All the talk on the news about inflation is a little
 scary. Is there any way to protect yourself against it on a day-to-day 
basis?

When people start 
talking about inflation, it seems like there are always some who want to
 start collecting gold, fill every container they own with gasoline and 
stick their cash under their mattresses. But listen, you can prepare&nbsp;for
 inflation and address the results&nbsp;without&nbsp;being panicked.

You&nbsp;are
 still in control of your money, inflation or not. You’ll be able to 
make sure your money is going toward the right things, while being able 
to find places where you can cut spending, if you’re living on a 
written,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/useful-forms" target="_blank">monthly budget</a>.
 If you’re noticing the prices of things like food and gas rising in 
your area, you’ll need to adjust your budget to account for this. That 
way, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with, and it will help you 
avoid any nasty surprises.

If you’re really feeling the pinch and want to save even more, look for specific ways to&nbsp;lower your grocery bill&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/the-secret-to-saving-money" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;on
 gas.&nbsp;Maybe it’s time you switched to&nbsp;generic brands,&nbsp;or started a 
carpool into work. If you find great deals on canned food and things you
 can&nbsp;stock your pantry&nbsp;with—I’m talking about stuff you’ll actually 
use—go ahead and buy a little extra. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for 
it before heading to the grocery store. You’ll want to already know 
exactly what you’re going to spend, so you don’t get swept up into 
impulse buying.

Like it or not, inflation is a thing. If you plan on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">retiring</a>&nbsp;one
 day, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the cost of a loaf of bread, a 
tank of gas and even a cup of coffee will have gone up by then. The best
 way to protect yourself against inflation that’s bound to happen is 
to&nbsp;invest your money—and the sooner the better. But remember, if you 
still have debt other than your mortgage, and don’t have an emergency 
fund of three to six months of expenses, you need to take care of those 
things first!

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,All the talk on the news about inflation is a little
 scary. Is there any way to protect yourself against it on a day-to-day 
basis?GarretDear Garret,When people start 
talking about inflation, it seems like there are always some who want to
 start collecting gold, fill every container they own with gasoline and 
stick their cash under their mattresses. But listen, you can prepare&nbsp;for
 inflation and address the results&nbsp;without&nbsp;being panicked.You&nbsp;are
 still in control of your money, inflation or not. You’ll be able to 
make sure your money is going toward the right things, while being able 
to find places where you can cut spending, if you’re living on a 
written,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/useful-forms" target="_blank">monthly budget</a>.
 If you’re noticing the prices of things like food and gas rising in 
your area, you’ll need to adjust your budget to account for this. That 
way, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with, and it will help you 
avoid any nasty surprises.If you’re really feeling the pinch and want to save even more, look for specific ways to&nbsp;lower your grocery bill&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/the-secret-to-saving-money" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;on
 gas.&nbsp;Maybe it’s time you switched to&nbsp;generic brands,&nbsp;or started a 
carpool into work. If you find great deals on canned food and things you
 can&nbsp;stock your pantry&nbsp;with—I’m talking about stuff you’ll actually 
use—go ahead and buy a little extra. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for 
it before heading to the grocery store. You’ll want to already know 
exactly what you’re going to spend, so you don’t get swept up into 
impulse buying.Like it or not, inflation is a thing. If you plan on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">retiring</a>&nbsp;one
 day, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the cost of a loaf of bread, a 
tank of gas and even a cup of coffee will have gone up by then. The best
 way to protect yourself against inflation that’s bound to happen is 
to&nbsp;invest your money—and the sooner the better. But remember, if you 
still have debt other than your mortgage, and don’t have an emergency 
fund of three to six months of expenses, you need to take care of those 
things first!Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Protect against inflation?

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY –Officials are making progress in restoring computer systems and machines after a ransomware attack encrypted several servers on September 17, according to a media release.

The Sheriff’s Office and emergency response systems were not impacted.

The County initially did not share many details about the attack because that is the right thing to do to protect the County from further attacks under these circumstances, and so as not to compromise the law enforcement investigation. At the same time, County representatives were negotiating with the hackers to reduce the ransom demand.

The resulting resolution was extraordinary, both in terms of the final settlement and the speed at which the County was able to resolve the attack. “The ransom was reduced by more than 90 percent from hackers’ original demand, an almost unheard-of outcome, every saved dollar of which is taxpayer revenue the county keeps to serve our citizens,” said County Administrator Chad Kinsley. 

According to cyber experts it can take several weeks to months to resolve a&nbsp;ransomware attack. This negotiation with this threat actor was resolved in just days.

“We are a small county with small resources,” Kinsley said. “With the extraordinary demands that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on local governments like ours, we wanted to make sure that the hackers understood that there was no way we could even come close to meeting their demand,” he said. “We were focused on protecting taxpayers and doing everything we could to resolve the issue with as little as possible. We believe we succeeded at that.”

The IT team, including expert advisors, has now installed additional sensors on all servers to detect and prevent further attacks and is completing its forensic analysis of how the hackers gained access.

Systems are routinely backed up daily and backup files were readily available to begin rebuilding functionality. The 150 County desktop and laptop computers must be individually imaged for forensics, wiped clean and then software is reloaded. The process can take up to eight hours per PC.

All County offices are open and serving the public. It may take a bit more time to fulfill certain customer requests until computers are fully restored. The only systems that are still down are for email; and driver’s licenses, which is not managed by the County. We hope to have them working in the very near future. 

