TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that October continued the trend of Kansas’ total tax collections being more than the estimate as total tax collections were $662.7 million for the month. That is 18.7%, or $104.2 million, more than the estimate. That is also $66.1 million, or 11.1%, more than the same month of last year, according to a media release from the Kansas Dept. of Revenue.

<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.XJgmhKB1xYUcbDGdYV2ZqKygOF00wGJlNl9wf9-2FLY/s/1303160919/br/116084717722-l" target="_blank">Click here to October tax receipts&nbsp;</a>

“As I’ve said before, though our state’s revenue numbers continue to out-pace estimates, we must keep practicing fiscal responsibility,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“That’s how we’ll continue to grow our economy and protect our fiscal health.”

Individual income tax collections were $301.6 million which is $46.6 million, or 18.3%, more than the estimate. That is $17.9 million, or 6.3%, more than October 2020. Corporate income tax collections were $40.0 million for the month. That is $25.0 million, or 166.8%, more than the estimate and $13.9 million, or 53.3%, more than the same month of last year.

Retail sales tax collections were $227.7 million, which is 8.4%, or $17.7 million, more than the estimate. Those collections are $16.7 million, or 7.9%, more than last October. Compensating use tax collections were $67.6 million which is $12.6 million, or 22.9%, more than the estimate. That is a growth of $16.9 million, or 33.3%, over the same month of 2020.

“The difficult steps taken early on in the COVID-19 pandemic have helped the state’s economy not only rebound quicker than expected but has also moved the state towards a sustainable and healthy economic future,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.

The last time the state had tax collections below the monthly estimate was July 2020.

The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, comprised of the Department of Revenue, Division of Budget, Legislative Research Department, and economists from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University, will meet November 10.

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that October continued the trend of Kansas’ total tax collections being more than the estimate as total tax collections were $662.7 million for the month. That is 18.7%, or $104.2 million, more than the estimate. That is also $66.1 million, or 11.1%, more than the same month of last year, according to a media release from the Kansas Dept. of Revenue.<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.XJgmhKB1xYUcbDGdYV2ZqKygOF00wGJlNl9wf9-2FLY/s/1303160919/br/116084717722-l" target="_blank">Click here to October tax receipts&nbsp;</a>“As I’ve said before, though our state’s revenue numbers continue to out-pace estimates, we must keep practicing fiscal responsibility,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“That’s how we’ll continue to grow our economy and protect our fiscal health.”Individual income tax collections were $301.6 million which is $46.6 million, or 18.3%, more than the estimate. That is $17.9 million, or 6.3%, more than October 2020. Corporate income tax collections were $40.0 million for the month. That is $25.0 million, or 166.8%, more than the estimate and $13.9 million, or 53.3%, more than the same month of last year.Retail sales tax collections were $227.7 million, which is 8.4%, or $17.7 million, more than the estimate. Those collections are $16.7 million, or 7.9%, more than last October. Compensating use tax collections were $67.6 million which is $12.6 million, or 22.9%, more than the estimate. That is a growth of $16.9 million, or 33.3%, over the same month of 2020.“The difficult steps taken early on in the COVID-19 pandemic have helped the state’s economy not only rebound quicker than expected but has also moved the state towards a sustainable and healthy economic future,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said.The last time the state had tax collections below the monthly estimate was July 2020.The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, comprised of the Department of Revenue, Division of Budget, Legislative Research Department, and economists from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University, will meet November 10.

Oct. total tax receipts in Kan. exceed the estimate by $104.2M

GREELEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 5a.m. Monday in Greeley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol that a 2011 Kia Rio driven by Arrianna Patterson, 20, Tribune, was westbound on Kansas 96 at County Road 24.

The car traveled left of center, left the roadway to the left, continued westbound in the south ditch, struck a culvert and rolled unknown number of times before coming to a rest on its top.&nbsp;

EMS transported&nbsp;Patterson and passengers Shawna&nbsp;Longsine, 44; Derek Longsine, 43, and a juvenile infant all of Tribune to the Greeley County Hospital. Derek Longsine was pronounced dead.&nbsp;

Shawna and Derek Longsine were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The baby was properly secured in a car seat.

GREELEY COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 5a.m. Monday in Greeley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol that a 2011 Kia Rio driven by Arrianna Patterson, 20, Tribune, was westbound on Kansas 96 at County Road 24.The car traveled left of center, left the roadway to the left, continued westbound in the south ditch, struck a culvert and rolled unknown number of times before coming to a rest on its top.&nbsp;EMS transported&nbsp;Patterson and passengers Shawna&nbsp;Longsine, 44; Derek Longsine, 43, and a juvenile infant all of Tribune to the Greeley County Hospital. Derek Longsine was pronounced dead.&nbsp;Shawna and Derek Longsine were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp; The baby was properly secured in a car seat.

Kansas man dead, baby among 3 injured in rollover crash


HUTCHINSON — Gas prices continue to increase.

"In Kansas today, we are 
$3.12 a gallon on average," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "That is
 up four cents from a week ago, from $3.08."

The nationwide average is increasing more slowly.

"The
 national average gas price for a gallon of unleaded rose to $3.40 a 
gallon," Steward said. "That two cent rise over last week is the 
smallest increase we've seen in a month."

The fundamentals may be improving, as well.

"There's
 news that Iranian oil, which has not been sold globally in large 
quantities since 2018 may return to the world market," Steward said. 
"That coupled with an OPEC plus meeting on Nov. 4, is creating some 
market volatility, but slowing the pump prices right now."

It remains to be seen if those additions to supply will materialize, though.

By
NICK GOSNELLHutch
Post 
HUTCHINSON — Gas prices continue to increase."In Kansas today, we are 
$3.12 a gallon on average," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "That is
 up four cents from a week ago, from $3.08."The nationwide average is increasing more slowly."The
 national average gas price for a gallon of unleaded rose to $3.40 a 
gallon," Steward said. "That two cent rise over last week is the 
smallest increase we've seen in a month."The fundamentals may be improving, as well."There's
 news that Iranian oil, which has not been sold globally in large 
quantities since 2018 may return to the world market," Steward said. 
"That coupled with an OPEC plus meeting on Nov. 4, is creating some 
market volatility, but slowing the pump prices right now."It remains to be seen if those additions to supply will materialize, though.

Price of gas still going up, but more slowly

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Halloween crash have identified the victim as 38-year-old Clenea Meairs of Wichita, according Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

Just after 6p.m. Sunday, a Dodge truck was southbound Seneca at 63rd Street South in south Wichita.

