, key governorships and scores of important state offices will be up for grabs.Biden made a key phone call Wednesday evening to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;as negotiators were talking and being offered Italian food for dinner, according to White House officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the conversations.On speakerphone, the president urged both sides to get a deal done and to consider the harm that a shutdown would inflict on families, farmers and businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">,</a>&nbsp;the officials said.One union had to wake up its board to move forward on the agreement, which involved 50 calls from White House officials to organized labor officials.Joined in the Oval Office by business and union leaders, a beaming Biden joked that he was surprised everyone was “still standing” after the late night and that they should be “home in bed.”A strike would also have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">disrupted passenger traffic</a>&nbsp;as well as freight, because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak canceled all of its long-distance trains ahead of the strike deadline and was working to restore full service.The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, also includes $5,000 in bonuses. The railroads agreed to ease their strict attendance policies to address union concerns about working conditions.Railroad workers will now be able to take unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without being penalized. Previously, workers would lose points under the attendance systems at BNSF and Union Pacific railways, and they could be disciplined if they lost all their points.The talks also included Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National.The unions that represent conductors and engineers who drive the trains had pressed hard for changes in the attendance rules, and they said the deal sets a precedent that ensures they will be able to negotiate such rules in the future.Kelly Pettus, who is married to an engineer in Atlanta, said she wanted more details about the attendance policy.Earlier this year, her husband had to leave work when their 2-year-old daughter ended up in the emergency room with the flu. He spent the entire time worrying about the penalty involved in taking a single day off.“You can’t just call and say your baby is in hospital,” Pettus said.Hugh Sawyer, an engineer in the Atlanta area, said the pay raise was long overdue and did not completely make up for the regular cost-of-living increases that he lost several years ago.“It’s something to build on,” Sawyer said of the deal.Victor Chen, a sociologist at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies labor, said concerns about working conditions have increasingly become a priority for unions and the workers they represent.“At a certain point, good wages just aren’t enough to make up for the toll these sorts of working conditions impose on workers,” Chen said. “The companies need to treat workers like human beings, rather than just inputs in a business process.”The railroad unions pointed to workload and attendance rules after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce — some 45,000 jobs — over the past six years.The rail industry has aggressively cut costs everywhere and shifted its operations to rely more on fewer, longer trains that use fewer locomotives and fewer employees. The unions said the remaining workers, particularly engineers and conductors, were on call 24-7 because of jobs cuts and could hardly take any time off under strict attendance rules.Unions had an advantage at the bargaining table because of the tight labor market and ongoing service problems on the railroads, Chen said.Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delays and poor service</a>&nbsp;as railroads struggled to hire quickly enough to handle a surge in demand as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The shipping problems gave rail workers extra leverage.Newly hired CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said he hopes the new deal helps the railroad hire and retain more employees to address the service problems."Now we can move our conversation into how do we work together to grow the business and better serve our customers,” he said.Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56% increase in petitions for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year, including prominent organizing efforts at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies. A number of unions have gone on strike over the past two years to get better deals.Rutgers University professor Todd Vachon, who teaches about labor relations, said rail workers were particularly attuned to work-life balance and the ability to take time off for health reasons.That has led to a “real resurgence in the labor movement that goes beyond merely reacting to inflation,” Vachon said.Before the deal was reached, business groups including the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were predicting that a rail strike would be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">“economic disaster.”</a>The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a strike would cost the economy more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day</a>&nbsp;and force many businesses to scale back or cease production and consider layoffs.With the economy still recovering from the pandemic's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-prices-inflation-542f50c1fc779ae75d9574b9703fb4fa">supply chain disruptions</a>, the president’s goal was to keep all parties talking so a deal could be reached.Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to soaring inflation and created a political headache for the party in power.He confronted the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how does a president balance the needs of labor and business in doing what’s best for the nation?Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.So the administration jumped into the middle of the talks. Biden and cabinet officials called both sides, and the labor secretary participated directly in negotiations.It was clear the effort had paid off when Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”___

🎥 Biden celebrates labor deal to avert nationwide rail strike

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective who has long been accused of sexually preying on Black women during criminal investigations was indicted Thursday on charges that he sexually abused two women, the FBI said.

