FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating more counterfeit cash in southwest Kansas.

According to a social media report from Garden City Police, the fake money is making the rounds again. They urged the public to pay attention to the money you are being handed.

In these counterfeit examples, the $50 bill is cut incorrectly, has been hand cut. The $20 bill states "Replica" in the corner. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634726760722.png" alt="Photo Garden City Polioce" />
 <figcaption>Photo Garden City Polioce</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating more counterfeit cash in southwest Kansas.According to a social media report from Garden City Police, the fake money is making the rounds again. They urged the public to pay attention to the money you are being handed.In these counterfeit examples, the $50 bill is cut incorrectly, has been hand cut. The $20 bill states "Replica" in the corner.

Police: Counterfeit cash reported again in parts of Kansas

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers that the next quarterly payroll tax return is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-tax-due-dates">due</a> November 1, 2021. The IRS urges employers to use the speed and convenience of filing the returns electronically.

E-filing is the most accurate method to file returns and saves 
taxpayers time by performing calculations and auto-populating forms and 
schedules with a step-by-step process. The IRS acknowledges receipt of 
e-filed returns within 24 hours, giving taxpayers reassurance that their
 return was not misplaced or lost in the mail. Electronically filed 
returns reduce processing time and have fewer errors,&nbsp;which reduces a 
taxpayer's chance of receiving an IRS notice. E-file users also receive 
missing information alerts.

Two options for electronically filing payroll tax returns:

The IRS requires all authorized IRS e-file providers to ensure 
only authorized users have access to secure information. Only the 
business owner, authorized signers and reporting agents can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">apply for an online signature PIN</a>.
 Third parties (such as attorneys, CPAs, tax return preparers or other 
tax professionals) can't request a PIN on behalf of the business, nor 
can they use the PIN to sign returns on behalf of their clients.

For more information on electronic filing of payroll tax returns, see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/e-file-employment-tax-forms">E-file Employment Tax Forms</a>&nbsp;page.

The credit for qualified sick and family leave wages has been extended and amended.

The employer tax credits for qualified sick and family leave wages&nbsp;gives
 all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide 
their employees with paid leave, either for the employee's own health 
needs or to care for family members. The American Rescue Plan of 
2021&nbsp;further amended and extended the tax credits (and the availability 
of advance payments of the tax credits) for paid sick and family leave. 
See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-24.pdf">Notice 2021-24</a>&nbsp;PDF
 for guidance on the ability to reduce deposits and request advances for
 the credits for periods of leave through September 30, 2021.

The Employee Retention Credit&nbsp;has been extended and amended.

The Employee Retention Credit is a 
refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of 
the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees.&nbsp;The modified
 and extended credit is available for qualified wages paid before 
January 1, 2022. Generally, the rules for the Employee Retention Credit 
for the second quarter of 2021 and the third and fourth quarters of 2021
 are substantially similar.

For more information about other coronavirus-related tax relief, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">IRS.gov/coronavirus</a>.

The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit. Employers have direct access 
to many who may receive this credit. More information on the 
Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.

For more information see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers that the next quarterly payroll tax return is <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-tax-due-dates">due</a> November 1, 2021. The IRS urges employers to use the speed and convenience of filing the returns electronically.E-filing is the most accurate method to file returns and saves 
taxpayers time by performing calculations and auto-populating forms and 
schedules with a step-by-step process. The IRS acknowledges receipt of 
e-filed returns within 24 hours, giving taxpayers reassurance that their
 return was not misplaced or lost in the mail. Electronically filed 
returns reduce processing time and have fewer errors,&nbsp;which reduces a 
taxpayer's chance of receiving an IRS notice. E-file users also receive 
missing information alerts.<h2>Two options for electronically filing payroll tax returns:</h2><ul>
 <li>Self file

	Purchase IRS-approved <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/94x-mef-providers">software</a>.Business owners may need to pay a fee to electronically file their returns.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">Apply for an online signature PIN</a> or scan and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8453-emp">Form 8453-EMP</a> for the required signature.</li><li>Purchase IRS-approved <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/94x-mef-providers">software</a>.</li><li>Business owners may need to pay a fee to electronically file their returns.</li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">Apply for an online signature PIN</a> or scan and attach <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8453-emp">Form 8453-EMP</a> for the required signature.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Tax professional file

	Use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/authorized-irs-e-file-provider-locator-service-for-tax-professionals">Authorized IRS e-file Provider Locator Service</a>&nbsp;to find a tax professional who can file on behalf of the business.</li><li>Use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/authorized-irs-e-file-provider-locator-service-for-tax-professionals">Authorized IRS e-file Provider Locator Service</a>&nbsp;to find a tax professional who can file on behalf of the business.</li>
 </ul>The IRS requires all authorized IRS e-file providers to ensure 
only authorized users have access to secure information. Only the 
business owner, authorized signers and reporting agents can <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/use-an-on-line-signature-pin-to-e-file-employment-tax-forms">apply for an online signature PIN</a>.
 Third parties (such as attorneys, CPAs, tax return preparers or other 
tax professionals) can't request a PIN on behalf of the business, nor 
can they use the PIN to sign returns on behalf of their clients.For more information on electronic filing of payroll tax returns, see the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/e-file-employment-tax-forms">E-file Employment Tax Forms</a>&nbsp;page.<h2>COVID-related Employer Tax Credits</h2><h2>The credit for qualified sick and family leave wages has been extended and amended.</h2>The employer tax credits for qualified sick and family leave wages&nbsp;gives
 all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide 
their employees with paid leave, either for the employee's own health 
needs or to care for family members. The American Rescue Plan of 
2021&nbsp;further amended and extended the tax credits (and the availability 
of advance payments of the tax credits) for paid sick and family leave. 
See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-24.pdf">Notice 2021-24</a>&nbsp;PDF
 for guidance on the ability to reduce deposits and request advances for
 the credits for periods of leave through September 30, 2021.<h2>The Employee Retention Credit&nbsp;has been extended and amended.</h2>The Employee Retention Credit is a 
refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50% of 
the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees.&nbsp;The modified
 and extended credit is available for qualified wages paid before 
January 1, 2022. Generally, the rules for the Employee Retention Credit 
for the second quarter of 2021 and the third and fourth quarters of 2021
 are substantially similar.For more information about other coronavirus-related tax relief, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">IRS.gov/coronavirus</a>.<h2>Advance Child Tax Credit</h2>The IRS encourages employers to help get the word out about the 
advance&nbsp;payments of the Child Tax Credit. Employers have direct access 
to many who may receive this credit. More information on the 
Advance&nbsp;Child Tax Credit is available on IRS.gov. The website has <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-resources-and-guidance">tools employers can use</a>
 to deliver this information, including e-posters, drop-in articles (for
 paycheck stuffers, newsletters) and social media posts to share.For more information see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">Advance Child Tax Credit Payments</a>.

IRS reminds employers to file e-file payroll tax returns timely

More COVID-19 booster shots may be on the way -- but when it’s your turn, you’ll get an extra dose of the original vaccine, not one updated to better match the extra-contagious delta variant.

And that has some experts wondering if the booster campaign is a bit of a missed opportunity to target delta and its likely descendants.

“Don’t we want to match the new strains that are most likely to circulate as closely as possible?” Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts Medical Center, an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, challenged Pfizer scientists recently.

“I don’t quite understand why this is not delta because that’s what we’re facing right now,” fellow adviser Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh said last week as government experts debated whether it’s time for Moderna boosters. He wondered if such a switch would be particularly useful to block mild infection.

The simple answer: The FDA last month OK’d extra doses of Pfizer’s original recipe after studies showed it still works well enough against delta -- and those doses could be rolled out right away. Now the FDA is weighing evidence for boosters of the original Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines.

“It’s less churn and burn on the manufacturing” to only switch formulas when it’s really necessary, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.

But Pfizer and Moderna are hedging their bets. They’re already testing experimental doses customized to delta and another variant, learning how to rapidly tweak the formula in case a change eventually is needed -- for today’s mutants or a brand new one. The tougher question for regulators is how they’d decide if and when to ever order such a switch.

