TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a one-year old boy.

Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a medical call involving an unresponsive child the 2400 block of SW 10th Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

The Topeka Fire Department and American Medical Response also responded to the scene. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. AMR transported the child to a local hospital, where the child was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.

Authorities released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636496999939.png" alt="Police on the scene of the death investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the death investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a one-year old boy.Just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a medical call involving an unresponsive child the 2400 block of SW 10th Avenue in Topeka, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.The Topeka Fire Department and American Medical Response also responded to the scene. Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. AMR transported the child to a local hospital, where the child was later pronounced deceased by medical personnel.Authorities released no additional details Tuesday afternoon.

 Police investigate death of one-year-old Kansas boy

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman on multiple charges after an arrest.&nbsp;

Police officers had been alerted that a 1996 Chrysler mini-van reported stolen to Kansas City Missouri Police was in the Atchison, Kansas area, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Just before 2a.m. Tuesday, officers located the van near 4th and Main in Atchison and it was occupied by 20-year-old&nbsp; Kala Woods of Stover Missouri.

Officers arrested her on requested charges of possession of stolen property.&nbsp;Woods was also accused of criminal damage to property in connection to damage to a vehicle tire following a dispute in the 900 block South 4th that had occurred around 11p.m. Monday, according to Wilson. Woods was taken to the County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636469263291.png" alt="Woods-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Woods-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman on multiple charges after an arrest.&nbsp;Police officers had been alerted that a 1996 Chrysler mini-van reported stolen to Kansas City Missouri Police was in the Atchison, Kansas area, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Just before 2a.m. Tuesday, officers located the van near 4th and Main in Atchison and it was occupied by 20-year-old&nbsp; Kala Woods of Stover Missouri.Officers arrested her on requested charges of possession of stolen property.&nbsp;Woods was also accused of criminal damage to property in connection to damage to a vehicle tire following a dispute in the 900 block South 4th that had occurred around 11p.m. Monday, according to Wilson. Woods was taken to the County Jail.

Police: Woman jailed in Kansas for driving stolen van

By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-09/the-people-running-kansas-prisons-have-never-seen-a-staffing-crisis-this-bad">Kansas News Service</a>

HUTCHINSON&nbsp;— By 8 p.m. on a Friday, David Gorges has 
already clocked 48 stressful hours counseling and guarding inmates at 
the state prison in town.

His work week isn’t over. He’s working security at The Alley, an arcade and bowling alley in Hutchinson.

He takes on extra work so he can be debt-free when he retires, though he said he is close to paying off his farm.

“I don’t go out and drive a Corvette,” Gorges said. “My wife doesn’t 
have a Cadillac Escalade, or anything like that. We live a humble 
lifestyle. We don’t go on these lavish trips out of state. We just 
believe in good hard work.”

He needs the extra job because his checks from the Kansas Department of Corrections aren't big enough.

The
 state prison system finds itself in a crisis to find enough people to 
take on relatively low pay for the grueling and often dangerous work of 
correctional officers and the other jobs needed to run places like the 
Hutchinson Correctional Facility. 

Prison administrators and union
 officials say it’s never been so hard to get people to take on these 
jobs. If you think it’s hard these days to find somebody to flip burgers
 or swing a hammer, just try to find somebody willing to walk a 
cellblock.

The state has 405 uniformed vacancies with another 119 
people on extended leave. Prisons are expected to lose another 75 
workers by the end of the year. The Kansas Juvenile Complex is missing 
31% of its uniformed staff and KDOC's entire Emporia office quit for 
jobs elsewhere.

KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda told a committee of 
state lawmakers that other jobs offer more flexible hours and remote 
work. Prisons can’t.

“We’re not alone in those challenges,” he 
said. “Job markets for all employers are as competitive as any of us 
have seen in recent memory.”

So the department relies on mandatory overtime and adding job responsibilities to the few people it can keep.

Gorges
 is a corrections counselor and spends his shift helping inmates find 
jobs, housing or anything else they need. He then heads to the 
cellblocks as a corrections officer, even if he has more counseling work
 to do.

“You hunker down and make it happen,” Gorges said. “Failure is not an option.”

Gage Sears, who was a corrections officer in 2019, said mandatory overtime was like getting “punched in the stomach.” <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-27/indoor-temperatures-break-100-at-kansas-prisons-without-air-conditioning" target="_blank">The Hutchinson Correctional Facility didn't have air conditioning,</a> so he might spend his shift in sweltering heat before being told to stay longer.

“You’d
 be completely drained by the end of (a shift), and it didn’t matter if 
you were exhausted or tired,” Sears said. “They call and say, ‘Hey, you 
have to stay for four more hours.' And even if you tried to plead your 
case, most of the time that didn’t matter.”

He stopped making 
plans after work because he knew he would likely be called to stay 
longer. Sears said people could volunteer for overtime, which he and 
others did, but that was because they needed the extra money to pay 
bills. Some staff would finish one eight-hour shift and volunteer for 
another.

Sears said he felt unsafe at work because he would 
usually supervise cellblocks of inmates by himself because the 
department didn't have enough officers to work at one time.

A 
corrections officer was sent to the hospital after an incident with an 
inmate last week. The department said the officer is in stable condition
 and they are investigating the incident.

Sarah LaFrenz, union 
president for the Kansas Organization of State Employees, said a single 
officer was watching over 100 inmates. She said the employee quickly 
became unconscious and, if not for inmates stepping in to help, the 
officer could have been killed.

“This is a real time example of 
how bad outcomes happen,” LaFrenz said. “The department of corrections …
 (is) heartbroken and disturbed and very upset about all of this. But 
there has to be real, meaningful change to how these facilities are 
managed.”

KDOC's staffing shortages are especially bad at the El 
Dorado Correctional Facility. Inmates are under a modified lockdown 
schedule that keeps higher security residents inside their cells for 23 
hours a day.

Sherrick Sims, an inmate at El Dorado, said this means less time to talk with his children.

“Under
 a different schedule I used to call and just check on them and talk to 
them, even if it is for just a few minutes to let them know, “Hey, daddy
 is thinking of you. How your schooling [and] grades going, ya know?'” 
he said in a phone interview from the prison. “You miss a lot. … I like 
to at least try to call them so that way they know I tried.”

Sims 
spoke with the Kansas News Service during his hour outside of his cell. 
He only had time for a shower and to make a few phone calls before most 
of his time had run out. He passes the time reading, reviewing his case 
or watching TV.

The lockdown makes even the stagnancy of prison 
even more painfully boring. Programs that prisoners usually have access 
to aren’t available during a modified lockdown.

Sims said inmates feel like an afterthought.

“You feel like you’re being mistreated,” he said. “You’re cooped up. It gives you this anger.”

Lawmakers
 want to use federal COVID-19 relief funds for bonuses to keep and hire 
staff to address immediate staffing problems. But they also asked Zmuda 
to present a plan to the Legislature to address long-standing staffing 
issues.

Starting pay for both adult and juvenile corrections officers is $18.26 an hour while parole officers start at $17.39.

Andy
 Potter, founder of One Voice United, a group that advocates for 
corrections officers, said solutions need to be more comprehensive than 
just pay increases. He said this issue is a nationwide crisis because 
the work is being devalued.

Potter says higher pay helps, but 
improved benefits and better working conditions are also needed. He said
 corrections work can be dangerous, and benefits packages need to be 
generous enough to encourage people to apply.

“If the industry 
isn’t going to invest in the individual, then it’s very difficult for 
individuals to come into this with any level of forward investment on 
their part as well,” he said.

Sedgwick County lost eight intensive
 supervision officers, or 11% of the staff, and the turnover rate for 
community corrections in Kansas is three times higher than the national 
average.

Michael Scribner, president of Teamsters Local 696, the 
union that represents juvenile corrections officers, wants to see 
starting pay increase by almost $7 an hour.

“Businesses and the 
government (aren’t) willing to pay the amount of money they need to pay 
to fully staff their facilities,” Scribner said. “It's a dangerous thing
 whenever you don’t have the staffing to do the job and you're 
overworking the staff that you have, it's a recipe for disaster.”

For Gorges, a pay increase is welcomed, but until that happens, he'll be at the bowling alley on the weekends.

“I
 would much rather be home with my family. Much rather,” Gorges said. “I
 love my wife and my kids immensely. I would rather spend time with them
 than be here.”

