By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA —A 12-year-old boy allegedly took a car and police on a tour of parts of southwest and central Salina early Saturday morning, sometimes at speeds up to 60 mph.

Just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday, an officer observed a 2013 black Altima traveling at a high rate of speed near the intersection of Apache Drive/Arapahoe Avenue, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester. The officer attempted to stop the car, but it kept going.

The officer caught up with the car near the intersection of Pontiac Avenue and W. Republic Avenue, where the driver activated the left-turn signal and then turned right onto Pontiac Avenue. When the officer again attempted to stop the car, the driver accelerated and drove all over southwest Salina and into central Salina.

The car eventually ended up on E. Minneapolis, where it encountered the dead end at a large drainage ditch. The car then drove on the grass along the ditch between E. Minneapolis Avenue and E. Beloit Avenue, where it attempted to drive around the guardrail at E. Beloit Avenue and hit a fence, according to Forrester.

At that point, the officer exited the patrol vehicle. The driver then put the Altima in reverse, striking the patrol vehicle and causing minor damage. 

The Altima then fled southbound on Osborne Street and drove around central Salina, eventually ending up on S. 10th Street. Forrester said the Altima, which was southbound on S. 10th Street, unsuccessfully attempted to turn eastbound on W. Republic Avenue and struck a tree at 319 W. Republic Avenue.

Police arrested the 12-year-old driver and EMS transported him to Salina Regional Health Center with unspecified injuries. He later was released to his mother.

The car, which belonged to the mother's husband, was disabled in the crash and towed from the scene..

The boy faces requested charges of Felony flee and elude, No proof of insurance, Reckless driving, Speeding, Two counts of improper driving on landed roadways, 20 counts of failure to yield at stop signs and yield signs, 26 counts of improper use of a turn signal, Disobeying a traffic control device, No seatbelt and No valid driver's license.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA —A 12-year-old boy allegedly took a car and police on a tour of parts of southwest and central Salina early Saturday morning, sometimes at speeds up to 60 mph.Just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday, an officer observed a 2013 black Altima traveling at a high rate of speed near the intersection of Apache Drive/Arapahoe Avenue, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester. The officer attempted to stop the car, but it kept going.The officer caught up with the car near the intersection of Pontiac Avenue and W. Republic Avenue, where the driver activated the left-turn signal and then turned right onto Pontiac Avenue. When the officer again attempted to stop the car, the driver accelerated and drove all over southwest Salina and into central Salina.The car eventually ended up on E. Minneapolis, where it encountered the dead end at a large drainage ditch. The car then drove on the grass along the ditch between E. Minneapolis Avenue and E. Beloit Avenue, where it attempted to drive around the guardrail at E. Beloit Avenue and hit a fence, according to Forrester.At that point, the officer exited the patrol vehicle. The driver then put the Altima in reverse, striking the patrol vehicle and causing minor damage. The Altima then fled southbound on Osborne Street and drove around central Salina, eventually ending up on S. 10th Street. Forrester said the Altima, which was southbound on S. 10th Street, unsuccessfully attempted to turn eastbound on W. Republic Avenue and struck a tree at 319 W. Republic Avenue.Police arrested the 12-year-old driver and EMS transported him to Salina Regional Health Center with unspecified injuries. He later was released to his mother.The car, which belonged to the mother's husband, was disabled in the crash and towed from the scene..The boy faces requested charges of Felony flee and elude, No proof of insurance, Reckless driving, Speeding, Two counts of improper driving on landed roadways, 20 counts of failure to yield at stop signs and yield signs, 26 counts of improper use of a turn signal, Disobeying a traffic control device, No seatbelt and No valid driver's license.

12-year-old Kan. driver hospitalized after crash during police chase

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that injured a suspect in Wichita.

Just after 8p.m., police responded to report of a suspicious person with a gun in the parking lot of the Whole Foods store, 1423 North Webb Road, in Wichita,&nbsp; according to Officer Trevor Macy.

&nbsp;Multiple 911 callers reported a woman at Whole Foods acting strangely, drinking, and brandishing a firearm. Witnesses reported the woman pointing a gun at windows of the store, and toward the parking lot.

At the scene, officers encountered the woman who pointed a gun in their direction. They gave verbal commands to the suspect to drop the gun but she did not comply and retreated into the store. There was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect fired one shot at officers that shattered a store window. Both officers returned fire, each firing six shots at the suspect.

After shots were fired, the officers rendered aid and placed the female in custody. EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. She has been identified as 31-year-old Danielle Robinson.

Police said there were more than a dozen shoppers and staff inside of the store when the shooting happened, but none were harmed.

Interviews with various witnesses on scene revealed that Robinson had been at the store consuming alcohol and attempted to rob a customer of their personal belongings.

Upon release from the hospital, she will be booked into jail on various charges including aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and aggravated robbery.&nbsp; Both officers have been placed on administrative leave. They have worked for the Wichita Police Department for 8 and 19-years, according to Macy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633428195647.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation late Monday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation late Monday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that injured a suspect in Wichita.Just after 8p.m., police responded to report of a suspicious person with a gun in the parking lot of the Whole Foods store, 1423 North Webb Road, in Wichita,&nbsp; according to Officer Trevor Macy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633466749928.png" alt="Police body camera image of the suspect- Wichita Police image" />
 <figcaption>Police body camera image of the suspect- Wichita Police image</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Multiple 911 callers reported a woman at Whole Foods acting strangely, drinking, and brandishing a firearm. Witnesses reported the woman pointing a gun at windows of the store, and toward the parking lot.At the scene, officers encountered the woman who pointed a gun in their direction. They gave verbal commands to the suspect to drop the gun but she did not comply and retreated into the store. There was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect fired one shot at officers that shattered a store window. Both officers returned fire, each firing six shots at the suspect.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633466917940.png" alt="Wichita police body camera image of officers at the scene of the shooting" />
 <figcaption>Wichita police body camera image of officers at the scene of the shooting</figcaption>
 </figure>After shots were fired, the officers rendered aid and placed the female in custody. EMS transported her to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. She has been identified as 31-year-old Danielle Robinson.Police said there were more than a dozen shoppers and staff inside of the store when the shooting happened, but none were harmed.Interviews with various witnesses on scene revealed that Robinson had been at the store consuming alcohol and attempted to rob a customer of their personal belongings.Upon release from the hospital, she will be booked into jail on various charges including aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and aggravated robbery.&nbsp; Both officers have been placed on administrative leave. They have worked for the Wichita Police Department for 8 and 19-years, according to Macy.---------

Police ID woman wounded in Kan. officer shooting at grocery store

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran questioned Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen at a U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing regarding protecting children online.

During the hearing, Sen. Moran asked Ms. Haugen about instances in which Facebook knew its decisions would be harmful to users, but still proceeded with the planned harmful behavior.

Ms. Haugen responded:&nbsp;“Facebook’s internal research is aware that there are a variety of problems facing children on Instagram…they know that severe harm is happening to children. Kids who are bullied on Instagram, the bullying follows them home… the last thing they see before they go to bed at night is someone being cruel to them or the first thing they see in the morning is someone being cruel to them.”

Following the hearing, Sen. Moran stated:&nbsp;“People should be able to connect with one another online without being manipulated by secret algorithms created by Big Tech that can exacerbate mental illness and thoughts of suicide. There must be increased transparency provided by these tech giants so that Kansans have the information necessary to choose what services to use and have better control over their personal and private information.”

Last year, Sen. Moran introduced landmark federal data privacy legislation, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?id=5C11EECE-DE43-4B2B-AEDE-76504D1D6186" target="_blank">Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act</a>, to strengthen the laws that govern consumers’ personal data. During the hearing, he and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) recommitted to finding a bipartisan path forward in light of the recent news surrounding the harmful practices of Facebook and Instagram. Sen. Moran is also a cosponsor of the&nbsp;Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which would require large-scale internet platforms to allow users to view content that was not curated as a result of a secret algorithm.

Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Thank you very much for your testimony. We’ve talked particularly about children, teenage girls specifically, but what other examples do you know about where Facebook or Instagram knew its decisions would be harmful to its users, but still proceeded with the plan and executed that harmful behavior?