CURRENT VACCINES ARE WORKING EVEN AGAINST DELTA

Vaccines used in the U.S. remain strongly effective against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, even after the delta variant took over, but authorities hope to shore up waning protection against less severe infection and for high-risk populations. Studies show an extra dose of the original formulas revs up virus-fighting antibodies that fend off infection, including antibodies that target delta.

MIGHT A DELTA-SPECIFIC BOOSTER WORK EVEN BETTER?

Vaccines target the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. Mutations in that protein made delta more contagious but to the immune system, it doesn’t look all that different, said virus expert Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

That means there’s no guarantee a delta-specific booster would protect any better, said University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry. Waiting for studies to settle that question -- and if necessary, brewing updated doses -- would have delayed rolling out boosters to people deemed to need them now.

Still, because delta is now the dominant version of the virus worldwide it almost certainly will be a common ancestor for whatever evolves next in a mostly unvaccinated world, said Trevor Bedford, a biologist and genetics expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

A delta-updated vaccine would “help to provide a buffer against those additional mutations,” he said. Bedford is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus. Updating the formula merely requires swapping out the original genetic code with mRNA for a mutated spike protein.

Both companies first experimented with tweaked doses against a mutant that emerged in South Africa, the beta variant, that has been the most vaccine-resistant to date, more so than the delta variant. Lab tests showed the updated shots produced potent antibodies. But the beta variant didn’t spread widely.

Now the companies have studies underway of fully vaccinated people who agreed to test a booster dose tweaked to match delta. Moderna’s studies also include some shots that combine protection against more than one version of the coronavirus -- much like today’s flu vaccines work against multiple influenza strains.

The mRNA vaccines are considered the easiest kind to tweak but some other vaccine makers also are exploring how to change their recipes if necessary.

WHY STUDY UPDATED SHOTS IF THEY’RE NOT YET NEEDED?

Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told an FDA advisory panel last week the company is studying variant-specific boosters now to learn if they offer advantages, and to be ready if they’re needed.

And Penn’s Wherry said it is critical to carefully analyze how the body reacts to updated shots because the immune system tends to “imprint” a stronger memory of the first virus strain it encounters. That raises questions about whether a subtly different booster would prompt a temporary jump in antibodies the body’s made before -- or the bigger goal, a broader and more durable response that might even be better positioned for the next mutations to come along.

“What is the tripping point?” asked Webby, who is part of a World Health Organization network that tracks influenza evolution. “A lot of what is going to need to go into that decision making is just going to be learned by experience, unfortunately.”

Bedford said now is the time to decide what drop in vaccine effectiveness would trigger a formula change, just as is done with flu vaccines every year.

That’s important not just if a dramatically worse variant suddenly develops. Like many scientists, Bedford expects the coronavirus to eventually evolve from a global crisis into a regular threat every winter -- which might mean more regular boosters, maybe even yearly in combination with the flu shot.

Timing between shots matters, too, Wherry noted.

“Your boostability may actually improve with longer intervals between stimulation,” he said. While scientists have learned a lot about the coronavirus, “the story’s not finished yet and we don’t know what the last chapters say.”

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressMore COVID-19 booster shots may be on the way -- but when it’s your turn, you’ll get an extra dose of the original vaccine, not one updated to better match the extra-contagious delta variant.And that has some experts wondering if the booster campaign is a bit of a missed opportunity to target delta and its likely descendants.“Don’t we want to match the new strains that are most likely to circulate as closely as possible?” Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts Medical Center, an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration, challenged Pfizer scientists recently.“I don’t quite understand why this is not delta because that’s what we’re facing right now,” fellow adviser Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh said last week as government experts debated whether it’s time for Moderna boosters. He wondered if such a switch would be particularly useful to block mild infection.The simple answer: The FDA last month OK’d extra doses of Pfizer’s original recipe after studies showed it still works well enough against delta -- and those doses could be rolled out right away. Now the FDA is weighing evidence for boosters of the original Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines.“It’s less churn and burn on the manufacturing” to only switch formulas when it’s really necessary, said FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks.But Pfizer and Moderna are hedging their bets. They’re already testing experimental doses customized to delta and another variant, learning how to rapidly tweak the formula in case a change eventually is needed -- for today’s mutants or a brand new one. The tougher question for regulators is how they’d decide if and when to ever order such a switch.What we know so far:CURRENT VACCINES ARE WORKING EVEN AGAINST DELTAVaccines used in the U.S. remain strongly effective against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, even after the delta variant took over, but authorities hope to shore up waning protection against less severe infection and for high-risk populations. Studies show an extra dose of the original formulas revs up virus-fighting antibodies that fend off infection, including antibodies that target delta.MIGHT A DELTA-SPECIFIC BOOSTER WORK EVEN BETTER?Vaccines target the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. Mutations in that protein made delta more contagious but to the immune system, it doesn’t look all that different, said virus expert Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.That means there’s no guarantee a delta-specific booster would protect any better, said University of Pennsylvania immunologist John Wherry. Waiting for studies to settle that question -- and if necessary, brewing updated doses -- would have delayed rolling out boosters to people deemed to need them now.Still, because delta is now the dominant version of the virus worldwide it almost certainly will be a common ancestor for whatever evolves next in a mostly unvaccinated world, said Trevor Bedford, a biologist and genetics expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.A delta-updated vaccine would “help to provide a buffer against those additional mutations,” he said. Bedford is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department.TWEAKING THE RECIPEThe Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that tells the body to make harmless copies of the spike protein so it’s trained to recognize the virus. Updating the formula merely requires swapping out the original genetic code with mRNA for a mutated spike protein.Both companies first experimented with tweaked doses against a mutant that emerged in South Africa, the beta variant, that has been the most vaccine-resistant to date, more so than the delta variant. Lab tests showed the updated shots produced potent antibodies. But the beta variant didn’t spread widely.Now the companies have studies underway of fully vaccinated people who agreed to test a booster dose tweaked to match delta. Moderna’s studies also include some shots that combine protection against more than one version of the coronavirus -- much like today’s flu vaccines work against multiple influenza strains.The mRNA vaccines are considered the easiest kind to tweak but some other vaccine makers also are exploring how to change their recipes if necessary.WHY STUDY UPDATED SHOTS IF THEY’RE NOT YET NEEDED?Moderna’s Dr. Jacqueline Miller told an FDA advisory panel last week the company is studying variant-specific boosters now to learn if they offer advantages, and to be ready if they’re needed.And Penn’s Wherry said it is critical to carefully analyze how the body reacts to updated shots because the immune system tends to “imprint” a stronger memory of the first virus strain it encounters. That raises questions about whether a subtly different booster would prompt a temporary jump in antibodies the body’s made before -- or the bigger goal, a broader and more durable response that might even be better positioned for the next mutations to come along.NO RULES YET FOR MAKING A SWITCH“What is the tripping point?” asked Webby, who is part of a World Health Organization network that tracks influenza evolution. “A lot of what is going to need to go into that decision making is just going to be learned by experience, unfortunately.”Bedford said now is the time to decide what drop in vaccine effectiveness would trigger a formula change, just as is done with flu vaccines every year.That’s important not just if a dramatically worse variant suddenly develops. Like many scientists, Bedford expects the coronavirus to eventually evolve from a global crisis into a regular threat every winter -- which might mean more regular boosters, maybe even yearly in combination with the flu shot.Timing between shots matters, too, Wherry noted.“Your boostability may actually improve with longer intervals between stimulation,” he said. While scientists have learned a lot about the coronavirus, “the story’s not finished yet and we don’t know what the last chapters say.”___

COVID boosters not updated to protect against delta variant

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Negotiations stretched into a fourth day seeking the return of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group kidnapped over the weekend by a violent gang that is demanding $1 million ransom per person.

The group includes five children whose ages range from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom amount included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian.

The abduction is one of at least 119 kidnappings recorded in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said a Haitian driver was abducted along with the missionaries, bringing the total to 18 people taken by the gang.

The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries shortly after the abduction.

“This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said, adding that the missionaries worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Aug. 14.

The group was returning from visiting an orphanage when it was abducted, the organization said.

Responding to the recent wave of kidnappings, workers staged a protest strike that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation starting Monday. The work stoppage was a new blow to Haiti’s anemic economy. Unions and other groups vowed to continue the shutdown indefinitely.