Blaise Mesa reports on criminal justice and 
social services for the Kansas News Service in Topeka. You can follow 
him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email him at blaise@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636485981012.png" alt="David Gorges is still working late Friday night even after putting in a full week at the Kansas Department of Corrections. Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>David Gorges is still working late Friday night even after putting in a full week at the Kansas Department of Corrections. Blaise Mesa / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-09/the-people-running-kansas-prisons-have-never-seen-a-staffing-crisis-this-bad">Kansas News Service</a>HUTCHINSON&nbsp;— By 8 p.m. on a Friday, David Gorges has 
already clocked 48 stressful hours counseling and guarding inmates at 
the state prison in town.His work week isn’t over. He’s working security at The Alley, an arcade and bowling alley in Hutchinson.He takes on extra work so he can be debt-free when he retires, though he said he is close to paying off his farm.“I don’t go out and drive a Corvette,” Gorges said. “My wife doesn’t 
have a Cadillac Escalade, or anything like that. We live a humble 
lifestyle. We don’t go on these lavish trips out of state. We just 
believe in good hard work.”He needs the extra job because his checks from the Kansas Department of Corrections aren't big enough.The
 state prison system finds itself in a crisis to find enough people to 
take on relatively low pay for the grueling and often dangerous work of 
correctional officers and the other jobs needed to run places like the 
Hutchinson Correctional Facility. Prison administrators and union
 officials say it’s never been so hard to get people to take on these 
jobs. If you think it’s hard these days to find somebody to flip burgers
 or swing a hammer, just try to find somebody willing to walk a 
cellblock.The state has 405 uniformed vacancies with another 119 
people on extended leave. Prisons are expected to lose another 75 
workers by the end of the year. The Kansas Juvenile Complex is missing 
31% of its uniformed staff and KDOC's entire Emporia office quit for 
jobs elsewhere.KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda told a committee of 
state lawmakers that other jobs offer more flexible hours and remote 
work. Prisons can’t.“We’re not alone in those challenges,” he 
said. “Job markets for all employers are as competitive as any of us 
have seen in recent memory.”So the department relies on mandatory overtime and adding job responsibilities to the few people it can keep.Gorges
 is a corrections counselor and spends his shift helping inmates find 
jobs, housing or anything else they need. He then heads to the 
cellblocks as a corrections officer, even if he has more counseling work
 to do.“You hunker down and make it happen,” Gorges said. “Failure is not an option.”<h2>More O.T.</h2>Gage Sears, who was a corrections officer in 2019, said mandatory overtime was like getting “punched in the stomach.” <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-27/indoor-temperatures-break-100-at-kansas-prisons-without-air-conditioning" target="_blank">The Hutchinson Correctional Facility didn't have air conditioning,</a> so he might spend his shift in sweltering heat before being told to stay longer.“You’d
 be completely drained by the end of (a shift), and it didn’t matter if 
you were exhausted or tired,” Sears said. “They call and say, ‘Hey, you 
have to stay for four more hours.' And even if you tried to plead your 
case, most of the time that didn’t matter.”He stopped making 
plans after work because he knew he would likely be called to stay 
longer. Sears said people could volunteer for overtime, which he and 
others did, but that was because they needed the extra money to pay 
bills. Some staff would finish one eight-hour shift and volunteer for 
another.Sears said he felt unsafe at work because he would 
usually supervise cellblocks of inmates by himself because the 
department didn't have enough officers to work at one time.A 
corrections officer was sent to the hospital after an incident with an 
inmate last week. The department said the officer is in stable condition
 and they are investigating the incident.Sarah LaFrenz, union 
president for the Kansas Organization of State Employees, said a single 
officer was watching over 100 inmates. She said the employee quickly 
became unconscious and, if not for inmates stepping in to help, the 
officer could have been killed.“This is a real time example of 
how bad outcomes happen,” LaFrenz said. “The department of corrections …
 (is) heartbroken and disturbed and very upset about all of this. But 
there has to be real, meaningful change to how these facilities are 
managed.”KDOC's staffing shortages are especially bad at the El 
Dorado Correctional Facility. Inmates are under a modified lockdown 
schedule that keeps higher security residents inside their cells for 23 
hours a day.Sherrick Sims, an inmate at El Dorado, said this means less time to talk with his children.“Under
 a different schedule I used to call and just check on them and talk to 
them, even if it is for just a few minutes to let them know, “Hey, daddy
 is thinking of you. How your schooling [and] grades going, ya know?'” 
he said in a phone interview from the prison. “You miss a lot. … I like 
to at least try to call them so that way they know I tried.”Sims 
spoke with the Kansas News Service during his hour outside of his cell. 
He only had time for a shower and to make a few phone calls before most 
of his time had run out. He passes the time reading, reviewing his case 
or watching TV.The lockdown makes even the stagnancy of prison 
even more painfully boring. Programs that prisoners usually have access 
to aren’t available during a modified lockdown.Sims said inmates feel like an afterthought.“You feel like you’re being mistreated,” he said. “You’re cooped up. It gives you this anger.”<h2>Looking for a fix</h2>Lawmakers
 want to use federal COVID-19 relief funds for bonuses to keep and hire 
staff to address immediate staffing problems. But they also asked Zmuda 
to present a plan to the Legislature to address long-standing staffing 
issues.Starting pay for both adult and juvenile corrections officers is $18.26 an hour while parole officers start at $17.39.Andy
 Potter, founder of One Voice United, a group that advocates for 
corrections officers, said solutions need to be more comprehensive than 
just pay increases. He said this issue is a nationwide crisis because 
the work is being devalued.Potter says higher pay helps, but 
improved benefits and better working conditions are also needed. He said
 corrections work can be dangerous, and benefits packages need to be 
generous enough to encourage people to apply.“If the industry 
isn’t going to invest in the individual, then it’s very difficult for 
individuals to come into this with any level of forward investment on 
their part as well,” he said.Sedgwick County lost eight intensive
 supervision officers, or 11% of the staff, and the turnover rate for 
community corrections in Kansas is three times higher than the national 
average.Michael Scribner, president of Teamsters Local 696, the 
union that represents juvenile corrections officers, wants to see 
starting pay increase by almost $7 an hour.“Businesses and the 
government (aren’t) willing to pay the amount of money they need to pay 
to fully staff their facilities,” Scribner said. “It's a dangerous thing
 whenever you don’t have the staffing to do the job and you're 
overworking the staff that you have, it's a recipe for disaster.”For Gorges, a pay increase is welcomed, but until that happens, he'll be at the bowling alley on the weekends.“I
 would much rather be home with my family. Much rather,” Gorges said. “I
 love my wife and my kids immensely. I would rather spend time with them
 than be here.”Blaise Mesa reports on criminal justice and 
social services for the Kansas News Service in Topeka. You can follow 
him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email him at blaise@kcur.org.

Kansas prison officials have never seen a staffing crisis this bad 

WASHINGTON (AP) —Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older, a step that comes amid concern about increased spread of the coronavirus with holiday travel and gatherings.

Older Americans and other groups particularly vulnerable to the virus have had access to a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine since September. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it would move quickly to expand boosters to younger ages if warranted.

Pfizer is submitting early results of a booster study in 10,000 people to make its case that it’s time to further expand the booster campaign.

While all three vaccines used in the U.S. continue to offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 illness and death, the shots’ effectiveness against milder infection can wane over time.

Pfizer’s new study concluded a booster could restore protection against symptomatic infection to nearly 96%, even as the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. Side effects were similar to those seen with the company’s first two shots.

A median of 11 months after their last Pfizer vaccination, trial participants were given either a third dose or a dummy shot. Researchers tracked any infections that occurred at least a week later, and so far have counted five cases of symptomatic COVID-19 among booster recipients compared to 109 cases among people who got dummy shots.

The Biden administration had originally envisioned boosters for all adults, but faced a stinging setback in September when the FDA’s scientific advisers rejected extra Pfizer doses for everyone. The panel wasn’t convinced that young healthy people needed another dose, particularly when most of the world’s population remains unvaccinated.

Still, under today’s policies about 2 of every 3 vaccinated adults is expected to qualify within the next few months -- and many who don’t nonetheless can score an extra shot because most vaccine providers don’t check qualifications.

The current rules: People who initially received Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations are eligible for a booster six months later if they’re 65 or older, or are at high risk of COVID-19 because of underlying health problems or their job or living conditions. Because the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&amp;J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.

And regardless of the initial vaccination, the U.S. has cleared getting a booster of a different company’s vaccine, what’s called mixing and matching.

If the FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for all adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then will make recommendations for how to use them.