As the the truck traveled though the intersection with a green light, an eastbound Chrysler Concorde driven by Meairs&nbsp; entered the intersection.&nbsp; The truck struck the driver's side door of the Concorde.

EMS transported Meairs to a local hospital where she later died. Two juvenile females, 16 and 8, in the Chrysler had minor injuries and were released to a family member at the scene.

A 17-year-old male passenger in the Chrysler was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The operator of the Dodge truck, a 25-year-old man from Newkirk, Oklahoma was uninjured.

Blick released no additional details Monday afternoon.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal Halloween crash have identified the victim as 38-year-old Clenea Meairs of Wichita, according Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.Just after 6p.m. Sunday, a Dodge truck was southbound Seneca at 63rd Street South in south Wichita.As the the truck traveled though the intersection with a green light, an eastbound Chrysler Concorde driven by Meairs&nbsp; entered the intersection.&nbsp; The truck struck the driver's side door of the Concorde.EMS transported Meairs to a local hospital where she later died. Two juvenile females, 16 and 8, in the Chrysler had minor injuries and were released to a family member at the scene.A 17-year-old male passenger in the Chrysler was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The operator of the Dodge truck, a 25-year-old man from Newkirk, Oklahoma was uninjured.Blick released no additional details Monday afternoon.

Sheriff IDs Kansas woman who died in crash on Halloween

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden set out to be a president who under-promised and over-delivered.

As the White House tries to nail down a nearly $3 trillion domestic package that Biden frames as a historic investment in infrastructure and social spending, the moment is clouded by a sense among many on the left that the pared-back package falls far short of the lofty expectations set by the president himself.

“I know it’s hard,” Biden said Thursday, even as he sought to claim a victory for having crafted the “framework” of a social spending plan that he believes — or hopes — can pass Congress.

“I know how deeply people feel about the things that they fight for,” he added. “No one got everything they wanted, including me. But that’s what compromise is.”

It was not the triumphal moment the president had envisioned as he flew to Europe for economic and climate summits, landing in Rome early Friday. Instead, he and other Democratic leaders were left to almost plead for the support within their party to pass Biden’s signature legislative proposal. He was buffeted both from the liberal wing of his party and from moderate holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

He’s facing disgruntlement from some allies that the latest iteration of the proposed deal doesn’t meet his campaign aims as the ambition — and price tag — of his domestic legislative agenda has been repeatedly whittled back to secure the votes of members of his own party.

Biden marketed himself to voters as a competent leader whose deep experience in the ways of Washington could yield meaningful change through legislation, a clear counterpoint to President Donald Trump’s blunt-instrument approach to policy. Instead, Biden was left not to negotiate with Republicans, but with his fellow Democrats, and he did not appear to succeed yet in persuading them, at least not on his preferred timetable.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats behind closed doors that “when the president gets off that plane, we want him to have a vote of confidence from this Congress.”

“In order for us to have success, we must succeed today.”

As the day dragged on, that appeared increasingly unlikely.

None of that kept the president from claiming to be on the cusp of historic achievements.

Biden and his allies stress that the proposed deal, though far smaller than first envisioned, would represent record spending and that new programs in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate legislation would boost American competitiveness, lift people out of poverty and ease the burdens of working families.

As he arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning to urge House Democrats to get behind the framework, he was greeted by environmental protesters who said he was giving up too much. Later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, grumbled that Biden’s plan has “some major gaps in it” and that the bill does not provide relief on prescription drug costs.

When it became clear that holdout Democrats still weren’t on board, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said she felt “bamboozled because this was not what I thought was coming today.”

Biden administration officials and allies pushed back against the angst from the liberal wing of their party. They noted that the plan has the biggest spending ever for combating climate change —$555 billion — and the greatest expansion of education, with free, universal childcare, since the establishment of free high school.

“How can I say this is transformative? Because it is,” said Pelosi. She argued that the framework would lead to millions more Americans gaining access to health care, add thousands of jobs and benefit the environment.

Biden’s plan was first brought forward as a $7 trillion “Build Back Better” agenda in mid-2020 that also had much of what became the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March. His domestic proposals were offered as part of a plan to pull the nation from the depths of the pandemic and set it on a course toward an even more prosperous future.

Rebranded — for a time — as the American Families Plan, it formed the backbone of Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress in April.

It included long-sought Democratic priorities like measures to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and provide 12 weeks of paid family leave. Each of those provisions fell out of the bill during the months of negotiation.

Before departing for Europe, Biden spoke of the latest version as if he had achieved a consensus and compromise in the classically understood sense -- between the two political parties.

In fact, he was actually talking about bringing together legislators from his own party — many of whom didn’t hide their frustration at Biden’s dramatic scaling back of his ambitions for the bill. The moment showed that Biden, while he’s found success in getting his party to unite in opposition to Trump, has had less luck getting a fractured rank-and-file to fall in line on policy fights.

Many of the cuts that are irking the liberal wing have also been painful for Biden. He’s repeatedly talked about issues like paid family leave and drug costs in personal terms.

Biden also had to pull back on his hopes of making permanent a proposal to extend the child tax credit that was in his $1.9 trillion relief plan passed earlier this year. The credit, which has helped to cut child poverty by nearly half by some estimates, would be extended only by a year. That leaves a future Congress to decide whether to sustain it.

Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian, said it was unclear that many Americans would quickly feel the benefits of what was left in Biden’s plan. That might make it difficult for Biden, whose approval rating has cratered in recent weeks, to benefit politically if the bills finally become law.

“The parts of the plan that would have immediate impact, like family leave and the prescription drugs, have been stripped out,” Zelizer said. “Parts of the plan won’t last forever. I am not certain that Americans are going to feel impact before some of this comes and goes.”

From the beginning, Biden faced headwinds as he sought to craft a social services and environmental spending plan to rival FDR’s New Deal, working with the backing of only slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. Manchin and Sinema’s hesitance on various aspects of the package made Biden’s big aspirations an uphill battle from the start.

Jim Kessler, executive vice president of policy at the center-left group Third Way, said lessons learned by President Barack Obama, who was criticized by many on the left for not pushing for more stimulus in the midst of the Great Recession more than a decade ago, fed into the president’s decision to shoot for the moon.

While Biden fell short of his initial goals, Kessler said that lost in the noise is that the pared-down spending plan is still among the most significant domestic policy efforts of the last century.

“The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan soon after he came to office was huge,” Kessler said. “Now, if these two bills pass, those are big bumps. It feels like morning broke here as we go into November for the Biden presidency.”