In a peaceful demonstration Tuesday north of Port-au-Prince, dozens of people walked through the streets of Titanyen demanding the release of the missionaries. Some carried signs that read “Free the Americans” and “No to Kidnapping!” and explained that the missionaries helped pay bills and build roads and schools.

“They do a lot for us,” said Beatrice Jean.

Meanwhile, the country’s fuel shortage worsened, with businesses blaming gangs for blocking roads and gas distribution terminals.

Hundreds of motorcycles zoomed through the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday as the drivers yelled, “If there’s no fuel, we’re going to burn it all down!”

One protest took place near the prime minister’s residence, where police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd demanding fuel.

In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the FBI was “part of a coordinated U.S. government effort” to free the missionaries. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince was coordinating with local officials and the hostages’ families.

“We know these groups target U.S. citizens who they assume have the resources and finances to pay ransoms, even if that is not the case,” Psaki said, noting that the government has urged U.S. citizens not to visit Haiti.

It is longstanding U.S. policy not to negotiate with hostage takers, and Psaki declined to discuss details of the operation.

The kidnapping was the largest of its kind reported in recent years. Haitian gangs have grown more brazen as the country tries to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people.

Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group included six women, six men and five children. A sign on the door at the organization’s headquarters in Berlin, Ohio, said it was closed due to the kidnapping situation.

News of the kidnappings spread swiftly in and around Holmes County, Ohio, hub of one of the largest populations of Amish and conservative Mennonites in the United States, said Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish &amp; Mennonite Heritage Center in nearby Millersburg, Ohio.

Christian Aid Ministries is supported by conservative Mennonite, Amish and related groups that are part of the Anabaptist tradition.

The organization was founded in the early 1980s and began working in Haiti later that decade, said Steven Nolt, professor of history and Anabaptist studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. The group has year-round mission staff in Haiti and several countries, he said, and it ships religious, school and medical supplies throughout the world.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Negotiations stretched into a fourth day seeking the return of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group kidnapped over the weekend by a violent gang that is demanding $1 million ransom per person.The group includes five children whose ages range from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom amount included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian.The abduction is one of at least 119 kidnappings recorded in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said a Haitian driver was abducted along with the missionaries, bringing the total to 18 people taken by the gang.The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries shortly after the abduction.“This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said, adding that the missionaries worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Aug. 14.The group was returning from visiting an orphanage when it was abducted, the organization said.Responding to the recent wave of kidnappings, workers staged a protest strike that shuttered businesses, schools and public transportation starting Monday. The work stoppage was a new blow to Haiti’s anemic economy. Unions and other groups vowed to continue the shutdown indefinitely.In a peaceful demonstration Tuesday north of Port-au-Prince, dozens of people walked through the streets of Titanyen demanding the release of the missionaries. Some carried signs that read “Free the Americans” and “No to Kidnapping!” and explained that the missionaries helped pay bills and build roads and schools.“They do a lot for us,” said Beatrice Jean.Meanwhile, the country’s fuel shortage worsened, with businesses blaming gangs for blocking roads and gas distribution terminals.Hundreds of motorcycles zoomed through the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday as the drivers yelled, “If there’s no fuel, we’re going to burn it all down!”One protest took place near the prime minister’s residence, where police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd demanding fuel.In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the FBI was “part of a coordinated U.S. government effort” to free the missionaries. The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince was coordinating with local officials and the hostages’ families.“We know these groups target U.S. citizens who they assume have the resources and finances to pay ransoms, even if that is not the case,” Psaki said, noting that the government has urged U.S. citizens not to visit Haiti.It is longstanding U.S. policy not to negotiate with hostage takers, and Psaki declined to discuss details of the operation.The kidnapping was the largest of its kind reported in recent years. Haitian gangs have grown more brazen as the country tries to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people.Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group included six women, six men and five children. A sign on the door at the organization’s headquarters in Berlin, Ohio, said it was closed due to the kidnapping situation.News of the kidnappings spread swiftly in and around Holmes County, Ohio, hub of one of the largest populations of Amish and conservative Mennonites in the United States, said Marcus Yoder, executive director of the Amish &amp; Mennonite Heritage Center in nearby Millersburg, Ohio.Christian Aid Ministries is supported by conservative Mennonite, Amish and related groups that are part of the Anabaptist tradition.The organization was founded in the early 1980s and began working in Haiti later that decade, said Steven Nolt, professor of history and Anabaptist studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. The group has year-round mission staff in Haiti and several countries, he said, and it ships religious, school and medical supplies throughout the world.

Negotiations drag on to free U.S. missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to block a vaccine requirement imposed on Maine health care workers, the latest defeat for opponents of vaccine mandates.

It was the first time the Supreme Court weighed in on a statewide vaccine mandate. It previously rejected challenges of vaccine requirements for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-york-education-health-us-supreme-court-abd2fc93473aac7536257519bea71b02">New York City teachers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-c10f02b467c86e2b61c6743aedd4fc69">Indiana University staff and students.</a>

Justice Stephen Breyer rejected the emergency appeal but left the door open to try again as the clock ticks on Maine’s mandate. The state will begin enforcing it Oct. 29.

The Maine vaccine requirement that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-maine-university-of-maine-0f3d7527b8ff621da5f123db36b7b3c6">put in place by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills</a>&nbsp;requires hospital and nursing home workers to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

Opponents tried to block the mandate, but a federal judge rejected the request Oct. 13. The judge said the record indicated regular testing alone wasn’t sufficient to stop the spread of the delta variant.

That decision set off a flurry of emergency appeals to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and then the U.S. Supreme Court.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court in Boston quickly dismissed the emergency appeal but fast-tracked additional arguments. That timetable provides enough time for another ruling before enforcement of the vaccine mandate begins at the end of next week.

Mat Staver, founder and chair of the Liberty Counsel, which challenged the vaccine mandate, said the Supreme Court is ready to consider the case “if we do not get relief” from the appeals court in the coming days.

The Maine attorney general’s office declined to comment.

The Liberty Counsel, which filed the lawsuit in federal court in Maine in August, claimed to be representing more than 2,000 health care workers who don’t want to be forced to be vaccinated.

Dozens of health care workers have opted to quit, and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston already curtailed some admissions because of an “acute shortage” of nurses. But most health workers have complied.

State agencies vowed to work with hospitals and nursing homes individually to address issues.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to block a vaccine requirement imposed on Maine health care workers, the latest defeat for opponents of vaccine mandates.It was the first time the Supreme Court weighed in on a statewide vaccine mandate. It previously rejected challenges of vaccine requirements for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-york-education-health-us-supreme-court-abd2fc93473aac7536257519bea71b02">New York City teachers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-c10f02b467c86e2b61c6743aedd4fc69">Indiana University staff and students.</a>Justice Stephen Breyer rejected the emergency appeal but left the door open to try again as the clock ticks on Maine’s mandate. The state will begin enforcing it Oct. 29.The Maine vaccine requirement that was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-maine-university-of-maine-0f3d7527b8ff621da5f123db36b7b3c6">put in place by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills</a>&nbsp;requires hospital and nursing home workers to get vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.Opponents tried to block the mandate, but a federal judge rejected the request Oct. 13. The judge said the record indicated regular testing alone wasn’t sufficient to stop the spread of the delta variant.That decision set off a flurry of emergency appeals to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and then the U.S. Supreme Court.A three-judge panel of the appeals court in Boston quickly dismissed the emergency appeal but fast-tracked additional arguments. That timetable provides enough time for another ruling before enforcement of the vaccine mandate begins at the end of next week.Mat Staver, founder and chair of the Liberty Counsel, which challenged the vaccine mandate, said the Supreme Court is ready to consider the case “if we do not get relief” from the appeals court in the coming days.The Maine attorney general’s office declined to comment.The Liberty Counsel, which filed the lawsuit in federal court in Maine in August, claimed to be representing more than 2,000 health care workers who don’t want to be forced to be vaccinated.Dozens of health care workers have opted to quit, and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston already curtailed some admissions because of an “acute shortage” of nurses. But most health workers have complied.State agencies vowed to work with hospitals and nursing homes individually to address issues.___

Supreme Court refuses to block a statewide vaccine mandate

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after a standoff at a home in Hutchinson.

Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday police responded to the area of the 300 block Logan Street in Hutchinson after Emergency Communications received a 911 call from a woman asking for help.  When officers arrived they learned from neighbors that an altercation had occurred at 311 Logan Street where a man was cursing at a woman. 

 Officers made contact with a woman at 311 Logan Street who reported her ex-boyfriend came into her residence uninvited and was refusing to leave. 

 The man was identified as 51-year-old Christopher St John of Hutchison.

Officers determined that St John had an absconder warrant for his arrest through the Kansas Department of Corrections. 

Officers established verbal communications with St John who barricaded himself in a bathroom and refused to come out.  He then started damaging property inside the bathroom and made threats to officers, and it was determined that he had access to weapons . 

 A perimeter was set, and the Emergency response Team was activated.   Lengthy negotiations took place and after nearly 5 hours St John came out of the residence. 

 St John refused to comply with commands and a police K-9 was deployed to assist in taking St John into custody. 

 During the event St John became physical with the police K9 but members of the Emergency Response team were able to place him into custody. 

 St John received medical treatment at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for lacerations.   In addition to the KDOC warrant St John was arrested on requested charges of Felony interference with Law Enforcement, Harming a police dog, Criminal Damage to Property, Disorderly Conduct, and Criminal Trespassing. 

HUTCHINSON— Police were called to the area of 3rd and Logan in Hutchinson just before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for a person barricaded inside a home.

3rd Avenue was closed one block on each side of the scene. This appeared initially to be a domestic disturbance.&nbsp;

SWAT officers, the Sheriff's Office Bearkat and K-9 units were used to take one man into custody shortly after 3:30 p.m.

An ambulance had been called and officers checked to see if any additional people were inside the residence. Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper said that a woman alerted authorities to a trouble with a subject call.

Police were able to get her out of the home safely but the male subject barricaded himself inside the bathroom. He eventually came out and was subdued by one of the K-9 units before being taken to the hospital for treatment and then into custody. No names has been released at this time but Hooper did say the man is wanted by the US Marshalls Service.

There were no injuries other than to the subject which suffered several bites from the K-9 officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634724859380.png" alt="St. John has previous convictions that include forgery, obstruction and a violation of the offender registration act. photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>St. John has previous convictions that include forgery, obstruction and a violation of the offender registration act. photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect after a standoff at a home in Hutchinson.Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday police responded to the area of the 300 block Logan Street in Hutchinson after Emergency Communications received a 911 call from a woman asking for help. When officers arrived they learned from neighbors that an altercation had occurred at 311 Logan Street where a man was cursing at a woman. Officers made contact with a woman at 311 Logan Street who reported her ex-boyfriend came into her residence uninvited and was refusing to leave. The man was identified as 51-year-old Christopher St John of Hutchison.Officers determined that St John had an absconder warrant for his arrest through the Kansas Department of Corrections. Officers established verbal communications with St John who barricaded himself in a bathroom and refused to come out. He then started damaging property inside the bathroom and made threats to officers, and it was determined that he had access to weapons . A perimeter was set, and the Emergency response Team was activated. Lengthy negotiations took place and after nearly 5 hours St John came out of the residence. St John refused to comply with commands and a police K-9 was deployed to assist in taking St John into custody. During the event St John became physical with the police K9 but members of the Emergency Response team were able to place him into custody. St John received medical treatment at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for lacerations. In addition to the KDOC warrant St John was arrested on requested charges of Felony interference with Law Enforcement, Harming a police dog, Criminal Damage to Property, Disorderly Conduct, and Criminal Trespassing. &nbsp; -------HUTCHINSON— Police were called to the area of 3rd and Logan in Hutchinson just before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for a person barricaded inside a home.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634676424222.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>3rd Avenue was closed one block on each side of the scene. This appeared initially to be a domestic disturbance.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634676431525.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SWAT officers, the Sheriff's Office Bearkat and K-9 units were used to take one man into custody shortly after 3:30 p.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634676503533.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>An ambulance had been called and officers checked to see if any additional people were inside the residence. Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper said that a woman alerted authorities to a trouble with a subject call.Police were able to get her out of the home safely but the male subject barricaded himself inside the bathroom. He eventually came out and was subdued by one of the K-9 units before being taken to the hospital for treatment and then into custody. No names has been released at this time but Hooper did say the man is wanted by the US Marshalls Service.There were no injuries other than to the subject which suffered several bites from the K-9 officer.

Police: Wanted Kan. man accused of harming police dog during arrest

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry&nbsp;Moran Tuesday spoke during a press conference on the Democrats’ proposal to expand the scope of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), allowing it unprecedented authority to review individual financial accounts.

“The reaction by Kansans to this proposal is exactly the right one: this is a terrible intrusion in our lives, our families’ lives and our businesses,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “A banker in Paola told me, ‘it’s not even law yet, and I’ve had customers closing their accounts.’ Kansans do not want the federal government to have more information and intrude upon their privacy. In addition, the cost of complying will mean our small financial institutions in Kansas will have the burden of more regulations forced upon them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634674674527.png" alt="Moran said, "The reaction by Kansans to this proposal is exactly the right one: this is a terrible intrusion in our lives, our families’ lives and our businesses,”" />
 <figcaption>Moran said, "The reaction by Kansans to this proposal is exactly the right one: this is a terrible intrusion in our lives, our families’ lives and our businesses,”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry&nbsp;Moran Tuesday spoke during a press conference on the Democrats’ proposal to expand the scope of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), allowing it unprecedented authority to review individual financial accounts.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Hsije1oe-E?start=5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“The reaction by Kansans to this proposal is exactly the right one: this is a terrible intrusion in our lives, our families’ lives and our businesses,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran. “A banker in Paola told me, ‘it’s not even law yet, and I’ve had customers closing their accounts.’ Kansans do not want the federal government to have more information and intrude upon their privacy. In addition, the cost of complying will mean our small financial institutions in Kansas will have the burden of more regulations forced upon them.”

🎥Moran: Dems' IRS proposal threatens privacy, security of Kan. banks  

Webinar to be conducted on October 28, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. Hawai’i time / 5:30 p.m. EDT

In partnership with the Hawai’i Attorney General, the Federal Communications Commission will host a virtual public webinar on spoofing and robocalls.   The event will follow up on the Hawai’i Attorney General’s spoofing alert issued last month, and will feature state government officials and other Hawai’i-based partners.  It will provide tips consumers can use to protect themselves from scams.  

The Webinar will begin at 11:30 a.m. Hawai’i time / 5:30 p.m. Eastern time and stream live on www.fcc.gov/live.  It is a free virtual event and does not require advanced registration.

Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to the recipient’s caller ID display to disguise their identity.  Scammers often use “neighbor spoofing” so it appears that an incoming call is from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that consumers may know and trust.  Spoofing is often used in concert with a robocall by fraudsters seeking to steal consumers’ money and/or identity.

Questions can be submitted during or in advance of this event by sending an email to Outreach@fcc.gov. 

Open captioning will be provided for this event.  Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer &amp; Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice).  Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed.  In addition, please include a way for the FCC to contact the requester if more information is needed to fill the request.  Last minute requests will be accepted, but it may not be possible to accommodate the request.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWebinar to be conducted on October 28, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. Hawai’i time / 5:30 p.m. EDT In partnership with the Hawai’i Attorney General, the Federal Communications Commission will host a virtual public webinar on spoofing and robocalls. The event will follow up on the Hawai’i Attorney General’s spoofing alert issued last month, and will feature state government officials and other Hawai’i-based partners. It will provide tips consumers can use to protect themselves from scams. The Webinar will begin at 11:30 a.m. Hawai’i time / 5:30 p.m. Eastern time and stream live on www.fcc.gov/live. It is a free virtual event and does not require advanced registration.Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to the recipient’s caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use “neighbor spoofing” so it appears that an incoming call is from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that consumers may know and trust. Spoofing is often used in concert with a robocall by fraudsters seeking to steal consumers’ money and/or identity.Questions can be submitted during or in advance of this event by sending an email to Outreach@fcc.gov. Open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer &amp; Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice). Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed. In addition, please include a way for the FCC to contact the requester if more information is needed to fill the request. Last minute requests will be accepted, but it may not be possible to accommodate the request.