Globally, boosters also are a hodge-podge. Some countries restrict them to older or medically fragile people while others have few restrictions. Israel, for example, has authorized Pfizer boosters for anyone 12 and older.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older, a step that comes amid concern about increased spread of the coronavirus with holiday travel and gatherings.Older Americans and other groups particularly vulnerable to the virus have had access to a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine since September. But the Food and Drug Administration has said it would move quickly to expand boosters to younger ages if warranted.Pfizer is submitting early results of a booster study in 10,000 people to make its case that it’s time to further expand the booster campaign.While all three vaccines used in the U.S. continue to offer strong protection against severe COVID-19 illness and death, the shots’ effectiveness against milder infection can wane over time.Pfizer’s new study concluded a booster could restore protection against symptomatic infection to nearly 96%, even as the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. Side effects were similar to those seen with the company’s first two shots.A median of 11 months after their last Pfizer vaccination, trial participants were given either a third dose or a dummy shot. Researchers tracked any infections that occurred at least a week later, and so far have counted five cases of symptomatic COVID-19 among booster recipients compared to 109 cases among people who got dummy shots.The Biden administration had originally envisioned boosters for all adults, but faced a stinging setback in September when the FDA’s scientific advisers rejected extra Pfizer doses for everyone. The panel wasn’t convinced that young healthy people needed another dose, particularly when most of the world’s population remains unvaccinated.Still, under today’s policies about 2 of every 3 vaccinated adults is expected to qualify within the next few months -- and many who don’t nonetheless can score an extra shot because most vaccine providers don’t check qualifications.The current rules: People who initially received Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations are eligible for a booster six months later if they’re 65 or older, or are at high risk of COVID-19 because of underlying health problems or their job or living conditions. Because the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&amp;J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.And regardless of the initial vaccination, the U.S. has cleared getting a booster of a different company’s vaccine, what’s called mixing and matching.If the FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for all adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then will make recommendations for how to use them.Globally, boosters also are a hodge-podge. Some countries restrict them to older or medically fragile people while others have few restrictions. Israel, for example, has authorized Pfizer boosters for anyone 12 and older.___

Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City are investigating two separate homicides discovered hours apart.

The first was reported around 2:45 p.m. Monday when officers were called to the Brush Creek Tower apartments to check on the welfare of a resident who had been reported missing. Arriving officers found a man dead inside the apartment, and police have launched a homicide investigation. Police have not said how the man died.

Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, police were called to the Blue Hills neighborhood and found a person who had been shot. The person was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Police have not released the names of either victim, and no arrests have been announced.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City are investigating two separate homicides discovered hours apart.The first was reported around 2:45 p.m. Monday when officers were called to the Brush Creek Tower apartments to check on the welfare of a resident who had been reported missing. Arriving officers found a man dead inside the apartment, and police have launched a homicide investigation. Police have not said how the man died.Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, police were called to the Blue Hills neighborhood and found a person who had been shot. The person was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead.Police have not released the names of either victim, and no arrests have been announced.

Police: 2 Kansas City homicides discovered hours apart

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Some may be having a hard time finding dentists and other service providers who are vaccinated because employers have to balance protecting their employees' health information against their customers' need for transparency.

The political debate over COVID-19 vaccinations is also making some companies reluctant to share their workers' vaccination status, said Pauline Kim, a law professor at Washington University.

“It is such a polarized topic that sometimes, in some settings, asking someone might feel kind of fraught, unfortunately,” Kim&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/privacy-laws-and-politics-complicate-efforts-to-find-vaccinated-service-providers-in-st-louis-area/article_51c8296b-be7c-517b-8b2b-4c92466d9871.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest">told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>. “That’s why the employer can’t reveal that information about somebody else because an employee might very well not want to share their own decision as to whether they got vaccinated or not.”

But 68-year-old Karen Clark has made it a habit to ask everyone she deals with about their vaccination status because she has had two bouts of cancer and her husband has a heart condition, making them both high risk for complications from the coronavirus.

“I say, ‘Are your workers vaccinated? We are high risk.’ That is pretty much it. I usually get a straight answer,” Clark said. “They will often say, ‘Well, we will make sure the one who comes out is vaccinated.’ And I even say, ‘I will check their card.’”

Dentist Guy Deyton, who practices in the Kansas City area, serves as director of the Office of Dental Health within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. He said he encourages providers to share details of their efforts to curb the spread of the virus and address customer concerns.

“We’ve encouraged them to be good listeners and to be very, very transparent — and to accept that there are going to be people that have some anxiety about getting care or even just going out into the world and interacting at this juncture,” Deyton said.

Dentist Greg Luerding said his patients in Lake Saint Louis frequently ask whether his staff is fully vaccinated. His response is to assure them that they won’t be seen by someone who is not vaccinated, but he avoids sharing the status of all of his employees.

“I just think this is so politicized, and I want to keep it out of that realm,” he said. “If you tell them that everybody is vaccinated, they will be very upset, they’ll say ‘why do you make them do that?’ I don’t. Then they don’t believe me, or the opposite. So, I just kind of steer clear of that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620248269773.png" alt="A drive through COVID vaccination clinic in Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>A drive through COVID vaccination clinic in Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Some may be having a hard time finding dentists and other service providers who are vaccinated because employers have to balance protecting their employees' health information against their customers' need for transparency.The political debate over COVID-19 vaccinations is also making some companies reluctant to share their workers' vaccination status, said Pauline Kim, a law professor at Washington University.“It is such a polarized topic that sometimes, in some settings, asking someone might feel kind of fraught, unfortunately,” Kim&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/privacy-laws-and-politics-complicate-efforts-to-find-vaccinated-service-providers-in-st-louis-area/article_51c8296b-be7c-517b-8b2b-4c92466d9871.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest">told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>. “That’s why the employer can’t reveal that information about somebody else because an employee might very well not want to share their own decision as to whether they got vaccinated or not.”But 68-year-old Karen Clark has made it a habit to ask everyone she deals with about their vaccination status because she has had two bouts of cancer and her husband has a heart condition, making them both high risk for complications from the coronavirus.“I say, ‘Are your workers vaccinated? We are high risk.’ That is pretty much it. I usually get a straight answer,” Clark said. “They will often say, ‘Well, we will make sure the one who comes out is vaccinated.’ And I even say, ‘I will check their card.’”Dentist Guy Deyton, who practices in the Kansas City area, serves as director of the Office of Dental Health within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. He said he encourages providers to share details of their efforts to curb the spread of the virus and address customer concerns.“We’ve encouraged them to be good listeners and to be very, very transparent — and to accept that there are going to be people that have some anxiety about getting care or even just going out into the world and interacting at this juncture,” Deyton said.Dentist Greg Luerding said his patients in Lake Saint Louis frequently ask whether his staff is fully vaccinated. His response is to assure them that they won’t be seen by someone who is not vaccinated, but he avoids sharing the status of all of his employees.“I just think this is so politicized, and I want to keep it out of that realm,” he said. “If you tell them that everybody is vaccinated, they will be very upset, they’ll say ‘why do you make them do that?’ I don’t. Then they don’t believe me, or the opposite. So, I just kind of steer clear of that.”

Firms consider workers' privacy when sharing vaccine status

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Nov. 1 shooting have made a second arrest in the&nbsp; case.&nbsp; On Monday evening, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20073275">booked 18-year-old Davaun Carter</a> into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested murder charges, according to the sheriff's department arrest report.

At approximately 5:30 p.m, November 1, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 300 block of W. 10th St. North in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macey. 

After arriving on scene, they located&nbsp; 22-year-old Braekwon Bennett with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Officers learned that two male suspects, an 18-year-old later identified as Carter and a 17-year-old arrived at the apartment and confronted Bennett. There was an altercation that led to multiple shots being fired. Carter was also shot during the altercation, and both suspects then left the apartment.

The suspects later arrived at an area hospital, where Carter was admitted for treatment. The 17-year-old was contacted at the hospital and attempted to run from police but was taken into custody. The 17-year-old was booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility for First-Degree Murder. Carter remained hospitalized until Monday afternoon. Police will present the case to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636466340747.png" alt="Carter-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Carter-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Nov. 1 shooting have made a second arrest in the&nbsp; case.&nbsp; On Monday evening, police <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20073275">booked 18-year-old Davaun Carter</a> into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested murder charges, according to the sheriff's department arrest report.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635868894294.png" alt="Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the fatal shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>At approximately 5:30 p.m, November 1, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 300 block of W. 10th St. North in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macey. After arriving on scene, they located&nbsp; 22-year-old Braekwon Bennett with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.Officers learned that two male suspects, an 18-year-old later identified as Carter and a 17-year-old arrived at the apartment and confronted Bennett. There was an altercation that led to multiple shots being fired. Carter was also shot during the altercation, and both suspects then left the apartment.The suspects later arrived at an area hospital, where Carter was admitted for treatment. The 17-year-old was contacted at the hospital and attempted to run from police but was taken into custody. The 17-year-old was booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility for First-Degree Murder. Carter remained hospitalized until Monday afternoon. Police will present the case to the district attorney.

