WASHINGTON (AP)— President Joe Biden on Monday pledged the full support of the federal government to states facing surges in COVID-19 cases from the more-transmissible omicron variant and a run on at-home tests.

Joining a regular meeting between his coronavirus response team and the National Governors Association, Biden said, “My message is: if you need something, say something, and we are going to have your back any way we can.”

Biden acknowledged long lines and chaotic scenes as Americans sought out testing amid the case surge and as they looked to safely gather with family and friends over the holiday.

He referenced his administration’s plan to make 500 million rapid tests available to Americans beginning next month through an as-yet-to-be-developed website.

A White House official said the new tests would come from new manufacturing capacity and wouldn’t interfere with existing supply chains.

&nbsp;Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Monday that the U.S. should “seriously” consider a vaccination mandate for domestic travel.

Speaking to MSNBC, Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden’s chief science adviser on the COVID-19 response, said “When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated.”

The U.S. currently mandates that most foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but has not instituted one for domestic travel.

The administration has at times considered a domestic vaccination requirement, or one requiring either vaccination or proof of negative test, but two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to formally make the recommendation to the president. The officials noted they have not been eager to mandate vaccination for domestic air travel because they expected it to immediately face legal challenges, mitigating its potential effectiveness as a tool to drive up vaccinations.

Biden’s employer vaccination requirements have been mired in legal wrangling, with the Supreme Court set to hear arguments in early January in cases seeking to overturn them.

WASHINGTON (AP)— President Joe Biden on Monday pledged the full support of the federal government to states facing surges in COVID-19 cases from the more-transmissible omicron variant and a run on at-home tests.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F445389280422896%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=180" width="560" height="314" 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>Joining a regular meeting between his coronavirus response team and the National Governors Association, Biden said, “My message is: if you need something, say something, and we are going to have your back any way we can.”Biden acknowledged long lines and chaotic scenes as Americans sought out testing amid the case surge and as they looked to safely gather with family and friends over the holiday.He referenced his administration’s plan to make 500 million rapid tests available to Americans beginning next month through an as-yet-to-be-developed website.A White House official said the new tests would come from new manufacturing capacity and wouldn’t interfere with existing supply chains.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640628036346.png" alt="Monday Dec. 27, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Dec. 27, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Monday that the U.S. should “seriously” consider a vaccination mandate for domestic travel.Speaking to MSNBC, Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden’s chief science adviser on the COVID-19 response, said “When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated.”The U.S. currently mandates that most foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but has not instituted one for domestic travel.The administration has at times considered a domestic vaccination requirement, or one requiring either vaccination or proof of negative test, but two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to formally make the recommendation to the president. The officials noted they have not been eager to mandate vaccination for domestic air travel because they expected it to immediately face legal challenges, mitigating its potential effectiveness as a tool to drive up vaccinations.Biden’s employer vaccination requirements have been mired in legal wrangling, with the Supreme Court set to hear arguments in early January in cases seeking to overturn them.

🎥 Biden pledges full support to states facing surge in COVID cases

KEARNY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Kearny County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a homicide after a man was found dead on Christmas morning in Lakin, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

The Kearny County Law Enforcement Center received a 911 call on Saturday, Dec. 25, at approximately 9:15 a.m., requesting help in the area of 304 East Waterman Ave. in Lakin. When arriving at the parking area of an apartment building, the responding deputy discovered a man who had suffered fatal stab wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The victim has been identified as Cristofer J. Davilla-Cardoza, 23, of Lakin. An autopsy was performed, according to the KBI.

Anyone with information related to this crime is urged to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>. Tips can also been sent to the Kearny County Sheriff’s Office at 620-355-6211 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kcso@pld.com" target="_blank">kcso@pld.com</a>.

KEARNY COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Kearny County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a homicide after a man was found dead on Christmas morning in Lakin, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.The Kearny County Law Enforcement Center received a 911 call on Saturday, Dec. 25, at approximately 9:15 a.m., requesting help in the area of 304 East Waterman Ave. in Lakin. When arriving at the parking area of an apartment building, the responding deputy discovered a man who had suffered fatal stab wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.The victim has been identified as Cristofer J. Davilla-Cardoza, 23, of Lakin. An autopsy was performed, according to the KBI.Anyone with information related to this crime is urged to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or submit a tip online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>. Tips can also been sent to the Kearny County Sheriff’s Office at 620-355-6211 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kcso@pld.com" target="_blank">kcso@pld.com</a>.

KBI identifies Kan. man who died from stab wounds Christmas Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Monday the U.S. should consider a vaccination mandate for domestic air travel, signaling a potential embrace of an idea the Biden administration has previously eschewed, as COVID-19 cases spike.

Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief science adviser on the pandemic response, said such a mandate might drive up the nation's lagging vaccination rate as well as confer stronger protection on flights, for which federal regulations require all those aged 2 and older to wear a mask.

“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated," Fauci told MSNBC. “If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.”

The Biden administration has thus far balked at imposing a vaccination requirement for domestic air travel. Two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to make a formal recommendation for such a requirement to the president.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said a vaccine mandate on planes could trigger a host of logistical and legal concerns.

The U.S. currently mandates that most foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, though citizens and permanent residents only need to show proof of a negative test taken within a day of boarding.

Federal rules don’t require people travelling by air within the U.S. to show a negative test. Hawaii requires travelers to test or show proof of vaccination to avoid a mandatory quarantine.

Earlier this year the White House explored a domestic vaccination requirement for flights, or one requiring either vaccination or proof of negative test. But officials have not been eager to mandate vaccination for domestic air travel because they expected it to face immediate legal challenges, mitigating its potential effectiveness as a tool to drive up vaccinations.

Pressed last week on why Biden had not mandated vaccinations for domestic air travel, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that “we know that masking can be, is, very effective on airplanes."

“We also know that putting in place that additional restriction might delay flights, might have additional implications,” she added. "We would do it, though, if the health impact was overwhelming. So we rely always on the advice of our health and medical experts. That isn’t a step at this point that they had determined we need to take.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than 241 million Americans, about 77% of the eligible population aged 5 and over, have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Officials believe, though, that there is some over-count in the figures due to record-keeping errors in the administration of booster shots.

Since the summer, the Biden administration has embraced various vaccination requirements as a way to get unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves. It has instituted requirements that federal workers, federal contractors, and those who work in health care get their shots, and that employers with 100 or more employees institute vaccination-or-testing requirements for their workers.

Those vaccination requirements have been mired in legal wrangling, with the Supreme Court set to hear arguments Jan. 7 in cases seeking to overturn them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640635329591.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci, (right) White House Chief Medical Advisor participated in the White House COVID-19 Response Team's regular call with the National Governors Association at the White House Campus, Monday, Dec. 27-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci, (right) White House Chief Medical Advisor participated in the White House COVID-19 Response Team's regular call with the National Governors Association at the White House Campus, Monday, Dec. 27-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Monday the U.S. should consider a vaccination mandate for domestic air travel, signaling a potential embrace of an idea the Biden administration has previously eschewed, as COVID-19 cases spike.Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief science adviser on the pandemic response, said such a mandate might drive up the nation's lagging vaccination rate as well as confer stronger protection on flights, for which federal regulations require all those aged 2 and older to wear a mask.“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated," Fauci told MSNBC. “If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.”The Biden administration has thus far balked at imposing a vaccination requirement for domestic air travel. Two officials said Biden’s science advisers have yet to make a formal recommendation for such a requirement to the president.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said a vaccine mandate on planes could trigger a host of logistical and legal concerns.The U.S. currently mandates that most foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, though citizens and permanent residents only need to show proof of a negative test taken within a day of boarding.Federal rules don’t require people travelling by air within the U.S. to show a negative test. Hawaii requires travelers to test or show proof of vaccination to avoid a mandatory quarantine.Earlier this year the White House explored a domestic vaccination requirement for flights, or one requiring either vaccination or proof of negative test. But officials have not been eager to mandate vaccination for domestic air travel because they expected it to face immediate legal challenges, mitigating its potential effectiveness as a tool to drive up vaccinations.Pressed last week on why Biden had not mandated vaccinations for domestic air travel, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that “we know that masking can be, is, very effective on airplanes."“We also know that putting in place that additional restriction might delay flights, might have additional implications,” she added. "We would do it, though, if the health impact was overwhelming. So we rely always on the advice of our health and medical experts. That isn’t a step at this point that they had determined we need to take.”Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show more than 241 million Americans, about 77% of the eligible population aged 5 and over, have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Officials believe, though, that there is some over-count in the figures due to record-keeping errors in the administration of booster shots.Since the summer, the Biden administration has embraced various vaccination requirements as a way to get unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves. It has instituted requirements that federal workers, federal contractors, and those who work in health care get their shots, and that employers with 100 or more employees institute vaccination-or-testing requirements for their workers.Those vaccination requirements have been mired in legal wrangling, with the Supreme Court set to hear arguments Jan. 7 in cases seeking to overturn them.