Roger Golubski, 69, was arrested at his home in Edwardsville after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts of civil rights violations. He was expected to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.

Golubski retired in 2010 after working for the Kansas City (Kansas) Police Department for 35 years. The FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-kansas-city-kansas-4d005737c9046b7d65363a6e82f93493">has been investigating allegations</a>&nbsp;that Golubski, who is white, sexually assaulted Black women in the city and exchanged drugs for information during criminal investigations.

The federal indictment announced Thursday accuses Golubski of sexually assaulting two women, identified as S.K., and O.W., on several occasions between 1998 and 2002.

He is accused of raping both women and forcing them to perform oral sex on him several times in his vehicle and at the women's homes. Golubski’s conduct included aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping, according to the indictment.

If convicted of any of the counts, Golubski could be sentenced to life in prison.

Golubski's attorney, Morgan Roach, didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Civil rights groups for years sought an investigation into Golubski's conduct. The allegations against him drew more attention after Lamont McIntyre, who spent 23 years in prison for a double murder he didn't commit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-city-kansas-7b4c4af7410f67d20fd19cb2e9235aad">sued Golubski</a>&nbsp;and other Kansas City, Kansas, officers after he was released.

McIntyre and his mother, Rose McIntyre, alleged in the lawsuit that Golubski framed Lamont for a double homicide in 1994 because she refused the detective's sexual demands. The local government agreed in June to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-city-96f163ee13c721c0ab53899dcad05897">settle the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;for $12.5 million.

When deposed by McIntyre’s lawyers in the case, Golubski invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination hundreds of times. He has consistently declined media requests to comment on the allegations.

In 2020, a coalition of Kansas lawmakers, religious leaders and racial justice advocates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-us-news-police-crime-abuse-of-women-4029e8e0d18a3af50c5b219afe7a0f41">asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to investigate</a>&nbsp;Golubski and other members of the department who were accused of misconduct and abuse.

And in 2021, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-crime-police-54f4c7a47df11cd937aacdb180b4b25e">organization run by rapper Jay-Z filed</a>&nbsp;a petition seeking records from the police department related to what it called a history of officer misconduct within the department.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593723693793.png" alt="Roger Golubski-photo&nbsp;Edwardsville Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Roger Golubski-photo&nbsp;Edwardsville Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective who has long been accused of sexually preying on Black women during criminal investigations was indicted Thursday on charges that he sexually abused two women, the FBI said.Roger Golubski, 69, was arrested at his home in Edwardsville after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts of civil rights violations. He was expected to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.Golubski retired in 2010 after working for the Kansas City (Kansas) Police Department for 35 years. The FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-kansas-city-kansas-4d005737c9046b7d65363a6e82f93493">has been investigating allegations</a>&nbsp;that Golubski, who is white, sexually assaulted Black women in the city and exchanged drugs for information during criminal investigations.The federal indictment announced Thursday accuses Golubski of sexually assaulting two women, identified as S.K., and O.W., on several occasions between 1998 and 2002.He is accused of raping both women and forcing them to perform oral sex on him several times in his vehicle and at the women's homes. Golubski’s conduct included aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping, according to the indictment.If convicted of any of the counts, Golubski could be sentenced to life in prison.Golubski's attorney, Morgan Roach, didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Civil rights groups for years sought an investigation into Golubski's conduct. The allegations against him drew more attention after Lamont McIntyre, who spent 23 years in prison for a double murder he didn't commit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-city-kansas-7b4c4af7410f67d20fd19cb2e9235aad">sued Golubski</a>&nbsp;and other Kansas City, Kansas, officers after he was released.McIntyre and his mother, Rose McIntyre, alleged in the lawsuit that Golubski framed Lamont for a double homicide in 1994 because she refused the detective's sexual demands. The local government agreed in June to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-kansas-city-96f163ee13c721c0ab53899dcad05897">settle the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;for $12.5 million.When deposed by McIntyre’s lawyers in the case, Golubski invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination hundreds of times. He has consistently declined media requests to comment on the allegations.In 2020, a coalition of Kansas lawmakers, religious leaders and racial justice advocates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-us-news-police-crime-abuse-of-women-4029e8e0d18a3af50c5b219afe7a0f41">asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to investigate</a>&nbsp;Golubski and other members of the department who were accused of misconduct and abuse.And in 2021, an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-crime-police-54f4c7a47df11cd937aacdb180b4b25e">organization run by rapper Jay-Z filed</a>&nbsp;a petition seeking records from the police department related to what it called a history of officer misconduct within the department.This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Sex crime: FBI arrests Kan. detective long accused of corruption

