SALINE COUNTY — A strong earthquake shook central Kansas Wednesday morning. The quake just before 8a.m. measured&nbsp; a magnitude 4.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was centered approximately 3 miles southwest of Gypsum and was felt across a wide area.

There are no reports of damage or injury. Wednesday's quake follows a series of quakes in Saline County over the past two months including two small quakes on Saturday that measured 2.5 and 2.2, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638972145787.png" alt="Star marks location of Wednesday's quake -USGS image" />
 <figcaption>Star marks location of Wednesday's quake -USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY — A strong earthquake shook central Kansas Wednesday morning. The quake just before 8a.m. measured&nbsp; a magnitude 4.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was centered approximately 3 miles southwest of Gypsum and was felt across a wide area.There are no reports of damage or injury. Wednesday's quake follows a series of quakes in Saline County over the past two months including two small quakes on Saturday that measured 2.5 and 2.2, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.

USGS: 4.3 magnitude earthquake shakes central Kansas

KANSAS CITY— President Joe Biden will visit Kansas City today to promote his new infrastructure bill.

&nbsp;He is set arrive early afternoon and visit the Kansas City area transportation authority, according to a statement from the White House. He will deliver remarks on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers for area residents by rebuilding roads and bridges, upgrading public transit, replacing water infrastructure and creating good paying jobs.

 It is Biden's first visit to the Kansas City area as president. He was last in Kansas City in March 2020 while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">signed the $1 trillion infrastructure</a>&nbsp;bill on Nov. 15. It contains money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles.

KANSAS CITY— President Joe Biden will visit Kansas City today to promote his new infrastructure bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansas City is a national leader in Zero Fare and Zero Emissions Transit. Growing up in KCMO riding the Metro bus, I am proud of the improvements we have made to get us to today and where we are going. We are excited to welcome President Biden to the KCATA.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1468266050508763138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;He is set arrive early afternoon and visit the Kansas City area transportation authority, according to a statement from the White House. He will deliver remarks on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers for area residents by rebuilding roads and bridges, upgrading public transit, replacing water infrastructure and creating good paying jobs. It is Biden's first visit to the Kansas City area as president. He was last in Kansas City in March 2020 while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">signed the $1 trillion infrastructure</a>&nbsp;bill on Nov. 15. It contains money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles.

Kansas City to receive visit from President Biden today

NEW YORK (AP) —A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for more than five hours, the latest sign of just how concentrated the business of keeping the internet running has become.

The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern U.S., but still impacted everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon’s own massive e-commerce operation. That included The Associated Press, whose publishing system was inoperable for much of the day, greatly limiting its ability to publish its news report..

Amazon has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong. In fact, the company limited its communications Tuesday to terse technical explanations on an AWS dashboard and a brief statement delivered via spokesperson Richard Rocha that acknowledged the outage had affected Amazon’s own warehouse and delivery operation but said the company was “working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Roughly five hours after numerous companies and other organizations began reporting issues, the company said in a post on the AWS status page that it had “mitigated” the underlying problem responsible for the outage, which it did not describe. It took some affected companies hours more to thoroughly check their systems and restart their own services.

Amazon Web Services was formerly run by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July. The cloud-service operation is a huge profit center for Amazon. It holds roughly a third of the $152 billion market for cloud services, according to a report by Synergy Research — a larger share than its closest rivals, Microsoft and Google, combined.

To technologist and public data access activist Carl Malamud, the AWS outage highlights how much Big Tech has warped the internet, which was originally designed as a distributed and decentralized network intended to survive mass disasters such as nuclear attack.

“When we put everything in one place, be it Amazon’s cloud or Facebook’s monolith, we’re violating that fundamental principle,” said Malamud, who developed the internet’s first radio station and later put a vital U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission database online. “We saw that when Facebook became the instrument of a massive disinformation campaign, we just saw that today with the Amazon failure.”

Widespread and often lengthy outages resulting from single-point failures appear increasingly common. In June, the behind-the-scenes content distributor Fastly suffered a failure that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-outage-down-fastly-7c607c931faba19584975da74c8fa633">briefly took down dozens of major internet sites</a>&nbsp;including CNN, The New York Times and Britain’s government home page.

Then in October, Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — blamed a “faulty configuration change” for an hours-long worldwide outage that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whatsapp-instagram-outage-8b9d3862ed957029e545182a595fdce1">took down Instagram and WhatsApp</a>&nbsp;in addition to its titular platform.

This time, problems began midmorning on the U.S. East Coast, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik Inc, a network intelligence firm. Netflix was one of the more prominent names affected; Kentik saw a 26% drop in traffic to the streaming service.

Customers trying to book or change trips with Delta Air Lines had trouble connecting to the airline. “Delta is working quickly to restore functionality to our AWS-supported phone lines,” said spokesperson Morgan Durrant. The airline apologized and encouraged customers to use its website or mobile app instead.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines said it switched to West Coast servers after some airport-based systems were affected by the outage. Customers were still reporting outages to DownDetector, a popular clearinghouse for user outage reports, more than three hours after they started. Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said there were no major disruptions to flights.

Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said the company’s U.S. East Region for dealer services went down. The company has apps that access inventory data, monthly payment calculators, service bulletins and other items. More than 20 apps were affected.

Also according to DownDetector, people trying to use Instacart, Venmo, Kindle, Roku, and Disney+ reported issues. The McDonald’s app was also down. But the airlines American, United, Alaska and JetBlue were unaffected.

Madory said he saw no reason to suspect nefarious activity. He said the recent cluster of major outages reflects how complex the networking industry has become. “More and more these outages end up being the product of automation and centralization of administration,” he said. “This ends up leading to outages that are hard to completely avoid due to operational complexity but are very impactful when they happen.”

It was unclear how, or whether, the outage was affecting the federal government. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in an email response to questions that it was working with Amazon “to understand any potential impacts this outage may have for federal agencies or other partners.”

NEW YORK (AP) —Amazon Web Services suffered a major outage Tuesday, the company said, limiting service at many key and popular sites.

The company provides cloud computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.

<a href="https://status.aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon said in a post</a>&nbsp;an hour after the outage began that it had identified the root cause and was “actively working towards recovery.” It did not disclose more about the cause.

The outage also affected Amazon’s ability to provide updates, it said.

The outage began midmorning on the U.S. East Coast, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik Inc, a network intelligence firm... “AWS is the biggest cloud provider and us-east-1 is their biggest data center, so any disruption there has big impacts to many popular websites and other internet services,” he said.

Madory said he did not believe the outage was anything nefarious. He said a recent cluster of outages at providers that host major websites reflects how the networking industry has evolved. “More and more these outages end up being the product of automation and centralization of administration,” he said. “This ends up leading to outages that are hard to completely avoid due to operational complexity, but are very impactful when they happen.”

Kentik was seeing a 26% drop in traffic to Netflix, among major web-based services affected by the outage, Madory said. According to Down Detector, a clearinghouse for user reports on outages, Delta and Southwest have been affected, but not American, United, Alaska or JetBlue.

People trying to use Instacart, Venmo, Kindle, Roku, and Disney+ have reported issues. The McDonald’s app is also down.