Fauci: US should consider vaccine mandate for US air travel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Five killings in Kansas City, Missouri, during Christmas week brought the 2021 total to 156, making it the city’s second-deadliest year on record.

Only last year was worse, when Kansas City had 182 homicides This year topped the 155 killings that occurred in 2017.

The entire Kansas City metropolitan area, including the Kansas suburbs, has seen 215 homicides in 2021.

Mayor Quinton Lucas, on Twitter, said the city will “never stop trying” to reduce the number of killings, calling it Kansas City’s “greatest challenge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640631562726.png" alt="Police at the scene of a homicide investigation Dec. 23-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of a homicide investigation Dec. 23-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Five killings in Kansas City, Missouri, during Christmas week brought the 2021 total to 156, making it the city’s second-deadliest year on record.Only last year was worse, when Kansas City had 182 homicides This year topped the 155 killings that occurred in 2017.The entire Kansas City metropolitan area, including the Kansas suburbs, has seen 215 homicides in 2021.Mayor Quinton Lucas, on Twitter, said the city will “never stop trying” to reduce the number of killings, calling it Kansas City’s “greatest challenge.”

5 more killings: 2021 second-deadliest year on record in KC

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 6,939 to a total of 512,461, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 14 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6964.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 6,939 to a total of 512,461, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 14 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6964.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640628036346.png" alt="Monday Dec. 27, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Dec. 27, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 6,900 new cases, 14 more COVID deaths

MANHATTAN—One man was injured during a reported altercation involving fishing poles on Christmas Eve in Manhattan.

Just after 10:30a.m. Friday, officers filed a report for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass in the 200 block of N. 11th Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 40-year-old and 42-year-old men reported 40-year-old and 42-year-old suspects were in an altercation with them after three fishing poles were damaged. 

When the 42-year-old left in his car, the 40-year-old jumped on the hood of the car and was eventually thrown off causing injuries to his ankles and head. 

EMS transported the 40-year-old to Via Christi for treatment of his injuries. 

Police arrested Daniel Westgate, 40, of Manhattan on requested charges of criminal trespass and he remains in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $2,000 after being released from Via Christi. 

&nbsp;The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $90.

MANHATTAN—One man was injured during a reported altercation involving fishing poles on Christmas Eve in Manhattan.Just after 10:30a.m. Friday, officers filed a report for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass in the 200 block of N. 11th Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 40-year-old and 42-year-old men reported 40-year-old and 42-year-old suspects were in an altercation with them after three fishing poles were damaged. When the 42-year-old left in his car, the 40-year-old jumped on the hood of the car and was eventually thrown off causing injuries to his ankles and head. EMS transported the 40-year-old to Via Christi for treatment of his injuries. Police arrested Daniel Westgate, 40, of Manhattan on requested charges of criminal trespass and he remains in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $2,000 after being released from Via Christi. &nbsp;The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $90.

Kan. man injured, jailed after Christmas Eve fishing pole dispute

NEW YORK (AP) — Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday, with major U.S. airlines each canceling dozens of flights.

Staffers calling out sick because of COVID-19, particularly since the emergence of the omnicron variant, have left airlines short in recent days. According to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations, airlines have canceled roughly 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday.

Delta, United, JetBlue and American have all said that the coronavirus was causing staffing problems, and European and Australian airlines also canceled holiday-season flights because staff were infected, but weather and other factors played a role as well.

Winter weather in the Pacific Northwest led to nearly 250 flight cancellations to or from Seattle on Sunday, said&nbsp;Alaska&nbsp;Airlines, and the airline expects more than 100 flight cancellations Monday. But it says that crew calling out sick because of COVID-19 is no longer a factor.

United said it canceled 115 flights Monday, out of more than 4,000 scheduled, due to crews out with COVID-19.

Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a consistent problem this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020 when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as air travel rebounded faster than almost anyone had expected.

Airlines have called on the Biden administration to shorten the guidelines for the isolation period for vaccinated workers who get COVID-19, in order to ease staffing shortages. The union for flight attendants has pushed back against that, saying the isolation period should remain 10 days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640348737573.png" alt="Photo courtesy Wichita Eisenhower National Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Wichita Eisenhower National Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday, with major U.S. airlines each canceling dozens of flights.Staffers calling out sick because of COVID-19, particularly since the emergence of the omnicron variant, have left airlines short in recent days. According to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations, airlines have canceled roughly 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday.Delta, United, JetBlue and American have all said that the coronavirus was causing staffing problems, and European and Australian airlines also canceled holiday-season flights because staff were infected, but weather and other factors played a role as well.Winter weather in the Pacific Northwest led to nearly 250 flight cancellations to or from Seattle on Sunday, said&nbsp;Alaska&nbsp;Airlines, and the airline expects more than 100 flight cancellations Monday. But it says that crew calling out sick because of COVID-19 is no longer a factor.United said it canceled 115 flights Monday, out of more than 4,000 scheduled, due to crews out with COVID-19.Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a consistent problem this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020 when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as air travel rebounded faster than almost anyone had expected.Airlines have called on the Biden administration to shorten the guidelines for the isolation period for vaccinated workers who get COVID-19, in order to ease staffing shortages. The union for flight attendants has pushed back against that, saying the isolation period should remain 10 days.

Flight cancellations continue due to sick crews, bad weather

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a Christmas Day fatal accident have&nbsp; identified the victim as 33-year-old Esbardo Chavez-Ruiz of Wichita.

Just after 4 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a single-vehicle accident in the area of Main and Dewey in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

 Upon arrival, officers located Chavez-Ruiz pinned inside of a 2002 Nissan Maxima. He was removed from the vehicle by Wichita Fire Personnel and he was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed, Chavez-Ruiz was the lone occupant of the Maxima driving south on Main Street and lost control of the vehicle causing it to leave the roadway, roll and strike the decorative retaining wall north of Kellogg. Speed is believed to be a factor in this accident, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640619556891.png" alt="Fatal crash on Christmas Day -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Fatal crash on Christmas Day -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a Christmas Day fatal accident have&nbsp; identified the victim as 33-year-old Esbardo Chavez-Ruiz of Wichita.Just after 4 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a single-vehicle accident in the area of Main and Dewey in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located Chavez-Ruiz pinned inside of a 2002 Nissan Maxima. He was removed from the vehicle by Wichita Fire Personnel and he was pronounced deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed, Chavez-Ruiz was the lone occupant of the Maxima driving south on Main Street and lost control of the vehicle causing it to leave the roadway, roll and strike the decorative retaining wall north of Kellogg. Speed is believed to be a factor in this accident, according to Davidson.

