BUTLER COUNTY —Funeral services are set for a Kanas Deputy who died in Monday evening traffic crash.

The funeral for deputy Stephen Evans will be held at the Butler County Community College in the Clifford Stone Hubbard Welcome Center on Monday, November 1, at 1:00pm, according to the sheriff's deparment.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 5p.m. Monday, a 2006 marked law enforcement 2006 Ford Crown Victoria driven by 44-year-old Deputy Stephen Evans&nbsp; was southbound on U.S.77 just north of NW 50th.

&nbsp;The deputy pulled to the right shoulder and briefly stopped before making a u-turn crossing the southbound lanes. A southbound 2002 Ford F250 driven by&nbsp; Jacob Steven Weaver, 29, Douglas, struck the&nbsp;left side of Crown Victoria.

Evans was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. EMS transported Weaver to a Wichita Hospital. Weaver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

According to the sheriff's office Evans leaves behind his wife, three children, his parents, and the men and women of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635416832116.png" alt="The Sheriff's Office placed flowers on Evan's patrol car at the office, 141 S Gordy St, El Dorado. Notes and flowers left on the car are welcomed.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Sheriff's Office placed flowers on Evan's patrol car at the office, 141 S Gordy St, El Dorado. Notes and flowers left on the car are welcomed.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Funeral services are set for a Kanas Deputy who died in Monday evening traffic crash.The funeral for deputy Stephen Evans will be held at the Butler County Community College in the Clifford Stone Hubbard Welcome Center on Monday, November 1, at 1:00pm, according to the sheriff's deparment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635334793500.png" alt="Deputy Stephen Evans" />
 <figcaption>Deputy Stephen Evans</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that just after 5p.m. Monday, a 2006 marked law enforcement 2006 Ford Crown Victoria driven by 44-year-old Deputy Stephen Evans&nbsp; was southbound on U.S.77 just north of NW 50th.&nbsp;The deputy pulled to the right shoulder and briefly stopped before making a u-turn crossing the southbound lanes. A southbound 2002 Ford F250 driven by&nbsp; Jacob Steven Weaver, 29, Douglas, struck the&nbsp;left side of Crown Victoria.Evans was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Carlson Funeral Home in El Dorado. EMS transported Weaver to a Wichita Hospital. Weaver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.According to the sheriff's office Evans leaves behind his wife, three children, his parents, and the men and women of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Funeral services set for Kansas deputy who died in crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A woman who was crossing a Kansas City street died after being hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene, police said.

The crash happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday on the south side of the city, Kansas City police said in a news release.

Investigators believe the 61-year-old woman was walking west and crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd Terrace when she was hit by a northbound vehicle. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police did not immediately release her name and have not announced any suspects or arrests in the case.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A woman who was crossing a Kansas City street died after being hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene, police said.The crash happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday on the south side of the city, Kansas City police said in a news release.Investigators believe the 61-year-old woman was walking west and crossing Troost Avenue at 82nd Terrace when she was hit by a northbound vehicle. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.Police did not immediately release her name and have not announced any suspects or arrests in the case.

Woman crossing Kansas City street killed in hit-and-run

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/McConnell,%20R-Ky.,%20was%20initially%20cool%20to%20a%20Walker%20candidacy.%20But%20by%20endorsing%20him%20now,%20McConnell%20can%20sidestep%20what%20could%20have%20been%20a%20messy%20intraparty%20fight%20with%20Trump%20that%20might%20have%20complicated%20the%20quest%20to%20retake%20a%20Senate%20majority." target="_blank">a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide</a>&nbsp;while Republicans insisted he rescind the directive. He signaled he had no plans to do so despite their criticism.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1438986/download" target="_blank">The memo</a>&nbsp;took center stage as Garland appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee – his second congressional appearance in a week – and said it was meant to respond to violence and threats of violence directed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">local school board officials</a>.

<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf">CLICK HERE </a>to read the full letter originally sent to the President by the National School Boards Assn.

The memo came out Oct. 4, less than a week after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-federal-assistance-letter-9292021.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=430A3833A52FB1D2B8DF25160BCD8EFFBDE93CC2" target="_blank">National School Board Association</a>&nbsp;wrote the Biden administration about the threats to school officials and asked for help. Some school board meetings have devolved into shouting contests over issues such as how racial issues are taught, masks in schools, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements.

Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement. In his memo Garland said there had been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”

An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-addresses-violent-threats-against-school-officials-and-teachers" target="_blank">accompanying news release</a>&nbsp;mentioned the FBI, the department’s criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other parts.

“The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,” Garland said.

Republicans on the Senate committee also seized on a memo from Leif Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Montana, to the state attorney general, county attorneys, sheriffs and school officials in the state. The memo spells out federal crimes that could be used in prosecutions for violence, harassment or intimidation of school board officials.

The Montana memo, obtained by The Associated Press, cites about a dozen federal statues from conspiracy to deprive someone of civil rights to stalking and “anonymous telephone harassment.” It instructs the recipients to contact the FBI “if you believe that a person has violated one of these statutes.”

Garland told senators he was never sent the U.S. attorney’s memo and did not know specifics about it. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Montana did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson had consulted senior Justice Department officials before issuing the memo.

“I’ve never seen that memo,” Garland said. “No one has sent me that memo, so I haven’t seen it.”

The National School Board Association has since said “we regret and apologize” for its letter, which asked for federal assistance to combat harassment and violence against school officials and said some of the acts could be “domestic terrorism.”

The original letter asked for the federal government to investigate cases where threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. The association asked for the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.

The letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.

Garland has said parents have the right to express their concerns to school boards but his primary concern is if that devolves into violence or when threats emerge. During questioning Wednesday, Garland said that making a Nazi salute would be protected under the First Amendment. He also acknowledged that he did not have an accounting of the number of incidents.

At least two Republican senators – Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri – called for Garland to resign over his handling of the memo.

“This is shameful,” Cotton exclaimed. “You should resign in disgrace.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635370077745.png" alt="Attorney General Merrick Garland during Wednesday's Senate hearing-image courtesy CSPAN." />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Merrick Garland during Wednesday's Senate hearing-image courtesy CSPAN.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday defended&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/McConnell,%20R-Ky.,%20was%20initially%20cool%20to%20a%20Walker%20candidacy.%20But%20by%20endorsing%20him%20now,%20McConnell%20can%20sidestep%20what%20could%20have%20been%20a%20messy%20intraparty%20fight%20with%20Trump%20that%20might%20have%20complicated%20the%20quest%20to%20retake%20a%20Senate%20majority." target="_blank">a memo aimed at combating threats against school officials nationwide</a>&nbsp;while Republicans insisted he rescind the directive. He signaled he had no plans to do so despite their criticism.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">AG Derek Schmidt to Biden administration: Withdraw directive for federal monitoring of local school board meetings <a href="https://t.co/ZzcNfWLnpq">https://t.co/ZzcNfWLnpq</a>&mdash; Kansas AG&#39;s Office (@KSAGOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAGOffice/status/1453470308392849410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1438986/download" target="_blank">The memo</a>&nbsp;took center stage as Garland appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee – his second congressional appearance in a week – and said it was meant to respond to violence and threats of violence directed against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">local school board officials</a>.<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf">CLICK HERE </a>to read the full letter originally sent to the President by the National School Boards Assn.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090424533.png" alt="The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden from the National School Board Assn." />
 <figcaption>The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden from the National School Board Assn.</figcaption>
 </figure>The memo came out Oct. 4, less than a week after the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-federal-assistance-letter-9292021.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=430A3833A52FB1D2B8DF25160BCD8EFFBDE93CC2" target="_blank">National School Board Association</a>&nbsp;wrote the Biden administration about the threats to school officials and asked for help. Some school board meetings have devolved into shouting contests over issues such as how racial issues are taught, masks in schools, and COVID-19 vaccines and testing requirements.Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement. In his memo Garland said there had been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-addresses-violent-threats-against-school-officials-and-teachers" target="_blank">accompanying news release</a>&nbsp;mentioned the FBI, the department’s criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other parts.“The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,” Garland said.Republicans on the Senate committee also seized on a memo from Leif Johnson, the acting U.S. attorney in Montana, to the state attorney general, county attorneys, sheriffs and school officials in the state. The memo spells out federal crimes that could be used in prosecutions for violence, harassment or intimidation of school board officials.The Montana memo, obtained by The Associated Press, cites about a dozen federal statues from conspiracy to deprive someone of civil rights to stalking and “anonymous telephone harassment.” It instructs the recipients to contact the FBI “if you believe that a person has violated one of these statutes.”Garland told senators he was never sent the U.S. attorney’s memo and did not know specifics about it. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Montana did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson had consulted senior Justice Department officials before issuing the memo.“I’ve never seen that memo,” Garland said. “No one has sent me that memo, so I haven’t seen it.”The National School Board Association has since said “we regret and apologize” for its letter, which asked for federal assistance to combat harassment and violence against school officials and said some of the acts could be “domestic terrorism.”The original letter asked for the federal government to investigate cases where threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. The association asked for the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.The letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.Garland has said parents have the right to express their concerns to school boards but his primary concern is if that devolves into violence or when threats emerge. During questioning Wednesday, Garland said that making a Nazi salute would be protected under the First Amendment. He also acknowledged that he did not have an accounting of the number of incidents.At least two Republican senators – Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri – called for Garland to resign over his handling of the memo.“This is shameful,” Cotton exclaimed. “You should resign in disgrace.”