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY –Officials are making progress in restoring computer systems and machines after a ransomware attack encrypted several servers on September 17, according to a media release.The Sheriff’s Office and emergency response systems were not impacted.The County initially did not share many details about the attack because that is the right thing to do to protect the County from further attacks under these circumstances, and so as not to compromise the law enforcement investigation. At the same time, County representatives were negotiating with the hackers to reduce the ransom demand.The resulting resolution was extraordinary, both in terms of the final settlement and the speed at which the County was able to resolve the attack. “The ransom was reduced by more than 90 percent from hackers’ original demand, an almost unheard-of outcome, every saved dollar of which is taxpayer revenue the county keeps to serve our citizens,” said County Administrator Chad Kinsley. According to cyber experts it can take several weeks to months to resolve a&nbsp;ransomware attack. This negotiation with this threat actor was resolved in just days.“We are a small county with small resources,” Kinsley said. “With the extraordinary demands that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on local governments like ours, we wanted to make sure that the hackers understood that there was no way we could even come close to meeting their demand,” he said. “We were focused on protecting taxpayers and doing everything we could to resolve the issue with as little as possible. We believe we succeeded at that.”The IT team, including expert advisors, has now installed additional sensors on all servers to detect and prevent further attacks and is completing its forensic analysis of how the hackers gained access.Systems are routinely backed up daily and backup files were readily available to begin rebuilding functionality. The 150 County desktop and laptop computers must be individually imaged for forensics, wiped clean and then software is reloaded. The process can take up to eight hours per PC.All County offices are open and serving the public. It may take a bit more time to fulfill certain customer requests until computers are fully restored. The only systems that are still down are for email; and driver’s licenses, which is not managed by the County. We hope to have them working in the very near future.

Kansas county pays ransom to resolve cyber attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for COVID-19.

The high court said in a press release Friday that Kavanaugh has no symptoms and has been fully vaccinated since January. Kavanaugh and all the other justices had a routine coronavirus test ahead of Friday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-courts-elections-7928bf10a8925811a923b5c7c9682102">ceremonial investiture for Justice Amy Coney Barrett</a>.

The court says Kavanaugh’s wife and daughters are also fully vaccinated, and they tested negative on Thursday. The court says Kavanaugh and his wife will not attend the ceremony.

The court’s new term begins on Monday and the justices are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-3d8f33e6db3d31e09ff102b7d6ccf285">returning to the courtroom</a>&nbsp;to hear arguments after an 18-month absence because of the coronavirus pandemic. They had been hearing arguments via telephone.

Kavanaugh participated in the court’s private conference on Monday, when he and his colleagues met at the court to review thousands of appeals that accumulated over the summer.

He also took part Wednesday in an annual three-mile run for charity in Washington that included other judges, elected officials, government workers and reporters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633098736105.png" alt="Brett M. Kavanaugh photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court" />
 <figcaption>Brett M. Kavanaugh photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says Justice Brett Kavanaugh has tested positive for COVID-19.The high court said in a press release Friday that Kavanaugh has no symptoms and has been fully vaccinated since January. Kavanaugh and all the other justices had a routine coronavirus test ahead of Friday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-courts-elections-7928bf10a8925811a923b5c7c9682102">ceremonial investiture for Justice Amy Coney Barrett</a>.The court says Kavanaugh’s wife and daughters are also fully vaccinated, and they tested negative on Thursday. The court says Kavanaugh and his wife will not attend the ceremony.The court’s new term begins on Monday and the justices are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-3d8f33e6db3d31e09ff102b7d6ccf285">returning to the courtroom</a>&nbsp;to hear arguments after an 18-month absence because of the coronavirus pandemic. They had been hearing arguments via telephone.Kavanaugh participated in the court’s private conference on Monday, when he and his colleagues met at the court to review thousands of appeals that accumulated over the summer.He also took part Wednesday in an annual three-mile run for charity in Washington that included other judges, elected officials, government workers and reporters.

Fully vaccinated Supreme Court Justice tests positive for COVID

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND — In an effort to assist and show appreciation for what employees have
faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barton County is awarding all non-elected
workers a one-time additional compensation. Because of the increased risk to
some Barton County staff because of coronavirus, the commissioners discussed
ways to fairly compensate affected employees. &nbsp;

Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson
said the premium pay initiative would be heavily weighted toward lower-income
workers. 
"We're focusing on the lower wage earners because they're the most 
likely to jump ship and potentially make more money," said Hutchinson. 
"No one is getting cut out of a pay raise except for the elected 
officials." 
Any KPERS covered position working 40 hours a week with a rate of pay 
less than
$15.45 an hour will receive $2,080. Anyone in between $15.45 and $22.50 
will be awarded $1,560. Employees making over $22.50 will receive 
$1,040.

Commission Chair Jim Daily said the premium
pay is needed to show that the county values its employees. 
"We have made a considerable step forward over the years in increasing 
the starting pay but we're still way behind," said Daily. "This premium 
pay, unfortunately is a one-time shot, but will give them a boost and 
allow them to do some things financially maybe that they have not been 
able to do before." 
The premium pay program is not to exceed $320,000 and will be paid out of the American
Rescue Plan Act funds that were federally given to the county to recover from
the pandemic. 
It is anticipated the premium pay would be provided to employees in December.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633098545730.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — In an effort to assist and show appreciation for what employees have
faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barton County is awarding all non-elected
workers a one-time additional compensation. Because of the increased risk to
some Barton County staff because of coronavirus, the commissioners discussed
ways to fairly compensate affected employees. &nbsp;Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson
said the premium pay initiative would be heavily weighted toward lower-income
workers. 
"We're focusing on the lower wage earners because they're the most 
likely to jump ship and potentially make more money," said Hutchinson. 
"No one is getting cut out of a pay raise except for the elected 
officials." 
Any KPERS covered position working 40 hours a week with a rate of pay 
less than
$15.45 an hour will receive $2,080. Anyone in between $15.45 and $22.50 
will be awarded $1,560. Employees making over $22.50 will receive 
$1,040.Commission Chair Jim Daily said the premium
pay is needed to show that the county values its employees. 
"We have made a considerable step forward over the years in increasing 
the starting pay but we're still way behind," said Daily. "This premium 
pay, unfortunately is a one-time shot, but will give them a boost and 
allow them to do some things financially maybe that they have not been 
able to do before." 
The premium pay program is not to exceed $320,000 and will be paid out of the American
Rescue Plan Act funds that were federally given to the county to recover from
the pandemic. 
It is anticipated the premium pay would be provided to employees in December.&nbsp;

Due to COVID, Barton Co. awards employees ‘premium pay’

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A group representing school board members around the country asked President Joe Biden on Thursday for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over policies including mask mandates, likening the vitriol to a form of domestic terrorism.

<a href="https://www.nsba.org/News/2021/federal-assistance-letter">Click here to read the</a> statement from the National School Board Assn.