Police ID Kansas man who died in rollover crash on Christmas Day

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly spent 18 months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-ks-state-wire-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-health-7302d46eef675734fe1343f2640236f9">sparring with Kansas’ legislative Republicans</a>&nbsp;over COVID-19 measures. In the early days of the pandemic she imposed and then extended a stay-at-home order, issued a brief statewide mask mandate and tried to limit in-person worship services – all while meeting growls of GOP protest.

Then in November, two days after Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe to become governor of reliably blue Virginia, Kelly expressed her first opposition to Democratic President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates. A couple weeks later, she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-religion-822d31ed5cd6cdca053f21f4a9a965d9">signed a bill</a>&nbsp;aimed at helping Kansas workers resist vaccine mandates, a proposal that even the GOP-friendly Kansas Chamber of Commerce opposed.

As Democrats shook their heads, Kelly’s moves signaled her efforts to appeal to moderate Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters who she will need to win a tough reelection race in a heavily Republican state next year.

Like Democratic governors in Michigan and Wisconsin, Kelly will try to win a second term against midterm political headwinds blowing in Republicans’ favor. But she’s trying it in a state former President Donald Trump carried twice and where Republicans, energized in opposition to Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">vaccine mandates</a>, look likely to avoid a serious primary fight.

Her attempt to stake out ground in the political center has irritated some fellow Democrats in the short term. But others argue the tactic could work for her if she also hammers home a message that Kansas now has a stable budget and its public schools are considered fully funded.

“What Democrats need to remember is that she’s doing that to try to win reelection,” said Mike Swenson, who has worked as a Democratic strategist and consultant in the Kansas City area for over four decades.

He added: “We can appeal to the moderates — absolutely.”

Kelly said throughout the pandemic that she would follow science in addressing it. But Republican lawmakers used their legislative supermajorities to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/56291b90279c36bafb21087cdc845c8a">force her to accept</a>&nbsp;more local control over decisions about requiring masks and restricting businesses — a move that allowed many communities to reject recommendations from public health officials. She weathered their criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-prisons-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-2ab2cdda2657d74e5dac4645e3660691">making prison inmates an early priority</a>&nbsp;for vaccines.

And so she surprised some Democrats and liberal activists by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">publicly questioning</a>&nbsp;Biden’s vaccine mandates and quickly signing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2021s/b2021s/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2001_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Republicans’ bill.&nbsp;</a>The new law provides unemployment benefits if workers lose jobs for refusing shots and allows them to claim religious exemptions, no questions asked.

Also, to some Democrats, she seemed closer to Republican leaders: Multiple Democratic lawmakers said they learned of her plans to sign the bill from GOP colleagues’ gloating texts.

“It’s a huge, huge gamble,” said Christopher Reeves, a Kansas City-area consultant and former Democratic National Committee member.

She signed the measure less than a week after the state health department’s head abruptly resigned. Dr. Lee Norman was visible early in the coronavirus pandemic, appearing with Kelly at news conferences, often wearing a white lab coat. Internal emails showed an internal conflict this past summer over pandemic messaging, and Norman also recently said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-public-health-kansas-topeka-6ab3969aafde6d360cbd11f9eeba3564">Kelly’s administration ousted him</a>&nbsp;because of COVID-19 politics.

Kelly positioning herself in the political center on vaccines contrasts with her strong support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-us-news-womens-rights-courts-constitutions-22946ef8ed04d62a3360a7af4b635868">abortion access</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-government-and-politics-321b19c681fe78be837bde945c0f6aa4">LGBTQ rights.</a>

Kelly said during a recent Associated Press interview that her decision-making isn’t driven by “what voters it’s going to keep in my camp.” She cited major bipartisan legislation on school funding and transportation funding as examples of her approach.

“It’s the only way to govern and govern well,” she said.

Even as Kelly and GOP lawmakers sparred early in the pandemic, she praised Trump’s response to outbreaks in meatpacking plants enough that he later said she was doing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/af4b08e27e49ddbcfb0e1ca9765d236a">a “fantastic job”</a>&nbsp;in handling the pandemic.

Environmental issues provide another example of appealing to Republican-minded voters. Her administration resisted Biden administration efforts to preserve the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat, which raises concerns that agriculture and energy production will be restricted. Kelly’s administration has also been skeptical of Biden’s push to preserve 30% of the nation’s land by 2030, which critics call a land grab.

In addition, after forming a racial justice commission after the Minnesota killing of George Floyd last year, she didn’t intervene this year when its proposals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-city-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-death-of-george-floyd-6fa82522e516c9fa53ebf412dfb060f7">stalled in the Legislature.</a>

And on Wednesday, Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-kansas-topeka-state-taxes-9c8e53d13a10b9bdd113db8a64be5d52">proposed giving a one-time $250 rebate</a>&nbsp;to every Kansas resident who filed a state income tax return last year, with $500 going to married couples who file jointly. The move came after Kelly vetoed three GOP proposals for permanent income tax cuts in three years, calling those measures fiscally irresponsible.

“It’s just the reality of being a Democratic governor in Kansas,” said Bob Beatty, a Washburn University of Topeka political scientist. “You have to be in the middle and sometimes you have to be in the middle-right.”

While Democrats haven’t won a U.S. Senate race in Kansas in nearly 90 years, they’ve been successful in trading the governor’s office back and forth with Republicans over the past half-century.

Swenson said the formula is “simple”: Run up votes in the state’s 10 most populous counties and avoid losing the other 95 by too much. Kelly essentially followed that path to victory in 2018.

It also helped Kelly in 2018 that her GOP foe was polarizing conservative Trump ally Kris Kobach, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c51d18affef34e919d63c19612d767f2">take-no-prisoners style</a>&nbsp;alienated moderate voters. Kelly’s expected Republican opponent next year is Derek Schmidt, the state’s three-term attorney general.

Schmidt is running as an anti-abortion, small-government attorney general, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-election-2020-government-and-politics-e30db29af1d52723292a6549c20a4477">in the mold</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Republicans like former U.S. Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/275216bff11a438fafb4435c02319876">Pat Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-dole-dead-kansas-republican-737084f4e606c10a33a15384fbe05967">the late Bob Dole</a>&nbsp;— pragmatic enough to avoid alienating moderates.