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 5p.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 11200 block of South Topeka Avenue, north of Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. The driver of the vehicle, Terrance N. Ruble, 45, of Topeka, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Possession of depressants with intent to distribute, Unlawful possession of a prescription drug, No drug tax stamp, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, No liability insurance and Driving while license suspended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663099433062.png" alt="Ruble-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Ruble-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just before 5p.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 11200 block of South Topeka Avenue, north of Carbondale, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, illegal narcotics were located. The driver of the vehicle, Terrance N. Ruble, 45, of Topeka, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Possession of depressants with intent to distribute, Unlawful possession of a prescription drug, No drug tax stamp, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, No liability insurance and Driving while license suspended.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of selling depressants, meth

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a a fatal shooting that left 21-year-old Devin Bills of Wichita deceased.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4500 block of South Hydraulic. Upon arrival, Officers located Bills unconscious and not breathing with two gunshot wounds to his upper body, according to Officer Juan&nbsp;Rebolledo.

Officers began life-saving measures. EMS pronounced Bills deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed that Bills and several other people were outside the residence hanging out when a verbal argument ensued, and shots were fired. The suspect then fled the scene in a vehicle.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact investigators at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a a fatal shooting that left 21-year-old Devin Bills of Wichita deceased.Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 4500 block of South Hydraulic. Upon arrival, Officers located Bills unconscious and not breathing with two gunshot wounds to his upper body, according to Officer Juan&nbsp;Rebolledo.Officers began life-saving measures. EMS pronounced Bills deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed that Bills and several other people were outside the residence hanging out when a verbal argument ensued, and shots were fired. The suspect then fled the scene in a vehicle.Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact investigators at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

Police ID man who died after argument outside Kan. home 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Amtrak Service continues to move forward again after the potential strike by freight railroad workers was averted.&nbsp;

According to Marc Magliari of Amtrak, the Southwest Chief will begin running its full schedule again on Friday. That means the first westbound train for Hutchinson will be Saturday morning and the first eastbound train will be on Sunday.

If you had your trip canceled or are planning to board the Chief this weekend, make sure to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL. There is also an automated agent that can provide updated schedules and status updates. You can also get updates at&nbsp;<a href="http://amtrak.com/">amtrak.com</a>

CHICAGO —Amtrak is working to quickly restore the Southwest Chief services across Kansas and other canceled, long distance trains and reaching out directly to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures, according to a social media report from the rail service.

Visit <a href="https://t.co/Bdp20oXtFZ" target="_blank">http://Amtrak.com/alerts</a> for the latest updates.

The White House announced early Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement had been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike.

The tentative agreement will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.

“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” President Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609263248923.png" alt="The Southwest Chief serves Dodge City, Garden City, Newton, Hutchinson, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City." />
 <figcaption>The Southwest Chief serves Dodge City, Garden City, Newton, Hutchinson, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City.</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Amtrak Service continues to move forward again after the potential strike by freight railroad workers was averted.&nbsp;According to Marc Magliari of Amtrak, the Southwest Chief will begin running its full schedule again on Friday. That means the first westbound train for Hutchinson will be Saturday morning and the first eastbound train will be on Sunday.If you had your trip canceled or are planning to board the Chief this weekend, make sure to call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL. There is also an automated agent that can provide updated schedules and status updates. You can also get updates at&nbsp;<a href="http://amtrak.com/">amtrak.com</a>-----CHICAGO —Amtrak is working to quickly restore the Southwest Chief services across Kansas and other canceled, long distance trains and reaching out directly to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures, according to a social media report from the rail service.Visit <a href="https://t.co/Bdp20oXtFZ" target="_blank">http://Amtrak.com/alerts</a> for the latest updates.The White House announced early Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement had been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike.The tentative agreement will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650553437021.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Amtrak Station" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Amtrak Station</figcaption>
 </figure>“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” President Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”