Ms. Haugen:&nbsp;Facebook’s internal research is aware that there are a variety of problems facing children on Instagram…they know that severe harm is happening to children. For example, in the case of bullying, Facebook knows that Instagram dramatically changes the experience of high school…When I was in high school…most kids have positive home lives…it doesn’t matter how bad it is at school, kids can go home and rest for 16 hours. Kids who are bullied on Instagram, the bullying follows them home. It follows them into their bedrooms. The last thing they see before they go to bed at night is someone being cruel to them or the first thing they see in the morning is someone being cruel to them. Kids are learning that their own friends – the people that care about them – are cruel to them. Think about how that is going to impact their domestic relationships when they become twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings – to believe that people that care about you are mean to you. Facebook knows that parents today, because they didn’t experience these things, they never experienced this addictive experience with a piece of technology, they give their children bad advice. They say things like “why don’t you just stop using it?” Facebook’s own research is aware that children express feelings of loneliness and struggling with these things because they can’t even get support from their own parents. I don’t understand how Facebook can know all these things and not escalate it to someone like Congress for help and support in navigating these problems.

Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Let me ask the question in a broader way. Besides teenagers or besides girls or besides youth, are there other practices that Facebook and Instagram know to be harmful, yet are pursued?

Ms. Haugen:&nbsp;Facebook is aware that choices it made in establishing meaningful social interactions – so engagement based ranking that didn’t care if you bullied someone or committed hate speech in the comments – that was meaningful. They know that that change directly changed publishers behavior. Companies like BuzzFeed wrote in and said, ‘the content that is most successful on our platform is the content we’re most ashamed of, you have a problem with your ranking,’ and [Facebook] did nothing. They know that politicians are being forced to take positions they know their own constituents don’t like or approve of because those are the ones that get distributed on Facebook – that’s a huge, huge negative impact. Facebook also knows, that they have admitted in public, that engagement based ranking is dangerous without integrity and security systems, but then not rolled out those integrity and security systems to most of the languages in the world, and that’s what’s causing things like ethnic violence in Ethiopia.

Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Thank you for your answer.

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Jerry Moran questioned Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen at a U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing regarding protecting children online.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ORSdwCISVHo?start=26" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>During the hearing, Sen. Moran asked Ms. Haugen about instances in which Facebook knew its decisions would be harmful to users, but still proceeded with the planned harmful behavior.Ms. Haugen responded:&nbsp;“Facebook’s internal research is aware that there are a variety of problems facing children on Instagram…they know that severe harm is happening to children. Kids who are bullied on Instagram, the bullying follows them home… the last thing they see before they go to bed at night is someone being cruel to them or the first thing they see in the morning is someone being cruel to them.”Following the hearing, Sen. Moran stated:&nbsp;“People should be able to connect with one another online without being manipulated by secret algorithms created by Big Tech that can exacerbate mental illness and thoughts of suicide. There must be increased transparency provided by these tech giants so that Kansans have the information necessary to choose what services to use and have better control over their personal and private information.”Last year, Sen. Moran introduced landmark federal data privacy legislation, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?id=5C11EECE-DE43-4B2B-AEDE-76504D1D6186" target="_blank">Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act</a>, to strengthen the laws that govern consumers’ personal data. During the hearing, he and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) recommitted to finding a bipartisan path forward in light of the recent news surrounding the harmful practices of Facebook and Instagram. Sen. Moran is also a cosponsor of the&nbsp;Filter Bubble Transparency Act, which would require large-scale internet platforms to allow users to view content that was not curated as a result of a secret algorithm.Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Thank you very much for your testimony. We’ve talked particularly about children, teenage girls specifically, but what other examples do you know about where Facebook or Instagram knew its decisions would be harmful to its users, but still proceeded with the plan and executed that harmful behavior?Ms. Haugen:&nbsp;Facebook’s internal research is aware that there are a variety of problems facing children on Instagram…they know that severe harm is happening to children. For example, in the case of bullying, Facebook knows that Instagram dramatically changes the experience of high school…When I was in high school…most kids have positive home lives…it doesn’t matter how bad it is at school, kids can go home and rest for 16 hours. Kids who are bullied on Instagram, the bullying follows them home. It follows them into their bedrooms. The last thing they see before they go to bed at night is someone being cruel to them or the first thing they see in the morning is someone being cruel to them. Kids are learning that their own friends – the people that care about them – are cruel to them. Think about how that is going to impact their domestic relationships when they become twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings – to believe that people that care about you are mean to you. Facebook knows that parents today, because they didn’t experience these things, they never experienced this addictive experience with a piece of technology, they give their children bad advice. They say things like “why don’t you just stop using it?” Facebook’s own research is aware that children express feelings of loneliness and struggling with these things because they can’t even get support from their own parents. I don’t understand how Facebook can know all these things and not escalate it to someone like Congress for help and support in navigating these problems.Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Let me ask the question in a broader way. Besides teenagers or besides girls or besides youth, are there other practices that Facebook and Instagram know to be harmful, yet are pursued?Ms. Haugen:&nbsp;Facebook is aware that choices it made in establishing meaningful social interactions – so engagement based ranking that didn’t care if you bullied someone or committed hate speech in the comments – that was meaningful. They know that that change directly changed publishers behavior. Companies like BuzzFeed wrote in and said, ‘the content that is most successful on our platform is the content we’re most ashamed of, you have a problem with your ranking,’ and [Facebook] did nothing. They know that politicians are being forced to take positions they know their own constituents don’t like or approve of because those are the ones that get distributed on Facebook – that’s a huge, huge negative impact. Facebook also knows, that they have admitted in public, that engagement based ranking is dangerous without integrity and security systems, but then not rolled out those integrity and security systems to most of the languages in the world, and that’s what’s causing things like ethnic violence in Ethiopia.Sen. Moran:&nbsp;Thank you for your answer.

🎥  Sen. Moran questions Facebook whistleblower about protecting children

BUTLER COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Butler County that sent one person to the hospital and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, all of Rose Hill Schools were locked down due to a  reported shooting south of town, according to a social media report from USD 394.&nbsp;

Students were not allowed outside and the school day continued as usual inside the building.&nbsp; Just before noon, the school district reported a suspect was in custody.

The school removed the precautionary lockdown that had been put in place for student safety. The sheriff's office is expected to release additional details as they&nbsp; become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633456097489.png" alt="Deputies on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Deputies on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Butler County that sent one person to the hospital and have a suspect in custody.Just before 11a.m. Tuesday, all of Rose Hill Schools were locked down due to a reported shooting south of town, according to a social media report from USD 394.&nbsp;Students were not allowed outside and the school day continued as usual inside the building.&nbsp; Just before noon, the school district reported a suspect was in custody.The school removed the precautionary lockdown that had been put in place for student safety. The sheriff's office is expected to release additional details as they&nbsp; become available.

Kan. school district briefly locked down during shooting investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday directed federal authorities to hold strategy sessions in the next 30 days with law enforcement to address the increasing threats targeting school board members, teachers and other employees in the nation’s public schools.

In a memorandum, Garland said there has been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”

To address the rising problem, Garland said the FBI would work with U.S. attorneys and federal, state, local, territorial and tribal authorities in each district to develop strategies against the threats.

“While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views,” he said.

The action is in response to an urgent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">request last week</a>&nbsp;from the National School Boards Association. The group, which represents school board members around the country, asked President Joe Biden for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over policies including mask mandates, likening the vitriol to a form of domestic terrorism.

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

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

“We are coming after you,” a letter mailed to an Ohio school board member said, according to the group. “You are forcing them to wear mask — for no reason in this world other than control. And for that you will pay dearly.” It called the member “a filthy traitor.”

In making the announcement Garland said the Justice Department would use its authority and resources to discourage the threats and “prosecute them when appropriate. In the coming days, the Department will announce a series of measures designed to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel.”

School board members are largely unpaid volunteers, parents and former educators who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent and review the budget, but they have been frightened at how their jobs have suddenly become a culture war battleground. The climate has led a growing number to resign or decide against seeking reelection.

In a statement, Chip Slaven, NSBA interim executive director and CEO, praised the Justice Department’s swift action and pointed to the detrimental impact the threats of violence and intimidation have had on the education system.