Teen suspect in fatal Kansas gunfight moved from hospital to jail

SALINE COUNTY —A series of earthquakes continues to shake portions of north central Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a&nbsp; magnitude 3.0 quake at 6:19 a.m. Tuesday was centered approximately 2 and one half miles southwest of Gypsum.

The Kansas Geological survey reported two small quakes measuring a magnitude of 2.6 and 2.8 in Saline County early Monday near Gypsum and a 2.4 magnitude quake in Smith County.

On Saturday, the agency also reported a 2.2 magnitude quake near Gypsum and a 2.3 magnitude quake in Smith County. There are no reports of any damage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636383916137.png" alt="Location of the quake in Saline County- USGS image" />
 <figcaption>Location of the quake in Saline County- USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —A series of earthquakes continues to shake portions of north central Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a&nbsp; magnitude 3.0 quake at 6:19 a.m. Tuesday was centered approximately 2 and one half miles southwest of Gypsum.The Kansas Geological survey reported two small quakes measuring a magnitude of 2.6 and 2.8 in Saline County early Monday near Gypsum and a 2.4 magnitude quake in Smith County.On Saturday, the agency also reported a 2.2 magnitude quake near Gypsum and a 2.3 magnitude quake in Smith County. There are no reports of any damage.

5 quakes in 4 days shake north central Kansas

<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/26e4a988-7dc7-401f-89ad-6ba22798ac24">RELATED:&nbsp;Stimulus, Child Tax Credit and more: Tips on making 2022 tax filing easier</a>

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service today updated frequently-asked-questions for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a> to describe how taxpayers can now provide the IRS an estimate of your 2021 income using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal (CTC UP)</a>.

These <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2021-13.pdf">FAQs update</a>&nbsp;PDF
 the Advance Child Tax Credit Topic A FAQs by adding a new question, 
question 17 and Topic F FAQs by adding new questions, questions 2 
through 6.

These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.

More information about <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/general-overview-of-taxpayer-reliance-on-guidance-published-in-the-internal-revenue-bulletin-and-faqs">reliance is available</a>.

Additional Advance Child Tax Credit information

The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 
2021 page designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the 
credit and the advance payments. It's at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.

The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information
 and use available online tools and toolkits to help non-filers, 
low-income families and other underserved groups sign up. People can 
check their eligibility by using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-eligibility-assistant">Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant</a>.

The webpage features a set of <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a>.
 It also provides direct links to the portal, as well as two other 
online tools – the Non-filer Sign up Tool and the Child Tax Credit 
Eligibility Assistant – and other useful resources.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/26e4a988-7dc7-401f-89ad-6ba22798ac24">RELATED:&nbsp;Stimulus, Child Tax Credit and more: Tips on making 2022 tax filing easier</a>IRSWASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service today updated frequently-asked-questions for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">2021 Child Tax Credit and Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a> to describe how taxpayers can now provide the IRS an estimate of your 2021 income using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Child Tax Credit Update Portal (CTC UP)</a>.These <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/fs-2021-13.pdf">FAQs update</a>&nbsp;PDF
 the Advance Child Tax Credit Topic A FAQs by adding a new question, 
question 17 and Topic F FAQs by adding new questions, questions 2 
through 6.These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible.More information about <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/general-overview-of-taxpayer-reliance-on-guidance-published-in-the-internal-revenue-bulletin-and-faqs">reliance is available</a>.<h2>Additional Advance Child Tax Credit information</h2>The IRS has created a special Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 
2021 page designed to provide the most up-to-date information about the 
credit and the advance payments. It's at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021</a>.The IRS encourages partners and community groups to share information
 and use available online tools and toolkits to help non-filers, 
low-income families and other underserved groups sign up. People can 
check their eligibility by using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-eligibility-assistant">Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant</a>.The webpage features a set of <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-frequently-asked-questions">frequently asked questions</a>.
 It also provides direct links to the portal, as well as two other 
online tools – the Non-filer Sign up Tool and the Child Tax Credit 
Eligibility Assistant – and other useful resources.

IRS offers new guidance on Child Tax Credit payments

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say a student is recovering after being stabbed outside Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Police say the stabbing happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday on school grounds before classes began. 

The student was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Police say two other students were taken into custody for questioning after the attack. Police have not released the identities of any of the students involved.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say a student is recovering after being stabbed outside Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Police say the stabbing happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday on school grounds before classes began. The student was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Police say two other students were taken into custody for questioning after the attack. Police have not released the identities of any of the students involved.

Police: Student stabbed outside Kansas high school

National experts are predicting <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-predicts-highest-holiday-retail-sales-record" target="_blank">record numbers</a>
 in spending on holiday related items. There is also a concern if many 
of the items on consumer's holiday lists will be available on the shelf 
or online and are faced with the disappointing words: “Sorry, this item 
is currently out of stock.” That’s especially true when challenges are 
still occuring with supply chains.

But does that mean the words “out of stock” is the end of the line? 
Not at all. With a little determination and some creative thinking, the 
item might be found and purchased. Here are BBB’s tip for finding items 
that are sold out in stores.

Read <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14040-bbb-tip-smart-shopping-online" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Smart Online Shopping</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23348-shop-safe" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Shop Safe, Shop Smart this Holiday Season</a> for more shopping tips.

Only make purchases from businesses who adhere to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust" target="_blank">BBB Standards for Trust</a>. Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards" target="_blank">BBB's Accreditation Standards</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Better Business BureauNational experts are predicting <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-predicts-highest-holiday-retail-sales-record" target="_blank">record numbers</a>
 in spending on holiday related items. There is also a concern if many 
of the items on consumer's holiday lists will be available on the shelf 
or online and are faced with the disappointing words: “Sorry, this item 
is currently out of stock.” That’s especially true when challenges are 
still occuring with supply chains.But does that mean the words “out of stock” is the end of the line? 
Not at all. With a little determination and some creative thinking, the 
item might be found and purchased. Here are BBB’s tip for finding items 
that are sold out in stores.<h2>How to Buy Out of Stock Items</h2><ul>
 <li>Try a different store. Avoid limiting the search to
 the most popular brick-and-mortar stores. Consider researching multiple
 vendors’ websites to see who is carrying stock. If the large chain 
stores are out of what you need, try a reputable independent shop or a 
different type of store entirely. For example, when toilet paper was in 
short supply at grocery stores, some consumers found stock in <a href="https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-buy-out-of-stock-products-online.html" target="_blank">unlikely places</a>, such as hardware stores, restaurant suppliers, or office supply stores. </li><li>Check websites frequently. If there is an item out 
of stock when shopping online, don’t give up hope right away. Bookmark 
the product page and check back daily. Many vendors restock high-demand 
products on a regular basis. </li><li>Sign up for restock alerts. Many companies offer restock alerts, which are usually sent by email. For example, on <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/seattle/profile/ecommerce/amazoncom-1296-7039385" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (a BBB Accredited Business), look for an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202074010" target="_blank">availability alert</a>
 on a product's information page. Amazon will send an e-mail when the 
item becomes available. Keep in mind, you still have to go to the 
website or store to make the purchase once the alert arrives. </li><li>Go straight to the product’s source. If a brand 
name item isn’t available from a favorite retailer, check the brand’s 
official website to see if it’s in stock there. If not, consider getting
 in touch by emailing customer service or reaching out through social 
media. </li><li>Take advantage of return policies. If you suspect 
that an item will sell out quickly but you aren’t sure if you really 
need or want it, review the store’s return policy. If a store gives you 
the option to return an item and offer refunds, you may want to purchase
 the item as soon as it’s available. You can always send it back if it 
doesn’t fit your needs, but you may regret not purchasing if the stock 
runs out for good. </li><li>Search for products on resale sites. If a product 
appears to be gone for good, don’t lose hope just yet. Some resale sites
 may offer the hard-to-find products. That said, watch out for scammers 
when looking for <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16580-scam-alert-looking-for-this-seasons-hot-toy-beware-of-scams" target="_blank">this year’s hottest toy</a>
 or a product that is very popular. Con artists prey on desperate 
shoppers by pretending to have an item that is impossible to find, 
accepting payments, and then never delivering the product. &nbsp; </li><li>Consider a personal shopping service. Personal 
shoppers can do the heavy lifting if there is a very specific product 
you are hunting for. Be sure to read reviews and ask for recommendations
 from friends and family members before deciding to hire. </li><li>Try out a subscription service. Subscription 
services offer regular deliveries of cleaning products, clothing and 
more. If the local stores are running out of fresh produce, for example,
 consider a <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/16622-bbb-tip-choosing-a-meal-delivery-service" target="_blank">meal delivery service</a>. </li><li>Be patient. Sometimes, despite the best efforts, it
 just may not be possible to find most popular items. This was the case 
for many consumers hoping to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23422-bbb-scam-alert-fake-deals-on-gaming-consoles-trick-holiday-shoppers" target="_blank">purchase new PS5 and Xbox Series X+S gaming systems</a>. Restocks have sold out almost immediately every time thanks to limited supplies and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2020/10/14/ps5-and-xbox-series-xs-sold-out-again-what-to-expect-for-restocks/?sh=3b1a43653d93" target="_blank">bot resellers</a>. If this happens to you, be patient. You may have to wait a few months until suppliers can meet consumers’ demands.</li>
 </ul><h2>For More Information</h2>Read <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14040-bbb-tip-smart-shopping-online" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Smart Online Shopping</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23348-shop-safe" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Shop Safe, Shop Smart this Holiday Season</a> for more shopping tips.Only make purchases from businesses who adhere to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/standards-for-trust" target="_blank">BBB Standards for Trust</a>. Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/bbb-accreditation-standards" target="_blank">BBB's Accreditation Standards</a>.