Kelly prepared for 2022 by hiring a reelection campaign manager who in 2020 led Democrats’ successful effort to flip a Republican congressional seat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-bob-barr-rob-woodall-health-b16dde57b3fd89770ff416484e16af29">in Georgia.</a>&nbsp;Shelbi Dantic was also the deputy campaign manager in Montana for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester when he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b8b324c23f9470d89c402e35e22a717">narrowly&nbsp;</a>reelected in 2018.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634130978150.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly and Dr. Jill Biden met for lunch during the First Lady's trip to Kansas in mid October-photo courtesy office of the First Lady." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly and Dr. Jill Biden met for lunch during the First Lady's trip to Kansas in mid October-photo courtesy office of the First Lady.</figcaption>
 </figure> By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly spent 18 months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-ks-state-wire-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-health-7302d46eef675734fe1343f2640236f9">sparring with Kansas’ legislative Republicans</a>&nbsp;over COVID-19 measures. In the early days of the pandemic she imposed and then extended a stay-at-home order, issued a brief statewide mask mandate and tried to limit in-person worship services – all while meeting growls of GOP protest.Then in November, two days after Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe to become governor of reliably blue Virginia, Kelly expressed her first opposition to Democratic President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates. A couple weeks later, she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-religion-822d31ed5cd6cdca053f21f4a9a965d9">signed a bill</a>&nbsp;aimed at helping Kansas workers resist vaccine mandates, a proposal that even the GOP-friendly Kansas Chamber of Commerce opposed.As Democrats shook their heads, Kelly’s moves signaled her efforts to appeal to moderate Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters who she will need to win a tough reelection race in a heavily Republican state next year.Like Democratic governors in Michigan and Wisconsin, Kelly will try to win a second term against midterm political headwinds blowing in Republicans’ favor. But she’s trying it in a state former President Donald Trump carried twice and where Republicans, energized in opposition to Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-26bace6485d88ad1ae3ef2aea60fbb65">vaccine mandates</a>, look likely to avoid a serious primary fight.Her attempt to stake out ground in the political center has irritated some fellow Democrats in the short term. But others argue the tactic could work for her if she also hammers home a message that Kansas now has a stable budget and its public schools are considered fully funded.“What Democrats need to remember is that she’s doing that to try to win reelection,” said Mike Swenson, who has worked as a Democratic strategist and consultant in the Kansas City area for over four decades.He added: “We can appeal to the moderates — absolutely.”Kelly said throughout the pandemic that she would follow science in addressing it. But Republican lawmakers used their legislative supermajorities to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/56291b90279c36bafb21087cdc845c8a">force her to accept</a>&nbsp;more local control over decisions about requiring masks and restricting businesses — a move that allowed many communities to reject recommendations from public health officials. She weathered their criticism for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-prisons-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-2ab2cdda2657d74e5dac4645e3660691">making prison inmates an early priority</a>&nbsp;for vaccines.And so she surprised some Democrats and liberal activists by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-kansas-topeka-86d570bbf1eb4376a5e7b519c4cb4903">publicly questioning</a>&nbsp;Biden’s vaccine mandates and quickly signing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2021s/b2021s/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2001_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">Republicans’ bill.&nbsp;</a>The new law provides unemployment benefits if workers lose jobs for refusing shots and allows them to claim religious exemptions, no questions asked.Also, to some Democrats, she seemed closer to Republican leaders: Multiple Democratic lawmakers said they learned of her plans to sign the bill from GOP colleagues’ gloating texts.“It’s a huge, huge gamble,” said Christopher Reeves, a Kansas City-area consultant and former Democratic National Committee member.She signed the measure less than a week after the state health department’s head abruptly resigned. Dr. Lee Norman was visible early in the coronavirus pandemic, appearing with Kelly at news conferences, often wearing a white lab coat. Internal emails showed an internal conflict this past summer over pandemic messaging, and Norman also recently said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-public-health-kansas-topeka-6ab3969aafde6d360cbd11f9eeba3564">Kelly’s administration ousted him</a>&nbsp;because of COVID-19 politics.Kelly positioning herself in the political center on vaccines contrasts with her strong support for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-us-news-womens-rights-courts-constitutions-22946ef8ed04d62a3360a7af4b635868">abortion access</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-government-and-politics-321b19c681fe78be837bde945c0f6aa4">LGBTQ rights.</a>Kelly said during a recent Associated Press interview that her decision-making isn’t driven by “what voters it’s going to keep in my camp.” She cited major bipartisan legislation on school funding and transportation funding as examples of her approach.“It’s the only way to govern and govern well,” she said.Even as Kelly and GOP lawmakers sparred early in the pandemic, she praised Trump’s response to outbreaks in meatpacking plants enough that he later said she was doing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/af4b08e27e49ddbcfb0e1ca9765d236a">a “fantastic job”</a>&nbsp;in handling the pandemic.Environmental issues provide another example of appealing to Republican-minded voters. Her administration resisted Biden administration efforts to preserve the lesser prairie chicken’s habitat, which raises concerns that agriculture and energy production will be restricted. Kelly’s administration has also been skeptical of Biden’s push to preserve 30% of the nation’s land by 2030, which critics call a land grab.In addition, after forming a racial justice commission after the Minnesota killing of George Floyd last year, she didn’t intervene this year when its proposals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-city-kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-death-of-george-floyd-6fa82522e516c9fa53ebf412dfb060f7">stalled in the Legislature.</a>And on Wednesday, Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-personal-taxes-kansas-topeka-state-taxes-9c8e53d13a10b9bdd113db8a64be5d52">proposed giving a one-time $250 rebate</a>&nbsp;to every Kansas resident who filed a state income tax return last year, with $500 going to married couples who file jointly. The move came after Kelly vetoed three GOP proposals for permanent income tax cuts in three years, calling those measures fiscally irresponsible.“It’s just the reality of being a Democratic governor in Kansas,” said Bob Beatty, a Washburn University of Topeka political scientist. “You have to be in the middle and sometimes you have to be in the middle-right.”While Democrats haven’t won a U.S. Senate race in Kansas in nearly 90 years, they’ve been successful in trading the governor’s office back and forth with Republicans over the past half-century.Swenson said the formula is “simple”: Run up votes in the state’s 10 most populous counties and avoid losing the other 95 by too much. Kelly essentially followed that path to victory in 2018.It also helped Kelly in 2018 that her GOP foe was polarizing conservative Trump ally Kris Kobach, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c51d18affef34e919d63c19612d767f2">take-no-prisoners style</a>&nbsp;alienated moderate voters. Kelly’s expected Republican opponent next year is Derek Schmidt, the state’s three-term attorney general.Schmidt is running as an anti-abortion, small-government attorney general, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ks-state-wire-kansas-election-2020-government-and-politics-e30db29af1d52723292a6549c20a4477">in the mold</a>&nbsp;of Kansas Republicans like former U.S. Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/275216bff11a438fafb4435c02319876">Pat Roberts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-dole-dead-kansas-republican-737084f4e606c10a33a15384fbe05967">the late Bob Dole</a>&nbsp;— pragmatic enough to avoid alienating moderates.Kelly prepared for 2022 by hiring a reelection campaign manager who in 2020 led Democrats’ successful effort to flip a Republican congressional seat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-bob-barr-rob-woodall-health-b16dde57b3fd89770ff416484e16af29">in Georgia.</a>&nbsp;Shelbi Dantic was also the deputy campaign manager in Montana for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester when he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/6b8b324c23f9470d89c402e35e22a717">narrowly&nbsp;</a>reelected in 2018.___

Kansas governor breaks with Biden in appeal to GOP voters

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man wanted in connection with the shooting death of a toddler in suburban Kansas City has been arrested in Omaha.

Police have said the child died after a gun the 2-year-old was handling discharged Friday afternoon in Independence, Missouri.

The man fled after police went to the home to confront him about the incident. Police said they were initially told that the child was wounded by a bullet from a drive-by shooting, but investigators determined that wasn’t what happened.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the 23-year-old Missouri man got a ride to Nebraska and made arrangements to meet someone at a restaurant in Omaha. But authorities were tipped off about the meeting, so officers were waiting for the man when he arrived Friday.

Douglas County Chief Deputy Wayne Hudson said the man was trying to break in to a pickup truck when he was arrested. He has been charged with theft in Nebraska and the sheriff’s office is working with investigators in Missouri.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A toddler from suburban Kansas City died when a gun the child was handling discharged, police said.

The shooting happened Friday afternoon in Independence, Missouri. The name of the 2-year-old child has not been released.

Police said they were initially told that the child was struck by a bullet from a drive-by shooting. Investigators later determined that was not that case, but rather the child was struck by a bullet while handling the weapon, police said in a news release.

Police say an adult who was in the home fled when officers arrived, and their vehicle crashed at the intersection of Truman and Noland roads. The driver fled the crash scene and is still being sought.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man wanted in connection with the shooting death of a toddler in suburban Kansas City has been arrested in Omaha.Police have said the child died after a gun the 2-year-old was handling discharged Friday afternoon in Independence, Missouri.The man fled after police went to the home to confront him about the incident. Police said they were initially told that the child was wounded by a bullet from a drive-by shooting, but investigators determined that wasn’t what happened.The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the 23-year-old Missouri man got a ride to Nebraska and made arrangements to meet someone at a restaurant in Omaha. But authorities were tipped off about the meeting, so officers were waiting for the man when he arrived Friday.Douglas County Chief Deputy Wayne Hudson said the man was trying to break in to a pickup truck when he was arrested. He has been charged with theft in Nebraska and the sheriff’s office is working with investigators in Missouri.--------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A toddler from suburban Kansas City died when a gun the child was handling discharged, police said.The shooting happened Friday afternoon in Independence, Missouri. The name of the 2-year-old child has not been released.Police said they were initially told that the child was struck by a bullet from a drive-by shooting. Investigators later determined that was not that case, but rather the child was struck by a bullet while handling the weapon, police said in a news release.Police say an adult who was in the home fled when officers arrived, and their vehicle crashed at the intersection of Truman and Noland roads. The driver fled the crash scene and is still being sought.