NEW YORK (AP) —A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for more than five hours, the latest sign of just how concentrated the business of keeping the internet running has become.The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern U.S., but still impacted everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon’s own massive e-commerce operation. That included The Associated Press, whose publishing system was inoperable for much of the day, greatly limiting its ability to publish its news report..Amazon has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong. In fact, the company limited its communications Tuesday to terse technical explanations on an AWS dashboard and a brief statement delivered via spokesperson Richard Rocha that acknowledged the outage had affected Amazon’s own warehouse and delivery operation but said the company was “working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”Roughly five hours after numerous companies and other organizations began reporting issues, the company said in a post on the AWS status page that it had “mitigated” the underlying problem responsible for the outage, which it did not describe. It took some affected companies hours more to thoroughly check their systems and restart their own services.Amazon Web Services was formerly run by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July. The cloud-service operation is a huge profit center for Amazon. It holds roughly a third of the $152 billion market for cloud services, according to a report by Synergy Research — a larger share than its closest rivals, Microsoft and Google, combined.To technologist and public data access activist Carl Malamud, the AWS outage highlights how much Big Tech has warped the internet, which was originally designed as a distributed and decentralized network intended to survive mass disasters such as nuclear attack.“When we put everything in one place, be it Amazon’s cloud or Facebook’s monolith, we’re violating that fundamental principle,” said Malamud, who developed the internet’s first radio station and later put a vital U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission database online. “We saw that when Facebook became the instrument of a massive disinformation campaign, we just saw that today with the Amazon failure.”Widespread and often lengthy outages resulting from single-point failures appear increasingly common. In June, the behind-the-scenes content distributor Fastly suffered a failure that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internet-outage-down-fastly-7c607c931faba19584975da74c8fa633">briefly took down dozens of major internet sites</a>&nbsp;including CNN, The New York Times and Britain’s government home page.Then in October, Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — blamed a “faulty configuration change” for an hours-long worldwide outage that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-whatsapp-instagram-outage-8b9d3862ed957029e545182a595fdce1">took down Instagram and WhatsApp</a>&nbsp;in addition to its titular platform.This time, problems began midmorning on the U.S. East Coast, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik Inc, a network intelligence firm. Netflix was one of the more prominent names affected; Kentik saw a 26% drop in traffic to the streaming service.Customers trying to book or change trips with Delta Air Lines had trouble connecting to the airline. “Delta is working quickly to restore functionality to our AWS-supported phone lines,” said spokesperson Morgan Durrant. The airline apologized and encouraged customers to use its website or mobile app instead.Dallas-based Southwest Airlines said it switched to West Coast servers after some airport-based systems were affected by the outage. Customers were still reporting outages to DownDetector, a popular clearinghouse for user outage reports, more than three hours after they started. Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said there were no major disruptions to flights.Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said the company’s U.S. East Region for dealer services went down. The company has apps that access inventory data, monthly payment calculators, service bulletins and other items. More than 20 apps were affected.Also according to DownDetector, people trying to use Instacart, Venmo, Kindle, Roku, and Disney+ reported issues. The McDonald’s app was also down. But the airlines American, United, Alaska and JetBlue were unaffected.Madory said he saw no reason to suspect nefarious activity. He said the recent cluster of major outages reflects how complex the networking industry has become. “More and more these outages end up being the product of automation and centralization of administration,” he said. “This ends up leading to outages that are hard to completely avoid due to operational complexity but are very impactful when they happen.”It was unclear how, or whether, the outage was affecting the federal government. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in an email response to questions that it was working with Amazon “to understand any potential impacts this outage may have for federal agencies or other partners.”NEW YORK (AP) —Amazon Web Services suffered a major outage Tuesday, the company said, limiting service at many key and popular sites.The company provides cloud computing services to many governments, universities and companies, including The Associated Press.<a href="https://status.aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon said in a post</a>&nbsp;an hour after the outage began that it had identified the root cause and was “actively working towards recovery.” It did not disclose more about the cause.The outage also affected Amazon’s ability to provide updates, it said.The outage began midmorning on the U.S. East Coast, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik Inc, a network intelligence firm... “AWS is the biggest cloud provider and us-east-1 is their biggest data center, so any disruption there has big impacts to many popular websites and other internet services,” he said.Madory said he did not believe the outage was anything nefarious. He said a recent cluster of outages at providers that host major websites reflects how the networking industry has evolved. “More and more these outages end up being the product of automation and centralization of administration,” he said. “This ends up leading to outages that are hard to completely avoid due to operational complexity, but are very impactful when they happen.”Kentik was seeing a 26% drop in traffic to Netflix, among major web-based services affected by the outage, Madory said. According to Down Detector, a clearinghouse for user reports on outages, Delta and Southwest have been affected, but not American, United, Alaska or JetBlue.People trying to use Instacart, Venmo, Kindle, Roku, and Disney+ have reported issues. The McDonald’s app is also down.

Major outage at Amazon disrupts businesses across the US

WASHINGTON (AP) —Bob Dole will be honored Friday in a private memorial service attended by President Joe Biden as well as a public service at the World War II Memorial in Washington before the casket of the former presidential candidate and decorated soldier travels to&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;for events in his hometown and the state capital.

Dole’s casket will lie in state Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. Biden will join former presidents, current and former leaders in Congress, friends and the Dole family for the private service Friday morning at Washington National Cathedral, according to the Dole Institute of Politics.

Bob Dole will be honored Friday in a private memorial service attended by President Joe Biden as well as a public service at the World War II Memorial in Washington before the casket of the former presidential candidate and decorated soldier travels to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;for events in his hometown and the state capital.

A public viewing of Dole’s casket and a memorial service are set for Saturday morning at the St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Russell.

A private ceremony will follow at Saturday afternoon at the Statehouse in Topeka, with remarks by Kelly and the state’s two U.S. senators, Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran.

Dole was born and grew up in Russell before being severely wounded in fighting in Italy in 1945 during World War II while charging a German position. He spent three years recovering and never regained the use of his right hand.

He served as the local county attorney, then in the Kansas House, and four terms in the U.S. House representing a western Kansas district. He served more than four terms in the Senate and was majority leader when he left Congress in 1996. He also was the 1976 nominee for vice president on the GOP’s losing ticket with President Gerald Ford.

Dole was known for the caustic wit he turned on others and himself. In Congress, he shaped tax and foreign policy and worked vigorously to help the disabled through the Americans with Disabilities Act that protected against discrimination in employment, education and public services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638962873605.png" alt="Bob Dole during his farewell speech in the United State Senate in June of 1996-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Bob Dole during his farewell speech in the United State Senate in June of 1996-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Bob Dole will be honored Friday in a private memorial service attended by President Joe Biden as well as a public service at the World War II Memorial in Washington before the casket of the former presidential candidate and decorated soldier travels to&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;for events in his hometown and the state capital.Dole’s casket will lie in state Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. Biden will join former presidents, current and former leaders in Congress, friends and the Dole family for the private service Friday morning at Washington National Cathedral, according to the Dole Institute of Politics.Bob Dole will be honored Friday in a private memorial service attended by President Joe Biden as well as a public service at the World War II Memorial in Washington before the casket of the former presidential candidate and decorated soldier travels to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;for events in his hometown and the state capital.Dole’s casket will lie in state Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. Biden will join former presidents, current and former leaders in Congress, friends and the Dole family for the private service Friday morning at Washington National Cathedral, according to the Dole Institute of Politics.A public viewing of Dole’s casket and a memorial service are set for Saturday morning at the St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Russell.A private ceremony will follow at Saturday afternoon at the Statehouse in Topeka, with remarks by Kelly and the state’s two U.S. senators, Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran.Dole was born and grew up in Russell before being severely wounded in fighting in Italy in 1945 during World War II while charging a German position. He spent three years recovering and never regained the use of his right hand.He served as the local county attorney, then in the Kansas House, and four terms in the U.S. House representing a western Kansas district. He served more than four terms in the Senate and was majority leader when he left Congress in 1996. He also was the 1976 nominee for vice president on the GOP’s losing ticket with President Gerald Ford.Dole was known for the caustic wit he turned on others and himself. In Congress, he shaped tax and foreign policy and worked vigorously to help the disabled through the Americans with Disabilities Act that protected against discrimination in employment, education and public services.

Dole memorial services include events in DC, Russell and Topeka

HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a high-speed chase and crash crash near Roosevelt Park in Newton.