Holiday gift 'out of stock'? Try these tips to beat supply chain disruption

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and THOMAS BEAUMONT

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — School board candidates opposing mask mandates and lessons about racism in U.S. history won in red states and some politically divided districts but often came up short in their bids to shape policy for school districts over the newest culture war issue.

The mixed results complicate the picture for Republicans who are increasingly looking to the education fight as a galvanizing issue that could help them sway voters. They point to the upset in&nbsp;Virginia&nbsp;by Republican Glenn Youngkin, who won his race for governor Tuesday in the liberal-leaning state after making education grievances a key part of his campaign. Some conservative political action groups said they racked up wins in the school board races where they funneled money.

But across the country, culture and identity fights were less decisive. The political tracking website Ballotpedia identified 96 school districts in more than a dozen states where race education and masking were part of the debate. It found that at least one anti-critical race theory or anti-mask candidate prevailed in 35 of the 86 districts in which it has determined winners, or 40%.

“Where they won, they won in really high numbers,” said Doug Kronaizl, a staff writer for Ballotpedia, noting that candidates who won on the issue tended to be concentrated in the same districts. “But overall nationwide they didn’t win that much.”

In&nbsp;Connecticut, a slate of five candidates running in opposition to critical race theory lost the board of education race in the Guilford school system, an overwhelmingly white New Haven suburb of 22,000 where a petition calling for the superintendent’s removal circulated after the district ditched its Indians mascot and doubled down on efforts to address social justice and racism.

“I think that there continues to be a national discussion where the term critical race theory is used inaccurately if not insincerely to attack work that is being done in schools, and that was successful in a lot of races,” said Superintendent Paul Freeman, who said the district doesn’t teach critical race theory.

Technically, it is an academic framework that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people. But in recent months, it has become a catch-all political buzzword for any teaching in schools about race and American history.

“We do not shame or blame the white children in Guilford when we talk about the issues of race or racism in our classrooms, whether historic or contemporary,” Freeman stressed.

Incumbent school board members in Mequon,&nbsp;Wisconsin, a wealthy, Republican-leaning suburb north of Milwaukee, won decisively after a group of parents led a recall effort based largely on their opposition to the district’s hiring of a diversity consultant. All four incumbents were reelected by more than 1,000 votes after a summer-long petition drive that drew the attention of local Republicans.

In Springboro,&nbsp;Ohio, outside Dayton, Frank Catrine, a local Republican activist who is opposed to critical race theory, finished fifth out of eight candidates in a school board race in which all incumbents were reelected. He has argued that diversity and inclusion efforts exclude white students and parents.

“If you want true diversity, you’re open to everybody,” Catrine said. “But if they are only focused on Black people and the LGBTQ community, not everybody is welcome.”

In Washington state, school board candidate Riley Smith said that while knocking on doors in his Democratic-leaning district in Spokane this fall, he encountered very few people interested in discussing race in education.

“This whole critical race theory, anti-masking, that was dominating the national narrative wasn’t really on people’s minds,” said Riley, who beat a vocal opponent of the educational framework for the open seat.

Yael Levin, who leads the Virginia chapter of No Left Turn in Education, a group opposed to teaching critical race theory, said some losses were to be expected given the newness of the movement, which she said grew from the pandemic, when remote learning made parents more aware of what their children were being taught. The organization has ballooned to 78 chapters in more than 25 states since it was founded last year.

“This is a very new movement of parents. And it’s a direct result of COVID. So it makes sense that we succeeded in some places and didn’t in others,” Levin said, “but we’re going to keep our movement alive because the attack on our children is not stopping anytime soon.”

In conservative Wichita,&nbsp;Kansas, Ben Blankley was among three candidates voted out of office and replaced by a slate of anti-critical race theory candidates who have promised changes in COVID-19 mitigation efforts in the district.

“I kind of figured this would be the end result,” said Blankley, a 38-year-old aerospace engineer with a first-grader in the district. “Regardless of the decisions that we made, I figured there would be a political backlash eventually for a bunch of good people. And so it kind of steeled my resolve to make the best decisions I could with the information that we had knowing that being out of office could be an eventuality because of all of this.”

Across the state, mask mandate opponents were ahead Friday in several races in Johnson County, an increasingly purple Kansas City suburb that voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 despite historically leaning Republican. Some of the winning candidates in the Blue Valley and Olathe districts got a boost from the 1776 Project PAC.

Axios reported the political action committee — named after former President Donald Trump’s now-disbanded 1776 Commission, which played down America’s role in slavery — was successful in three-fourths of 58 races in seven states. “Victories across the country and this is just the beginning,” the group tweeted.

Money from other conservative PACs flowed into the West Chester,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>, race after board president Chris McCune antagonized critical race theory opponents. McCune, a Republican, initially was ahead in the vote count but has slipped behind a a PAC-backed critical race theory supporter and another candidate as mail-in ballots are counted.

“These allegations from the far right are very challenging and the climate around public education has been very toxic,” said McCune, 48, who works in software sales and whose five children all attend district schools.

1776 Action, which is separate from the similarly named political action committee, sent out mailers and targeted text messages in the West Chester race and another in&nbsp;Iowa. The group, which encourages candidates to sign a pledge calling for the restoration of “honest, patriotic education,” was encouraged by the results.