Parents and community members have been disrupting meetings and threatening board members in person, online and through the mail in a trend that merits attention from federal law enforcement agencies, the National School Boards Association said in a letter to Biden.

“Whatever you feel about masks, it should not reach this level of rhetoric,” NSBA Interim Executive Director Chip Slaven told The Associated Press by phone.

School boards around the country have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-e41350b7d9e3662d279c2dad287f7009">disrupted by unruly attendees&nbsp;</a>out to interfere with business and silence other viewpoints.

Typically, threats toward school board members are handled by local law enforcement. But the association asked for the federal government to get involved 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.

“As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes,” the association wrote.

<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf" target="_blank">The letter documents more than 20 instances&nbsp;</a>of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cites 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.”

The association represents more than 90,000 school board members in 14,000 public school districts.

The threats have gone beyond board meetings.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-arrests-coronavirus-pandemic-e3cf6646939d98e069e90575158a0a25">The father of an Arizona elementary school student was arrested&nbsp;</a>after he and two other men brought zip ties to the campus, threatening to make a “citizen’s arrest” on the school principal over a COVID-19 quarantine.

School board members are largely unpaid volunteers, traditionally former educators and parents who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent and review the budget.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">The current climate has led a growing number to resign&nbsp;</a>or decide against seeking reelection.

<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>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A group representing school board members around the country asked President Joe Biden on Thursday for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats made over policies including mask mandates, likening the vitriol to a form of domestic terrorism.<a href="https://www.nsba.org/News/2021/federal-assistance-letter">Click here to read the</a> statement from the National School Board Assn.Parents and community members have been disrupting meetings and threatening board members in person, online and through the mail in a trend that merits attention from federal law enforcement agencies, the National School Boards Association said in a letter to Biden.“Whatever you feel about masks, it should not reach this level of rhetoric,” NSBA Interim Executive Director Chip Slaven told The Associated Press by phone.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629038602416.png" alt="From the July 26 Shawnee Mission Kansas School Board meeting&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>From the July 26 Shawnee Mission Kansas School Board meeting&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>School boards around the country have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-e41350b7d9e3662d279c2dad287f7009">disrupted by unruly attendees&nbsp;</a>out to interfere with business and silence other viewpoints.Typically, threats toward school board members are handled by local law enforcement. But the association asked for the federal government to get involved 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.“As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes,” the association wrote.<a href="https://nsba.org/-/media/NSBA/File/nsba-letter-to-president-biden-concerning-threats-to-public-schools-and-school-board-members-92921.pdf" target="_blank">The letter documents more than 20 instances&nbsp;</a>of threats, harassment, disruption, and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states. It cites 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.”The association represents more than 90,000 school board members in 14,000 public school districts.The threats have gone beyond board meetings.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-arrests-coronavirus-pandemic-e3cf6646939d98e069e90575158a0a25">The father of an Arizona elementary school student was arrested&nbsp;</a>after he and two other men brought zip ties to the campus, threatening to make a “citizen’s arrest” on the school principal over a COVID-19 quarantine.School board members are largely unpaid volunteers, traditionally former educators and parents who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent and review the budget.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">The current climate has led a growing number to resign&nbsp;</a>or decide against seeking reelection.

School board group asks Pres. Biden for help policing threats

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Preliminary autopsy results show that a teenager&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-501b53e2b9c70956c34b8d16940bdb87">who died after being restrained</a>&nbsp;at a Kansas juvenile detention facility didn’t suffer any injuries that would have been life-threatening, authorities said Thursday.

The autopsy on 17-year-old Cedric “CJ” Lofton’s body found only scratches and a bruise and his cause of death hasn’t been determined, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said at a news conference. Authorities are awaiting a toxicology report as they investigate the circumstances surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-c46e524dc4dd062827c83c96c2ee3a3d">Lofton’s death</a>&nbsp;last weekend.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said he expects to receive a report from investigators either next week or the following week, once the toxicology results come back. He said he didn’t have enough information yet to decide whether charges are warranted.

Lofton was placed in the custody of the Kansas Department for Children and Families in 2019 in Junction City and put with foster parents in Wichita because of minor drug use and minor crimes, Easter said. His foster father called Wichita police early Friday because Lofton was having a mental breakdown, the sheriff said.

Officers tried to persuade Lofton to voluntarily seek mental health treatment before trying to take him into custody, but he resisted and assaulted the officers, authorities said. He was taken to the county’s Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center on charges of suspicion of battering a law enforcement officer.

Authorities released a timeline Thursday that showed police left the teen at the center only to be asked to return about an hour later because Lofton was having mental issues and was combative with staff.

That timeline shows that staff at the center were already conducting CPR on the teen by the time Wichita police returned to the center.

Emergency medical responders were able to get Lofton’s heart started before transporting him to the hospital, but he died there two days later without regaining consciousness, Easter said.&nbsp; Friends established fundraiser to help the family.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-benefit-fundraiser-for-cedric">Click here to visit&nbsp;</a>the GoFundMe page.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633019917195.png" alt="Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter and&nbsp;District Attorney Marc Bennett answered questions during a Thursday morning news conference" />
 <figcaption>Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter and&nbsp;District Attorney Marc Bennett answered questions during a Thursday morning news conference</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Preliminary autopsy results show that a teenager&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-501b53e2b9c70956c34b8d16940bdb87">who died after being restrained</a>&nbsp;at a Kansas juvenile detention facility didn’t suffer any injuries that would have been life-threatening, authorities said Thursday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046820362.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046842835.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046927211.png" alt="Cedric Lofton-photo courtesy GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Cedric Lofton-photo courtesy GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>The autopsy on 17-year-old Cedric “CJ” Lofton’s body found only scratches and a bruise and his cause of death hasn’t been determined, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said at a news conference. Authorities are awaiting a toxicology report as they investigate the circumstances surrounding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-wichita-c46e524dc4dd062827c83c96c2ee3a3d">Lofton’s death</a>&nbsp;last weekend.Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said he expects to receive a report from investigators either next week or the following week, once the toxicology results come back. He said he didn’t have enough information yet to decide whether charges are warranted.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSedgwickCountySheriff%2Fvideos%2F400841661443170%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" 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>Lofton was placed in the custody of the Kansas Department for Children and Families in 2019 in Junction City and put with foster parents in Wichita because of minor drug use and minor crimes, Easter said. His foster father called Wichita police early Friday because Lofton was having a mental breakdown, the sheriff said.Officers tried to persuade Lofton to voluntarily seek mental health treatment before trying to take him into custody, but he resisted and assaulted the officers, authorities said. He was taken to the county’s Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center on charges of suspicion of battering a law enforcement officer.Authorities released a timeline Thursday that showed police left the teen at the center only to be asked to return about an hour later because Lofton was having mental issues and was combative with staff.That timeline shows that staff at the center were already conducting CPR on the teen by the time Wichita police returned to the center.Emergency medical responders were able to get Lofton’s heart started before transporting him to the hospital, but he died there two days later without regaining consciousness, Easter said.&nbsp; Friends established fundraiser to help the family.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-benefit-fundraiser-for-cedric">Click here to visit&nbsp;</a>the GoFundMe page.