Kan. AG to Biden: Withdraw directive on monitoring of local school board meetings

NEMAHA COUNTY –&nbsp;&nbsp;A Kansas man identified as 38-year-old Kelly J. Hall, wounded in an officer-involved shooting&nbsp; outside a residence in Sabetha, Kansas, remained hospitalized, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood. Hall is improving and is expected to survive.

Just before 8 p.m. Oct. 20, the Sabetha Police Department and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a man who was threatening suicide, according to the KBI.

When officers arrived at 319 N. 9th Street in Sabetha, they tried to convince Hall to come outside so they could verify his welfare. He would not exit the house, so they attempted to communicate with him over their public announcement (PA) system.

During the incident officers heard several pops coming from inside the residence. Attempts to communicate continued until Hall stepped outside the front door holding an air-powered nail gun. Officers and deputies ordered him to drop the nail gun. Hall began firing nails in the direction of officers. A deputy from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and an officer from the Sabetha Police Department fired rounds at Hall, striking him. Shots were fired at around 9:45 p.m.

Hall retreated back into the residence. Officers and deputies entered the house and rendered aid to Hall. EMS responded and transported him to the Sabetha Community Hospital. He was later transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

NEMAHA COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting in Sabetha.

Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, officers from the Sabetha Police Department and deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Sabetha, after the report of a suicidal subject, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.

&nbsp;At approximately 9:45 p.m., shots were fired and A 38-year-old white male was wounded. He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; No officers or deputies were injured.

NEMAHA COUNTY –&nbsp;&nbsp;A Kansas man identified as 38-year-old Kelly J. Hall, wounded in an officer-involved shooting&nbsp; outside a residence in Sabetha, Kansas, remained hospitalized, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood. Hall is improving and is expected to survive.Just before 8 p.m. Oct. 20, the Sabetha Police Department and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a man who was threatening suicide, according to the KBI.When officers arrived at 319 N. 9th Street in Sabetha, they tried to convince Hall to come outside so they could verify his welfare. He would not exit the house, so they attempted to communicate with him over their public announcement (PA) system.During the incident officers heard several pops coming from inside the residence. Attempts to communicate continued until Hall stepped outside the front door holding an air-powered nail gun. Officers and deputies ordered him to drop the nail gun. Hall began firing nails in the direction of officers. A deputy from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and an officer from the Sabetha Police Department fired rounds at Hall, striking him. Shots were fired at around 9:45 p.m.Hall retreated back into the residence. Officers and deputies entered the house and rendered aid to Hall. EMS responded and transported him to the Sabetha Community Hospital. He was later transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.-------------NEMAHA COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting in Sabetha.Just before 7:30p.m. Wednesday, officers from the Sabetha Police Department and deputies from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 300 block of N. 9th&nbsp;Street in Sabetha, after the report of a suicidal subject, according to KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood.&nbsp;At approximately 9:45 p.m., shots were fired and A 38-year-old white male was wounded. He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to Stormont Vail in Topeka.&nbsp; No officers or deputies were injured.------------------

KBI: Kan. man who shot nail gun at officers expected to recover

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats signaled a deal is within reach on President Joe Biden’s big domestic bill, but momentum fizzled and tempers flared as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires’ tax appeared scrapped, mostly to satisfy a pivotal member of the 50-50 Senate.

With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-rome-scotland-30c46a7eda7f8549d12fd70bd264b4f3">departs for global summits overseas</a>.

Still in the mix: expanded health care programs, free pre-kindergarten and some $500 billion to tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;remain in what’s now at least a $1.75 trillion package.

And Democrats are eyeing a new surcharge on the wealthy — 5% on incomes above $10 million and an additional 3% on those beyond $25 million — to help pay for it, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

“They’re all within our reach. Let’s bring these bills over the finish line.” Biden tweeted late Wednesday.

To help push lawmakers toward that goal, Biden will speak Thursday morning to the House Democratic Caucus, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Besides pressing for important party priorities, the president was hoping to show foreign leaders the U.S. was getting things done under his administration.

The administration was assessing the situation “hour by hour,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

It was a fast-moving day on Capitol Hill that started upbeat as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats were in “pretty good shape.” But hopes quickly faded as Biden’s big proposal ran into stubborn new setbacks, chief among them how to pay for it all.

A just-proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on billionaires&nbsp;</a>could be scrapped after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;objected, according to a senior party aide, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The billionaires’ tax proposal had been designed to win over another Democratic holdout,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona</a>, but Manchin panned it as unfairly targeting the wealthy, leaving Democrats at odds.

“People in the stratosphere, rather than trying to penalize, we ought to be pleased that this country is able to produce the wealth,” Manchin told reporters.

Manchin said he prefers a minimum 15% flat “patriotic tax” to ensure the wealthiest Americans don’t skip out on paying any taxes. Nevertheless, he said: “We need to move forward.”

Next to fall was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-environment-62b77a3a1bf44dd41525fe577b04a848">a proposed paid family leave program</a>&nbsp;that was already being chiseled back from 12 to four weeks to satisfy Manchin. But with his objections, it was unlikely to be included in the bill, the person said.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had devised several new options for Manchin’s review and told reporters late in the evening, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

Together, Manchin’s and Sinema’s objections packed a one-two punch, throwing Biden’s overall plan into flux, halving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-business-us-news-ap-top-news-a6e8ed2379857b7aa9c64f6d608bb938">what had been a $3.5 trillion package</a>, and infuriating colleagues along the way.

In the evenly divided Senate, Biden needs all Democrats’ support with no votes to spare.

White House officials met at the Capitol with Manchin and Sinema, two senators who now hold enormous power, essentially deciding whether or not Biden will be able to deliver on the Democrats’ major campaign promises.

“Making progress,” Sinema said as she dashed into an elevator.

A Sunday deadline loomed for approving a smaller, bipartisan roads-and-bridges infrastructure bill or risk allowing funds for routine transportation programs to expire. But that $1 trillion bill has been held up by progressive lawmakers who are refusing to give their support without the bigger Biden deal.

Despite a series of deadlines, Democrats have been unable to close the deal among themselves, and Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the package. At best, Democrats could potentially reach a framework Thursday that could send Biden overseas with a deal in hand and unlock the process while the final details were sewn up.

Applying pressure, Pelosi announced a Thursday committee hearing to spur the Biden package along toward a full House vote, though timing remained uncertain.

Democrats had hoped the unveiling of the billionaires tax Wednesday could help resolve the revenue side of the equation after Sinema rejected the party’s earlier idea of reversing Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000.