Obama himself chimed in to make the point that Biden was right to swing for the fences.

“The Build Back Better framework doesn’t contain everything that the President proposed and that some had hoped,” Obama said in a statement. “But that’s the nature of progress in a democracy.” Still, Obama called it a “giant leap forward” for the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635437156930.png" alt="President Biden spoke to the American people just before he left Thursday for Europe-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke to the American people just before he left Thursday for Europe-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By ZEKE MILLER and AAMER MADHANIWASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden set out to be a president who under-promised and over-delivered.That worked, until it didn’t.As the White House tries to nail down a nearly $3 trillion domestic package that Biden frames as a historic investment in infrastructure and social spending, the moment is clouded by a sense among many on the left that the pared-back package falls far short of the lofty expectations set by the president himself.“I know it’s hard,” Biden said Thursday, even as he sought to claim a victory for having crafted the “framework” of a social spending plan that he believes — or hopes — can pass Congress.“I know how deeply people feel about the things that they fight for,” he added. “No one got everything they wanted, including me. But that’s what compromise is.”It was not the triumphal moment the president had envisioned as he flew to Europe for economic and climate summits, landing in Rome early Friday. Instead, he and other Democratic leaders were left to almost plead for the support within their party to pass Biden’s signature legislative proposal. He was buffeted both from the liberal wing of his party and from moderate holdouts, Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.He’s facing disgruntlement from some allies that the latest iteration of the proposed deal doesn’t meet his campaign aims as the ambition — and price tag — of his domestic legislative agenda has been repeatedly whittled back to secure the votes of members of his own party.Biden marketed himself to voters as a competent leader whose deep experience in the ways of Washington could yield meaningful change through legislation, a clear counterpoint to President Donald Trump’s blunt-instrument approach to policy. Instead, Biden was left not to negotiate with Republicans, but with his fellow Democrats, and he did not appear to succeed yet in persuading them, at least not on his preferred timetable.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats behind closed doors that “when the president gets off that plane, we want him to have a vote of confidence from this Congress.”“In order for us to have success, we must succeed today.”As the day dragged on, that appeared increasingly unlikely.None of that kept the president from claiming to be on the cusp of historic achievements.Biden and his allies stress that the proposed deal, though far smaller than first envisioned, would represent record spending and that new programs in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate legislation would boost American competitiveness, lift people out of poverty and ease the burdens of working families.As he arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning to urge House Democrats to get behind the framework, he was greeted by environmental protesters who said he was giving up too much. Later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, grumbled that Biden’s plan has “some major gaps in it” and that the bill does not provide relief on prescription drug costs.When it became clear that holdout Democrats still weren’t on board, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said she felt “bamboozled because this was not what I thought was coming today.”Biden administration officials and allies pushed back against the angst from the liberal wing of their party. They noted that the plan has the biggest spending ever for combating climate change —$555 billion — and the greatest expansion of education, with free, universal childcare, since the establishment of free high school.“How can I say this is transformative? Because it is,” said Pelosi. She argued that the framework would lead to millions more Americans gaining access to health care, add thousands of jobs and benefit the environment.Biden’s plan was first brought forward as a $7 trillion “Build Back Better” agenda in mid-2020 that also had much of what became the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed in March. His domestic proposals were offered as part of a plan to pull the nation from the depths of the pandemic and set it on a course toward an even more prosperous future.Rebranded — for a time — as the American Families Plan, it formed the backbone of Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress in April.It included long-sought Democratic priorities like measures to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and provide 12 weeks of paid family leave. Each of those provisions fell out of the bill during the months of negotiation.Before departing for Europe, Biden spoke of the latest version as if he had achieved a consensus and compromise in the classically understood sense -- between the two political parties.In fact, he was actually talking about bringing together legislators from his own party — many of whom didn’t hide their frustration at Biden’s dramatic scaling back of his ambitions for the bill. The moment showed that Biden, while he’s found success in getting his party to unite in opposition to Trump, has had less luck getting a fractured rank-and-file to fall in line on policy fights.Many of the cuts that are irking the liberal wing have also been painful for Biden. He’s repeatedly talked about issues like paid family leave and drug costs in personal terms.Biden also had to pull back on his hopes of making permanent a proposal to extend the child tax credit that was in his $1.9 trillion relief plan passed earlier this year. The credit, which has helped to cut child poverty by nearly half by some estimates, would be extended only by a year. That leaves a future Congress to decide whether to sustain it.Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian, said it was unclear that many Americans would quickly feel the benefits of what was left in Biden’s plan. That might make it difficult for Biden, whose approval rating has cratered in recent weeks, to benefit politically if the bills finally become law.“The parts of the plan that would have immediate impact, like family leave and the prescription drugs, have been stripped out,” Zelizer said. “Parts of the plan won’t last forever. I am not certain that Americans are going to feel impact before some of this comes and goes.”From the beginning, Biden faced headwinds as he sought to craft a social services and environmental spending plan to rival FDR’s New Deal, working with the backing of only slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. Manchin and Sinema’s hesitance on various aspects of the package made Biden’s big aspirations an uphill battle from the start.Jim Kessler, executive vice president of policy at the center-left group Third Way, said lessons learned by President Barack Obama, who was criticized by many on the left for not pushing for more stimulus in the midst of the Great Recession more than a decade ago, fed into the president’s decision to shoot for the moon.While Biden fell short of his initial goals, Kessler said that lost in the noise is that the pared-down spending plan is still among the most significant domestic policy efforts of the last century.“The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan soon after he came to office was huge,” Kessler said. “Now, if these two bills pass, those are big bumps. It feels like morning broke here as we go into November for the Biden presidency.”Obama himself chimed in to make the point that Biden was right to swing for the fences.“The Build Back Better framework doesn’t contain everything that the President proposed and that some had hoped,” Obama said in a statement. “But that’s the nature of progress in a democracy.” Still, Obama called it a “giant leap forward” for the country.___

Analysis: Pres. Biden faces liberal angst after under-delivering

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 1,287 to a total of 435,933, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 7 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,422.

<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 1,287 to a total of 435,933, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 7 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,422.<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: 1,287 new cases, 7 more COVID-19 deaths

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 17-year-old Wichita boy was killed over the weekend in a shooting. 

Wichita Police said the shooting was reported around 7 p.m. Saturday near Kellogg and Seneca streets.&nbsp; Officers found Diego Benitez dead with multiple gunshot wounds. 