Officials release timeline in death of restrained Kansas teen

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>, Democrats were unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul</a>, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed the House into an evening session and top White House advisers huddled for talks at the Capitol as the Democratic leaders worked late Thursday to negotiate a scaled-back plan that centrist holdouts would accept. Biden had cleared his schedule for calls with lawmakers, but it appeared no deal was within reach, particularly with Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>.

Manchin refused to budge, the West Virginia centrist holding fast to his earlier declaration that he was willing to meet the president less than halfway — $1.5 trillion.

“I don’t see a deal tonight. I really don’t,” Manchin told reporters as he left the Capitol.

Deeply at odds, the president and his party are facing a potentially embarrassing setback — if not politically devastating collapse of the whole enterprise — if they cannot resolve the standoff over Biden’s big vision.

At immediate risk was a promised vote on the first piece of Biden’s proposal, a slimmer $1 trillion public works bill that is widely supported but has faltered amid stalled talks on his more ambitious package. Progressives were refusing to back the roads-and-bridges bill they view as insufficient unless there’s progress on Biden’s broader plan that’s the heart of the Democratic agenda. With support, leaders canceled a promised Thursday night vote, and said the House would be back in session Friday,

Pelosi called it a “day of progress” in a letter to colleagues, but offered few other words on the path forward.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying: “A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.”

The political stakes could hardly be higher. Biden and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment — promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax and spending plans — with a so-slim majority in Congress.

The president’s sweeping proposal topped at $3.5 trillion would essentially raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy and plow that money back into government health care, education and other programs, all of it touching the lives of countless Americans. He says the ultimate price tag is zero, because the tax revenue covers the spending costs.

With Biden working the phones and top White House officials shuttling at the Capitol, talk swirled of the Democratic leaders trying to ease off the stalemate by reaching a broader deal, a compromise with Manchin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who are the linchpins to Biden’s goals.

The idea was to produce the contours of an agreement over Biden’s broader package, proceed with the $1 trillion public works bill and negotiate the rest of Biden’s big health care, education and climate change bill in the days to come. Lawmakers were told to stick around for possible late-night votes.

But as the night dragged on, it became clear that Manchin was not on board with a higher figure and chiseling away at that $3.5 trillion topline risked losing progressive leaders who said they have already compromised enough and saw no reason to rush a deal to bring the centrists around to supporting the president’s agenda.

“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know, these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”

All this on a day that saw a partial win for Democrats, with Congress passing and Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-moves-to-avert-partial-government-shutdown-8f5b5b0c6c4cb12af8316ffc0b098771">signing legislation</a>&nbsp;to keep the government running past Thursday’s fiscal yearend deadline and avert a federal shutdown that had been threatened by Republican blockades.

The public works bill is one piece of that broader Biden vision, a $1 trillion investment in routine transportation, broadband, water systems and other projects bolstered with extra funding. It won bipartisan support in the Senate but has now become snared by the broader debate.

Attention remains squarely focused on Manchin and Sinema, two centrist Democrats who helped steer that bipartisan bill to passage, but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues by not making any counter-proposals public.

Under scrutiny, Manchin called an impromptu press conference Thursday outside the Capitol, insisting he has been clear from the start.

“I’m willing to sit down and work on the $1.5,” Manchin told reporters, as protesters seeking a bigger package and Biden’s priorities chanted behind him.

Manchin said he told the president as much during their talks this week, and confirmed that he put his views to paper during earlier talks this summer with Schumer.

It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he wants placed on new spending that will rile his more liberal colleagues as he works to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”

Sinema was similarly working to stave off criticism and her office said claims that she has not been forthcoming are “false” — though she has not publicly disclosed her views over what size package she wants and has declined to answer questions about her position.

Sinema has put dollar figures on the table and “continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions” with both Biden and Schumer, spokesman John LaBombard said in a statement.

Democrats’ campaign promises on the line, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said exiting Pelosi’s office that the progressives’ views were unchanged -- they won’t vote for one bill without the other and would stay all weekend to get a deal.

“Inaction is insanity,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, pointing her criticism clear at Manchin’s remarks.

“Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity. Not trying to make sure the president we all worked so hard to elect, his agenda pass, is insanity.”

Centrists warned off canceling Thursday’s vote as a “breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward in delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats.

At the same time, Congress mostly resolved a more immediate crisis by passing legislation to provide government funding and avoid a federal shutdown, keeping operations going temporarily to Dec. 3. The House quickly followed, and Biden signed the bill Thursday evening.

With Republicans opposed in lockstep to the president’s big plan, deriding it as slide to socialist-style spending, Biden is reaching for a deal with members of his own party for a signature legislative accomplishment.

Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632951499889.png" alt="GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a long night of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>, Democrats were unable to reach an immediate deal to salvage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government overhaul</a>, forcing leaders to call off promised votes on a related public works bill. Action is to resume Friday.Speaker Nancy Pelosi had pushed the House into an evening session and top White House advisers huddled for talks at the Capitol as the Democratic leaders worked late Thursday to negotiate a scaled-back plan that centrist holdouts would accept. Biden had cleared his schedule for calls with lawmakers, but it appeared no deal was within reach, particularly with Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>.Manchin refused to budge, the West Virginia centrist holding fast to his earlier declaration that he was willing to meet the president less than halfway — $1.5 trillion.“I don’t see a deal tonight. I really don’t,” Manchin told reporters as he left the Capitol.Deeply at odds, the president and his party are facing a potentially embarrassing setback — if not politically devastating collapse of the whole enterprise — if they cannot resolve the standoff over Biden’s big vision.At immediate risk was a promised vote on the first piece of Biden’s proposal, a slimmer $1 trillion public works bill that is widely supported but has faltered amid stalled talks on his more ambitious package. Progressives were refusing to back the roads-and-bridges bill they view as insufficient unless there’s progress on Biden’s broader plan that’s the heart of the Democratic agenda. With support, leaders canceled a promised Thursday night vote, and said the House would be back in session Friday,Pelosi called it a “day of progress” in a letter to colleagues, but offered few other words on the path forward.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying: “A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever. But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.”The political stakes could hardly be higher. Biden and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment — promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax and spending plans — with a so-slim majority in Congress.The president’s sweeping proposal topped at $3.5 trillion would essentially raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy and plow that money back into government health care, education and other programs, all of it touching the lives of countless Americans. He says the ultimate price tag is zero, because the tax revenue covers the spending costs.With Biden working the phones and top White House officials shuttling at the Capitol, talk swirled of the Democratic leaders trying to ease off the stalemate by reaching a broader deal, a compromise with Manchin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who are the linchpins to Biden’s goals.The idea was to produce the contours of an agreement over Biden’s broader package, proceed with the $1 trillion public works bill and negotiate the rest of Biden’s big health care, education and climate change bill in the days to come. Lawmakers were told to stick around for possible late-night votes.But as the night dragged on, it became clear that Manchin was not on board with a higher figure and chiseling away at that $3.5 trillion topline risked losing progressive leaders who said they have already compromised enough and saw no reason to rush a deal to bring the centrists around to supporting the president’s agenda.“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know, these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”All this on a day that saw a partial win for Democrats, with Congress passing and Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-moves-to-avert-partial-government-shutdown-8f5b5b0c6c4cb12af8316ffc0b098771">signing legislation</a>&nbsp;to keep the government running past Thursday’s fiscal yearend deadline and avert a federal shutdown that had been threatened by Republican blockades.The public works bill is one piece of that broader Biden vision, a $1 trillion investment in routine transportation, broadband, water systems and other projects bolstered with extra funding. It won bipartisan support in the Senate but has now become snared by the broader debate.Attention remains squarely focused on Manchin and Sinema, two centrist Democrats who helped steer that bipartisan bill to passage, but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues by not making any counter-proposals public.Under scrutiny, Manchin called an impromptu press conference Thursday outside the Capitol, insisting he has been clear from the start.“I’m willing to sit down and work on the $1.5,” Manchin told reporters, as protesters seeking a bigger package and Biden’s priorities chanted behind him.Manchin said he told the president as much during their talks this week, and confirmed that he put his views to paper during earlier talks this summer with Schumer.It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he wants placed on new spending that will rile his more liberal colleagues as he works to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”Sinema was similarly working to stave off criticism and her office said claims that she has not been forthcoming are “false” — though she has not publicly disclosed her views over what size package she wants and has declined to answer questions about her position.Sinema has put dollar figures on the table and “continues to engage directly in good-faith discussions” with both Biden and Schumer, spokesman John LaBombard said in a statement.Democrats’ campaign promises on the line, the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said exiting Pelosi’s office that the progressives’ views were unchanged -- they won’t vote for one bill without the other and would stay all weekend to get a deal.“Inaction is insanity,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, pointing her criticism clear at Manchin’s remarks.“Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity. Not trying to make sure the president we all worked so hard to elect, his agenda pass, is insanity.”Centrists warned off canceling Thursday’s vote as a “breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward in delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats.At the same time, Congress mostly resolved a more immediate crisis by passing legislation to provide government funding and avoid a federal shutdown, keeping operations going temporarily to Dec. 3. The House quickly followed, and Biden signed the bill Thursday evening.With Republicans opposed in lockstep to the president’s big plan, deriding it as slide to socialist-style spending, Biden is reaching for a deal with members of his own party for a signature legislative accomplishment.Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

Democrats continue work to save Biden's $3.5T spending plan

CLAY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 9p.m. Thursday in Clay County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Dodge Durango driven by Kevin L. Detmer, 51, Randolph, was eastbound on 30th Road just west of Valley View Road and eight miles North of Green, Kansas.

The driver swerved to avoid a cardboard box. He then overcorrected, struck a bridge pillar and came to rest on the south shoulder under the bridge.

Dettmer was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral home in Riley, Kansas.&nbsp; EMS transported passengers Kyra&nbsp;Dettmer, 39, and an 11-year-old boy both of Randolph to St. Francis in Wichita for treatment of serious injuries. EMS transported two boys, 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, to the Clay County Hospital.&nbsp; The adults and children were not properly restrained, according to the KHP.

CLAY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 9p.m. Thursday in Clay County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Dodge Durango driven by Kevin L. Detmer, 51, Randolph, was eastbound on 30th Road just west of Valley View Road and eight miles North of Green, Kansas.The driver swerved to avoid a cardboard box. He then overcorrected, struck a bridge pillar and came to rest on the south shoulder under the bridge.Dettmer was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp; Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral home in Riley, Kansas.&nbsp; EMS transported passengers Kyra&nbsp;Dettmer, 39, and an 11-year-old boy both of Randolph to St. Francis in Wichita for treatment of serious injuries. EMS transported two boys, 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, to the Clay County Hospital.&nbsp; The adults and children were not properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies, woman and 3 children hospitalized after crash

The U.S. Postal Service will implement new service standards for First-Class Mail and Periodicals starting Friday which will increase delivery reliability, consistency, and efficiency for customers and across the network, according to a media release from the USPS.

Most First-Class Mail and Periodicals will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece First-Class Mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days. Mail traveling the greatest distances will be most affected, with a day or two of transit time added for some First-Class Mail and Periodicals.