Amtrak's SW Chief resumes service Friday across Kansas 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a reported active shooter in a high school in Topeka.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police&nbsp;received a single call of an active shooter at Hayden High School,&nbsp;401 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to a statement from the city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

 The Topeka Police Department and local law enforcement responded, cleared the school and surrounding area. 

No threats to the students, staff, or school were discovered. Police are looking into the false report of an active shooter, and assured the community that everyone is safe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663271079447.png" alt="Police on the scene after report of an active shooter at Hayden High on Thursday-photo courtesy - WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene after report of an active shooter at Hayden High on Thursday-photo courtesy - WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a reported active shooter in a high school in Topeka.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police&nbsp;received a single call of an active shooter at Hayden High School,&nbsp;401 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, according to a statement from the city spokesperson Gretchen Spiker. The Topeka Police Department and local law enforcement responded, cleared the school and surrounding area. No threats to the students, staff, or school were discovered. Police are looking into the false report of an active shooter, and assured the community that everyone is safe.Sedgwick County dispatch in Wichita reported a similar false call of an active shooter at North High School 1437 N Rochester Street in Wichita.&nbsp;

Police investigate false reports of active shooter at Kan. high schools

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Here’s what’s in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">tentative agreement</a>&nbsp;that railroad unions secured to prevent a potential freight railroad strike.

The final deal was negotiated by the unions that represent engineers and conductors, but all 12 of the rail unions will likely benefit from the concessions railroads made because the unions that agreed to deals earlier all had provisions in their deals that will allow them to do that.

The raises workers will receive as part of this deal will be the biggest ones they have received in more than four decades. The railroad industry has said that average rail worker salaries will reach $110,000 by the end of this five-year deal in 2025.

The financial terms of the deal closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made by the Presidential Emergency Board last month after those arbitrators met with both sides.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">Businesses</a>&nbsp;that rely on the railroads said a strike would be devastating, and the Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a work stoppage would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">cost the economy</a>&nbsp;more than $2 billion a day. The talks included all the major U.S. railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National. Canadian Pacific negotiates separately with its unions.

Railroad workers will receive 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in the deal that is retroactive to 2020. So rail workers will receive sizeable back pay of more than $11,000 on average once this deal is ratified.

The deal includes one additional paid leave day a year, but railroads also agreed to let workers take unpaid time off for doctor’s appointments and medical procedures without being penalized under their attendance rules.

The unpaid time off is a key concession that addressed some of the unions’ concerns about working conditions. Under the current system at BNSF and Union Pacific, workers receive a set number of points, and they lose points any time they take time off. If workers use up all their points, they can be disciplined or even fired.

Workers will have to pay a larger share of their health insurance costs, but their premiums will be capped at 15% of the total cost of the insurance plan. Currently, railroad workers pay $228.88 per month for their health insurance, which is about 12.6% of the total cost of the plan.

The railroads also agreed to increase the amount they will pay for hearing benefits and for speech therapy and other treatment of autism.

Members of all 12 railroad unions will have to vote on these deals. Already one union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">rejected</a>&nbsp;a deal Wednesday that was based closely on the Presidential Emergency Board’s recommendations but two other unions approved similar deals. These latest concessions may help secure the support of the union that rejected a deal.

The recommendations from the Presidential Emergency Board provided significant raises, but didn’t address union concerns about working conditions. Many railroad workers spoke out on social media saying they would vote against a deal that only delivered what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended. It remains to be seen whether the railroads’ concessions on time off are enough to get workers support.

Earlier this summer, railroad workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if both sides couldn’t agree to a deal. Many workers are frustrated with current working conditions after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce over the past six years. Hundreds of railroad workers have left the industry this year as the same time the railroads have been aggressively hiring new employees.