“This movement to defeat anti-American indoctrination in our schools is only going to grow stronger in 2022," said Adam Waldeck, the group’s president.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636223435663.png" alt="From the July 26, 2020 school board meeting-photo courtesy Shawnee Mission Kansas Schools" />
 <figcaption>From the July 26, 2020 school board meeting-photo courtesy Shawnee Mission Kansas Schools</figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and THOMAS BEAUMONTMISSION, Kan. (AP) — School board candidates opposing mask mandates and lessons about racism in U.S. history won in red states and some politically divided districts but often came up short in their bids to shape policy for school districts over the newest culture war issue.The mixed results complicate the picture for Republicans who are increasingly looking to the education fight as a galvanizing issue that could help them sway voters. They point to the upset in&nbsp;Virginia&nbsp;by Republican Glenn Youngkin, who won his race for governor Tuesday in the liberal-leaning state after making education grievances a key part of his campaign. Some conservative political action groups said they racked up wins in the school board races where they funneled money.But across the country, culture and identity fights were less decisive. The political tracking website Ballotpedia identified 96 school districts in more than a dozen states where race education and masking were part of the debate. It found that at least one anti-critical race theory or anti-mask candidate prevailed in 35 of the 86 districts in which it has determined winners, or 40%.“Where they won, they won in really high numbers,” said Doug Kronaizl, a staff writer for Ballotpedia, noting that candidates who won on the issue tended to be concentrated in the same districts. “But overall nationwide they didn’t win that much.”In&nbsp;Connecticut, a slate of five candidates running in opposition to critical race theory lost the board of education race in the Guilford school system, an overwhelmingly white New Haven suburb of 22,000 where a petition calling for the superintendent’s removal circulated after the district ditched its Indians mascot and doubled down on efforts to address social justice and racism.“I think that there continues to be a national discussion where the term critical race theory is used inaccurately if not insincerely to attack work that is being done in schools, and that was successful in a lot of races,” said Superintendent Paul Freeman, who said the district doesn’t teach critical race theory.Technically, it is an academic framework that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people. But in recent months, it has become a catch-all political buzzword for any teaching in schools about race and American history.“We do not shame or blame the white children in Guilford when we talk about the issues of race or racism in our classrooms, whether historic or contemporary,” Freeman stressed.Incumbent school board members in Mequon,&nbsp;Wisconsin, a wealthy, Republican-leaning suburb north of Milwaukee, won decisively after a group of parents led a recall effort based largely on their opposition to the district’s hiring of a diversity consultant. All four incumbents were reelected by more than 1,000 votes after a summer-long petition drive that drew the attention of local Republicans.In Springboro,&nbsp;Ohio, outside Dayton, Frank Catrine, a local Republican activist who is opposed to critical race theory, finished fifth out of eight candidates in a school board race in which all incumbents were reelected. He has argued that diversity and inclusion efforts exclude white students and parents.“If you want true diversity, you’re open to everybody,” Catrine said. “But if they are only focused on Black people and the LGBTQ community, not everybody is welcome.”In Washington state, school board candidate Riley Smith said that while knocking on doors in his Democratic-leaning district in Spokane this fall, he encountered very few people interested in discussing race in education.“This whole critical race theory, anti-masking, that was dominating the national narrative wasn’t really on people’s minds,” said Riley, who beat a vocal opponent of the educational framework for the open seat.Yael Levin, who leads the Virginia chapter of No Left Turn in Education, a group opposed to teaching critical race theory, said some losses were to be expected given the newness of the movement, which she said grew from the pandemic, when remote learning made parents more aware of what their children were being taught. The organization has ballooned to 78 chapters in more than 25 states since it was founded last year.“This is a very new movement of parents. And it’s a direct result of COVID. So it makes sense that we succeeded in some places and didn’t in others,” Levin said, “but we’re going to keep our movement alive because the attack on our children is not stopping anytime soon.”In conservative Wichita,&nbsp;Kansas, Ben Blankley was among three candidates voted out of office and replaced by a slate of anti-critical race theory candidates who have promised changes in COVID-19 mitigation efforts in the district.“I kind of figured this would be the end result,” said Blankley, a 38-year-old aerospace engineer with a first-grader in the district. “Regardless of the decisions that we made, I figured there would be a political backlash eventually for a bunch of good people. And so it kind of steeled my resolve to make the best decisions I could with the information that we had knowing that being out of office could be an eventuality because of all of this.”Across the state, mask mandate opponents were ahead Friday in several races in Johnson County, an increasingly purple Kansas City suburb that voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020 despite historically leaning Republican. Some of the winning candidates in the Blue Valley and Olathe districts got a boost from the 1776 Project PAC.Axios reported the political action committee — named after former President Donald Trump’s now-disbanded 1776 Commission, which played down America’s role in slavery — was successful in three-fourths of 58 races in seven states. “Victories across the country and this is just the beginning,” the group tweeted.Money from other conservative PACs flowed into the West Chester,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>, race after board president Chris McCune antagonized critical race theory opponents. McCune, a Republican, initially was ahead in the vote count but has slipped behind a a PAC-backed critical race theory supporter and another candidate as mail-in ballots are counted.“These allegations from the far right are very challenging and the climate around public education has been very toxic,” said McCune, 48, who works in software sales and whose five children all attend district schools.1776 Action, which is separate from the similarly named political action committee, sent out mailers and targeted text messages in the West Chester race and another in&nbsp;Iowa. The group, which encourages candidates to sign a pledge calling for the restoration of “honest, patriotic education,” was encouraged by the results.“This movement to defeat anti-American indoctrination in our schools is only going to grow stronger in 2022," said Adam Waldeck, the group’s president.___

Culture war fight found mixed success in school board races

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri man is charged with two separate killings, and police are trying to determine if he was involved in at least four other homicides in Missouri and Kansas.

Perez Deshay Reed, 25, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree assault.

He is suspected of killing a 16-year-old girl, Marnay Haynes, on Sept. 13, and in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Lester Robinson on Sept. 26. He is also accused of a third shooting in St. Louis County that left a person with permanent disabilities.

<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-accuse-st-louis-county-man-of-serial-killings-shootings-from-st-louis-to-kansas/article_e699251c-08b0-5bcf-86fb-486474064c06.html?utm_source=stltoday.com&amp;utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&amp;utm_medium=PostUp&amp;utm_content=feaa5696295948078b3afe96afc8d324579f8fa0">The St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>, citing a police affidavit filed in federal court, said Reed could be tied to at least four other homicides and additional shootings. Among them: Police are investigating if Reed killed Damon Irvin and Daja Fairrow, whose bodies were found earlier this month in an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kansas. Charges have not been filed in those killings.

Meanwhile, St. Louis city police said Monday they plan to seek charges against Reed in the recent shooting deaths of 49-year-old Pamela Abercrombie and 24-year-old Casey Ross.

Authorities have not provided a motive for the shootings.

The FBI said that on Friday, officers were watching Reed when he got on an Amtrak train from Kansas City bound for St. Louis. He got off at the first stop, in Independence, and was getting on a bus when he was taken into custody. Reed had a .40-caliber pistol with him that matched the St. Louis area shootings in September, the federal affidavit says.

Reed, in an interview with police, denied hurting anyone, the affidavit stated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636462416961.png" alt="Reed photo St. Louis County Attorney" />
 <figcaption>Reed photo St. Louis County Attorney</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri man is charged with two separate killings, and police are trying to determine if he was involved in at least four other homicides in Missouri and Kansas.Perez Deshay Reed, 25, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree assault.He is suspected of killing a 16-year-old girl, Marnay Haynes, on Sept. 13, and in the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Lester Robinson on Sept. 26. He is also accused of a third shooting in St. Louis County that left a person with permanent disabilities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635889753469.png" alt="Police are investigating if Reed killed Damon Irvin and Daja Fairrow, whose bodies were found earlier this month in an apartment complex in Kansas. photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police are investigating if Reed killed Damon Irvin and Daja Fairrow, whose bodies were found earlier this month in an apartment complex in Kansas. photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/feds-accuse-st-louis-county-man-of-serial-killings-shootings-from-st-louis-to-kansas/article_e699251c-08b0-5bcf-86fb-486474064c06.html?utm_source=stltoday.com&amp;utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&amp;utm_medium=PostUp&amp;utm_content=feaa5696295948078b3afe96afc8d324579f8fa0">The St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>, citing a police affidavit filed in federal court, said Reed could be tied to at least four other homicides and additional shootings. Among them: Police are investigating if Reed killed Damon Irvin and Daja Fairrow, whose bodies were found earlier this month in an apartment complex in Kansas City, Kansas. Charges have not been filed in those killings.Meanwhile, St. Louis city police said Monday they plan to seek charges against Reed in the recent shooting deaths of 49-year-old Pamela Abercrombie and 24-year-old Casey Ross.Authorities have not provided a motive for the shootings.The FBI said that on Friday, officers were watching Reed when he got on an Amtrak train from Kansas City bound for St. Louis. He got off at the first stop, in Independence, and was getting on a bus when he was taken into custody. Reed had a .40-caliber pistol with him that matched the St. Louis area shootings in September, the federal affidavit says.Reed, in an interview with police, denied hurting anyone, the affidavit stated.

Serial killer: Man accused of 6 murders in Kansas, Missouri

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration framed its vaccine mandate for private employers in life-and-death terms Monday in a legal filing that sought to get the requirement back on track after it was halted by a federal court.

Its filing in response to a stay issued over the weekend by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there is no reason to rush into a ruling on whether the halt should be made permanent because the vaccine mandate won't take effect until Jan. 4. Stopping the mandate from taking effect will only prolong the COVID-19 pandemic and would “cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day,” lawyers for the Justice and Labor departments said.

As of Sunday, the seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths in the U.S. was 1,151, but it's not clear what role a future vaccine mandate for private businesses would play in reducing that figure.

The mandate would apply to private businesses with more than 100 workers. Employees who do not receive the shots by Jan. 4 would be required to wear a mask and be tested weekly for the coronavirus. Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules issued last week create exemptions for workers citing religious objections and for those who do not interact in-person with coworkers or customers, as well as those who work only outdoors.

More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general, businesses, religious groups and conservative associations sued on the grounds that the federal government does not have the right to make the regulation, partly because COVID-19 is not a workplace-specific danger.

The Biden administration lawyers argued the risks were greater without the mandate than with it: “Petitioners’ asserted injuries, by contrast, are speculative and remote and do not outweigh the interest in protecting employees from a dangerous virus while this case proceeds,” they wrote.

At least 27 states filed legal challenges in at least six federal appeals courts after OSHA released its rules last week. All the states have a Republican governor or attorney general.

Over the weekend, judges on the New Orleans-based federal court paused the rule from taking effect, saying it raises “grave statutory and constitutional issues” and told the federal government to explain why the stay should not be made permanent.

The federal government said in its court filings Monday that the cases should be consolidated and that one of the circuit courts where a legal challenge has been filed should be chosen at random on Nov. 16 to hear it.

Administration lawyers said there is no reason to keep the vaccine mandate on hold while the court where the cases ultimately land remains undetermined. Besides, they argued, no employee will have to get a shot to comply until early December.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed confidence that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate can withstand the legal challenges.