“Over the last few weeks, school board members and other education leaders have received death threats and have been subjected to threats and harassment, both online and in person,” Slaven said. The department’s action “is a strong message to individuals with violent intent who are focused on causing chaos, disrupting our public schools, and driving wedges between school boards and the parents, students, and communities they serve.”

Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, an Arlington, Virginia-based group formed in January, took the school board group and the Justice Department to task. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press she said: “It is shameful that activists are weaponizing the US Department of Justice against parents. This is a coordinated attempt to intimidate dissenting voices in the debates surrounding America’s underperforming K-12 education – and it will not succeed. We will not be silenced.”

<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>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday directed federal authorities to hold strategy sessions in the next 30 days with law enforcement to address the increasing threats targeting school board members, teachers and other employees in the nation’s public schools.In a memorandum, Garland said there has been “a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools.”To address the rising problem, Garland said the FBI would work with U.S. attorneys and federal, state, local, territorial and tribal authorities in each district to develop strategies against the threats.“While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090424533.png" alt="The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden" />
 <figcaption>The first of the of the six page letter to President Biden</figcaption>
 </figure>The action is in response to an urgent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-education-school-boards-940da42fac771366929fc2150c8acf4d">request last week</a>&nbsp;from the National School Boards Association. The group, which represents school board members around the country, asked President Joe Biden for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over policies including mask mandates, likening the vitriol to a form of domestic terrorism.The association asked for the federal government to investigate cases where threats or violence could be handled as violations of federal laws protecting civil rights. It also asked for the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security and Secret Service to help monitor threat levels and assess risks to students, educators, board members and school buildings.The group’s letter documented more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cited the September arrest of an Illinois man for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly striking a school official at a meeting. In Michigan, a meeting was disrupted when a man performed a Nazi salute to protest masking.“We are coming after you,” a letter mailed to an Ohio school board member said, according to the group. “You are forcing them to wear mask — for no reason in this world other than control. And for that you will pay dearly.” It called the member “a filthy traitor.”In making the announcement Garland said the Justice Department would use its authority and resources to discourage the threats and “prosecute them when appropriate. In the coming days, the Department will announce a series of measures designed to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel.”School board members are largely unpaid volunteers, parents and former educators who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent and review the budget, but they have been frightened at how their jobs have suddenly become a culture war battleground. The climate has led a growing number to resign or decide against seeking reelection.In a statement, Chip Slaven, NSBA interim executive director and CEO, praised the Justice Department’s swift action and pointed to the detrimental impact the threats of violence and intimidation have had on the education system.“Over the last few weeks, school board members and other education leaders have received death threats and have been subjected to threats and harassment, both online and in person,” Slaven said. The department’s action “is a strong message to individuals with violent intent who are focused on causing chaos, disrupting our public schools, and driving wedges between school boards and the parents, students, and communities they serve.”Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, an Arlington, Virginia-based group formed in January, took the school board group and the Justice Department to task. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press she said: “It is shameful that activists are weaponizing the US Department of Justice against parents. This is a coordinated attempt to intimidate dissenting voices in the debates surrounding America’s underperforming K-12 education – and it will not succeed. We will not be silenced.”

Attorney General: FBI will target school board threats

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>

HUTCHINSON — Buhler USD 313 announced Monday that, due to an 
increase in COVID cases, Prairie Hills Middle School is implementing 
stage 2 protocols.

The active case count is 14 after nine new cases were identified.

All
 staff and students (and visitors) will be required to wear a mask 
inside PHMS for two weeks starting Tuesday, Oct. 4, and ending Sunday, 
Oct. 17.

All new close contacts that may be identified in the next
 two weeks will not be eligible for Stay to Learn testing and must serve
 the 8-day or 10-day quarantine. This is due to being at full capacity 
with daily testing at PHMS.

All students and staff will be asked 
to wash/sanitize hands at the beginning of each hour. Hand sanitizer is 
available in every classroom and at the entrances of the building.

Those students already in the Stay to Learn testing protocol will continue to test every morning.

The district says it is not able to add any more students into the test-and-stay protocol for the next two weeks.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>HUTCHINSON — Buhler USD 313 announced Monday that, due to an 
increase in COVID cases, Prairie Hills Middle School is implementing 
stage 2 protocols.The active case count is 14 after nine new cases were identified.All
 staff and students (and visitors) will be required to wear a mask 
inside PHMS for two weeks starting Tuesday, Oct. 4, and ending Sunday, 
Oct. 17.All new close contacts that may be identified in the next
 two weeks will not be eligible for Stay to Learn testing and must serve
 the 8-day or 10-day quarantine. This is due to being at full capacity 
with daily testing at PHMS.All students and staff will be asked 
to wash/sanitize hands at the beginning of each hour. Hand sanitizer is 
available in every classroom and at the entrances of the building.Those students already in the Stay to Learn testing protocol will continue to test every morning.The district says it is not able to add any more students into the test-and-stay protocol for the next two weeks.

After cases spike, Buhler middle school moves to masks

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search continues for the suspect accused in the Sept. 7, nightclub shooting in Wichita that killed one man and injured five women.

During a Sept. 16 news conference, members of the community including Wichita Vice Mayor Brandon Johnson asked the suspect 22-year-old Keshawn Dawson to turn himself in. Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens said authorities do not know where Dawson is in hiding. Police have received information that suggests he may be in south Wichita, according to Stephens.&nbsp; 

There is a reward of up to $2500 through Crime Stoppers for information in the case that leads to an arrest.&nbsp;

Police say Dawson is armed and dangerous. He was released from prison in December of 2020 after serving time for weapons violations.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 7, police responded to a shooting call at the Enigma Club, 351 N. Mosley in Wichita.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located multiple victims.&nbsp; They were all transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.&nbsp; One victim identified as 34-year-old Preston Spencer of Wichita died from his injuries. Friends and family held his <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-kendra-and-the-spencer-family?fbclid=IwAR1CeDwwCQIfSCoQNv5hK0sgu10mWuhu3Tv8iapl8Qnv-1Q6hJWoNgFeDag">memorial service</a>&nbsp;on Monday.

The other victims, all women ages, 22, Two age 24, 28 and 40, received non life-threatening injuries, according to Stephens. Most of the injuries were to the legs. One had an injury to an arm and her lower back.&nbsp; All of the women are expected to survive.

The investigation revealed a male suspect identified as Dawson got into a disturbance earlier inside the club and was made to leave.&nbsp; Dawson returned a short time later and fired multiple rounds with a handgun through windows into the club from the outside, striking the victims.

Anyone with information on Dawson is asked to call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631032156553.png" alt="Dawson photo from an earlier arrest in Sedgwick County.&nbsp; He is described as 5-foot-11, and 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes." />
 <figcaption>Dawson photo from an earlier arrest in Sedgwick County.&nbsp; He is described as 5-foot-11, and 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —The search continues for the suspect accused in the Sept. 7, nightclub shooting in Wichita that killed one man and injured five women.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWichitaPolice%2Fvideos%2F415078036812791%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=51" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>During a Sept. 16 news conference, members of the community including Wichita Vice Mayor Brandon Johnson asked the suspect 22-year-old Keshawn Dawson to turn himself in. Wichita Police Captain Jason Stephens said authorities do not know where Dawson is in hiding. Police have received information that suggests he may be in south Wichita, according to Stephens.&nbsp; There is a reward of up to $2500 through Crime Stoppers for information in the case that leads to an arrest.&nbsp;Police say Dawson is armed and dangerous. He was released from prison in December of 2020 after serving time for weapons violations.Just after 12:30 a.m. Sept. 7, police responded to a shooting call at the Enigma Club, 351 N. Mosley in Wichita.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located multiple victims.&nbsp; They were all transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.&nbsp; One victim identified as 34-year-old Preston Spencer of Wichita died from his injuries. Friends and family held his <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-kendra-and-the-spencer-family?fbclid=IwAR1CeDwwCQIfSCoQNv5hK0sgu10mWuhu3Tv8iapl8Qnv-1Q6hJWoNgFeDag">memorial service</a>&nbsp;on Monday.The other victims, all women ages, 22, Two age 24, 28 and 40, received non life-threatening injuries, according to Stephens. Most of the injuries were to the legs. One had an injury to an arm and her lower back.&nbsp; All of the women are expected to survive.The investigation revealed a male suspect identified as Dawson got into a disturbance earlier inside the club and was made to leave.&nbsp; Dawson returned a short time later and fired multiple rounds with a handgun through windows into the club from the outside, striking the victims.Anyone with information on Dawson is asked to call 911.---------------

A month after killing, search continues for Kan. club shooting suspect

JUNCTION CITY — Geary County Schools USD 475’s Board of Education on Monday voted to 
continue the requirement for all students, staff, and visitors to wear 
masks, regardless of their vaccination status, inside all district 
facilities and district vehicles, including school buses.