The railroads need additional employees to handle all the freight. Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delayed deliveries and poor service</a>, and federal regulators have demanded that railroads improve their service.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike before the pivotal midterm elections.

Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country. Biden made a key phone call to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;at 9 p.m. as the talks were ongoing after Italian dinner had been brought in, according to a White House official insisting on anonymity.

What resulted from the back and forth was a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.

“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”

The threat of a shutdown had put Biden in a delicate spot politically. The Democratic president believes unions built the middle class, but he also knew a rail worker strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms

That left him in the awkward position on Wednesday. He flew to Detroit, a stalwart of the labor movement, to espouse the virtues of unionization, while members of his administration went all-out to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">talks going in Washington between the railroads and unionized workers</a>.

As the administration was trying to forge peace, United Auto Workers Local 598 member Ryan Buchalski introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-detroit-north-america-auto-show-e30f83b1d6e7df491b1a7953507dbaa4">Biden at the Detroit auto show</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as “the most union- and labor-friendly president in American history” and someone who was “kickin’ ass for the working class.” Buchalski harked back to the pivotal sitdown strikes by autoworkers in the 1930s.

In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, saying autoworkers “brung me to the dance.”

But without a deal among the 12 unions in talks back in Washington, Biden also knew that a stoppage might have begun as early as Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">could halt shipments of food and fuel</a>&nbsp;at a cost of $2 billion a day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663077336048.png" alt="Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal." />
 <figcaption>Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Here’s what’s in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">tentative agreement</a>&nbsp;that railroad unions secured to prevent a potential freight railroad strike.The final deal was negotiated by the unions that represent engineers and conductors, but all 12 of the rail unions will likely benefit from the concessions railroads made because the unions that agreed to deals earlier all had provisions in their deals that will allow them to do that.The raises workers will receive as part of this deal will be the biggest ones they have received in more than four decades. The railroad industry has said that average rail worker salaries will reach $110,000 by the end of this five-year deal in 2025.The financial terms of the deal closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made by the Presidential Emergency Board last month after those arbitrators met with both sides.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">Businesses</a>&nbsp;that rely on the railroads said a strike would be devastating, and the Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a work stoppage would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">cost the economy</a>&nbsp;more than $2 billion a day. The talks included all the major U.S. railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National. Canadian Pacific negotiates separately with its unions.HOW BIG ARE THE RAISES?Railroad workers will receive 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in the deal that is retroactive to 2020. So rail workers will receive sizeable back pay of more than $11,000 on average once this deal is ratified.HOW MUCH TIME OFF WILL WORKERS GET?The deal includes one additional paid leave day a year, but railroads also agreed to let workers take unpaid time off for doctor’s appointments and medical procedures without being penalized under their attendance rules.The unpaid time off is a key concession that addressed some of the unions’ concerns about working conditions. Under the current system at BNSF and Union Pacific, workers receive a set number of points, and they lose points any time they take time off. If workers use up all their points, they can be disciplined or even fired.WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE?Workers will have to pay a larger share of their health insurance costs, but their premiums will be capped at 15% of the total cost of the insurance plan. Currently, railroad workers pay $228.88 per month for their health insurance, which is about 12.6% of the total cost of the plan.The railroads also agreed to increase the amount they will pay for hearing benefits and for speech therapy and other treatment of autism.WHAT’S NEXT?Members of all 12 railroad unions will have to vote on these deals. Already one union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">rejected</a>&nbsp;a deal Wednesday that was based closely on the Presidential Emergency Board’s recommendations but two other unions approved similar deals. These latest concessions may help secure the support of the union that rejected a deal.WILL WORKERS SUPPORT THE DEAL?The recommendations from the Presidential Emergency Board provided significant raises, but didn’t address union concerns about working conditions. Many railroad workers spoke out on social media saying they would vote against a deal that only delivered what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended. It remains to be seen whether the railroads’ concessions on time off are enough to get workers support.Earlier this summer, railroad workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if both sides couldn’t agree to a deal. Many workers are frustrated with current working conditions after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce over the past six years. Hundreds of railroad workers have left the industry this year as the same time the railroads have been aggressively hiring new employees.The railroads need additional employees to handle all the freight. Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delayed deliveries and poor service</a>, and federal regulators have demanded that railroads improve their service.----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike before the pivotal midterm elections.Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country. Biden made a key phone call to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;at 9 p.m. as the talks were ongoing after Italian dinner had been brought in, according to a White House official insisting on anonymity.What resulted from the back and forth was a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”The threat of a shutdown had put Biden in a delicate spot politically. The Democratic president believes unions built the middle class, but he also knew a rail worker strike could damage the economy ahead of the midtermsThat left him in the awkward position on Wednesday. He flew to Detroit, a stalwart of the labor movement, to espouse the virtues of unionization, while members of his administration went all-out to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">talks going in Washington between the railroads and unionized workers</a>.As the administration was trying to forge peace, United Auto Workers Local 598 member Ryan Buchalski introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-detroit-north-america-auto-show-e30f83b1d6e7df491b1a7953507dbaa4">Biden at the Detroit auto show</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as “the most union- and labor-friendly president in American history” and someone who was “kickin’ ass for the working class.” Buchalski harked back to the pivotal sitdown strikes by autoworkers in the 1930s.In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, saying autoworkers “brung me to the dance.”But without a deal among the 12 unions in talks back in Washington, Biden also knew that a stoppage might have begun as early as Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">could halt shipments of food and fuel</a>&nbsp;at a cost of $2 billion a day.Far more was at stake than sick leave and salary bumps for 115,000 unionized railroad workers. The ramifications could have extended to control of Congress and to the shipping network that keeps factories rolling, stocks the shelves of stores and stitches the U.S. together as an economic power.That’s why White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking aboard Air Force One as it jetted to Detroit on Wednesday, said a rail worker strike was “an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people.” The rail lines and their workers’ representatives “need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement,” she said.Biden faced the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how do you balance the needs of labor and business in doing what's best for the nation? Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.Inside the White House, aides don't see a contradiction between Biden's devotion to unions and his desire to avoid a strike. Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56%&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/union-election-petitions-increase-57-in-first-half-of-fiscal-year-2022">increase in petitions for union representation</a>&nbsp;with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year.One person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations on the matter, said Biden's mindset in approaching the debate was that he's the president of the entire country, not just for organized labor.With the economy still recovering from the supply chain disruptions of the pandemic, the president's goal is to keep all parties so a deal could be finalized. The person said the White House saw a commitment to keep negotiating in good faith as the best way to avoid a shutdown while exercising the principles of collective bargaining that Biden holds dear.Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-881c8411bad80180f025e138f0bd444e">soaring inflation</a>&nbsp;and created a political headache for the party in power.Eddie Vale, a Democratic political consultant and former AFL-CIO communications aide, said the White House pursued the correct approach at a perilous moment.“No one wants a railroad strike, not the companies, not the workers, not the White House," he said. "No one wants it this close to the election.”Vale added that the sticking point in the talks was about "respect basically — sick leave and bereavement leave,” issues Biden has supported in speeches and with his policy proposals.Sensing political opportunity, Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to pass a law to impose contract terms on the unions and railroad companies to avoid a shutdown. Democrats, who control both chambers in Congress, blocked it.“If a strike occurs and paralyzes food, fertilizer and energy shipments nationwide, it will be because Democrats blocked this bill,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.The economic impact of a potential strike was not lost on members of the Business Roundtable, a Washington-based group that represents CEOs. It issued its quarterly outlook for the economy Wednesday.“We’ve been experiencing a lot of headwinds from supply chain problems since the pandemic started and those problems would be geometrically magnified,” Josh Bolten, the group's CEO, told reporters. “There are manufacturing plants around the country that likely have to shut down. ... There are critical products to keep our water clean.”The roundtable also had a meeting of its board of directors Wednesday. But Bolten said Lance Fritz, chair of the board’s international committee and the CEO of Union Pacific railroad, would miss it “because he’s working hard trying to bring the strike to a resolution.”By 5:05 a.m. Thursday, it was clear that the hard work across the government, unions and railway companied had paid off as Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”