The new billionaires’ proposal would tax the gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets or incomes of more than $100 million over three consecutive years — fewer than 800 people — requiring them pay taxes on the gains of stocks and other tradeable assets, rather than waiting until holdings are sold.

The billionaires’ tax rate would align with the capital gains rate, now 23.8%. Democrats have said it could raise $200 billion in revenue that could help fund Biden’s package over 10 years.

Republicans have derided the billionaires’ tax as “harebrained,” and some have suggested it would face a legal challenge.

But Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, insisted the billionaires tax remains on the table.

“I’ve not heard a single United States senator — not one — get up and say, ‘Gee, I think it’s just fun that billionaires pay little or nothing for years on end,’” Wyden said.

More likely in the mix was the companion proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-child-care-social-services-congress-61767cd905c55f3f204d7824f6924c5a">a new 15% corporate minimum tax</a>, as well as the new surtax being proposed on higher incomes above $10 million.

Together they are designed to fulfill Biden’s desire for the wealthy and big business to pay their “fair share.” They also fit his promise that no new taxes hit those earning less than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. Biden wants his package fully paid for without piling on debt.

Resolving the revenue side has been crucial, as lawmakers figure out how much money will be available to spend on the new health, child care and climate change programs in Biden’s big plan.

Among Democrats, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said he told Wyden the billionaires’ tax may be difficult to implement. Despite Sinema’s opposition, he expects Democrats to stick with the approach his panel took in simply raising rates on corporations and the wealthy, undoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax cuts</a>.

“There’s a lot of there’s a lot of angst in there over the billionaires’ tax,” Neal said.

Under the House bill approved by Neal’s panel, the top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6%, on those earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. The corporate rate would increase from 21% to 26.5%.

The House bill also proposes a 3% surtax on the wealthiest Americans with adjusted income beyond $5 million a year, and Neal suggested that could be raised to $10 million to win over the holdouts.

Opposition from the two senators is forcing difficult reductions, if not the outright elimination, of policy priorities — from child care assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">dental, vision and hearing aid benefits</a>&nbsp;for seniors.

The once hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-environment-joe-manchin-fc08eb6a3be7282a2fcd17761f83ecba">climate change strategies</a>&nbsp;are less punitive on polluters, as coal-state Manchin objected, focusing instead on rewarding clean energy incentives.

Said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent: “You got 48 out of 50 people supporting an agenda that works for the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635417614124.png" alt="With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;departs for global summits overseas-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;departs for global summits overseas-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats signaled a deal is within reach on President Joe Biden’s big domestic bill, but momentum fizzled and tempers flared as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires’ tax appeared scrapped, mostly to satisfy a pivotal member of the 50-50 Senate.With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-rome-scotland-30c46a7eda7f8549d12fd70bd264b4f3">departs for global summits overseas</a>.Still in the mix: expanded health care programs, free pre-kindergarten and some $500 billion to tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;remain in what’s now at least a $1.75 trillion package.And Democrats are eyeing a new surcharge on the wealthy — 5% on incomes above $10 million and an additional 3% on those beyond $25 million — to help pay for it, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.“They’re all within our reach. Let’s bring these bills over the finish line.” Biden tweeted late Wednesday.To help push lawmakers toward that goal, Biden will speak Thursday morning to the House Democratic Caucus, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Besides pressing for important party priorities, the president was hoping to show foreign leaders the U.S. was getting things done under his administration.The administration was assessing the situation “hour by hour,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.It was a fast-moving day on Capitol Hill that started upbeat as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats were in “pretty good shape.” But hopes quickly faded as Biden’s big proposal ran into stubborn new setbacks, chief among them how to pay for it all.A just-proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on billionaires&nbsp;</a>could be scrapped after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;objected, according to a senior party aide, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.The billionaires’ tax proposal had been designed to win over another Democratic holdout,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona</a>, but Manchin panned it as unfairly targeting the wealthy, leaving Democrats at odds.“People in the stratosphere, rather than trying to penalize, we ought to be pleased that this country is able to produce the wealth,” Manchin told reporters.Manchin said he prefers a minimum 15% flat “patriotic tax” to ensure the wealthiest Americans don’t skip out on paying any taxes. Nevertheless, he said: “We need to move forward.”Next to fall was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-environment-62b77a3a1bf44dd41525fe577b04a848">a proposed paid family leave program</a>&nbsp;that was already being chiseled back from 12 to four weeks to satisfy Manchin. But with his objections, it was unlikely to be included in the bill, the person said.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had devised several new options for Manchin’s review and told reporters late in the evening, “It’s not over until it’s over.”Together, Manchin’s and Sinema’s objections packed a one-two punch, throwing Biden’s overall plan into flux, halving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-business-us-news-ap-top-news-a6e8ed2379857b7aa9c64f6d608bb938">what had been a $3.5 trillion package</a>, and infuriating colleagues along the way.In the evenly divided Senate, Biden needs all Democrats’ support with no votes to spare.White House officials met at the Capitol with Manchin and Sinema, two senators who now hold enormous power, essentially deciding whether or not Biden will be able to deliver on the Democrats’ major campaign promises.“Making progress,” Sinema said as she dashed into an elevator.A Sunday deadline loomed for approving a smaller, bipartisan roads-and-bridges infrastructure bill or risk allowing funds for routine transportation programs to expire. But that $1 trillion bill has been held up by progressive lawmakers who are refusing to give their support without the bigger Biden deal.Despite a series of deadlines, Democrats have been unable to close the deal among themselves, and Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the package. At best, Democrats could potentially reach a framework Thursday that could send Biden overseas with a deal in hand and unlock the process while the final details were sewn up.Applying pressure, Pelosi announced a Thursday committee hearing to spur the Biden package along toward a full House vote, though timing remained uncertain.Democrats had hoped the unveiling of the billionaires tax Wednesday could help resolve the revenue side of the equation after Sinema rejected the party’s earlier idea of reversing Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000.The new billionaires’ proposal would tax the gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets or incomes of more than $100 million over three consecutive years — fewer than 800 people — requiring them pay taxes on the gains of stocks and other tradeable assets, rather than waiting until holdings are sold.The billionaires’ tax rate would align with the capital gains rate, now 23.8%. Democrats have said it could raise $200 billion in revenue that could help fund Biden’s package over 10 years.Republicans have derided the billionaires’ tax as “harebrained,” and some have suggested it would face a legal challenge.But Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, insisted the billionaires tax remains on the table.“I’ve not heard a single United States senator — not one — get up and say, ‘Gee, I think it’s just fun that billionaires pay little or nothing for years on end,’” Wyden said.More likely in the mix was the companion proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-child-care-social-services-congress-61767cd905c55f3f204d7824f6924c5a">a new 15% corporate minimum tax</a>, as well as the new surtax being proposed on higher incomes above $10 million.Together they are designed to fulfill Biden’s desire for the wealthy and big business to pay their “fair share.” They also fit his promise that no new taxes hit those earning less than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. Biden wants his package fully paid for without piling on debt.Resolving the revenue side has been crucial, as lawmakers figure out how much money will be available to spend on the new health, child care and climate change programs in Biden’s big plan.Among Democrats, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said he told Wyden the billionaires’ tax may be difficult to implement. Despite Sinema’s opposition, he expects Democrats to stick with the approach his panel took in simply raising rates on corporations and the wealthy, undoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax cuts</a>.“There’s a lot of there’s a lot of angst in there over the billionaires’ tax,” Neal said.Under the House bill approved by Neal’s panel, the top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6%, on those earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. The corporate rate would increase from 21% to 26.5%.The House bill also proposes a 3% surtax on the wealthiest Americans with adjusted income beyond $5 million a year, and Neal suggested that could be raised to $10 million to win over the holdouts.Opposition from the two senators is forcing difficult reductions, if not the outright elimination, of policy priorities — from child care assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">dental, vision and hearing aid benefits</a>&nbsp;for seniors.The once hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-environment-joe-manchin-fc08eb6a3be7282a2fcd17761f83ecba">climate change strategies</a>&nbsp;are less punitive on polluters, as coal-state Manchin objected, focusing instead on rewarding clean energy incentives.Said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent: “You got 48 out of 50 people supporting an agenda that works for the American people.”