Man wanted for 2-year-old’s Christmas Eve death arrested 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers — but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping.

Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>, as the nation’s travel woes extended beyond Christmas, with no clear indication when normal schedules would resume.

But shoppers shrugged off the omicron variant, and holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years, according to one spending measure.

Omicron is likely to slow the economy’s unexpectedly strong rebound from last year’s coronavirus recession by disrupting travel and discouraging some consumers from venturing out. The variant could also add more heat to already simmering inflation by forcing shutdowns at factories and ports, delaying shipments and driving up prices.

“A full reopening of the U.S. economy will be delayed yet again,” said Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, a trade group of financial firms.

But it’s not yet clear how deep the hurt will go or how long it will last.

For now, the variant is playing havoc with travel. More than 700 flights entering, leaving or flying within the U.S. were called off, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. That figure was down from nearly 1,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-travel-e08ef1ae7825361486b2d3eb404d5381">Saturday</a>. More than 50 flights were already canceled for Monday.

Delta, United, JetBlue and American have blamed omicron for staffing shortages that forced cancellations.

“This was unexpected,” United spokesperson Maddie King said of the variant’s effect on staffing.

Globally, airlines scrapped about 2,200 flights as of Sunday morning, down from more than 2,800 cancellations the day before, FlightAware’s data showed. The site does not say why flights were canceled.

JetBlue scrapped 10% of its flights Sunday. Delta canceled 5% and United canceled 4%, according to FlightAware. The three airlines canceled more than 10% of their scheduled flights on Saturday.

Mason Herlocker waited Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to pick up his girlfriend, who was coming in from Paris. Her flight was delayed for four hours.

It took her five hours to get a COVID-19 test the day before to enter the U.S. She’s visiting for three weeks, and Herlocker said he fears that she will get stuck here if she doesn’t have a negative test result before trying to return home to France.

Worried about his parents getting sick, Herlocker recently got a booster shot and encouraged others to get theirs, too. He said he doesn’t believe an end to the pandemic is in sight.

“I’m of the opinion that this is the new normal,” Herlocker said. “I don’t foresee (the virus) going away any time soon.”

Aneesh Abhyankar flew in from Atlanta on Sunday and was waiting for a flight to India.

Neither of his flights was delayed or canceled, but he said news of the omicron variant encouraged him to push up his travels to ensure he could get to his destination. He said face masks and vaccines are likely to become ingrained in everyday life for the foreseeable future.

“I don’t think we have much to worry about if we take all the precautions, and I think we will be entering a situation where we just live with” the virus, he said.

Despite omicron, American consumers appeared undaunted. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments, including cash and debit cards, reported Sunday that holiday sales had risen 8.5% from a year earlier, the biggest annual gain in 17 years. Mastercard SpendingPulse had expected an 8.8% increase.

The results, which covered Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, were fueled by purchases of clothing and jewelry. Holiday sales were up 10.7% compared with the pre-pandemic 2019 holiday period.

After omicron hit, some consumers shifted their spending to e-commerce, but sales stayed strong.

“I feel really good about how the season played out,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former CEO of Saks Inc. “When people feel a little bit uncomfortable, you’ll see a little bit of a pickup in online and a little bit of a slowdown in store performance.’’

Sadove said consumers are “learning to live″ with what COVID-19 throws at them.

“You’re coming out of 2021 with quite a bit of consumer momentum,” he said.

Also Sunday, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor acknowledged that he was frustrated with the limited supply of COVID-19 tests.

Demand for tests has risen amid the omicron surge. “We’ve obviously got to do better,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said an interview that aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

“I think things will improve greatly as we get into January, but that doesn’t help us today and tomorrow,” Fauci said.

Fauci said he was pleased with evidence that omicron causes less severe illness for most people. But he warned against complacency because the rapid spread of the disease could “override a real diminution in severity,” because so many more people could get infected.

There are still many questions about how bad the omicron surge will be in the U.S., Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist Dr. Amesh Adalja said Sunday.

“There are multiple signals showing decreased severity. But the problem is, we have many high-risk individuals that are not vaccinated in some parts of the country. And there are hospitals in those regions that already are dealing with a lot of delta patients,” Adalja said.

Meanwhile in Europe, France recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month as omicron complicates the French government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown. The country’s overall death toll stands at more than 122,000.

President Emmanuel Macron’s government planned emergency meetings for Monday to discuss the next steps. Some scientists and educators have urged delaying the post-holiday return to school or suggested re-imposing a curfew.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640547293052.png" alt="Outside Nebraska Furniture Mart&nbsp; on Sunday-Security camera image" />
 <figcaption>Outside Nebraska Furniture Mart&nbsp; on Sunday-Security camera image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers — but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping.Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>, as the nation’s travel woes extended beyond Christmas, with no clear indication when normal schedules would resume.But shoppers shrugged off the omicron variant, and holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years, according to one spending measure.Omicron is likely to slow the economy’s unexpectedly strong rebound from last year’s coronavirus recession by disrupting travel and discouraging some consumers from venturing out. The variant could also add more heat to already simmering inflation by forcing shutdowns at factories and ports, delaying shipments and driving up prices.“A full reopening of the U.S. economy will be delayed yet again,” said Robin Brooks, chief economist at the Institute of International Finance, a trade group of financial firms.But it’s not yet clear how deep the hurt will go or how long it will last.For now, the variant is playing havoc with travel. More than 700 flights entering, leaving or flying within the U.S. were called off, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. That figure was down from nearly 1,000 on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-travel-e08ef1ae7825361486b2d3eb404d5381">Saturday</a>. More than 50 flights were already canceled for Monday.Delta, United, JetBlue and American have blamed omicron for staffing shortages that forced cancellations.“This was unexpected,” United spokesperson Maddie King said of the variant’s effect on staffing.Globally, airlines scrapped about 2,200 flights as of Sunday morning, down from more than 2,800 cancellations the day before, FlightAware’s data showed. The site does not say why flights were canceled.JetBlue scrapped 10% of its flights Sunday. Delta canceled 5% and United canceled 4%, according to FlightAware. The three airlines canceled more than 10% of their scheduled flights on Saturday.Mason Herlocker waited Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to pick up his girlfriend, who was coming in from Paris. Her flight was delayed for four hours.It took her five hours to get a COVID-19 test the day before to enter the U.S. She’s visiting for three weeks, and Herlocker said he fears that she will get stuck here if she doesn’t have a negative test result before trying to return home to France.Worried about his parents getting sick, Herlocker recently got a booster shot and encouraged others to get theirs, too. He said he doesn’t believe an end to the pandemic is in sight.“I’m of the opinion that this is the new normal,” Herlocker said. “I don’t foresee (the virus) going away any time soon.”Aneesh Abhyankar flew in from Atlanta on Sunday and was waiting for a flight to India.Neither of his flights was delayed or canceled, but he said news of the omicron variant encouraged him to push up his travels to ensure he could get to his destination. He said face masks and vaccines are likely to become ingrained in everyday life for the foreseeable future.“I don’t think we have much to worry about if we take all the precautions, and I think we will be entering a situation where we just live with” the virus, he said.Despite omicron, American consumers appeared undaunted. Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments, including cash and debit cards, reported Sunday that holiday sales had risen 8.5% from a year earlier, the biggest annual gain in 17 years. Mastercard SpendingPulse had expected an 8.8% increase.The results, which covered Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, were fueled by purchases of clothing and jewelry. Holiday sales were up 10.7% compared with the pre-pandemic 2019 holiday period.After omicron hit, some consumers shifted their spending to e-commerce, but sales stayed strong.“I feel really good about how the season played out,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former CEO of Saks Inc. “When people feel a little bit uncomfortable, you’ll see a little bit of a pickup in online and a little bit of a slowdown in store performance.’’Sadove said consumers are “learning to live″ with what COVID-19 throws at them.“You’re coming out of 2021 with quite a bit of consumer momentum,” he said.Also Sunday, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor acknowledged that he was frustrated with the limited supply of COVID-19 tests.Demand for tests has risen amid the omicron surge. “We’ve obviously got to do better,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said an interview that aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”“I think things will improve greatly as we get into January, but that doesn’t help us today and tomorrow,” Fauci said.Fauci said he was pleased with evidence that omicron causes less severe illness for most people. But he warned against complacency because the rapid spread of the disease could “override a real diminution in severity,” because so many more people could get infected.There are still many questions about how bad the omicron surge will be in the U.S., Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist Dr. Amesh Adalja said Sunday.“There are multiple signals showing decreased severity. But the problem is, we have many high-risk individuals that are not vaccinated in some parts of the country. And there are hospitals in those regions that already are dealing with a lot of delta patients,” Adalja said.Meanwhile in Europe, France recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month as omicron complicates the French government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown. The country’s overall death toll stands at more than 122,000.President Emmanuel Macron’s government planned emergency meetings for Monday to discuss the next steps. Some scientists and educators have urged delaying the post-holiday return to school or suggested re-imposing a curfew.___