Just after 4:30p.m. Tuesday, a police officer who was monitoring traffic on Meridian Road in Newton saw a Chrysler 300 going 67 mph in a 30-mph zone and weaving in and out of traffic, according to a media release.

The officer followed the car as it turned east onto Broadway. The driver sped up to 87 mph as the car was approaching Main Street, and the officer backed off because of the high-traffic area. 

The suspect continued east on Broadway until he crashed into another vehicle at Magnolia, causing minor injuries to the other driver. 

The suspect's car was disabled in the crash but continued rolling over the curb into Roosevelt Park, where it came to rest at the tennis courts.

The driver ran from the car, and Newton officers arrested him soon after. In the car, officers found a stolen gun and illegal drugs. The car had a Sedgwick County tag, and officials are working to identify the suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593190532467.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a high-speed chase and crash crash near Roosevelt Park in Newton.Just after 4:30p.m. Tuesday, a police officer who was monitoring traffic on Meridian Road in Newton saw a Chrysler 300 going 67 mph in a 30-mph zone and weaving in and out of traffic, according to a media release.The officer followed the car as it turned east onto Broadway. The driver sped up to 87 mph as the car was approaching Main Street, and the officer backed off because of the high-traffic area. The suspect continued east on Broadway until he crashed into another vehicle at Magnolia, causing minor injuries to the other driver. The suspect's car was disabled in the crash but continued rolling over the curb into Roosevelt Park, where it came to rest at the tennis courts.The driver ran from the car, and Newton officers arrested him soon after. In the car, officers found a stolen gun and illegal drugs. The car had a Sedgwick County tag, and officials are working to identify the suspect.

Police work to ID suspect after chase, crash near Kansas park

A new Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2021/12/scammers-prefer-gift-cards-not-just-any-card-will-do">data spotlight</a>&nbsp;shows
 that in the first nine months of 2021, consumers reported losing $148 
million in scams where gift cards were used as the form of payment. That
 amount is more than was<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/FraudandIDTheftMaps/FraudbyState"></a> reported in all of 2020.&nbsp;

Nearly 40,000 consumers reported using gift cards to pay a scammer in
 that time frame, according to the spotlight, which draws from fraud 
reports submitted to the FTC by consumers. Most often, consumers 
reported paying scammers who were impersonating large companies or 
government agencies.

One new development noted in the spotlight is the emergence of Target
 gift cards as the most popular choice for scammers in the reports 
received by the FTC. Target gift cards accounted for about $35 million 
in payments to scammers, more than twice as much as any other brand of 
gift cards. The median amount lost when consumers paid with Target gift 
cards, $2,500, was higher than any other brand of card, with nearly a 
third reporting losses of $5,000 or more.

Scammers also instructed consumers to purchase gift cards—regardless 
of the brand of card—from a Target store more often than any other 
location, according to the spotlight.

Since 2018, both the numbers of consumers filing reports in which 
gift cards were the form of payment to scammers and the amount they have
 reported lost have increased steadily. The spotlight also notes that 
consumers’ median reported loss to scammers when they pay with gift 
cards has increased from $700 to $1000.

The FTC has resources for consumers, including information on how to 
contact gift card companies to try to stop payments to scammers at <a href="http://ftc.gov/giftcards">ftc.gov/giftcards</a>.
 The agency also has information for gift card retailers, including 
materials that can be posted in stores and used to train employees at <a href="http://ftc.gov/stopgiftcardscams">ftc.gov/StopGiftCardScams</a>.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCA new Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2021/12/scammers-prefer-gift-cards-not-just-any-card-will-do">data spotlight</a>&nbsp;shows
 that in the first nine months of 2021, consumers reported losing $148 
million in scams where gift cards were used as the form of payment. That
 amount is more than was<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/FraudandIDTheftMaps/FraudbyState"></a> reported in all of 2020.&nbsp;Nearly 40,000 consumers reported using gift cards to pay a scammer in
 that time frame, according to the spotlight, which draws from fraud 
reports submitted to the FTC by consumers. Most often, consumers 
reported paying scammers who were impersonating large companies or 
government agencies.One new development noted in the spotlight is the emergence of Target
 gift cards as the most popular choice for scammers in the reports 
received by the FTC. Target gift cards accounted for about $35 million 
in payments to scammers, more than twice as much as any other brand of 
gift cards. The median amount lost when consumers paid with Target gift 
cards, $2,500, was higher than any other brand of card, with nearly a 
third reporting losses of $5,000 or more.Scammers also instructed consumers to purchase gift cards—regardless 
of the brand of card—from a Target store more often than any other 
location, according to the spotlight.Since 2018, both the numbers of consumers filing reports in which 
gift cards were the form of payment to scammers and the amount they have
 reported lost have increased steadily. The spotlight also notes that 
consumers’ median reported loss to scammers when they pay with gift 
cards has increased from $700 to $1000.The FTC has resources for consumers, including information on how to 
contact gift card companies to try to stop payments to scammers at <a href="http://ftc.gov/giftcards">ftc.gov/giftcards</a>.
 The agency also has information for gift card retailers, including 
materials that can be posted in stores and used to train employees at <a href="http://ftc.gov/stopgiftcardscams">ftc.gov/StopGiftCardScams</a>.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

FTC: Major increase in gift cards as scam payment method

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached an elaborate deal Tuesday that will allow Democrats to lift the nation’s debt limit without any votes from Republicans, likely averting another last-minute rush to avoid a federal default. Hours later, the House passed legislation overwhelmingly along party lines that kicked off a multi-step process.

Congress approved a $480 billion increase in the nation’s debt limit in October. That’s enough for the Treasury to finance the government’s operations through Dec. 15, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s projection.

But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-economy-bills-f2b52bc7ff5d1f241ed12e73e382c6b8">have warned</a>&nbsp;they won’t vote for any future debt ceiling increase to ensure the federal government can meet its financial obligations, and instead, the politically unpopular measure would have to be passed entirely by the Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress.

President Joe Biden had called on Republicans to “get out of the way” if they won’t help Democrats shoulder the debt responsibility. But rather than step aside and allow for a quick vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has helped engineer an unusual legislative process that will play out over the next several days. Donald Trump, the former president, ridiculed McConnell for allowing any action, showing just how politically toxic the routine act of paying the nation’s bills has become.

“I think this is in the best interest of the country,” said McConnell, R-Ky. “I think it is also in the best interest of Republicans, who feel very strongly that the previous debt ceilings we agreed to when President Trump was here carried us through August. And this current debt ceiling is indeed about the future and not about the past.”

The agreement spelled out in the House bill passed Tuesday establishes the days-long process ahead. In short, it would tuck a provision to fast-track the debt limit process into an unrelated Medicare bill that will prevent payment cuts to doctors and other health care providers. That measure passed the House by a vote of 222-212 with only Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, siding with Democrats in voting for the measure.

“House Republicans can’t support using patients and access to local doctors as leverage to increase the national debt on our children,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.

The measure now goes to the Senate, and if the Medicare bill becomes law, it will open the process for the Senate to raise the debt ceiling through subsequent legislation with a Democrats’ only majority vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., struck an optimistic note that the debt ceiling plan will pass.

“This is a very good outcome for the American people. We will avoid default, which would have been disastrous. Democrats have always said that we were willing to shoulder the load at 50 votes to get this done as long it was not a convoluted or risky process, and Leader McConnell and I have achieved that.”

Key to the agreement is that Democrats will have to vote on a specific amount by which the debt ceiling would be lifted. The amount has not yet been disclosed, but it is sure to be a staggering sum. Republicans want to try to blame Democrats for the nation’s rising debt load and link it to Biden’s $1.85 trillion social and environmental bill.