Tempers flare: Paid family leave falls out of Biden's $1.75T bill

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors allege eight people connected to a&nbsp;Kansas-based organization conspired to provide unpaid child labor to businesses across the country and physically abused them for years.

The organization, formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, was labeled a cult by a federal judge in the District of Kansas in 2018.

In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the Kansas City group beat children, imposed severe dietary restrictions and forced children, some as young as 8, to work without pay.

Royall Jenkins had been a member of the Nation of Islam until 1978, when he founded the separate United Nation of Islam. He persuaded his followers that he was shown the proper way to rule the Earth after being “taken through the galaxy by aliens on a spaceship,” according to the indictment. At one point, the group had hundreds of followers.

Eight leaders of the organization, including three of Jenkins’ “many wives,” were named in the indictment after they were arrested in cities across the U.S. They are Randolph Hadley, Jacelyn Greenwell, Etinia Kinnard, Dana Peach, Daniel Jenkins, James Staton, Yunus Rassoul and Kaaba Majeed.

They are accused of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. None of the defendants had an attorney listed in federal court records.

Prosecutors allege that beginning in October 2000, the organization ran businesses such as gas stations, bakeries and restaurants in several states using unpaid labor from group members and their children, some as young as 8.

Parents were encouraged to send their children to an unlicensed school in Kansas City, Kansas, called the University of Arts and Logistics of Civilization, which did not provide appropriate instruction in most subjects.

The indictment said those who didn't attend the school were forced to work instead.

Some of the child victims worked in businesses in Kansas City, while others were trafficked to businesses in other states, including&nbsp;New Jersey,&nbsp;New York,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Maryland,&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;and&nbsp;North Carolina, the indictment alleges.

Prosecutors said the victims also lived in “overcrowded dormitories, barracks, or households of adult members who were not related,” and many were forced to work up to 16 hours per day. Their diet consisted of bean soup, salad, and occasionally fruit, and frequent cleanses were ordered that included only consuming lemon juice for days.

Physical abuse mentioned in the indictment included routine “Fruit of Islam Beatdowns” organized by three of the defendants to punish male members for violating its code by such offenses as stealing food.

The indictment names 10 children who were forced to work for the organization between October 2000 and November 2012. Some worked for 12 years without pay, the indictment says.

In May 2018, U.S. Judge Daniel Crabtree called the group a cult and ordered it to pay $8 million to Kendra Ross, who said she spent 10 years performing unpaid labor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635365692259.png" alt="Royall Jenkins-image from the organization's Youtube page" />
 <figcaption>Royall Jenkins-image from the organization's Youtube page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors allege eight people connected to a&nbsp;Kansas-based organization conspired to provide unpaid child labor to businesses across the country and physically abused them for years.The organization, formerly known as the United Nation of Islam and the Value Creators, was labeled a cult by a federal judge in the District of Kansas in 2018.In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors alleged the Kansas City group beat children, imposed severe dietary restrictions and forced children, some as young as 8, to work without pay.Royall Jenkins had been a member of the Nation of Islam until 1978, when he founded the separate United Nation of Islam. He persuaded his followers that he was shown the proper way to rule the Earth after being “taken through the galaxy by aliens on a spaceship,” according to the indictment. At one point, the group had hundreds of followers.Eight leaders of the organization, including three of Jenkins’ “many wives,” were named in the indictment after they were arrested in cities across the U.S. They are Randolph Hadley, Jacelyn Greenwell, Etinia Kinnard, Dana Peach, Daniel Jenkins, James Staton, Yunus Rassoul and Kaaba Majeed.They are accused of conspiracy to commit forced labor and forced labor. None of the defendants had an attorney listed in federal court records.Prosecutors allege that beginning in October 2000, the organization ran businesses such as gas stations, bakeries and restaurants in several states using unpaid labor from group members and their children, some as young as 8.Parents were encouraged to send their children to an unlicensed school in Kansas City, Kansas, called the University of Arts and Logistics of Civilization, which did not provide appropriate instruction in most subjects.The indictment said those who didn't attend the school were forced to work instead.Some of the child victims worked in businesses in Kansas City, while others were trafficked to businesses in other states, including&nbsp;New Jersey,&nbsp;New York,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Maryland,&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;and&nbsp;North Carolina, the indictment alleges.Prosecutors said the victims also lived in “overcrowded dormitories, barracks, or households of adult members who were not related,” and many were forced to work up to 16 hours per day. Their diet consisted of bean soup, salad, and occasionally fruit, and frequent cleanses were ordered that included only consuming lemon juice for days.Physical abuse mentioned in the indictment included routine “Fruit of Islam Beatdowns” organized by three of the defendants to punish male members for violating its code by such offenses as stealing food.The indictment names 10 children who were forced to work for the organization between October 2000 and November 2012. Some worked for 12 years without pay, the indictment says.In May 2018, U.S. Judge Daniel Crabtree called the group a cult and ordered it to pay $8 million to Kendra Ross, who said she spent 10 years performing unpaid labor.

8 members of religious group tied to Kan. charged with child abuse

By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;

Pottawatomie County’s&nbsp;October 1&nbsp;revelation&nbsp;that it had paid&nbsp;tens of thousands of dollars in&nbsp;ransom to&nbsp;digital&nbsp;hackers who had infiltrated the county’s computer system&nbsp;was&nbsp;rather&nbsp;ironic,&nbsp;as that day&nbsp;marked the start&nbsp;of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ransomware&nbsp;attacks were escalating exponentially even prior to COVID-19 infecting the world. Once the quarantines and shutdown orders began, cybercrime events proliferated with epidemic fervor.&nbsp;

Businesses and municipalities across the United States have lost millions in revenue to hackers. The financial cost is just the start, as cybercriminals will often permanently damage or destroy critical data and controls, regardless if the ransom is paid or not.&nbsp;

Pottawatomie County’s unfortunate&nbsp;situation is&nbsp;a&nbsp;perfect illustration&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;urgent need&nbsp;for&nbsp;vastly&nbsp;improved cybersecurity, for public entities as well as private citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dr. Eugene Vasserman,&nbsp;associate&nbsp;professor&nbsp;of computer science at Kansas State University and director of the&nbsp;Center for Information and Security Assurance,&nbsp;said that while he had no details regarding the Pottawatomie County incident, attacks like this are almost never&nbsp;targeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The hackers likely did not seek out Pottawatomie County or any other individual person or group, but rather cast an enormous digital net.&nbsp;

Targeted attacks are more vicious, shutting down a specific company’s website or operational capability. The targeted attacks are typically meant as reprisals, punishment for a company’s perceived wrongdoings.&nbsp;

Once inside, the malware gets inside and creates a unique key that locks the victim’s data. What hackers are able to do depends on the number and types of checks installed in the network to thwart unfettered access to entire systems. Vasserman said that if the checks and stopgaps are not adequate, cybercriminals could theoretically take control of entire infrastructures.&nbsp;

Often, the issue comes down to money. A good on-site backup infrastructure can be quite costly, according to Vasserman, and may still not offer rock-solid protection.&nbsp;A virus that’s designed to move especially slowly through a system may not be detected until even the backups had been compromised.&nbsp;

Digital security has for years relied on the “hard shell, gooey middle” philosophy: build a strong, high wall, line it with barbed wire and security lights, but once someone gets past those measures&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;open season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“If you get past the hard shell, the rest is easy,” Vasserman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The system was set up that way simply to be more user-friendly. “Actually more ‘administrator-friendly', Vasserman explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A moat and strong outer wall&nbsp;is&nbsp;the standard protection system for castles. There are, however, other designs that use complex interior architecture to slow attackers after they have breached the outer defenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Those interior defenses, in a digital castle, are difficult to design and require tedious management. That’s why the strong outer shell model has been prevalent for so long.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Administrator time is very valuable,” Vasserman said. “It was simply easier to design and administer this way.”&nbsp;