As cases
 of COVID-19 continue across Geary County, the District said the Board 
of Education and district administration felt this continuance would 
protect their students, staff, and overall community.

Staff and 
students exposed to COVID-19 can still test to stay at school, as part 
of the district’s Test to Stay and Learn program.

The masking 
requirement will stay in effect until April 4, 2022, when the Board of 
Education will reevaluate the current COVID-19 conditions and reassess 
the guidelines as necessary.

JUNCTION CITY — Geary County Schools USD 475’s Board of Education on Monday voted to 
continue the requirement for all students, staff, and visitors to wear 
masks, regardless of their vaccination status, inside all district 
facilities and district vehicles, including school buses.As cases
 of COVID-19 continue across Geary County, the District said the Board 
of Education and district administration felt this continuance would 
protect their students, staff, and overall community.Staff and 
students exposed to COVID-19 can still test to stay at school, as part 
of the district’s Test to Stay and Learn program.The masking 
requirement will stay in effect until April 4, 2022, when the Board of 
Education will reevaluate the current COVID-19 conditions and reassess 
the guidelines as necessary.Cover image courtesy Unsplash

Geary Co. schools extend mask mandate for students, staff, visitors

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday created an independent office to review complaints against Kansas’ foster care system and recommend changes in child welfare policies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foster-care-kansas-topeka-archive-child-welfare-9a35357f3eb97b7add1969be1cce7bc9">a longtime goal</a>&nbsp;of advocates for abused and neglected children.

The Democratic governor’s move to create the office by executive order bypasses the Republican-controlled Legislature. It deadlocked on the issue earlier this year after some lawmakers pushed to put the new office under the GOP official expected to challenge Kelly’s reelection next year.

Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EO-21-28-Division-of-Child-Advocate-Executed.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;to create the Division of Child Advocate within the state Department of Administration, whose head reports to the governor. The governor would appoint the new division’s director for a five-year term.

“We want this to be an office that works on behalf of our children and on behalf of our families,” she said after signing the order at a children’s museum in Topeka.

Kelly said that even though she would appoint the director of the child advocate’s division, that person’s five-year term would make the office “about as independent as you can get.”

Many Republican legislators have argued that the governor shouldn’t appoint the child advocate or have a hand in the appointment because the new office monitors state agencies under the governor’s direct control. GOP senators pushed for putting the child advocate in the attorney general’s office.

Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner of Louisburg said the child advocate’s office is likely to be handling material from whistleblowers.

“We felt that was appropriate because of all of the confidential materials that move into the attorney general’s office on a daily basis,” she said.

Baumgardner called Kelly’s arguments about her division’s independence “disingenuous” and noted that a future governor could rescind the order creating it.

The Republican-controlled Senate in March approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2153_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a proposal</a>&nbsp;for a child advocate in the attorney general’s office, only to see it stall in the GOP-controlled House. Many Democrats saw the measure as partisan because Attorney General Derek Schmidt is widely expected to be the GOP nominee for governor next year against Kelly.

A House committee approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2345_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">its own, bipartisan plan</a>&nbsp;to have the governor and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice appoint the child advocate, with the Legislature directing the work of the advocate’s office. But GOP leaders never scheduled a full House debate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633382596216.png" alt="During Monday's signing ceremony, Gov. Kelly said, "We will continue working with the Legislature and our child welfare partners to protect children in the state’s care after years of systemic neglect."" />
 <figcaption>During Monday's signing ceremony, Gov. Kelly said, "We will continue working with the Legislature and our child welfare partners to protect children in the state’s care after years of systemic neglect."</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and ANDY TSUBASA FIELDTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday created an independent office to review complaints against Kansas’ foster care system and recommend changes in child welfare policies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foster-care-kansas-topeka-archive-child-welfare-9a35357f3eb97b7add1969be1cce7bc9">a longtime goal</a>&nbsp;of advocates for abused and neglected children.The Democratic governor’s move to create the office by executive order bypasses the Republican-controlled Legislature. It deadlocked on the issue earlier this year after some lawmakers pushed to put the new office under the GOP official expected to challenge Kelly’s reelection next year.Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EO-21-28-Division-of-Child-Advocate-Executed.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;to create the Division of Child Advocate within the state Department of Administration, whose head reports to the governor. The governor would appoint the new division’s director for a five-year term.“We want this to be an office that works on behalf of our children and on behalf of our families,” she said after signing the order at a children’s museum in Topeka.Kelly said that even though she would appoint the director of the child advocate’s division, that person’s five-year term would make the office “about as independent as you can get.”Many Republican legislators have argued that the governor shouldn’t appoint the child advocate or have a hand in the appointment because the new office monitors state agencies under the governor’s direct control. GOP senators pushed for putting the child advocate in the attorney general’s office.Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner of Louisburg said the child advocate’s office is likely to be handling material from whistleblowers.“We felt that was appropriate because of all of the confidential materials that move into the attorney general’s office on a daily basis,” she said.Baumgardner called Kelly’s arguments about her division’s independence “disingenuous” and noted that a future governor could rescind the order creating it.The Republican-controlled Senate in March approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2153_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a proposal</a>&nbsp;for a child advocate in the attorney general’s office, only to see it stall in the GOP-controlled House. Many Democrats saw the measure as partisan because Attorney General Derek Schmidt is widely expected to be the GOP nominee for governor next year against Kelly.A House committee approved&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2345_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">its own, bipartisan plan</a>&nbsp;to have the governor and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice appoint the child advocate, with the Legislature directing the work of the advocate’s office. But GOP leaders never scheduled a full House debate.___

Gov. creates office to review complaints against Kan. foster care system

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent one man to the hospital.

Just before 7:00 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of E. Wilma in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

 A 911 caller reported that a male suspect was smashing the windows of his home.

When officers arrived on scene, they located a 40-year-old mam with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital in critical condition, according to Macy.

 Investigators learned that the 40-year-old man was smashing the windows of a home on Wilma when the homeowner fired shots, striking him.&nbsp; Police released no additional details early Tuesday.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent one man to the hospital.Just before 7:00 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 2500 block of E. Wilma in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy. A 911 caller reported that a male suspect was smashing the windows of his home.When officers arrived on scene, they located a 40-year-old mam with a gunshot wound. EMS transported him to an area hospital in critical condition, according to Macy. Investigators learned that the 40-year-old man was smashing the windows of a home on Wilma when the homeowner fired shots, striking him.&nbsp; Police released no additional details early Tuesday.

Police: Homeowner shot man who smashed window of Kan. home

ATCHISON COUNTY — A Kansas teen riding a bicycle was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Monday in Atchison.

Chandler Moorshead, 18, Atchison, was riding a bicycle southbound on 11th Street and was unable to stop at the stop sign at Kansas Avenue, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The bicycle struck an eastbound SUV driven by Elizabeth Collins of Atchison. 

EMS transported Chandler to Amberwell and later Life Flight transported him to a Kansas City hospital, according to Wilson.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details early Tuesday.

ATCHISON COUNTY — A Kansas teen riding a bicycle was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Monday in Atchison.Chandler Moorshead, 18, Atchison, was riding a bicycle southbound on 11th Street and was unable to stop at the stop sign at Kansas Avenue, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The bicycle struck an eastbound SUV driven by Elizabeth Collins of Atchison. EMS transported Chandler to Amberwell and later Life Flight transported him to a Kansas City hospital, according to Wilson.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details early Tuesday.

Kan. teen air-lifted to hospital after bicycle crash into SUV

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Captain Kirk is rocketing into space next week — boldly going where no other sci-fi stars have gone.

Jeff Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, announced Monday that “Star Trek” actor William Shatner will blast off from West Texas on Oct. 12.

“Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’” the 90-year-old tweeted. He added: “It’s never too late to experience new things.”

Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is a huge fan of the sci-fi series and even had a cameo as a high-ranking alien in the 2016 film “Star Trek Beyond.” His rocket company invited Shatner to fly as its guest.

Shatner will become the oldest person to go to space. He’ll join three others — two of them paying customers — aboard a Blue Origin capsule. He’ll wind up being the second actor to reach space this month: Russia is launching an actress and a film director to the International Space Station on Tuesday for almost two weeks of moviemaking.

Shatner’s flight, by comparison, will last just 10 minutes and reach no higher than about 66 miles (106 kilometers). The capsule will parachute back to the desert floor, not far from where it took off.

With flights short or long, space tourism is picking up steam fast.

Virgin Galactic carried founder Richard Branson to the edge of space with five others in July, followed nine days later by Bezos’ space hop. Elon Musk’s SpaceX, meanwhile, launched its first private crew last month — a Pennsylvania entrepreneur who bought the three-day flight and took along two contest winners and a cancer survivor.

Virgin Galactic’s ship launches from an airplane and requires two pilots. Blue Origin and SpaceX’s capsules are fully automated, but the passengers must pass medical screenings and, among other things, be able to quickly climb several flights of steps at the launch tower to get to the capsule — or out of it in an emergency.

This will be Blue Origin’s second launch of a crew.

Bezos was on the debut flight on July 20. He took along his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk — the youngest and oldest to fly in space. Shatner will break that upper threshold by eight years.

“I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” Shatner said in a statement.

Shatner played the role of the USS Starship Enterprise’s commander for three seasons, from 1966 to 1969. He also portrayed Captain James T. Kirk in seven movies, directing one of them. He’s currently the host and executive producer of a History Channel show, “The UnXplained.”

The ashes of two other “Star Trek” powerhouses — creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan, who played Scotty — rocketed into space years ago following their deaths.

Also launching with Shatner: a former NASA engineer who founded a nanosatellite company and the co-founder of a software company specializing in clinical research. The two took part in the auction for a seat on the first flight. That seat cost $28 million; Blue Origin isn’t divulging any other ticket prices.

A fourth seat on the flight is going to Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations, who used to work for NASA as a space station flight controller.

A Blue Origin spokeswoman said Shatner, like the others, met all the company’s health and physical requirements.

Last week, more than 20 current and former Blue Origin employees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-lifestyle-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-ccb58b2b24f43b1820f18496c19bc1a9">accused&nbsp;</a>the Kent, Washington-based company of having a toxic work environment and not adhering to proper safety protocols. Blue Origin said it doesn’t tolerate harassment or discrimination and stood by its safety record.

Bezos’ company is also challenging a NASA contract award to SpaceX for providing a lunar lander that will return astronauts to the moon in a few years. Blue Origin was unsuccessful in its bid for the job.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633435884866.png" alt="Shatner will become the oldest person to go to space.-photo courtesy Blue Origin" />
 <figcaption>Shatner will become the oldest person to go to space.-photo courtesy Blue Origin</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Captain Kirk is rocketing into space next week — boldly going where no other sci-fi stars have gone.Jeff Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, announced Monday that “Star Trek” actor William Shatner will blast off from West Texas on Oct. 12.“Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’” the 90-year-old tweeted. He added: “It’s never too late to experience new things.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So now I can say something. Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a “rocket man!” 😝🤣 <a href="https://t.co/B2jFeXrr6L">https://t.co/B2jFeXrr6L</a>&mdash; William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1445023239105703946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is a huge fan of the sci-fi series and even had a cameo as a high-ranking alien in the 2016 film “Star Trek Beyond.” His rocket company invited Shatner to fly as its guest.Shatner will become the oldest person to go to space. He’ll join three others — two of them paying customers — aboard a Blue Origin capsule. He’ll wind up being the second actor to reach space this month: Russia is launching an actress and a film director to the International Space Station on Tuesday for almost two weeks of moviemaking.Shatner’s flight, by comparison, will last just 10 minutes and reach no higher than about 66 miles (106 kilometers). The capsule will parachute back to the desert floor, not far from where it took off.With flights short or long, space tourism is picking up steam fast.Virgin Galactic carried founder Richard Branson to the edge of space with five others in July, followed nine days later by Bezos’ space hop. Elon Musk’s SpaceX, meanwhile, launched its first private crew last month — a Pennsylvania entrepreneur who bought the three-day flight and took along two contest winners and a cancer survivor.Virgin Galactic’s ship launches from an airplane and requires two pilots. Blue Origin and SpaceX’s capsules are fully automated, but the passengers must pass medical screenings and, among other things, be able to quickly climb several flights of steps at the launch tower to get to the capsule — or out of it in an emergency.This will be Blue Origin’s second launch of a crew.Bezos was on the debut flight on July 20. He took along his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk — the youngest and oldest to fly in space. Shatner will break that upper threshold by eight years.“I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” Shatner said in a statement.Shatner played the role of the USS Starship Enterprise’s commander for three seasons, from 1966 to 1969. He also portrayed Captain James T. Kirk in seven movies, directing one of them. He’s currently the host and executive producer of a History Channel show, “The UnXplained.”The ashes of two other “Star Trek” powerhouses — creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan, who played Scotty — rocketed into space years ago following their deaths.Also launching with Shatner: a former NASA engineer who founded a nanosatellite company and the co-founder of a software company specializing in clinical research. The two took part in the auction for a seat on the first flight. That seat cost $28 million; Blue Origin isn’t divulging any other ticket prices.A fourth seat on the flight is going to Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations, who used to work for NASA as a space station flight controller.A Blue Origin spokeswoman said Shatner, like the others, met all the company’s health and physical requirements.Last week, more than 20 current and former Blue Origin employees&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-lifestyle-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-ccb58b2b24f43b1820f18496c19bc1a9">accused&nbsp;</a>the Kent, Washington-based company of having a toxic work environment and not adhering to proper safety protocols. Blue Origin said it doesn’t tolerate harassment or discrimination and stood by its safety record.Bezos’ company is also challenging a NASA contract award to SpaceX for providing a lunar lander that will return astronauts to the moon in a few years. Blue Origin was unsuccessful in its bid for the job.___

Beam him up: William Shatner will fly to space aboard Blue Origin rocket

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden urged Republican senators to “get out of the way” and let Democrats suspend the nation’s debt limit, hoping to keep the U.S. government from bumping dangerously close to a credit default as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell refuses to lend his party’s help.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?515154-1/president-biden-guarantee-congress-raise-debt-limit-avoid-default">Click here to watch </a>the President's comments

Biden’s criticism on Monday came with Congress facing an Oct 18 deadline to allow for more borrowing to keep the government operating after having accrued a total public debt of $28.4 trillion. The House has passed a measure to suspend the debt limit, but McConnell is forcing Senate Democrats into a cumbersome process that could drag on and approach the deadline with little margin for error.

Both Biden and McConnell have promised that the country will avoid default, yet the public fight and political posturing risks an economic meltdown. The global economy relies on the stability of U.S. Treasury notes, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">unpaid debt could crush financial markets and hurl America into recession</a>. Biden noted that the debt limit applies to borrowing that has already occurred, including under former President Donald Trump, and said Republicans are hurting the country by blocking the limit’s suspension.

“They need to stop playing Russian roulette with the U.S. economy,” Biden said at the White House. “Republicans just have to let us do our job. Just get out of the way. If you don’t want to help save the country, get out of the way so you don’t destroy it.”

Unmoved, McConnell said Republicans had given the Democrats a roadmap for dealing with the debt ceiling with months of warning.

“I suggest that our Democratic colleagues get moving,” McConnell said at the Capitol.

Once a routine vote, raising the nation’s debt limit has become increasingly partisan. It’s become a favorite political weapon of Republicans to either demand concessions or force Democrats into unpopular votes to enable more borrowing. McConnell has tied the vote to Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-congress-government-overhaul-public-works-9438a78ba7c7865d75428e746d1de04d">multitrillion-dollar tax and economic agenda&nbsp;</a>that awaits Congressional approval. But Biden says the price tag in terms of debt for his plan will be “zero,” paid for by raising taxes on corporations and on the wealthy, whom the House Democrats have defined as individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or couples making more than $450,000.