“To have Democrats raise the debt ceiling and be held politically accountable for racking up more debt is my goal, and this helps us accomplish that,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

The increase in the debt ceiling, however, is needed to meet financial obligations accrued by both parties under past legislation. The vast majority of it predates Biden’s presidency.

“This is about meeting obligations that the government has already incurred, largely during the Trump Administration,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic colleagues. “Only three percent of the current debt has been accrued under President Biden.”

Pelosi said that addressing the debt limit will prevent a drastic increase in interest rates for car loans, student debt, mortgages and other types of borrowing for Americans.

The legislation before the House on Tuesday establishes a fast-track process for the days ahead. A subsequent vote will be needed to pass the debt ceiling increase itself. Once the Senate has done so, the House will take up the bill and send it to Biden to be signed into law.

At their private luncheon Thursday, Republican senators sounded off against the plan. Many of them will not support it.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of GOP leadership, said the lunch discussion went about as would be expected — though he said the plan at least allows Republicans to achieve their goal of forcing Democrats to vote on their own to raise the debt ceiling by a specific amount.

The parliamentary machinations struck some House lawmakers as an “absurd” but necessary way to deal with the Senate, where the filibuster rules allow the Republican minority to block action.

“We’re tying ourselves into parliamentary contortions to try to help the Senate deal with this straitjacket they have put themselves into,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders reached an elaborate deal Tuesday that will allow Democrats to lift the nation’s debt limit without any votes from Republicans, likely averting another last-minute rush to avoid a federal default. Hours later, the House passed legislation overwhelmingly along party lines that kicked off a multi-step process.Congress approved a $480 billion increase in the nation’s debt limit in October. That’s enough for the Treasury to finance the government’s operations through Dec. 15, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s projection.But Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-economy-bills-f2b52bc7ff5d1f241ed12e73e382c6b8">have warned</a>&nbsp;they won’t vote for any future debt ceiling increase to ensure the federal government can meet its financial obligations, and instead, the politically unpopular measure would have to be passed entirely by the Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress.President Joe Biden had called on Republicans to “get out of the way” if they won’t help Democrats shoulder the debt responsibility. But rather than step aside and allow for a quick vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has helped engineer an unusual legislative process that will play out over the next several days. Donald Trump, the former president, ridiculed McConnell for allowing any action, showing just how politically toxic the routine act of paying the nation’s bills has become.“I think this is in the best interest of the country,” said McConnell, R-Ky. “I think it is also in the best interest of Republicans, who feel very strongly that the previous debt ceilings we agreed to when President Trump was here carried us through August. And this current debt ceiling is indeed about the future and not about the past.”The agreement spelled out in the House bill passed Tuesday establishes the days-long process ahead. In short, it would tuck a provision to fast-track the debt limit process into an unrelated Medicare bill that will prevent payment cuts to doctors and other health care providers. That measure passed the House by a vote of 222-212 with only Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, siding with Democrats in voting for the measure.“House Republicans can’t support using patients and access to local doctors as leverage to increase the national debt on our children,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.The measure now goes to the Senate, and if the Medicare bill becomes law, it will open the process for the Senate to raise the debt ceiling through subsequent legislation with a Democrats’ only majority vote.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., struck an optimistic note that the debt ceiling plan will pass.“This is a very good outcome for the American people. We will avoid default, which would have been disastrous. Democrats have always said that we were willing to shoulder the load at 50 votes to get this done as long it was not a convoluted or risky process, and Leader McConnell and I have achieved that.”Key to the agreement is that Democrats will have to vote on a specific amount by which the debt ceiling would be lifted. The amount has not yet been disclosed, but it is sure to be a staggering sum. Republicans want to try to blame Democrats for the nation’s rising debt load and link it to Biden’s $1.85 trillion social and environmental bill.“To have Democrats raise the debt ceiling and be held politically accountable for racking up more debt is my goal, and this helps us accomplish that,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.The increase in the debt ceiling, however, is needed to meet financial obligations accrued by both parties under past legislation. The vast majority of it predates Biden’s presidency.“This is about meeting obligations that the government has already incurred, largely during the Trump Administration,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic colleagues. “Only three percent of the current debt has been accrued under President Biden.”Pelosi said that addressing the debt limit will prevent a drastic increase in interest rates for car loans, student debt, mortgages and other types of borrowing for Americans.The legislation before the House on Tuesday establishes a fast-track process for the days ahead. A subsequent vote will be needed to pass the debt ceiling increase itself. Once the Senate has done so, the House will take up the bill and send it to Biden to be signed into law.At their private luncheon Thursday, Republican senators sounded off against the plan. Many of them will not support it.Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of GOP leadership, said the lunch discussion went about as would be expected — though he said the plan at least allows Republicans to achieve their goal of forcing Democrats to vote on their own to raise the debt ceiling by a specific amount.The parliamentary machinations struck some House lawmakers as an “absurd” but necessary way to deal with the Senate, where the filibuster rules allow the Republican minority to block action.“We’re tying ourselves into parliamentary contortions to try to help the Senate deal with this straitjacket they have put themselves into,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.

Congressional leaders reach deal to hike debt limit again

So, what is your desired salary?&nbsp;

This is a question that can make any job candidate’s stomach drop, whether they’re reading it on an application or hearing it from an interviewer. You don’t want to give a lowball answer, but you also don’t want to seem like you have unrealistic expectations.

Before you can give a concrete answer to this question, you should have an actual number in mind. You should know what you’re aiming for, and what’s realistic, so you can be confident about the salary offers you will and won’t accept. Here are a few things to help you figure it out:

A Google search can usually tell you the industry standards for salary in your desired position. Most job search websites will let you search for the standards in your geographical location, as well. Sometimes pay ranges vary depending on state or region. The size of the company you’re looking at and its level of success will also affect the pay scale.

Another way to research is by asking other employees in similar roles what their pay is like. Keep in mind, though, this is personal information and not everyone may be comfortable sharing. You could also ask any recruiters in the field (who&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;work at the company you’re applying to) if they can share the average salaries they see for the type of position you want.

2. Skill level and experience are factors

If you know me, you know I’m a big believer that you don’t have to get a four-year degree to get a&nbsp;great-paying job. Still, education and training will still be taken into consideration at many companies, depending on the role. Having more years of experience in a given industry will usually mean higher pay. So, even if you don’t have a ton of education but you’ve spent years getting hands-on experience in jobs that are related to the one you want now, your pay should reflect that.

Another thing to consider is skill level. Skill level isn’t necessarily equivalent to the amount of time you’ve spent working in an industry. Be honest with yourself about your skill level, and if you’ve got a competitive edge, factor that into the amount you think you should be paid.

How much do you realistically need to make to take care of all your family’s expenses (or if you’re single, even just your own)? How much do you need to make to live&nbsp;comfortably? Would you need to relocate if you were to take a certain job?

We all need to budget our money and live below our means. However, there’s no denying an income can make or break the ability to reach our financial goals.

Things like health insurance, paid time off, and 401(k) options can make a big difference in your desired salary. Maybe you want to make $75K a year, and you’re looking at a company that offers a little less than that. But, they also offer unlimited PTO (yes, that’s a real thing at some places). You might be willing to adjust your desired salary because a certain benefit is worth it.

Once you’ve taken all these factors into consideration, decide on your deal-breaker salary — what’s the absolute lowest salary you’d accept before walking away from the job offer? It’s up to you to decide if you’re firm at one number, or if there’s a salary range you’d be willing to work with. It’s better to not reveal your desired salary too early in the hiring process because it can limit you if the company is prepared to pay more. Not all applications will ask for your desired salary, so if they don’t ask, there’s no need to give one. And if they do ask, keep things simple by saying “salary is negotiable” or “salary may be discussed during the interview process.”