The problem with much public cybersecurity infrastructure is that civic budget limitations can mean that uber-sophisticated infrastructure is clunking along, trying, or failing, to run&nbsp;on outdated hardware.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

New security software may not function on older hardware.&nbsp;“You would be surprised how much critical infrastructure still runs on Windows XP.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cybercrime is&nbsp;a nuanced problem There is never a simple solution to keeping hackers out. As security measures improve,&nbsp;the cybercrooks’ tactics and methods evolve aggressively.&nbsp;

They look for vulnerable machines, usually automatically and just happened upon the county. The software immediately encodes and&nbsp;encrypts the system’s files, often sending a&nbsp;fully-automated ransom message&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s a challenge and I doubt the prevalence of really thorough backup setups.&nbsp;

Every internet-connected device is an entry point for a cybercriminal.&nbsp;Institutions and individuals are vulnerable in many ways. Attacks via email with infected documents or attachments, or systems without updated patches are hijacked every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Victims can find themselves in a quandary; paying the ransom is a financial hit and the FBI discourages paying ransoms because it encourages and funds further attacks, but refusal means losing critical data forever, which, for the individual victim, can be more expensive in the long run.&nbsp;

Ideally, groups are able to thumb their noses at the digital hijackers and simply restore their system by means of a regularly scheduled, comprehensive backup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Businesses and municipalities are, understandably, reticent to discuss their cyber security measures but Corey Meyer, interim director and network administrator for Riley County IT/GIS, said that the County reviews security systems and protocols regularly and makes adjustments as needed. The County’s systems check for updates on a daily basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We do have multiple security professionals that we work with,” Meyer said, “to ensure what we have in place is at or above industry standards.”&nbsp;

The programming and coding involved in a ransomware attack is wildly sophisticated, but that does not necessarily mean that the&nbsp;digital kidnappers are equally sophisticated.&nbsp;Often in these attacks, the digital hijacker may personally have little computer or coding&nbsp;knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hijacking&nbsp;vulnerable&nbsp;systems&nbsp;is so ubiquitous and&nbsp;profitable that&nbsp;popping up all over the web are&nbsp;ransomware&nbsp;services&nbsp;that&nbsp;actually&nbsp;lease their malicious software out.&nbsp;Ransomware as a service (RaaS, as it is commonly&nbsp;tagged&nbsp;online) allows cybercrooks&nbsp;to&nbsp;simply deploy&nbsp;a service’s&nbsp;convenient malware package&nbsp;for&nbsp;the designated lease period&nbsp;and pay the service a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;portion of the&nbsp;ransoms&nbsp;they&nbsp;collect.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While ransomware has been around for decades, these organized service operations started up just a couple years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It’s like a turnkey operation now,” Vasserman said. These&nbsp;underground&nbsp;services, typically found in the seedier neighborhoods of the Dark Web,&nbsp;represent&nbsp;themselves as legitimate&nbsp;software providers&nbsp;good customer support, good user-interfaces, professionally written software.&nbsp;They have a definite level of professionalism and business acumen they set up contracts customer support systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Literally&nbsp;any backup is better than none. If you have minimal&nbsp;backup&nbsp;you might lose a day’s worth of data&nbsp;

The services are very customer-oriented.&nbsp;For the value-conscious cybercrook, a&nbsp;typical rent-a-hack comes with multiple tools available to&nbsp;overcome or&nbsp;bypass&nbsp;myriad&nbsp;security&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

They deal in scale, not all ransomware seizures result in fat payouts like the one from&nbsp;Pottawatomie&nbsp;County. Hackers deal in scale, snatching up small funds from as many&nbsp;unsuspecting victims as possible.&nbsp;

Hackers spread a broad net, sweeping the web&nbsp;and&nbsp;blindly casting into the&nbsp;digital&nbsp;ocean for fish with systems that make them bite.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Even the best digital security is akin to home security. You can put in strong doors and deadbolt locks, install alarm systems and cameras, and a good thief will still find his way in.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Vasserman, the fact that even well-defended systems are regularly breached illustrates that the best defense is extensive backups.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Vasserman said simply keeping systems up to date keeping accounts with strong passwords, changing passwords regularly, not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Businesses and private individuals can also take much simpler steps to more successfully deter attacks, Vasserman said. Simply keeping operating systems up-to-date is the most painless, and can be done by simply checking the automatic updates box on your operating system. Maintaining stringent password requirements and changing passwords regularly is recommended. Public and private entities should set up a proper VPN and firewall, and do not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;

With adequate backup in place, if a cybercriminal hijacks an entity’s system, the entity can go back and restore everything to pre-hack conditions.&nbsp;

“All of these things are less costly than a really thorough backup system,” Vasserman said, “and they could start today.”