Consumer webinar will focus on plague of robocalls in US

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in a double-fatal crash during a police chase in a stolen SUV will make an unscheduled court appearance Wednesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In May of 2019, police reported then 24-year-old Mia Collins led officers on a chase in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle. After about on mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.

The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children. She is Wood’s daughter and McElroy’s aunt.

&nbsp;Collins was on probation for stealing a handgun at the time of the crash. A passenger in her car, 38-year-old Christopher English, was on parole. They were not seriously injured in the crash.

She is <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20020842">charged with two counts </a>of first-degree murder and numerous other charges. The trial is scheduled to begin in October.

Check the Post for additional details on the hearing as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597421975250.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal 2019 crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal 2019 crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas woman involved in a double-fatal crash during a police chase in a stolen SUV will make an unscheduled court appearance Wednesday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In May of 2019, police reported then 24-year-old Mia Collins led officers on a chase in a stolen BMW sport utility vehicle. After about on mile, the car collided with a car and another SUV at an intersection.The crash killed 70-year-old Maria Wood and 12-year-old Rosemary McElroy and critically injured 36-year-old Jenny Wood, a popular Wichita musician known for performing with children. She is Wood’s daughter and McElroy’s aunt.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597432907464.png" alt="Collins photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Collins photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Collins was on probation for stealing a handgun at the time of the crash. A passenger in her car, 38-year-old Christopher English, was on parole. They were not seriously injured in the crash.She is <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20020842">charged with two counts </a>of first-degree murder and numerous other charges. The trial is scheduled to begin in October.Check the Post for additional details on the hearing as it becomes available.---

Kan. woman charged in fatal crash to make unscheduled court appearance

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas middle school teacher who plead not guilty to nearly a dozen counts of sexual exploitation of a child was sentenced Monday.

Judge Eric Williams sentenced 41-year-old Cody Chitwood to 3 years probation with an underlying sentence of 64 months which means he would serve the prison sentence if he violates probation, must register as a sex offender for 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;He agreed to a plea deal in September.

In 2018, authorities arrested Chitwood after officials found more than 250 images and videos of child pornography on the electronic device they seized in an investigation.&nbsp;He taught special education at Derby Middle School and coached football, track and girls basketball.

The school district voted to fire him immediately.&nbsp; Chitwood was hired by the district in 2004.&nbsp;

Chitwood originally told investigators that “when you’re on the internet you see a lot of things” but added that he “never knowingly nor willing traded child pornography on any website.”

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634583183107.png" alt="Chitwood photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Chitwood photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A former Kansas middle school teacher who plead not guilty to nearly a dozen counts of sexual exploitation of a child was sentenced Monday.Judge Eric Williams sentenced 41-year-old Cody Chitwood to 3 years probation with an underlying sentence of 64 months which means he would serve the prison sentence if he violates probation, must register as a sex offender for 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;He agreed to a plea deal in September.In 2018, authorities arrested Chitwood after officials found more than 250 images and videos of child pornography on the electronic device they seized in an investigation.&nbsp;He taught special education at Derby Middle School and coached football, track and girls basketball.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634582866381.png" alt="Chitwood from his 2018 arrest in Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Chitwood from his 2018 arrest in Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>The school district voted to fire him immediately.&nbsp; Chitwood was hired by the district in 2004.&nbsp;Chitwood originally told investigators that “when you’re on the internet you see a lot of things” but added that he “never knowingly nor willing traded child pornography on any website.”-The Associated Press contributed to this report

Judge: Former Kan. teacher must register as a sex offender

WASHINGTON —&nbsp;Dr. Rachel Levine was sworn in Tuesday to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, officially becoming the first openly transgender four-star officer in the uniformed services and first female four-star admiral of the U.S.P.H.S.

In March, the U.S. Senate confirmed the former Pennsylvania Health Secretary to be the nation's assistant secretary of health. 

She was the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation. The final vote was 52-48, mostly along party lines. Levine had been serving as Pennsylvania’s top health official since 2017, and emerged as the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Rachel Levine fights every day to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. She's working to help our nation overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and build a stronger foundation for a healthier future - one in which every American can attain their full health potential, according to a statement in her HHS bio. ADM Levine also is the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned one of the eight uniformed services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634681586647.png" alt="Dr. Levine photo U.S. Health and Human services" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Levine photo U.S. Health and Human services</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —&nbsp;Dr. Rachel Levine was sworn in Tuesday to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, officially becoming the first openly transgender four-star officer in the uniformed services and first female four-star admiral of the U.S.P.H.S.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am deeply honored &amp; grateful to join the ranks of men &amp; women across this great nation who have committed to defend the United States against small &amp; large threats, known and unknown. I promise to uphold that trust to the fullest extent of my abilities. <a href="https://t.co/ryfwRqbAoz">https://t.co/ryfwRqbAoz</a>&mdash; ADM Rachel Levine (@HHS_ASH) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHS_ASH/status/1450446086645198851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In March, the U.S. Senate confirmed the former Pennsylvania Health Secretary to be the nation's assistant secretary of health. She was the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation. The final vote was 52-48, mostly along party lines. Levine had been serving as Pennsylvania’s top health official since 2017, and emerged as the public face of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634682020466.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Rachel Levine fights every day to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. She's working to help our nation overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and build a stronger foundation for a healthier future - one in which every American can attain their full health potential, according to a statement in her HHS bio. ADM Levine also is the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned one of the eight uniformed services.

🎥Transgender U.S. health official sworn in as four-star admiral

ATCHISON COUNTY —A man wanted in Missouri is in jail in Atchison&nbsp; County, Kansas, after an arrest early Tuesday.

According to Police Chief Mike Wilson, officers arrested Devon D. Wall, 25, Atchison, on a Buchanan County Missouri warrant for probation violation.&nbsp;

Authorities have arrested Wall seven times since September of 2019 on requested charges involving forgery, according to online jail records.

He remains in custody in Atchison County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634648211949.png" alt="Wall-photo Atchison County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Wall-photo Atchison County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —A man wanted in Missouri is in jail in Atchison&nbsp; County, Kansas, after an arrest early Tuesday.According to Police Chief Mike Wilson, officers arrested Devon D. Wall, 25, Atchison, on a Buchanan County Missouri warrant for probation violation.&nbsp;Authorities have arrested Wall seven times since September of 2019 on requested charges involving forgery, according to online jail records.He remains in custody in Atchison County.

Serial forger wanted in Missouri jailed in Kansas

TOPEKA – Directing FBI agents across the country to monitor school board meetings sends a threatening message from the federal government and has a chilling effect on free speech rights that must not be continued, according to a statement from Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/biden_doj_parent-speech-at-school-board-mtg-final.pdf?sfvrsn=dbbda51a_2">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;a&nbsp; copy of the letter sent to U.S. Attorney General

Schmidt joined a 17-state effort calling on the Biden administration to withdraw a directive that the FBI engage in monitoring local school board meetings and actions. The attorneys general outlined their concerns in a letter sent yesterday to President Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“For many Americans, their first, live personal interaction with their government is with their local public school board,” the attorneys general wrote. “Parents or other taxpayers may be aggrieved by what happened at school and/or they want more information about some issue or school practice. … We as a country should celebrate their participation in our system of self-government, not silence them by accusing them of ‘domestic terrorism’ and threaten them with the prospect of the FBI knocking on their door to investigate their activities.”

On Oct. 4, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memorandum decrying a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.” The Biden administration, however, has provided no convincing evidence of any “spike” in threats against school personnel, and in any event such conduct would ordinarily be effectively handled by local law enforcement without federal involvement. The specter of federal involvement instead&nbsp;seems designed to chill the lawful dissent of parents who express concerns about their children’s education at local public school board meetings.

The Department of Justice memo echoed a National School Board Association (NSBA) letter sent Sept. 29 to the Biden administration that lamented the rise of parents pushing back against divisive ideologies, including critical race theory. The NSBA letter raised the specter of local protests rising to the level of “domestic terrorism.”