Biden said he planned to talk with McConnell, who dug in with a letter of his own to the president.

“We have no list of demands. For two and a half months, we have simply warned that since your party wishes to govern alone, it must handle the debt limit alone as well,” the Kentucky senator wrote in the Monday letter.

The financial markets have stayed relatively calm with interest rates on 10-year Treasury notes holding just below 1.5%. That rate is slightly higher than the all-time lows set last year as the coronavirus pandemic spread, but it’s still lower than at any other time over nearly 60 years of data tracked by the Federal Reserve.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has projected the government will exhaust its cash reserves on Oct. 18, an event she says would likely trigger a financial crisis and economic recession. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Monday that it would be hazardous for the economy to come anywhere near that deadline.

“The consequences of even approaching the X date could be disastrous for our economy and devastating to American families, raising the costs of borrowing for average Americans and hampering our economic recovery over the long-term,” Schumer said in a letter to Democratic senators.

Democrats and Republicans are in a standoff over how to handle an extension for the debt ceiling. Republicans are insisting that Democrats go it alone with the same legislative tool that is already being used to try and pass Biden’s plan to boost safety net, health and environmental programs. Democrats say that extending the debt limit has traditionally been a bipartisan effort and that the debt cap was built up under presidents from both parties.

Schumer said that if the debt issue is not resolved this week, the Senate will likely be forced to remain in session during the weekend and possibly the following week when senators were scheduled to be back in their home states.

Schumer also discussed the current state of play with the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill that has already passed the Senate and is stuck in the House, as well as Biden’s larger, $3.5 trillion effort focused on social programs and the environment that would be offset by tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. He noted that the president visited with House Democrats on Friday to generate support for both measures.

“He encouraged them to stick together, compromise, and find the sweet spot that will allow us to complete our work,” Schumer said. “I agree with his sentiment wholeheartedly – we can get this done, together, if we put aside our differences and find the common ground within our party.”

Biden discussed the larger plan with progressive House Democrats during a virtual meeting Monday afternoon. And Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top White House advisers huddled late Monday at the Capitol over it.

“We’re making progress, Pelosi said as she exited. Schumer had said in an earlier letter to colleagues they need to reach a deal soon, preferably “days, not weeks.”

Schumer and McConnell debated the debt ceiling when the Senate earlier Monday.

McConnell noted that Biden voted against raising the debt ceiling as a senator when Republicans controlled Congress and the presidency.

But Schumer said Democrats allowed for an up-or-down vote back then rather than requiring the majority to overcome a filibuster. He said Republicans should follow that example when he seeks to bring up the House-passed bill that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022.

“We aren’t asking Republicans to support it when it comes time for a vote. We only ask that they get out of the way, let Democrats pass it on our own just as the majority party did in the early 2000s,” Schumer said.

“The fact is we don’t have the luxury of waiting until Oct. 18 to extend the debt ceiling,” Schumer added. “Even a near miss can have dramatic consequences.”

Biden will be traveling to Michigan on Tuesday to promote his legislative plan as negotiations resume in Washington. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have said they won’t back a $3.5 trillion spending bill. And many House Democrats won’t support the smaller bipartisan infrastructure plan until they get an agreement on the larger measure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633363521531.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden urged Republican senators to “get out of the way” and let Democrats suspend the nation’s debt limit, hoping to keep the U.S. government from bumping dangerously close to a credit default as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell refuses to lend his party’s help.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?515154-1/president-biden-guarantee-congress-raise-debt-limit-avoid-default">Click here to watch </a>the President's commentsBiden’s criticism on Monday came with Congress facing an Oct 18 deadline to allow for more borrowing to keep the government operating after having accrued a total public debt of $28.4 trillion. The House has passed a measure to suspend the debt limit, but McConnell is forcing Senate Democrats into a cumbersome process that could drag on and approach the deadline with little margin for error.Both Biden and McConnell have promised that the country will avoid default, yet the public fight and political posturing risks an economic meltdown. The global economy relies on the stability of U.S. Treasury notes, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">unpaid debt could crush financial markets and hurl America into recession</a>. Biden noted that the debt limit applies to borrowing that has already occurred, including under former President Donald Trump, and said Republicans are hurting the country by blocking the limit’s suspension.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633375876920.png" alt="White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki used this chart during her media briefing amid the ongoing debt ceiling debate." />
 <figcaption>White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki used this chart during her media briefing amid the ongoing debt ceiling debate.</figcaption>
 </figure>“They need to stop playing Russian roulette with the U.S. economy,” Biden said at the White House. “Republicans just have to let us do our job. Just get out of the way. If you don’t want to help save the country, get out of the way so you don’t destroy it.”Unmoved, McConnell said Republicans had given the Democrats a roadmap for dealing with the debt ceiling with months of warning.“I suggest that our Democratic colleagues get moving,” McConnell said at the Capitol.Once a routine vote, raising the nation’s debt limit has become increasingly partisan. It’s become a favorite political weapon of Republicans to either demand concessions or force Democrats into unpopular votes to enable more borrowing. McConnell has tied the vote to Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-congress-government-overhaul-public-works-9438a78ba7c7865d75428e746d1de04d">multitrillion-dollar tax and economic agenda&nbsp;</a>that awaits Congressional approval. But Biden says the price tag in terms of debt for his plan will be “zero,” paid for by raising taxes on corporations and on the wealthy, whom the House Democrats have defined as individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or couples making more than $450,000.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My letter to President Biden this morning on congressional Democrats’ duty to handle the debt limit: <a href="https://t.co/U3G9QMPJwY">pic.twitter.com/U3G9QMPJwY</a>&mdash; Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell/status/1445041217268588551?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden said he planned to talk with McConnell, who dug in with a letter of his own to the president.“We have no list of demands. For two and a half months, we have simply warned that since your party wishes to govern alone, it must handle the debt limit alone as well,” the Kentucky senator wrote in the Monday letter.The financial markets have stayed relatively calm with interest rates on 10-year Treasury notes holding just below 1.5%. That rate is slightly higher than the all-time lows set last year as the coronavirus pandemic spread, but it’s still lower than at any other time over nearly 60 years of data tracked by the Federal Reserve.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has projected the government will exhaust its cash reserves on Oct. 18, an event she says would likely trigger a financial crisis and economic recession. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Monday that it would be hazardous for the economy to come anywhere near that deadline.“The consequences of even approaching the X date could be disastrous for our economy and devastating to American families, raising the costs of borrowing for average Americans and hampering our economic recovery over the long-term,” Schumer said in a letter to Democratic senators.Democrats and Republicans are in a standoff over how to handle an extension for the debt ceiling. Republicans are insisting that Democrats go it alone with the same legislative tool that is already being used to try and pass Biden’s plan to boost safety net, health and environmental programs. Democrats say that extending the debt limit has traditionally been a bipartisan effort and that the debt cap was built up under presidents from both parties.Schumer said that if the debt issue is not resolved this week, the Senate will likely be forced to remain in session during the weekend and possibly the following week when senators were scheduled to be back in their home states.Schumer also discussed the current state of play with the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill that has already passed the Senate and is stuck in the House, as well as Biden’s larger, $3.5 trillion effort focused on social programs and the environment that would be offset by tax increases on corporations and the wealthy. He noted that the president visited with House Democrats on Friday to generate support for both measures.“He encouraged them to stick together, compromise, and find the sweet spot that will allow us to complete our work,” Schumer said. “I agree with his sentiment wholeheartedly – we can get this done, together, if we put aside our differences and find the common ground within our party.”Biden discussed the larger plan with progressive House Democrats during a virtual meeting Monday afternoon. And Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top White House advisers huddled late Monday at the Capitol over it.“We’re making progress, Pelosi said as she exited. Schumer had said in an earlier letter to colleagues they need to reach a deal soon, preferably “days, not weeks.”Schumer and McConnell debated the debt ceiling when the Senate earlier Monday.McConnell noted that Biden voted against raising the debt ceiling as a senator when Republicans controlled Congress and the presidency.But Schumer said Democrats allowed for an up-or-down vote back then rather than requiring the majority to overcome a filibuster. He said Republicans should follow that example when he seeks to bring up the House-passed bill that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022.“We aren’t asking Republicans to support it when it comes time for a vote. We only ask that they get out of the way, let Democrats pass it on our own just as the majority party did in the early 2000s,” Schumer said.“The fact is we don’t have the luxury of waiting until Oct. 18 to extend the debt ceiling,” Schumer added. “Even a near miss can have dramatic consequences.”Biden will be traveling to Michigan on Tuesday to promote his legislative plan as negotiations resume in Washington. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have said they won’t back a $3.5 trillion spending bill. And many House Democrats won’t support the smaller bipartisan infrastructure plan until they get an agreement on the larger measure.___

🎥 Biden, Democrats blame GOP as debt limit deadline looms

JEFFERSON CITY (AP)—Last-minute court intervention on Tuesday was the last obstacle to the execution of Ernest Johnson, a Missouri man convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-executions-robbery-missouri-columbia-57a9a68268c61dca879cbe5637153f96">killing three convenience store workers</a>&nbsp;during a closing-time robbery nearly 28 years ago.