COVID variant disrupts holiday travel but not shopping

SALINE COUNTY —Dozens of small earthquakes continue to rattle central Kansas, primarily southeast Saline County.

Seven small quakes were centered southeast of Salina on Sunday including a 3.9 magnitude quake just after 4:30a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Just before 4a.m. Monday, the agency reported a 2.5 magnitude quake in the same area.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in that area Dec. 8 along with a series of milder earthquakes almost daily since.

There were no reports of damage or injuries from the quake on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640605661426.png" alt="Location of Monday's quake -U.S. Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Location of Monday's quake -U.S. Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Dozens of small earthquakes continue to rattle central Kansas, primarily southeast Saline County.Seven small quakes were centered southeast of Salina on Sunday including a 3.9 magnitude quake just after 4:30a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.Just before 4a.m. Monday, the agency reported a 2.5 magnitude quake in the same area.&nbsp;&nbsp;The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in that area Dec. 8 along with a series of milder earthquakes almost daily since.There were no reports of damage or injuries from the quake on Sunday.

Small earthquakes continue to jolt residents of Saline County

WASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will issue 
information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients starting in 
December and to recipients of the third round of the Economic Impact 
Payments at the end of January. Using this information when preparing a 
tax return can reduce errors and delays in processing.

The IRS urged people receiving these letters to make sure they hold 
onto them to assist them in preparing their 2021 federal tax returns in 
2022.

Watch for advance Child Tax Credit letter

To help taxpayers reconcile and receive all of the Child Tax Credits 
to which they are entitled, the IRS will send Letter 6419, 2021 advance 
CTC, starting late December 2021 and continuing into January. The letter
 will include the total amount of advance Child Tax Credit payments 
taxpayers received in 2021 and the number of qualifying children used to
 calculate the advance payments. People should keep this and any other 
IRS letters about advance Child Tax Credit payments with their tax 
records.

Families who received advance payments will need to file a 2021 tax 
return and compare the advance Child Tax Credit payments they received 
in 2021 with the amount of the Child Tax Credit they can properly claim 
on their 2021 tax return.

The letter contains important information that can make preparing 
their tax returns easier. People who received the advance CTC payments 
can also check the amount of their payments by using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">CTC Update Portal</a> available on IRS.gov.

Eligible families who did not receive any advance Child Tax Credit 
payments can claim the full amount of the Child Tax Credit on their 2021
 federal tax return, filed in 2022. This includes families who don't 
normally need to file a tax return.

Economic Impact Payment letter can help with the Recovery Rebate Credit

The IRS will begin issuing Letter 6475, Your Third Economic Impact 
Payment, to EIP recipients in late January. This letter will help 
Economic Impact Payment recipients determine if they are entitled to and
 should claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax year 2021 tax 
returns that they file in 2022.

Letter 6475 only applies to the third round of Economic Impact 
Payments that was issued starting in March 2021 and continued through 
December 2021. The third round of Economic Impact Payments, including 
the "plus-up" payments, were advance payments of the 2021 Recovery 
Rebate Credit that would be claimed on a 2021 tax return. Plus-up 
payments were additional payments the IRS sent to people who received a 
third Economic Impact Payment based on a 2019 tax return or information 
received from SSA, RRB or VA; or to people who may be eligible for a 
larger amount based on their 2020 tax return.

Most eligible people already received the payments. However, people 
who are missing stimulus payments should review the information to 
determine their eligibility and whether they need to claim a Recovery 
Rebate Credit for tax year 2020 or 2021.

Like the advance CTC letter, the Economic Impact Payment letters 
include important information that can help people quickly and 
accurately file their tax return.

More information about the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">other COVID-19-related tax relief</a> may be found at IRS.gov.

As the 2022 tax filing season approaches, the IRS urges people to 
make sure to file an accurate tax return and use electronic filing with 
direct deposit to avoid delays.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will issue 
information letters to Advance Child Tax Credit recipients starting in 
December and to recipients of the third round of the Economic Impact 
Payments at the end of January. Using this information when preparing a 
tax return can reduce errors and delays in processing.The IRS urged people receiving these letters to make sure they hold 
onto them to assist them in preparing their 2021 federal tax returns in 
2022.<h2>Watch for advance Child Tax Credit letter</h2>To help taxpayers reconcile and receive all of the Child Tax Credits 
to which they are entitled, the IRS will send Letter 6419, 2021 advance 
CTC, starting late December 2021 and continuing into January. The letter
 will include the total amount of advance Child Tax Credit payments 
taxpayers received in 2021 and the number of qualifying children used to
 calculate the advance payments. People should keep this and any other 
IRS letters about advance Child Tax Credit payments with their tax 
records.Families who received advance payments will need to file a 2021 tax 
return and compare the advance Child Tax Credit payments they received 
in 2021 with the amount of the Child Tax Credit they can properly claim 
on their 2021 tax return.The letter contains important information that can make preparing 
their tax returns easier. People who received the advance CTC payments 
can also check the amount of their payments by using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">CTC Update Portal</a> available on IRS.gov.Eligible families who did not receive any advance Child Tax Credit 
payments can claim the full amount of the Child Tax Credit on their 2021
 federal tax return, filed in 2022. This includes families who don't 
normally need to file a tax return.<h2>Economic Impact Payment letter can help with the Recovery Rebate Credit</h2>The IRS will begin issuing Letter 6475, Your Third Economic Impact 
Payment, to EIP recipients in late January. This letter will help 
Economic Impact Payment recipients determine if they are entitled to and
 should claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax year 2021 tax 
returns that they file in 2022.Letter 6475 only applies to the third round of Economic Impact 
Payments that was issued starting in March 2021 and continued through 
December 2021. The third round of Economic Impact Payments, including 
the "plus-up" payments, were advance payments of the 2021 Recovery 
Rebate Credit that would be claimed on a 2021 tax return. Plus-up 
payments were additional payments the IRS sent to people who received a 
third Economic Impact Payment based on a 2019 tax return or information 
received from SSA, RRB or VA; or to people who may be eligible for a 
larger amount based on their 2020 tax return.Most eligible people already received the payments. However, people 
who are missing stimulus payments should review the information to 
determine their eligibility and whether they need to claim a Recovery 
Rebate Credit for tax year 2020 or 2021.Like the advance CTC letter, the Economic Impact Payment letters 
include important information that can help people quickly and 
accurately file their tax return.More information about the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021">advance Child Tax Credit</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments">other COVID-19-related tax relief</a> may be found at IRS.gov.As the 2022 tax filing season approaches, the IRS urges people to 
make sure to file an accurate tax return and use electronic filing with 
direct deposit to avoid delays.