Investigators believe drugs were part of the motive for Saturday’s shooting but they didn’t provide many details about what happened. No arrests had been reported as of Sunday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635780633481.png" alt="Police at the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 17-year-old Wichita boy was killed over the weekend in a shooting. Wichita Police said the shooting was reported around 7 p.m. Saturday near Kellogg and Seneca streets.&nbsp; Officers found Diego Benitez dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators believe drugs were part of the motive for Saturday’s shooting but they didn’t provide many details about what happened. No arrests had been reported as of Sunday afternoon.

Police ID 17-year-old Kan. boy who died in weekend shooting

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Their decision came after U.S. health advisers endorsed the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for younger children despite hearing concerns expressed by a number of physicians and parents.&nbsp;

During the public comment portion of the Oct. 26, hearing, a number of professionals and parents raised concerns about the vaccine for young children.

Steve Hirsh, Executive Director of the&nbsp; COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund told the panel there were too many unanswered questions for the FDA to approve the vaccine for 5-11 year-olds.

Dr. Jessica Rose, a viral immunologist, shared thoughts against the emergency use authorization of the vaccine for children because "COVID-19 is exceedingly treatable."

Dr. Josh Guetzkow, Ph.D., at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said extending the emergency use authorization for children's vaccine "would do more harm than good."

Dr. Beatrice Setnick, a clinical pharamacologist and consultant to various biotech companies told the panel, "please do not assume the vaccine is safe for children until more data is evaluated."

Amy Alvo, the mother of a 17-year-old , shared what the adverse reaction her daughter experienced after vaccination.

This week, the CDC will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.

Some parents are expected to vaccinate their children ahead of family holiday gatherings and the winter cold season.

But a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests most parents won’t rush to get the shots. About 25% of parents polled earlier this month said they would get their children vaccinated “right away.” But the remaining majority of parents were roughly split between those who said they will to wait to see how the vaccine performs and those who said they “definitely” won’t have their children vaccinated.

The similarly made Moderna vaccine also is being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna also are testing shots for babies and preschoolers.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635349957156.png" alt="A slide presented to the FDA panel Tuesday by Dr. Josh Guetzkow&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A slide presented to the FDA panel Tuesday by Dr. Josh Guetzkow&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.Their decision came after U.S. health advisers endorsed the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for younger children despite hearing concerns expressed by a number of physicians and parents.&nbsp;During the public comment portion of the Oct. 26, hearing, a number of professionals and parents raised concerns about the vaccine for young children.Steve Hirsh, Executive Director of the&nbsp; COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund told the panel there were too many unanswered questions for the FDA to approve the vaccine for 5-11 year-olds.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=16805" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Dr. Jessica Rose, a viral immunologist, shared thoughts against the emergency use authorization of the vaccine for children because "COVID-19 is exceedingly treatable."<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=17219" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Dr. Josh Guetzkow, Ph.D., at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said extending the emergency use authorization for children's vaccine "would do more harm than good."<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=17425" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Dr. Beatrice Setnick, a clinical pharamacologist and consultant to various biotech companies told the panel, "please do not assume the vaccine is safe for children until more data is evaluated."<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=18053" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Amy Alvo, the mother of a 17-year-old , shared what the adverse reaction her daughter experienced after vaccination.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=18209" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>This week, the CDC will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.Some parents are expected to vaccinate their children ahead of family holiday gatherings and the winter cold season.But a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey suggests most parents won’t rush to get the shots. About 25% of parents polled earlier this month said they would get their children vaccinated “right away.” But the remaining majority of parents were roughly split between those who said they will to wait to see how the vaccine performs and those who said they “definitely” won’t have their children vaccinated.The similarly made Moderna vaccine also is being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna also are testing shots for babies and preschoolers.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

🎥 Some doctors, parents tell FDA to delay COVID vaccine for kids

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple charges after a weekend incident&nbsp;

Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday, sheriff's were first alerted to the report of a driver southbound in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 81 north of Interstate 70, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.

By the time deputies located the red 2010 Toyota Camry, it was southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 135 near the State Street exit. Deputies were able to successfully deploy stopsticks near the W. Crawford Street exit, and the car came to a stop just south of that exit.

Soldan said the driver, Monica Befort, 32, of Salina, was arrested on the requested charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635688385630.jpeg" alt="Befort -photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Befort -photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple charges after a weekend incident&nbsp;Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday, sheriff's were first alerted to the report of a driver southbound in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 81 north of Interstate 70, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.By the time deputies located the red 2010 Toyota Camry, it was southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 135 near the State Street exit. Deputies were able to successfully deploy stopsticks near the W. Crawford Street exit, and the car came to a stop just south of that exit.Soldan said the driver, Monica Befort, 32, of Salina, was arrested on the requested charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Sheriff: Kan. woman was northbound in southbound lanes of highway

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two teenagers in connection with a home robbery on Halloween.

Just after 11:00 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 200 block of SW Gage on a report of a robbery that had just occurred, according to Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson.

The victim indicated the suspects knocked on his door and when he opened it, they forced their way in and began to strike him. The two suspects stole items from the residence and left.

The two suspects were known to the victim and identified. Officers conducted follow up and later located the suspects at their residence in the 3200 block of SW California in Topeka were they were taken into custody and a search warrant was served. 

Both suspects were 15-year-olds and were booked into juvenile department of corrections.

The first was arrested on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and battery on a law enforcement officer. The second teen is being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and criminal damage, according to Johnson.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two teenagers in connection with a home robbery on Halloween.Just after 11:00 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 200 block of SW Gage on a report of a robbery that had just occurred, according to Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson.The victim indicated the suspects knocked on his door and when he opened it, they forced their way in and began to strike him. The two suspects stole items from the residence and left.The two suspects were known to the victim and identified. Officers conducted follow up and later located the suspects at their residence in the 3200 block of SW California in Topeka were they were taken into custody and a search warrant was served. Both suspects were 15-year-olds and were booked into juvenile department of corrections.The first was arrested on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and battery on a law enforcement officer. The second teen is being held on requested charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and criminal damage, according to Johnson.

Trick or Treat: 15-year-olds jailed for Kansas robbery

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

GREAT BEND — Barton Community College Vice President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said
life is all about subscriptions nowadays. You can buy monthly subscriptions to receive
beard oil, wine or meals. Education is developing its version of subscription
purchasing with a new approach to learning. 