“This is an authority that we believe the Department of Labor has,” Jean-Pierre told told reporters during a news briefing. “We are very confident about it.”

Jean-Pierre said the mandate was about keeping people safe and that Congress had empowered the Labor Department to act with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Vaccine mandates, including those for certain federal employees, contractors and the military, are a key component of the Biden administration's strategy for containing a pandemic that has killed 755,000 people in the U.S.

It has said that widespread vaccinations are the quickest way out of the pandemic. But employers have pushed back, saying they fear the mandate would lead many of their workers to quit.

At a news conference Monday in Concord,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire">New Hampshire</a>, the president of Keller Companies, a manufacturer of building panels and plastics with 350 employees, described the OSHA rule as a “crushing blow to employers.”

Kathy Garfield, whose family has run the Manchester-based company for three generations, said it brought in a vaccination van to serve employees and gave workers paid time off to get the shots. Only about half have done so.

“We’ve had employees come forward and say if we mandate the vaccine, or this comes to be, they will not get the vaccine and they will not get tested. How can I run a business when I have no talent?” Garfield asked at a news conference with Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican.

She also said it’s difficult to find a place to get the virus test. When they are available, they can cost $200.

“That’s the difference between eating and starving,” Garfield said. “So what are these employees going to do? They’re going to go to another employer with less than 100 employees.”

The administration announced plans for the workplace rule in September and unveiled the plans Nov. 4. Many Republican governors and state attorneys general signaled ahead of time that they would challenge it immediately, as they did with multiple federal lawsuits filed Friday.

The states filed in the most conservative appeals courts in the country, where appointees of former President Donald Trump bolstered Republican-appointed majorities. It was not entirely clear whether the emergency stay issued Saturday by the 5th Circuit applied nationwide or just to the states that filed in that case —&nbsp;Louisiana,&nbsp;Mississippi,&nbsp;South Carolina,&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Utah.

The 5th Circuit order read, “the Mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by this court" but did not specifically state whether it applied only to the five states. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said it applied nationally, but states that filed in different courts asked Monday for clarification.

“Though the Fifth Circuit’s order may be construed to have nationwide effect, it does not make an explicit statement on this point," according to a state filing in the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "To avoid any confusion and to secure full protection of their rights, Petitioners respectfully request that this Court enter a similar order here.”

Alabama,&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;also asked for a stay Monday in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, noting the one granted in the New Orleans-based court is temporary. The group of states, businesses and organizations challenging the rule in the St. Louis-based court called for a quick review of their challenge to the workplace rule.

“Thousands of employers and millions of working families will feel its impact immediately. The Court should act swiftly to forestall these illegal and unconstitutional injuries,” the groups said in court papers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636210096288.png" alt="At least 27 states filed legal challenges in at least six federal appeals courts after OSHA released its rules last week. All the states have a Republican governor or attorney general.-White House Photo" />
 <figcaption>At least 27 states filed legal challenges in at least six federal appeals courts after OSHA released its rules last week. All the states have a Republican governor or attorney general.-White House Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration framed its vaccine mandate for private employers in life-and-death terms Monday in a legal filing that sought to get the requirement back on track after it was halted by a federal court.Its filing in response to a stay issued over the weekend by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said there is no reason to rush into a ruling on whether the halt should be made permanent because the vaccine mandate won't take effect until Jan. 4. Stopping the mandate from taking effect will only prolong the COVID-19 pandemic and would “cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day,” lawyers for the Justice and Labor departments said.As of Sunday, the seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths in the U.S. was 1,151, but it's not clear what role a future vaccine mandate for private businesses would play in reducing that figure.The mandate would apply to private businesses with more than 100 workers. Employees who do not receive the shots by Jan. 4 would be required to wear a mask and be tested weekly for the coronavirus. Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules issued last week create exemptions for workers citing religious objections and for those who do not interact in-person with coworkers or customers, as well as those who work only outdoors.More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general, businesses, religious groups and conservative associations sued on the grounds that the federal government does not have the right to make the regulation, partly because COVID-19 is not a workplace-specific danger.The Biden administration lawyers argued the risks were greater without the mandate than with it: “Petitioners’ asserted injuries, by contrast, are speculative and remote and do not outweigh the interest in protecting employees from a dangerous virus while this case proceeds,” they wrote.At least 27 states filed legal challenges in at least six federal appeals courts after OSHA released its rules last week. All the states have a Republican governor or attorney general.Over the weekend, judges on the New Orleans-based federal court paused the rule from taking effect, saying it raises “grave statutory and constitutional issues” and told the federal government to explain why the stay should not be made permanent.The federal government said in its court filings Monday that the cases should be consolidated and that one of the circuit courts where a legal challenge has been filed should be chosen at random on Nov. 16 to hear it.Administration lawyers said there is no reason to keep the vaccine mandate on hold while the court where the cases ultimately land remains undetermined. Besides, they argued, no employee will have to get a shot to comply until early December.White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed confidence that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate can withstand the legal challenges.“This is an authority that we believe the Department of Labor has,” Jean-Pierre told told reporters during a news briefing. “We are very confident about it.”Jean-Pierre said the mandate was about keeping people safe and that Congress had empowered the Labor Department to act with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Vaccine mandates, including those for certain federal employees, contractors and the military, are a key component of the Biden administration's strategy for containing a pandemic that has killed 755,000 people in the U.S.It has said that widespread vaccinations are the quickest way out of the pandemic. But employers have pushed back, saying they fear the mandate would lead many of their workers to quit.At a news conference Monday in Concord,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire">New Hampshire</a>, the president of Keller Companies, a manufacturer of building panels and plastics with 350 employees, described the OSHA rule as a “crushing blow to employers.”Kathy Garfield, whose family has run the Manchester-based company for three generations, said it brought in a vaccination van to serve employees and gave workers paid time off to get the shots. Only about half have done so.“We’ve had employees come forward and say if we mandate the vaccine, or this comes to be, they will not get the vaccine and they will not get tested. How can I run a business when I have no talent?” Garfield asked at a news conference with Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican.She also said it’s difficult to find a place to get the virus test. When they are available, they can cost $200.“That’s the difference between eating and starving,” Garfield said. “So what are these employees going to do? They’re going to go to another employer with less than 100 employees.”The administration announced plans for the workplace rule in September and unveiled the plans Nov. 4. Many Republican governors and state attorneys general signaled ahead of time that they would challenge it immediately, as they did with multiple federal lawsuits filed Friday.The states filed in the most conservative appeals courts in the country, where appointees of former President Donald Trump bolstered Republican-appointed majorities. It was not entirely clear whether the emergency stay issued Saturday by the 5th Circuit applied nationwide or just to the states that filed in that case —&nbsp;Louisiana,&nbsp;Mississippi,&nbsp;South Carolina,&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;and&nbsp;Utah.The 5th Circuit order read, “the Mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by this court" but did not specifically state whether it applied only to the five states. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said it applied nationally, but states that filed in different courts asked Monday for clarification.“Though the Fifth Circuit’s order may be construed to have nationwide effect, it does not make an explicit statement on this point," according to a state filing in the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "To avoid any confusion and to secure full protection of their rights, Petitioners respectfully request that this Court enter a similar order here.”Alabama,&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;also asked for a stay Monday in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, noting the one granted in the New Orleans-based court is temporary. The group of states, businesses and organizations challenging the rule in the St. Louis-based court called for a quick review of their challenge to the workplace rule.“Thousands of employers and millions of working families will feel its impact immediately. The Court should act swiftly to forestall these illegal and unconstitutional injuries,” the groups said in court papers.___

Biden: Vaccine mandate should remain while court cases play out

WASHINGTON (AP) — A suspected Ukrainian hacker has been arrested and charged in the United States in connection with a string of costly ransomware attacks, including one that snarled businesses around the globe on the Fourth of July weekend, U.S. officials said Monday.

Yaroslav Vasinskyi was arrested last month after traveling to Poland, according to the Justice Department, which also announced the recovery of $6.1 million in ill-gotten funds from a Russian national who was separately charged and remains sought by the FBI.

Both men are alleged to be affiliated with the prolific Russia-based REvil ransomware gang, whose attacks have compromised tens of thousands of computers worldwide and yielded at least $200 million in ransom payments, said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Victims have included the world’s largest meat processor, JBS SA, and a technology company called Kaseya,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-government-and-politics-technology-business-fc0df4c42f8cd6148bf936ca24bb5cbe">which was hit in a holiday weekend attack last July&nbsp;</a>that the company said affected between 800 and 1,500 businesses that relied on its software.

The coordination of multiple agencies across the Biden administration amounted to perhaps the most high-profile response yet to a blitz of ransomware attacks that officials say continues to threaten national security and the economy. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco appeared to foreshadow Monday’s announcement in an interview with The Associated Press last week, saying that “in the days and weeks to come, you’re going to see more arrests” as well as more seizures of illicit ransomware proceeds.