When it comes to face-to-face interviews, it’s a good idea to think about how you’ll respond&nbsp;ahead of time.&nbsp;Again, you aren’t obligated to give a concrete number, and you shouldn’t let a recruiter pressure you into giving one if you’re not ready. There are plenty of respectful and professional ways to answer this question that won’t tie you down to a specific dollar amount:

I don’t have a specific number in mind, but I’d expect to be paid what you think is fair based on the industry standard and my level of experience.

My top priority is finding a job that’s a great match for my skill set at a company I’m passionate about. I’m open to talking about the salary you feel is fair as we advance in the interview process.

I usually don’t discuss salary until the point when I’m being offered the job. Would it be alright if we continue the interview process to see if I’d be a good match for this position before discussing salary?

There are many ways to talk about your desired salary professionally without putting yourself in a box. Honesty, paired with standing firm in what you want and need, will go a long way!

Ken Coleman is the nationally syndicated radio host of The Ken Coleman Show and #1 national best-selling author. He has been featured in Forbes, appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, and the Rachel Ray Show. Since 2014, he has served at Ramsey Solutions, where he offers expert advice to help thousands of people every day discover what they were meant to do and how to land their dream job. Follow Ken on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kencoleman" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kencoleman/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KenColemanShow/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/KenColemanShow/featured" target="_blank">YouTube</a>or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kencoleman.com/" target="_blank">kencoleman.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638990378655.jpeg" alt="Ken Coleman" />
 <figcaption>Ken Coleman</figcaption>
 </figure>So, what is your desired salary?&nbsp;This is a question that can make any job candidate’s stomach drop, whether they’re reading it on an application or hearing it from an interviewer. You don’t want to give a lowball answer, but you also don’t want to seem like you have unrealistic expectations.Before you can give a concrete answer to this question, you should have an actual number in mind. You should know what you’re aiming for, and what’s realistic, so you can be confident about the salary offers you will and won’t accept. Here are a few things to help you figure it out:1. ResearchA Google search can usually tell you the industry standards for salary in your desired position. Most job search websites will let you search for the standards in your geographical location, as well. Sometimes pay ranges vary depending on state or region. The size of the company you’re looking at and its level of success will also affect the pay scale.Another way to research is by asking other employees in similar roles what their pay is like. Keep in mind, though, this is personal information and not everyone may be comfortable sharing. You could also ask any recruiters in the field (who&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;work at the company you’re applying to) if they can share the average salaries they see for the type of position you want.2. Skill level and experience are factorsIf you know me, you know I’m a big believer that you don’t have to get a four-year degree to get a&nbsp;great-paying job. Still, education and training will still be taken into consideration at many companies, depending on the role. Having more years of experience in a given industry will usually mean higher pay. So, even if you don’t have a ton of education but you’ve spent years getting hands-on experience in jobs that are related to the one you want now, your pay should reflect that.Another thing to consider is skill level. Skill level isn’t necessarily equivalent to the amount of time you’ve spent working in an industry. Be honest with yourself about your skill level, and if you’ve got a competitive edge, factor that into the amount you think you should be paid.3. Cost of livingHow much do you realistically need to make to take care of all your family’s expenses (or if you’re single, even just your own)? How much do you need to make to live&nbsp;comfortably? Would you need to relocate if you were to take a certain job?We all need to budget our money and live below our means. However, there’s no denying an income can make or break the ability to reach our financial goals.4. What about the benefits?Things like health insurance, paid time off, and 401(k) options can make a big difference in your desired salary. Maybe you want to make $75K a year, and you’re looking at a company that offers a little less than that. But, they also offer unlimited PTO (yes, that’s a real thing at some places). You might be willing to adjust your desired salary because a certain benefit is worth it.Once you’ve taken all these factors into consideration, decide on your deal-breaker salary — what’s the absolute lowest salary you’d accept before walking away from the job offer? It’s up to you to decide if you’re firm at one number, or if there’s a salary range you’d be willing to work with. It’s better to not reveal your desired salary too early in the hiring process because it can limit you if the company is prepared to pay more. Not all applications will ask for your desired salary, so if they don’t ask, there’s no need to give one. And if they do ask, keep things simple by saying “salary is negotiable” or “salary may be discussed during the interview process.”When it comes to face-to-face interviews, it’s a good idea to think about how you’ll respond&nbsp;ahead of time.&nbsp;Again, you aren’t obligated to give a concrete number, and you shouldn’t let a recruiter pressure you into giving one if you’re not ready. There are plenty of respectful and professional ways to answer this question that won’t tie you down to a specific dollar amount:I don’t have a specific number in mind, but I’d expect to be paid what you think is fair based on the industry standard and my level of experience.My top priority is finding a job that’s a great match for my skill set at a company I’m passionate about. I’m open to talking about the salary you feel is fair as we advance in the interview process.I usually don’t discuss salary until the point when I’m being offered the job. Would it be alright if we continue the interview process to see if I’d be a good match for this position before discussing salary?There are many ways to talk about your desired salary professionally without putting yourself in a box. Honesty, paired with standing firm in what you want and need, will go a long way!Ken Coleman is the nationally syndicated radio host of The Ken Coleman Show and #1 national best-selling author. He has been featured in Forbes, appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, and the Rachel Ray Show. Since 2014, he has served at Ramsey Solutions, where he offers expert advice to help thousands of people every day discover what they were meant to do and how to land their dream job. Follow Ken on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kencoleman" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kencoleman/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KenColemanShow/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/KenColemanShow/featured" target="_blank">YouTube</a>or at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kencoleman.com/" target="_blank">kencoleman.com</a>.

$ COLEMAN: The scariest question in a job interview

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.

Just after 8:30a.m. Monday, officers responded to the 1500 block South 8th Street in Atchison to investigate reported trespassing, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Officers located a suspect later identified as 27-year-old Jason C. Price of Atchison several blocks.

Price ran from officers. He was apprehended in the 1000 block South 7th and he was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to Wilson.

Price is jailed on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; Price has been jailed in Atchison on a variety of charges over a dozen times in the past ten years, according to online jail records. He has previous convictions that include theft, burglary, criminal damage to property and attempt to flee and elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638890945422.png" alt="Price-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Price-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.Just after 8:30a.m. Monday, officers responded to the 1500 block South 8th Street in Atchison to investigate reported trespassing, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.Officers located a suspect later identified as 27-year-old Jason C. Price of Atchison several blocks.Price ran from officers. He was apprehended in the 1000 block South 7th and he was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to Wilson.Price is jailed on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp; Price has been jailed in Atchison on a variety of charges over a dozen times in the past ten years, according to online jail records. He has previous convictions that include theft, burglary, criminal damage to property and attempt to flee and elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Police arrest Kansas man again after reported trespassing 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — One soldier was shot and killed and two others were charged with second-degree murder after they allegedly robbed two homes shortly after one of the suspects was married.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ethan Williams, 23, died of a gunshot wound in Lebanon, Missouri Friday night, according to Lebanon police.

Blake R. Paulson and Zackary Gillis were charged with second-degree murder, burglary and stealing and were being held Monday on no bond in the LaClede County jail. The three men were stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.

A probable cause statement said shortly after Paulson was marred Friday, the three men decided to rob two homes, KOLR-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozarksfirst.com/local-news/local-news-local-news/fort-leonard-wood-soldier-part-of-murder-investigation-hours-after-wedding/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

The men, who were armed, allegedly broke into a trailer where no one was home and reportedly took a gaming console. They went to a second home, where they took marijuana and money, according to the statement.

A 16-year-old boy at the home shot at the suspects and Williams was hit. The juvenile was being held Monday at a juvenile center are charges not related to the shooting, police said.

Gillis and Paulson then left Williams body front of Williams’ home, KOLR reported.