The college in Great Bend is
considering subscription-based learning where students purchase a set amount of
coursework for an allotted time. "We're going to chew this up and
 spit it out," said Simmons. "Then we'll chew it up and spit it out 
again. If we get to a point where we feel like we really understand it, 
we'll bring student services and administration in to talk more about 
it." 
Students would have the opportunity to go through coursework as much as they
can and others can take their time and purchase classes when they have time. This
method could potentially alleviate having to pay tuition for an entire semester
if your availability is less.

"We think it will impact almost every element of the college," said Simmons. "There is a lot to it." 
Simmons said Barton faculty would have to get behind the idea to determine how
they would manage the new style.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — Barton Community College Vice President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said
life is all about subscriptions nowadays. You can buy monthly subscriptions to receive
beard oil, wine or meals. Education is developing its version of subscription
purchasing with a new approach to learning. The college in Great Bend is
considering subscription-based learning where students purchase a set amount of
coursework for an allotted time. "We're going to chew this up and
 spit it out," said Simmons. "Then we'll chew it up and spit it out 
again. If we get to a point where we feel like we really understand it, 
we'll bring student services and administration in to talk more about 
it." 
Students would have the opportunity to go through coursework as much as they
can and others can take their time and purchase classes when they have time. This
method could potentially alleviate having to pay tuition for an entire semester
if your availability is less."We think it will impact almost every element of the college," said Simmons. "There is a lot to it." 
Simmons said Barton faculty would have to get behind the idea to determine how
they would manage the new style.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Great Bend community college considering subscription-based learning

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in the drive-by shooting at a home in Wichita that critically injured an 11-year-old girl&nbsp;is scheduled to return to court Monday ahead of preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick Co. District Attorney's office.

Byron Purcell, 25 of Wichita, is charged with criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Oct. 14., police arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18777609">Purcell</a>.&nbsp;He is accused of being the gunman in a shooting that happened early Oct. 12 in a Wichita neighborhood in which bullets hit a house.

Police say an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/victim-of-shooting-family-needs-help?member=14541373&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=more&amp;utm_source=customer">&nbsp;11-year-old girl </a>was in the house and asleep in her bed when she was hit by the gunfire. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Police say four other people in the home at the time of the shooting were not injured.

Purcell remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Since Nov. 2017 Purcell was in one of several Kansas prisons following three convictions for aggravated  robbery. The state also reported Purcell had over  two dozen disciplinary violation during his time in prison. He was released in June, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634298594579.png" alt="Purcell photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Purcell photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in the drive-by shooting at a home in Wichita that critically injured an 11-year-old girl&nbsp;is scheduled to return to court Monday ahead of preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick Co. District Attorney's office.Byron Purcell, 25 of Wichita, is charged with criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634162750977.png" alt="Image of the suspect vehicle driving by the home Oct. 12-Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Image of the suspect vehicle driving by the home Oct. 12-Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>On Oct. 14., police arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18777609">Purcell</a>.&nbsp;He is accused of being the gunman in a shooting that happened early Oct. 12 in a Wichita neighborhood in which bullets hit a house.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634171148198.png" alt="A cousin established a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/victim-of-shooting-family-needs-help?member=14541373&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=more&amp;utm_source=customer">GoFundMe page </a>to help the girl's family with medical expenses.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A cousin established a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/victim-of-shooting-family-needs-help?member=14541373&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=more&amp;utm_source=customer">GoFundMe page </a>to help the girl's family with medical expenses.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure> Police say an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/victim-of-shooting-family-needs-help?member=14541373&amp;sharetype=teams&amp;utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=more&amp;utm_source=customer">&nbsp;11-year-old girl </a>was in the house and asleep in her bed when she was hit by the gunfire. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Police say four other people in the home at the time of the shooting were not injured.Purcell remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.Since Nov. 2017 Purcell was in one of several Kansas prisons following three convictions for aggravated robbery. The state also reported Purcell had over two dozen disciplinary violation during his time in prison. He was released in June, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.---------

Suspect in shooting that injured Kan. girl due back in court

(AP)-The coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the labor market have pushed many prison staffing systems into crisis. Correction officers are retiring and quitting in droves, while states struggle to recruit new employees. 

In Texas, Lance Lowry quit after 20 years to become a long-haul trucker because he couldn’t bear the job any longer. 

Staff shortages have long been a challenge for prison agencies, given the low pay and grueling nature of the work. And some prisons whose populations dropped during the pandemic have seen their numbers rise again, exacerbating the problem. 

Meanwhile, prisoners don’t see family members and can’t shower. Counseling and other programs have fallen away.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579101364118.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(AP)-The coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the labor market have pushed many prison staffing systems into crisis. Correction officers are retiring and quitting in droves, while states struggle to recruit new employees. In Texas, Lance Lowry quit after 20 years to become a long-haul trucker because he couldn’t bear the job any longer. Staff shortages have long been a challenge for prison agencies, given the low pay and grueling nature of the work. And some prisons whose populations dropped during the pandemic have seen their numbers rise again, exacerbating the problem. Meanwhile, prisoners don’t see family members and can’t shower. Counseling and other programs have fallen away.

US prisons face staff shortages as officers quit amid COVID

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person was injured in a 2-alarm apartment complex fire early Monday.

Just before 3a.m., fire crews responded to the blaze in the 500 Block of West 27th Street in Wichita, according to a social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.

Upon arrival, fire crews could see fire coming from multiple floors of the complex. EMS transported one person in critical condition. Four others were treated at the scene and refused transport.

Authorities are still investigating the cause. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635762253746.png" alt="Monday morning apartment complex fire-photo by Hannah Baker courtesy KAKE" />
 <figcaption>Monday morning apartment complex fire-photo by Hannah Baker courtesy KAKE</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person was injured in a 2-alarm apartment complex fire early Monday.Just before 3a.m., fire crews responded to the blaze in the 500 Block of West 27th Street in Wichita, according to a social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.Upon arrival, fire crews could see fire coming from multiple floors of the complex. EMS transported one person in critical condition. Four others were treated at the scene and refused transport.Authorities are still investigating the cause. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

1 critically injured in 2-alarm Kansas apartment complex fire

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service recently sent approximately
 430,000 refunds totaling more than $510 million to taxpayers who paid 
taxes on unemployment compensation excluded from income for tax year 
2020.

The IRS efforts to correct unemployment compensation overpayments 
will help most of the affected taxpayers avoid filing an amended tax 
return. So far, the IRS has identified over 16 million taxpayers who may
 be eligible for the adjustment. Some will receive refunds, while others
 will have the overpayment applied to taxes due or other debts.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, enacted in March, 
excluded the first $10,200 in unemployment compensation per taxpayer 
paid in 2020. The $10,200 is the amount excluded when calculating one's 
adjusted gross income (AGI); it is not the amount of refund. The 
exclusion applied to individuals and married couples whose modified 
adjusted gross income was less than $150,000.