Speaking at a news conference Monday, she said, “We have been using every tool at our disposal and leveraging every authority we have to hunt down and hold accountable cybercriminals wherever they seek to hide.”

The indictment accuses Vasinskyi, 22, of deploying REvil ransomware, also known as Sodinokibi, a broad range of victims — including the massive Kaseya attack.

Yevgeniy Polyanin, a Russian national, is charged in a separate indictment. He’s accused of conducting roughly 3,000 ransomware attacks on companies and entities across the U.S., including law enforcement agencies and local governments in the state of Texas.

Both indictments were filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, a state where REvil ransomware&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-business-texas-hacking-47e23be2d9d90d67383c1bd6cee5aef7">compromised the computer networks</a>&nbsp;of some two dozen local government agencies in the summer of 2019.

The U.S. is seeking Vasinskyi’s extradition from Poland. Though it successfully seized $6 million in ransomware payments from Polyanin, the FBI is continuing to seek his arrest, and the State Department on Monday announced a $10 million reward for anyone with information leading to the capture of any leaders of the REvil group.

The Treasury Department, meanwhile, announced sanctions against the pair as well as a virtual currency exchange, Chatex, that it said was used to facilitate financial transactions for ransomware gangs.

President Joe Biden commended the government’s actions, saying he was making good on his commitment to Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the U.S. would hold cyber criminals accountable.

He said in a statement that the U.S. was “bringing the full strength of the federal government to disrupt malicious cyber activity and actors” and to “bolster resilience at home.”

The announcement of the criminal charges came hours after European law enforcement officials revealed the results of a lengthy, 17-nation operation. As part of that operation, Europol said, a total of seven hackers linked to REvil and another ransomware family have been arrested since February, including two last week by Romanian authorities.

The Justice Department has tried multiple ways to address a ransomware scourge that has exploded over the last year with attacks against critical infrastructure and major corporations. Arrests of foreign hackers are significant for the Justice Department, and rare, since many of them operate in the refuge of countries that do not extradite their own citizens to the U.S. for prosecution.

“There’s lots of reasons why people travel, and I can’t get into the specific reasons why Mr. Vasinskyi traveled, but boy are we glad he did,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Monday.

Even so, ransomware attacks — in which hackers seize and encrypt data and demand often-exorbitant sums to release it to victims — have been hard to curb. Monaco told the AP last week that since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-technology-government-and-politics-russia-df7ef73f02bcba61ad6e628aa95a9f84">Biden’s admonitions to Putin last summer</a>&nbsp;to rein in ransomware gangs, “we have not seen a material change in the landscape.”

Garland did not answer directly when asked if there was evidence that the Russian government was aware of REvil’s activities, but said, “we expect and hope that any government in which one of these ransomware actors is residing will do everything it can to provide that person to us for prosecution.”

The $6.1 million seizure in this case builds on a similar success from months ago.

Federal authorities in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-government-and-politics-8e7f5b297012333480d5e9153f40bd52">seized $2.3 million in cryptocurrency</a>&nbsp;from a payment made by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-business-c6ef4314af911fb58b8445d2b121e82d">Colonial Pipeline</a>&nbsp;following a ransomware attack that caused the company to temporarily halt operations, creating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-technology-hacking-business-472c7e4f30649aec2dbf38200521b906">fuel shortages</a>&nbsp;in parts of the country.

Justice Department officials also used Monday’s news conference to urge Congress to create a national standard for the reporting of significant cyber incidents, and to require that that information be shared immediately with federal law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636402127170.png" alt="Attorney General Merrick Garland and other top officials announced charges against Ukrainian Yaroslav Vasinskyi and Russian Yevgeniy Polyanin, alleging them to be part of the REvil ransomware gang-image courtesy FBI" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Merrick Garland and other top officials announced charges against Ukrainian Yaroslav Vasinskyi and Russian Yevgeniy Polyanin, alleging them to be part of the REvil ransomware gang-image courtesy FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A suspected Ukrainian hacker has been arrested and charged in the United States in connection with a string of costly ransomware attacks, including one that snarled businesses around the globe on the Fourth of July weekend, U.S. officials said Monday.Yaroslav Vasinskyi was arrested last month after traveling to Poland, according to the Justice Department, which also announced the recovery of $6.1 million in ill-gotten funds from a Russian national who was separately charged and remains sought by the FBI.Both men are alleged to be affiliated with the prolific Russia-based REvil ransomware gang, whose attacks have compromised tens of thousands of computers worldwide and yielded at least $200 million in ransom payments, said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Victims have included the world’s largest meat processor, JBS SA, and a technology company called Kaseya,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-government-and-politics-technology-business-fc0df4c42f8cd6148bf936ca24bb5cbe">which was hit in a holiday weekend attack last July&nbsp;</a>that the company said affected between 800 and 1,500 businesses that relied on its software.The coordination of multiple agencies across the Biden administration amounted to perhaps the most high-profile response yet to a blitz of ransomware attacks that officials say continues to threaten national security and the economy. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco appeared to foreshadow Monday’s announcement in an interview with The Associated Press last week, saying that “in the days and weeks to come, you’re going to see more arrests” as well as more seizures of illicit ransomware proceeds.Speaking at a news conference Monday, she said, “We have been using every tool at our disposal and leveraging every authority we have to hunt down and hold accountable cybercriminals wherever they seek to hide.”The indictment accuses Vasinskyi, 22, of deploying REvil ransomware, also known as Sodinokibi, a broad range of victims — including the massive Kaseya attack.Yevgeniy Polyanin, a Russian national, is charged in a separate indictment. He’s accused of conducting roughly 3,000 ransomware attacks on companies and entities across the U.S., including law enforcement agencies and local governments in the state of Texas.Both indictments were filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, a state where REvil ransomware&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-government-and-politics-business-texas-hacking-47e23be2d9d90d67383c1bd6cee5aef7">compromised the computer networks</a>&nbsp;of some two dozen local government agencies in the summer of 2019.The U.S. is seeking Vasinskyi’s extradition from Poland. Though it successfully seized $6 million in ransomware payments from Polyanin, the FBI is continuing to seek his arrest, and the State Department on Monday announced a $10 million reward for anyone with information leading to the capture of any leaders of the REvil group.The Treasury Department, meanwhile, announced sanctions against the pair as well as a virtual currency exchange, Chatex, that it said was used to facilitate financial transactions for ransomware gangs.President Joe Biden commended the government’s actions, saying he was making good on his commitment to Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the U.S. would hold cyber criminals accountable.He said in a statement that the U.S. was “bringing the full strength of the federal government to disrupt malicious cyber activity and actors” and to “bolster resilience at home.”The announcement of the criminal charges came hours after European law enforcement officials revealed the results of a lengthy, 17-nation operation. As part of that operation, Europol said, a total of seven hackers linked to REvil and another ransomware family have been arrested since February, including two last week by Romanian authorities.The Justice Department has tried multiple ways to address a ransomware scourge that has exploded over the last year with attacks against critical infrastructure and major corporations. Arrests of foreign hackers are significant for the Justice Department, and rare, since many of them operate in the refuge of countries that do not extradite their own citizens to the U.S. for prosecution.“There’s lots of reasons why people travel, and I can’t get into the specific reasons why Mr. Vasinskyi traveled, but boy are we glad he did,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Monday.Even so, ransomware attacks — in which hackers seize and encrypt data and demand often-exorbitant sums to release it to victims — have been hard to curb. Monaco told the AP last week that since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-technology-government-and-politics-russia-df7ef73f02bcba61ad6e628aa95a9f84">Biden’s admonitions to Putin last summer</a>&nbsp;to rein in ransomware gangs, “we have not seen a material change in the landscape.”Garland did not answer directly when asked if there was evidence that the Russian government was aware of REvil’s activities, but said, “we expect and hope that any government in which one of these ransomware actors is residing will do everything it can to provide that person to us for prosecution.”The $6.1 million seizure in this case builds on a similar success from months ago.Federal authorities in June&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-government-and-politics-8e7f5b297012333480d5e9153f40bd52">seized $2.3 million in cryptocurrency</a>&nbsp;from a payment made by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-business-c6ef4314af911fb58b8445d2b121e82d">Colonial Pipeline</a>&nbsp;following a ransomware attack that caused the company to temporarily halt operations, creating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-technology-hacking-business-472c7e4f30649aec2dbf38200521b906">fuel shortages</a>&nbsp;in parts of the country.Justice Department officials also used Monday’s news conference to urge Congress to create a national standard for the reporting of significant cyber incidents, and to require that that information be shared immediately with federal law enforcement.