The attorneys general letter reiterates the primary role that parents have in directing the education of their children and asks Biden and Garland to “immediately withdraw the October 4, 2021 Memorandum, to immediately cease any further actions designed to intimidate parents from expressing their opinions on the education of their children, and demand that you respect their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and to raise their children.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633455127488.png" alt="During a July 26 board meeting, one parent told the Shawnee Mission Kan. School Board,&nbsp; "The CDC, the county health department and school board members are not the law."&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>During a July 26 board meeting, one parent told the Shawnee Mission Kan. School Board,&nbsp; "The CDC, the county health department and school board members are not the law."&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Directing FBI agents across the country to monitor school board meetings sends a threatening message from the federal government and has a chilling effect on free speech rights that must not be continued, according to a statement from Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/biden_doj_parent-speech-at-school-board-mtg-final.pdf?sfvrsn=dbbda51a_2">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;a&nbsp; copy of the letter sent to U.S. Attorney GeneralSchmidt joined a 17-state effort calling on the Biden administration to withdraw a directive that the FBI engage in monitoring local school board meetings and actions. The attorneys general outlined their concerns in a letter sent yesterday to President Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.“For many Americans, their first, live personal interaction with their government is with their local public school board,” the attorneys general wrote. “Parents or other taxpayers may be aggrieved by what happened at school and/or they want more information about some issue or school practice. … We as a country should celebrate their participation in our system of self-government, not silence them by accusing them of ‘domestic terrorism’ and threaten them with the prospect of the FBI knocking on their door to investigate their activities.”On Oct. 4, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memorandum decrying a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.” The Biden administration, however, has provided no convincing evidence of any “spike” in threats against school personnel, and in any event such conduct would ordinarily be effectively handled by local law enforcement without federal involvement. The specter of federal involvement instead&nbsp;seems designed to chill the lawful dissent of parents who express concerns about their children’s education at local public school board meetings.The Department of Justice memo echoed a National School Board Association (NSBA) letter sent Sept. 29 to the Biden administration that lamented the rise of parents pushing back against divisive ideologies, including critical race theory. The NSBA letter raised the specter of local protests rising to the level of “domestic terrorism.”The attorneys general letter reiterates the primary role that parents have in directing the education of their children and asks Biden and Garland to “immediately withdraw the October 4, 2021 Memorandum, to immediately cease any further actions designed to intimidate parents from expressing their opinions on the education of their children, and demand that you respect their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and to raise their children.”

Kan. AG: Directing FBI to monitor school board meetings is wrong

WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — Ruby the K-9 officer for Kansas game wardens may be pushing 10 years of old, but her sniffer works just fine. That was evident earlier this month when Ruby played a key role in tracking down a man wanted by police in the south-central Kansas town of Wellington. 

A Monday Facebook posting by Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks-Game Wardens says Ruby and her handler, Chris Stout, joined in the search for the suspect on Oct. 8 at Wellington City Lake. 

Ruby found the suspect “face down in mud under dense brush.” For her hard work, Ruby was rewarded with a swim in the lake.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634660420550.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks Game Wardens" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks Game Wardens</figcaption>
 </figure>WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — Ruby the K-9 officer for Kansas game wardens may be pushing 10 years of old, but her sniffer works just fine. That was evident earlier this month when Ruby played a key role in tracking down a man wanted by police in the south-central Kansas town of Wellington. A Monday Facebook posting by Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks-Game Wardens says Ruby and her handler, Chris Stout, joined in the search for the suspect on Oct. 8 at Wellington City Lake. Ruby found the suspect “face down in mud under dense brush.” For her hard work, Ruby was rewarded with a swim in the lake.

Dog helps lead game warden to suspect at Kansas lake

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Jackson County officials on Monday approved a settlement with a church that had sued over COVID-19 restrictions that it claimed discriminated against religion.

The Jackson County Legislature voted Monday to approve a $146,750 payment to Abundant Life Baptist Church and attorney Jonathan Whitehead. The county also agreed that any future health restrictions would not be more onerous than restrictions on secular gatherings.

The county and University Health, formerly known as Truman Medical Centers, will pay the settlement. University Health operates the county health department.

Abundant Life attracts thousands to its services in Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit. Under the COVID-19 recovery plan in place when the lawsuit was filed in March 2020, church services were included with other large gatherings and social events that were limited to no more than 10 people.

At the same time, non-essential stores, restaurants and bars were not facing numerical limitations and were allowed to reopen if they followed the social distancing recommendations from federal health officials.

The U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled that limiting the size of Bible studies and prayer meetings was an unconstitutional restriction on religious rights, and the Jackson County settlement cites three other court cases with similar rulings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634643423165.png" alt="Abundant Life Baptist Church -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Abundant Life Baptist Church -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Jackson County officials on Monday approved a settlement with a church that had sued over COVID-19 restrictions that it claimed discriminated against religion.The Jackson County Legislature voted Monday to approve a $146,750 payment to Abundant Life Baptist Church and attorney Jonathan Whitehead. The county also agreed that any future health restrictions would not be more onerous than restrictions on secular gatherings.The county and University Health, formerly known as Truman Medical Centers, will pay the settlement. University Health operates the county health department.Abundant Life attracts thousands to its services in Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit. Under the COVID-19 recovery plan in place when the lawsuit was filed in March 2020, church services were included with other large gatherings and social events that were limited to no more than 10 people.At the same time, non-essential stores, restaurants and bars were not facing numerical limitations and were allowed to reopen if they followed the social distancing recommendations from federal health officials.The U.S. Supreme Court has since ruled that limiting the size of Bible studies and prayer meetings was an unconstitutional restriction on religious rights, and the Jackson County settlement cites three other court cases with similar rulings.

County settles COVID-19 rules lawsuit with KC-area church

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An investigation is underway after a jail detainee was found dead at the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center in Topeka. 

The Shawnee County Department of Corrections says 58-year-old Curley Charles Anderson Jr. was booked into the jail on Friday on charges that included aggravated battery, driving while license suspended and reckless driving. 

At 4:14 p.m. Monday, authorities were alerted to a medical emergency and Anderson was found unresponsive in his cell. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. In addition to an internal investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is looking into Anderson’s death.

He had over a dozen previous felony convictions that included forgery, burglary, theft, criminal threat, aggravated battery, aiding a felon, driving while suspended and for drugs. He had been out of prison since January of 2020, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634666106913.png" alt="Anderson had over a dozen previous felony convictions that included forgery, burglary, theft, criminal threat, aggravated battery, aiding a felon, driving while suspended and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections- photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Anderson had over a dozen previous felony convictions that included forgery, burglary, theft, criminal threat, aggravated battery, aiding a felon, driving while suspended and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections- photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An investigation is underway after a jail detainee was found dead at the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center in Topeka. The Shawnee County Department of Corrections says 58-year-old Curley Charles Anderson Jr. was booked into the jail on Friday on charges that included aggravated battery, driving while license suspended and reckless driving. At 4:14 p.m. Monday, authorities were alerted to a medical emergency and Anderson was found unresponsive in his cell. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. In addition to an internal investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is looking into Anderson’s death.He had over a dozen previous felony convictions that included forgery, burglary, theft, criminal threat, aggravated battery, aiding a felon, driving while suspended and for drugs. He had been out of prison since January of 2020, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Kan. man arrested Friday found unresponsive in jail cell

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-10-18/kansas-schools-were-already-struggling-to-find-substitute-teachers-then-covid-hit">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA — School is back. Thousands of teachers across the state are not.

Absences
 triggered by COVID-19 outbreaks and the resulting quarantines leave 
schools straining to fill the gaps with substitutes when retirees and 
the other usual fill-in suspects are less willing to command a classroom
 on the fly.

“It’s a critical thing for us,” said Sean Hudspeth, 
head of human resources for the state’s largest district in Wichita. “It
 weighs on our minds ... and will, probably, for the remainder of the 
school year.”

The pandemic exposed <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2021-09-13/kansas-city-area-school-districts-cant-find-enough-bus-drivers-teachers-or-lunches" target="_blank">chronic staffing shortages</a>
 at schools in Kansas and across the country. Even before the 
coronavirus hit, districts scrambled to find enough substitute teachers,
 para-educators, cafeteria workers and bus drivers. In some schools, 
principals have to serve lunches.