Earlier this year, the IRS began its review of tax returns filed 
prior to the enactment of ARPA to identify the excludible unemployment 
compensation. To date, the IRS has issued over 11.7 million refunds 
totaling $14.4 billion. This latest batch of corrections affected over 
519,000 returns, with 430,000 taxpayers receiving refunds averaging 
about $1,189.

The review of returns and processing corrections is nearly complete 
as the IRS already reviewed the simplest returns and is now 
concentrating on more complex returns. The IRS plans to issue another 
batch of corrections before the end of the year.

Impacted taxpayers will generally receive letters from the IRS within
 30 days of the adjustment, informing them of what kind of adjustment 
was made (refund, payment of IRS debt payment or payment offset for 
other authorized debts) and the amount of the adjustment.

The IRS also is making corrections for Earned Income Tax Credit, 
Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, Premium Tax 
Credit and Recovery Rebate Credit amounts affected by the exclusion. 
Most taxpayers need not take any action and there is no need to call the
 IRS.

The IRS will be sending notices in November and December to 
individuals who did not claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the 
Additional Child Tax Credit but may now be eligible for them.

These notices are not confirmation that they are eligible for these 
credits and will require a response from the taxpayer if eligible rather
 than filing an amended return. For taxpayers who become eligible for 
other credits and/or deductions after the exclusion is calculated but 
not claimed on their original return, they must file a Form 1040-X, 
Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to claim any new benefits.

See the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-unemployment-compensation-exclusion-faqs">2020 Unemployment Compensation Exclusion FAQs</a> for more information, including details on filing an amended return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The Internal Revenue Service recently sent approximately
 430,000 refunds totaling more than $510 million to taxpayers who paid 
taxes on unemployment compensation excluded from income for tax year 
2020.The IRS efforts to correct unemployment compensation overpayments 
will help most of the affected taxpayers avoid filing an amended tax 
return. So far, the IRS has identified over 16 million taxpayers who may
 be eligible for the adjustment. Some will receive refunds, while others
 will have the overpayment applied to taxes due or other debts.The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, enacted in March, 
excluded the first $10,200 in unemployment compensation per taxpayer 
paid in 2020. The $10,200 is the amount excluded when calculating one's 
adjusted gross income (AGI); it is not the amount of refund. The 
exclusion applied to individuals and married couples whose modified 
adjusted gross income was less than $150,000.Earlier this year, the IRS began its review of tax returns filed 
prior to the enactment of ARPA to identify the excludible unemployment 
compensation. To date, the IRS has issued over 11.7 million refunds 
totaling $14.4 billion. This latest batch of corrections affected over 
519,000 returns, with 430,000 taxpayers receiving refunds averaging 
about $1,189.The review of returns and processing corrections is nearly complete 
as the IRS already reviewed the simplest returns and is now 
concentrating on more complex returns. The IRS plans to issue another 
batch of corrections before the end of the year.Impacted taxpayers will generally receive letters from the IRS within
 30 days of the adjustment, informing them of what kind of adjustment 
was made (refund, payment of IRS debt payment or payment offset for 
other authorized debts) and the amount of the adjustment.The IRS also is making corrections for Earned Income Tax Credit, 
Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, Premium Tax 
Credit and Recovery Rebate Credit amounts affected by the exclusion. 
Most taxpayers need not take any action and there is no need to call the
 IRS.The IRS will be sending notices in November and December to 
individuals who did not claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the 
Additional Child Tax Credit but may now be eligible for them.These notices are not confirmation that they are eligible for these 
credits and will require a response from the taxpayer if eligible rather
 than filing an amended return. For taxpayers who become eligible for 
other credits and/or deductions after the exclusion is calculated but 
not claimed on their original return, they must file a Form 1040-X, 
Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to claim any new benefits.See the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-unemployment-compensation-exclusion-faqs">2020 Unemployment Compensation Exclusion FAQs</a> for more information, including details on filing an amended return.

IRS issues 430,000 refunds related to unemployment compensation

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-five-million-dead-memorials-acd5a25aabb50f203c8ee059803a1bec">global death toll</a>&nbsp;from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.

Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.

“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”

The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.

The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.

Hot spots have shifted over the 22 months since the outbreak began, turning different places on the world map red. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-europe-pandemics-moscow-b844be49c2811a454440d4e84d5e5338">the virus is pummeling Russia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-europe-eastern-europe-2c9668cdc75b37ed140345405fcc3f54">Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe</a>, especially where rumors, misinformation and distrust in government have hobbled vaccination efforts. In Ukraine, only 17% of the adult population is fully vaccinated; in Armenia, only 7%.

“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”

Wealthier nations with longer life expectancies have larger proportions of older people, cancer survivors and nursing home residents, all of whom are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, El-Sadr noted. Poorer countries tend to have larger shares of children, teens and young adults, who are less likely to fall seriously ill from the coronavirus.

India, despite its terrifying delta surge that peaked in early May, now has a much lower reported daily death rate than wealthier Russia, the U.S. or Britain, though there is uncertainty around its figures.

The seeming disconnect between wealth and health is a paradox that disease experts will be pondering for years. But the pattern that is seen on the grand scale, when nations are compared, is different when examined at closer range. Within each wealthy country, when deaths and infections are mapped, poorer neighborhoods are hit hardest.

In the U.S., for example, COVID-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic people, who are more likely than white people to live in poverty and have less access to health care.

“When we get out our microscopes, we see that within countries, the most vulnerable have suffered most,” Ko said.

Wealth has also played a role in the global vaccination drive, with rich countries accused of locking up supplies. The U.S. and others are already dispensing booster shots at a time when millions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-cape-town-health-48046e5255cc3e4fa27455fc12ab5e52">across Africa haven’t received a single dose</a>, though the rich countries are also shipping hundreds of millions of shots to the rest of the world.

Africa remains the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-europe-philanthropy-31fd688936caec29ff082412ef23e30a">least vaccinated region</a>, with just 5% of the population of 1.3 billion people fully covered.

In Kampala, Uganda, Cissy Kagaba lost her 62-year-old mother on Christmas Day and her 76-year-old father days later.

“Christmas will never be the same for me,” said Kagaba, an anti-corruption activist in the East African country that has been through multiple lockdowns against the virus and where a curfew remains in place.

The pandemic has united the globe in grief and pushed survivors to the breaking point.