IRS sends important letters on Child Tax Credit, COVID relief payments

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers 
and self-employed individuals that chose to defer paying part of their 
2020 Social Security tax obligation that a payment is due on January 3, 
2022.

Most affected employers and self-employed individuals received 
reminder billing notices from the IRS. The agency noted, however, that 
those affected are still required to make the payment on time, even if 
they did not receive a bill.

As part of the COVID relief provided during 2020, employers and 
self-employed people could choose to put off paying the employer's share
 of their eligible Social Security tax liability, normally 6.2% of 
wages. Half of that deferral is now due on January 3, 2022, and the 
other half on January 3, 2023.

Under separate COVID relief, employers could choose to forgo 
withholding Social Security taxes from eligible employees, and instead 
withhold tax this year and then pay those amounts to the IRS. For 
details, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-employers-need-to-know-about-repayment-of-deferred-payroll-taxes">What employers need to know about repayment of deferred payroll taxes</a> on IRS.gov.

Employers and individuals can make the deferral payments through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or by credit or debit card, money order or with a check</a>. To be sure these payments are credited properly, they must be made separately from other tax payments.

EFTPS has an option to make a deferral payment. On the Tax Type Selection screen, choose Deferred Social Security Tax
 and then change the date to the applicable tax period (typically, the 
calendar quarter in 2020 for which tax was deferred). Visit <a href="https://www.eftps.com/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a>, or call <a href="tel:800-555-4477">800-555-4477</a> or <a href="tel:800-733-4829">800-733-4829</a> for details.

Individual taxpayers can also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>,
 available only on IRS.gov. Select the "balance due" reason for payment.
 If paying with a debit or credit card, select "installment agreement." 
Apply the payment to the 2020 tax year where the payment was deferred.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded employers 
and self-employed individuals that chose to defer paying part of their 
2020 Social Security tax obligation that a payment is due on January 3, 
2022.Most affected employers and self-employed individuals received 
reminder billing notices from the IRS. The agency noted, however, that 
those affected are still required to make the payment on time, even if 
they did not receive a bill.As part of the COVID relief provided during 2020, employers and 
self-employed people could choose to put off paying the employer's share
 of their eligible Social Security tax liability, normally 6.2% of 
wages. Half of that deferral is now due on January 3, 2022, and the 
other half on January 3, 2023.Under separate COVID relief, employers could choose to forgo 
withholding Social Security taxes from eligible employees, and instead 
withhold tax this year and then pay those amounts to the IRS. For 
details, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-employers-need-to-know-about-repayment-of-deferred-payroll-taxes">What employers need to know about repayment of deferred payroll taxes</a> on IRS.gov.<h2>How to repay the deferred taxes</h2>Employers and individuals can make the deferral payments through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or by credit or debit card, money order or with a check</a>. To be sure these payments are credited properly, they must be made separately from other tax payments.EFTPS has an option to make a deferral payment. On the Tax Type Selection screen, choose Deferred Social Security Tax
 and then change the date to the applicable tax period (typically, the 
calendar quarter in 2020 for which tax was deferred). Visit <a href="https://www.eftps.com/eftps/">EFTPS.gov</a>, or call <a href="tel:800-555-4477">800-555-4477</a> or <a href="tel:800-733-4829">800-733-4829</a> for details.Individual taxpayers can also use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>,
 available only on IRS.gov. Select the "balance due" reason for payment.
 If paying with a debit or credit card, select "installment agreement." 
Apply the payment to the 2020 tax year where the payment was deferred.

IRS: Social Security deadline looms for many employers, self-employed

KANSAS CITY– A man pleaded guilty in federal court Dec. 23, to robbing three banks within a period of about a month in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Odessa, Missouri.

Hubert J. Holmes, 61, Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of armed bank robbery and two counts of bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.

Holmes admitted that he robbed three banks in 2019.

Holmes used a firearm to rob Summit Ridge Credit Union, 3485 N.E. Ralph Powell Road in Lee’s Summit on May 21, 2019. Holmes entered the credit union and demanded money from the teller. When the teller hesitated, Holmes displayed a silver handgun and slammed it on the counter. Two bank tellers gave him $13,243 and he left the bank on foot. 

Surveillance video footage showed that he fled to a blue van, consistent in appearance to a Chrysler Town and Country minivan, which was located in a nearby parking lot. While fleeing the scene of the robbery, Holmes dropped over $7,000 that was later recovered and returned to the credit union. 

A few days later, investigators received a tip that identified Holmes as the bank robber and provided the license plate number of his minivan.

Holmes robbed Central Bank of the Midwest, 9740 Wornall in Kansas City on June 7, 2019. Holmes, wearing a ski mask, approached a teller and demanded she give him $50 and $100 bills. The teller told Holmes she didn’t have larger bills and he responded, “give me all of them.” She removed $1,094 from her drawer and gave it to Holmes, who fled from the bank of foot. Investigators later matched a fingerprint from the scene of the robbery to Holmes.

Holmes robbed the Bank of Odessa, 201 S. 2nd&nbsp;Street in Odessa on June 20, 2019. Holmes put on a ski mask when he approached a teller’s window and demanded she open her drawer. Holmes reached over the counter and seized $3,099 from the teller’s cash drawer. Holmes then fled from the bank on foot and met an accomplice who was driving his van, which was parked nearby. Holmes, attempting to hurry, dropped money in the alley as he approached the van. Holmes picked up the money he dropped and got into the rear driver’s side of the van, which was being driven by another person.

Holmes was arrested on June 20, 2019, following the robbery of the Bank of Odessa. Shortly after the robbery, law enforcement officers began surveillance of Holmes’s residence. Officers saw Holmes driving a Chrysler Town and Country van, pulled him over, and arrested both Holmes and a passenger. Holmes had a large sum of money in his right front jeans pocket, including bait bills taken during the bank robbery. 

Bait bills are currency bills with known serial numbers that banks use to assist law enforcement officials in their efforts to trace currency to a bank robbery. The passenger, who matched the description of the get-away driver in the Bank of Odessa robbery, had $404 in his pockets. When officers searched the van, they found a Smith &amp; Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun under the front passenger seat.

Tuesday's plea agreement also refers to the robbery of Country Club Bank, 401 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 26, 2018. Two men wore facial coverings and hooded sweatshirts when they walked into the bank. One of them walked directly to the teller counter, went behind the counter, and removed $16,000 from the teller drawers. He attempted to carry the cash in his sweatshirt, however, he dropped some of the cash as he walked out of the bank. The other thief remained at the door of the bank and gave verbal commands to all of the occupants of the bank. When they left the bank, they got into Holmes’s Chrysler Town and Country van and drove away. Holmes, who did not plead guilty to the indictment’s charge for this bank robbery, denies being involved. However, the surveillance video of the Chrysler Town and Country van, which belongs to Holmes, became an investigative lead later in this case.