By Scott Edger&nbsp; Little Apple Post&nbsp;Pottawatomie County’s&nbsp;October 1&nbsp;revelation&nbsp;that it had paid&nbsp;tens of thousands of dollars in&nbsp;ransom to&nbsp;digital&nbsp;hackers who had infiltrated the county’s computer system&nbsp;was&nbsp;rather&nbsp;ironic,&nbsp;as that day&nbsp;marked the start&nbsp;of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ransomware&nbsp;attacks were escalating exponentially even prior to COVID-19 infecting the world. Once the quarantines and shutdown orders began, cybercrime events proliferated with epidemic fervor.&nbsp;Businesses and municipalities across the United States have lost millions in revenue to hackers. The financial cost is just the start, as cybercriminals will often permanently damage or destroy critical data and controls, regardless if the ransom is paid or not.&nbsp;Pottawatomie County’s unfortunate&nbsp;situation is&nbsp;a&nbsp;perfect illustration&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;urgent need&nbsp;for&nbsp;vastly&nbsp;improved cybersecurity, for public entities as well as private citizens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Eugene Vasserman,&nbsp;associate&nbsp;professor&nbsp;of computer science at Kansas State University and director of the&nbsp;Center for Information and Security Assurance,&nbsp;said that while he had no details regarding the Pottawatomie County incident, attacks like this are almost never&nbsp;targeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635421598701-thumbnail.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The hackers likely did not seek out Pottawatomie County or any other individual person or group, but rather cast an enormous digital net.&nbsp;Targeted attacks are more vicious, shutting down a specific company’s website or operational capability. The targeted attacks are typically meant as reprisals, punishment for a company’s perceived wrongdoings.&nbsp;Once inside, the malware gets inside and creates a unique key that locks the victim’s data. What hackers are able to do depends on the number and types of checks installed in the network to thwart unfettered access to entire systems. Vasserman said that if the checks and stopgaps are not adequate, cybercriminals could theoretically take control of entire infrastructures.&nbsp;FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS&nbsp;Often, the issue comes down to money. A good on-site backup infrastructure can be quite costly, according to Vasserman, and may still not offer rock-solid protection.&nbsp;A virus that’s designed to move especially slowly through a system may not be detected until even the backups had been compromised.&nbsp;Digital security has for years relied on the “hard shell, gooey middle” philosophy: build a strong, high wall, line it with barbed wire and security lights, but once someone gets past those measures&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;open season.&nbsp;&nbsp;“If you get past the hard shell, the rest is easy,” Vasserman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;The system was set up that way simply to be more user-friendly. “Actually more ‘administrator-friendly', Vasserman explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;A moat and strong outer wall&nbsp;is&nbsp;the standard protection system for castles. There are, however, other designs that use complex interior architecture to slow attackers after they have breached the outer defenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Those interior defenses, in a digital castle, are difficult to design and require tedious management. That’s why the strong outer shell model has been prevalent for so long.&nbsp;&nbsp;Administrator time is very valuable,” Vasserman said. “It was simply easier to design and administer this way.”&nbsp;The problem with much public cybersecurity infrastructure is that civic budget limitations can mean that uber-sophisticated infrastructure is clunking along, trying, or failing, to run&nbsp;on outdated hardware.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New security software may not function on older hardware.&nbsp;“You would be surprised how much critical infrastructure still runs on Windows XP.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Cybercrime is&nbsp;a nuanced problem There is never a simple solution to keeping hackers out. As security measures improve,&nbsp;the cybercrooks’ tactics and methods evolve aggressively.&nbsp;They look for vulnerable machines, usually automatically and just happened upon the county. The software immediately encodes and&nbsp;encrypts the system’s files, often sending a&nbsp;fully-automated ransom message&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s a challenge and I doubt the prevalence of really thorough backup setups.&nbsp;Every internet-connected device is an entry point for a cybercriminal.&nbsp;Institutions and individuals are vulnerable in many ways. Attacks via email with infected documents or attachments, or systems without updated patches are hijacked every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;Victims can find themselves in a quandary; paying the ransom is a financial hit and the FBI discourages paying ransoms because it encourages and funds further attacks, but refusal means losing critical data forever, which, for the individual victim, can be more expensive in the long run.&nbsp;Ideally, groups are able to thumb their noses at the digital hijackers and simply restore their system by means of a regularly scheduled, comprehensive backup.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses and municipalities are, understandably, reticent to discuss their cyber security measures but Corey Meyer, interim director and network administrator for Riley County IT/GIS, said that the County reviews security systems and protocols regularly and makes adjustments as needed. The County’s systems check for updates on a daily basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We do have multiple security professionals that we work with,” Meyer said, “to ensure what we have in place is at or above industry standards.”&nbsp;RANSOMWARE AS AN INDUSTRY&nbsp;The programming and coding involved in a ransomware attack is wildly sophisticated, but that does not necessarily mean that the&nbsp;digital kidnappers are equally sophisticated.&nbsp;Often in these attacks, the digital hijacker may personally have little computer or coding&nbsp;knowledge.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hijacking&nbsp;vulnerable&nbsp;systems&nbsp;is so ubiquitous and&nbsp;profitable that&nbsp;popping up all over the web are&nbsp;ransomware&nbsp;services&nbsp;that&nbsp;actually&nbsp;lease their malicious software out.&nbsp;Ransomware as a service (RaaS, as it is commonly&nbsp;tagged&nbsp;online) allows cybercrooks&nbsp;to&nbsp;simply deploy&nbsp;a service’s&nbsp;convenient malware package&nbsp;for&nbsp;the designated lease period&nbsp;and pay the service a&nbsp;significant&nbsp;portion of the&nbsp;ransoms&nbsp;they&nbsp;collect.&nbsp;&nbsp;While ransomware has been around for decades, these organized service operations started up just a couple years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s like a turnkey operation now,” Vasserman said. These&nbsp;underground&nbsp;services, typically found in the seedier neighborhoods of the Dark Web,&nbsp;represent&nbsp;themselves as legitimate&nbsp;software providers&nbsp;good customer support, good user-interfaces, professionally written software.&nbsp;They have a definite level of professionalism and business acumen they set up contracts customer support systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Literally&nbsp;any backup is better than none. If you have minimal&nbsp;backup&nbsp;you might lose a day’s worth of data&nbsp;The services are very customer-oriented.&nbsp;For the value-conscious cybercrook, a&nbsp;typical rent-a-hack comes with multiple tools available to&nbsp;overcome or&nbsp;bypass&nbsp;myriad&nbsp;security&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;They deal in scale, not all ransomware seizures result in fat payouts like the one from&nbsp;Pottawatomie&nbsp;County. Hackers deal in scale, snatching up small funds from as many&nbsp;unsuspecting victims as possible.&nbsp;Hackers spread a broad net, sweeping the web&nbsp;and&nbsp;blindly casting into the&nbsp;digital&nbsp;ocean for fish with systems that make them bite.&nbsp;&nbsp;HOW TO AVOID&nbsp;Even the best digital security is akin to home security. You can put in strong doors and deadbolt locks, install alarm systems and cameras, and a good thief will still find his way in.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to Vasserman, the fact that even well-defended systems are regularly breached illustrates that the best defense is extensive backups.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vasserman said simply keeping systems up to date keeping accounts with strong passwords, changing passwords regularly, not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses and private individuals can also take much simpler steps to more successfully deter attacks, Vasserman said. Simply keeping operating systems up-to-date is the most painless, and can be done by simply checking the automatic updates box on your operating system. Maintaining stringent password requirements and changing passwords regularly is recommended. Public and private entities should set up a proper VPN and firewall, and do not sharing accounts between people.&nbsp;With adequate backup in place, if a cybercriminal hijacks an entity’s system, the entity can go back and restore everything to pre-hack conditions.&nbsp;“All of these things are less costly than a really thorough backup system,” Vasserman said, “and they could start today.”

Cybersecurity Awareness month came a bit too late this year

MILAN, Ill. (AP) — A vehicle struck and killed a United Auto Workers member Wednesday as he was walking to a picket line to join striking workers outside a John Deere distribution plant in northwest&nbsp;Illinois, the union and police said.

The man, identified as 56-year-old Richard Rich, was struck at about 6 a.m. CDT at an intersection near a road that leads to the John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois, Police Chief Shawn Johnson said.

Rich was crossing the Rock Island-Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was hit by the motorist, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We don't believe it to be intentional, but it's still an ongoing investigation and it did happen out near the middle of the intersection where the pedestrian was crossing the roadway," Johnson told The Associated Press.

UAW leaders said Rich was a 15-year employee of the Deere plant. He was a member of UAW Local 79 in Milan, UAW said in a statement.

“On behalf of the UAW and all working families, we mourn the passing of our UAW brother,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “It is a somber time to lose a member who made the ultimate sacrifice in reporting to picket for a better life for his family and co-workers.”

John Deere spokeswoman Jennifer Hartmann said in a statement the company was “saddened by the tragic accident" that killed one of its employees and offered “our deepest condolences" to Rich's family and friends.

More than 10,000 Deere &amp; Co. workers went on strike this month at 14 Deere factories in Illinois,&nbsp;Iowa,&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;after the UAW rejected a contract offer. It was the first major walkout at the agricultural machinery giant in more than three decades.

Union members rejected a contract offer that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others at the Illinois company known for its green tractors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MILAN, Ill. (AP) — A vehicle struck and killed a United Auto Workers member Wednesday as he was walking to a picket line to join striking workers outside a John Deere distribution plant in northwest&nbsp;Illinois, the union and police said.The man, identified as 56-year-old Richard Rich, was struck at about 6 a.m. CDT at an intersection near a road that leads to the John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois, Police Chief Shawn Johnson said.Rich was crossing the Rock Island-Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was hit by the motorist, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.“We don't believe it to be intentional, but it's still an ongoing investigation and it did happen out near the middle of the intersection where the pedestrian was crossing the roadway," Johnson told The Associated Press.UAW leaders said Rich was a 15-year employee of the Deere plant. He was a member of UAW Local 79 in Milan, UAW said in a statement.“On behalf of the UAW and all working families, we mourn the passing of our UAW brother,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “It is a somber time to lose a member who made the ultimate sacrifice in reporting to picket for a better life for his family and co-workers.”John Deere spokeswoman Jennifer Hartmann said in a statement the company was “saddened by the tragic accident" that killed one of its employees and offered “our deepest condolences" to Rich's family and friends.More than 10,000 Deere &amp; Co. workers went on strike this month at 14 Deere factories in Illinois,&nbsp;Iowa,&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;after the UAW rejected a contract offer. It was the first major walkout at the agricultural machinery giant in more than three decades.Union members rejected a contract offer that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others at the Illinois company known for its green tractors.

Deere strike enters 3rd week; UAW member hit, killed by car near picket line

The
 Federal Trade Commission today announced a newly updated rule that 
strengthens the data security safeguards that financial institutions are
 required to put in place to protect their customers’ financial 
information. In recent years, widespread data breaches and cyberattacks 
have resulted in significant harms to consumers, including monetary 
loss, identity theft, and other forms of financial distress. The FTC’s 
updated Safeguards Rule requires non-banking financial institutions, 
such as mortgage brokers, motor vehicle dealers, and payday lenders, to 
develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive security system to keep
 their customers’ information safe. 