Paulson and Gillis later turned themselves in to their sergeant at the base. Online court records do not name attorneys for either suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638890280265.png" alt="Gillis photo Lebanon Police" />
 <figcaption>Gillis photo Lebanon Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — One soldier was shot and killed and two others were charged with second-degree murder after they allegedly robbed two homes shortly after one of the suspects was married.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ethan Williams, 23, died of a gunshot wound in Lebanon, Missouri Friday night, according to Lebanon police.Blake R. Paulson and Zackary Gillis were charged with second-degree murder, burglary and stealing and were being held Monday on no bond in the LaClede County jail. The three men were stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.A probable cause statement said shortly after Paulson was marred Friday, the three men decided to rob two homes, KOLR-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozarksfirst.com/local-news/local-news-local-news/fort-leonard-wood-soldier-part-of-murder-investigation-hours-after-wedding/" target="_blank">reported</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638890216818.png" alt="Paulson-photo Lebanon Police" />
 <figcaption>Paulson-photo Lebanon Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The men, who were armed, allegedly broke into a trailer where no one was home and reportedly took a gaming console. They went to a second home, where they took marijuana and money, according to the statement.A 16-year-old boy at the home shot at the suspects and Williams was hit. The juvenile was being held Monday at a juvenile center are charges not related to the shooting, police said.Gillis and Paulson then left Williams body front of Williams’ home, KOLR reported.Paulson and Gillis later turned themselves in to their sergeant at the base. Online court records do not name attorneys for either suspect.

Soldier part of murder investigation hours after his wedding

MARSHALL COUNTY – The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office reported that 72-year-old Jim Knecht was located tonight in Nebraska. He is now safe.

MARSHALL COUNTY –The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing 72-year-old Marysville man.

The whereabouts of James “Jim” W. Knecht, 72, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him, according to a media release from the KBI.

Knecht left his home Tuesday morning, Dec.7, at around 8:30 a.m., and was last seen at approximately 10 a.m. at the C.J. East gas station along Highway 36 in Marysville, Kansas. Knecht is driving a blue 2002 Buick Century with Kansas tag 240NEX. He may be traveling toward Iowa.

Knecht has dementia, and takes medication that he does not have with him.

Knecht is a white male, approximately 6 foot-1, and weighing 280 pounds. He has blue eyes and is bald. He has a red birthmark on his forehead. Knecht was last known wearing a black zip-up jacket and blue jeans.

If you see Jim Knecht, or his vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office at 785-562-3141.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638921682746.png" alt="Knecht-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Knecht-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>MARSHALL COUNTY – The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office reported that 72-year-old Jim Knecht was located tonight in Nebraska. He is now safe.-----------MARSHALL COUNTY –The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing 72-year-old Marysville man.The whereabouts of James “Jim” W. Knecht, 72, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him, according to a media release from the KBI.Knecht left his home Tuesday morning, Dec.7, at around 8:30 a.m., and was last seen at approximately 10 a.m. at the C.J. East gas station along Highway 36 in Marysville, Kansas. Knecht is driving a blue 2002 Buick Century with Kansas tag 240NEX. He may be traveling toward Iowa.Knecht has dementia, and takes medication that he does not have with him.Knecht is a white male, approximately 6 foot-1, and weighing 280 pounds. He has blue eyes and is bald. He has a red birthmark on his forehead. Knecht was last known wearing a black zip-up jacket and blue jeans.If you see Jim Knecht, or his vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office at 785-562-3141.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled, missing Kan. man found safe

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-06/one-of-americas-richest-companies-pays-kansas-27-6-million-over-medicaid-misconduct">Kansas News Service</a>

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has reached a settlement with 
one of the nation’s wealthiest companies for about $27.6 million over 
alleged misconduct involving the state Medicaid program and prescription
 drugs.

Centene Corp. helps run the state’s privatized Medicaid 
program. Schmidt says secretive practices at the company cost Kansas and
 its taxpayers many millions of dollars.

Schmidt says the $27.6 million settlement is more than twice the amount of damages that his office was able to prove.

“We think that’s a just outcome,” he said in an interview. “It penalizes the company for its misconduct.”

Centene
 faces similar accusations in other states regarding its role as a 
pharmacy middleman hired to help states get good drug prices. It has 
denied wrongdoing.

However, the corporation — No. 24 on the 
Fortune 500 — is cutting massive checks to states over the allegations 
and has earmarked <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001071739/000107173921000148/cnc-20210614.htm" target="_blank">$1 billion</a> for more settlements.

Earlier
 this year, Centene announced settlements with Ohio for $88 million, 
Mississippi for $55 million, Illinois for $56 million and Arkansas for 
$15 million.

Centene and its subsidiary Envolve help run Medicaid 
programs in 30 states. It sent the Kansas News Service a brief statement
 describing the settlement as a “no-fault agreement.”

“We respect 
the deep and critically important relationships we have with our state 
partners,” the statement said. “This no-fault agreement reflects the 
significance we place on addressing their concerns.”

Schmidt said Centene agreed to change its practices.

“Regardless
 of whether there’s an explicit admission (by Centene of wrongdoing),” 
the attorney general said, “ they're paying millions of dollars for 
their past behavior and agreeing that their future behavior will 
change.”

Centene continues to help run the Kansas Medicaid 
program, but it will have to compete to retain that role when the Kansas
 Department for Health and Environment opens an upcoming round of 
bidding.

Schmidt said Centene engaged in a slew of strategies that meant Kansas taxpayers overpaid for prescription drugs.

For
 example, it would charge Kansas one price for a medication, while 
getting a lower price from the manufacturer, he said. Centene could then
 pocket the savings by keeping Kansas in the dark about the true price.

“The
 misconduct was in the nature of finding ways to lower the cost of 
acquiring drugs, but not passing the savings on to the state,” Schmidt 
said. “Now the company will provide detailed pricing for every step of a
 transaction. And that in turn will allow the state to maintain a much 
more effective type of oversight.”

Schmidt wouldn’t disclose the 
exact amount of money that Centene’s strategies, including the secret 
manufacturer discounts, cost the state of Kansas. He said his office and
 Centene remain at odds over the sum.

The settlement covers 2016 
through last month. Schmidt said Centene’s misconduct may have started 
earlier than 2016. If it did, that would fall outside the statute of 
limitations.

His office was prepared to sue Centene, but the corporation settled to keep the matter out of court.

Part
 of the settlement money — 15% — will go to Liston &amp; Deas, a law 
firm that is helping states investigate and pursue settlements from or 
potential lawsuits against Centene.

Centene is one of three main companies that help run the Kansas Medicaid program.

The other two are CVS/Aetna and OptumRx/UnitedHealth.

Among other things, they serve as the pharmacy middlemen, processing drug claims for Kansas.

Those three also helped handle prescription drugs for the Ohio Medicaid program when that state’s auditor <a href="https://ohioauditor.gov/news/pressreleases/details/5042" target="_blank">concluded</a> in 2018 that its middlemen charged $225 million more than they paid to pharmacies for drugs and took that money as profit.

The
 markup on generic drugs alone added nearly a third to the price that 
state paid for those supposedly cost-effective drugs. Ohio effectively 
fired the companies involved and restructured its program to increase 
oversight.

The revelations in Ohio triggered other state auditors 
and attorneys general — including Schmidt — to start scrutinizing their 
states’ Medicaid programs.

Asked whether his office is 
investigating any other companies regarding the Kansas Medicaid program,
 Schmidt said he can’t discuss the status of investigations or their 
targets. But he added:

“We’ve been able to obtain recovery with respect to this first defendant. And … we have other investigations ongoing.”

Kansas privatized Medicaid in 2013 under Gov. Sam Brownback.

But
 the Brownback administration and subsequent Jeff Colyer and Laura Kelly
 administrations have never audited the prescription drug program.