Holmes was on federal supervised release at the time of these offenses following a prior felony conviction for bank robbery.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Holmes will be sentenced to at least 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640106697689.png" alt="Holmes as seen on Security camera -Summit Ridge Credit Union" />
 <figcaption>Holmes as seen on Security camera -Summit Ridge Credit Union</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A man pleaded guilty in federal court Dec. 23, to robbing three banks within a period of about a month in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Odessa, Missouri.Hubert J. Holmes, 61, Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of armed bank robbery and two counts of bank robbery, according to the United State's Attorney.Holmes admitted that he robbed three banks in 2019.Holmes used a firearm to rob Summit Ridge Credit Union, 3485 N.E. Ralph Powell Road in Lee’s Summit on May 21, 2019. Holmes entered the credit union and demanded money from the teller. When the teller hesitated, Holmes displayed a silver handgun and slammed it on the counter. Two bank tellers gave him $13,243 and he left the bank on foot. Surveillance video footage showed that he fled to a blue van, consistent in appearance to a Chrysler Town and Country minivan, which was located in a nearby parking lot. While fleeing the scene of the robbery, Holmes dropped over $7,000 that was later recovered and returned to the credit union. A few days later, investigators received a tip that identified Holmes as the bank robber and provided the license plate number of his minivan.Holmes robbed Central Bank of the Midwest, 9740 Wornall in Kansas City on June 7, 2019. Holmes, wearing a ski mask, approached a teller and demanded she give him $50 and $100 bills. The teller told Holmes she didn’t have larger bills and he responded, “give me all of them.” She removed $1,094 from her drawer and gave it to Holmes, who fled from the bank of foot. Investigators later matched a fingerprint from the scene of the robbery to Holmes.Holmes robbed the Bank of Odessa, 201 S. 2nd&nbsp;Street in Odessa on June 20, 2019. Holmes put on a ski mask when he approached a teller’s window and demanded she open her drawer. Holmes reached over the counter and seized $3,099 from the teller’s cash drawer. Holmes then fled from the bank on foot and met an accomplice who was driving his van, which was parked nearby. Holmes, attempting to hurry, dropped money in the alley as he approached the van. Holmes picked up the money he dropped and got into the rear driver’s side of the van, which was being driven by another person.Holmes was arrested on June 20, 2019, following the robbery of the Bank of Odessa. Shortly after the robbery, law enforcement officers began surveillance of Holmes’s residence. Officers saw Holmes driving a Chrysler Town and Country van, pulled him over, and arrested both Holmes and a passenger. Holmes had a large sum of money in his right front jeans pocket, including bait bills taken during the bank robbery. Bait bills are currency bills with known serial numbers that banks use to assist law enforcement officials in their efforts to trace currency to a bank robbery. The passenger, who matched the description of the get-away driver in the Bank of Odessa robbery, had $404 in his pockets. When officers searched the van, they found a Smith &amp; Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun under the front passenger seat.Tuesday's plea agreement also refers to the robbery of Country Club Bank, 401 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 26, 2018. Two men wore facial coverings and hooded sweatshirts when they walked into the bank. One of them walked directly to the teller counter, went behind the counter, and removed $16,000 from the teller drawers. He attempted to carry the cash in his sweatshirt, however, he dropped some of the cash as he walked out of the bank. The other thief remained at the door of the bank and gave verbal commands to all of the occupants of the bank. When they left the bank, they got into Holmes’s Chrysler Town and Country van and drove away. Holmes, who did not plead guilty to the indictment’s charge for this bank robbery, denies being involved. However, the surveillance video of the Chrysler Town and Country van, which belongs to Holmes, became an investigative lead later in this case.Holmes was on federal supervised release at the time of these offenses following a prior felony conviction for bank robbery.Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Holmes will be sentenced to at least 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Suspect dropped $7,000 fleeing Kansas City-area bank robbery

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges following a burglary investigation and arrest.

On December 14, a deputy took a past burglary and theft report in the 8100 block of SW Riverwood Lane, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 A residence was broken into and nearly $30,000 worth of belongings were stolen. Home video surveillance footage showed a blue 1999 Ford F150 pickup truck arrive and leave the residence multiple times. Twice the pickup truck drove away with trailers attached that were stolen from the residence. This information was disseminated to local law enforcement officers.

Just before 10:30a.m. December 21, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop near SW 6 th Street and SW Fairlawn Avenue on blue 1999 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by 32-year-old Skyler J. M. Wilson of Auburn, Kansas. He was taken into custody and items stolen during the burglary were located inside his pickup truck. 

A search warrant of his residence was executed and more items stolen during the burglary were recovered.

Wilson is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of burglary to a dwelling, theft, criminal damage to property, failure to wear a seat belt, no vehicle liability insurance, failure to produce a valid license, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Through the investigation, investigators recovered one trailer at a residence in North Topeka. The enclosed trailer, a 2012 Doolittle enclosed utility trailer is still missing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640211836367.png" alt="Wilson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wilson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges following a burglary investigation and arrest.On December 14, a deputy took a past burglary and theft report in the 8100 block of SW Riverwood Lane, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. A residence was broken into and nearly $30,000 worth of belongings were stolen. Home video surveillance footage showed a blue 1999 Ford F150 pickup truck arrive and leave the residence multiple times. Twice the pickup truck drove away with trailers attached that were stolen from the residence. This information was disseminated to local law enforcement officers.Just before 10:30a.m. December 21, a deputy with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop near SW 6 th Street and SW Fairlawn Avenue on blue 1999 Ford F150 pickup truck driven by 32-year-old Skyler J. M. Wilson of Auburn, Kansas. He was taken into custody and items stolen during the burglary were located inside his pickup truck. A search warrant of his residence was executed and more items stolen during the burglary were recovered.Wilson is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of burglary to a dwelling, theft, criminal damage to property, failure to wear a seat belt, no vehicle liability insurance, failure to produce a valid license, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640212145100.png" alt="2012 Doolittle trailer photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>2012 Doolittle trailer photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Through the investigation, investigators recovered one trailer at a residence in North Topeka. The enclosed trailer, a 2012 Doolittle enclosed utility trailer is still missing.

Deputies catch Kan. home burglary suspect a week after alleged crime

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday reversed its own legal opinion and said it would allow federal inmates released on home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic to stay out of prison.

The decision announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland came after months of pressure on President Joe Biden from criminal justice groups, lawmakers and other advocates. In the final days of the Trump administration, DOJ said released inmates would have to return to prison at the end of the emergency period declared during the pandemic. Nearly 3,000 former inmates would have potentially been taken back to prison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640201827511.png" alt="Attorney General Merrick Garland-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Merrick Garland-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday reversed its own legal opinion and said it would allow federal inmates released on home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic to stay out of prison.The decision announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland came after months of pressure on President Joe Biden from criminal justice groups, lawmakers and other advocates. In the final days of the Trump administration, DOJ said released inmates would have to return to prison at the end of the emergency period declared during the pandemic. Nearly 3,000 former inmates would have potentially been taken back to prison.DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel said Tuesday that it did not “lightly depart from our precedents, and we have given the views expressed in our prior opinion careful and respectful consideration.”The office concluded that the Federal Bureau of Prisons' "preexisting authorities does not require that prisoners in extended home confinement be returned en masse to correctional facilities when the emergency period ends.”The original releases was authorized under the authority of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that former President Donald Trump signed in March 2020. As the virus spread, then-Attorney General William Barr directed federal prisons to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates as coronavirus cases surged, particularly in detention settings. Priority was given to those at low- or medium-security prisons where the virus was spreading fastest.“Thousands of people on home confinement have reconnected with their families, have found gainful employment, and have followed the rules," Garland said in a statement. “In light of today’s Office of Legal Counsel opinion, I have directed that the Department engage in a rulemaking process to ensure that the Department lives up to the letter and the spirit of the CARES Act.”Garland added: "We will exercise our authority so that those who have made rehabilitative progress and complied with the conditions of home confinement, and who in the interests of justice should be given an opportunity to continue transitioning back to society, are not unnecessarily returned to prison.”More than 35,000 inmates were released as part of the effort to ease pandemic conditions as long as they met certain criteria, including they were not likely a danger to others. But 2,830 of the 4,879 people who remain on home confinement were slated to return to prison, the BOP said. The others have completed their sentences.Garland called advocates Tuesday prior to the announcement.“This is excellent news for thousands of people and their families to get before the holidays,” Families Against Mandatory Minimums President Kevin Ring said in a statement. “There is no way the people on CARES Act home confinement should have been sent back to prison, and we are very grateful to the Biden administration for fixing this mistake."