For nearly a decade now, <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-teacher-shortage-is-real-large-and-growing-and-worse-than-we-thought-the-first-report-in-the-perfect-storm-in-the-teacher-labor-market-series/" target="_blank">scores of teachers have been leaving the profession</a>
 — retiring or finding other work — and fewer young people have filled 
the gaps. From 2010 to 2020, enrollment in teacher preparation programs 
nationwide <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-12-03/sharp-nationwide-enrollment-drop-in-teacher-prep-programs-cause-for-alarm" target="_blank">declined by more than one-third</a>.

When the pandemic hit, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/09/08/how-the-pandemic-has-changed-teachers-commitment-to-remaining-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">even more teachers quit</a>. Some of those spots were filled with long-term substitutes. That took those subs out of an already dwindling pool.

Many
 retired teachers, who normally make up the bulk of potential 
substitutes, are opting out because they don’t want to risk exposure to 
the virus.

Three years ago, Wichita had more than 1,000 people 
certified and signed up to work as substitute teachers. This fall, it 
has about 450, and the district needs about 400 a day.

The Andover
 school district in Butler County assembled a team of its most 
experienced subs and pays them full-time, with benefits, to fill in for 
sick or quarantined employees. The Shawnee Mission district near Kansas 
City recently <a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/shawnee-mission-school-district-hires-out-of-state-companies-for-3-5m-to-help-fill-vacancies" target="_blank">contracted with out-of-state companies</a> to help fill teacher vacancies.

Most
 districts have boosted pay to attract substitute teachers and 
para-educators, who often work one-on-one with special education 
students or help in classrooms. In Wichita, pay starts at $119 a day and
 can go as high as $172 a day.

Still, supply isn’t meeting the demand.

“From
 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., we are non-stop on the phones ... looking at where we
 can plug people in to give schools the best coverage possible,” said 
Stacie McKay, who manages the substitute office in Wichita. “We do our 
best to fill every position, but that’s just not possible right now.”

Before
 the pandemic, the Wichita district’s fill rate for substitutes was 
close to 90%. Now it’s down to 77%. It’s worst in elementary schools, 
where about one in three classrooms that need a sub don’t get one.

So
 schools and districts have to get creative. Teachers juggle multiple 
classes or use plan time to cover for absent colleagues. Administrators 
leave their downtown offices and head back to classrooms. Fifth-grade 
teachers teach kindergarten. History teachers teach calculus.

“We’ve
 even heard of school districts deploying National Guard members to 
drive school buses,” said Hudspeth, the HR director. “There’s simply not
 enough people to get kids on the bus and get them to school.”

Wichita
 Superintendent Alicia Thompson said the all-hands-on-deck strategy 
means she and other upper-level administrators have considered getting 
their food handler's licenses so they can serve lunches when the need 
arises.

“We have to continue to keep the district going until we 
can get over this hump that we’re experiencing,” Thompson said. “It’s 
not that we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs. We are out actively 
trying to do all we can to recruit folks to come in and work.”

What does that mean for students? They learn less.

Michael Hansen, a senior fellow in the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/michael-hansen/" target="_blank">Brown Center on Education Policy</a>
 at the Brookings Institution, says too few studies have explored the 
impact of substitute teachers on student achievement. Most subs have 
daily or short-term assignments, so the impact is hard to measure.

But some research shows that when a teacher is absent for 10 days over the course of a school year, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/666537?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank">student learning can drop up to 3%</a>. In higher-level math or science classes, the decline is greater.

“We
 know that teacher absences, in general, do impose ... a learning 
penalty on students,” Hansen said. “It’s not a huge effect, but it is 
something. And of course, the more a teacher is absent, the more it has 
an impact on the kids.”

Teachers are sounding the alarm, too. Brent Lewis, president of <a href="https://utw-ks.org/" target="_blank">United Teachers of Wichita</a>, recently urged school board members to ease teacher workload, saying the shortage of substitutes is leading to burnout.

“Our educators have been stepping up to meet the challenge to the point of real and lasting exhaustion,” he said.

During the height of the pandemic last winter, staffing shortages forced many Kansas districts to <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article247227669.html" target="_blank">close schools and send kids home</a> for online classes.

Hansen,
 the Brookings expert, says the priority for districts and communities 
this year is keeping schools open. But the pandemic isn’t over, so it’s 
optimistic to think schools will make much headway on learning losses.

“The
 first-tier concern is just sort of staying open and allowing kids to 
come in as much as they can,” he said. “We’re definitely still in crisis
 mode. … Later in the school year maybe things will settle down, and 
they’ll hopefully return to a new normal.”

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634581028179.png" alt="Substitute teacher Serle McNeil leads an algebra class at Andover High School. McNeil is one of a team of full-time subs rounded up last year to fill in a suddenly chronic shortage. Suzanne Perez / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>Substitute teacher Serle McNeil leads an algebra class at Andover High School. McNeil is one of a team of full-time subs rounded up last year to fill in a suddenly chronic shortage. Suzanne Perez / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/education/2021-10-18/kansas-schools-were-already-struggling-to-find-substitute-teachers-then-covid-hit">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA — School is back. Thousands of teachers across the state are not.Absences
 triggered by COVID-19 outbreaks and the resulting quarantines leave 
schools straining to fill the gaps with substitutes when retirees and 
the other usual fill-in suspects are less willing to command a classroom
 on the fly.“It’s a critical thing for us,” said Sean Hudspeth, 
head of human resources for the state’s largest district in Wichita. “It
 weighs on our minds ... and will, probably, for the remainder of the 
school year.”The pandemic exposed <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2021-09-13/kansas-city-area-school-districts-cant-find-enough-bus-drivers-teachers-or-lunches" target="_blank">chronic staffing shortages</a>
 at schools in Kansas and across the country. Even before the 
coronavirus hit, districts scrambled to find enough substitute teachers,
 para-educators, cafeteria workers and bus drivers. In some schools, 
principals have to serve lunches.For nearly a decade now, <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-teacher-shortage-is-real-large-and-growing-and-worse-than-we-thought-the-first-report-in-the-perfect-storm-in-the-teacher-labor-market-series/" target="_blank">scores of teachers have been leaving the profession</a>
 — retiring or finding other work — and fewer young people have filled 
the gaps. From 2010 to 2020, enrollment in teacher preparation programs 
nationwide <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2019-12-03/sharp-nationwide-enrollment-drop-in-teacher-prep-programs-cause-for-alarm" target="_blank">declined by more than one-third</a>.When the pandemic hit, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/09/08/how-the-pandemic-has-changed-teachers-commitment-to-remaining-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">even more teachers quit</a>. Some of those spots were filled with long-term substitutes. That took those subs out of an already dwindling pool.Many
 retired teachers, who normally make up the bulk of potential 
substitutes, are opting out because they don’t want to risk exposure to 
the virus.Three years ago, Wichita had more than 1,000 people 
certified and signed up to work as substitute teachers. This fall, it 
has about 450, and the district needs about 400 a day.The Andover
 school district in Butler County assembled a team of its most 
experienced subs and pays them full-time, with benefits, to fill in for 
sick or quarantined employees. The Shawnee Mission district near Kansas 
City recently <a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/shawnee-mission-school-district-hires-out-of-state-companies-for-3-5m-to-help-fill-vacancies" target="_blank">contracted with out-of-state companies</a> to help fill teacher vacancies.Most
 districts have boosted pay to attract substitute teachers and 
para-educators, who often work one-on-one with special education 
students or help in classrooms. In Wichita, pay starts at $119 a day and
 can go as high as $172 a day.Still, supply isn’t meeting the demand.“From
 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., we are non-stop on the phones ... looking at where we
 can plug people in to give schools the best coverage possible,” said 
Stacie McKay, who manages the substitute office in Wichita. “We do our 
best to fill every position, but that’s just not possible right now.”Before
 the pandemic, the Wichita district’s fill rate for substitutes was 
close to 90%. Now it’s down to 77%. It’s worst in elementary schools, 
where about one in three classrooms that need a sub don’t get one.So
 schools and districts have to get creative. Teachers juggle multiple 
classes or use plan time to cover for absent colleagues. Administrators 
leave their downtown offices and head back to classrooms. Fifth-grade 
teachers teach kindergarten. History teachers teach calculus.“We’ve
 even heard of school districts deploying National Guard members to 
drive school buses,” said Hudspeth, the HR director. “There’s simply not
 enough people to get kids on the bus and get them to school.”Wichita
 Superintendent Alicia Thompson said the all-hands-on-deck strategy 
means she and other upper-level administrators have considered getting 
their food handler's licenses so they can serve lunches when the need 
arises.“We have to continue to keep the district going until we 
can get over this hump that we’re experiencing,” Thompson said. “It’s 
not that we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs. We are out actively 
trying to do all we can to recruit folks to come in and work.”What does that mean for students? They learn less.Michael Hansen, a senior fellow in the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/experts/michael-hansen/" target="_blank">Brown Center on Education Policy</a>
 at the Brookings Institution, says too few studies have explored the 
impact of substitute teachers on student achievement. Most subs have 
daily or short-term assignments, so the impact is hard to measure.But some research shows that when a teacher is absent for 10 days over the course of a school year, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/666537?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank">student learning can drop up to 3%</a>. In higher-level math or science classes, the decline is greater.“We
 know that teacher absences, in general, do impose ... a learning 
penalty on students,” Hansen said. “It’s not a huge effect, but it is 
something. And of course, the more a teacher is absent, the more it has 
an impact on the kids.”Teachers are sounding the alarm, too. Brent Lewis, president of <a href="https://utw-ks.org/" target="_blank">United Teachers of Wichita</a>, recently urged school board members to ease teacher workload, saying the shortage of substitutes is leading to burnout.“Our educators have been stepping up to meet the challenge to the point of real and lasting exhaustion,” he said.During the height of the pandemic last winter, staffing shortages forced many Kansas districts to <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/education/article247227669.html" target="_blank">close schools and send kids home</a> for online classes.Hansen,
 the Brookings expert, says the priority for districts and communities 
this year is keeping schools open. But the pandemic isn’t over, so it’s 
optimistic to think schools will make much headway on learning losses.“The
 first-tier concern is just sort of staying open and allowing kids to 
come in as much as they can,” he said. “We’re definitely still in crisis
 mode. … Later in the school year maybe things will settle down, and 
they’ll hopefully return to a new normal.”Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