The USPS make better use of their trucks and existing surface network to move the mail, relying less on costly air transportation.

By improving service reliability and increasing efficiency, the postal service hopes to keep costs at reasonable levels and help keep postage rates affordable for our customers.

<a href="https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS-Fact-Sheet_FCM-Service-Standard-Change.pdf">Click here for more</a> information and the First Class/Periodical Service Standard Fact Sheet&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633046157684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Postal Service will implement new service standards for First-Class Mail and Periodicals starting Friday which will increase delivery reliability, consistency, and efficiency for customers and across the network, according to a media release from the USPS.Most First-Class Mail and Periodicals will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece First-Class Mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days. Mail traveling the greatest distances will be most affected, with a day or two of transit time added for some First-Class Mail and Periodicals.The USPS make better use of their trucks and existing surface network to move the mail, relying less on costly air transportation.By improving service reliability and increasing efficiency, the postal service hopes to keep costs at reasonable levels and help keep postage rates affordable for our customers.<a href="https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/USPS-Fact-Sheet_FCM-Service-Standard-Change.pdf">Click here for more</a> information and the First Class/Periodical Service Standard Fact Sheet&nbsp;

New postal service standards could slow your mail starting Friday

On a dating app? Think twice before sending revealing photos or videos. Some con artists are taking a sinister approach to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">romance scams</a> by blackmailing their victims.

You meet someone you are interested in on a dating app. The <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/09/how-spot-extortion-scams-lgbtq-dating-apps" target="_blank">FTC reports</a>
 that this particular scam is especially common on LGBTQ+ dating apps, 
such as Grindr and Feeld. The person sends you explicit photos of 
themselves and asks you to reply with your own revealing pictures.

If you send the images or videos, the scammer begins to blackmail 
you. Scammers use your phone number or social media profile to look up 
names of your friends, family members, and even your workmates or boss. 
Then, they threaten to send images to the people you care most about.

According to one <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 report, after a compromising video call, a woman began “blackmailing 
me, [threatening] to release the video footage on social media and send 
it to my friends and family. [Then] a guy took over blackmailing. They 
were demanding a sum of $3000.”

Scammers often ask for payment via gift card or wired funds – methods
 that can’t be traced to them and make it impossible for you to 
recuperate your funds. If you cooperate, you’ll lose your money, and 
there’s no guarantee the scammers will delete the images and videos. In 
fact, scammers will likely continue contacting you, asking for more 
money periodically.

Protect yourself by reading the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Romance Scams</a> and visiting <a href="http://www.BBB.org/AvoidScams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>. To learn more about the legitimacy of different dating apps, read the BBB Scam Alert on <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/24477-bbb-scam-alert-looking-love-dont-fall-for-a-fake-dating-service">fake dating services</a>.

If you’ve been the victim of an extortion scam, report it to the FTC at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Submit a report to <a href="http://www.BBB.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a> as well to boost community awareness and help others protect themselves.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBOn a dating app? Think twice before sending revealing photos or videos. Some con artists are taking a sinister approach to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">romance scams</a> by blackmailing their victims.<h2>How the Scam Works</h2>You meet someone you are interested in on a dating app. The <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/09/how-spot-extortion-scams-lgbtq-dating-apps" target="_blank">FTC reports</a>
 that this particular scam is especially common on LGBTQ+ dating apps, 
such as Grindr and Feeld. The person sends you explicit photos of 
themselves and asks you to reply with your own revealing pictures.If you send the images or videos, the scammer begins to blackmail 
you. Scammers use your phone number or social media profile to look up 
names of your friends, family members, and even your workmates or boss. 
Then, they threaten to send images to the people you care most about.According to one <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 report, after a compromising video call, a woman began “blackmailing 
me, [threatening] to release the video footage on social media and send 
it to my friends and family. [Then] a guy took over blackmailing. They 
were demanding a sum of $3000.”Scammers often ask for payment via gift card or wired funds – methods
 that can’t be traced to them and make it impossible for you to 
recuperate your funds. If you cooperate, you’ll lose your money, and 
there’s no guarantee the scammers will delete the images and videos. In 
fact, scammers will likely continue contacting you, asking for more 
money periodically.<h2>How to Avoid Dating App Scams</h2><ul>
 <li>Never share your personal information with someone you just met. Don’t
 give your cell phone number, home address, email address, or even your 
social media profile to a stranger. Wait until you know and trust a 
person, preferably when you’ve already met them in person. </li><li>Research your love interest. One telltale sign 
you’re dealing with a scammer is a stolen profile picture. Do a reverse 
image search of the person’s profile picture to make sure it isn’t being
 used under a different name or on multiple profiles. </li><li>Think before you send photos or videos. Once you 
send a photo or video, you cannot get it back. Keep in mind that even 
video calls can be recorded and use good judgement to protect your 
reputation. </li><li>Don’t pay money to scammers. You have no guarantee that scammers won’t use the photos or videos anyway. Plus, your money could be <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA200420" target="_blank">funding criminal activity</a>. </li>
 </ul><h2>For More Information</h2>Protect yourself by reading the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/17012-bbb-tip-romance-scams" target="_blank">BBB Tip: Romance Scams</a> and visiting <a href="http://www.BBB.org/AvoidScams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>. To learn more about the legitimacy of different dating apps, read the BBB Scam Alert on <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/24477-bbb-scam-alert-looking-love-dont-fall-for-a-fake-dating-service">fake dating services</a>.If you’ve been the victim of an extortion scam, report it to the FTC at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Submit a report to <a href="http://www.BBB.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a> as well to boost community awareness and help others protect themselves.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

BBB: Blackmailers hunting for victims on online dating sites

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. citizens, 
resident aliens and any domestic legal entity that the extension 
deadline to file their annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/report-of-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts-fbar">Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)</a>&nbsp;is Oct. 15, 2021.

Filers missing the April 15 annual due date earlier this year 
received an automatic extension until Oct. 15, 2021, to file the FBAR. 
They did not need to request the extension.

Filers affected by a natural disaster may have their FBAR due date further extended. It's important filers review relevant <a href="https://www.fincen.gov/report-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts">FBAR Relief Notices</a> for complete information.