“Who else is there now? The responsibility is on me. COVID has changed my life,” said 32-year-old Reena Kesarwani, a mother of two boys, who was left to manage her late husband’s modest hardware store in a village in India.

Her husband, Anand Babu Kesarwani, died at 38 during India’s crushing coronavirus surge earlier this year. It overwhelmed one of the most chronically underfunded public health systems in the world and killed tens of thousands as hospitals ran out of oxygen and medicine.

In Bergamo, Italy, once the site of the West’s first deadly wave, 51-year-old Fabrizio Fidanza was deprived of a final farewell as his 86-year-old father lay dying in the hospital. He is still trying to come to terms with the loss more than a year later.

“For the last month, I never saw him,” Fidanza said during a visit to his father’s grave. “It was the worst moment. But coming here every week, helps me.”

Today, 92% of Bergamo’s eligible population have had at least one shot, the highest vaccination rate in Italy. The chief of medicine at Pope John XXIII Hospital, Dr. Stefano Fagiuoli, said he believes that’s a clear result of the city’s collective trauma, when the wail of ambulances was constant.

In Lake City, Florida, LaTasha Graham, 38, still gets mail almost daily for her 17-year-old daughter, Jo’Keria, who died of COVID-19 in August, days before starting her senior year of high school. The teen, who was buried in her cap and gown, wanted to be a trauma surgeon.

“I know that she would have made it. I know that she would have been where she wanted to go,” her mother said.

In Rio de Janeiro, Erika Machado scanned the list of names engraved on a long, undulating sculpture of oxidized steel that stands in Penitencia cemetery as an homage to some of Brazil’s COVID-19 victims. Then she found him: Wagner Machado, her father.

“My dad was the love of my life, my best friend,” said Machado, 40, a saleswoman who traveled from Sao Paulo to see her father’s name. “He was everything to me.”

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated PressThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-five-million-dead-memorials-acd5a25aabb50f203c8ee059803a1bec">global death toll</a>&nbsp;from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Monday, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate health care systems.Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil — all upper-middle- or high-income countries — account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation.“This is a defining moment in our lifetime,” said Dr. Albert Ko, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Public Health. “What do we have to do to protect ourselves so we don’t get to another 5 million?”The death toll, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India.Hot spots have shifted over the 22 months since the outbreak began, turning different places on the world map red. Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-europe-pandemics-moscow-b844be49c2811a454440d4e84d5e5338">the virus is pummeling Russia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-religion-europe-eastern-europe-2c9668cdc75b37ed140345405fcc3f54">Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe</a>, especially where rumors, misinformation and distrust in government have hobbled vaccination efforts. In Ukraine, only 17% of the adult population is fully vaccinated; in Armenia, only 7%.“What’s uniquely different about this pandemic is it hit hardest the high-resource countries,” said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University. “That’s the irony of COVID-19.”Wealthier nations with longer life expectancies have larger proportions of older people, cancer survivors and nursing home residents, all of whom are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, El-Sadr noted. Poorer countries tend to have larger shares of children, teens and young adults, who are less likely to fall seriously ill from the coronavirus.India, despite its terrifying delta surge that peaked in early May, now has a much lower reported daily death rate than wealthier Russia, the U.S. or Britain, though there is uncertainty around its figures.The seeming disconnect between wealth and health is a paradox that disease experts will be pondering for years. But the pattern that is seen on the grand scale, when nations are compared, is different when examined at closer range. Within each wealthy country, when deaths and infections are mapped, poorer neighborhoods are hit hardest.In the U.S., for example, COVID-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic people, who are more likely than white people to live in poverty and have less access to health care.“When we get out our microscopes, we see that within countries, the most vulnerable have suffered most,” Ko said.Wealth has also played a role in the global vaccination drive, with rich countries accused of locking up supplies. The U.S. and others are already dispensing booster shots at a time when millions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-business-cape-town-health-48046e5255cc3e4fa27455fc12ab5e52">across Africa haven’t received a single dose</a>, though the rich countries are also shipping hundreds of millions of shots to the rest of the world.Africa remains the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-europe-philanthropy-31fd688936caec29ff082412ef23e30a">least vaccinated region</a>, with just 5% of the population of 1.3 billion people fully covered.In Kampala, Uganda, Cissy Kagaba lost her 62-year-old mother on Christmas Day and her 76-year-old father days later.“Christmas will never be the same for me,” said Kagaba, an anti-corruption activist in the East African country that has been through multiple lockdowns against the virus and where a curfew remains in place.The pandemic has united the globe in grief and pushed survivors to the breaking point.“Who else is there now? The responsibility is on me. COVID has changed my life,” said 32-year-old Reena Kesarwani, a mother of two boys, who was left to manage her late husband’s modest hardware store in a village in India.Her husband, Anand Babu Kesarwani, died at 38 during India’s crushing coronavirus surge earlier this year. It overwhelmed one of the most chronically underfunded public health systems in the world and killed tens of thousands as hospitals ran out of oxygen and medicine.In Bergamo, Italy, once the site of the West’s first deadly wave, 51-year-old Fabrizio Fidanza was deprived of a final farewell as his 86-year-old father lay dying in the hospital. He is still trying to come to terms with the loss more than a year later.“For the last month, I never saw him,” Fidanza said during a visit to his father’s grave. “It was the worst moment. But coming here every week, helps me.”Today, 92% of Bergamo’s eligible population have had at least one shot, the highest vaccination rate in Italy. The chief of medicine at Pope John XXIII Hospital, Dr. Stefano Fagiuoli, said he believes that’s a clear result of the city’s collective trauma, when the wail of ambulances was constant.In Lake City, Florida, LaTasha Graham, 38, still gets mail almost daily for her 17-year-old daughter, Jo’Keria, who died of COVID-19 in August, days before starting her senior year of high school. The teen, who was buried in her cap and gown, wanted to be a trauma surgeon.“I know that she would have made it. I know that she would have been where she wanted to go,” her mother said.In Rio de Janeiro, Erika Machado scanned the list of names engraved on a long, undulating sculpture of oxidized steel that stands in Penitencia cemetery as an homage to some of Brazil’s COVID-19 victims. Then she found him: Wagner Machado, her father.“My dad was the love of my life, my best friend,” said Machado, 40, a saleswoman who traveled from Sao Paulo to see her father’s name. “He was everything to me.”___

COVID-19's global death toll tops 5 million 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a man who was fatally shot by Topeka police in September 2017 has filed a federal lawsuit against the city seeking $10 million. 