“Financial institutions and 
other entities that collect sensitive consumer data have a 
responsibility to protect it,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s
 Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The updates adopted by the Commission 
to the Safeguards Rule detail common-sense steps that these institutions
 must implement to protect consumer data from cyberattacks and other 
threats.”

The changes adopted by the Commission to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-final">Safeguards Rule</a>&nbsp;include
 more specific criteria for what safeguards financial institutions must 
implement as part of their information security program such as limiting
 who can access consumer data and using encryption to secure the data. 
Under the updated Safeguards Rule, institutions must also explain their 
information sharing practices, specifically the administrative, 
technical, and physical safeguards the financial institutions use&nbsp;to 
access, collect, distribute, process, protect, store, use, transmit, 
dispose of, or otherwise handle&nbsp;customers’ secure information. In 
addition, financial institutions will be required to designate a single 
qualified individual to oversee their information security program and 
report periodically to an organization’s board of directors, or a senior
 officer in charge of information security.

The Safeguards Rule 
was mandated by Congress under the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Today’s 
updates are the result of years of public input. In 2019, the FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/03/ftc-seeks-comment-proposed-amendments-safeguards-privacy-rules">sought comment on proposed changes</a> to the Safeguards Rule and, in 2020 held <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/information-security-financial-institutions-ftc-workshop-examine">a public workshop on the Safeguards Rule.</a>

In
 addition to the updates, the FTC is seeking comment on whether to make 
an additional change to the Safeguards Rule to require financial 
institutions to report certain data breaches and other security events 
to the Commission. The FTC is issuing<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2"> </a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2">a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking</a>,
 which will be published in the Federal Register shortly. The public 
will have 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register 
to submit a comment.

Today, the FTC also announced it adopted largely technical changes to its authority under a separate <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-313-privacy-consumer-financial-information-rule-under-0">Gramm-Leach Bliley Act rule</a>,
 which requires financial institutions to inform customers about their 
information-sharing practices and allow customers to opt out of having 
their information shared with certain third parties. These changes align
 the rule with changes made under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
 and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). Under Dodd-Frank, Congress 
narrowed the FTC’s jurisdiction under that rule to only apply to motor 
vehicle dealers.

The Commission voted 5-0 to publish the final 
revisions to update the FTC’s jurisdiction under Dodd-Frank and the 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to the Safeguards Rule in the
 Federal Register. The Commission voted 3-2 to publish the revisions to 
the Safeguards Rule in the Federal Register. Commissioners Noah Joshua 
Phillips and Christine S. Wilson voted no and issued a joint <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/joint-statement-commissioners-noah-joshua-phillips-christine-s-wilson">dissenting statement</a>. Chair Lina M. Khan and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter issued a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/statement-chair-lina-m-khan-joined-commissioner-rebecca-kelly-slaughter">separate joint statement</a>.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission today announced a newly updated rule that 
strengthens the data security safeguards that financial institutions are
 required to put in place to protect their customers’ financial 
information. In recent years, widespread data breaches and cyberattacks 
have resulted in significant harms to consumers, including monetary 
loss, identity theft, and other forms of financial distress. The FTC’s 
updated Safeguards Rule requires non-banking financial institutions, 
such as mortgage brokers, motor vehicle dealers, and payday lenders, to 
develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive security system to keep
 their customers’ information safe. “Financial institutions and 
other entities that collect sensitive consumer data have a 
responsibility to protect it,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s
 Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The updates adopted by the Commission 
to the Safeguards Rule detail common-sense steps that these institutions
 must implement to protect consumer data from cyberattacks and other 
threats.”The changes adopted by the Commission to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-final">Safeguards Rule</a>&nbsp;include
 more specific criteria for what safeguards financial institutions must 
implement as part of their information security program such as limiting
 who can access consumer data and using encryption to secure the data. 
Under the updated Safeguards Rule, institutions must also explain their 
information sharing practices, specifically the administrative, 
technical, and physical safeguards the financial institutions use&nbsp;to 
access, collect, distribute, process, protect, store, use, transmit, 
dispose of, or otherwise handle&nbsp;customers’ secure information. In 
addition, financial institutions will be required to designate a single 
qualified individual to oversee their information security program and 
report periodically to an organization’s board of directors, or a senior
 officer in charge of information security.The Safeguards Rule 
was mandated by Congress under the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Today’s 
updates are the result of years of public input. In 2019, the FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/03/ftc-seeks-comment-proposed-amendments-safeguards-privacy-rules">sought comment on proposed changes</a> to the Safeguards Rule and, in 2020 held <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/information-security-financial-institutions-ftc-workshop-examine">a public workshop on the Safeguards Rule.</a>In
 addition to the updates, the FTC is seeking comment on whether to make 
an additional change to the Safeguards Rule to require financial 
institutions to report certain data breaches and other security events 
to the Commission. The FTC is issuing<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2"> </a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2">a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking</a>,
 which will be published in the Federal Register shortly. The public 
will have 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register 
to submit a comment.Today, the FTC also announced it adopted largely technical changes to its authority under a separate <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-313-privacy-consumer-financial-information-rule-under-0">Gramm-Leach Bliley Act rule</a>,
 which requires financial institutions to inform customers about their 
information-sharing practices and allow customers to opt out of having 
their information shared with certain third parties. These changes align
 the rule with changes made under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
 and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). Under Dodd-Frank, Congress 
narrowed the FTC’s jurisdiction under that rule to only apply to motor 
vehicle dealers.The Commission voted 5-0 to publish the final 
revisions to update the FTC’s jurisdiction under Dodd-Frank and the 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to the Safeguards Rule in the
 Federal Register. The Commission voted 3-2 to publish the revisions to 
the Safeguards Rule in the Federal Register. Commissioners Noah Joshua 
Phillips and Christine S. Wilson voted no and issued a joint <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/joint-statement-commissioners-noah-joshua-phillips-christine-s-wilson">dissenting statement</a>. Chair Lina M. Khan and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter issued a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/statement-chair-lina-m-khan-joined-commissioner-rebecca-kelly-slaughter">separate joint statement</a>.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

After widespread breaches, feds amp up rules for protecting your data

The
 Federal Trade Commission sued Xlear, Inc., a Utah-based company, for 
violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, alleging that it falsely
 pitched its saline nasal sprays as an effective way to prevent and 
treat COVID-19.

In its lawsuit against Xlear, Inc. and its owner, the FTC is asking a
 federal court to impose monetary penalties on the defendants and bar 
them from continuing to make such false and unsupported claims. The 
complaint was filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf.

“Companies can’t make unsupported health 
claims, no matter what form a product takes or what it supposedly 
prevents or treats,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of
 Consumer Protection. “That’s the lesson of this case and many others 
like it, and it’s why people should continue to rely on medical 
professionals over ads.”

Xlear, Inc. sells products 
including nasal sprays, dental care products, and sweeteners. The 
company’s nasal sprays marketed under the Xlear Sinus Care brand 
contain, among other things, xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Xlear 
sells these sprays on Amazon.com and through retailers like Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and Target.

<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/filed_complaint_xlear_v_jones_v.1.pdf">According to the complaint</a>,
 since at least March 2020, Xlear and its founder and president, Nathan 
Jones, have promoted Xlear nasal sprays by falsely claiming they provide
 four hours of protection against infection from the coronavirus and 
therefore are “a simple, safe, and cheap option that could be an 
effective solution to the pandemic.” The defendants have made these and 
similar allegedly false and unsubstantiated claims on websites, 
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and through appearances on podcasts 
and sponsored spots on local television news.

In reality, the company has conducted no clinical trials to support 
its COVID-related claims and its advertising grossly misrepresented the 
purported findings and relevance of several scientific studies, 
according to the FTC. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/warning-letters/warning-letter-xlear-inc">agency’s staff sent Xlear and Jones a warning letter in July 2020</a>.
 The defendants promised to remove the claims from their website and 
other platforms, but then continued making them, according to the 
complaint.