The Bank Secrecy Act requires U.S. persons to file an FBAR if they have:

Because of this threshold, the IRS encourages U.S. persons or 
entities with foreign accounts, even relatively small ones, to check if 
this filing requirement applies to them. A U.S. person is a citizen or 
resident of the United States or any domestic legal entity such as a 
partnership, corporation, limited liability company, estate or trust.

Filers do not file the FBAR with their federal income tax return. The
 2020 FBAR must be filed electronically with the Financial Crimes 
Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and is only available through the&nbsp;<a href="https://bsaefiling.fincen.treas.gov/main.html">BSA E-Filing System&nbsp;</a>website. Those who are unable to e-file their FBAR must call FinCEN at&nbsp;<a href="tel:800-949-2732">800-949-2732</a>, or from outside the U.S. at&nbsp;<a href="tel:703-905-3975">703-905-3975</a>.

Those who don't file an FBAR when required may be subject to 
significant civil and criminal penalties that can result in a fine 
and/or prison. The IRS will not penalize those who properly reported a 
foreign account on a late-filed FBAR if the IRS determines there was 
reasonable cause for late filing.

To help avoid delays with tax refunds, taxpayers living abroad should visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/helpful-tips-for-effectively-receiving-a-tax-refund-for-taxpayers-living-abroad">Helpful Tips for Effectively Receiving a Tax Refund for Taxpayers Living Abroad&nbsp;</a>on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds U.S. citizens, 
resident aliens and any domestic legal entity that the extension 
deadline to file their annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/report-of-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts-fbar">Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)</a>&nbsp;is Oct. 15, 2021.Filers missing the April 15 annual due date earlier this year 
received an automatic extension until Oct. 15, 2021, to file the FBAR. 
They did not need to request the extension.Filers affected by a natural disaster may have their FBAR due date further extended. It's important filers review relevant <a href="https://www.fincen.gov/report-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts">FBAR Relief Notices</a> for complete information.<h2>Who needs to file?</h2>The Bank Secrecy Act requires U.S. persons to file an FBAR if they have:<ol>
 <li>Financial interest in, signature authority or other authority 
over one or more accounts, such as a bank account, brokerage account, 
mutual fund or other financial account located outside the United 
States, and</li><li>The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year.</li>
 </ol>Because of this threshold, the IRS encourages U.S. persons or 
entities with foreign accounts, even relatively small ones, to check if 
this filing requirement applies to them. A U.S. person is a citizen or 
resident of the United States or any domestic legal entity such as a 
partnership, corporation, limited liability company, estate or trust.<h2>How to file</h2>Filers do not file the FBAR with their federal income tax return. The
 2020 FBAR must be filed electronically with the Financial Crimes 
Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and is only available through the&nbsp;<a href="https://bsaefiling.fincen.treas.gov/main.html">BSA E-Filing System&nbsp;</a>website. Those who are unable to e-file their FBAR must call FinCEN at&nbsp;<a href="tel:800-949-2732">800-949-2732</a>, or from outside the U.S. at&nbsp;<a href="tel:703-905-3975">703-905-3975</a>.<h2>Avoid penalties</h2>Those who don't file an FBAR when required may be subject to 
significant civil and criminal penalties that can result in a fine 
and/or prison. The IRS will not penalize those who properly reported a 
foreign account on a late-filed FBAR if the IRS determines there was 
reasonable cause for late filing.<h2>FBAR resources on IRS.gov:</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-report-foreign-bank-and-financial-accounts">How to report foreign bank and financial accounts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers">International Taxpayers&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/irsfbarreferenceguide.pdf">IRS FBAR Reference Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/frequently-asked-questions-about-international-individual-tax-matters">FAQs About International Individual Tax Matters</a></li><li>FinCEN's website&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fincen.gov/reporting-maximum-account-value">Reporting Maximum Account Value</a></li>
 </ul>To help avoid delays with tax refunds, taxpayers living abroad should visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/helpful-tips-for-effectively-receiving-a-tax-refund-for-taxpayers-living-abroad">Helpful Tips for Effectively Receiving a Tax Refund for Taxpayers Living Abroad&nbsp;</a>on IRS.gov.

IRS: Extension deadline nears for those with overseas holdings

KANSAS CITY —Advocates for a man scheduled to be put to death next week are urging Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency, citing his intellectual disability.

A rally was taking place Wednesday at the Capitol rotunda in Jefferson City in support of Ernest Johnson, 61, who was convicted of killing three people during a robbery at a Columbia convenience store in 1994. Advocates planned to deliver a petition with around 23,000 signatures, asking the Republican governor to halt the execution by lethal injection, scheduled for Tuesday evening at the prison in Bonne Terre.

A message seeking comment from Parson's spokeswoman was not immediately returned.

Johnson's advocates cite the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people.

“Killing him would be unconstitutional, and morally and ethically wrong,” said Lauren Sobchak, organizer for Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP, said Johnson “deserves to be treated as a human being.”

Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, said Johnson’s IQ has been tested nine times with an average score of 67. Weis said the IQ exams and other tests have shown that Johnson “has significant deficits” in intellectual functioning.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-executions-missouri-a992909b76406c9153cb890eb8401b42">The Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in August refused to halt the execution on the basis of Johnson's intellectual disability, but Weis requested a rehearing. The court hasn't decided whether to reconsider the case.

If carried out, the execution would be the first in Missouri since convicted killer Walter Barton was put to death in May 2020.

Johnson was convicted of killing 46-year-old Mary Bratcher, 57-year-old Mable Scruggs and 58-year-old Fred Jones during a closing-time robbery of a Casey’s General Store in Columbia in February 1994. Johnson wanted money to buy drugs, authorities said.

All three workers were beaten to death with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed at least 10 times with a screwdriver and Jones was shot in the face. He hid the bodies in a cooler.

Johnson was arrested after police found a bank bag, stolen money and store receipts at his home.

Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad. His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures. In 2008, Johnson had most, but not all, of a benign brain tumor removed, and a later MRI revealed that up to 20% of his brain tissue was also removed.

Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad.

Johnson has been sentenced to death three times.