Johnson, 61, was scheduled to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis. It would be the seventh U.S. execution this year.

Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, said executing Johnson would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. On Monday, he asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution.

“This is not a close case — Mr. Johnson is intellectually disabled,” the court filing stated.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-executions-missouri-a992909b76406c9153cb890eb8401b42">The Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in August, and again on Friday, refused to step in despite Johnson’s history of scoring extremely low on IQ tests, dating back to childhood. Weis said Johnson also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and lost about one-fifth of his brain tissue when a benign tumor was removed in 2008.

Republican Gov. Michael Parson on Monday declined to grant clemency despite the urging of several people, including the pope. A representative for Pope Francis wrote in a letter to Parson last week that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life.” Parson announced Monday he would not intervene.

It wasn’t the first time a pope has sought to intervene in a Missouri execution. In 1999, during his visit to St. Louis, Pope John Paul II persuaded Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan to grant clemency to Darrell Mease, weeks before Mease was to be put to death for a triple killing. Carnahan, who died in 2000, was a Baptist, as is Parson.

In 2018, Pope Francis Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-city-ap-top-news-pope-francis-international-news-europe-b1cf76995c8646118184fc5b009b129c">changed church teaching</a>&nbsp;to say capital punishment can never be sanctioned because it constitutes an “attack” on human dignity. Catholic leaders have been outspoken opponents of the death penalty in many states.

Racial justice activists and two Missouri congressional members — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City —have also spoke out in support of Johnson, who is Black. Bush planned to attend a prayer vigil near the prison on Tuesday.

Johnson’s crime shook Columbia nearly 28 years ago.

Johnson was a frequent customer of a Casey’s General Store. Court records show that on Feb. 12, 1994, he borrowed a .25-caliber pistol from his girlfriend’s 18-year-old son, with plans to rob the store for money to buy drugs.

In a 2004 videotaped interview with a psychologist shown in court, Johnson said he was under the influence of cocaine as he waited for the last customer to leave the store at closing time. Three workers were in the store: Manager Mary Bratcher, 46, and employees Mabel Scruggs, 57, and Fred Jones, 58.

On the video, Johnson said he became angry when Bratcher, who claimed not to have a safe key, tried to flush it down the toilet. He shot the victims with the borrowed gun, then attacked them with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver. Police found two victims in the store’s bathroom, and the third in a cooler.

“This was a hideous crime,” said Kevin Crane, the Boone County prosecutor at the time. “It was traumatic, and it was intense.”

Police officers found a bloody screwdriver, gloves, jeans and a brown jacket in a nearby field and questioned Johnson within hours of the killings. At Johnson’s girlfriend’s house, officers found a bag with $443, coin wrappers, partially burned checks and tennis shoes matching bloody shoeprints from inside the store.

Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-michael-brown-courts-government-and-politics-29d7d156eb49b40e3dcd63bbe4d7a3f5">firing squad.</a>&nbsp;His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures due to the loss of brain tissue from the 2008 surgery.

Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad.

Johnson was sentenced to death in his first trial and two other times. The second death sentence, in 2003, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that second death sentence, and Johnson was sentenced a third time in 2006.

Of the six previous U.S. executions this year, three were in Texas and three involved federal prisoners.

The peak year for modern executions was 1999, when there were 98 across the U.S. That number has gradually declined and just 17 people were executed last year — 10 involving federal prisoners, three in Texas and one each in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, according to a database compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined to grant clemency to death row inmate Ernest Johnson, despite requests for mercy from the pope, two federal lawmakers and thousands of petition signers.

Johnson, 61, was convicted of killing three convenience store workers during a closing-time robbery in 1994. He is scheduled to die by injection at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis.

“The state is prepared to deliver justice and carry out the lawful sentence Mr. Johnson received in accordance with the Missouri Supreme Court’s order,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement about his decision not to reduce the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Jeremy Weis, Johnson’s lawyer, said he was “very disappointed” by the decision.

“We believe we made a compelling case to him that it was the right moral decision and I guess he disagreed,” Weis said.

In a letter last week to Parson, a representative for Pope Francis wrote that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life."

It wasn’t the first time a pope has sought to intervene in a Missouri execution. In 1999, during his visit to St. Louis, Pope John Paul II persuaded Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan to grant clemency to Darrell Mease just weeks before Mease was scheduled to be put to death for a triple killing.

In 2018, Pope Francis Francis changed church teaching to say capital punishment can never be sanctioned because it constitutes an “attack” on human dignity. Catholic leaders have been outspoken opponents of the death penalty in many states.

Weiss said executing Johnson would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. He said multiple IQ tests and other exams have shown that Johnson has the intellectual capacity of a child. He also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and in 2008, he lost about 20% of his brain tissue to the removal of a benign tumor.

Racial justice activists and two Missouri members of congress — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City — had also called on Parson to show mercy to Johnson, who is Black.

Bush said in a phone interview that Black and Latino men are disproportionally likely to face the death penalty. She said executing someone who is intellectually disabled makes it even worse.

“Hopefully the governor will look at the fact that this would be a crime against humanity,” Bush said.

The Missouri Supreme Court in August refused to halt the execution, and on Friday, it declined to take the case up again. Weis and other attorneys for Johnson on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution.

“This is not a close case – Mr. Johnson is intellectually disabled,” they wrote in their court filing.

Johnson admitted to killing three workers at a Casey's General Store in Columbia on Feb. 12, 1994 — manager Mary Bratcher, 46, and employees Mabel Scruggs, 57, and Fred Jones, 58. The victims were shot and attacked with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver.

At Johnson’s girlfriend’s house, officers found a bag containing $443, coin wrappers, partially burned checks and tennis shoes matching bloody shoeprints found inside the store.

Johnson previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad, but Missouri doesn't allow that method of execution. His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures due to the lost brain tissue.

Johnson was sentenced to death in his first trial and two other times. The second death sentence, in 2003, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that second death sentence and Johnson was sentenced for a third time in 2006.

If the execution takes place as scheduled, it would be the seventh in the U.S. this year but the first not involving either a federal inmate or a prisoner in Texas.

The peak year for modern executions was 1999, when there were 98 across the U.S. That number had gradually declined and just 17 people were executed last year — 10 involving federal prisoners, three in Texas and one each in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, according to a database compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Pope Francis has joined the chorus of people calling on Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency to a death row inmate who is set to be executed for killing three people during a 1994 convenience store robbery.

In a letter last week, a representative for Pope Francis wrote that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life,” referring to Ernest Johnson, who is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis.

Parson, a Republican, has been considering whether to reduce the 61-year-old Johnson’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, has said executing him would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. He said multiple IQ tests and other exams have shown that Johnson has the intellectual capacity of a child. He also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and in 2008, he lost about 20% of his brain tissue to the removal of a benign tumor.

Racial justice activists and two Missouri members of congress — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City — have also called on Parson to show Johnson mercy.