The Commission vote to refer the civil penalty complaint to the DOJ 
for filing was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina M. Khan not participating. The DOJ
 filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for District of Utah.

NOTE: The
 Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the 
named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it 
appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. 
The case will be decided by the court.

The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission sued Xlear, Inc., a Utah-based company, for 
violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, alleging that it falsely
 pitched its saline nasal sprays as an effective way to prevent and 
treat COVID-19.In its lawsuit against Xlear, Inc. and its owner, the FTC is asking a
 federal court to impose monetary penalties on the defendants and bar 
them from continuing to make such false and unsupported claims. The 
complaint was filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf.“Companies can’t make unsupported health 
claims, no matter what form a product takes or what it supposedly 
prevents or treats,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of
 Consumer Protection. “That’s the lesson of this case and many others 
like it, and it’s why people should continue to rely on medical 
professionals over ads.”Xlear, Inc. sells products 
including nasal sprays, dental care products, and sweeteners. The 
company’s nasal sprays marketed under the Xlear Sinus Care brand 
contain, among other things, xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Xlear 
sells these sprays on Amazon.com and through retailers like Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and Target.<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/filed_complaint_xlear_v_jones_v.1.pdf">According to the complaint</a>,
 since at least March 2020, Xlear and its founder and president, Nathan 
Jones, have promoted Xlear nasal sprays by falsely claiming they provide
 four hours of protection against infection from the coronavirus and 
therefore are “a simple, safe, and cheap option that could be an 
effective solution to the pandemic.” The defendants have made these and 
similar allegedly false and unsubstantiated claims on websites, 
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and through appearances on podcasts 
and sponsored spots on local television news.In reality, the company has conducted no clinical trials to support 
its COVID-related claims and its advertising grossly misrepresented the 
purported findings and relevance of several scientific studies, 
according to the FTC. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/warning-letters/warning-letter-xlear-inc">agency’s staff sent Xlear and Jones a warning letter in July 2020</a>.
 The defendants promised to remove the claims from their website and 
other platforms, but then continued making them, according to the 
complaint.The Commission vote to refer the civil penalty complaint to the DOJ 
for filing was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina M. Khan not participating. The DOJ
 filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for District of Utah.NOTE: The
 Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the 
named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it 
appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. 
The case will be decided by the court.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

Utah company sued by feds over COVID treatment claims

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas state Rep. Russ Jennings has died. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. on Wednesday announced that sixty-six-year-old Jennings, a Lakin Republican, died from cancer on Wednesday morning. Ryckman said he learned of the death from Jennings’ family. Jennings was elected to the Legislature in 2012. 

He served as chairman of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee for the past three legislative sessions. Before his election, Jennings served as commissioner of juvenile justice for the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority from 2007 to 2010. In previous years he was also a deputy sheriff and a magistrate judge,

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635415580593.png" alt="Jennings courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Jennings courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas state Rep. Russ Jennings has died. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. on Wednesday announced that sixty-six-year-old Jennings, a Lakin Republican, died from cancer on Wednesday morning. Ryckman said he learned of the death from Jennings’ family. Jennings was elected to the Legislature in 2012. He served as chairman of the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee for the past three legislative sessions. Before his election, Jennings served as commissioner of juvenile justice for the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority from 2007 to 2010. In previous years he was also a deputy sheriff and a magistrate judge,

Kansas lawmaker Russ Jennings dies from cancer at 66

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after an altercation between two neighbors.

Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; responded to a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 900 block South 4th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 During the disturbance a 51 year old man who resides at the complex was threatened with a hammer. 

Police took 33-year-old Jeffery Walker of Atchison into custody at his apartment in the complex. He is being held on a requested charge of aggravated assault, according to Wilson. There were no injuries.

Walker has a previous convictions involving drugs, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635350699116.png" alt="Walker photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Walker photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after an altercation between two neighbors.Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp; responded to a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 900 block South 4th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. During the disturbance a 51 year old man who resides at the complex was threatened with a hammer. Police took 33-year-old Jeffery Walker of Atchison into custody at his apartment in the complex. He is being held on a requested charge of aggravated assault, according to Wilson. There were no injuries.Walker has a previous convictions involving drugs, according to online jail records.

Police: Kansas man threatened neighbor with a hammer

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former KC-area math teacher pleaded not guilty to first-degree sexual misconduct after two female students alleged he exposed himself to them earlier this year.

Bryant Hummel, 30, entered the plea Monday. He was a math teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at Kearney when he was accused.

According to a probable cause statement, Hummel was helping two 17-year-old female students with missing homework after school when he exposed himself to them.

The students told investigators Hummel threatened to fail them in class and ruin their sports careers if they reported the incident, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article255295766.html">reported</a>.

The students alleged Hummel later asked them to expose themselves on social media and sent multiple texts asking them to come to his home.

The school notified authorities in April after the students reported the incidents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632413163783.png" alt="Hummel photo Kearney school district" />
 <figcaption>Hummel photo Kearney school district</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former KC-area math teacher pleaded not guilty to first-degree sexual misconduct after two female students alleged he exposed himself to them earlier this year.Bryant Hummel, 30, entered the plea Monday. He was a math teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at Kearney when he was accused.According to a probable cause statement, Hummel was helping two 17-year-old female students with missing homework after school when he exposed himself to them.The students told investigators Hummel threatened to fail them in class and ruin their sports careers if they reported the incident, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article255295766.html">reported</a>.The students alleged Hummel later asked them to expose themselves on social media and sent multiple texts asking them to come to his home.The school notified authorities in April after the students reported the incidents.

Former KC-area teacher enters plea to sexual misconduct

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A cash management company has asked a federal court to return nearly $166,000 in proceeds seized in Kansas from sales at Missouri medical marijuana stores.

Dickinson County sheriff’s deputies seized the money in May after stopping a driver for Empyreal Logistics as she was taking the proceeds to Colorado. Medical marijuana is legal in Missouri and Colorado, which also allows recreational use. Marijuana use is illegal in Kansas.

Federal prosecutors say the money is subject to forfeiture because it violates a federal law against manufacturing and distributing drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas filed a civil forfeiture action in federal court seeking to seize the money.

A federal magistrate judge ruled last month that there was probable cause to seize the money in Dickinson County because it was the product of illegal drug sales. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4.

According to federal court filings, Empyreal is arguing the money was obtained through legal transactions.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A cash management company has asked a federal court to return nearly $166,000 in proceeds seized in Kansas from sales at Missouri medical marijuana stores.Dickinson County sheriff’s deputies seized the money in May after stopping a driver for Empyreal Logistics as she was taking the proceeds to Colorado. Medical marijuana is legal in Missouri and Colorado, which also allows recreational use. Marijuana use is illegal in Kansas.Federal prosecutors say the money is subject to forfeiture because it violates a federal law against manufacturing and distributing drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas filed a civil forfeiture action in federal court seeking to seize the money.A federal magistrate judge ruled last month that there was probable cause to seize the money in Dickinson County because it was the product of illegal drug sales. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4.According to federal court filings, Empyreal is arguing the money was obtained through legal transactions.

Court battle: Missouri medical marijuana money seized by Kan. sheriff 

RENO COUNTY—A strong storm that brought damaging winds, heavy rain and some hail to Kansas Tuesday night also produced a small tornado.

The National Weather Service rated the brief tree topping tornado an EF0. It hit the Turon area of Reno County just after 10:10p.m. with peak wind gusts of 80 miles per hours.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635364074040.png" alt="Tornado damage photo National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Tornado damage photo National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY—A strong storm that brought damaging winds, heavy rain and some hail to Kansas Tuesday night also produced a small tornado.The National Weather Service rated the brief tree topping tornado an EF0. It hit the Turon area of Reno County just after 10:10p.m. with peak wind gusts of 80 miles per hours.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635364229211.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The path of the tornado was approximately a quarter mile wide with a maximum width of 275 yards, according to the National Weather Service.There were no injuries reported.