He was already on death row in 2001 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel and a new sentencing hearing was ordered. Johnson was again sentenced to death in 2003. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that sentence, too. In 2006, Johnson was sentenced to death a third time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1621882682950.png" alt="Johnson photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Advocates for a man scheduled to be put to death next week are urging Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency, citing his intellectual disability.A rally was taking place Wednesday at the Capitol rotunda in Jefferson City in support of Ernest Johnson, 61, who was convicted of killing three people during a robbery at a Columbia convenience store in 1994. Advocates planned to deliver a petition with around 23,000 signatures, asking the Republican governor to halt the execution by lethal injection, scheduled for Tuesday evening at the prison in Bonne Terre.A message seeking comment from Parson's spokeswoman was not immediately returned.Johnson's advocates cite the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits executing intellectually disabled people.“Killing him would be unconstitutional, and morally and ethically wrong,” said Lauren Sobchak, organizer for Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP, said Johnson “deserves to be treated as a human being.”Johnson’s attorney, Jeremy Weis, said Johnson’s IQ has been tested nine times with an average score of 67. Weis said the IQ exams and other tests have shown that Johnson “has significant deficits” in intellectual functioning.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-courts-executions-missouri-a992909b76406c9153cb890eb8401b42">The Missouri Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in August refused to halt the execution on the basis of Johnson's intellectual disability, but Weis requested a rehearing. The court hasn't decided whether to reconsider the case.If carried out, the execution would be the first in Missouri since convicted killer Walter Barton was put to death in May 2020.Johnson was convicted of killing 46-year-old Mary Bratcher, 57-year-old Mable Scruggs and 58-year-old Fred Jones during a closing-time robbery of a Casey’s General Store in Columbia in February 1994. Johnson wanted money to buy drugs, authorities said.All three workers were beaten to death with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed at least 10 times with a screwdriver and Jones was shot in the face. He hid the bodies in a cooler.Johnson was arrested after police found a bank bag, stolen money and store receipts at his home.Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad. His lawyers argued that Missouri’s lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures. In 2008, Johnson had most, but not all, of a benign brain tumor removed, and a later MRI revealed that up to 20% of his brain tissue was also removed.Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad.Johnson has been sentenced to death three times.He was already on death row in 2001 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel and a new sentencing hearing was ordered. Johnson was again sentenced to death in 2003. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that sentence, too. In 2006, Johnson was sentenced to death a third time.

Advocates: Intellectually disabled killer should not be put to death next week

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. 

The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.

The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.

The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.

The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.

With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.

The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.

“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”

Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.

The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.

Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”

“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.

House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.

The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.

“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”

Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.

“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090680808.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.___

Biden signs bill to avert partial government shutdown

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Federal authorities say two former prison guards at Leavenworth Detention Center have been indicted by a federal grand jury on counts accusing them of smuggling drugs and other contraband into the prison. A news release Thursday from the U.S. Department of Justice says 25-year-old Jacqueline Sifuentes, of Laredo, Texas, and 29-year-old Cheyonte Harris, of Raytown, Missouri, were both indicted Sept. 22. 

Sifuentes was arrested Tuesday and is charged with bribery, conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband, and providing contraband to an inmate. 

She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Harris was arrested Monday and is charged with conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband and making false statements to federal agents. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Federal authorities say two former prison guards at Leavenworth Detention Center have been indicted by a federal grand jury on counts accusing them of smuggling drugs and other contraband into the prison. A news release Thursday from the U.S. Department of Justice says 25-year-old Jacqueline Sifuentes, of Laredo, Texas, and 29-year-old Cheyonte Harris, of Raytown, Missouri, were both indicted Sept. 22. Sifuentes was arrested Tuesday and is charged with bribery, conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband, and providing contraband to an inmate. She faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Harris was arrested Monday and is charged with conspiring to commit bribery and provide contraband and making false statements to federal agents. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

2 ex-Kan. prison guards indicted for smuggling drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.

Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.

“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.

The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.

Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.

“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.

Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”

“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.

Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.

“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”

When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”

“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”

About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.

“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.

Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.

She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”

“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”

Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.

Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.

She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.

“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.

A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.

Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.

“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633020941883.png" alt="Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To all the Black women and girls who have had or will have abortions — know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of. We live in a society that has failed to legislate love and justice for us. But we deserve better. We demand better. We are worthy of better. <a href="https://t.co/lZkpucCQ9v">pic.twitter.com/lZkpucCQ9v</a>&mdash; Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCori/status/1443593643324026881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

🎥 Congressional members share own abortion stories at hearing

WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Neodesha Police Department and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men after they discovered over 82 pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle, according to a media release from the KBI.

Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, officer from the Neodesha Police Department conducted a traffic stop for speeding on a 2006 Chevy Silverado, at 400 Main St. in Neodesha. 

Probable cause to search the vehicle was established, and the search uncovered an excess of 82 pounds of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine has an approximate street value of $3.7 million.&nbsp;

Officers arrested the driver, Alejandro Salazar, 19, of Dallas, Texas, was on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, possession of drug sale paraphernalia, and driving without a valid license.

Roger Mercado, 19, from Garland, Texas, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, and possession of drug sale paraphernalia. He was a passenger in the pickup truck.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633027045852.png" alt="Salazar photo Wilson County" />
 <figcaption>Salazar photo Wilson County</figcaption>
 </figure>WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Neodesha Police Department and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men after they discovered over 82 pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle, according to a media release from the KBI.Just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday, officer from the Neodesha Police Department conducted a traffic stop for speeding on a 2006 Chevy Silverado, at 400 Main St. in Neodesha. Probable cause to search the vehicle was established, and the search uncovered an excess of 82 pounds of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine has an approximate street value of $3.7 million.&nbsp;Officers arrested the driver, Alejandro Salazar, 19, of Dallas, Texas, was on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, possession of drug sale paraphernalia, and driving without a valid license.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633027020664.png" alt="Mercado photo Wilson County" />
 <figcaption>Mercado photo Wilson County</figcaption>
 </figure>Roger Mercado, 19, from Garland, Texas, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, and possession of drug sale paraphernalia. He was a passenger in the pickup truck.Following their arrests, Salazar and Mercado were booked into the Wilson County Jail.Official charges are pending.