The Missouri Supreme Court in August refused to halt the execution, and on Friday declined to take the case up again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621882682950.png" alt="Johnson photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY (AP)—Last-minute court intervention on Tuesday was the last obstacle to the execution of Ernest Johnson, a Missouri man convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-executions-robbery-missouri-columbia-57a9a68268c61dca879cbe5637153f96">killing three convenience store workers</a>&nbsp;during a closing-time robbery nearly 28 years ago.Johnson, 61, was scheduled to die by injection Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis. It would be the seventh U.S. execution this year.Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, said executing Johnson would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. On Monday, he asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution.“This is not a close case — Mr. Johnson is intellectually disabled,” the court filing stated.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-executions-missouri-a992909b76406c9153cb890eb8401b42">The Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in August, and again on Friday, refused to step in despite Johnson’s history of scoring extremely low on IQ tests, dating back to childhood. Weis said Johnson also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and lost about one-fifth of his brain tissue when a benign tumor was removed in 2008.Republican Gov. Michael Parson on Monday declined to grant clemency despite the urging of several people, including the pope. A representative for Pope Francis wrote in a letter to Parson last week that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life.” Parson announced Monday he would not intervene.It wasn’t the first time a pope has sought to intervene in a Missouri execution. In 1999, during his visit to St. Louis, Pope John Paul II persuaded Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan to grant clemency to Darrell Mease, weeks before Mease was to be put to death for a triple killing. Carnahan, who died in 2000, was a Baptist, as is Parson.In 2018, Pope Francis Francis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-city-ap-top-news-pope-francis-international-news-europe-b1cf76995c8646118184fc5b009b129c">changed church teaching</a>&nbsp;to say capital punishment can never be sanctioned because it constitutes an “attack” on human dignity. Catholic leaders have been outspoken opponents of the death penalty in many states.Racial justice activists and two Missouri congressional members — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City —have also spoke out in support of Johnson, who is Black. Bush planned to attend a prayer vigil near the prison on Tuesday.Johnson’s crime shook Columbia nearly 28 years ago.Johnson was a frequent customer of a Casey’s General Store. Court records show that on Feb. 12, 1994, he borrowed a .25-caliber pistol from his girlfriend’s 18-year-old son, with plans to rob the store for money to buy drugs.In a 2004 videotaped interview with a psychologist shown in court, Johnson said he was under the influence of cocaine as he waited for the last customer to leave the store at closing time. Three workers were in the store: Manager Mary Bratcher, 46, and employees Mabel Scruggs, 57, and Fred Jones, 58.On the video, Johnson said he became angry when Bratcher, who claimed not to have a safe key, tried to flush it down the toilet. He shot the victims with the borrowed gun, then attacked them with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver. Police found two victims in the store’s bathroom, and the third in a cooler.“This was a hideous crime,” said Kevin Crane, the Boone County prosecutor at the time. “It was traumatic, and it was intense.”Police officers found a bloody screwdriver, gloves, jeans and a brown jacket in a nearby field and questioned Johnson within hours of the killings. At Johnson’s girlfriend’s house, officers found a bag with $443, coin wrappers, partially burned checks and tennis shoes matching bloody shoeprints from inside the store.Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-michael-brown-courts-government-and-politics-29d7d156eb49b40e3dcd63bbe4d7a3f5">firing squad.</a>&nbsp;His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures due to the loss of brain tissue from the 2008 surgery.Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad.Johnson was sentenced to death in his first trial and two other times. The second death sentence, in 2003, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that second death sentence, and Johnson was sentenced a third time in 2006.Of the six previous U.S. executions this year, three were in Texas and three involved federal prisoners.The peak year for modern executions was 1999, when there were 98 across the U.S. That number has gradually declined and just 17 people were executed last year — 10 involving federal prisoners, three in Texas and one each in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, according to a database compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.---------JEFFERSON CITY (AP) —Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday declined to grant clemency to death row inmate Ernest Johnson, despite requests for mercy from the pope, two federal lawmakers and thousands of petition signers.Johnson, 61, was convicted of killing three convenience store workers during a closing-time robbery in 1994. He is scheduled to die by injection at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis.“The state is prepared to deliver justice and carry out the lawful sentence Mr. Johnson received in accordance with the Missouri Supreme Court’s order,” Parson, a Republican, said in a statement about his decision not to reduce the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Jeremy Weis, Johnson’s lawyer, said he was “very disappointed” by the decision.“We believe we made a compelling case to him that it was the right moral decision and I guess he disagreed,” Weis said.In a letter last week to Parson, a representative for Pope Francis wrote that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life."It wasn’t the first time a pope has sought to intervene in a Missouri execution. In 1999, during his visit to St. Louis, Pope John Paul II persuaded Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan to grant clemency to Darrell Mease just weeks before Mease was scheduled to be put to death for a triple killing.In 2018, Pope Francis Francis changed church teaching to say capital punishment can never be sanctioned because it constitutes an “attack” on human dignity. Catholic leaders have been outspoken opponents of the death penalty in many states.Weiss said executing Johnson would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. He said multiple IQ tests and other exams have shown that Johnson has the intellectual capacity of a child. He also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and in 2008, he lost about 20% of his brain tissue to the removal of a benign tumor.Racial justice activists and two Missouri members of congress — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City — had also called on Parson to show mercy to Johnson, who is Black.Bush said in a phone interview that Black and Latino men are disproportionally likely to face the death penalty. She said executing someone who is intellectually disabled makes it even worse.“Hopefully the governor will look at the fact that this would be a crime against humanity,” Bush said.The Missouri Supreme Court in August refused to halt the execution, and on Friday, it declined to take the case up again. Weis and other attorneys for Johnson on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution.“This is not a close case – Mr. Johnson is intellectually disabled,” they wrote in their court filing.Johnson admitted to killing three workers at a Casey's General Store in Columbia on Feb. 12, 1994 — manager Mary Bratcher, 46, and employees Mabel Scruggs, 57, and Fred Jones, 58. The victims were shot and attacked with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver.At Johnson’s girlfriend’s house, officers found a bag containing $443, coin wrappers, partially burned checks and tennis shoes matching bloody shoeprints found inside the store.Johnson previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad, but Missouri doesn't allow that method of execution. His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures due to the lost brain tissue.Johnson was sentenced to death in his first trial and two other times. The second death sentence, in 2003, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that second death sentence and Johnson was sentenced for a third time in 2006.If the execution takes place as scheduled, it would be the seventh in the U.S. this year but the first not involving either a federal inmate or a prisoner in Texas.The peak year for modern executions was 1999, when there were 98 across the U.S. That number had gradually declined and just 17 people were executed last year — 10 involving federal prisoners, three in Texas and one each in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, according to a database compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.----------KANSAS CITY (AP) —Pope Francis has joined the chorus of people calling on Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency to a death row inmate who is set to be executed for killing three people during a 1994 convenience store robbery.In a letter last week, a representative for Pope Francis wrote that the pope “wishes to place before you the simple fact of Mr. Johnson’s humanity and the sacredness of all human life,” referring to Ernest Johnson, who is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis.Parson, a Republican, has been considering whether to reduce the 61-year-old Johnson’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, has said executing him would violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people. He said multiple IQ tests and other exams have shown that Johnson has the intellectual capacity of a child. He also was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and in 2008, he lost about 20% of his brain tissue to the removal of a benign tumor.Racial justice activists and two Missouri members of congress — Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of St. Louis and Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City — have also called on Parson to show Johnson mercy.The Missouri Supreme Court in August refused to halt the execution, and on Friday declined to take the case up again.Johnson admitted to killing three workers at a Casey’s General Store in Columbia on Feb. 12, 1994 — manager Mary Bratcher, 46, and employees Mabel Scruggs, 57, and Fred Jones, 58. The victims were shot and attacked with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed in the hand with a screwdriver.At Johnson’s girlfriend’s house, officers found a bag containing $443, coin wrappers, partially burned checks and tennis shoes matching bloody shoeprints found inside the store.Johnson previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad, but Missouri doesn’t allow that method of execution. His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures due to the lost brain tissue.Johnson was sentenced to death in his first trial and two other times. The second death sentence, in 2003, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that second death sentence and Johnson was sentenced for a third time in 2006.If the execution takes place as scheduled, it would be the seventh in the U.S. this year but the first not involving either a federal inmate or a prisoner in Texas.The peak year for modern executions was 1999, when there were 98 across the U.S. That number had gradually declined and just 17 people were executed last year — 10 involving federal prisoners, three in Texas and one each in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri, according to a database compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center.

State