The parents of Dominique White are also asking for $4.790 to cover the cost of his funeral. Topeka authorities cleared officers Justin Mackey and Michael Cruse of criminal wrongdoing after the shooting. 

Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said White initially denied he had a gun before the officers discovered one in a pocket and tried to seize it. Kagay said White resisted the officers and was shot as he ran away with his hand over the pocket that contained the gun.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601408473933.png" alt="White-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The family of a man who was fatally shot by Topeka police in September 2017 has filed a federal lawsuit against the city seeking $10 million. The parents of Dominique White are also asking for $4.790 to cover the cost of his funeral. Topeka authorities cleared officers Justin Mackey and Michael Cruse of criminal wrongdoing after the shooting. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said White initially denied he had a gun before the officers discovered one in a pocket and tried to seize it. Kagay said White resisted the officers and was shot as he ran away with his hand over the pocket that contained the gun.

Family of man killed by police sues Topeka for $10 million

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Union workers at Deere &amp; Co. would get wage increases of 10% in the first year and 5% each in the third and fifth years under a tentative contract reached between the farm-equipment maker and the United Auto Workers union.

The workers would get 3% lump sums in the second, fourth and sixth years of the deal. They would also get a ratification bonus of $8,500 and no changes in the cost of their health insurance, according to a summary of the agreement posted Sunday on the union website.

The company and the UAW reached a tentative agreement Saturday that would cover more than 10,000 workers at 12 Deere locations in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/iowa">Iowa</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois">Illinois</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>. However, a strike that began Oct. 14 will continue while workers review the terms of the deal ahead of a ratification vote.

Union members previously rejected a proposed contract that included immediate 5% raises for some workers and 6% for others, and 3% raises in 2023 and 2025.

The Moline, Illinois-based company reported $4.7 billion in net income for the first nine months of its fiscal year, more than double the $2 billion of the same period a year earlier.

A labor shortage affecting many industries also gave workers more leverage to demand better pay and benefits.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Union workers at Deere &amp; Co. would get wage increases of 10% in the first year and 5% each in the third and fifth years under a tentative contract reached between the farm-equipment maker and the United Auto Workers union.The workers would get 3% lump sums in the second, fourth and sixth years of the deal. They would also get a ratification bonus of $8,500 and no changes in the cost of their health insurance, according to a summary of the agreement posted Sunday on the union website.The company and the UAW reached a tentative agreement Saturday that would cover more than 10,000 workers at 12 Deere locations in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/iowa">Iowa</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois">Illinois</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>. However, a strike that began Oct. 14 will continue while workers review the terms of the deal ahead of a ratification vote.Union members previously rejected a proposed contract that included immediate 5% raises for some workers and 6% for others, and 3% raises in 2023 and 2025.The Moline, Illinois-based company reported $4.7 billion in net income for the first nine months of its fiscal year, more than double the $2 billion of the same period a year earlier.A labor shortage affecting many industries also gave workers more leverage to demand better pay and benefits.

Deere workers would get immediate 10% raises under new offer

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for causing a crash earlier this year that killed a grandmother and injured her 6-month-old grandson.

Josiah Coleman, 23, Leavenworth County was sentenced Thursday to 77 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and methamphetamine possession. 

Prosecutors say Coleman was high on meth on Feb. 21 when he drove more than 90 mph in a 40 mph zone, ran a stop sign and crashed into a car driven by 62-year-old Donna Gay Osborne. Osborne died at the scene, and her infant grandson, who was in the car, suffered minor injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635519139527.png" alt="Coleman-photo Leavenworth Co." />
 <figcaption>Coleman-photo Leavenworth Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for causing a crash earlier this year that killed a grandmother and injured her 6-month-old grandson.Josiah Coleman, 23, Leavenworth County was sentenced Thursday to 77 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter and methamphetamine possession. Prosecutors say Coleman was high on meth on Feb. 21 when he drove more than 90 mph in a 40 mph zone, ran a stop sign and crashed into a car driven by 62-year-old Donna Gay Osborne. Osborne died at the scene, and her infant grandson, who was in the car, suffered minor injuries.

Fatal crash: Kansas man was driving 90 mph in 40 mph zone

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a residential robbery and have suspects in custody.

Just beforee 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of SW Western in Topeka in reference a residential robbery to an individual that had just occurred, according to. Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson. 

Officers met with the victim and were able to get possible identification of the three suspects who were involved. The suspect’s vehicle was later located parked behind a residence in the 1000 block of NW Jackson in Topeka.

As officers were dealing with the vehicle the three suspects came out of a residence and were taken into custody and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews police arrested Derek Devlin, 37 of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Theft

Todd Devlin, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Theft. The third individual was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant. Police did not release that suspect's name.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a residential robbery and have suspects in custody.Just beforee 3a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of SW Western in Topeka in reference a residential robbery to an individual that had just occurred, according to. Police Lt. Kelvin Johnson. Officers met with the victim and were able to get possible identification of the three suspects who were involved. The suspect’s vehicle was later located parked behind a residence in the 1000 block of NW Jackson in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635627703537.png" alt="Derek Devlin photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Derek Devlin photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>As officers were dealing with the vehicle the three suspects came out of a residence and were taken into custody and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews police arrested Derek Devlin, 37 of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and TheftTodd Devlin, 55, of Topeka, was arrested on on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Theft. The third individual was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant. Police did not release that suspect's name.

Police arrest 2 suspects for robbery at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635717989853.png" alt="Press Secretary Jen Psaki.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Press Secretary Jen Psaki.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.Psaki, 42, said she was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, when she met him in the White House, where they were more than 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Biden, who is tested frequently, last tested negative on Saturday, according to the White House.Psaki did not accompany Biden on his trip abroad to Rome this weekend for the Group of 20 summit and next Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday for a U.N. climate summit.Psaki had planned to travel with the president but scrapped the trip just as he was set to depart for Europe after learning that members of her household had tested positive for COVID-19.“Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Psaki said in a statement. “However, today, I tested positive for COVID.”Psaki said she is only exhibiting mild symptoms.“While I have not had close contact in person with the President or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday – and tested negative for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said.White House staff and others traveling with the president have been undergoing daily tests for COVID-19 since before departing Washington and are all fully vaccinated. Many officials have also received booster shots, due to the close-quarters environment and frequent travel associated with their work.Biden got his COVID-19 booster on Sept 27, shortly after federal regulators approved the third dose for many Americans.Biden has been accompanied on the trip by principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Psaki said she would return to work in person at the conclusion of a 10-day quarantine and following a negative rapid test.