Investigations
 in other states and at the federal level have found that privatized 
state Medicaid programs are especially vulnerable to overpaying for 
medications, because oversight becomes even more difficult.

Concerns about pharmacy middlemen — formally called pharmacy benefit managers — extend beyond Medicaid programs.

Employers also hire middlemen to process drug claims.

Experts say the Kansas State Employee Health Program, which covers about 80,000 public employees, retirees and family members, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-audited-its-80-million-cvs-prescription-plan-but-its-still-shrouded-in-mystery" target="_blank">could be overpaying by millions</a>.

Private
 employers face similar challenges. Secrecy in the nation’s drug supply 
chain makes it hard for them to figure out why medications cost so much,
 and whether drug middlemen hired to keep costs down actually inflate 
the prices.

Americans pay more than twice as much as people in other developed countries for prescription drugs.

Schmidt
 wouldn’t say whether he is probing prices paid by the Kansas state 
employee plan. As for challenges faced by private employers:

“That’s
 conduct that we’re not going to be able to reach directly through our 
enforcement on behalf of the state,” Schmidt said. “There are policy 
discussions that the Legislature may want to undertake.”

Over the 
past few years, states have passed dozens of laws demanding more 
transparency of pharmacy middlemen or regulating them in other ways.

Pharmacy
 middlemen sued one of those states, Arkansas, to block regulation. 
Arkansas fought the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/rutledge-v-pharmaceutical-care-management-association/" target="_blank">which ruled in its favor</a>. That’s likely to embolden more states to consider legislation.

Schmidt signed an amicus brief supporting Arkansas’ right to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.

“It
 would make sense for Kansas to have a regulatory statute, similar to 
what's done in Arkansas,” he said. “This is a largely unregulated area 
where there's strong reason to believe … that regulation is advisable.”

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638888427613.png" alt="Julie Denesha / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Julie Denesha / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-06/one-of-americas-richest-companies-pays-kansas-27-6-million-over-medicaid-misconduct">Kansas News Service</a>Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has reached a settlement with 
one of the nation’s wealthiest companies for about $27.6 million over 
alleged misconduct involving the state Medicaid program and prescription
 drugs.Centene Corp. helps run the state’s privatized Medicaid 
program. Schmidt says secretive practices at the company cost Kansas and
 its taxpayers many millions of dollars.Schmidt says the $27.6 million settlement is more than twice the amount of damages that his office was able to prove.“We think that’s a just outcome,” he said in an interview. “It penalizes the company for its misconduct.”Centene
 faces similar accusations in other states regarding its role as a 
pharmacy middleman hired to help states get good drug prices. It has 
denied wrongdoing.However, the corporation — No. 24 on the 
Fortune 500 — is cutting massive checks to states over the allegations 
and has earmarked <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001071739/000107173921000148/cnc-20210614.htm" target="_blank">$1 billion</a> for more settlements.Earlier
 this year, Centene announced settlements with Ohio for $88 million, 
Mississippi for $55 million, Illinois for $56 million and Arkansas for 
$15 million.Centene and its subsidiary Envolve help run Medicaid 
programs in 30 states. It sent the Kansas News Service a brief statement
 describing the settlement as a “no-fault agreement.”“We respect 
the deep and critically important relationships we have with our state 
partners,” the statement said. “This no-fault agreement reflects the 
significance we place on addressing their concerns.”Schmidt said Centene agreed to change its practices.“Regardless
 of whether there’s an explicit admission (by Centene of wrongdoing),” 
the attorney general said, “ they're paying millions of dollars for 
their past behavior and agreeing that their future behavior will 
change.”Centene continues to help run the Kansas Medicaid 
program, but it will have to compete to retain that role when the Kansas
 Department for Health and Environment opens an upcoming round of 
bidding.<h2>Negotiated settlement</h2>Schmidt said Centene engaged in a slew of strategies that meant Kansas taxpayers overpaid for prescription drugs.For
 example, it would charge Kansas one price for a medication, while 
getting a lower price from the manufacturer, he said. Centene could then
 pocket the savings by keeping Kansas in the dark about the true price.“The
 misconduct was in the nature of finding ways to lower the cost of 
acquiring drugs, but not passing the savings on to the state,” Schmidt 
said. “Now the company will provide detailed pricing for every step of a
 transaction. And that in turn will allow the state to maintain a much 
more effective type of oversight.”Schmidt wouldn’t disclose the 
exact amount of money that Centene’s strategies, including the secret 
manufacturer discounts, cost the state of Kansas. He said his office and
 Centene remain at odds over the sum.The settlement covers 2016 
through last month. Schmidt said Centene’s misconduct may have started 
earlier than 2016. If it did, that would fall outside the statute of 
limitations.His office was prepared to sue Centene, but the corporation settled to keep the matter out of court.Part
 of the settlement money — 15% — will go to Liston &amp; Deas, a law 
firm that is helping states investigate and pursue settlements from or 
potential lawsuits against Centene.<h2>Other investigations</h2>Centene is one of three main companies that help run the Kansas Medicaid program.The other two are CVS/Aetna and OptumRx/UnitedHealth.Among other things, they serve as the pharmacy middlemen, processing drug claims for Kansas.Those three also helped handle prescription drugs for the Ohio Medicaid program when that state’s auditor <a href="https://ohioauditor.gov/news/pressreleases/details/5042" target="_blank">concluded</a> in 2018 that its middlemen charged $225 million more than they paid to pharmacies for drugs and took that money as profit.The
 markup on generic drugs alone added nearly a third to the price that 
state paid for those supposedly cost-effective drugs. Ohio effectively 
fired the companies involved and restructured its program to increase 
oversight.The revelations in Ohio triggered other state auditors 
and attorneys general — including Schmidt — to start scrutinizing their 
states’ Medicaid programs.Asked whether his office is 
investigating any other companies regarding the Kansas Medicaid program,
 Schmidt said he can’t discuss the status of investigations or their 
targets. But he added:“We’ve been able to obtain recovery with respect to this first defendant. And … we have other investigations ongoing.”Kansas privatized Medicaid in 2013 under Gov. Sam Brownback.But
 the Brownback administration and subsequent Jeff Colyer and Laura Kelly
 administrations have never audited the prescription drug program.Investigations
 in other states and at the federal level have found that privatized 
state Medicaid programs are especially vulnerable to overpaying for 
medications, because oversight becomes even more difficult.<h2>Middleman practices</h2>Concerns about pharmacy middlemen — formally called pharmacy benefit managers — extend beyond Medicaid programs.Employers also hire middlemen to process drug claims.Experts say the Kansas State Employee Health Program, which covers about 80,000 public employees, retirees and family members, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-01/kansas-audited-its-80-million-cvs-prescription-plan-but-its-still-shrouded-in-mystery" target="_blank">could be overpaying by millions</a>.Private
 employers face similar challenges. Secrecy in the nation’s drug supply 
chain makes it hard for them to figure out why medications cost so much,
 and whether drug middlemen hired to keep costs down actually inflate 
the prices.Americans pay more than twice as much as people in other developed countries for prescription drugs.Schmidt
 wouldn’t say whether he is probing prices paid by the Kansas state 
employee plan. As for challenges faced by private employers:“That’s
 conduct that we’re not going to be able to reach directly through our 
enforcement on behalf of the state,” Schmidt said. “There are policy 
discussions that the Legislature may want to undertake.”Over the 
past few years, states have passed dozens of laws demanding more 
transparency of pharmacy middlemen or regulating them in other ways.Pharmacy
 middlemen sued one of those states, Arkansas, to block regulation. 
Arkansas fought the matter all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/rutledge-v-pharmaceutical-care-management-association/" target="_blank">which ruled in its favor</a>. That’s likely to embolden more states to consider legislation.Schmidt signed an amicus brief supporting Arkansas’ right to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.“It
 would make sense for Kansas to have a regulatory statute, similar to 
what's done in Arkansas,” he said. “This is a largely unregulated area 
where there's strong reason to believe … that regulation is advisable.”Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

One of America's richest companies pays Kan. $27M over Medicaid 'misconduct' 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man suspected of firing gunshots into a suburban Kansas City home before a standoff with police was fatally shot by a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

The shooting happened Monday night after deputies were called to a rural Blue Springs home, where the occupants reported that a man outside was firing shots into the house. Deputies and a SWAT team arrived and encountered the suspect, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article256391142.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">Kansas City Star reported</a>.

Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said law enforcement tried to negotiate with the man but that the man rammed his vehicle into a SWAT team armored truck and raised a rifle pointed toward officers.

A Jackson County deputy then fired a single shot that killed the man, later identified as 48-year-old Douglas Halphin of Blue Springs, Lowe said.

No one else was injured, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the fatal shooting.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man suspected of firing gunshots into a suburban Kansas City home before a standoff with police was fatally shot by a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.The shooting happened Monday night after deputies were called to a rural Blue Springs home, where the occupants reported that a man outside was firing shots into the house. Deputies and a SWAT team arrived and encountered the suspect, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article256391142.html#storylink=cpy" target="_blank">Kansas City Star reported</a>.Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said law enforcement tried to negotiate with the man but that the man rammed his vehicle into a SWAT team armored truck and raised a rifle pointed toward officers.A Jackson County deputy then fired a single shot that killed the man, later identified as 48-year-old Douglas Halphin of Blue Springs, Lowe said.No one else was injured, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the fatal shooting.

Patrol: Deputy fatally shot man in KC-area standoff

TOPEKA – A federal court Tuesday blocked a third vaccination mandate imposed by the Biden administration, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia granted a motion by Kansas and other plaintiffs to place a temporary injunction on the administration’s policy that required employers to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates on their employees as a condition for receiving federal contracts. Schmidt and six other state attorneys general filed the lawsuit October 29, arguing that the mandate exceeded federal authority. The preliminary injunction is in effect nationwide.

The University of Kansas, Wichita State and Kansas State University all&nbsp; halted their implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal government contractors and subcontractors following the injunction.

“Federal courts continue to recognize that these overreaching, one-size-fits all mandates from the Biden administration are unlawful,” Schmidt said. “I continue to encourage Kansans to be vaccinated, but that personal health care decision should be made by each individual and not mandated by the federal government.”

In Tuesday's ruling, the court found that the executive order “goes far beyond addressing administrative and management issues in order to promote efficiency and economy in procurement and contracting, and instead, in application, works as a regulation of public health, which is not clearly authorized under the Procurement Act.”

In other lawsuits Schmidt filed, courts have previously blocked the mandate from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that applied to private employers with more than 100 employees and the mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that applied to employees, contractors and volunteers in health care facilities.

In addition, a new state law enacted last month requires all employers, both public and private sector, to accommodate employee requests for relief from COVID-19 vaccine requirements on medical grounds or the ground that the requirement would violate a sincerely held religious belief of the employee and for religious requests forbids employers from “inquiring into the sincerity of the request” by the employee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632773094040.png" alt="President Biden received his COVID vaccine booster last month-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden received his COVID vaccine booster last month-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – A federal court Tuesday blocked a third vaccination mandate imposed by the Biden administration, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia granted a motion by Kansas and other plaintiffs to place a temporary injunction on the administration’s policy that required employers to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates on their employees as a condition for receiving federal contracts. Schmidt and six other state attorneys general filed the lawsuit October 29, arguing that the mandate exceeded federal authority. The preliminary injunction is in effect nationwide.The University of Kansas, Wichita State and Kansas State University all&nbsp; halted their implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal government contractors and subcontractors following the injunction.“Federal courts continue to recognize that these overreaching, one-size-fits all mandates from the Biden administration are unlawful,” Schmidt said. “I continue to encourage Kansans to be vaccinated, but that personal health care decision should be made by each individual and not mandated by the federal government.”In Tuesday's ruling, the court found that the executive order “goes far beyond addressing administrative and management issues in order to promote efficiency and economy in procurement and contracting, and instead, in application, works as a regulation of public health, which is not clearly authorized under the Procurement Act.”In other lawsuits Schmidt filed, courts have previously blocked the mandate from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that applied to private employers with more than 100 employees and the mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that applied to employees, contractors and volunteers in health care facilities.In addition, a new state law enacted last month requires all employers, both public and private sector, to accommodate employee requests for relief from COVID-19 vaccine requirements on medical grounds or the ground that the requirement would violate a sincerely held religious belief of the employee and for religious requests forbids employers from “inquiring into the sincerity of the request” by the employee.

Kan. AG on federal court blocking 3rd Biden vaccine mandate

MANHATTAN — A second <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/gaysha-alfred-funeral-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">online fundraiser </a>has been established to assist the family of a Manhattan teen who died in a weekend accident.

"The family is already struggling financially and we ask for any help in this shock of losing the oldest of 6 siblings,' according to Brittany Mansker who established the<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/gaysha-alfred-funeral-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer"> GoFundMe page.</a>

Earlier on Monday, the sister of a 14-year-old Kenni Cantu who died the accident established <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/kenni-cantus-funeral?member=15777861&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook">a fundraiser t</a>o help his family cover funeral expenses.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer driven by&nbsp; Paris Eboni&nbsp;Burgess, 17, Manhattan, was eastbound on Kansas 18 Highway (Fort Riley Boulevard) at Scenic Drive.

The driver lost control of the SUV. The vehicle entered the south ditch,&nbsp; struck a concrete bridge pillar and caught fire.

Two passengers identified as 14-year-old Kenni&nbsp; Cantu and 14-year-old&nbsp; Gaysha&nbsp;Alfred both of Manhattan, were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics.

EMS transported&nbsp;Burgess&nbsp; and passengers Alecia Reyna&nbsp; Smith Haynes, 13, Manhattan, to Via Christi in Manhattan and 14-year-old Jean Carlos&nbsp;Vazques-Ponce of Manhattan to KU Medical Center.

As of Monday morning, $9,025 of the fund’s $25,000 goal has been raised.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638888641845.png" alt="Gaysha Alfred-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Gaysha Alfred-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN — A second <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/gaysha-alfred-funeral-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">online fundraiser </a>has been established to assist the family of a Manhattan teen who died in a weekend accident."The family is already struggling financially and we ask for any help in this shock of losing the oldest of 6 siblings,' according to Brittany Mansker who established the<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/gaysha-alfred-funeral-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer"> GoFundMe page.</a>Earlier on Monday, the sister of a 14-year-old Kenni Cantu who died the accident established <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/kenni-cantus-funeral?member=15777861&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook">a fundraiser t</a>o help his family cover funeral expenses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638812130360.png" alt="Kenni Cantu-photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Kenni Cantu-photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer driven by&nbsp; Paris Eboni&nbsp;Burgess, 17, Manhattan, was eastbound on Kansas 18 Highway (Fort Riley Boulevard) at Scenic Drive.The driver lost control of the SUV. The vehicle entered the south ditch,&nbsp; struck a concrete bridge pillar and caught fire.Two passengers identified as 14-year-old Kenni&nbsp; Cantu and 14-year-old&nbsp; Gaysha&nbsp;Alfred both of Manhattan, were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics.EMS transported&nbsp;Burgess&nbsp; and passengers Alecia Reyna&nbsp; Smith Haynes, 13, Manhattan, to Via Christi in Manhattan and 14-year-old Jean Carlos&nbsp;Vazques-Ponce of Manhattan to KU Medical Center.As of Monday morning, $9,025 of the fund’s $25,000 goal has been raised.