Kan. schools were struggling to find subs — then COVID hit

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Washington’s enduring question: What does Joe Manchin want?

But increasingly the answer is crystal clear. The conservative West Virginia Democrat wants to dismantle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-joe-biden-business-environment-and-nature-environment-e9b976d57b1b8b35e459c9950b34fca0">President Joe Biden’s proposed climate change strategies&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">social services expansion&nbsp;</a>in ways that are simply unacceptable for most in his party.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632493649692.png" alt="The president will meet with House lawmakers from both groups again Tuesday -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>The president will meet with House lawmakers from both groups again Tuesday -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Washington’s enduring question: What does Joe Manchin want?But increasingly the answer is crystal clear. The conservative West Virginia Democrat wants to dismantle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-joe-biden-business-environment-and-nature-environment-e9b976d57b1b8b35e459c9950b34fca0">President Joe Biden’s proposed climate change strategies&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">social services expansion&nbsp;</a>in ways that are simply unacceptable for most in his party.So the question becomes less about what Manchin wants and more about whether Biden can bring him, the party’s other centrist senators and its progressives to middle ground and salvage his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-connecticut-child-care-hartford-ac1fed8393f5c3da92579608d41a350b">once-sweeping $3.5 trillion proposal&nbsp;</a>from collapse.As the White House pushes its Democratic allies on Capitol Hill to wrap up slogging negotiations before end-of-the-month deadlines, pressure is mounting on the party to hold its slim majority in Congress together to deliver on Biden’s priorities. The president will meet with House lawmakers from both groups again Tuesday at the White House. Biden spoke by phone with Manchin Monday, and Manchin met separately with two progressive leaders: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.“We are at a point where we feel an urgency to move things forward,” Biden press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged Monday.For months, Manchin has publicly and repeatedly balked at the size and scale of Biden’s plan to expand the social safety net, tackle climate change and confront income inequality.Already, he and fellow centrists, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-az-state-wire-government-and-politics-6632b84d43dcd5f897dbaea36d780bbb">Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona</a>, have forced Biden to concede that the final price tag will likely be much smaller, likely around $2 trillion — largely paid for with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy</a>, those earning more than $400,000 per year.But as negotiators sift through the details of what’s in and out of the proposal, it’s Manchin’s priorities that are driving much of the debate, infuriating colleagues and complicating a deal.To start, Manchin is on board with raising the corporate tax rate to 25%, though not quite as much as the 26.5% Democrats have proposed, to finance Biden’s expansive vision, agreeing that corporations should pay their “fair share” at a time when many have reported paying zero taxes.But after that, the coal-state senator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-joe-biden-business-climate-change-1b92217db8ce7f51e9543516c4be19e0">parts ways with progressives</a>&nbsp;and most others in his party.By insisting on a “fuel neutral” approach to energy policies, he threatens to wreck a cornerstone of the climate change plan, the Clean Energy Payment Program, which would offer grants to power companies that increase clean energy generation by 4% each year and fine those that do not.On another major issue, by interjecting work requirements or income thresholds for government aid recipients he wants to limit new child care and health care programs to the neediest Americans.With a striking ability to saunter into the spotlight with wide-ranging demands, Manchin is testing the patience of his colleagues who see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape government programs slipping away to his personal preferences. With Republicans fully opposed to Biden’s plans, the president needs all Democrats in the 50-50 split Senate for passage.“I would hope that we’re going to see some real action within the next week or so,” said Sanders, the Vermont Independent, after meeting privately with Manchin.“We discussed the way forward,” Sanders said.As chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Manchin says he has been forthcoming both publicly and privately about his concern that some Democratic proposals may be detrimental to his coal and gas-producing state.In conversations with the White House over the weekend, Manchin reiterated his opposition to the clean energy plan — this as Biden prepares to head to the U.N. Climate Summit at the end of the month and climate envoy John Kerry&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-business-john-kerry-united-states-european-union-2d7dd2aa3ffef336ff88fdde314c5549">warns against</a>&nbsp;failure as the administration seeks to regain leadership on the climate issue.Under Biden’s proposal in the emerging bill, the U.S. would provide financial rewards to electric utilities that meet clean energy benchmarks and impose financial penalties on utilities that don’t, in line with the president’s goal of achieving 80% “clean electricity” by 2030.While the Democratic plan focuses on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, Manchin insists the tax breaks received by fossil fuels should be preserved, along with breaks for wind and solar. He also says natural gas “has to be” part of the mix.Natural gas produces fewer carbon emissions than coal or oil but has overtaken coal as the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S. power sector, thanks in part to the U.S. fracking boom.“I am all for clean energy, but I am also for producing the amount of energy that we need to make sure that we have reliability,” Manchin said.Progressives have pushed back hard.“No climate, no deal,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., at a recent Capitol news conference.“And let me be clear: natural gas is not clean energy and it is not climate action,” he added.Lawmakers are now considering a “menu” of other emission reduction options to replace Biden’s clean energy plan. Manchin has pushed for “carbon capture” technology that would allow coal and natural gas to be burned while trapping harmful emissions, but he laments it’s “so darn expensive that it makes it almost improbable to do.”A middle ground could emerge in a proposal from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the chairman of the Finance Committee, who has said the bulk of greenhouse gas emission cuts would come from an energy tax overhaul he is spearheading.Among tax changes his committee is considering are tax credits for energy producers that reduce emissions, and pollution fees to be paid by industries for every ton of planet-warming carbon dioxide they emit.A carbon tax is seen by economists as the most effective way to cut fossil fuel emissions, and the American Petroleum Institute, the chief lobbying arm of the oil and gas industry, has endorsed the idea of a price on carbon emissions.While Manchin’s climate-related objections are central to the debate, he is also pushing Democrats in other ways, by limiting the expanded social services to only people of modest or lower income levels.Already, some of Biden’s proposals including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/child-tax-credit-bank-accounts-0715-24023ed3ffba98e4a65dd6006518da7a">child tax credit</a>, come with income thresholds, in keeping with the president’s interest in targeting the help to middle class Americans. Other help, including the proposed expansion of Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing aid benefits, would be available to all seniors, regardless of income level.The White House acknowledges there could be some income limits imposed.“We’re talking about targeting and focusing the president’s proposals in some areas on people who need help the most,” Psaki said.